It's impossible. ( Mark 8 v 34 -- 38)

 I wonder do you have a favourite song and singer,I have many favourite songs,and favourite singers,one of them is Perry Como, he sings a love song called,'It's impossible',on the whole it has nice words,and a nice tune.But unfortunately the writer gets carried away.Here  are the foolish words sung to his sweetheart,'And tomorrow,should you  ask me for the world,some how I'd get it.I would sell my very soul and not regret it'. In case you didn't realise we all have a soul ,that invisible and immaterial element of our being , one writer William Hendriksen comments ,'in  several instances the two terms soul and spirit are used interchangeably',It exists after death,our Saviour said in Matthew 10  v 28,Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul  ,rather ,be afraid  of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell'.Again it't WH who points out that the word,'' destroy '' is used here in the sense not of annihilation.but  of the infliction of everlasting punishment upon a person'.Our soul is the most valuable thing we have ,and we must not forget that. Alas  so many people do forget and pay the awful price for doing that. If you realise the importance of your soul you would not sell it, Let me remind you ,without Christ as your Saviour you are and will be a lost soul.

Side affects ( Proverbs 4 v 10 - 27)

 It is said that most if not all medication have side effects, I personally have had side effects,and my Gp has changed the medication I have been  on.Sin is like medication,it has on a temporal side effects,take someone who commits adultery,it can bring with it guilt and fear,it can also bring with it the break up of a marriage,and the loss of so many things.So when we are tempted to sin,think of the side effects,and ask yourself is it worth it?. If we are Christians,then our relationship with God is effected,and that can be heartbreaking.We all need to consider the side effects of our actions,as to how it will affect others and how it will effect us,and how it will effect our relationship with God .When we receive our medication their is usually a leaflet with it that highlights  the side affects,it is a guide.The Christian is not left to themselves as regards wrong and sinful things that we may become involved with ,and their effects,we have the holy Spirit and the word of God.We are not free agents to do whatever we want,if we neglect these,we will be anything but free.

Do you need a change? ( Luke 4 v 14 -- 19 )

 I believe that Christ does not only save your soul ,He saves your life also,consider the before and after,before your life can be such a terrible mess,I have read about so many people whose lives have been transformed when they have come to know Christ as their Saviour ,people like John Newton who wrote Amazing grace, he is one of many  .Someone said go for sinners and go for the worst,remember we can't write anyone off.Where sin abounds ,grace much  more abounds,,everyone who comes  to know Christ will always have a degree of change in their lives.No they will still be full of flaws, and characteristic faults,but their life will be changed and that for the better.A friend of mine came to know Christ as his as Saviour ,he told his family, and his mother said I hope there will be no longer  any of those bad words,and there wasn't .One is never to bad to be saved,for Christ came  to save sinners,nor is one's life to far gone that it cannot be changed.One of the greatest illustrations  of that is to be found in Luke 8 v 26 ff ,it tells of a man whose life was a total mess,possessed by demons,lived among the tombs,he was naked he self harmed ,no one could change  him,they did try but to no avail, there he was crying out in distress ,then something happened,Jesus came,and all was changed.

If only. ( Proverbs 27 v1 )

 I'm sure we have all said ,'if only',if only I had checked the oil in my car, if only I'd taken the car for a test drive before I bought it.Looking back there are so many times we could say ,'if only',but it cannot be changed, although I speak from experience,I have been rescued from those situations,God is merciful,and can help us.How many  times King David must have said ,if only I had not gone out for a walk on the roof of my palace,and if only I had not looked looked and lusted after Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11),all the trouble it brought me.Take heed don't fall into the same trap as David,or  like Samson who fell for the wrong gal,he lost his sight,his freedom ,and lost his life, bringing the house down upon his head.( Judges 16 ). Consider how many people who are in a lost eternity ,they are thinking if only I had trusted Jesus,if you are not a Christian ,don't make your eternity an ,'if only eternity,' trust Jesus to be  your Saviour, now.

