Stand firm (2 ) A holy God.

 Last time we looked at standing firm as regards truth, not let us consider ,standing firm as regards holiness. Now it is not a word you hear on the media, or even with your everyday person, or even in the church.  But it is mentioned in the word of God ,in relation to God , as to His being. Tozer writes of the holy Trinity, let me also stress, because it is important God is a triune being, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  This a great mystery, Tozer writes  'Our sincerest effort to grasp the incomprehensible mystery  of the Trinity must  remain forever futile'. We must humbly accept by faith this mystery, and in worship and adore ,One God in Persons Three'. As to his being He is holy, Isaiah 6 v 3,we read ,'Holy , holy, holy  is the Lord Almighty, likewise in  Revelation 4 v 8. That holiness shuts out humanity from having a relationship with Him. Again in turning to Tozer, who writes,' There is a relative and contingent holiness which He shares . with angels and  with redeemed men on earth as their preparation for heaven'. The unsaved have no part in this, it is foreign to them, because of their sinful nature, and their natural animosity towards a holy God and His ways and His will. We will continue this next time.

Stand firm ( Jude v 3 )

 Rudyard Kipling wrote ,in his famous poem, IF', 'If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs'. So many Christian are loosing the plot, even Christian leaders. In a number of Pauls letters, he challenges Christian ,'to stand  firm', Philippians 4 v1/ 1Cor 16 v 13/ Gal 5 v11/  1 Thess  3 v 8 /2  Thess  2 v 15.  A young child can easily be knocked over, but we are who men and women of faith, are called to stand firm. Truth is absolutely vital, make no mistake , it makes me sad as I have viewed on TV what some  preacher come out with. It is not only the cults that we have to contend with, in these days, they are the  enemies within. I asked my minister was he an evangelical?, he replied, 'it depends what you mean ',he knew what I meant. William Barclay was a very popular Christian writer, I have all his NT books, I received much help from them. I realised he was not clear in certain things, but when  I bought his autobiography ,I discovered he did not believe in the deity of Christ, was a universalist, did not believe in Christ being our substitute, he wrote of obliterating hell. The miracles would also be a problem with him, it is obvious that he did not  stand firm , as regards truth. If we don't believe the truth ,then we believe a lie, and if we don't stand firm for the truth, we are betraying the faith that has been handed down to us, from Him ,who is Way, the Truth ,and the Life. ( John 14 v 6 )

I am right. ( Revelation 3 v 14- 22 )

Proverbs 16 v 2, reads, 'All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits'. Charles  Bridges writes,' If a man were his own judge, who would be condemned'. Mankind can commit awful things and believe they are right, the list is endless, that goes for the political, religious, indeed ever area of life. There are prostitutes who would have one believe that what they do is just a nine to five job, but its not. People will cheat on their taxes and feel justified in doing so, many  live by  what  Niccolo Machiavelli taught in his book ,'The Prince', we do things for the greater good .Many have carried out awful things for what they believe was for the greater good, the Jews did,( John 11 v 5). by committing an unspeakable evil,  murdering Jesus. But God weighs up what we do, and why we do certain things, and He declares ,'You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting',( Daniel  5 v 27) In other words what we have done ,no matter how we may to justify it, we did wrong, acted wrong, spoke  wrong, in Gods eyes. God is holy, he expects us to be holy, God is righteous, he expects us to be righteous ,God is loving , he expects us to be loving, God is forgiving ,he expects us to be forgiving. 

Thirsty? ( Revelation 3 v 14 - 22 )

Water is very precious, we could not live without it, often when I am going to a drink a glass  of water ,I  offer up a prayer of thanksgiving ,for this precious gift from our creator God.  The  word of God speaks of water in different ways. In Isaiah 12 we have  a song of praise, God had been angry with his people , but now they find faith arising to look again to the God of  their salvation. In v 3 we these words 'With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation'. Israel throughout their history kept going away from God. CP  Jeremiah 2 v 13. ' For my people have done two evil things; They have abandoned me, the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water'. They found out to their cost how foolish that was ,and the price they had to pay. But now they are invited to once again, to turn to the God of their salvation, and like thirsty travellers be refreshed. When we came to Christ, we were leaving behind,  those things that did not satisfy the needs of our heart, only  He, can do that. Yet like Israel of old we forget , and we find ourselves returning to our old ways .We need to be reminded , that when we do this we are like a dog returning to its vomit. 

                                                   Create in me a pure heart, O God,

                                                   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

                                                   Restore to me the joy of  your salvation,

                                                   and grant me a willing  spirit to sustain me.

                                                                 Psalm 51 v 10 /12 .

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