Are you weary? ( Isaiah 40 v 28 - 31 )

 I like my little garden but recently  I did not  have the enthusiasm that I once had ,but we have had a bit of good weather which encouraged me to continue on in my garden.As with me in my  garden,so life can get us down ,and wear us down,there are different things that can get us us down like feeling guilty, failure, regrets, negatively, people pleasing. Life can throw many things at us that can affect and wear us down. In that wonderful 23rd Psalm v 3 ,we read ,'He restoreth my soul ',Another translation has,'He refreshes my soul', It is not the soul as  wandering or backsliding from God rather he is talking about the life or spirit as being exhausted,wearied.troubled,anxious, worn down with care and toil'.(Barnes) Remember God always understands, and He is there for us at all times,and it is important that we remember,it is in His strength we live the Christian life.Here are words from Isaiah 41 v10 ,' I will strengthen you and help you'.He further tells us that unlike us He does not grow tired or weary,and that He gives strength to the weary. He further tells us that those who wait (hope) upon the Lord will renew their strength' ( (Isaiah 40 v 28 - 31) Ralph Carmichael wrote the following words.

                                        'Is your burden heavy as you bear it all alone?

                                        Does the road you travel harbour dangers yet 

                                        unknow.?

                                        Are you growing weary in the struggle of it all?

                                       Jesus will help you when on His name you call'

Going against the stream. ( Acts 5 v 29 )

 It is so easy for us to go along with the crowd,because we feel intimated ,or because we just want to be part of the gang,want to feel accepted. I know of people who have done that,and they have got into trouble,I remember walking to school with a friend,and he influenced me to join him in picking on a young  lad,I still regret that.Think about the salmon,after they are born they swim out to sea,but it comes to the time to lay their eggs they come back to where they were born.That means they have  to swim against the stream,some don't make it because they are eaten by bears. It is like the Christian life it entails going against the stream.Daniel went against the stream and was thrown unto a den of lions,his three friends did the same and they were thrown into a fiery furnace,ten of the twelve apostles suffered violent deaths,why?,because they went against the stream. In order to bring salvation to humanity our dear Saviour had to go against the steam.Today He says to all those who are His,follow me, go against the stream..

Patience ( 1 Peter 2 v23

 In that wonderful chapter on love 1 Corinthians 13, one of the qualities of love is patience,a man called Horst points out that this word in the Greek Bible translates the Hebrew' to delay wrath'the idea being that being powerful one chooses to refrain.Kenneth E Bailey gives an example of this,'President Lincoln(at the end of Civil war) when a Northern victory was assured and many wanted to punish the South for the ''rebellion''.On March 4 1865  Lincoln delivered his second inaugural speech said,''With malice toward none, with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us....do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace,among ourselves, and with all nations''.Lincoln was expressing that patience as one who had the power to demolish the South but  choose not to.The opposite of this was shown by France and it's allies at the end of the 1st world war,when they imposed very severe penalties on Germany,and caused a lot bitterness,and was partly to blame for the second world war,This patience mentioned in 1 Cor 13,was shown in its fulness by our Saviour in His suffering in 1 Peter 2 v 23, we read,'When they hurled insults at Him  he did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly'.

A perfect Saviour. ( Hebrews 7 v 25 )

One of the most well known characters in the book of Judges is Samson ,Hollywood even made a movie about him He is remembered for his great strength .We read about him in chapters  13- 16 of Judges, chapter 13 starts with a recurring theme of Judges ,'Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,so the Lord delivered  then the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for 40yrs.' There is no record of  the people repenting and turning to God for deliverance.,but that didn't stop God moving on their behalf,for better or worse they were His people.I remember a lecturer at Bible college telling us a about a liberal church,were God moved in revival .Israel needed a saviour a deliver ,a revival,that's were Samson comes in, a man endued with great strength from God, but a man with great weakness'es, weakness'es that would cost him  his sight and his life. It is interesting that he is mentioned  as one of the great hero's of faith ( Hebrews 11 v 32 ). We are told that Samson would begin to deliver Israel,the full deliverance would not some until the reign of David.Samson would be an imperfect saviour, but one  day long after Samson had died,God would send a perfect Saviour, to save not only and imperfect Israel but an imperfect world. His name is Jesus ,He saves sinners from eternal death,sin, and the punishment and misery of sin in other words He saves to the uttermost,or completely.  

Loving discipline. ( Psalm 138 v 8 )

It was the time of the Judges ( not Judges as we know them but local tribal leaders }it is a record of how Israel fared after Joshua died,sad to say it showed that the nation continually deteriorating spiritually.In many ways it was a chaotic time. We have these words  which sum up Israels behaviour during this time,'Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord'  (13 v1),and so God dealt with them,using the surrounding nations as a rod of correction. This would drive Israel back to their God ,until the next time,but the amazing thing which we see manifested time after time,God showing love, patience, forgiveness, and restoration. It is marvellous beyond words. the love and mercy poured out upon His erring children.It is in that hymn .'The church's one foundation',written by S A.Stone we have these word's ,'By schisms rent asunder,By heresies distressed'. so often the church again and again have fallen short of what it should be.But lets bring it down to a personal level , for so often we walk in our own ways,instead of His ways,causing Him to discipline us, for grieving His Holy Spirit,let us remember that always His purpose is to restore us to Himself.So if today you are under His rod  affliction remember in the words of another hymn by  James Edneston.

                                            'Then though Thou bend my spirit low

                                              Love only shall  I see

                                              The gracious hand that strikes the blow,

                                              Was wounded once for me'

Grace ( Luke 15 v 1 1 -32 )

I wonder do we underestimate God's grace? I think I do,there are people who do awful things to children,everyday people are doing awful things.I read about a certain American pastor who had the task of ministering to those being tried in Nuremberg,they were the top Nazis leaders.They were responsible for so much evil,the Pastor wrote later how some of those people did respond to the message of the gospel. there were those who resented that ,believing that those people should  know nothing of God's grace and mercy.There were people who wrote abusive letters to that Pastor calling him a Jew hater. They felt that in no way they should be saved and go to heaven. Could be that many of us are like the prodigals older brother.(Luke 15 v 25 -30),we sing ,'Amazing grace that saved a wretch  like me',but yet we limit that grace and even resent it,when a person is known as being really wicked experiences that grace.May God help us to understand that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,no matter how dreadful a sinner they are, let us pray to that end,and let us remember that grace is not something we deserve, but something we need.

Witnessing ( 1 Thessalonians 1 v 4- 10 )

 I remember when I was at work, and someone commented about my pleasant demeanor,I cannot remember what I said, but it reminds me what I was reading today from 1 Peter 3 v 13 ff, the context  being of Christians coming under attack,and how we should respond, we are not to be intimidated by them,he goes on to say if someone ask you as regards your Christian hope,we should  always be ready to explain it, not in a threatening way,but in a gentle and respectful way.But we are also told,to live in such a way,that our lives will speak for themselves,I like how one person puts it,'So keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you,none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath' I want to highlight a number things,we will be attacked at times because of our faith in Christ,that should not silence us,we are not to be afraid,our dear Saviour wasn't. As regards witnessing ,how we do it is very important. in the town where I live,there are Christians who stand in the town centre  screaming at people to be saved.That is not appropriate ,if we want people to listen to the good news of  Christ ,we should not do it in an offensive manner.Last but not least ,our lives must be consistent with our Christian confession.