What a mess .( Isaiah 55 v 12 )

 I was in my kitchen and as I opened one of the doors to get something out,and I heard a bang,and I looked down,a jar of tomato puree,had fallen out and smashed on the floor,what a mess. Yes it was a mess,but it wasn't to hard to clean up, thankfully,but some messes are not so easy to clear up.people do all sorts of things,and there comes a point when they look and say,'what a mess I've got myself into.' Many people in prison must think that,likewise many people destroy their marriages by getting involved with someone they shouldn't have.There are young people who have stabbed and killed another young person, and when the dust has settled,and they are in their prison cell,they will think what a mess I  have got myself into.Is gambling a sin?what I do know is this,it has ruined many peoples lives,likewise alcohol ,so many peoples lives become a mess of their own creation.Our dear Saviour told a wonderful story  that illustrates how the mess people can get themselves into deep trouble of their own making ,we read about in Luke 15 v 11ff,of a young man who had everything,but lost it all,and found himself in desperate straits,and he knew it.what a  mess he was in,no one would help him. No one but his father,the father who loved him.Fathers are like that ,and he did help him,and his life was changed for the better.The father in that story is a picture of God who loves mankind,that is why Jesus came, if your life is mess  for whatever reason,there is one you can turn to,Jesus and I can assure you He can forgive you and change you,like no one else can.

                                                  ' Out of my shameful failure and loss,

                                                    Jesus,I come! Jesus, I  come!

                                                    Into the glorious gain of The cross,

                                                    Jesus,I come to Thee !

                                                           Words  W T.Sleeper.

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I don't want to preach that. ( Ezekiel 2 v 7 )

 I sometimes wish I  could leave out certain things in my blog, but I can't,what am I referring to?,mankind's sinful condition,and the terrible consequence that follows. Wonderful,wonderful,there is heaven,for those who receive Christ as their Saviour. By the grace of God you have done that, as I have,and we can say or sing,'Amazing Grace that saves a wretch like me,I once was lost but now am found,was blind but now I see'.What a blessed assurance to know that one is saved,and we are going to heaven,what a wonder it will be when we arrive in that place that Christ has prepared for us.Which leads me unto  the other thing I don't like preaching but first let me tell you what a friend told me once. He was attending  his fathers funeral,I knew his father, he was named after him.He told me as the coffin was being lowered into the grave,his thoughts were not on his father,but rather on himself,and what awaited him beyond the grave. He had every right to be afraid,  and here is what I would rather not preach on,hell. Why? ,because I know it's awful, many ministers don't preach it,don't even mention it, the prophets  did not shy away from speaking  about judgement ,and many of them paid the price  for doing that.( Matthew 23 v37).There was a little rug in the pulpit I used to preach in, it had these words on it,'Preach the Word', yes even though you find it hard,and even though people don't want to here it.

Consequences ( Hebrews 3 v 15 )

 Last time I wrote about Solomon ,who was a great king for most of his reign, it appears that God was very patient with him but in the end God said enough,is enough.It need not have been like that in 2 Chronicles 7 ,after the dedication of the temple,God appeared to him and spoke to him.The first part of  the chapter is about God responding to Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple,the second is the importance of obeying God and the consequences of disobedience which would be very serious for him and the nation. In spite of that he did not take it  serious enough, but instead gradually moved away from God,His ways and His will.Think about disobedience and its terrible consequence,it all started  with Adam and Eve,and so we the children of Adam have followed in our first parents footsteps.Look at this world ,why are so many awful things happening?,the answer is mankind is living in disobedience to God,falsehood abounds in all sided's we should never be surprised at awful things happening, just look into our own hearts. Here is a word for us Christians, obey God, if we don't ,there will be consequences,but the good news is God is still in the business of forgiveness. If you are not a Christian repent and turn to Jesus  He will forgive you,and bring you from the road that leads to destruction, and put you on the road that leads to heaven not to hell.

