Truth forever on the scaffold. ( 2 Timothy 4 v1 - 38 )

The task of the prophets was very difficult,consider what Stephen said as he was about to be stoned to death by the religious leaders.' Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the righteous one'. ( Acts 7 v 51 - 52) Our Saviour speaking to  Jews and their attitude and treatment of Gods prophets they murdered them.( Matthew 23 v 31) The path of the prophets was difficult,and dangerous.and often they ploughed a lonely furrow.Their task was to 'uproot, and tear down,to destroy ,and overthrow,to build and to plant' . ( Jeremiah 1 v 10)  They didn't  win a popularity contest, no they experienced as the book of Hebrews puts it,they were tortured,stoned to death, sawn in two,and killed by the sword. 11 v 35 -38,the writer adds, ' Of whom the world was not worthy'.Things have not changed,it is still the times of the prophets,and I can assure you that those who stand for  the truth,and God's moral high ground,will not always be welcomed even within the visible church.They may be the minority ,may be only a single voice,I will leave you with words from a poem by James Russel. Lowell.

                                                'Truth forever on the scaffold,

                                                Wrong forever on the throne-

                                                Yet that scaffold sways the future.

                                                 And, behind the dim unknown,

                                                 Standeth  God within the shadow

                                                 Keeping watch above His own.

                      Once to every man and nation, comes the moment we decide .

                      In the strife of truth and falsehood for the good or evil side.'

                       

,

9

                                        

Not forgotten. ( Ephesians 6 v 10 - 20 )

I was asked to lead the intercessory prayer in our church,I  chose the subject of suffering that our Christian family is enduring throughout  the world. As I  began to start,it struck me that at my ten years at this church,I never once heard it mentioned,not once,even though it is pretty  horrendous . The media never mention it,I suppose they don't want to stir up trouble,yet sometimes there is a mention of human rights abuses. When I had finished ,a couple of  people thanked me for my prayer,one  a young girl was interested in getting information about the suffering church.The writer of Hebrews  in 13 v3 says this,'Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison,and those who are ill -treated as if you yourselves were suffering'.Why is it that many Christians do not take this to heart?,can they not at least pray for them?, it was our Lord before He went to glory who said ,' A new command I give you;love one another .As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another'. John 13 v 34 - 35.

                                                                  A prayer.

                                Dear Lord we pray for those who   walk in the path of 

                                suffering, who tread in that blood stained path to glory.

                                 Grant them courage,strength,  and the grace not to give up,

                                  and to remember, it will be worth it all when they see 

                                                                Jesus. Amen.

               

                              

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.