Surrender . ( Isaiah 55 v 6 - 7 )

If you come from Northern Ireland, you would be familiar with the term ,'No Surrender',  this was the cry of  those who fervently wanted to stay in the United Kingdom, as opposed  to the nationalist  who wanted an all Ireland, to break free from British rule. After many years of conflict things have died down, after there was a degree of compromise.  The war in Europe could have ended sooner, if  Germany ruled by the Nazis had been willing to surrender ,because the surrender had to be unconditional , but they refused. The reason being the Nazis would have been held  accountable for the dreadful evils they had perpetrated .Yet what suffering would have been avoided, as the Russians were determined to have revenge on Germany for the terrible evils committed when they were invaded ,by the German army. The Christian life starts with surrender, and it must be unconditional, if you desired to be saved, you are not coming to discuss terms with God ,no salvation does not involve sitting at a table were one negotiates , no ,it starts at the cross were Jesus died. there has be no pride in doing that.  When Lord Nelson had conquered a French vessel, he went up to the French captain to receive his  surrender, the captain held out his hand to Nelson, but Nelson declined to shake it, and said ,''no captain, first hand over your sword.'' If you want to be saved ,you must surrender your sword, whatever that symbolises , pride,  independence, sinful pleasures, worship of other things, false religion, it is ,and must be unconditional surrender.

                                                    There is life for a look at the Crucified  One,

                                                     There is life at this moment for thee,

                                                      Then look , sinner, look unto Him and be saved,

                                                      Unto Him who was nailed on the tree.  ( Words by Asa M. Hull/)

Debt . ( 2 ) ( Isaiah 53 )

 We are all without exception in the debtors prison awaiting our appearance before a holy God, but he is not only holy, he is also merciful and forgiving. So out of a heart of love, he devised a way that we can have that debt paid, the question is how?, the answer he sent Jesus his only Son. He came with the specific purpose to pay the price of our sinful debt, a debt that no one is able to pay, I stress no one. Einstein could  not solve this dilemma that we find ourselves in ,none of the great philosophers could solve it, the list is endless of  false religions, promising they have the answer, but that's all they are ,false religions. No, we must turn again to God's answer, Jesus ,writing to Christians at a place called Colosse the apostle Paul reminds them what Christ  accomplished for them ,here is what he wrote,' God has broken you clean away from your past. He  has freely  forgiven  your sins. Those sins represented, so to speak,  a mountain of bankruptcy which  you were bound to acknowledge but could never have any hope of discharging , and nothing you could afford  redress. But Christ has wiped the slate clean and given you a fresh start. He took that signed confession of indebtedness which stood as a perpetual witness against you, and cancelled it in His death'( Col 2  v 13 ff)

                                                    Jesus for you a body takes,

                                                    Thy guilt assumes, thy fetters breaks,

                                                    Discharging all thy dreadful debt- 

                                                    And canst thou then such love forget.  ( Words by Krishna Pal )

                                                    

Debt ( 1 ) ( Psalm 51 v 3 - 4 )

 I saw recently a article on the internet ,how a group of  people who had received treatment for cancer treatment, could not pay their final bill. The debt collectors were involved, and it was serious, but the person they owed the money to cancelled their debts. In the article the term that was used was,' he forgive them their debts', in Matthews gospel chap 6 v 12  ,we have what is called the Lord's prayer, these words, ' Forgive us our debts',  here it is used in relation to sin. In Victorian times , there was what was known as the debtors prison, Charles Dickens father spent time in the debtors prison, in England in the 18Th and 19Th centuries 10,000 people were imprisoned each year for debt. Before they could be released they had to repay the creditor the amount owed. We may not realise it, but all  of us through out our whole life are accumulating a debt which none of us can pay, and non payment will result in us paying a terrible price. I am talking about all the sins we have committed ,we will be held accountable by God, and on that great judgement  day ,judgement will be passed, and oh what a weeping and wailing will heard on that day, as the lost will hear of their fate. Tomorrow we will consider this further.

