Questions. ( Ecclesiastes 3 v 11 )

Whats going on,in the world?, I think when we say,whats going on the world?, we are really asking what does it mean? .When people act in bad ways, we are really wanting to know, why the coronavirus?. There are many things in life that are happening and have happened,that leave us puzzled. We know a lot of things,  and yet in spite of all our knowledge we still understand so little. In one sense we could say, that's life ,we just have to live with it,no big deal,we are a tiny planet ,in this VAST Universe ,do we really matter.? does anything really matter?, lets just accept our lot, whatever will be ,will be. At this time much is being made of the world of science,they are the master minds,they will find solutions to all our problems.They are the ones who tell us that this world just happened,and all the beauty of this world just happened.That our wonderful bodies just happened,that the vast number of different species just happened ,that all living things just happened. I am fed up with them trying to convince me of their just happened theory, surely there must be a better answer,why can they not say that they just don't know,or could it be,they do not want to know?.At this time we are all struck with the care being shown by doctors,nurses,and many others,yet why is the coronavirus happening?,could it be that someone is telling us something we have forgotten.I have been to Florence to the Accademia Gallery, and looked at the statue of   Michelangelo's David, what beauty, could it be someone is trying to tell us something, we have forgotten.Why is man so creative?,why are we so inventive?, it just happened,did it?no it didn't just happen, we read that God made man in his own image,this being man, like its creator have a creativeness and many other qualities ,that no other creature has. God is speaking in many ways ,through the tragedies ,and the beauties ,science cannot give us an answer to these things  .

Helper ( Philippians 4 v 10 - 20 )

I am 76 years of age ,I have been following the Lord for 56 yrs , for the last 26 year things have been easier financially,before that money was always very tight.I have also shared with you our times when we were at Bible college and we simply had to literally pray our way through . It was very challenging  ,likewise I have experienced unemployment,like many with little money we had old second hand cars,which brought its own source of trials. I come from Northern Ireland and the bombing,shooting was a constant thing,plus a general strike,a lot of people knew someone who had been murdered. I managed a Christian bookshop,but it was forced to close,due to a lack of trade,plus the competition from other Christian book shops.The greatest  blow was the loss of my dear wife,she died of cancer ,leaving me with four children So why am I telling you this?, because in all these things ,I have found my God faithful,he has been my helper, and He has never failed me.Dear Christian fear not the unknown future,have faith in your God and Saviour,go forward with your hand in his.  God says to you,'' So do not fear,for I  am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help  you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand''.( Isaiah 41 v 10 )

Our Aim. ( Psalm 86 v 12 )

I used to pray for a woman called Twen,who is a prisoner in Eritrea,a friend sent me an email about her,I must recommence my praying for her,here is what was written,''Twen has spent 15 years in prison, because she is a Christian, she was arrested after she attended a prayer meeting. During her time in prison she has faced beatings,and torture. She has used her time in prison to serve others. She has taken their punishment, washed their wounds, and carried them when they couldn't walk. She has had opportunities to escape,but each time she returned to serve her fellow prisoners.Her one request is that God would be glorified in Eritrea.When you read things like this it brings a challenge and it is this,to glorify God,in the good times, and in the bad times,in the easy times and in the difficult times, in the pain free times, and in the painful times.

Limping ( Romans 10 v 1 - 13 )

In Romans 10 writing about the Jews Paul declares ,'That they were zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge' , L.Morris writes, 'Zeal can be used in a good or a bad sense ; here it will be in the good sense, with a meaning something like our ''enthusiasm'' No nation had given itself to God with such devoted and courageous zeal as Israel,''( Barrett) '' But unfortunately this zeal had be qualified it was not based on knowledge (John 16 v 2; Acts 22 v 3; 26 v 9-11, Gal 1 v 14 ). Enthusiasm is good, but enthusiasm run riot can lead to disastrous results.'' Now follows a statement by Augustine,''It is better to limp the right way than to run with all our might out of the way''.How very meaningful these words are,The cults are very zealous,people often say I admire their enthusiasm, and if we look at many religions they can be very zealous.Dear friend ponder,what Paul wrote about the Jews,and what Augustine said,it is worth repeating,''It is better to limp the right way than  to run with all our might out of the way'' In Proverbs 14 v 12, we read,'There is a way that appears to be right,but in the end it leads to death'. You may be zealous but are you running to your spiritual ruin?, Jesus is the way the truth and the life,any other way is the wrong way,any other so called truth is error,and it will lead not to life but death.

