Pointless, Meaningless ?. ( Proverbs 9 v 23- 24 )

 George Best was a wonderful footballer, and it could be said he had it all, but the general opinion was that  he never fulfilled his potential. He was asked by someone ,''where did it all go wrong?'', he laughed at that question, but there was certain truth to it, you see he was an alcoholic , the answer could have been when he took his first drink. Why did he need alcohol?,  he had fame and fortune, and sad to say his addiction cost him his life. It is King Solomon who had everything, and tried everything, yet  saw everything   as pointless and meaningless. Read the life stories of famous movie stars, one of the most famous was Errol Flynn, a wonderful actor, he wrote his autobiography, the title was called,' My Wicked, Wicked Ways'. Someone wrote of that book and its contents,' I've never read anyone wallow so much  in their own evil'. No matter how high people rise in fame and fortune, for so  many it only emphasizes the emptiness of life, like Solomon it is all pointless and meaningless. And often they loose a sense of what is right and what is wrong ,and when that happens disaster follows. A well known minister told how he dealt with many rich and so called successful people, and he said ,''not one came in with a smile''. Never envy anybody ,be they a billionaire, or a millionaire, or those with fortune and fame. Don't envy anybody for what they have, for most of them  don't know or don't want to know what the greatest treasure in life is, to know Christ as ones  Saviour.

                                                    I'd rather have Jesus than silver and gold,

                                                    I'd rather be His than have riches untold;

                                                    I'd  rather have Jesus than houses or land,

                                                     I'd  rather be led by  led by His nail -pierced hand.

                                                     Than to be a king of a vast domain

                                                     And be held in sin's dread sway;

                                                     I'd  rather have Jesus than anything

                                                     This world affords today/  ( Words by Miler )

Wrath ( Romans 1 v 18 )

 We speak sometimes of living under a cloud, indicating that things are very difficult, but what would you say if I told you that from the moment we are born. (Romans I v 18 ,reads,)' The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness, and wickedness of  people , who suppress the truth  by their wickedness'. Consider the society we live , and the confusion as regards sex, and the  distortion as regards gender, and the  false religions, the oppressive political states , God does not look kindly on sin his wrath is revealed against it, In this verse we have the wrath of  God mentioned, many people don't like that term, my own minister is one of them .Unfortunately he has not on his own, they think a God who shows wrath is incompatible, with a God who is love. But God is also holy, in Habakkuk 1 v  13, we read that the Lords 'Eyes are too pure to look on evil, who cannot tolerate evil'.  When faced with the holiness of God, Isaiah the prophet cries out ,'Woe is me!'..... I am ruined'. We see plainly, right throughout the whole Bible, God's wrath being poured out, I said the whole Bible. Consider  Revelation 6 v 15ff where we have people  crying out in  terror, from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?'. Those who deny the truth of the wrath God are blind and foolish, such ministers will be held accountable, The gospel is God's answer to this truth, this wonderful gospel is the only hope of being saved from God's wrath. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's  wrath remains on them'. ( John 3 v 36 )

We are in it together. ( 1 ) ( Psalm 23 )

 Every one is hoping things will return to normal, let us hope so, yet I am sure what has happened during this time, has reminded us of the uncertainties of life. The term bubble has become a familiar term, keep your distance, wash your hands, wear a mask, don't go out. etc, have become the new way of living. I am sure there are many who are praying now on a regular bases, who have never really given much thought about prayer, or even God. You noticed that I have not mentioned the covid 19, the dreaded virus, nor  that which should not be named ,in normal times, death. Yet there is no way of escaping it, the death of a loved one  can effect  us for the rest of our lives. Yes it leaves its mark upon all of us, Christian or otherwise, coping with the loss of loved one, is a big challenge. we wish it had never happened ,if only. As a Christian we can pray for those who have lost loved ones, and keep in touch with those we know who sorrow. What has happened at this time, reminds us that we are all in it together, John Donne wrote, 'Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind' but he also goes unto write, 'and therefore never send to know for who the bell tolls; it tolls for thee'. Are we ready for that eventually?, if not trust Jesus as your Saviour

A world view. ( Romans 1 v 16 )

