The scars remain. ( Psalm 55 v 22 )

 After  forty years of happy marriage John Newtons wife died, it  was a great loss, death has an unreality about it, one moment that person is there the next moment they are gone. One can find it hard to understand ,if only one could just  hear their voice again . When God created mankind we were never meant to die, but sin changed everything. Yet through Christ death and resurrection  ,death will die, vanquished for ever. Until that day we will grieve over the loss of a loved one, in time it will be easier, to some extent, time is a healer. After a while ,John Newtons  friend William  Wilberforce inquired how he felt  at the loss of his dear wife Mary, John replied,'' God has healed the wound. But the scar remains''. I suppose that sums it up, the scars remain, but one day the scars will be no longer, when God will wipe away all tears, and all pain will cease. Until that day ,Gods amazing grace will enable us to live with the scars.

Imagine ( Romans 3 v 10 - 23 )

 Walter Mitty was a fictional   character, he indulged in fantastic daydreams, there is bit of  Walter Mitty in us  all.  There was a song called ,' If I ruled the world', written by  Leslie  Bricusse, it has words like ,'Every day ,would be the first day of  Spring, every man would be free as a bird,'. Then a lot  of people love  the song  by John  Lennon, 'Imagine', it has words like, '' Imagine there's no heaven , its easy if you try.no hell below us, Imagine all the people living in peace.no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man. You may say I'm a dreamer'. These songs are all Walter Mitty songs, because  they  are not based on reality, no matter how much you dream they are not  real. Lets look at life as it is, stop daydreaming, lets face reality, because sin and  its consequences are real, just today I received a scam email , sent by real people who don't care about  the wrong they are doing. You and I are going to die, that's reality, let us not be taken in by the Walter Mitty's of this world, let us not become Walter Mitty's , Walter Mitty was a fool, I believe there is a heaven, there is a hell, The historical Jesus  died on a cross, why?, because He knew the reality, he knew our lost condition, He is our only hope, only  in him our sins can be forgiven, only in him  can we freed from our  sins, only by trusting him can we saved ,and go to heaven.

I Know ( 4 ) ( Acts 16 v 30 - 31 )

 In Christ ,God has provided for your salvation ,it is not Christ plus, no it is Christ alone, through his death all your sins can be totally forgiven, you will not have to face the wrath of God, and you will go to heaven. It is as simple as that, whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved ( Romans 10 v 14 ) Jesus said I give unto my sheep eternal life.(John 10 v 28 ) We are saved by grace alone through faith alone, not of ourselves, it is a gift of God,   not of works, so that no one can boast. ( Ephesians 2 v 8 - 9). Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,( John 3 v 36 ) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son ,that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. When we trust Jesus we are taken from the place of uncertainty ,to the place of certainty, no longer  will we live in that place of fear, and dread of oncoming judgement, you shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Augustus M. Toplady , wrote ,'Not the labour of my hands, can fulfil Thy laws demands; Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow; All for sin could not atone ,Thou must save, and Thou alone' 

I know ( 3 ) ( Isaiah 53 v 10 )

 Light has come into the world ( John  3 v 19 ),here  it is speaking about Jesus who is called the light of the world ( John 9 v 5 ). Jesus  came from heaven, born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, the scripture foretold of His coming  C P, Isaiah 7 v  14/ 9 v 6 / Micah 5 v 2  .  Every Christmas we celebrate this great event, but why should He come? ,what was the purpose of  His coming , the answer  ,'He will save his people from their sins'. That problem that man caused was going to be solved by God, through Jesus his Son, only God could solve it.. This Jesus would lead a sinless life, that had to be, as we will see , the purpose of his coming ,was clearly foretold in the Bible, CP Isaiah 53/ Psalm 22.It was John the Baptist who declared, 'Look ,the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world'. How was he going to deal with sin? ,it is important to make clear ,that Jesus knew why he had come. CP  John 8 v 28/ Matthew 16 v 21/. And so it came to pass, they took him and crucified him, why the cross, why this awful death, Well his death was for judgement for sin, whose sin ,not his ,but your sin ,my sin. God cannot overlook sin ,there is always a price to pay for sin, the wrath of God that abides on mankind, C P, John 3 v 36,that means we would all be going to Hell. So Jesus bore the wrath of  God, so that all who trust in Jesus would not have to bear it.. (We will continue this tomorrow)

