Conversion. ( 2 Corinthians 5 v 17 )

 I am reading a book on John  Wesley,a man that was used wonderfully in spreading the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.Its not easy to know how many people came unto the Lord during his ministry, but it was considerable.The writer says,'Very few people went to church, and those who did so were usually careless, irreverent or sleepy.On the other hand ,people flocked in vast numbers to listen  attentively to Methodist preacher in the open fields. This was frowned upon, as some thought  the saving of souls almost a sin if it had not been done in a church'. There was a great deal of criticism as to how  people reacted to his preaching, Some cried out, dropped as though dead, and then loudly proclaimed their salvation.Many also were suspicious of sudden conversions,Wesley's appealed to his ,'' living arguments''- the lion became a lamb, the drunkard sober, the whoremonger detesting the very lusts of the flesh''The writer sums it in the words of Wesley,'He was willing to believe, as the Christian must believe, that God  does not always  go about His work in the same manner. And he concluded, wisely, that  because a thing can be simulated, it does not mean that it is never real'.

Our great God. ( Ephesians 3 v 20- 21 )

I want to leave you a prayer we could all pray, I was especially struck by its ending ,it is from the ,'The Valley of Vision'.                        O Holy Trinity,three Persons and one God,

                                                                    Let angels sing for

                                                                    sinners repenting,

                                                                    prodigals restored,

                                                                    backsliders reclaimed,

                                                                    blind eyes opened,

                                                                    broken hearts bound up,

                                                                    the despondent cheered,

                                                                    the self righteous stripped,

                                                                    the formalist driven from  refuge of lies,

                                                                    and saints built up in their holy faith.

                                                                    I ask great things of a great God,

                                                                                     Amen.

                                                                     

Give thanks. ( 2 Corinthians 12 v 9- 10 )

 Here is a challenge for all of us, ' In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you' (1 Thessalonians 5 v18 ) Now this is what it doesn't say,' give thanks for every thing'.`` Paul and Silas experienced being severely flogged,and then thrown into prison,Acts 16 v 23,I am sure that they didn't give thanks for what was done to them.If you have suffered sexual violence, you wouldn't thank God for that.We cant give thank for evil things,and evil things do happen to Christians,awful things.It is John Stott who writes ,' We cannot of course thank God' for all circumstances',including those which are evil and displeasing to Him;  but we can  and should thank God in all circumstances or ' whatever happens ' This giving thanks in every circumstances is not a trivial thing, it may even appear  an impossible thing,but in doing so we are fulfilling God's will for our lives.God knows how hard it is for us to do this,so for all his children  he has made available his all sufficient and wonderful grace. Hubert Mitchell wrote a lovely hymn here are some of the words from it.

                                               ' He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,

                                                 He sendeth  more strength when the labours increase;

                                                 To added affliction He added His mercy,

                                                 To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

                                                  His love has no limit, His grace has medsure,

                                                  His power has no boundary known unto men;

                                                  For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

                                                  He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again'.

God knows ( Isaiah 55 v 6 - 7 )

Consider the words of that wonderful Psalm 139,I will deal with the beginning ,were we are told these simple yet profound words,' you know me'.You know me,yes God does,He knows Billy, everything about me, He knows my weaknesses ,my strengths, my abilities,everything. Derek Kidner writes,' the divine knowledge is not merely comprehensive,like that of some receptor that misses nothing, ....It is personal and active; discerning us, knowing our minds more closely than we know ourselves'. It is Spurgeon who comments, 'Let the reader sit still a while and try to realize the two poles of this statement,-the Lord and puny man- and he will see much  to admire and wonder at'. Yes we are poles apart, He is the creator, the one who made  us, and all things,He is holy we are sinners.If  only humanity would know their place,stop trying to be God.If only we would realize our fallenness ,our sinfulness, and recognise our need of God as our Saviour. Is it not time that we realize that doing it our way does not work,if  only, we would seek the Lord. But God knows we wont, so we will go on and on in our downward path, leading us to a tragic end.What applies to humanity on the whole, applies to us personally,God has provided the answer for our salvation in Jesus, trust Him now.

Rock of Ages. ( Isaiah 45 v22 )

 It is said that while Augustus  M. Toplady  was out walking a storm broke out,and so he took shelter in the cleft of a rock, and that from experience he wrote that wonderful  hymn ,'Rock of Ages'.This hymn became a great favourite, of Prince Albert , husband of Queen Victoria who requested that it be be sung at his funeral. It is a hymn with a tremendous message, as regards salvation,the Rock is none other than Christ , so I will leave prayerfully the words of this lovely hymn with you.

                               'Rock of ages,cleft for me,let me hide myself in Thee;

                               Let the water and the blood, from Thy riven side which  flowed,

                               Be of sin the double cure, cleanse from its guilt an power.

                               Not the labours of my hands, can fulfil Thy  law's demands;

                               Could  my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow,

                               All for sin could not atone; Thou must save and Thy alone;

                               Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling,

                               Naked , come to Thee for dress,Helpless, look to Thee for grace.

                               Foul, I to Thy fount fly; wash me Saviour, or I die .!

                               While I draw this fleeting breath, when my eyeless close in death,

                               Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee!

                               When I soar to worlds unknown, see Thee on Thy judgement throne;

!

The Holy Club ( Jonah 2 v 9)

John Wesley was part of a  group of Christians, that became known as ,'The Holy Club', they were very religious. The membership was never large; twenty -five appears to have been their highest number. It was John who eventually became the leader of the Holy Club,  C.E. Vulliamy points out that from a religious point of view ,  they had a definite emphasis upon salvation by works alone. It was not till much later that John came to realise that one was saved by faith alone. The word of God tells us clearly that one can only be saved by faith alone ,and that rules out good works.  Ephesians 2 v8 - 9. To many people this does not make sense ,surly by helping others ,  giving to the poor,being religious ,etc that will gain one salvation . The fact is none of that can, or will save anyone.There is only one work that can save you, the death of Christ on the cross,you cannot add a plus to the gospel,if you do, you are making it your gospel, and your gospel cannot save. It is only the gospel of God that saves,that  and that alone.

                                                      ' Not what my hands have done

                                                        Can save my guilty soul;

                                                         Not what I feel or do

                                                         Can give me peace with God;

                                                          Not all my prayers and sighs and tears

                                                          Can bear my awful load.

                                                          Thy work alone O Christ,

                                                          Can ease this weight of sin;

                                                          Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,

                                                          Can give me peace within.'

                                                               Words Horatius Bonar.

Mercy .( Romans 1 v 18 - 32 )

 Someone I know died, I  heard that there would be no funeral service, instead his body in a coffin I assume would be taken to the crematorium and cremated,and his partner would receive his ashes. To me it seemed wrong, after all he is a human being, things are changing, when it comes to funerals. It all boils down to the fact that many people are not religious, God is being shut out ,it is all very sad. Unfortunately a vast amount of people do not believe in God ,he is shut out of their lives.This is nothing new,but it has consequences, and the question is this,what will God do?, its a good question. I believe that God in his mercy restrains evil, but what if he removes that restraining power, to some some extent that is happening now.Moral barriers are breaking down,things that are wrong are now being seen as acceptable,in the sexual area,in the killing of babies in the womb. Marriage is being undermined ,it is interesting to notice that word sin is no longer heard, the wrongs that people commit are only seen on a human level.and yet its God's laws that people are breaking.When one breaks Gods laws it  does not stop , at the human justice level, for one day all will appear before the ultimate judge God.The only way to escape that judgement,is to seek His mercy and accept Christ as Saviour.