The times they are a changing. ( 2 Timothy 4 v 9 - 18 )

 Suddenly things have changed, there we were, getting on with our lives and covid struck ,then when we seem to be coming out of that, war began in Ukraine,the times they are a changing.One lesson we should never forget is that we live in a changing world, great change comes into all our lives  when disasters strikes,and when death comes,or a multitude of  of other things happen. Change comes at different times slowly or suddenly,they may be for the good,  or they may be for the bad,and they can  leave us devastated. Often we do not understand why certain things happen, but they do affect us and can leave us in a state of anxiety,many people are very anxious  at this time,even fearful,and we can understand this. What is the answer?,what can we do?,Charles Albert Tindley wrote many gospel hymns,the first line of one goes,' The world is one great battlefield',it sure is ,I recently heard that wonderful singer Tennessee Ernie Ford singing one his songs, I hope it will be a blessing to you.

                                                When the storms of life are raging/ Stand by me,

                                                When the storms of life are raging/ Sand by me

                                                When the world is tossing me,like a ship upon the seas,

                                                 Thou who rulest  wind and water,/Stand by me.

                                                 In the midst of tribulation/ Stand by me

                                                 In the midst of tribulation /Stand by me.

                                                 When the hosts of hell assail,and my strength begins to fail,

                                                  Thou who never lost a battle/ Stand by me.

God is. ( Psalm 62 )

 Psalm 62 ends by stressing two important things ( 1) Power belongs to God. (2 ) God is merciful. As regards the first part ,power belonging unto God,Barnes writes that the word  power ,has with it a sense of strength,he declares ,'The idea is, that the strength that man needs - the ability to defend and to save him- is to be found in God. All else may fail, but the power of God will not fail.The result of this, therefore should  lead us to put our trust in God alone. ' As regards God being merciful, he write,'Man needs the assurance that God is a benevolent Being, as really as that he is a powerful Being,' As regards God being merciful it also brings with it ,His unfailing love,' As regards mercy ,it is not something we deserve,it is something we receive freely.When the sinner comes to God, he is not coming to a bargaining table, he is coming as  one who needs to be saved.and out of a heart of love God responds by showing mercy ,and forgiving their sins.

                                                    There's a wideness in God's mercy

                                                     Like the wideness of the sea;

                                                     There's a kindness in His justice

                                                     Which is more than liberty.

                                                      For the love of  God is broader

                                                      Than the measures of man's mind;

                                                      And the heart of the Eternal

                                                       Is most wonderfully kind.

                                                              F.W. Faber

                                                      

Do you need rest? ( Psalm 62 )

 I would like to share a few thoughts from Psalm 62, a Psalm by David,he had so much to contend with in his life, serious things,and the Psalm reflects this. In this Psalm he speaks of those who are tying  to pull him down, he describes them as liars,outwardly they give the impression that they are for David,but inwardly they hate him.In verse 9 he reminds us that the wicked will soon be gone,and in v10 for us not to be like them.The Psalm starts with these words ,'Truly my soul finds rest in God', consider the world we live in,Isaiah 57 v 20,'The wicked are like the tossing sea which cannot rest',surly these words sum up this world ,a world that does not know where its going,and were to find peace. I wonder would that describe you?,well there is an answer,listen to the words of Jesus.''Come to Me, all you are weary and burdened,and I will give you rest''.He follows that up in v5 ''Yes my soul finds rest in God;my hope comes from God''.We  will look at this Psalm next time,I will leave you with a verse of a hymn by Charles Wesley.

                                                      'I rest in Thine almighty power;

                                                      The name of Jesus is a tower

                                                      That hides my life above;

                                                      Thou canst,Thou wilt, my helper be;

                                                       My confidence is all in Thee,

                                                       The faithful God of love.

