Hope ( Hebrews 11 v 13- 16 )

 No matter who we are, we all will manifest our brokenness in many ways ,we all have imperfect personalities, that shows to some degree our fallen nature. It is not denying the good that we do, it is  recognising the sins that we do, the greatest sin is leaving God out of our lives,as if He does not exist ,and that we are free  to live without him. When I was young  I did not know many atheist, now it is a common thing.What has the Christian got that's so important?, they have hope,hope is very important, that hope as an anchor to our souls.It is not a vain or maybe hope,no it is a sure and certain  hope,based upon a person called Jesus. Recently I read about a man who was about to be killed by Islamic extremists,he said ,'tell them I died well',he was a Christian.In the early days of Christianity ,Christians were persecuted by Roman many died,to escape being killed all they had to say was, 'Caesar is Lord', but they refused, and so died,but they died with a wonderful hope burning in their hearts ,that even though they died,they would live again,yes the Christian has hope.A hope to die with ,and a hope to to live with, a hope in the God of hope,and a wonderful Saviour .In Charles Dickens book ,The tale of  two cities', Sydney Carton is about to be executed by the guillotine,and he utters these words,'It is a far,far better rest  that I go to ,than I have known'.It is the Christian  that  has  that assurance of something better,something  glorious ,eternal glory, because of Jesus. 

Move on ( Isaiah 41 v10)

Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years 7 months and two days, but when her beloved husband Albert died aged forty two years.The Queen found it very hard to comes terms with , and so for many years  she withdrew from  any activities ,and spent a great deal of  time in her residence on the Isle of Wight in Osborne House.It was such a long time neglecting her public duties,that there was great discontent among the population, and the longer it went on the greater it became.In the end she was made to realise that she had to move on,and so she took up her public duties again, and so she regained  the publics loyalty,love and affection. The apostle Paul wrote,' But one thing I do; forgetting what is behind and straining towards  what is ahead. (Philippians 3 v 13)There are so many things in life that can effect us,the result is we give up,and we become trapped,I hope I an not making light of the trials that anybody is going through,I have had my share,and the only way out is to go forward. But you say how?,the answer is ,by God's grace, remember  the way is always forward,let us also remember the trials that our dear Saviour endured,and He says follow Me, it is time to move on.

                                               'He who would valiant be gainst  all disaster,

                                                Let him in constancy, follow the Master.

                                                There's no discouragement, shall make him once relent, 

                                                His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.'

                                                           Words  John Bunyan.

                                             

I'm Trying. ( 2 Corinthians 3 v 18)

 Someone told Tony Campolo the following story about a derelict man, standing  on a street corner in the Wall Street district of New York, begging for money. Reaching out his hand,he pleaded with a passing  corporate executive with the words,''Change? Change?''. The corporate executive responded with a pained expression on his face,''I'm trying! I'm trying! Tony goes unto say,'Being a Christian isn't just  changing once and for all. It is a commitment to change daily. The entire life of a Christian is one of pressing toward the mark of becoming the kind of person that Christ calls each of us to be ( Phil. 3 v 13 -14 )

                                           'Only the grace of God is kind enough and the

                                           power of God is strong enough to achieve this

                                           transformation in our broken and darkened lives'

                                                          So writes Paul Barnett.

                                            

Death denial. ( John 3 v 16 )

 'Our society's  culture of death denial', these are words from a newspaper I read,I wonder if that is true?,and if it is true, why? When God created humanity, we were never meant to die, and yet the reality is we all know that we are going to die.,we cannot stop it,but we try in everyway ,in vain, to hold it back. People are kept alive by every means possible, but we still can't beat it,it will happen, it is a sure thing.We find cures for many illnesses,but then another illness takes the stage,and so the war goes on. It was Dylan Thomas the Welsh poet who wrote,'Do not go gently into that night', Rage,rage against the dying of the light'.I have known Christians that have done just that,they did not want to die,but they found out like we all will,that resistance is futile,for the word of God tells us 'it is appointed unto men once to die.'(Hebrews 9 v 27),when that appointment will be is in the hands of our Saviour (Revelation1 v 18 ).So is that it? no of course not, we are told there is an existence after death when we all will appear before the great judge Jesus (2 Corinthians 5 v 10.) and there will be a great divide,those who trusted Jesus will be separated from those who have not trusted Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5 v 9 tells us that God has not appointed those who have trusted Jesus unto wrath.But those who not trusted Jesus will experienced the wrath of Jesus,it will not be gentle Jesus meek and mild, but it will be the wrath of the lamb, and an eternity in Hell,this may seem a blunt way of putting it, but there is no easy way.

