Everything we need . ( Philippians 4 v13 )

 In 2  Peter 1 v 3 we read,' His divine power has given us everything that we need  for life and godliness'. When we become a Christian we are not left  with no resources, no God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. In Romans 7 the Apostle Paul, writes of the struggle he had in seeking to do what's right, the fact is none of us are perfect, but we must seek that godly perfection that Christ spoke of in Matthew 5 v 48. our Saviour did not tell us this, to mock us, but rather to make that our aim, to be ever striving, as the apostle  writes in Philippians 3 v 12 - 14.  We are not saved by what we do, but by what Christ has done, we are not saved by our righteousness ,Titus 3 v 5, but we are called to be righteous ,likewise only God is holy yet we are called to be be holy. ( 1 Peter 1 v 16 ) As  a Christian I have to take this serious, Paul recognised the challenged and struggled with it, why because although we have a new nature we still have the old nature which is referred to as the flesh Galatians 5 v 16 - 17. In Romans 7 v 25 Paul declares 'Thanks be to God ,through our Lord Jesus Christ', our Christian life starts with Christ, and continues with Christ, yes there is victory in Jesus. He is with us in the power of the Holy Spirit, who will grant us the power and the grace to live a life of godliness.

                                                  Through many dangers, toils, and snares

                                                   I have already come ;

                                                   Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

                                                   And grace will lead me home.  ( Words John  Newton )

                                                    

Are you greedy? ( Matthew 22 v 37 )

 Years ago when  rich people had servants, the master of the house  overheard one of his servants saying to  the other servants, '' if only I had ten pound I would be so happy and content''. Well the master took ten pound from his wallet ,and gave it to him, and as he was walking away  he overheard him say, ''I wish I had said twenty pounds.'' Recently a neighbours daughter said to me, ''I don't want a lot of money, just enough to buy a few things''. The thing is the more people get, the more they want , it is very true, people always go for a better paid job, a bigger house, a better car .Now I am not saying that's its wrong to better ones self, for most of my life money has been scarce, not now, God has blessed me, and I am grateful, and content, my concern is to not let my possessions possess  me . In Ephesians 5 v 3 the apostle Paul  challenges the believers not to be greedy, it has the meaning of covetousness, a hunger for material possessions,( among other things). Charles Swindoll, points that in Colossians 3 v 5  greed is linked  to idolatry, and he makes this valid point ,''greed ,'' makes a god of what it seeks to possess''. My  dear wife is a self employed carer, and she reminds me it is not just about the money. it was dear William Cowper who wrote,

                                                    'The dearest idol I have known,

                                                     Whate'er that idol be,

                                                      Help me to tear it from Thy throne,

                                                       And  worship  only Thee.'.

It is not fair. ( Romans 12 v 19 - 21 )

 Looking back on my life, I think  of the many friends I've had along the way, one of my earliest friends was Billy Harris, although it wasn't all smooth going the friendship, bearing in mind ,we were both in primary school, in other words we were both very young. We had a fight and I bit him, no I didn't  try to eat him, no I just bit him, he  got over it, we still remained friends for a few years. I  remember going to his home, and his mother  sent him out to get some shopping, we both  went, and  when his mum asked him for the change, he had lost it. In those days money was short, so his mother was very upset, so she started blaming me, I  didn't take it ,or should I say, steal it, no I was innocent, he was my friend.  It is not nice being blamed for something one didn't do, think  of Joseph accused wrongly of trying to rape someone ,and for that he spent many years in prison. He could not do anything about it, it was not fair or just.  In   1 Peter 2 , Peter writes about those who suffer wrongly, and gives the greatest example of that in Jesus, and this is what we read, ' Who when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered , He did not threaten , but committed ( or entrusted ) himself  to Him who judges righteously' ( v 23 )

It became a reality. ( Isaiah 9 v 6 )

