Noise. ( Mark 6 v 31 -32 )

We live in a very noisy world,it is hard to escape it,airplanes flying overhead ,traffic outside ,and you may be unfortunate to have noisy neighbours. And sometimes Christian fellowships can be very,very noisy,a number of years we gave permission to a group of Christians to use of our Church premises, when we were not using it.It was not a very large building,but they brought in loud speakers and musical instruments,to say they were noisy was an understatement,the neighbours complained,it was really bad,and in the end we had to ask them to leave.I sometimes think that in some churches the voice of God is drowned out.I love singing hymns and spiritual songs,but they don't all have to be  overwhelming loud.We all know the term,' quite time,' when we get away from hustle and bustle,to meet with God,how we need that,it may be difficult, even costly,but it is important.Then in our quite time we may just hear that still small voice of almighty God.

                                   '  O God, '     Drop Thy still dews of  quietness

                                                        Till all our strivings cease 

                                                        Take from our souls the strain and stress,

                                                         And let our ordered lives confess

                                                         The beauty of Thy peace.

                                                         Breathe through the heat of our desire

                                                         Thy coolness and Thy balm;

                                                         Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,

                                                         O still small voice of calm.

                                                              Words John Greenleaf Whitter.

                                                                   

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He never give up. ( Hebrews 12 v 1 - 3 )

Although Jesus endured much in His life and in his death He never give up,it is in the Old Testament we  see clearly the agony of His suffering.Those who put Him to death meant business, in their blind hatred they never give up. Evil in this world is persistent,the cruel leaders hold on like grim death to power,not caring for the pain and hurt they are causing.Many abusers never give up,moving from one victim to another,and if they are not caught they will just keep abusing. The devil who knows his time is running out will continue in all his wicked ways,destroying  humanity, delighting in all his evilness.But in eternity God saw it all,saw the wickedness, perpetrated by fallen humanity.and the blessed triune God  devised a plan that He would rescue sinners,and he would destroy Satan's power (1 John 3 v 8 ) .So Christ came leaving the glories of heaven and entering the place we call earth,  a fallen world. He who was rich became poor,He who was sinless would bear  the penalty for our sins so that we could be forgiven,that was His task,facing  humanly speaking was insurmountable,and He never gave up,He kept right on  going, until on that cross He cried out ,'it is finished'. And so ushered in the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan,so that all who call on the name of the Lord would be saved. There is an old  saying it goes like this,'The perseverance of the saints',perseverance means to be persistent in spite of the difficulties that one may face,it means not giving up but pressing on by God's grace, it means no turning back

                                                'It matters not how the battle goes,

                                                         The day how long;

                                                         Faint not! Fight on!

                                                   Tomorrow comes the song'

Safe hands (Psalm31 )

 In Psalm 31 v 15 ,we read ,'My times are in your hands', again it is David ,' who is experiencing a  hard time,feeling under threat,he uses the following words to express the seriousness of what he was going through,'affliction,anguish,distress,sorrow, grief,groaning ,weak, lastly alarm'.What would you do or what  would I do,if we were in Davids place?.Everyday day I pray for people who are under threat for their faith,many people are in prison,serving long sentences.Of course life being what it is means we all will experience different trials,they come in different levels of severity, but they will come.It is William .Plumer, commenting on v 15 writes,' The whole of life,with all that threatens it,with all that continues it, is in the hand of the wise, good, powerful, perfect ruler of all things'.Our times are in His hands,Someone said the following,All my life's why's and when's and where's and wherefore's are in God'hands'.Henry F. Lyte wrote the following.

                                           'My times are in Thy hand; My God I wish them there;

                                             My life, my friends, my soul I leave Entirely to Thy care.

                                            My times are in  Thy hand,Whatever they may be;

                                            Pleasing or painful,dark or bright,as best may seem to Thee.

                                            My times are in Thy hand,Why should I doubt or fear?

                                            A Father's hand will never cause His child a needless tear.

                                            My times are in Thy hand,Jesus the crucified;

                                            Thy hand my cruel sins have pierced,is now my guard and guide.'

