Revival. ( Acts 1 v 8 )

I  recently read about the revival that happened in 1949 in the Hebrides under the ministry of Duncan Campbell, but the one place it did not effect was the capital Stornoway. Why?, well there were doctrinal differences, some Christians ,opposed it, one of the reasons some ministers used  to undermine it was, that the preacher wore brown boots. black boots were the norm. It seems comical that anyone would take that serious, but they did, if this is true, it is tragic .I know God is sovereign so I wonder how  this fits into this, only God knows. The   country I come from Northern Ireland, in the past experienced revival, and left its mark to this day on the Provence of Ulster. Unfortunately  revival  in western countries is non existence, why?, I am sure there are many reason, that go further than brown boots. Revival often came as result of people praying earnestly ,pleading with God with tears, we cannot force revival but we are told , that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man can achieve wonderful things CP James 5  v 16..

I am bound to the scriptures. ( 2 Timothy 2 v 15 )

Hercule Poirot the fictitious Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie said the following,' 'In all the world there is nothing so curious and interesting, and so beautiful as truth'' ,I would add to that by saying, there is nothing so important as  truth. Yet it is that very thing we struggle with, consider how many people  do struggle with it, yet we want people to be truthful, people have been sent to jail for telling lies. When a witness  is called in court, he swears on the Bible to tell ,the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. That book that he swears on ,is the is truth, and yet so few people accept it, the cults distort the truth, likewise Muhammad who reportedly wrote the Quran, is another great example of that. In doing so he has robbed his followers of a Saviour, and that is so serious. and so sad, for we all need a Saviour, that Saviour being Jesus. Many Christians want to pick and choose what they will believe, not accepting ,that God who is love, is also the righteous judge, so they reject much that is in the OT. William Barclay was a very popular writer ,well known for his daily study Bible , denied the deity of Christ. among other things. When we start changing the truth of Gods word, putting wrong meanings on it, refuse to accept the difficult bits, we are asking for trouble. We are called as Christians, to accept the Bible, as the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth., as Luther said, ''I am bound by the scriptures'',  ''Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen''

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 )