A reason for trials. ( 2 ) ( Psalm 40 )

 So Abraham was promised a son, a special son, the promise was given, but nothing happening, so Abraham and Sarah decided that they could have a child through there slave girl Hagar. And so a child was born , but this child was not the promised child , no they would have to wait ,their faith would be tried. In 1 Peter 1 v 7, we read ,'That the trial of your faith, being much more precious  than of gold that perisheth , though  it be tried by fire, might be  found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ'. Edmund Glowney writes ,' Our faith ,like gold must pass through the furnace , trials should not surprise us, or cause us to doubt God's faithfulness. Rather, we should actually be glad for them. God sends trials to strengthen  our trust  in Him so that our faith will not fail. Our trials keep us trusting they burn away our self - confidence, and drive us to our Saviour'. 

                                        'But let patience have its perfect work,

                                         that you may be perfect and complete

                                         lacking nothing.'

                                                      James 1 v 4

So simple ( 1 ) ( John 3 v 16 )

 God promised Abraham that he would have a son (Genesis 15 v 4,) and that through his offspring all the earth would be blessed. (Gen 22 v 18). Abraham believed ,and God credited  to him as righteousness, This great statement, is the  foundation of how we get right with God, 'Faith', but not just  faith, but faith in Jesus. He is the object of our faith . faith in Him and his finished work on Calvary. That is were it starts and finishes, for only the work of Christ, and that alone saves. This rules out good works, religious activities, or any thing else you can name.  The scripture tells of a man who cried out, ''what must I do to be saved ?'', the reply came back, ''Believe in the Lord Jesus , and you will be saved'', and he did just that, ( Acts 16 v 30 - 31 ). It is not complicated , a child can do it, you can do it ,anyone can do it, just simply trust Jesus as your Saviour. Then you may never fear  death, for Jesus said, ''I give unto my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish'' ( John 10 v 28 ).

                                                    Jesus, I will trust Thee,

                                                    Trust Thee with my soul,

                                                    Guilty, lost, and helpless,

                                                    Thou canst  make me whole;

                                                    There is none in heaven

                                                     Or on earth like Thee;

                                                     Thou hast died for sinners,

                                                     Therefore , Lord, for me.  ( Words M. J. Walker )

                                                  

Humility ( Luke 22 v 26 )

 It was coming close to when Christ would be arrested, he knew his hour had come, knew Judas was going to betray him,  knew the terrible suffering that awaited him. C. Swindoll writes,' He knew He would face agony on a cosmic scale, far more than the physical pain of  crucifixion'. Before that would happen he had many things to teach them, He was in an upper room , with his 12 disciples. Suddenly he arose ,took of one of His garment, got a towel, filled a basin with water, and then began to wash the disciples feet. No one said anything except Peter, who objected  to Christ washing his feet. When He finished he explained to them the reason he had washed their feet. We read this in John 13 v  1- 17, so what was he teaching them?, the answer  was simple but profound ,and challenging for them and for us who are his present day disciples, 'Humility'. Basically it boiled down to this, as He had washed their feet, so they must be willing to  wash each others feet. The  act of washing a persons feet was the action of a servant, Jesus their Master had become their servant.so they must become servants to each other. Their idea of a conquering  Messiah, were they ruled over their enemies, was not to be, instead they were being called to serve. W .Barclay writes,' When we  are tempted to think of our dignity, our prestige, our rights, let us see again the picture of the Son of God, girding a towel, and kneeling at His disciples feet'.

Have you got troubles? ( 2 ) ( 14 v 8 )

 What do people need when they have troubles? they need a friend, it is sad that the nature of society isolates people, some people have no one to turn to. They desperately need a friend ,one of my sons befriends old people, he tells how he just listens to them, and he helps them ,where help is needed. It is John Donne who wrote, 'No man is an Island', that stresses the fact, that human beings do badly when isolated from others, and that they need to be part of a community in order to thrive. The Covid- 19 has highlighted the harm to people who are living on their own, it is very serious, today its them ,tomorrow it could be us.   As one reads the account of our Saviours life ,we see a person who was friendly,  He called his disciples his friends ,John 15 v  15,He declared that the greatest love one can have for a friend , was to give their lives for them. John 15 v 13 .But  Jesus did more than that, he give his life for those who were his enemies, Romans 5 v 10 , in order to make them his friend.  Of all the friends I have ever had He is my closest friend, He knows the worst about me ,yet he still  loves me. He has been there for me, in the worst, as well as the best of times. Recently a person I thought was a friend stopped bothering with me, sad , not  so Jesus, he is a friend who never forsakes those who are his,

                                               What a friend we have in Jesus. 