                                                        'We all have a choice,

                                                         make the right choice,

                                                         trust Jesus, before it is

                                                         to late.'

Freedom (John 8 v 34 -36 )

I am reading or popping into what was a very popular book,written by Philip Yancey called ,'What's so amazing about grace',I have just read the 13th chap of this book,it is called ,'grace healed eyes', it involves his friendship with a person called Mel in many ways a very lovely man, but ,ah there's that but, he is a homosexual.I try to love everybody by God's grace, I am not into gay bashing,of any kind,no Christian should  .He would profess to be a Christian,but is he?, he wanted to become a minister.I'm not sure if he did.So what can we say about this?,we have to realise that it is a sinful practice,it says this in the OT ,CP Lev 18 v22,and of course we can consider the judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah  CP, Genesis19.then we can turn to the NT , CP Romans 1 v 26-27 were it is called shameful.In 1 Corinthians 6 v 9 -11,we are told that gay people will not inherit the inherit the kingdom of God.We cannot change that ,as long as they continue in that activity, they will never enter God's kingdom. I know it is very hard, whatever sin we are enslaved to, (John 8 v 34 ) to break free from ,but that's where the grace of  God comes in.What is so amazing about the grace of God?,it covers many things,but two things I will emphasise, it saves us,when we put our faith in Jesus.You see it is impossible to save ourselves,it is an act of God ,CP Jonah 2 v 9.Likewise it is impossible  for us to break free from sinful practices it is  only by the grace of God can we do that.I have had my own  challenges in life, it is only by the grace of God I have overcome them,and so it will continue till God takes me home.

                                               'It is for freedom that Christ has set us free'.

                                                                 Galatians 5 v1 .

A prayer by Christina Rossetti. ( 1 Thessalonians 5 v 23 )

 I want to leave a prayer with you,not a long prayer, a short prayer ,and a very meaningful prayer, it is a prayer  by Christina Rossetti,let me tell you a little bit about her.She was born in London in 1830 of Italian parents,who arrived in London as asylum seekers.Christina became famous by her poems,which were highly acclaimed.She was a very religious person ,and her writings reflected that,but she had a very practical side to her religion,for she spent most of her life volunteering at a hostel for prostitutes in London. She died  at the age of 64 of cancer.so here is the prayer.

                                       'O Lord, grant us grace never to parley with temptation,

                                       never to tamper with conscience, never to spare the right eye,

                                       or hand, or foot that is a snare to us; never to lose our souls,

                                        though in exchange we should gain the whole world.'

The bigger picture. ( Habakkuk 3 v 17 -19

I remember when TV's had very small screens,my what a change has taken place, I also remember when movies were made  in  cinemascope, a very wide screen,not so long ago I went to see a movie and it had a massive screen.I must confess the bigger screen is better, or the bigger picture is better. Life is so often like a small screen, events happen to us disappointments, and so on,although these things can be major , we often do not see the bigger picture . I am aged 79 many things have happened in my life and so often  I didn't understand why ,but now looking back at the bigger picture, I can see God's providence in his protective care, and in so many ways,and am assured that He is working out  all things for my good. I can truly say ,great has been His faithfulness .Of course there are still mysteries , I have to bow in humility and simple trust Him, whose ways are pass finding out (Romans 11 v 33),yet holding on to the truth of Romans 8 v28,that all things are working together for  good for all God's children.God only knows the bigger picture, one day we shall know,and on that day,

                                                 ' We'll bless the hand that guided,

                                                   We'll bless the heart that planned,

                                                   When throned where Glory dwelleth

                                                    In Immanuel's land'.

                                                         Words A.R.Cousin.