Peace .( Psalm 23 )

When I was younger,people used to say ,'will you give my head peace', the person who said this was very distracted, by whatever. The whatever can cover so many things ,our jobs,family ,unemployment,sudden bad news,and so we could go on,is it possible in such a world that we live in, to know  peace?.Just before our Saviour would die, He said something very precious to His followers ,here is what he said, 'Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful' John 14 v 27. Yes he left it  here for us ,that in a very, very troubled world, we may know peace, we need to be reminded of this, we need to claim it,and experience it.Remember although He has gone to heaven,He is still with us,for he has said ,He will never leave us ,nor forsake us,the Lord is near at hand,to help us, and to bring us through.You may be going through the deepest valley of your life, here is what King David said  ,'I will fear no evil for thou art with me.'Psalm 23 v 4. What applies to David applies to all God's children, that means you ,and it means me.

Roots of bitterness ( Psalm 133)

I remember my friend Derry Nash speaking many years ago,he used an aspect of gardening to stress a point, he if you want to get rid of weeds,you have to dig up the roots. In Hebrews 12 v 15, the writer stresses  the following,'See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God,that no''root of bitterness'' spring up and cause trouble, and by it the many become defiled'. One writer commenting on this' root of bitterness' says the following,' The phrase comes from Deuteronomy 29 v 18; and there it describes the man or woman who goes after strange gods, and encourages  others to do so, and who thereby becomes a pernicious and  poisonous influence on the life of the community'. You know what it says about one bad apple,it ruins the barrel,it ruins all the apples, likewise the covid virus, started by one person.There are many things even in the church that can upset us,and it is so easy to let bitterness take over, and then we start to spread that, and then soon people begin to take sides,and they are odds with one another. We have a choice when we are hurt,we can nurse it, chew over it, and let it take over us,or we can seek the grace of God that will enable us to forgive and to leave our hurt in God's hands.

                                           ' Behold, how good a thing ,it is to dwell in peace;

                                             How pleasing to our king this fruit of righteousness;

                                             When brethren all in one agree,who knows the joy

                                                                    The joys of unity.

Solemn alternatives. (Revelation 6 v 12 - 17 )

 It is John Stott who writes the following.'  Heaven is to be 'with the Lord for eve'r (1 Thessalonians 4 v17); hell is to be excluded from the Lord for ever.  Heaven is sharing in Christ's glory as He is glorified in us, hell is a total nonparticipation in his transforming glory. Those in whom Christ is glorified thereby find themselves and the fullness of their humanity; those excluded from the glory of Christ thereby lose themselves in total, irrecoverable ruin'.These are the alternatives that all humanity have to face,neutral you cannot be,Jesus said,' He who is not with me is against me'.( Matthew 12 v 30 ), there is no sitting on the fence,your decision will settle your eternal destiny,whither you will go to heaven,or whither you go to hell.

                                                     ' Where will you spend eternity?

                                                      The question comes to you and me!

                                                      Tell me, what shall your answer be?

                                                      Where will you spend eternity?

                                                                   E.A.Hoffman

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I am not like that. ( John 21 v 20 - 23 )

 A friend of mine told me when he was a young Christian, he was upset how some Christians got on, and he took it to the Lord in prayer,and he felt the Lord said to him,'that's people ,I'm not like that.' The church will never be perfect, even in a state of Grace we do not always reflect Christ. The vital thing for all us who are Christians ,we must keep our eyes on our perfect Saviour. Christ loves His church,even though  it is not a perfect church, far from it. Read the book of Corinthians the problems Paul had in that church ,and it made life very difficult for Paul . Paul could always see the bigger  picture, he kept His eyes on Jesus, and he pressed on.He sought to put the past behind him.The past clings to most of us ,often hindering us, trying to pull us down ,and even pull us back.We must be realistic, the church is full of imperfect people,and that includes you and me,Christian shouldn't do certain things ,they shouldn't , but  alas, they do.Think what Jesus had to cope with,not just the religious leaders,but even his disciples , think of Peter, or even Judas.The hymn writer wrote,about ones friends despising ,and forsaken them,and then he added, take it to Lord in prayer,I remind you again  what our Lore said to my friend,'that's people, I am not like that'.

