How important is truth?. ( Ephesians 2 v 1 - 10 )

 How important is truth to you?,and indeed to me? well if we don't have truth ,what do we have?. Consider if the god of this world is the devil,he is not in essence a god, its what people have made him. The apostle writing to Christians, reminds them of their former state,' You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil- the commander of the powers in the unseen world (Ephesians 2 v 2 ). Now we have pointed out  before that the devil is a liar and the father of lies,and that he twists the truth, so that it becomes a lie.So it is that many are spiritually blind, and really do not know what truth is,in fact they exchange the truth for a lie ,and worship all sorts of things ( Romans 1 v25 ) Chuck Swindoll states the following,'So potent is the power of Satan that he gets people to believe that truth is a lie and that a lie is the truth. He fills the world with temptation  and traps, and he reigns over his kingdom of darkness like a malevolent dictator oppressing his powerless victims' False  religions is one of his specialties,let us be very clear  about them,when we say that Christ is the only way to God,we are saying that all other religions are false.Their followers may be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong, Christianity is not just another religion,it is the only religion that can save a person from hell ,and take you to heaven.For only Jesus is the way the truth and the life,and the only one that can bring one to God.

Built on lies. ( John 8 v 44 )

 Nazi Germany was built on lies,the Nazi  party sought to control the nation,every home was supplied with a radio,those radios and what they broadcast was completely controlled by the government.The government believed if you told a lie often enough it would be accepted as truth.Their control went further, no one was allowed to raise a dissenting voice,if they did, they would be sent to a concentration camp were they more than likely be murdered. Does it all sound familiar?of course it does, consider what is happening in Russia now.It is a serious thing when a life or a society is  built on a foundation of lies, my mother used to say, 'you can never trust a liar.'Think how many lives that have been destroyed by lies,lying is a serious business,we all get phone calls from people who tell us lies,they just want to rob us.Consider how serious all this is and its consequences, for those build their lives on lies.Here is what we read in Revelation 21 v 8 -9 that liars with all sorts of wicked people, will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death'.

I can, I can't (Acts 12 v 1 - 19 )

I wonder what comes to mind with the following,'I can, I can;t',the apostle wrote that he could do all things through him who give him strength', ( Philippians 4 v 13) This fits in with what our Saviour told us, that apart from Him we can do nothing( John 15 v 5 ) These words stress the importance of reliance on Christ in all aspects of our lives. Samson had to learn that lesson,and it cost him dearly( Judges 16 ), as I look back I am amazed at the things God has helped me to do,completing a three course at Bible college ,learning to drive,to be able to stand up and preach,bringing up a family of five boys, even doing this blog.What about tomorrows challenges? you may be facing daunting tasks,let me remind you that the God who helped you in all your yesterdays,will help you in all your tomorrows.What about the I can't?, they are many,I can't change people,I can't save people,what is your I can't, at this time?,it's not about giving up, no,it's it is a fact that there are things we can't do,possible not meant to do,some situations that are beyond us,and so it could be best to simply walk away from. But let us remember the importance of prayer,it may be an obvious thing to say,but we all need to be reminded how vital prayer is, and not to underestimate its importance and power. When Peter  was in prison on the orders of Herod, in his cell he was bound by two chains,he had two solders standing guard over him, plus soldiers guarding the entrance of the cell. Coinciding with this the church was praying,that was all they could do,but praise God it was enough,for God heard their prayer ,and Peter walked out of that prison a free man.

Creation. ( Genesis 1 )

 Im thinking about  God and creation, I have chosen some things that William Hendriksen has written in his commentary on Romans ,chapter 1 v 20.'The vastness of the universe, the fixed order of the heavenly bodies in their courses, the arrangement of the leaves around a stem, the cycle of  the divinely created water works ( evaporation, cloud formation, distillation,pool formation), the mystery of  growth from seed to plant- not just any plant but the particular kind of plant from which the seed originated, the thrill of the sunrise from faint  rosy flush to majestic orb, the skill of birds in building their '' homes'' without ever having taken lessons in home building, the generous manner in which food is supplied for all creatures, the adaptation of living creatures to their environment ( for example, the flexible soles of the camel's feet to the soft desert sands)'.These things did not just happen it is impossible.

