Other remedies. ( 1 John 4 v 1 )

 'In these days of deteriorate Church doctrine, when other remedies  than that of the gospel are applied to the wounded spirit,'so wrote a 19th century preacher.As we look back we see that nothing has changed as in our present times,many are applying other remedies to wounded spirits, likewise the charge against so called prophets ,who were false prophets prophesying lies, at the time of  Jeremiah ,God  declared,'They have healed the heart of my people slightly,saying ,'Peace,Peace', when there is no peace.' The people needed to hear the truth,because the nation had turned away from God,and judgement was coming,and eventually did  come  when the Babylonians came and devastated the nation,most of the population would die,and those who were spared went into captivity. Alas as I have pointed out there are many false prophets today, who are betraying their calling, refusing to warn people that judgement  is coming.The gospel is the only remedy for sinful humanity. it is God's remedy, and if people do not hear it they will not be saved from the wrath to come. If they continue in their sin there is no hope, all  that awaits them is   judgement,from which there will be no escape.

                                                      'O God ,in wrath ,remember mercy'

The end of the beginning ( 2 Corinthians 4 v 13 -18 )

Every year I have to take my car in for its yearly MOT,that is a compulsory check to see if my car is roadworthy .We are all growing old, most of us have to have regular tests for our eyes,test for blood pressure,diabetes,and so many things, I think I'm fighting a losing battle,in a sense we all are.I'm in no way saying we should give up on life for it is a gift from God and it is precious,so we well take the pills, watch our diet,and keep getting those regular MOT's. It is the apostle Paul who writes,'Therefore we do not loose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away,'  (2 Corinthians 4 v16)  It is so easy to loose heart yes even as Christians,say what's the point?, well the context in which Paul wrote those words is very positive, that there is a work of the Spirit going on within us renewing  us everyday,one writer puts it like this,'Even though on the outside, it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside,where God is making new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace'.Yes outwardly we are perishing, Denny writes,' The decay of the outward msn in the Godless is a melancholy spectacle, for it is the decay of everything'.Paul encourages us to not focus on that which is temporal,he especially emphasises troubles,whatever they are , their is a better day coming for every child of God.a new body,a new eternal home,a new eternal existence

                                'Bruce Milne writes,'What is life?Where is it going?What about death?

                                 and the beyond ? The sun of conviction breaks through our chronic

                                 unbelief , and in that instant we know that we are more than dust, that

                                  life is larger than the boundaries of this terrestrial, and that our death

                                  will not be the end of us,but merely the end of the beginning.'

                                 

The whole Truth. (Ephesians 2 v 19- 20)

 John Stott wrote the following,' The well-being of the church, depends on our listening to Jesus Christ and obeying Him  as His word comes to us through  His apostles in the New Testament'. I agree with that, but I would go further,for it seems that he is excluding  the Old Testament.There is a book called ,'Christ in all the scriptures',consider what Jesus said to the  religious leaders of his day in John 5 v 39 ,'You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them  you have eternal life.These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me'. It is only in the Old testament we have foretold of His birth,life teaching that we get the full picture .Without the Old Testament we would struggle to  understanding  the person of Christ,His birth, death , resurrection ,and his teaching.   J C.Ryle  writes ,' Christ is not merely in the Gospels and Epistles,Christ is to be found directly and indirectly in the Law,the Psalms,and the Prophets...... Jesus , the Messiah,is everywhere to be found in the Old Testament'. Let us remember that our well -being,depends on our listening to Jesus Christ and obeying Him,as His word comes to us through all the Word of God,in the Old and New Testament.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Eating humble pie. ( Matthew 6 v 9 -15 )

 A person shared with me that his wife never say's sorry, it is a fact  that some people find it hard to say sorry or to ask forgiveness.Recently I was faced with a dilemma, I had opened my mouth and put my foot in ,in other words I had said something I shouldn't,it disturbed my peace and more than likely disturbed the person I had spoken to.The question was,what could I do to redeem the situation? I had spoken to God about what had happened,so the next morn I phoned the person and said I was sorry,and it was all my fault,she was gracious enough to accept what I said, and after that I felt a great relief.  To ask forgiveness means, we have to show a degree of humility, in other words we have to eat humble pie.Also to have a  unforgiving spirit,is like having a festering sore. And of course God is not pleased, for He expects us to  forgive those who sin against us.if we don't ,our Father will not forgive us our sins.( Matthew6 v 15 ), and that is serious.

