I want to know. ( Romans 11 v 33 - 36 )

Why?, is the question many people ask,as to disasters,and to things that happen in their lives,which they cannot understand. So much of life is a mystery, and yet we want and expect an answer,.consider what our Saviour said to Peter, 'You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand' ( John 13 v 7 ),this could mean that later on in our lives when we look back,and see the bigger picture,we will praise Him,and His providential care over us,that He shut that door, and that He held us back,and that his disappointments were our appointments.We can take this a step further, it is in 1 Corinthians 13 v  12, we read,' For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,even as I am fully known.'It is in Deuteronomy 29 v 29, we read ,' The secret things belong to the Lord our God, in Acts 1 v 6 - 7,the disciples asked Jesus  as to when He would set up his kingdom, he replied,'it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority'.The fact is there are some things we are not meant to know,we have no God given right to know,but He knows,and he knows best,the main thing for you and I to do, as we we pass through this life,is the importance of childlike trust in our loving heavenly Father,whose ways are  mysterious yet perfect.

Not how, but who. (Psalm 121 )

Let me ask you a question,'Got any rivers ,you think are uncrossable?,got any mountains you can't tunnel through?, well have you? let's remind ourselves of this truth,'God specialises in things thought impossible,  He'll do for you,what no other can do'.As I look back on my life of 76 years,how have I come this far?,only one answer ,'God',no one else,so many dangers in life,survival of the fittest,no , when I was born I must have been premature,for when a neighbour saw me, she wept,because I was so small. Our living Saviour declares, '' I hold the keys of death''( Revelation 1 v 18),if  you or I,are going to survive the dangers in life, it will be because He will's it. Power belongs unto Him ( Psalm  62 v 11) ,oh yes many of God's people are suffering,struggling ,and facing many difficulties, if that is what He has willed for their lives, he will not forsake their in their dark hours,and He will ,rest assured,  bring them through to Glory. ( Hebrews 2 v 10 ) In the mean while, let us trust our God and Saviour ,to undertake for us,to get us across those rivers that appear uncrossable,and to get us through ,the mountains that we can't tunnel through .A family was facing difficulties, and the youngest son ,came the father, and asked him,'Father how are we going get through , he looked at his son ,and said,'Son its not how, but who. That is the  right answer to the question , our God ,the God of the impossible.

Words ( Romans 8 v 28 )

I wonder do you think the following is true?,'Sticks and stones may break my bones but names, will never hurt me'.When I was a lad,indeed  for most of my life ,I had prominent teeth, I am sure you know what happened?,some people used to call me,'buck teeth'. I remember an old lady who took an unbridge  at me,saying very hurtful remarks about my teeth, ,and I felt very angry, That's not a problem now ,as  those teeth are now gone,still it hurt at the time.In families abuse,can take different forms, one of them is words,yes words,were a child can be put down,made little of, that they are told that they are  of no use,that they will never amount to anything.The result is they grow up feeling unloved,and a failure,because of words ,hurtful words,imprinted in their memory,and they cannot erase them.We are all sinners in a real  sense failures,for sin is a failure in Gods eyes,but God loves failures,yes He does. When He saves us failures,he makes us his children, we become somebodies,with a wonderful future,in time and most of all ,in eternity. It will amaze you, as it has me,just how much God will care for us,help us, favour us,and bless us,yes we may fail in certain things ,but by his grace we can rise above our failures, through Jesus, his Son.

The power of gravity. ( Romans 1 v 16 )

