Our only hope. ( Ephesians 2 v 12 -22)

' Once upon a time', that's how Fairy Tales usually begin, I am concerned that when it comes to Christmas and presenting it ,it becomes like a Fairy Tale. But even many Fairy Tales have a dark side to them, as regards Christmas it was not written by Hans christian Anderson, it is based on a real event,based on real people.There is the miraculous in it,Mary the mother of Jesus was a virgin,the child was God manifest in the flesh.Even though it is true,we cannot stop there,if we do then we are leaving out the meaning of the event,the why it all happened. What is the clear answer to the why question? ,humanities lostness ,sinfulness,as I read history, especially the 20th century,I am struck by the unremitting violence. I could  include so many other things,that is very frightening,and it leaves me in no doubt as to mankind's sinfulness, and their desperate need  of a Saviour. If we forget this we will be held accountable by God,the Christ coming into the world, is not a Fairy Tale.it is Gods only answer for humanity to be saved, without it ,there is no hope, and we need to let everyone know that.

                                                   'Child of the stable's secret birth,

                                                   The Fathers gift to a wayward earth,

                                                    To drain the cup in a few short years

                                                    Of all our sorrows, our sins and tears-

                                                    Ours the prize for the road He trod;

                                                     Risen with Christ; at peace with God.

                                                               Timothy Dudley- Smith.

Our heavenly home. ( 2 Timothy 2 v1 )

 I came out of the supermarket, got into my car,and as I drove off ,I prayed,'Father get me safely home',driving is potentially very risky and dangerous. All of a sudden those words took on a different meaning,and I uttered them again to God my Father,for I was thinking of my heavenly home.From the moment we become a Christian we are on journey,to heaven,we are foreigners and strangers on earth,and we have a longing  for a heavenly country.(Hebrews 11 v 16)On this journey to heaven we face many difficulties, I stress many, the hymn writer ,wrote of the many dangers,toils,and snares, he had come through. John Bunyan wrote ,'Pilgrims progress', about a man called Christian,who on a journey to that Celestial city,faced a giant and many other dangers.But by the grace of God he reached his destination,our responsibility is not to give up, it is called the perseverance of the saints.It goes without saying that we cannot do it on our own strength, Jesus said ,''without me you can do nothing'. (John 15 v 5) We need to keep , looking and depending on Him,and like Him who for the joy that was set before Him,  endured the cross, scorning its shame,so we must follow in his footsteps,and as we do,our great God will bring us safely home.

                                                     'Since ,Lord, Thou dost defend

                                                      Us by Thy Spirit.

                                                      We know we at the end

                                                       Shall life inherit.

                                                       Then fancies flee away!

                                                        I'll labour night and day 

                                                        To be a pilgrim.

                                                                 John Bunyan

Shine. ( Matthew 5 v14 )

Bruce wrote ,' An empire founded on violence,plunder and exploitation is like a jerry-built house. It is bound to collapse because it has no inner coherence. The  various, parts of the structure, the walls and the beams, stand in perpetual tension with one another instead of providing mutual support. At last ,the tension becomes too great and the building crashes in ruins'.Consider ,Hitlers Third Reich,that  supposedly  was to last for a thousand years it lasted 12 years. The Soviet Union founded by Vladimir Lenin  lasted 69 yrs, both these governments,were founded on wickedness,millions and millions of poor souls suffered dreadfully.  In Proverbs 14 v 34 we read,'Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people' The question I ask , are there any righteous nations?,it is a good question ,it appears to me that all nations are living on borrowed time,and I believe that when evil has reached its zenith,the end will come,only God knows when that will be.The important thing for the children of the kingdom of God, is to live godly holy lives,to walk in the light,in fact to be a light,in this dark world of sin.

                                               ' Jesus bids us shine, with a clear pure light,

                                                 Like a little candle burning in the night,

                                                  In this world of darkness,we must shine,

                                                  You in your small corner,and I in mine.

                                                             Words Susan B, Warner.

