Have confidence . ( Psalm 62 v 8 )

 As I  grow older I look back ,and I can say with confidence, my times are in His hands, indeed when I was in  my mothers womb I was in His hands. .As I grew up I was  in His hands, and all through my life I have been in his hands , till this moment in time. But  it does not stop there as I wait the next step of my journey I will be in hands ,it is with confidence I say that, yes when time ceases for me and when I enter eternity, I will still be in His hands. As a Christian one has to face many dangers, both natural and spiritual, but nothing can harm us or hurt us unless God permits, because we are told our times are in His hands ( Psalm 31 v 15 ) I remember Jesus said, we cannot be plucked out of  His fathers hands, nor out of His hands ( John 10 v 28 - 29 ). Nothing can change these truths, no matter how much they try, no matter how much they lie, this truth shall stand the child of God is in His hands. Someone has said  the first words we may utter as we enter heaven is,' I see'. Yes  then shall we know ,then shall all be revealed, and we shall worship the God whose ways are perfect, even though they have been at times painful .

                                       My times are in Thy hands, Whatever they may be,

                                       Pleasing or painful, dark or bright.as best may seem to Thee.

                                                             Words  W.F. Floyd.

It started with a lie ( 4 ) ( John 3 v16 )

 Continuing in our look at mankind's beginning in  the garden of Eden, Eve focusing her attention on the forbidden  fruit , found that it was,' desirable'. I read recently of a man who had an accident in his car, the reason it happened was, his front car window was covered in frost, he had made a small window in it, but not  enough. he was charged with dangerous driving.  Desire is like that,  Eve became blind to everything except the tree and its fruit. Samson's  desire for a woman (Judges 16.)caused him to loose his eyes and his  freedom, uncontrolled desire can destroy you. The desire for whatever has cost some everything, even their very souls ,and that's a very high price to pay. It tells us as regards our Saviour , that there was no beauty in Him, that they should desire Him  ( Isaiah 53 v 2 ) Eve ate some of the fruit, she got her desire, but was it worth it?, but not content with  what she did, she give some to her husband, it is sad when we sin, but it is even worse, when  we encourage others to follow us in our folly .From that moment on everything changed ,they lost their innocence, they lost paradise, everything  changed for then for us all, the awful damaged had been done. Only  when the second Adam came , would there be an opportunity ,to return to  a relationship with God ,on this good Friday let us rejoice that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and that's the truth.

It started with a lie (3 ) ( Genesis 19 v 26 )

 So Eve is buying into what the devil tells her ,no one is forcing her, she had the ability to make a choice, here is what we read ,' When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. Genesis 3 v 6.  She looked, she may have looked at it many times, but now it was different, the devil had told her so, There is a little children's chorus which reads, 'Be careful little eyes what you see, ' out of curiosity many people look at pornography, and they get hooked, they thought it would be fun, but now they are hooked, now they are enslaved, Yes when it comes to looking be careful,  yes be careful. Then we are told it was pleasing to the eye, let us remember, all that glitters is not gold, remember if you are married, that person you keep looking at ,and you find them attractive, that colleague, that neighbour, they are the forbidden fruit.

                                                 Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin,

                                                 Each victory will help you some other to win;

                                                 Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue,

                                                 Look ever to Jesus, He'll carry you through.

It started with a lie ( 2 ) ( Proverbs 14 v 12 )

 Lets continue  looking at that garden were Adam and Eve, and the conversation between  the Devil and Eve. The devil came for a purpose to tempt Eve, into disobedience, the first thing he said, 'Did God really say. '' You must not eat from any tree in the garden''?. The devil will always do his best to have us doubt God's word, he will cause us to rationalize, it is easy to rationalize over  many things ,like creation, like Gods moral standards, certain  doctrines. That's  what he did with Eve, and she took the bait, consider her reply, as to what God  said , ''You must not eat fruit from the tree...... and you must not touch it, or you will die,'' CP 2 v 16, He said nothing about touching it. We must not add to what God says, there are many that have done this ,the words in Revelation  22 v 18 -19 ,can be applied to all scripture, were a judgement is upon any who adds or takes away from God's word. Next the Devil challenges what God said, .''You won't die'', the terribleness that followed ,is ample evidence ,how wrong he was. Next he tells her, ''God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing  both good and evil'', Yes they would have a knowledge of good and evil, but as Milton said, ' bought dear by knowing ill', as we will see next time.

