When ?. ( Romans 11 v 33 - 36 )

                                                 When will I ever learn to live in God?

                                                 When  will  I ever learn ?     

                                                 He gives me everything I need, and more.

                                                 When will I ever learn?

                                                           ( Words Van Morrison)

As I listened to the CD of Van singing these words ,I starting singing along with him, and I became quite emotional, for they struck a real cord within  me. So often  we live in fear ,in anger, doubt, even in unbelief, and I ask myself the question, 'when will I ever learn to live in God?, after all He gives me everything I need and more, when will I ever learn to live in God?.  I look back on my life ,and trace God's wonderful providence ,how  I was saved from drowning as a child, and his care for me in a multitude of ways  . The times in my life I wondered away from Him, and how he never forsook me, and in His great mercy He drew me to Himself again. I think of the times my anger could have destroyed me and hurt those I love, and how He restrained me.  Robert  M. M'Cheyne wrote.

                                               When this passing world is done, 

                                               When has sunk the radiant sun,

                                               When I stand with Christ on high,

                                               Looking o'er life's history,

                                               Then Lord, shall I fully know,

                                               Not till then, how much I owe.                                            

                                           

  

Philosophers. ( 1 Corinthians 1 v 18- 31 )

 ' I can see clearly now', they are the words I heard being sung over the radio, and I thought that's true ,the words of a popular song ,comes to mind,' I once was blind but now I see'. Would it surprise you, if I told you that everyone is born blind, now I am not talking about a new born baby. No I am talking about man kinds  inability to understand spiritual truth, it is borne out in many ways. Lets us go back to ancient Greece, and to the city of  Athens, when a certain Christian called Paul visited  this city. Greece is known for  its great thinkers, Socrates, Plato, and many more, in Acts 17 v 18 we read of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, debating with Paul. all these Philosophers are considered even to this day to be very wise people. Yet in that great seat of  human wisdom, idolatry reigned, Athens was submerged in idols, thousands upon thousands of them. It again bears witness to the reality of humanities spiritual blindness, and the so called wise beings, groping their way in the darkness of uncertainty, that is taking them into a lost eternity. Returning to that young man Paul, in the providence of God, he had an opportunity  to tell them of one who died and rose again, Jesus, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God. When we trust this Jesus as our Saviour, we can say, 'Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost ,but now am found ,was blind but now I see.'

That's your opinion. ( Psalm 119 v 105 )

We live in a world of confusion, in the moral realm the confusion is increasing, and of course as regards  truth ,anything goes. The absurdity of evolution rules, people are told and taught that everything just happened. When the new leader of a party in Northern Ireland was elected, we were told that he rejected evolution, and believed in creation, the question is  why did they mention that? .Simply because they see it  as absurd ,of course  it's not, for it makes more sense than saying it just happen, all the variety ,the design ,the season's and so on, it could not just happen, it could not  just happen, in a trillion years. Many church people are going along with it, alas.  Evolution is utter confusion. Confusion reigns within the church on so many issues ,doctrinally confusion, and moral confusion ,it is becoming the order of the day.  When I said that homosexuality was a sin, (CP 1 Corinthians 6 v 9 -11 , ) to a minister, he replied that was my opinion, yes moral confusion reigns. hell  and sin is played down, among many other things. Once you leave the confines of the word of God, and exchange it for the confines of your mind, you are entering into a sphere of confusion .Instead of  holding to the certainties of scripture we end up with no certainties, thinking that we know better than God, and what He has revealed in His word.

                                               Cling to the Bible! Cling to the Bible!

                                              Cling to the Bible -Our Lamp and our

                                               Guide.

