I know so little. ( 1 John 5 v 12 -13 )

 I like watching quiz programmes , on one such program there is a resident team called the eggheads, they  know so much and are rarely beaten. I wonder how they can accumulate such knowledge , and how they remember it, these days  my memory is not what it once was.When I was younger I used to memorize scripture,which  has been a help to me in my ministry. I often admit to the Lord, that I know very little,in comparison to Him,we all know very, very little when it comes to God .I don't know ,the future,no human being does, there is so much to know.And yet I want to qualify that statement, I know when I die I am going to heaven,the fact is, many people don't know that, no Muslim  can know they are going to heaven. Of course if they murder someone like a non- Muslin they think that guarantees them a place in heaven.Even though the word of God tells us that no murderer has eternal life. 1 John 3 v15,of course if seek forgiveness, repenting of their sin and trust Jesus as their Saviour, they will go to heaven.No one will have any assurance that they are going to heaven ,unless they seek forgiveness ,repent of their sins,and trust Jesus as their Saviour. I do not know very much, but as I have already said , I know Jesus as my Saviour and I am going to heaven,here is what Jesus said , ' all who trust in Him ,He gives unto them eternal  life and they shall never perish'. John 10 v 28.

Hope ( Colossians 1 v 27 )

Is there hope on the  big scale ,I mean the world, well to find hope  we must  look beyond ourselves, to God who has a plan for His little planet, oh yes it is His.The earth is the Lords,he has not renounced ownership of it,but here is the thing ,God's plan is different to our plans.He is going to replace everything with a new heaven and a new earth,everything will be new,and everything will be perfect. Let us turn to Psalm 39, a Psalm of David ,one writer sums it up,'Apart from God, life is fleeting and empty.This is an appeal for God's mercy because life is brief''.Verse 4 starts   'Lord remind me how brief my time on earth will be',like David  we all need to be reminded that  life on planet earth is brief, no matter how long it is,it is brief. Compare Psalm 90 v 10.one writer describes it as a ,' A wisp of fog,catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing', or like the hymn writer put it,'like the falling of a leaf'. The words of a song comes to mind,'I'm going  to live forever',not so , our existence  here on planet earth  ,will end, resistance is futile, in the light of this, is there no hope ? .David considered the matter, and here is what he said,''And so ,Lord , where do I put my hope?,''    and what was his conclusion?,''My only hope is in you''. 

                                                     'With Christ there is hope,  

                                                     Without Him there is no hope'

  

                                                

He understands. ( Psalm 23 )

I met a dear Christian, a few years ago she lost her husband, I asked her how she felt,she said she was lonely. It is not a crime if you are a Christian to say you are lonely, or your sad. The words of a hymn by Francis H. Rawley  reads.

                                                 ' Days of darkness still may meet me,

                                                   Sorrow's paths I oft may tread;

                                                   But His presence still is with me,

                                                   By His guiding hand I'm lead'

It impossible to not feel sadness,or loneliness, after all we are not machines, we have emotions,it does not make us any less a Christian. Many people feel lonely,no use denying it, and sad, but here is the wonderful truth,' But His presence still is with us,by His guiding hand we'r  lead'. Yes He will bring us through,let us remember, He walked this earthly life,He is called a man of sorrows one who was acquainted with grief, and no one experienced the depths of loneliness that He felt on the cross when He cried out,''My God , my God, why hast thou forsaken me?''. We are told that Jesus our great High Priest, understands our weaknesses, for He faced all the same testings we do,yet He did not sin.Hebrews 4 v 15. Yes our Saviour is walking with us, He does feel for our sadness and loneliness, and He whispers to us,''I understand''.

                                                             Hebrews 4 v 16  .

                                     'So let us come boldly  to the throne of our gracious 

                                     God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will

                                      find grace to help us when we need it most.'