How far should love go? ( Philippians 2 v 5-11)

 How far should love go? very challenging question, I am convinced that many of us, have a great deal to learn what that means.What limits did our blessed Saviour put on love?, I believed that He had a heart of love for everyone,yet he died on the cross.Which reminds us that there is often a price involved in loving  people, that is the challenge,are we prepared to accept that challenge?.Martin Luther king Jr,said,'We love men not because we like them,not because their ways appeal to us,nor even because they possess some kind of divine spark. We love every man because God loves them..' Humanity can often manifest a depravity that is worse than wild beasts,and often it is dressed in religious garb.We would not be short in showing many examples of this,the crucifixion of Jesus is the greatest example.Every human being manifests a degree of their fallen nature,there are no perfect people,  no one cannot escape the  coming judgement of God the righteous judge.Yet , while they still live ,the love of God continually reaches out to them ,till their dying breath  ,that's how far the love of God goes.So it is, we must not give up on people,yes even the worst of people, that's how far love should go. Ivan Karamazov said that,'In every man ... a demon lies hidden,'.Or one could say that in every man  their is a Jekyll and Hyde.But here is the positive ,Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, 

Onward . ( 2 Timothy 4 v 7-8)

 Becoming a Christian is by faith and faith alone,in the Lord Jesus,when we exercise that faith we are forgiven,and become a child of God  ( John 1 v12 ). Let me now say that being a Christian is the one of the biggest challenges one will ever have to face.Before we became a Christian we did it our way,and we were to some extent influenced or even controlled by the devil.We had a nature that was opposed to God and his ways,no matter how nice we appeared, we had a heart that was deceitful and desperately wicked (Jer 17 v9).But now we have been forgiven and set free,not freedom to do as we like ,for that is going back to our old ways the broad way that leads to Hell,when we travel on the narrow way,that road is difficult (Mt 7v13-1) .Although it is called the narrow way that simply means we are closed into God's  way of  freedom,joy,peace,love,hope ,and our final destination is Heaven,and all the wonder, of what that means. .On that narrow road we are called to walk in newness of life,and all that means,but what about when we fail?. Of course we will fail but we must still press on. Let's illustrate ,when I drive my car I try to stay within the speed limit,but I don't always achieve that,but I keep trying. So it is on our walk with Christ there will be times when we will fail,but we must press on and not give up,and by God's grace we will succeed.

                                                     'Onward  then to glory move

                                                     More than conquerors  ye shall prove;

                                                     Though oppressed by many a foe.

                                                     Christian soldiers, onward go'

                                                      Words H.White/F.S. Colquhoun.

Troubles.( 2 Corinthians 1 v 8 - 11)

 Scroggie writing on that wonderful 31st Psalm says ,'The psalmist's spirit rises and falls', he experiences,hope and fear ,gloom and glory..It is a Psalm written by David,if one reads the life of  David ,we have a man, who led a very challenging life,consider all he faced during his time.While minding his fathers sheep he fought a bear and a lion,then he fought a giant,then the Philistines,then King Saul tried to kill him,later on his own son tried to kill him.So one could go on, yes a very challenging life.So one can understand the emotions he must have experienced. How would any of us feel if we had to face what David faced?,how did he get through all these things  v14 tells us,'But I trust in you,Lord; I say, 'You are my God',yes God was his hiding place,shield,his protector,his strength,his everything..Scroggie writes the following,'Trials and troubles are not to keep us at a distance from God, but are designed to bring us near and keep us near',

                                                   'Wherefore ,in never- ceasing prayer,

                                                     My soul  to Thy continual care

                                                     I faithfully commend;

                                                     Assured that Thou through life shalt

                                                     save

                                                    And show Thyself beyond the grave

                                                    My everlasting Friend.' 

                                                         Words Charles Wesley. 

                                                    

  

Don't give up. ( Matthew 13 v 3 - 23 )

 In Matthew 13 our Saviour told a parable about a farmer sowing seed,in those days they did it by hand, being an agricultural country most people would be acquainted with what Jesus was saying. What was He saying?the answer was very simple . It relates to those who hear the word of God,and how they react to it,the seed sown falls on 4 different types of ground , only one of  the four mentioned respond in a positive way. The parable has much to teach all those who proclaim the word of God,especially in proclaiming the gospel.Take the seed that fell on the pathway,  Barnes says ,'The gospel is preached to men hardened in sin,it makes no impression,it is easy taken away ,and it never takes root. Then you have the seed fallen on stony ground,this is people who show a degree of enthusiasm ,but its not lasting,for when trouble comes or persecution they fall away,they were not in it for the long haul,they were only rice Christians,they didn't sign up for the hard and difficult times. Next we have the seed that that falls among the thorns.They represent those who give up ,there is always reasons to give up, in their case the cares of life,and the lure of riches.Last but not least the seed that fell on good ground,they are those who are the true followers of Christ.  I hope you will be numbered with them,and as we witness let us remember,as one writer puts it,'It is our task to sow the seed,and, without discouragement ,to leave the rest with God'.