Friendships. ( John 15 v 12 - 15 )

 I am just in from visiting a friend,as I look back in my life I recall the friends I've I had ,I remember in primary school having a friend called Billy Harris,I had a fight with him and I bit him,I was only little lad.Another friend called Victor he wasn't a helpful friend,he drew me into something I regret doing,you are better without friends like that.Another friend was Raymond Fullerton he was a good friend we went on holidays together,played snooker,and went to football matches together.And so I could go on telling you of the friends I've had in my life,and the friends I have in my life now,good friends godly friends. The bible tells us ,'A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother,' Proverbs 18 v 24. I found that friend ,the one who sticks closer than a brother, his name is Jesus.I have known Him for most of my life, in spite of the fact that I at time left Him,he always kept an eye on me,preserved me in my foolish sinful ways,and could have cast me aside but He didn't. I remember it well 58 years ago I had an encounter with Him, and our friendship ,and fellowship was restored. I  am so glad that happened, for without Him ,life would be empty, and meaningless,and I would miss Him so much, this friend, called Jesus. You can know Him ,he can become your friend, if you trust him as your Saviour

                                                         'What a friend we have in Jesus

                                                          All our sins and griefs to bear,'

                                        'He is my forever friend, he can be your forever friend'

Judgement. ( 2 Peter 10 - 13 )

We take so many things for granted ,water,energy,our homes,peace, all these and other things are being are  effected ,suddenly things have changed ,uncertainty has come in.The future doesn't look so secure,who knows how things will pan out,why is it happening?,the question I ask is,what is God saying?,in fact we could take it further,why is God bringing these things upon this world?.Oh yes God is causing these things to happen, these are judgements upon a world that is blind,you may not want to hear that.You may argue against what I am saying,and say that's life, things happen.not so, God rules over all the affairs of mankind.We need to take note of what is happening,why should He do this? I have mentioned the word judgment, William Hendriksen writes a number of things as regards this worlds,'The wicked base their entire hope upon the luxuries and pleasures of this life......this pleasure -mad, arrogant world, with all its seductive luxuries and pleasures, with its anti- Christian philosophy and culture, with its teeming multitudes that have forsaken God, and have lived  according to the lusts of  the flesh and the  desires of the mind shall perish.'This world has forsaken, and forgotten God they walk in paths of unrighteousness, choosing their own way and their own gods ,not realising that they are accountable to God, temporary judgements are fallen now upon the nation,but eventually their fate will be eternal judgement. Psalm 9 v17  reads,

                                                'The wicked shall be turned into hell,

                                                 And all the nations that forget God'.

                                                             Psalm 9 v 17.

Free. ( Hebrews 10 v 5 - 10 )

 I was out walking and I saw wild blackberry bushes also called brambles,they had a profusion of fruit,I tasted some and they were very nice. So next day I took a little tub with me and filled it up with blackberries,and they never cost me one penny.As far as I am concerned they were a gift from my loving heavenly Father,and I am grateful.God is so generous and kind,and this especially applies to salvation ,which is a gift of God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6 v23).Salvation is the most important thing in all the world which anyone can receive. religion makes so many demands on people, do this, do that,jump through one hoop  after another,and if you fulfill  all they want you to do, they still cannot assurance one of salvation. In the Jewish religion there are 613 commandment which  are meant to be kept.The problem is this, in James2 v 10 we read,' For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all'.That's were it breaks down,for you must keep all the law,that means also the  spirit of the law.Our Saviours death provided the only way for us to  be saved,His perfect life  and death ,was Gods perfect answer,for us imperfect beings.

                                                      'No more.my God, I boast no more

                                                       Of all the duties I have done;

                                                       I quit the hopes I held before.

                                                       To trust the merits of Thy Son'.

                                                                  Isaac Watts