                                                          'In the beginning God created the 

                                                           heavens and the earth'

                                                                    Genesis 1 v 1.

She speaks to trees ( Romans 1 v 18 - 23 )

                  A .Robert Goulet wrote a song that became very popular, the verse reads like this,

                                        ' I talk to the trees but they don't listen to me,

                                          I talk to  the stars but they never hear me, 

                                          The breeze hasn't time to stop and hear what they said,

                                          I talk to them all in vain

I read the following  recently,about a girl called  Holly , she is a tree whisperer, a person who connects with nature.She feels for the trees pain,  and sits and asks them questions, and waits for an answer. It is sad and strange the things people believe, and yet are blind to the reality of God who created all things, it may appear a harmless thing to be a tree whisperer,  but its not, in reality its all in vain.Creation for that's what it is ,our God made all things,He is the great Creator,he made every leaf,every blade of grass,and every hair on our heads,He made everything,he made you and me.Creation is a witness of God's glory , power,and His person. ( Romans 1 v 20) But our sinful nature is blind ,we only view things from a horizontal level, failing or not willing to accept the obvious,that there is creator God. And it goes further than that,for the great creator of this world  stepped into this world in the person of Jesus, yet ,they refused to recognise Him, but not only that , they crucified Him. Sad but true,

A God silence. ( Psalm 77 )

 In Psalm 77 v 19, we read,'Your  way was in the sea ,Your path in the great water, and your footsteps were not known'. The psalmist  writes of  needing  God's help,he expresses  deep concerns ,that God appears not to be responding to his situation,it also  appears that God is never going to help.Verses 7-9 are questions he is asking in response to God's not acting to help him.Many of us can identify with him,when we  are up against it , and we are filled with thoughts of God not caring,being angry with us. In verse 10 we have him expressing his weakness, that was happening was overpowering him.His mood changes and he  begins to appeal to God in relation to His great deliverances in the past, His power,and miraculous deeds, and to Gods character. Verse 15, he highlights the rescue of God's people out of Egypt. Verse 19 reads'Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters,and Thy footsteps are not known'.It is Barnes who comments on these words,'Thy footsteps are not known', as the mystery of Gods Providence,that His ways are often past finding out.yes He takes comfort in God dealings in the past with His people,but remembering the importance of trusting Him when it appears there is a God silence.And as one writer puts it ,'when we cannot trace God we can certainly trust Him.'

                                   

Empty hands. ( Psalm 130 v 1 )

 There is an old hymn that has these words ,'nothing in my hands I bring,' reminding us that salvation is not about us doing,working or whatever,it is coming to God with empty hands. Those hands are reaching  out to God for His mercy , grace ,and forgiveness,it is a place were pride is vanquished, boasting is silent.We are bowing at the cross of Christ, and the cry of our heart is,'God be merciful to me a sinner'.We come just as we are with a deep sense shame,and lostness ,as  we look at the cross we see the enormity of sin ,for we kneeling in the presence of Him who is holy,our wrong actions, ,thoughts,and motives,are seen for what they are ,sinful, No more excuses ,no more ignoring our past, our sinful blindness and willfulness,we were rebels, we never wanted or cared for God,in our blindness we thought we should ignore God,whom we never took serious . We believed so many wrong things, we made light of things that God said was wrong,we remember so many times we twisted the truth, replacing them with our lies.We went along with the crowd on the broad road ,not realising that the broad road leads to destruction,we never took serious,that there was a place called hell,and if there was a heaven,God who is love will welcome us in ,forgetting that God is holy,and that He will judge  those who lived and died in their sin.So here we are now,bowed down,broken,repenting,begging pleading for forgiveness,and the good news is this Christ died for sinners,and whosoever calls on the name Jesus shall be saved .

                                                   'Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,

                                                    Jesus, I come! Jesus I come!

                                                    Into the Joy and light of thy home,

                                                     Jesus, I come to Thee!

                                                     Out of the depths of ruin untold,

                                                      Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,

                                                      Ever Thy glorious face to behold,

                                                      Jesus , I come to Thee.'

                                                               Words,W.T. Sleeper.