                                                   

                                               

The greatest good. ( Acts 2 v 22 - 24 )

 I can assure you the question why?, in relation to so many things,is something  so many of us  ask, why the war in Ukraine?,why has  President Putin declared war on this country.? One reason is very simple he believes that they are part of Russia and have no right to call themselves a country.It is obvious he feels this very strongly,so strong that he is prepared by force  to bring them back to were ( as he see's it) they belong as part of Russia. We live in a fallen world,were the aspirations of people override everything else, is the taken of Ukraine by military force worth more than the terrible suffering inflicted on the population?.  Machiavellian is a belief that many rulers go by, basically it means for the greater good,Hitler believed that,that what he was doing was for the greater good,possible Putin  believes that .So it is, that so many evil's are carried out with that in mind,millions and millions of people died under Stalin ,he believed it was for the greater good,evil deeds can never be justified on the grounds of the greater good,never. The people who crucified our Saviour possible believed it was for the greater good, but in fact it was the greatest evil, ever perpetrated. Yet that death of Jesus our Saviour, carried out by evil men has brought the greatest good to mankind, a way back to God from the dark paths of sin.

I have a dream. ( Galatians 3 v 26 - 29 )

In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr, made a wonderful speech,before he got to the I got a dream,  he made various references to US history.but at  that point Mahalia  Jackson a famous Gospel singer shouted from the crowd,'Tell them about the dream',and so he did,as he launched into that wonderful speech,'I have a dream,'that dream was that black and white would live in harmony, accepting each other,free from prejudice, hatred and ignorance.In this fallen sinful world there will always be  some degree of prejudice,hatred , and ignorance.Of course we should not accept such  attitudes,and we should try to make it a better world free from such things. Of all places that these things should not exist is in the church of Christ, and yet often that has not been so,the church instead of representing the Kingdom of God it  identified with the kingdoms of this world.The church that was supposed to reflect Christ,but instead reflected an antichrist, a Christ that was not in the Bible. All politics is flawed and can never bring in a perfect society,yes politics is valid, and those involved in politics should try to make a difference.I have a dream, it goes beyond this world , to a new heaven and a new earth,where prejudice,hatred and ignorance will not exist.All those who have trusted  Jesus from every tribe,language, people and nation, will dwell in perfect harmony.

                                                'What a day,what day that will be,

                                                 come and join me'.

I will trust. ( Psalm 56 )

 Psalm 56  was written by David,it was written when David had fled from King Saul who wanted to kill him, and he ended up in Gath in the land of the Philistines. Why he ended up there I do not know,for they were Israel's enemies,David had come to prominence by defeating their champion Goliath, now here he was seeking refuge in their land. (1 Samuel 21 v 10 ff) And when the servants of the king of Gath  reminded him that David was the champion of Israel, David became very fearful,for his life. Fear is a common thing for all of us, at this time many are afraid of the war that's going on,many are praying,yes unbelievers are praying,yes they are fearful.David was a man like you and I ,and as Spurgeon writes , 'he feared, but that fear did not fill the whole area of his mind, for he adds, '' I will trust in Thee''.in fact three times in this Psalm, he mentions,that he is trusting in God.Albert Barnes writing on Davids declaration of his trust in God, that trust  is.

                                       'A good maxim with which to go into a world of danger,

                                       A good maxim to go to sea with;

                                       A good maxim in a storm;

                                       A good maxim when in danger on the land;

                                       A good maxim when we are sick;

                                       A good maxim when we think of death and judgement'

Trials. ( Hebrews 12 v 7 - 13 )

 I read the following,it is part of a prayer ,''Nothing can befall me without His permission; appointment and administration'. A telling example of that is to be found in the book of Job,God permitted Satan to afflict him, which included the the death of  his ten children, the loss of all his possessions ,and to be afflicted with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.Thankfully most us will not experience such severe suffering ,it is possible,but we will experience a degree of trials in life.But let us take note that God who permits our suffering can also deliver us from our suffering.we read that the Lord restored his possessions and granted unto him more children.Job 42 v 12- 17.God does not afflict His children willingly, but if He does He has His reasons, Job was not told why God afflicted him.That is where as Brennan Manning puts it, we need to exercise ruthless trust,it will not be easy, true ,but what is the alternative, anger, bitterness,and withdrawal?, who wants that?. Right at the beginning of his suffering  Job uttered these words, '''Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?,'' he also did not charge God with wrongdoing. Job 2 v 10/1v22. Here is something else he said , I will not comment on it.

                                                                   Job 23 v 10

                                                     But He knows the way I take;

                                                     when He has tested me,

                                                     I shall come forth as pure gold.