 David Suchet  a well known British actor ,who is one of my favourite actors, and who  played the part of one of my favourite characters ,Agatha  Christie's , Hercule  Poirot the Belgium detective, told how he came to faith in Christ. He recounts how his father was a Jew, and his mother wasn't, and that he himself was not particularly religious. As he grew older he had a desire for something bigger than he had, so he was drawn to look in the bible, and he began reading the epistle to the Romans, and he came  to faith in Christ .He said it gave him a world view, which he embraced, like David Suchet, many people have been brought to faith by reading this wonderful book  , Augstine Bishop of Hippo in N. Africa, John Wesley, founder of Methodism.  A world view ,yes it does have a world view, for it takes in the state of all of humanity, which clearly teaches that all humanity are sinners. No matter what race you are, colour ,high born, low born, no exceptions, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Romans 3 v 23 .Which means all humanity is alienated from a holy God, and are accountable to God. Romans 1 v 18,  This included the Jewish people, for God does not show favouritism . Romans 2 v11. That is mankinds  dilemma, and its this where we find the answer to this dilemma, and it is summed up in v 16 of chap 1,which reads,' For I am not ashamed of the gospel of  Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.' We will continue this next time.

Only one answer. ( John 14 v 6 )

Recently I have been thinking as regards evolution, and I have come to the conclusion that it is irrational ,but alas we are only hearing the atheistic side of things. It seems that  because they are scientist, they must be right ,I am not very educated , but it appears to me that to say everything just happened is irrational, and not honest. It comes back to mankind's sinful condition, which really is antagonistic to God and truth. Their attitude can be summed up in words  of Lenin who said, ''Every religious idea, every idea of God, every flirtation with the idea of God is unutterable vileness'' Consider what he and his fellow communist unleashed on Russia , when uncle Joe took over, he and his associates, committed monstrous evil, on an enormous scale. It is only in God and his word do we find what  mankind's greatest  problem is ,sin. I want to leave you with some  thoughts as regards sin,( 1 )Sin will  take  where you do not want to go.  ( 2 ) Sin will  take you where you do not want to stay ( 3 ) Sin will take you where you do not want to be. ( 4 ) Sin will cost you, what you do not want to pay. And there is only one answer, Jesus.

I owe Him everything. ( Psalm 100 )

Looking back on my life I realise I owe a lot of people thanks  , like the man who saved me from drowning, or my mother who did her best under difficult circumstances. For my primary school teachers, who did their best with a very difficult lad. For my friend Raymond who has passed on, to his parents, who were kind to me, I spent a lot of time in their home, they had  a TV. And so we could on , and on ,of people I feel indebted to. As a Christian one realises that God is sovereign, that not only has he  had a say in those things , but  has been  actively involved, in all the affairs of my life. As the hymn John Ryland wrote,

                                                    His decree who formed the earth

                                                    Fixed my first and second birth;

                                                    Parents, native place , and  time,

                                                    All appointed were by Him.

                                                    He that formed me in the womb,

                                                    He shall guide me to the tomb

                                                    All my times shall ever be

                                                    Ordered by His wise decree.

The fact is I owe Him  everything,  He owes me nothing,' nothing good have I done to deserve such love, When I think of all He's done ,and for me the guilty one, can you wonder why it is  I love Him so,' yes I owe Him everything, as do you.

The seasons. ( John 4 v 35 - 38 )

 So it did  finally happen, we  had snow, I say this because its been a  while since it snowed , one should not be surprised, after all it is winter.  The seasons come and the seasons go, soon it will be spring ,then summer ,then  autumn ,and back again to winter. Each season is different, I wonder what you think of as regards the seasons?. Well winter reminds me of  trees without leaves , spring reminds me of  daffodils, and this also reminds me of William Wordsworth's poem ,' Daffodils', the opening verse goes,' I wandered lonely as a cloud, That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at at once I saw a crowd, A host ,of golden daffodils'. .Well that's spring, then we move unto summer, it reminds me of summer holidays, and years ago getting sunburned. Then last but not least, autumn, this reminds me that it is  harvest time, and also  that old hymn, 'We plough the fields and scatter, the good seed on the ground'. The word of God, has a lot to say about the harvest, in John 4 v 35 , our Saviour said,'' open you eyes and look at the fields !  They are ripe  for harvest''. Jesus saw more that a harvest of wheat, but  a harvest of precious souls. and he is challenging his disciples to get involved  , and us ,to be harvesters ,of precious souls. Let us remember that the most valuable think in all the world, in Gods eyes ,is the souls of men and women, and children, just look to Calvary, that says it all, so again I ask the question, will you be a harvester?.

                                                He that winneth  souls is wise,

                                                In the home beyond the skies,

                                                There's a crown of  glory, 

                                                 O the wondrous prize,

                                                 He that winneth souls is wise  ( Words  E.E. Hewitt )