Solomon ( 1 Kings 11 v 9 - 13 )

 I am going through that wonderful book of Proverbs written by Solomon, a man endowed with  tremendous wisdom from God.He blessed him not only with wisdom but with many blessings.Now in Deuteronomy 17 v14 -17,God gave instructions that as to what the kings were not meant to do,not to multiply horses,horses symbolised  military strength,God alone was to be Israels strength.What apples to Israel  and its king,applies to God's children, God must be our strength, without Him we can do nothing. Solomon disobeyed God in this ,1 Kings 10 v 29 - 30.The next thing the kings of Israel were not to do,was not to take many wives,Solomon disobeyed  that,he not only took many wives,but he took foreign wives 1 kings11 ,and these wives turned his heart away from God to foreign god's. Some see the marrying of the foreign wives as an act of strengthening political alliances. Let us all be careful as to whom we join hands with, the  word of God says,we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers ,2 Corinthians 5 v17.We cannot join hands with other nations religions,or the worlds moral values.The next thing Israels  kings  were not to do was to accumulate large  amounts of silver and gold,in other words they were not to be materialistic. There is nothing wrong with being  rich, as long as that does not become our goal in life,and it becomes our god.Solomon for all his wisdom went beyond what he should have,and it had severe consequences for what followed,let us take note of that.

The secret sin. ( Exodus 20 v 17 )

We do not hear much as  regards the ten commandments in these days,possible because it is in the Old Testament,so let me stress that all scripture is to be honoured as being God's word (2 Timothy 3 v16 ) There are things in the OT that do not apply to us now, but they were still the word of God to be obeyed ,then.As regards the 10 commandments they are not to be ignored, of course our Saviour pointed out not just as to the basic commandment but to the spirit of the law,one may not have committed actual murder or adultery, but in ones thoughts you have lusted after someone,and hated someone ,then you are guilty of breaking those commandments (Matthew 5 v 21 -30) There is one of the commandments that many don't take serious, and it is the last one  coveting, it is a secret sin, but it is a sin for all that.Today many people are committing that sin. coveting what others have,their wives,husbands,money and many other things, consider all the evil that comes from coveting those things mentioned. It is a secret sin but it is not a secret with God,because God looks on the heart,He sees it for what  it is,we may not think it is sinful,but it is,and if you are involved in that sin which everyone without a doubt has committed,remember we cannot  hide our hidden sins  from an all seeing holy God .

                                                     ' If we confess our sins,He is faithful

                                                       and just to forgive us our sins,and to

                                                      cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'

                                                                      1 John 1 v 9.

We make our plans. ( Proverbs 27 v 1 )

 A very famous directer of movies,spoke of his plans for the future, he went on at length as  to the different movies he hoped to make.As he finished I said to myself there was no DV in relation to what he said. I am sure you know that DV signifies ,'God willing', it was used in conjunction with a signature at the end of letters.In other words,'God willing ',the letter may reach you safely. Often people would say that to someone that they planned to meet again,but of course if you leave God out of one's life then God does not come into the reckoning. Many think that they are the master of their own souls,and destinies ,but they are not. Our Saviour told a parable as regards a rich fool (Luke 12 v 13 -21),he was making all sorts of plans,but God said to Him,''You fool ! You will die this very night.Then who will get everything you worked for?.' So many people are like that man, and don't realise God is listening,they ride off as it where into the sunset,and then they are ingulfed in the darkness of death,and all their plans have come to nothing. 

                                                'Here today,gone tomorrow

                                                         but where to?'

                                         

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The greatest miracle. ( Isaiah 53 )

 I was watching a program as regards people who had never been able to hear,and how they received medical treatment and suddenly they could hear,for the very first time in their lives. Little babies stopped crying,older people started to cry,and I was crying to,It was an awe inspiring moment , for all those involved, wonderful beyond words. Then I thought of the miracles Jesus performed,consider the context, there were no cures for deafness,blindness,and so on,you could  spend all your money and you would never have got healed. Consider how those people must have felt when Jesus healed them,like the people who witnessed these healings they were filled with fear, awe, and amazement (  Matthew 9 v 8 )All except  the religious leaders, who took issue with Jesus for healing on their Sabbath, that clouded their vision,and they were filled with hated.And so they watched Him, hounded Him ..Instead of being filled with amazement they turned on Jesus like a wild beast (Psalm 22 v 16- 17),and finally got their way  and crucified Him.Yet strange as it may sound, God's plan and purpose was fulfilled,for out of that suffering and horrendous death the greatest miracle ever  performed took place,the work of salvation,  

                                                'God so loved the world that He gave

                                                 His only begotten Son that whosoever

                                                 believeth in Him should not perish,

                                                 but have everlasting life'

                                                                  John 3 v16.