                                                 He can be your friend.

Have you got troubles?. ( Psalm 34 - v 6 )

 It was Billy Graham who said , '' that he had never a man without troubles'', it is true ,trouble comes in many shapes and sizes. Thirty odd years ago a person Joni Earkeskon  had a diving accident, and ended up paralysed , She can move her head and partial move her arms ,she is a Christian, it was after  her accident she found God ,she said this ,'' I had no where else to go, but God''. Many things bring us to God and a saving faith in Christ, when we find ourselves in a prison cell, or at the point of suicide, or a marriage break up, Yes so many things can happen in our lives ,where we have no where else to go, but to God. Jonah was in the belly of a great fish, no where else to go so he called on God, here is what he said,'' In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me''. ( Jonah 2 v 1 -2 ) So many people are in debt, no where to go, unemployed, no where to go, turn to God. Here is the important thing about Jonah, he did know God, you may not know God, you may never have trusted Christ as your Saviour. Trust Him today for salvation, and God will become your loving heavenly Father, a Father who will help you in the way that is best for you, his child.

9 Jonan 

Are you afraid of ? ( Hebrews 2 v 10 - 15 )

 A famous football manager speaking about his mother, said, how she  had no fear  of  death, but unlike her , he was very afraid. In Hebrews 2 v 15 we read of those, 'who lived their lives as slaves  to the fear of dying'. A  very elderly ladies son died, and she went to view his body in the funeral parlour said ''that was the first time she had ever viewed a dead body''. There are many people like that ,who do not want to be reminded of  death. Is it possible to be like Psalmist David, who wrote in Psalm 23 v 4 , 'Even though I  walk through the valley  of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil' ?.Can we face death without fear?, let me share with you the following, Charles Wesley was travelling to America, on board was a group of Christians, called the Moravians, during the voyage, they daily gathered for worship. One day the ship encountered a severe storm, Wesley felt  concerned, but this not stop Moravians meeting for  worship,  in spite of the obvious danger ,of the ship sinking, they manifested  a calmness, unlike most of the other passengers ,who were terrified. After the storm had abated, Wesley asked the leader of that group, ''Was you not afraid ?''  he replied no. ''But were not your women and children afraid ? '', ''No ;our women and children are not afraid to die''.  Let me finish those words of the Psalmist of why he was not  afraid of death, 'I will fear no evil for you are with me', the you , being the Lord. Someone has said,' Death may be inescapable , ruthless, unrelenting, indiscriminating , and a harsh reality of life, but when we know the Lord Jesus as our Saviour we need fear no evil.

Truth ( John 14 v 6 )

 There is a saying  which goes,' It is the gospel truth', someone uses this ,when they are stressing that what they  are saying is absolutely true. Truth is so important ,we do not appreciate when our children lie to us ,or when  anyone lies to us. The government  of  Turkmenistan in central Asia have declared that there is no  Covid-19  in their country, and that there is no poverty also. Both these statements are not true they are lies, put out by a repressive state, all repressive states survive by lying. and there are many. be they religious or political. Most of them are ruled by fear, and most  of  them  are afraid of  truth, especially the truth of the gospel. The truth of the gospel challenges their darkness, they cannot stand that, and so injustice reigns. The gospel truth is very good news, it is important to stress that it is based on historical fact, fact one ,Christ came, fact two ,Christ died, fact three, Christ rose from the dead.  Yes Christ came as was foretold in the Old Testament. what God's word promised, came to pass. Next Christ died that's a fact, those who lived with Christ saw it happening ,and so they recorded what happened. To them it appeared a disaster, the end of their dream, some even give up believing. Which leads us unto Christs resurrection,  his resurrection changed everything ,everything fell into place. From that moment on they went out into all the world to proclaim the truth of the gospel, to a world that was lost'

                                              Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,

                                              Jesus ,I come! Jesus, I come!

                                               Into Thy freedom, gladness and light,

                                               Jesus, I come to Thee.  ( Words . William. T. Sleeper)