                                                         'Confession is good for the soul

                                                          and so is forgiving others'

The eye of faith. ( Hebrews 11 )

 In his little commentary on Hebrews  Charles F. Pfeiffer commenting  on chap 11 v 27 writes ,'The faith of Moses was based on a spiritual principle;''He endured, as seeing Him who is invisible''. This is, of course, a paradox. How can one see the invisible? The answer ,'with the eye of faith,'' Peter addressed suffering saints, reminding them of the coming  of the Lord Jesus'' Whom, having not seen, ye love; in whom, though ye see Him not, yet believing ye rejoice with a joy unspeakable and full of glory''.The evolutionist  look for an answer horizontally , the Christian ,by the  eye of faith, (v3)declares,'The the  universe was formed by God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible' The eye of faith  is not an escape  from realities , no,it is looking on a greater reality,God.People look at  death with despair, the believer looks beyond death to one who said,'I am the resurrection and the life,The one who believes in me will live, even though they die' ( John 11 v25 ) The non Christian looks on in despair as the problems become greater,by the eye of faith the Christian declares, 'with God all things are possible'. (Matthew 20 v 26).The eye of faith is the  eye  in which the cataract of unbelief has been removed,it declares I once was blind but now I see.

                                                         ' The eye of faith gives us supernatural

                                                           vision, and so gives us hope in our 

                                                           darkest hour'

Amazing (Galatians 6 v 14)

 Most of us receive gifts,but there are times we receive something special, I can recall a time when my then wife and I  were living by faith,we had no savings,no bank account.We received gifts from different people  some anonymous, everyone one of those gifts were precious. One man in my church give on a regular bases a small gift ,small  but it was precious. At that time I passed my driving test,but we could not afford a  car but a lady in my church give a car it was very precious.During my lifetime I have received three cars,all very precious. Now of course salvation is a free gift,ask and you shall receive,( Romans 3 v24), and yet there are so many who believe that its not so,most religions and even some who profess to be Christian think that while Christ died on the cross,it is not just enough to save,they must do something,so they add on,their good works,and so doing they nullify what Christ has done.The question is very simple,is our Saviours death on the cross sufficient to save us or not?.If you say it is not ,then the whole purpose of His coming was pointless . Imagine how wonderful the gift of salvation is ,all that it brings  us into,and what it showers upon us,it is absolutely amazing beyond words.It cost us nothing ,but love so amazing,so divine,demands everything.

Extremes, ( Proverbs 30 v8 -9 )

Let us consider again what Agur writes ,' O God ,I beg two favours from you;let me have them before I die.First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.(Proverbs 30 v 7-8)  One translation  puts it like this,'Remove far  from me vanity and lies'.The word of God  speaks of the pride of live,( 1 John 2 v16) We are called to walk humble with our God (Micah 6 v 8) Pride is a sin, in whatever form it manifests itself, be it a car,home,or are so called good looks,the gifts we have,the money we have,the success we have ,and so we could go on. Agur wants God to keep him humble. Then He ask God to shield him from extremes ,from being poor and being rich,let us be honest not many of us want to be poor,migration is fulled by people who are poor, Yet Jesus said the poor you will have with you always (John 12 v 8) Indeed we are told that God chooses the poor of the world to be rich in faith (James 2 v5) And yet it can have its disadvantages it brings with it temptations,( Pr v 30 v9) which we may yield to, become a thief ,become  embittered. He also mentions the dangers of riches,Judas wanted to be rich,consider what he did, there are dangers in prosperity Israel was warned about it,it is so easy to forget the Lord and forsake Him.( Deuteronomy 6 v 10 - 12)So Agur recognises the dangers of extremes, because they  both may draw us away from God. Charles Bridges writes as regards poverty and riches says the following,  'Many of God's children are in both these conditions let them seek for grace to glorify God in either estate'.

 

 

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