How will we cope? ( Isaiah 40 v 29) 1

 So we have entered  another year by the grace of God, so what about the year that lies ahead?,how are we going to cope?.what will the future hold?. Well lets think about the first question,how are we going to cope?,well just like last year,by the grace of God,nothing has changed, grace has not changed.God says to us, 'As your days, so shall your strength be'(Deuteronomy 33 v 25 )This goes beyond natural   strength ,for we have little strength in ourselves (Revelation 3 v 8) ,this comes  from a dependence on God.Consider Samson  was he a mister universe,how did he accomplish all those great feats?,in God's strength. How will we cope?,how will we manage?, how will we face each day?,in the strength of the Lord.who is the Lord?, He is  our refuge and strength (Psalm 46 v 1).When we feel down down He will lift us up,when we feel like giving up he will give us strength to go on. David was overwhelmed he was living among his enemies  ,disaster came upon him and his men,and his own men turned on him threatening to stone him,but we read these words,'But David found strength in the Lord , and went on to victory( 1 Samuel 30 v 3- 6 ) The great God of David is our God, here is the word of God for us as we go forward in our journey to glory.

                                                       'So do not fear, for I am with you;

                                                       do not be dismayed,for I am your God.

                                                        I will strengthen you and help you; 

                                                        I will uphold you with my righteous

                                                        right hand'.

                                                                            Isaiah 41 v10.

                                         

                                                                  

He is qualified ( Acts 4 v12 )

 Writing about Jesus  the writer of Hebrews in 5 v 8 -10,declares  , 'Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things He suffered.And  having been perfected,He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest''according to the order of Melchizedek''. Let me point out that the word perfected,can be translated ,' Qualified'. So what the writer is saying that all Christ suffered qualified Him to be the source of our salvation.'That meant surrendering His will to the obedience and will of  God ;  so on the cross He offered the perfect sacrifice.'(Thomas Hewitt} ,which means ,He bore the wrath of God,so that we do not have to bear it Who is the ,'We', to all who obey Him,Again Thomas Hewitt points out something very important,'This leaves no room for,'universal salvation'.God has provided the perfect salvation for us sinners,for all those who trust Jesus as their Saviour.

                                                    'Christ suffered that we may not suffer.

                                                     Christ died that we might live,

                                                     

Ebenezer, ( 1 Samuel 7 v12 )

1n 1 Samuel 7 we read how Israel had turned away from God and began to follow false  god's,the Philistines were in the ascendancy.So the prophet Samuel urged them to forsake those so called gods ,and return to the Lord and He would help them defeat their enemies. So Israel did just that,they confessed their sins, they say that',confession is good for the soul'.It is not only good for the soul, it is vital if we are to have a relationship with God,and to receive his blessing.Now things began to happen,the Philistines who had previously defeated Israel ,were coming against them,and Israel was afraid.So they turned to the man of God Samuel to pray for them, and Samuel did two things ,he sacrificed an animal,and prayed for God to deliver Israel,and he did just that,and the Philistines were defeated.Then Samuel set up a stone and named it Ebenezer, meaning ''Thus far the Lord has helped us''. As we come to the end of this year, let us cast our minds back to all  our yesterdays,and consider how our great God has helped us in so many ways,He is not only the God of yesterday,He is also the  God of the present and the future,He will not fail us,for we are precious to Him and He loves us dearly.Dear old John Newton wrote the following.

                                                       'His love in time past

                                                       Forbids me to think

                                                       He'll leave me at last

                                                       In  trouble to sink;

                                                      Each sweet Ebenezer

                                                      I have in review

                                                      Confirms His good pleasure

                                                      To help me quite through.'

Why? ( John 10 17 - 18 )

 Napoleon is greatly admired, during his reign he warred against 5 countries  ,millions of soldiers died fighting these wars,possible millions of civilians died also. He never expressed any regrets at the lost of so many people. The Duke of Wellington said as he surveyed the carnage after the battle of Waterloo,''Next to a battle lost,the saddest thing is a battle won..'' From the slaying of Abel by Cain, humanity has been at war continually with each other, one writer said that the worlds history has been like a slaughter house.Why this intense desire to kill each other?,well their is a saying that declares as regards such violence,as being ,'the nature of the beast'. The word of God  declares that mankind has a sinful nature ,in Romans 3 v11-18 ,the writer declares different aspects as regarding that fallen nature, v 18 tells us that,'that our feet are swift to shed blood'. Life history bears this out, we read it every day in our newspapers,on TV, and it is seen as entertainment in movies.Here is something mind blowing for into this world of gratuitous violence ,a babe was born,his name was Jesus, the Son of God,no one forced Him to come, but He came,why?.

