Hurting others. ( Hosea 6 v 1 - 3 )

He was the man who had everything materially, he had power, he had 700 wives and 300 concubines, and God's blessing was upon him, his name was Solomon. He was given wisdom ,great insight, and wonderful understanding from God. Unfortunately he lost his way in life and the repercussions of what he did ,would effect  the nation he ruled. The fact is, the wrongs we do, will ultimately affect someone, even though  we may not mean that to happen. We live in changing times, but the changes are not always for  the best, the moral standard  is not what  it used to be, or what it should be . The wrong things we do ,have a ripple effect ,like when you throw a pebble into water.  Writing as regards our great high Priest, Jesus, in Hebrews7 v 26  one translation  has these words in it, 'who never hurt anyone'. I wish I could say that about myself, but the  fact is I have hurt people. Why did Solomon not stop and think of the hurt that he was going to do. The answer I believe can be seen in the book of Ecclesiastes, it is all about Solomon, not about the nation, nor the one who had blessed him so abundantly ,who would that be?, the answer is simple ,God. Hear me ,it is never to late to draw back, never to late  to change, never to late to forsake our selfish ways, and it is never to late , to humbly turn to God, and ask Him to help us, and here is the good news ,he will, through the one  never hurt anyone, Jesus.

Who is this man? ( John 1 v 1 )

 Let us look once more, at the disciples and Jesus, caught up in a storm on a lake. ( Mk 4 v35 - 41 ) How did he react when the disciples woke  him from his sleep ?, he did not say anything to them at that moment in time, but he did speak to the storm , he said ,''Peace be still!''. and what happened?, suddenly there was a great calm, and then he spoke to his disciples, one translation puts it like this,'' Have you still no faith''?.in other words in spite of all they had witnessed, faith deserted them, and fear had taken over. We are told that , 'the just shall live by faith'.( Galatians 3 v 11 ) it is ongoing, we are to face everyday by faith with all its problems and difficulties , if we don't, then we will be like the disciples ,continually in panic  mode, running around like a headless chicken. The reaction to what they had witnessed as to what  Jesus did, terrified them ,and they asked each other, 'Who is this ? even the wind and the waves obey him?. No man can control the wind and the waves, only God can do that, and  that is why Christ could do it.

The storm ( Matthew 28 v 20)

 Let us continue to look at Mark 4 v  35 - 41 ,the disciples are in a boat in a storm ,and Jesus was in the boat asleep. The disciples were in this situation because Jesus had told them to cross over to the other side of the lake, and they obeyed. None of then thought for a moment that they would be in danger, after all Jesus  was with them, and there he was asleep, what could go wrong?. Donald  English writes the following.' Forms of Christianity  which encourage and promise a life of continual success, excitement and growth  will not only lead to frustration and despair; they actually point  the disciple towards the wrong goal in the Christian pilgrimage. It is enough that Christ goes with us on our journey. We do not judge his care for us, nor the state of our discipleship, by the roughness of the seas over which we sail. We  'rejoice in the Lord', not in our currant  circumstances.

                                          Wherever  He may guide me,

                                           No want shall turn me back;

                                           My Shepherd is beside me,

                                           And nothing can I lack;

                                           His wisdom ever waketh,

                                           His sight is never dim;

                                           He knows the way I taketh,

                                           And He will walk with me.  ( Words  A. L, Waring)

He cares. (1 Peter 5 v7 )

 We don't travel much by boat now, except  a trip on a ferry, but I do remember many years ago crossing the Irish sea with my  four lads, and it was a bit rough ,and I felt a little bit queasy, but did not feel in any danger. It reminded me of what is    recorded in Mark 4 v 35 - 41, when the disciples were in a small  boat, Jesus  was also in the boat. He must have been very tired ,for we read that he fell asleep ,but then we read that a fierce storm arose, and it looked as if they were all going to drown. So what  did they do?, they  went and woke Jesus, and they said to him,'' Teacher , do you not care that we are perishing ?. It seems a hard unreasonable thing to say, we must not judge them, if we felt we were in danger of  drowning, we may just react the same. Could it be that you are in a storm, and you may be saying, were is Jesus  in all this? ,it appears to me he doesn't care. Of course he cares, he always cares. A Frank .E. Graeff  wrote the following words..

