Truth is on you side. ( Isaiah 53 v 7 )

The late Selwyn Hughes ,wrote about a minister, who was accused of something of which he was innocent. He explained the facts, but his explanation was not accepted and he was removed from the pulpit of that church. Selwyn asked him why he hadn't done more to protest his innocence. With assurance he said;'Truth is on my side...the months will speak against the hours.' Within six months he was exonerated and went back to his pulpit. Selwyn  commented ,'Now that's security, that's trust'. The nature of life will mean that there are times when unfair things will happen to us,we are  treated badly,and there is nothing we can do about it.Consider our dear Saviour and all he suffered unjustly,this is what the apostle writes about him,'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled insults at him,he did not retaliate; he  entrusted himself to him who judges justly' ( 1 Peter  2 v 22- 23 )

Indispensable ( 2 Timothy 4 v 16 - 18 )

R. C. Sproul said that cemeteries are full of indispensable people,it is an important lesson to learn, that we can all be replaced. It is the nature of life,no matter how gifted we are, we can be replaced,and will be replaced. That does not mean that we are of no value ,no ,of course,we are of value,and that goes for the good we do,the gifts we have. The challenge that God would bring to us is this, don't put those so called indispensable people,in place of Me. I have had friends and I relied on them  so much , but God took them out of my life,why?,could it be that I was relying on them to much.The word of God exhorts us to , 'Fix our eyes on Jesus'. ( Hebrews 12 v 2 )The meaning of the word indispensable means something or someone you cannot do without, the only person you and I cannot do without is Jesus.

No panic ( Mark 4 v 35 - 41 )

I am  sure by now we have all heard of the coronavirus ,and hopefully we are following the advice given,like washing hands etc. It is interesting how people have reacted to this threat to our lives,or being shut in our homes for 14 days.In our recent shopping day, my wife notice,there was panic buying of pasta,and toilet rolls.I am sure many people are panicking about going holidays, what if  the holiday ship they are on becomes their prison ship.Well I mentioned  this to a friend on an email, his answer was,'' no panic here''. It is right that we take every precaution,but let us not panic, I have a little plaque with these words on it, 'Be still and know that I am God'. ( Psalm 46 v 10 )

Worry. ( Matthew 6 v 25 - 34 )

We are now in what many Christian's call the season of lent,the Archbishop of Canterbury recommends a book by a certain author ,that links lent up with the days of creation. Lent is a season on which many Christians choose do give up some particular thing, during the season of lent, I think its a good  idea. Our Pastor asked us to suggest things we could give up,people suggested things,but there was an unexpected suggestion from a person called Judith,now I know Judith well,she is a simple soul,but her suggestion hit a cord with us all,it was, to give up worrying. If  only that were possible,our lives would be enriched so much. Our Lord who knows us ,said not to worry ,because we have a heavenly Father who knows what we need,and so will care for us. Do read the above scripture.

Words of comfort ( John 10 v 11 )

I was watching an old movie, a young girl was dying, the one who was caring for her,got out a Bible and started to read the 23 Psalm,and this touched my heart,and a tear came into my eyes. So I am going to leave this Psalm with you,  'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; ,  he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a  table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for every.

He changed ( 2 Timothy 4 v 9 - 10 )

Last time I stressed the importance of discernment,and  I mentioned a certain preacher who denied the deity of Christ.It is a puzzle to me what he said in his spiritual autobiography as not believing Christ was God. Consider the following  comments he made on  Philippians 2 v 5, which  reads,' He was by nature in the very form of God',''Here two words are most , carefully chosen to show the essential and unchangeable godhead of Jesus Christ''.......'' that Jesus was  essentially, unalterably, and unchangeable God'',  Jesus remained in essence,His  unchangeable being divine''As a Christian I would say amen to what he wrote,but it appears that for whatever reason he changed in his beliefs as regards Christs divinity. It is a warning to us all ,to hold fast to Gods truth which does not change, truth is not something we throw off like a change of clothes, may God grant us grace to hold fast to the truth in God's word.

Discernment . ( Matthew 16 v 5 - 12 )

I recommended a book to a person , and I give him this advice, always be discerning,be it a book or a sermon,always be discerning.There was a popular writer, I have used his books to help me in my studies,he is no longer alive.I heard him many years ago speaking on television, and enjoyed what he had to say.He appeared sound in doctrine, and I would quote him in my sermons,for what he had to say was worthwhile. A while ago I purchased his spiritual autobiography, and to my surprise I discovered that he denied the divinity of Christ.That is not clear in his writings,consider what he wrote in one of his books,''Jesus was not simply one of us;he was God among us'' So be discerning, at all times.