The devil. ( 1 Peter 5 v 8-9 )

We don't hear much about the devil these days,even from the pulpits, I wonder why? In the novel.' 'The  brothers Karamazon,'one of the characters says the following,'  I think  the devil doesn't exist,but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness'.But the devil does exist,his footprints and fingerprints are everywhere.A Charles Baudelaire said the following,'Do not forget, when you hear  the progress of wisdom vaunted,that the cleverest ruse of the devil is to persuade you he does not exist'. The devil is not just and inactive spectator no he is very much involved in this world we live in .Dr Lloyd Jones said,'I am certain that one of the main causes of the ill state of the church today is the fact that the devil is forgotten'.The word of God says,

                           Put on the full armour of  God, so that you can take your stand against the

                           devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against

                           the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and

                            and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms'.

                                                        Ephesians 6 v 10 - 12.

Sunday- only. ( Matthew 6 v 24 )

It is  David Prior who writes about a ,Sundays-only  faith',a double life Christianity,it is to some extent, illustrated by song I heard years ago written V.F.Stewart ,it goes s follows.

                                                       'I go to church on Sunday,

                                                        The vows that I make,

                                                        I break them on Monday,

                                                        The rest of the week,

                                                        I do as I please,

                                                        Then come Sunday  morning,

                                                         I pray on my knees'.

It is not about preaching to people,it is about living for Christ every day,Christianity is a 24/7 relationship with God,that cannot be ignored,we cannot  leave Him out of our lives,or do things that effects that relationship.In the work place ,we are not meant to leave our Saviour at home,likewise in the home we are not supposed to be abusive or a tyrant.As a Christian we should take time to have a time with God in prayer,and in reading His word.It would surprise many of us to find out how many Christians are involved in pornography. A Christian is not meant to lead a double life,or have a Sunday only faith, none of us our perfect,but we must make perfection our aim. ( Matthew 5 v 48 )

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Who knows?. (Joel 2 v 1 - 17)

I read the following words in three places,Esther 4 v 14/Jonah 3 v5/  Joel 2 v14,there may be other times its mentioned.We read how Mordecai is pleading with Queen Esther to intervene with the king in order to stop the wholesale  slaughter of the Jewish people. He tells her,'who knows' but that you come to royal position for such a time as this?.  ,he wasn't certain but he felt that it may be so,and indeed it was.The other two occasions ,are mentioned in respect to God judging,Nineveh was told by Jonah that God's judgement was going to fall on that wicked city.The king took it very serious,and gave orders for  the people (and animals) to fast,and for the people to call on God,and to forsake their evil ways.So the king says,'Who knows ? God may relent  and with compassion turn from His fierce anger so that we  will not perish', so it came to pass.Next  Joel, disaster was coming ,Joel the prophet  exhorts the people to totally repent of their evil ways,then he says ,'who knows?,God  who is gracious, compassionate,slow to anger,and abounding in love may not judge them.Yes who knows,we should not take that for granted,a man called Renan said,' God will forgive, its His business', no it is not as simple as that, one cannot presume on the mercy of God. David Prior writes,' One of the balancing acts in-Christian prayer is to combine faith with humility, to ask with confidence but to refrain from insisting on what we want'.

Our character. ( Acts 4 v 13 )

  I  read this recently,'It's easy to value our lives based on our career success when what matters most is our character'. The rich are envied because of their wealth,their possessions,and so often they put it all on display.You see them in the up market magazines, the men posing with their beautiful wives ,in  their beautiful homes.What we don'e see is the real them, their character,people can hide behind so much that's empty and shallow,not just the rich and famous.We rejoice in a Saviour ,what can we say about Him?, well there is so much we can say about Him,consider His character,it was perfect, He did not indulge in any dubious behaviour, we must see that this is important,their were no skeletons in the cupboard.One of the main religions in world was founded by a sexual deviant,the founder of many of the cults had dubious moral characteristics,not so Christ.We often say that no ones perfect ,that's not true,there was one who was, Jesus,He was without sin.Along with His sinlessness ,there was love,compassion,kindness, gentleness,the perfect human being, This loving person came from heaven for the supreme purpose  to save  you and me, on the cross in which He died,He died that we flawed sinful human beings might be forgiven,and from that moment we trust Him , our character will begin to change for the better.