Heaven . ( Hebrews 11 v 13 - 16 )

 I heard Billy Graham speaking on You Tube , that he was just turning 80 yrs of age, and he said he was asked, 'What was the greatest surprise in his life, he replied, ''the brevity of life,'', of course he went on to live another nineteen years. I am sure  he would  have still have said the same answer. Moses the man of God said that the days of our life ,' quickly pass and we fly away', (Psalm 90 v 10 ). Just before Billy Graham died, he wrote this in his last column, ''By the time you read this, I will be in heaven''. Some people say that  to be to heavenly minded, makes you of no earthly use, it is not true. Colossians  3 v 2 ,reads,  'Set your mind on things above , not on earthly things'. Again a quote by Billy Graham, ''Heaven doesn't make life less important, it makes it more important, the Bible says as long as we are here on earth, we are strangers in a foreign land. There are enemies  to be conquered  before we  return home. This world is  not our home, our citizenship is in heaven'.

                                           When all my labours and trials are o'er

                                           And I am safe on that beautiful shore,

                                           Just to be near the dear  Lord I adore,

                                            Will through the ages  be glory for me.

                                            O that will be glory for me, glory for me,

                                            When by His grace  I shall look on His face,

                                             That will be glory, be glory for me.   ( Words by C.H. Gabriel )

                                            

Messiah ( John 6 v 35 )

 So Jesus fed the multitudes ,did that make him the bread providing Master?, the  multitudes appeared to think he was .In John chapter they  followed him in their droves after the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 plus. The Jews  had a hope of a Messiah the anointed One, at Christmas we quote many OT scriptures like Isaiah 9 v 6 -7, just recently I heard a Jewish scholar mentioning about the Messiah coming. They are still the waiting people, their Messiah will come and establish his throne upon the earth, and they would never more be oppressed, never more go hunger, and they  his people would rule over all the gentiles . In John 6 v 14 ,they identified  Jesus with the prophet  of  Deut 18 v 15-18 ,and the fact that they wanted to make him a king, as they saw him as the Messiah. Moses declared that the prophet would be like him, for they gave Moses the credit for feeding them, in the wilderness. To them Jesus  was the bread providing Master, or was he?, and of course Jesus had to tell that he wasn't. In the early days of missionary work in China , there were those who were known as rice Christians, they converted to Christianity for material gain, not out of conviction. The bases of coming to Christ must never be for material needs, but for the need of Him, and the Salvation that comes through trusting Him.

Compassion .( Psalm 86 v 15)

 Someone called our Lord ,'the bread providing Master', I suppose He could be seen as that ,after all He  performed two wonderful  miracles,  the first  was the feeding of the 5,000, (plus )  in John 6  and Mark 6, the next one ,the feeding of the 4,ooo, ( Plus) in Matthew 15, and Mark 8.Jesus was very popular, crowds numbering in their thousands followed Him, on both occasions they had nothing to eat, and Jesus responded to their needs, He fed them. In the second one, we have Jesus saying , '' I have compassion on the multitude'', that compassion led  Him to feed them. We read in a number of places of Jesus being compassionate in Matt 9 v36 ;14 v14; 15v 32; 18 v27; 20 v34 ; Mark 1 v 41; 6 v34 ; 8 v2;9 v22; Luke 7 v 13; 10 v33; 15 v 20;.  Compassion is not just crocodile tears, it should have desire to help, to lift up the fallen, to give to the needy. to comfort the sorrowing, to visit the lonely ,Jesus did, and He says to all of us follow Me.

That's a fact. ( 2 ) ( 1 Corinthians 1 v 18 - 31 )

' I'm  thinking, don't confuse me with the facts', so wrote Plato, what are the facts as regards human history, at this time I am reading a book ,called, ' Anarchy ',it is a historical account as to how the East  Indian  company, took over a country. I have reached the half way stage, and it suddenly struck me, how many  wars, there are recorded , and I thought I wonder how many wars there have been since time the fall of man. One writer commenting on Cain killing his brother says, ' since that time the world has become  a slaughter house'. That's a fact, in describing mans sinful condition, the word of God tells us in Romans 3 v 15,' Their feet  are swift to shed blood'. Although we are small  we are capital of so much violence, that's a fact. As regards sex ,the list of offences, are innumerable, that's a fact, we could say the same as regards murder, that's a fact.  Mankind has an addictive nature, be it with gambling, drugs ,alcohol, that's a fact. All these I have mentioned are but the tip of an iceberg, I have not even touched on  mans fraught attitude to God ,He is not even in their thoughts, and his name is blasphemed continually, that's a fact. We live in a broken world, were death  is ever present ,  reminding us of that fatal fall in Eden's garden, that's a fact.  I wonder would  you turn  your thoughts to the God who loves this world, to the God who loves you. For only He could provide a means for us to recover ,'Jesus', through  his death and resurrection, when we trust the Christ of the cross our sins are forgiven, we receive eternal life, and our lives are changed for ever ,that's a fact.

I feel quite small. ( 1 ) ( Proverbs 15 v 3 )

There is a song by one of my favourite singers, Katie Melua , which goes, 'There are nine million bicycles in Beijing,/We are twelve billion  light years from the edge, that's a guess,/There are six billion people in the world, more or less, and it makes me  feel quite small 'It is a  bit mind blowing  all those millions and billions, it does make one feel quite small. Six billion people more or less, a lot of people, but God knows everyone of them, yes even a little old you ,and a little old me. He knows  everything about us, and here is a point He is no respecter of persons, and it may come as a surprise to you, everyone is precious to Him, yes even you, and even me. He even loves us ,but don't be fooled ,His   love is not blind , He see's  us as we really are, and what He see's is not very pretty . When  Oliver Cromwell was having his portrait painted, he told the artist to paint warts and all. My old mother when she was going out to a party, used to say, as she put on her make up, I am putting on my new face, the fact the camera can lie .But God see's us as we are, and He would speak the truth to us, sometimes the truth is the last thing we  want to hear, Plato said, 'I'm  trying to think, don't confuse with the facts'. We  will consider this more next time.

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 )