God's word is true. ( Hebrews 4 v 12 )

 The American Declaration of  Independence reads,' We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,including life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness', Yes truth is important,in fact it is very important,if something is not true it becomes a lie, and who wants to believe a lie?, no one. It is not something that should  be overlooked, at a inconvenient time,or because we don't agree with it.In Psalm 119 v 160 we read,'The very essence of your word is truth',in other words it is completely true,there are those who say the Bible contains the Word of God,this is an erroneous statement,it is the Word of  God,from Genesis to Revelation. There are many who call themselves Christians, reject certain truths,by saying oh that is Paul speaking,and others shun the OT, and only accept the NT.. In 2 Timothy 3 v16 we read,'All Scripture  is God breathed', all means all,we deny this at our cost. I leave you with these  words by E.J.Young.

'The triune God did actually speak to human beings,He conveyed to them the truth in a form in which they could receive it. He spoke to them in words and they, His creatures , created in His image, could receive and understand those words. Christianity  is a revelation of the one living and true God. The Bible is not merely a witness of some nebulous'Word of God; the Bible is the word of God. It is not only a pointer to revelation; it is revelation.

He is coming again. ( 1 Thessalonians 4 v 13 - 18)

The Jewish people are the waiting people,waiting for the Messiah,Christians should also be the waiting people,we are waiting for our dear,dear Saviour. Yes He is  coming again, and the word is this,'be ready', yes be ready,no one knows when that event will be,only God the Father.Here is what our dear Saviour said as regards His coming again,''But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,nor the Son,but only the Father''.We view what Jesus said about him not knowing,in relation to His human nature,   Jesus was truly God and truly man,as a man he had limitations,so as a man he choose not to have  that knowledge. So let us not speculate ,but live in the light of His coming,He may come today,as you awake each morning say these words,'He may come today'. As Christians, live in the light of that coming.for you must be ready,as William Hendriksen wrote,'everyone should always be on the alert'. In the light of His coming may we live in reverential fear,and rejoice in our blessed hope.

                                                He's coming soon,He's coming soon,

                                                With joy we welcome His returning;

                                                 It may be morn,it may be night or noon,

                                                 We know He's coming soon.

The Lord speaks. ( Matthew 6 v 25 - 34 )

 I was praying and as I spoke to God I said,''I am Your Billy'',the scripture says ,'Fear not, for I have redeemed you;I have called by your name, you are mine' .( Isaiah 43 1 ) Our all knowing God knows us personally,as He knows my name, so He knows your name,then He adds a further truth,''you are Mine'', you where not always His, but you are now,that means you can call Him Father.

In my old age I am forgetful,but I do not forget my children ,they are not always on my mine,but when it comes to our loving heavenly Father,we His and are always in His thoughts. This is what God would say to you His child,''Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?Surely they may forget,yet I will not forget you. See,I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;.Yes you are always on His mind,always.

Often I am not sure which way to go , and what to do ,but God knows and He reassures us ,and tells us,'The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.(Psalm 37 v 29 ) Our part is to ,' Seek His will in all we do, and He will show which path to take( Proverbs 3 v 6)

I am old,still good looking in a strange sort of way,( A  joke,not a very good one} yes I am old, been following the Lord for fifty seven years,here is my testimony,in the words of Psalm 37 v 24,'Once I was young,and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned, or their children begging bread.' Be assured child of God ,He will care for you even when you are old.

God saves us from (1 ) ( Psalm 121 )

 A friend was telling me about a well known preacher,who when he was a young lad ,he had a crush on this attractive young lady,sadly nothing came of it.He eventually did fall in love and married someone. Many years later that young lady got in touch with him,and they agreed to meet up,when he walked into the restaurant  he was looking around for her,and then he heard a voice speaking to him,and it was wee old lady,and he realised who it was,the young lady he once had a crush on, and he rightly or wrongly found himself  offering a prayer of thanksgiving for his dear lovely wife. I found myself saying ,''it is wonderful what God saves us from, and what He doesn't save us from''. Of course one immediately thinks how God saves us from our sins,and their consequences,when we trusted Jesus ,it is a thing most wonderful, But as a child of God we can look back in our lives and remember how God preserved us from sinning,or from an accident and so many things,take a moment and reflect on that, and thank God,how He in His mercy ,held you  back from committing a sinful  action, and from serious harm, or whatever.

He is in control. ( Romans 11 v 33 )

 Bruce Milne in his book,'Heaven and Hell', writes of the reality of God's purpose and that everything is actually moving towards the final fulfillment of God's purpose, nothing conceivable can stand in its way'.    It is impossible, for God is sovereign,He rules over all the affairs of man,in a very real sense man controls zero,after all, we are all going to die.God has not resigned from His sovereignty, He is not just a spectator.Now it raises many questions,that we may not be able to answer,for after all we are talking about  God.In Romans11 v 33, we read,'Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge!How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways'.Following on this, consider Isaiah 55 v 8- 9, '' My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts'', says the Lord. And my ways are beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the  heavens are higher than the earth,so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts''.Sovereignty does not rule out our responsibility, or our accountability .The fact is there are so things we have no control over, birth, death, my way in life ,John Ryland wrote,'All my times shall ever be,ordered by His wise decree'. We look at the world we live in,wars ,and more wars,disasters etc,things seem out of control,not so,our sovereign God rules and overrules. As Bruce Milne wrote,'everything is actually moving towards the final fulfillment of God's  purpose ,nothing can conceivable stand in its way'.

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.'

                       

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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.