                                             Does Jesus care when my way is dark,

                                             With a nameless dread  and fear?

                                              As the daylight fades ,into deep night shades,

                                               Does he care enough to be near.

                                               O yes He cares, I know He cares,

                                               His heart is touched with my grief;

                                               When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,

                                                I know my Saviour cares.

How would I like to die? ( Acts 21 v 10 - 14 )

 As I was out walking I spoke to God about dying ,I said  Lord let it be painless, but then I thought, whatever  way I die let me glorify You. An Egyptian Christian  declared , ''Now is our Joy complete'', when the bodies of her two sons had with others suffered martyrdom, were  returned for burial.  In her loss she was able to express joy at her sons honourable death. Although Peter failed his lord by denying him, it was Peter who had said that he would lay down his life for Jesus, when our Lord rose again ,he met Peter and told how he  would die, John 21 v 18 - 19. In doing this , C. Swindoll says Christ was telling Peter , he would be granted a Christ worthy death, that he would  '' wear '' a cross to his own honourable death.'

                                              Mans chief end is to glorify God

                                              in life and in their death.

                                 

Be not wise in your own eyes. ( Proverbs 3 v 6 )

 There is one verse of a poem by Robert Burns which goes,' The best laid plans of mice and men, Gang aft agley'. The  ending is written in a Scottish dialect, what the poet is saying,' No matter how well you plan ,there is no guarantee of success'.  I have always followed what Proverbs 3 v 6 teaches ,'In all your ways, acknowledge  Him , and He shall direct your paths.' I wonder how many Christians do this. Yet it is the clear teaching of scripture, we may not have given it much thought ,sometimes when faced with something  major, we may pray. We may feel that the normal everyday happenings, are not important to pray about, yet how do we know ,but that the the ordinary, may turn out to be very important. We may think that God is to busy to be be bothered with these apparent insignificant things, but not so, in thinking like this, we are bringing God to our level. No let us obey the clear instructions given to us in this verse. As another scripture instructs us to be not wise in our own eyes (Prov 3 v 7 ), let us lean not on our own understanding. God loves to be consulted, so let us to do just that, consult Him, and as He has promised, He shall direct our paths.

Holiness (3) ( 1 Peter 1 v 5 - 6 )

 God is holy we are not, so how can we be accepted by Him, first of all it is by faith in  Christ, and that alone, no pluses no add-ons. The wonderful C.H. Spurgeon, was troubled for a long time, as regards how could he get saved? ,so one Sunday morning, in the providence of God, he found in a Methodist chapel. He was miserable, the preacher stood up and spoke, the text used was Isaiah 45 v 22, 'Look to me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth'. The preacher challenged Spurgeon to look, and he did that, and was saved, it was a look of  faith ,by a desperate young man. So Christ saved him, his sins were forgiven, not only that ,the Lord Jesus righteousness was transferred to him ,it became his possession, and indeed  this applies to all who trust in Jesus .CP. Jeremiah 23 v 6/ /1 Cor. 1 v 30 /2 Cor. 5 v 21.So let us return to our original point, in Phil 4 v 2 of standing firm, we have mentioned the importance  of truth, now lets consider ,standing firm in holiness. the challenge the word of give is in 1 Peter 1 v 15 - 16 .'But just as he who called us  is holy, so be holy in all you do; For it is written; ' Be holy, because I  am holy'. It is a big challenge, but we must it take on board, pray about it. About our language, our thought life ,the things  we indulge in, consider all unrigtheousness is sin. The pornography must go, the drugs must go, living in sin must, the cheating must stop, holiness must be our watchword. How can we do this?, well as a Christian we have the holy Spirit who dwells within us, He will help us to be holy.