                                                           'Out of the ivory palaces,

                                                           Into a world of woe,

                                                            only His great eternal love

                                                            Made my Saviour go.'

                                                            Words  Henry Barraclough.

                                                            

Give me your heart ( Revelation 3 v20 )

In Proverbs 23 v 26 we read,' My son,give me your heart', spoken by a father ,warning his son as regards getting involved  with an immoral woman.Enid B.Mellor  points out what the father is asking,that his son would give him his full,undivided attention.There is most definitely that to it,we can get so easily distracted,the result is we don't listen,and of course there are times we don't want to listen, especially if we are young.Not realising that we would avoid a lot of dangers and hurts .if only we had listened,if only,I remember a man who used to preach in my church,we called him the pig farmer,telling us that he was convicted by those words,'give me your heart', the result was he became a Christian.There are so many things and voices tugging at our heart.Charles Bridges writes,'Many are the claimants for the heart,Heaven and hell contend for it. The world with its riches, honours, and pleasures; and science with  its more plausible charms- cries - Give me your heart'.Christ stands at the door of our hearts saying let me in,let me in,'give me your heart'. I made decisions as regards Jesus to come into my life when I was young,but unfortunately I give my heart to other things,but it wasn't until I grew older,in all my need,I give Christ my heart.

                                                                'We all have a choice'

Father you are faithful. (Hebrews 13 v5 )

 At one of the lowest points in Israel's history, when the nation had been devastated by the Babylonians, most of those who survived where taken into captivity( Psalm 137).Jeremiah  ministered for 40 years,it began under King Josiah, after his death the nation turned away from God.Jeremiah  in vain challenged the people as regards their sinful ways,pleading with them to repent and turn to God. Along with the challenge came a warning of coming judgement,and sadly, so it came to pass. So when it happened Jeremiah stood among the midst  of the ruins of Jerusalem,and declared ,'Because of the Lords great love  we are not consumed',there was still a remnant left,in 70 years they would return from exile,and the nation would recover.So Jeremiah tells us it was because of God's great love they where not  consumed,for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, Great is your faithfulness. ( Lamentations 3 v 22-23)I  would like to highlight God's faithfulness,He is a faithful God, He says I will never leave you nor forsake you, Hubert Dapliyan wrote a song called,'Father you are faithful'. I will leave you with some of the words from that song.

                                           'Flowers wither,leaves drop,trees trample,roots spoil.

                                           Fountains dry, rivers thirst,but your love remains faithful.

                                           The sun sets,the moon rests,the day ends,the time flies,

                                           Seasons change,blue skies fade,but your love remains the same.'

                                                                 'Father you are faithful

                                                                  Father you are faithful

                                                                  Father you are faithful

                                                                   Father you are faithful'

                                              

The story is not over yet.( 2 Thessalonians 1 v 5 - 10 )

 So Christmas day has passed it is now just a memory, and while that is true, the reality of  what we were celebrating goes on , The toddler would grow and develop into a man and would face the grim reality of an awful death on a cross,and bear the terrible punishment for our sins,so that all who trust  in Him would not be punished. That was the reality He would face,everyday he lived  was a step nearer that event,He knew what He was  going to experience, nothing would take Him by surprise,He knew the reason  why He had come. Most of Israel did not see it that way, although they had the scriptures that clearly showed that the Messiah would die ,read Psalm 22 / Isaiah 52v 11- 15 and chap 53,it is as plain as knows on ones face. But the story is not over this may have been the worlds last Christmas,for Christ is coming again,the OT mentions continually the ,'Day of the Lord', Joel 2 v28 -32, David Prior sees in this' a world heading for an apocalyptic day of reckoning'.Isaiah 65 v 17 speaks of a new heaven and a new earth,which Peter writes of  in 2 Peter 3 v 13,and John writes of in Revelation 21 v 1.Of course Jesus spoke clearly of His coming back again,likewise the apostles,yes the reality of His second coming will happen,the story is not finished yet, it will happen, as a Christian let us  live in light of  that great coming event,if  you are a not a Christian trust Jesus to be be your Saviour before it is to late.