He is the prize. ( Hebrews 12 v 2 - 3 )

 When Mahatma Gandhi was asked near the end of his life,.'Babaki, you have been looking for God all your life. Have  you found him yet?' 'No', was the reply,  ' I'm still looking.' Gandhi was a great man , but he never  trusted Jesus as his Saviour. He was influenced by what Jesus taught, but never saw Him as the son of God. There are  a number of things that put him off becoming a Christian, many of those who professed to be Christians for a start. It is a pity that he didn't look beyond  them, to Christ Himself, after all He read the Bible, read the gospel's  , why did he not then trust Christ? ,Of course we as Christians should show the reality of Christ in our lives, but it is not always so. There are many fine Christian's, but they are far from perfect, when one becomes a Christian, you are coming into a  church of fallen human beings. Do not let anyone put you off  becoming a Christian, no matter who they are,, remember one of the disciples Judas ,betrayed Jesus for money ,another one denied Jesus, his name was Peter. The history of the church is not a perfect history, but we have a perfect Lord, and a perfect Saviour. Look to Him alone, he is the prize, He will forgive you and save you, He will never fail you , nor leave you, He will always care for you and love you.

Without faith. ( Hebrews 11 v 6 )

 Raymond Brown quotes the following, 'God who made everything out of nothing can do anything', he further says ,'Nothing  whatever is beyond the ability of such a mighty God'. So many of us need to hear these words, I know that miracles happen now and then, but the fact is they do happen, God has not changed, but unfortunately we do ,our  faith instead  of growing ,diminishes ,we are not growing we are shrinking. We may have stopped asking, 'can  God?', to,' God can't', we are like the Israelites who came out of Egypt , they witnessed so many miracles, and yet  a whole generation died because of unbelief. Numbers 14 v 22 - 23. Unbelief is a sin, faith is what God desires, in the words of a song,' Prayer is the key to heaven but faith unlocks the door, ' a man came to Jesus with a request, that He would heal his son, and He said to Jesus ,''If you can'', and Jesus threw that back at him, and said,'' Everything is possible for one who believes''. The man had first gone to the disciples, but they could do nothing, no wonder the man said, ''I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.'' The good news is ,Jesus did heal the boy,  the failure of the disciple to help that boy was a lack of prayer .( Mark 9 v 14 - 29 ) Remember it is not the littleness of our faith that's a problem. no ,if we have faith as a grain of mustard seed ,answers to prayer can happen, yes even miracles can happen. ( Matthew 17  v 20 -21 )

Five glorious reasons ( Psalms 50 v 15 )

Someone wrote ,'More things are wrought  by prayer than the world dreams of', it was our dear Saviour who said ,that we should always pray and never give up'. I pray  about many things ,and there appears no answer  is coming, I do not know why certain things have not been answered, there  are reason why, God knows, the words that comes  to my  mind is ,'How Long?,. How long will it be before  God will answer our prayers, and the answer is this, in His time .It may be after we have gone  to heaven ,that He will answer, yes in His time, and His word to you and me is simply ,'keep praying'. That is our God given task, ours is not to  reason why, but to keep on praying. But of course that  is only one aspect of prayer ,He will answer our prayers immediate, no long waiting period ,when we are faced with troubles, Writing about Psalm 50 v15 ,which reads, '' Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me'', Pastor Mark Altrogge highlights,' 5 glorious reasons to call on God in your trouble'.

                                    1/   It show that our Heavenly Father cares about

                                           our lives.

                                     2 /  It shows how willing the Lord is to help us.

                                     3/  It shows that  God knows we need simple commands. 

                                     4/  It shows that God gives sure and certain promises.

                                     5/  God delivers for His glory.

He finishes of by saying, ''When God says  , call upon Me in the day of  trouble, He intends to answer that prayer''.

Are you sinking. ( Deuteronomy 33 v 27 )

 On one occasion when the disciples were in a boat they saw someone walking on the water, and they were terrified, it was Jesus, who calmed their fears. But Peter said if it is you Lord, command me to come to you on the water. So Jesus said come, so Peter stepped out unto the water, but as he got nearer  Jesus ,he panicked ,and began to sink. Then we read ,' Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him.' There is a modern song I want to share with you. written by Keith and Kristyn called ,'He will hold me Fast'.

                                        He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast,

                                        For my Saviour loves me so, He will hold me fast.

                                        Those He saves are His delight, Christ will hold me fast.

                                        Precious in His sight, He will hold me fast.

                                        He'll will not let my soul be lost, He will hold me fast.

                                        Bought by Him at such a cost, He will me hold fast.

                                        For my life He bled and died, Christ will hold me fast,

                                        Justice has been satisfied, He will hold me fast.