Man know thyself. ( 5 ) ( John 8 v 1 - 11)

 Hopefully today we will finish on Psalm 139 v 19 - 24, in these verses we hear David crying out to God to deal with the wicked, he stresses their ,violence, evil intentions ,  blasphemous language, hatred of God, and their rebelliousness. Sometimes man's evil is so great,  God acts in a dramatic way , like the flood, the inhabitants of  Canaan, Sodom and Gomorrah, even the destruction of Israel . Dr . Meyer writes  the following, ' When we are startled at these strong expressions of  David , we may  well ask ourselves whether , in our tender pity for sinners , we may not be losing something of his stern consciousness of  the evil of sin, and the guilt of  the wicked'. David while imploring God's righteous judgement on the wicked, is conscious of his own fallen nature, and that he may have offended a holy God. v 23 - 24.oh yes David like us all, had a fallen nature ( C P  1 Samuel 11 ) That is why we all need  Jesus, in order that our sins may be forgiven, so we may escape the wrath to come.

God is just.( 4) ( Romans 1 v 18 )

 We continue a last look at Psalm 139, we have highlighted God's, Omniscience ,Omnipresence, and His Omnipotence. Now let us end by borrowing  H. Lockyer's heading for  v 19 - 24, ' The Overthrow of  God's Enemies '. Here our those verses,' If only you, God , would slay the wicked! Away from me, you are bloodthirsty! They  speak  of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you ,Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them;  I count them my enemies. Search  me , God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting'.  People struggle with what David says, to them it appears ad odds with a God of love, has David got it wrong?, 'No'.  I will offer a few thoughts on this. Judgement is in the Bible, Old and New,  Jesus spoke of hell and judgement.  Every day the jihdi ,Islamic militants ,are murdering ,kidnapping ,forcing religious conversions , they are blind to the suffering they are causing. Is it wrong to cry out to God to deal with them?,  no it is not. ( of course the Koran calls Jews and Christians wretched creatures. ) In Psalm 7 v 11 we read ,'God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked everyday'. We will continue this next time.

Such power ! Such care! ( 3 ) ( Genesis 1 v 1 )

Continuing on in Psalm 139, lets consider v 13 - 18, Herbert  Lockyer puts this title over these verses, ' The Omnipotence of God', Omnipotence means having unlimited power ,and its in these verses we can see it manifested, so here they are, 'For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I  was made in the secret  place ,when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body ; all the days ordained for me  were written in your book before one of them  came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts  God, how vast is the sum of them. Where I  to count them they would outnumber the grains  of sand, when I awake I am still with you'. These words are breathtaking ,astonishing ,I remember my first child being born ,one never forgets that moment ,one looks at the little fingers ,little toes, amazing and wonderful, and humbling. In Psalm 100 v 3, we read,' Know that the Lord is  God, it is He who made us, and we are His.' Let me say this say  I am not very good at DIY, I struggle even with flat packs, no, I do not believe in self  creation, nor chance,  chance cannot do anything.  God has made us, and we are His, people say I am my own person, your not, on the cross where Christ died, God was reclaiming back His lost creation.

No hiding place ( 2 ) ( Romans 8 v 38 - 39 )

Let us take another look at Psalm 139 v 7 - 12, 'Where can I go from your Spirit? where  can I flee from your presence ?. If I  go up to the heavens, you are  there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of a dawn, if I  settle on the far side of the sea, even there you hand will guide me,  your  right hand will hold me fast. If  I say,' Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become  night   around me ,'even  the darkness will not be dark to you,  the night  will shine like day, for darkness is as light to you.'  When I was young  my friends and I  would play a game  called ' Hide and Seek', when are first parents sinned, we read that they hid from the Lord  God,  Gen 3 v 8. Since then humanity  has foolishly  tried to hide from God, but the fact is there is no hiding place from God. For although God  is in heaven, his presence is everywhere. The term we use to describe this, is omnipresence ,that God  is immanent in his creation. Herbert  Lockyer, writes,' No matter where we are, or may go, the  words stand -Thou God seest me -  which is blessed to those who know Him  as Father and Friend'. In China at this time a Christian brother called Gao Zhisheng has disappeared,  taken away by the authorities, in some   hidden  detention centre,  his friends and family don't know where he is, but God knows, and not only knows, but God's presence is with that dear brother.