Saturn . (John 14 v 6 )

 A famous actress is involved in the worship of Saturn, Saturn was a Roman God,I was surprised to read on the internet ,it said Christianity was Saturn religion,and Judaism was a Moon religion.I can assure that is wrong, both believe in the only real God , who created  the planets stars,and all things.Don't believe all things you read on the internet . It only goes to bear out humanities fallenness, that person is an educated person,as many people are but that doesn't stop  them from being involved in a pathetic belief that a planet has any power to influence anything,it is just a planet ,as is a stone or wooden idol.Alas people make god's out of anything, scientology is a religion invented by L.R.Hubbard ,likewise there are  cults that are religions invented by unscrupulous human beings ,Islam was put together by a false prophet.all religions except one ,are human inventions.Christianity is based on historical  realities as recorded in the Bible.The coming of a Messiah is clearly taught in the Old Testament scriptures,Jesus was that Messiah,in those scriptures there are about 300 prophecies as regards His coming, who He was,what He did. No one can compare to this person,He manifested miraculous powers more than any person has ever done,His death was the fulfilling of Psalm 22/ Isaiah 52/53,and many other scripture,and as regards his resurrection  it was foretold in Psalm 16 v 8- 11.Cp Acts 2 v25 - 35. When we trust Jesus as our Saviour, our sins will be forgiven ,and we will receive eternal life, based on that which is built on truth and not sinful concoctions of false religions.

Temptation. ( Matthew 26 v 41)

 I was visiting a friend recently ,he is about 10 yrs older than I am, so he is very old, he has been a Christian for along time .We were talking about our ages,and how it was affecting us,then he mentioned about having sexual thoughts,which he said he didn't want. Let me stress something that's very important ,being tempted is not a sin no matter what age you are, or how grave the temptation is. It becomes a sin when you yield to it,and run with it,instead of running from it.The wisest man who ever lived was Solomon,and yet in his old he yielded to temptation ,and brought judgement  upon the whole country ,read 1 Kings 11 v 1-13. Age will not protect us from temptation, or from yielding to temptation,we may go into a religious order, but that will not protect us from being tempted,and from yielding to temptation. The fact is the  tempter has no days off,and our fallen nature is still alive and kicking ,until our dying day. We need to stop and consider, that we haven't come this far in our own strength, if it was not for the Lord  we could not have come this far. Nothing has changed,our God has not changed,whatever difficulties we will face,whatever temptations we may face,He promises ,'that  as our days so shall your strength be' (Deuteronomy 33 v 25)

                                                  'Through many dangers ,toils and snares,

                                                    I have already come;

                                                    'Tis grace hath brought us safe thus far,

                                                    and grace  will lead us home'

                                                               John Newton

A king is crowned. ( 2 Corinthians 5 v19)

 Today is a special day in the history of our country a king is being crowned ,he  will be Charles the third,his wife is being made queen. He will be brought to Westminster  Abbey ,in a wonderful coach,,and he will wear a  wonderful crown. Millions will watch and cheer him, as the coach winds its way to the Abbey ,to the crowning event..Altogether a wonderful spectacle which most of us will enjoy,but I want to turn your mind  to another king ,he is somewhat different,indeed quite a bid different,he said his kingdom was not of this world ( John 18 v 36), He had come into this world to set up an everlasting Kingdom,the citizens of that kingdom would no longer be  narrow nationalistic , but people from every nation,tribe and language .Revelation 7 v 9.but the way He would establish His kingdom would entail tremendous  suffering,His entrance into Jerusalem was not on a gold-plated chariot,but riding on a donkey,a fulfillment of a prophecy by Zechariah 9 v 9,the  crowds welcomed Him,singing His praise. But soon that would all change as he was arrested,tried by a kangaroo court,and sentence to death,He endured much suffering before the horror of being crucified..Instead of a golden crown being placed on His head, He wore a crown of thorns ,instead of a throne,He was nailed to a cross..It was truly awful but it had purpose a God purpose,sinners such as you and I could have our sins forgiven,when we trust Him as our Saviour, and become part of the family of God,and a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

                                                     'Jesus ! Thou art the Prince of peace,

                                                     Thy reign of love shall never cease;

                                                      Though man's proud  empires all decline,

                                                       An everlasting  Kingdom Thine.

                                                                     Thomas Ives