It started with a lie. ( 2 John v 7 )

 There was time when  everything in the garden was rosy ,in  fact it was perfect, it is hard to imagine such a place, such a time ,we are so used to imperfection, that is the norm. Imagine no sickness, no suffering of any kind, and there was no weeds, and it gets better, for in that garden dwelt two people and they never had a fall out, harmony reigned. For this couple this was the beginning of a perfect relationship, what could go wrong?, yes you may well ask, what indeed. You have heard the saying ,'all  good things must come to a end', in this case it did not have to be, alas for that couple it was going to be. Now I have not mentioned someone else, God, the one who brought everything into being. The crown  of his creation was the man and the women, they were called Adam and Eve, he left them to look after the garden, told them what they should do, and what thy shouldn't do. What they shouldn't do, it was simple, they were not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree, if they did, it would be disastrous. He left them to it, after a while the devil in the shape of a serpent appeared, and spoke lies to Eve, and she fell for it ,'hook line and sinker'. Being deceived she then turned her attention, to the forbidden fruit. We will continue this next time ,I will just finish with this thought, the devil is still telling people lies, beware.

Suffering ( Job 1 - 2 )

 Again I need to remind whoever is reading this, and myself that God is sovereign, as we look at so many things in the world . and you may be experiencing ,real pain ,real hurts ,real looses. Can we say God is sovereign when everything is falling apart?, consider a man who lost all his children, lost all his possessions, and lost his health, how would we feel if that happened to us ?. The same man went unto say,'' Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him''. Job 13 v 15.  In Job 23 v10,he declares ,'' He knows the way I take;'' The words he utters are coming from a man whose heart must have been breaking, Job did not know the way God was taking him, but he by faith  trusted in his sovereign God. David Atkinson writes ,' Faith does not provide answers, but it is a hand in the darkness keeping alive  that trust  that despite all appearances, God is still on his side '. The rest of 23 v 10 reads, 'when He has tested me, I shall come forth as pure gold, You have to admire Job, D A writes, as regards Jobs trust in his God and Saviour, CP  chap 19 v 25, 'How marvellous that Job could have said so much, knowing so little! What  a rebuke to some of us,  who  know so much more of God than Job ever did, that we trust him so little''.

                                                He leadeth me! O blessed  thought!

                                                O words with heavenly comfort  fraught!

                                                Whate'er I do,  where'er  I be,

                                                Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

                                                 Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom,

                                                 By waters calm, o'oer troubled sea,

                                                Still' 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

                                               Lord, I would  clasp Thy hand in mine

                                                Nor ever murmur nor  repine;

                                                Content,  whatever lot I see,

                                                Since 'tis my God that leadeth me.  ( Words J.H. Gilmore.)

The old, old story. ( Romans 1 v 16 )

 Since the virus started I have visited on  You Tube ,Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco ,Texas, the Pastor is Charles Swindoll, a wonderful minister of the word. It is different to many churches ,it has so many gifted people, a wonderful  choir, orchestra, it is very socially motivated, and supports 25 missionary families. One of the things I appreciate from the Pastor, he always has a little word for the poor old sinners. I often hear that said that the gospel is not  for preaching to Christians, well the more I go on in life and in these present climate Christian need to be reminded  continually of  gospel truths. Many ministers are not mentioning, those gospel truths because they don't appreciate,  the wrath of God, or sin, or whatever. There is a difference of teaching gospel truths to believers, and a evangelical message to unbelievers. Yet even so like are dear brother Charles Swindoll, in any message we can always drop in little word for the poor old sinner.

                                              I love to tell the story, of unseen things above.

                                             Of Jesus and His glory, of  Jesus and His love

                                              I love to tell the story, because I know its true;

                                               It satisfies my longing ,as nothing else would do.

                                               I love to tell the story, for those who know it best.

                                              Seem hungering and thirsting, to hear it like the rest;

                                              And when in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,

                                             'Twill  be the old, old story, that I have loved so long.  (Words A.C. Hankey)