Why do we not all float of into space? the answer is gravity, gravity is defined this way,'The force that attracts a body towards the centre of the earth, or towards any other body having mass'. Near a town in Northern Ireland called Omagh,in the county of  Tyrone, there is a hill that is called a magnetic hill,what is unusual about this is,if you park your car at the bottom of the hill  ,with the engine turned of ,and the hand brake of, your car would be pulled up the hill,it is caused by the power of gravity. In Colossians 1, we are  told that Christ is the image of the invisible God,for in him all things were created, and in him all things hold together., and that all the fullness of God dwells in Him ,this is Jesus we are talking about.One who is truly God and truly man,in his earthly existence we see his divinity,when he spoke,when he performed miracles, and his unique knowledge,of people he had never met.We see his humanity in his physical limitations,he was weary,sad,and even as regards to his  death,we are told of that death that he was crucified in weakness,yet he lives by God's power ( 2 Cor 13 v 4 ) We marvel at the power of  gravity, ,but in Jesus we see the power behind it all ,Jesus ,by Him all things were created and by him all things  were created and are sustained and held together(Colossians 1 v 16 ff). but the power  of Jesus goes beyond creation,to the power of salvation. I listened to a man speaking yesterday his name was Ron,he told of a life that was out of control,a life controlled by drugs,he was continually being put into prison, many times he nearly died through overdosing with drugs..There seemed no way out of this nightmare of a life,until he met Jesus,and accepted him as his Saviour.When that happened two things took place ,one, forgiveness, two,he was empowered to overcome the power of sin.

Are you anxious ? ( Acts 16 v 31 )

In  Proverbs  12 v 25, we read, 'An anxious heart weighs a man down'.I was told recently of a man who was very anxious, because of the coronavirus ,as many people are,the thing about this man,he had  trusted   Jesus many years ago,his wife also is  a Christian. Unfortunately they both had fallen into a backslidden state .His family have been praying for him,and I have for many years,that he might get right with God again. The good news he has,in his anxiety he turned back to Jesus,and now he is shining for Jesus. We can be anxious for many reasons,are you anxious like that young man,before the coronavirus,you never give a thought about death ,after all so many people live to a hundred,why worry about such things,but now the reality is , death is on the rampage.If you are ignoring this reality and not taking precautions ,you are being foolish,and further still,you are foolish big time,if you have ignored the reality,that if you were to  die ,were would spend eternity?let me repeat this,were would you spend  eternity?.The good news you may survive this coronavirus, but you will not escape death, I can assure  you,it will eventually come knocking on your door,I urge you with all my heart to trust Jesus as your Saviour, believe on the Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

Yes, Yes, Yes. ( Ephesians 3 v 20 )

I read recently of a woman who lived in New York all her life,like most cities the light pollution blotted out the stars,and even the moon.Recently as she looked up there it was ,the moon,she said to her friend,so that's the moon?.Just imagine yourself away from from light pollution,you would be speechless as you look up  and see the vastness of the universe,with its innumerable stars.In Psalm 19 we read,' The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the works of his hands'.In Psalm 147 v 4, we read,'He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name'.I do not believe for one moment that all the universe just happened by chance,because chance can make nothing happen,no in the beginning God created the havens and the earth,the beginning,that point in time or space it all began, not with a bang, but with the voice of God saying,''let it be'', and it was.You may say it is not possible,but let me tell you this,with God all things are possible.If he did all that  can he not look after you and me,whatever we may be facing, at this time, can he not see us through our difficulties?,yes ,yes, yes, there is nothing to hard for Him to do.

Old Thomas. ( 1 Corinthians 3 v 5 - 9 )

A man called H.L.Gee tells  the story ,of the church in which he worshipped, and in that church was a lonely old man called Thomas.He had outlived all his friends,and hardly anybody knew him .Well Thomas died, and H.L Gee had a feeling that no one would attend his funeral,so he did,This was during war time,and as he reached the cemetery he noticed a soldier waiting he was an officer.He came for the ceremony,and after it ended,he stepped forward to the grave and gave a wonderful salute.It was a wet and windy day,and as he walked away H.L.Gee joined him,the wind caught the soldiers raincoat revealing his rank,he was nothing less than a brigadier.He spoke to H.L.Gee and explained why he was there.He went on to say ,that Thomas had been his Sunday school teacher,and that he had been a wild lad and a sore trial to Thomas,he never knew what he did for me; but I owe everything I am or will be to him,that is why I came to salute him.The Bible tells us  one sows another reaps,if I was sum to up  my ministry ,it has been one of sowing,I hope like Thomas God may have used me to have influenced someone for good. Let us all remember it is God alone who gives the increase.