Oh,happy day, ( Psalm 32 )

 I wonder how many times we will hear the words happy over this season of Christmas?, and of course we use the word happy when it comes to birthdays.The fairy tales usually end with the words ,'and they lived happy ever after'. There was a very popular comedian who used to sing a song,called 'Happiness',all of us know a degree of happiness, I wonder what makes you happy? Well I heard a song that reminded me of a day that brought happiness into my life, a day like no other , because it changed my life, it is called ,you guessed,'Oh,happy day',the words are borrowed from a hymn by Phillip Doddridge.

                                                      Oh, happy day (Oh happy day)

                                                      Oh, happy day (Oh,happy day)

                                                     When Jesus washed ( When Jesus washed )

                                                     Oh,when Jesus washed( When Jesus washed)

                                                     He washed my sins away(Oh happy day)

                                                     O,happy day( Oh happy day)

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Things God doesn't save us from.(2) ( Proverbs 3 v 5 )

 Lets consider,'The things God doesn't save us from'. The best evidence for this is to be found in the Bible, take the life of Joseph,hated by his brothers,sold into slavery,sent into prison for something he didn't do.We know about Job,Paul with his painful thorn in the flesh,John the baptise who was beheaded,and so many more.Outside the Bible we all know many Christians who have suffered from incurable illnesses,broken marriages,the list can on and on,you could put them under things that God doesn't save us from. Why?,often we do not know,Job never really knew why God allowed him to suffer, Looking back Joseph did grasp the why he had to go through all his suffering.In Genesis 50 ,Jacob had  died,his brothers where very afraid that Joseph would now pay them back for the evil they had done to him. Joseph was a godly man,and so he speaks to them reassuring them that he would not harm them, and would continue to care for them and their families.This is what he said,''You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could saves the lives of many people.''So here is one lesson  we can learn why,give it time and you will understand  ,but it may not be until one gets to heaven .( 1 Corinthians 13 v 12 - 13) The challenge we are  faced with is to trust Him,remember He can be trusted, so trust Him.

Right thinking ( Philippians 4 v 6 - 9 )

There is a movie called,'News of World', it's setting takes place in good old  America, Tom Hanks plays the part of an ex-officer of the confederate states.He travels around the different towns reading the latest newspapers,to the local population,many cant read,and news was hard to get.I mention this because we live in time,when we are inundated with news continually,it invades our homes,we know so much that is going on in the world. Our minds are continually bombarded with disasters,murders,and so many other things,and the problem is we can let so many things take over our minds ,and it can effect us not always in a good way.There is nothing wrong with us looking at the news or whatever, but if you are a Christian, we must bear in mind that the worlds values are not God's values,when does God get a mention ?,He doesn't receive a mention not just on the news, but in most things on the media,in Colossians 3 v 2,we read 'Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things'.and I will add v 15, which reads,'And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts'.

Why. ( Ephesians 2 v 1 - 10 )

Lets continue to look at the why  ,last time we considered how because of our sinful nature,we have the potential to do awful things.That may appear very negative,after all many people do a lot of good things, we could write down a list of  people, like nurses ,doctors,etc.One can think of great people like Gandhi and many others who we admire,and there are people who raise money for charity?. Life is not totally negative,  on one level, one could say they are good,that is a human level.Even then one can also say are any of them perfect, no,and from Gods level  they are all sinners like everyone else. Religion does not change that, good works does not change that.No one is sinless in relation to their thought life,it may surprise us if we  knew  as to what others are thinking,it doesn't surprise God. Seemingly good people do not always act ,from pure motives,and sad to say,  people refuse to give praise or glory to God. As to speech I know no one whose perfect in speech , do you?,and further more, are you?. If we were all held up to the light,what would we see?  what blemishes would be revealed?. I remember many years ago, being shown how eggs were examined as to their fitness  to be sold,a light was shown through then,to see if they were bad eggs.The fact is we are all bad eggs in God sight,none of us are pure morally,we are all tainted ,affected by our fallen nature.We are all in the same boat,we all need a Saviour, and because we cannot save ourselves God in mercy has provided a way,the answer is Jesus.Stop fooling yourself, protesting your innocence , we are all deserving of hell,that means you and that means me.

Why.( 2 ) (Romans 3 v36 )

Jesus did not fail,when He was crucified, so let us consider why He came to die, why such a horrible death,we cannot sanitise it,we have to be careful not to do that, it was not a pretty picture, it was cruelty ,personified,it shows man at his worse,acting like a mere beast,they lusted after His death. Their pent up hatred for Him erupted like a destructive volcano,crucify Him ,crucify Him ,they cried out,at last we have him, thy thought, we are going to shut Him up once and for all.Such savagery was a manifestation of mankind's sinfulness at its worse,now we are closing in on the why He came to die ,mankind's sinfulness.  We must sanitise Christ death on the cross,likewise we must not minimize sin,any sin.and we must not  minimise the potential  of our fallen nature to manifest itself in the most extreme ways.You may not think you would have acted like those who crucified Jesus,but who knows,if you were there,you may have.As regards minimizing sin,one has to realise that any sin is an act of disobedience to a Holy God. The word of God clearly teaches that everyone of us sin (Romans 3 v23).that is the tragedy of our nature,sin,a nature that is desperately wicked, capable of the most awful things.

                                                 I will return to this next time.

A failure? (1) ( Isaiah 53 )

 Some people think that Christ failed,because he was crucified, but  not so, we must understand, that is why Christ came.His death and the very nature of His death was foretold by the prophets,I commend to you Isaiah 52/53,also Psalm 22,there are many other scriptures,that relate to His death.He knew that He was going to die on a cross Matthew  26 v 1-2 .John 12 v 32-33. He was always aware that He was going to die on a cross,it did not take Him by surprise ,John 12 v 27. His whole life was one walk to His death on the cross, He was not forced to do it,He did it willingly,in John 10 v17- 18,we read,' I lay down my life --No one takes it from me,but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again'.He could have called the armies of heaven to rescue Him Matthew 26 v 53,but He didn't,no He went as a lamb to the slaughter Isa 53 v 6.the bravest of the brave,determined to do the Fathers will.Luke 22 v 42.We will continue this next time,

Have confidence. (1 Corinthians 15 v 58 )

 Someone  has said,' The first duty of the Christian is to persuade others to accept the offer of God. In the last analysis we can never argue a man into Christianity. All we can say is.''Try it and see!''Often when JWs come to my door,I try to be patient with them,try  to show them from scripture the truth,it just becomes an argument. It all seems pointless,but one hopes that the Holy Spirit may break into their lives, convicting them,one thing  we can do is pray that God will use something one has said to touch their hearts.God is sovereign,He tells us that his word will accomplish His purpose (Isaiah 55 v11).That word that a person has heard may lie dormant for years,and the Spirit can bring it back to a person even in old age,  never underestimate the word of God.Consider, by the word of God all things came into being,we are told it is powerful ,Hebrews 4 v12.The Lord says,''Is not My word like a fire?.....and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?.  Jeremiah 23 v29. The stony hearts of men  can be broken down,and they can be humbled.As Matthew Henry says, 'The unhumbled heart  of man is like a rock; if it will not be melted by the word of God as a fire, it will be broken to pieces by it as a hammer'.When you witness to someone. water that witness by your prayers and even your tears,in Psalm 126 v 5 we read,'Those who sow in tears shall reap in Joy'.