Does God test us? ( 1 ) ( Matthew 22 v 34 - 40 )

God does test his people , here are a few examples,   ( 1)   Abraham, in Genesis 22 we read how God  spoke  to him, and this is what  he said, '' Take your son , your only son , whom you love - Isaac-  and go  to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice  him there  as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you''.  Consider what God  said, and ask yourself , how would you feel if these words  were spoken to you. Isaac was a child of promise , Gen 17 v 19, he loved Isaac , but how  much did he love Him?. Remember  what our Saviour said to Peter in John 21, '' do you love me more than these ?,who or what was our Lord referring  to?, was  it his business, as a fisher man?, it was Peter who said to the other disciples, '' I am going out to fish'', the rest followed him. our employment is important to us, Jesus could have been pointing to the other  disciples, and was saying, do you  love me more than them, I am  sure that we all appreciate the importance of friends. The great test, in relation to our love for our Saviour,  boils down to how much do we love him?  

                                                  Lovest thou Me, lovest  thou Me, more than these ?

                                                  Modern times have brought many blessings,

                                                  People live in  wealth and luxury ,

                                                   But the Master still asks the question,

                                                    Lovest  thou Me, lovest thou Me,

                                                    More than these ?.

                                                                        ( Words by Emie Hassie ) 

I know (2) ( Romans 3 v 9 - 23 )

 Continuing from yesterday, and how one would get to heaven, I guarantee you will get to heaven but first of all, I want you to do something, I want you to pray in your own words,. asking  Him to help you, as you look at what we are dealing with.  I want to take you back to two people in a Garden, they were sinless, but then they disobeyed God. So sin entered this world and paradise was no longer, everything had changed, I mean everything, no longer were those two people innocent,  their whole nature had changed, all who   would follow would have same fallen nature.  This would effect mankind's relationship with a holy God, the result we would  die physically, and spiritually, we had become sinners. There are no perfect people, for as the Bible tells us, all have sinned and come short of God's glory. ( Romans 3 v 23).While we are in this sinful condition, we cannot have a relationship with God who is holy, nor can we enter heaven. So that leaves us in a very  dreadful condition, facing only one thing  judgement , Humankind's fallen nature ,is spiritually dark ,in other words they do connect with what God says in his word, instead they invent their own word, their own spiritual  leaders, or they reject any concept of there being a god. In fact the world is at war with God, and  intent in doing things their way, which inevitably means sinning against God. The following words sum it up, 'Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.( John 3 v 19 ) ( We will continue this next time)

I know ( 1 ) ( Ephesians 6 v 19 )

 In an old movie a black lady spoke in response to what someone said, ''In a 100 yrs we will be wearing golden slippers,'' then she added,'' I  hope''.  I believe she was talking about going to heaven, I wonder do you think you are going to heaven?. Can anybody be sure they are going to heaven?, what does it depend on?. Are you like that dear lady, who added, 'I hope', and what do we have to do to get to heaven?.  Let me say this, I know how one can get to heaven, I can give you a sure certain answer, no if 's, or but's, or a maybe, or I hope. Is this not wonderful, that one can know for certain, how they can go to heaven. Say I said to you, I can tell you a sure and certain way you can become rich, I have special knowledge, and say I was able to convince you, to take my word, and you did, and you got rich, and you would say amazing I am so glad I listened to him..  Now lets return to the question as regards heaven,   and the knowledge I possess to  tell you how you can get to heaven. I want you think about this,  after all everybody wants to go to heaven, nobody wants to go that other awful ,terrible place, do they?, do you?. So  I invite you to return tomorrow ,and we will consider this further.