 In Matthew 2 we have recorded the visit of  the wise men from the east ,possibly from Persia, and they came seeking the king of the Jews, it is understandable that they went to Jerusalem initially, as it is very near Bethlehem. They assumed that the king of the Jews would be born in a palace, but not so, as they soon found out  ,when they met with  King Herod. The Jewish religious leaders pointed out from scripture, that it was to be in Bethlehem as foretold by the prophet Micah ( 5 v 2 ) that the Messiah was to be born. It is important to emphasize, that the coming of  Christ was foretold in the OT. In Isaiah  7 v 14/  9 v 6 we have his birth foretold,  in Isaiah 53, and Psalm 22, his suffering and death, in Psalm 16 v 10, we have His resurrection foretold. Christianity is not something  that we have made up , it was clearly foretold in scripture. Those Jews who made up the early Church, saw Christ  as the promised Messiah, that He was the one the scriptures clearly foretold was coming. Yes they followed  that prophecy given by  God, that became a reality, in that little town of Bethlehem, in a babe called Jesus, the Saviour of the world.

The future. ( Isaiah 50 v 10 )

 In 1939 Great Britain and many other countries were facing a very uncertain future, Germany  ruled by a  dictator called Hitler,  had set his sights on conquest by force  on the nations of Europe. The British Prime Minister thought he had secured peace, and the nation rejoiced, but alas it was not  so, and so war was declared. Difficult and uncertain times lay ahead the then King George the sixth on 25th of December 1939 ,spoke to the nation on the radio, his young daughter  Princess Elisabeth, passed unto him a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins, called,' The Gate of the Year', the king read this in his talk. Considering the uncertainties that we as a nation face and indeed the world ,its is a very appropriate poem to read. As  someone has said, 'No one knows what the 'New Year 'will bring, but God knows'.  

                                      'And I said to the man who stood  at the gate of the year, 

                                       Give me a light that I may tread safely  into the unknown,

                                        And he replied,   

                                        Go out into the darkness, and put your  hand, in the Hand of God  ,

                                        That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.'

That God ,can be known through Jesus his Son, who said '' I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life''.  (John 8 v 12 )

                                                                                                   

           

Trivial Pursuit ( Mark 8 v 3 6 - 37 )

A writer ,writing about a certain billionaire  , wrote the following, He splashed out on a  46 million pound jet, then a 100 million pound yacht , to add to the two he already owned. The yacht  was everything, you imagine it would be, ''Gold taps '',she comments,' after he had finished showing of the rest of the yacht ,he got bored and grumpy'. We may ask the question how can a billionaire be bored?, could it be that he is just playing 'Trivial Pursuit' ?. Sad to say a lot of our lives are made up of playing the game of  , 'Trivial Pursuit'. Philip Yancey  attending a life - threatening illness support group, which met monthly  in a hospital support group,  writes,'  I cannot say I' enjoyed ' those meetings, yet when walking home, I had the sense that the evening was one of the most meaningful I had spent. We skipped  trivialities and faced into the issues most urgent to everyone in the room- death and life, and how best to spend what time remained'. He goes on to quote the poet John Donne ,'  I need Thy thunder, O my God;  thy music will not serve  Thee'. I often ask myself the question what is God saying in these days?, could it be , that it is Gods voice thundering ,asking this question,' Are  we ready to meet Him?. Let us stop playing 'Trivial  Pursuit', and seek the Lord Jesus while  He can be found, and to call on Him while He is near.

Perfect no. ( 1 John 1 v 8 - 10 )

The neighbour heard raised voices next door, the couple  who lived there were Christians, so when he saw his neighbour, he mentioned to him , what he had heard. The Christian looked at him and said, I am sorry you heard that, but the fact is I am not a perfect husband, a perfect father, or a perfect neighbour. But he went on to say this, ''but I  will  try be a good husband, a good father, and a good neighbour''. As a Christian I know  Jesus exhorted us to be perfect , that's the ongoing goal of every Christian, we must never forget this, and never cease trying to attain to that challenge, you may ask ,how can one achieve this daily challenge?. Well it is obvious that it must be by relying on our helper, the Holy Spirit, and with His help we can be better people, more Christlike. The greatest of the apostles said that he wasn't perfect, he did not give up, he continue to press on, so must we, until when all things will be changed, listen ,on that day we be like Him, totally  conformed to the image of Christ. In the meanwhile  remember repentance does not stop when we get saved, it is ongoing, keep short accounts with God your Father, seek forgiveness. He has promised in His word ,'that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness . ( 1 John 1 v 9 )