                                                 

                                    

The sea is not always calm. ( 2 Thessalonians 2 v 16 - 17 )

I remember many years ago, my family and I were on holiday in a town called Bangor in Ulster,it is a seaside town.One could hire a rowing boat to go out on the bay,so we did that,the sea was very calm, we were not to far from the shore. Then from the shore along the seafront we heard the sound of bagpipes,I stopped rowing and we sat and listened , they were playing amazing grace. As we sat there listening in the calmness it touched my heart, but as I reflect on it now,I am reminded that the sea of life is not always calm,far from it,but praise God,His amazing grace never changes,never, and we are told its always sufficient,and more than enough to meet our needs whatever trials we are going through. The writer calls it amazing grace, and rightly so,as I think of how many, many,dear Christians are enduring so much, how do they cope?,grace, as I read of the apostle Paul,and his suffering CP 2 Corinthians 11 v 23 - 28/ 12 v 7 - 10, how did he cope?,grace,that wonderful grace of God.Not only not did he cope, he glorified God,which is our chief end in life,Life being what it is,uncertain, we being what we are ,weak ,vulnerable,fragile, and a target for the ungodly ,and their master Satan,what do we need ?, grace. The grace of God will not dry up,and God will not withhold it from us,we are told ,He giveth more grace ,as the hymn writer wrote, as the burdens increase,He giveth, He giveth, and giveth again.

Wise words. ( Romans 8 v 29 )

Alan Redpath said the following, ''The conversion a of soul is the work of a moment, the making of a saint takes a life time''. These are wise words, to all of us who are Christians,the Word of  God speaks about growing, as in the natural ,so in the spiritual. It is something we should aspire to,it does not happen automatically,in 1 Corinthians 3 v 7, we read,' only God who makes things grow'.and that goes for the Christian,how does He do that?. It is the apostle Peter who writes,'Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation'. 1Peter 2 v 2. That spiritual milk he refers to is Gods Word, the fact is the word of God is a vital part of our growing as a Christian. I remember the TV  presenter Michael Palin on one of his travels visited North Korea, when he arrived in the country,the first question they asked him was,have you got a Bible.It seems to me they fear the Bible,and rightly so it can change people,set them free,and as Christians help to Grow.There is little chorus that goes,'Read your Bible ,pray every day if you want to grow'.Prayer, how do you find prayer? along with the word of God,it will develop your relationship with God ,which is vital if you are to grow.But there is more,more lessons to learn,life is like a school in which God  will teach us many things,with the sole purpose of making us more like our blessed Saviour.

No. ( John 11 v 25 - 26 )

 No ,it is not Christmas yet, but as I write my wife has put a Christmas CD on,and I am enjoying listening to it.Yes Christmas is a time most people  look forward to,even though they may not be Christians.Yes Christmas is very commercialised, yes that's true,but somehow it brings out a degree of kindness in people.People spend money not just on themselves, every Christmas a neighbour calls and gives us a present ,yet he is of the Sikh religion. The homeless are given more consideration, shelter is found for them, many people want to be kind,we send Christmas cards, wishing them a merry Christmas,and a happy new year. I do think Christmas makes a difference for many people ,some even attend church and join in the singing of carols. But of course the real meaning of Christmas for many  is missed ,I  don't say this in a judgemental way,but with sadness, and concern,for after after all He is the reason ,for the season , To miss the reason for the season is to miss the greatest gift that can one receive, the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life,and Christs presence with you.

                                                   How silently,how silently

                                                  The wondrous gift is given

                                                   So God imparts to human hearts

                                                   The blessing of  His heaven,

                                                   No ear may hear His coming;

                                                    But in this world of sin,

                                                    Where meek souls will receive Him still,

                                                    The dear Christ enters in.

                                                        Words Phillips Brooks

A donkey ride. ( Zechariah 9 v 9 )

 The time was drawing near for our Saviour to die, He knew this and told his disciples  Matthew 16 v 21/Mark 8 v 31- 9; 9;1/ Luke 9 v 22- 27 . His death can be seen as a tragedy as indeed it was ,because of the very people involved in it ,they were His own people,John 1v 11,but such is the sinful nature of mankind. His death  was voluntary, given of His own free will,He could have stopped it but he didn't,He could have easily called the forces of heaven to rescue Him (Matthew  26 v 53,) but as He said,''But how then would  the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?. MT 26 v54. He is referring to scriptures like  Isaiah 52 v 13- 16 /53 v1 - 12, Psalm 22 v 1- 2. His death was set in stone in Gods purposes, and Christ would not waver in fulfilling this. During His ministry He played down that He was the Messiah, Matthew 16 v 20 ,but now things changed His actions would openly declare that He was the Messiah.He did it by riding on a donkey into Jerusalem,this was fulfillment of a prophecy by Zechariah 9 v 9, as to the Messiahs coming.William Hendriksen writes,'The King is not the fulfilment of men's dreams but of a specific Messianic promise. He is the One who in the very act of riding...to His death,and thus to victory, a victory not only for himself but also for His true people, those who believe in Him'.