Happiness ( Matthew 5 v 1 - 12 )

I worked as a support worker in a mental health team,and I remember a lady who was always,craving after that which would make her happy, but it seemed to me in her case,it did not happen. It is like someone trying to find the pot of gold and the end of a rainbow,because it is not there.Someone has said that happiness depends on what happens,even that may not be true.We used to sing ,oh happy day when Jesus washed my sins away, well that would make one happy, it should.In Matthew 5 we have the word blessed mentioned 9 times, it is generally thought to mean happy.But as we read these 9  sayings we read that they come along with being ,poor in spirit,mourning,meekness,hungering and thirsting after righteousness,being merciful, being pure in heart,being a peacemaker,being persecuted,being lied about.Yes it is not about having perfect health,having wealth,and a lot of other things that people think will make them happy,it is not of this world, it is in fact , heavenly.Bear in mind  as Michael Green points out,'The Sermon on the mount in which we find these blessed's ,is no mere code of ethics that can be detached from loyalty to Christ as Marx and Gandhi wished to understand it'.In Psalm 144 v 15 we read,'Blessed ( Happy) is the people whose God is the Lord'.

What is your Name?. ( Romans 8 v 29 )

According to one writer the Jews in NT ,times had two names, one was a Hebrew name and the other a Greek name, Thomas is the Hebrew , and Didymus is the Greek for a twin. Peter is the Greek ,Cephas  is the Hebrew for a rock,Tabitha is the Hebrew, and Dorcas is the Greek for a gazelle.My  first name William originated from the Normans,my second name Alexander originated  from the Greek.The meaning of William is, resolute protector,and the meaning of Alexander is,defender,and protector of  man. I would like to think that I live up to what the meaning of my names, but I doubt it.Of course I have another name ,Christian,it used to be, that people would say they were Christians   and yet they had never accepted Christ as their Saviour, had never been born again. Yes I accepted Christ as my Saviour, but  the challenge for all who call themselves Christians is , do we seek to live up to the name we bear.?.I assume it means that we should be Christlike,for after all Gods purpose for all Christians is that they may be conformed to Christs image.In the words of a little song,'Be like Jesus this my song,in the home and in the throng,be like Jesus everyday I would be like Jesus'.May all of us who bear the name Christian, seek by the grace of God, to live up to, that name.

Loneliness ( Hebrews 13 v 5 )

In Genesis 2 v 18, God declared, 'It is not good to be alone' we are social beings,we need others, one would think in this overcrowded planet,we would never feel alone,or even be alone. Yet the fact is many people feel alone,the elderly suddenly find themselves alone as their long life partner dies .  Old age brings different challenges, loneliness can be one of them,but it does not only apply to the elderly,many people feel lonely,and especially at a time like this, when we are in lock down.Looking back in my life especially when I was younger I felt lonely,yes even as a Christian. The Bible tells us that God will meet our needs, ( Phil 4 v 19 ), He is able to meet your needs. again in looking back  I can see how God brought people into my life, I have never had a multitude of friends,but there have been different individuals who became my friend. In spite of this I have still felt lonely at times. It was Nicky Cruz who wrote a book ,the title being,'Lonely , but never alone', that sums it up,yes as to ..human companionship ,we may not have that always ,but we do have one who is with us, and that  one is our Saviour., here is what he said,'' I am with you always.''( Matthew 28 v 20 ).Friends or no friends, He is with us,in  sickness and health, in poverty or wealth,in the ups and downs,in twists and turns,in the  dark days,and in bright days,He is with us ,not just for part of journey of life, but for all of life,and even when we go through the valley of the shadow of death He will be with us.( Psalm 23 v 4 )