Good and Evil ( Isaiah 5 v 20)

 Let's consider some thoughts from Psalm 119 v 65-72. We will consider v66 ,'Teach me knowledge and good judgement,for I trust in your commands'.it is Michael Wilcock who writes the following,'It is Scripture that both promises and conveys the good things that the Lord intends for his servant. They include knowledge,which is an excellent gift,and good judgement.( the ability'to distinguish good from evil) V65 reads,'Do good to your servant,according to your word,Lord. How are we as Christians going to distinguish between good and evil?,the answer is very simple according to God's word.. We are  not left to ourselves to flounder blindly on the worlds idea's of morality ,which so many Christians alas are doing.We have the 10 commandments,and many other scriptures that help us to distinguish between good and evil. In v66  we read,'For I trust your commandments', yes we must trust God's word, in all things,in relation to morality and theology,if we do, we will be walking in the light,if we don't we will be walking in darkness. Remember what our Saviour said ,if you love Me,keep my commandments. ( John 14 v 15)

Little Children. ( Proverbs 22 v 6 )

I fervently believe in child evangelism,I believe the sooner one becomes a Christian the better,why  do I believe this,?.Well recently three young lads were sent to prison for a long time,for they were involved in the murder of a young lad. I thought ,if only they had found the Saviour early in life ,things would have been different. You might have come to Christ when you were young,and you have listened to a testimony of someone who had lived a wicked life,and you may have thought I didn't do such terrible things, I haven't much of a testimony. You are wrong , because you can testify how God has kept and saved you from those things,that's something you can praise God for.I wish I had not strayed from God for a number of years,and during those years I accumulated thought patterners that still plague me after 60 years following the Lord. It is truly wonderful the grace that saves us from sinning ,and the grace that saves in our sins,Just let me add ,we are all sinners ,children are sinners, and its amazing how soon they can manifest that,but if they come  to know Christ early as I have said,they can be preserved from what those three young people did.

                                                  'Jesus said , 'Let the little children come

                                                   to Me,and  do not hinder them.'

                                                             'Matthew 9 v14 '

Acceptance ( 1 John 5 v 14-15 )

                                                         'God grant me the serenity

                                                     to accept the things I cannot change,

                                                     courage to change the things I can,

                                                      and wisdom to know the difference'

Seemingly next to the Lord's prayer,it's the most used prayer in the world,I am sure it's not meant to be negative,some people may see it as that.  I think we balance it up by mentioning the will of God, is it always God's will to heal,to deliver us?.The fact is some things don't change even though we pray ,and pray,and pray, 2 Corinthians 12 v 7ff, yes with God all things are possible, that is very obvious,and we are encouraged to pray in faith for God to answer our prayers,which He does, If you are a Christian then God has answered the most important prayer you have ever uttered,the prayer to be saved.It didn't stop at that as Spurgeon says everyday that you are a Christion is a miracle.Over my long Christian life God has answered so many of my prayers,for four years my then wife and I trusted God to meet our needs while at Bible college,and He did,it was a trial but God brought us through it.God will answer our prayers ,but this is the key thing, if it be His will.this is not to discourage us praying,keep praying,in His will He will answer our prayer.If he doesn't then it was not His will. The prayer we are considering stresses the things we must do ,and what we must accept.

Looking Back (Hebrews 13 v 8 )

    There is a looking back that's negative and there's a looking back that's positive.Paul the apostle touches on the negative,in Philippians 3 v 13, he writes ,'But one thing  I do forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is a head'. This sort of looking back entails that which hinders one moving forward, a refusal to go forward,we dwell on what worked yesterday,and it is obvious it is not working.The sad is they don't give new things a chance.I know God gives us words in relation to the church,but the evidence that it is from  God means a fulfillment of that promise,if it doesn't happen then we have to accept that and move on.That can hold back the church from moving forward,and it can can cause individuals from moving on also.(Deuteronomy 18 v 22) It is worth considering  that the negative reasons for a church and individuals that stop us moving forward.What about the positives aspects of looking back?Michael Wilcock say's  the following,'Bible people would be nonplussed by our curious modern preoccupation with the future,or rather by the notion that we need to find out somehow what the future holds, and we do so by turning  our backs on the past.He goes to point out that by looking back ,'we find God is always active and always consistent.'  What He done in the past He can do today,.leading,protecting,and providing, you get the picture.That God always keeps His word,he cannot lie,He did not forsake Israel of old ,so He will not forsake us the New Covenant Israel..What God did in the past He can do in the future,MW further says,'That is a considerably more reliable forecast,be it said, than any we are likely to find in our news -    papers from astrologers, meteorologists, or politicians!.

                                                                ' Ebenezer' 

                                                             '1 Samuel 7 v12'

Our heavenly home.( John 14 v 1-4 )

In Psalm 119 v 19 we read'I am a stranger on earth', in Hebrews 11 we read about the saints of God in the OT as being  ,'Foreigners and strangers on earth, and that they were longing for a better country-a heavenly one.it carries on into the NT we are told that our citizenship is in heaven, ( Philippians 3 v 20),and in 1 Corinthians  15 v 49 we read,'Just ae we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man'.One day where Jesus is we will be,  ( John 17 v 24 ) Yes a wonderful destiny awaits us,until that day comes whither in death or when Jesus comes back we are to be witness'es for Him by our words ,and by our lives.As Christians we long for heaven and home, so  be careful not to be so taken up with this world that is our temporary dwelling place to the point that we forget our eternal destiny.We are to set our hearts on things above,where Christ is,seated at the right hand of God  (Colossians 3 v1).

                                                       ' Heaven here we come'

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Promoted to Glory. ( Philippians 1 v 23 )

 For all us death is inevitable that's an obvious thing to say ,we cant change it,for the bereaved it can be very painful,even though their loved has gone to heaven.My youngest son's father-in-law died recently,he was a Christian, he had suffered long with cancer.My son said although he was sad at his death he was no longer suffering and he had gone to a better place.William Barclay writing on Pauls words in Philippians 1 v23 ,'of having a desire to depart and be with Christ'.says,'The word for depart...is the word for striking camp, loosening the tent ropes,pulling up the tent pins and going on.It is said that in the terrible days of the war,when the Royal Air Force stood between this country and destruction,and when the lives of its pilots were been sacrificially spent, they never spoke of  a pilot as having been killed; they always spoke of him as having  been ''posted to another station''.Each day's march is a day's march nearer home.Death is a setting sail,a launching out into the deep, a departure on that voyage to the everlasting haven and to God. Heaven is that place where all earth's questions will be answered,where the torturing problems will find their solution, where the broken things will be mended and the lost things found, and where those who have waited will in the end understand'.The Salvation army  speaking about  of fellow salvationist when they die as being ,'promoted to glory'.

Nice people. (Romans 3 v 23 )

 My wife are members of the ,'National Trust',it is an organisation that manage former stately homes ,we hope to visit one soon.They usually have beautiful gardens,as to myself I have a small garden,and now that the weather is changing I have been attending to it, I do appreciate my garden.When God had finished creation,he gave Adam and Eve a garden to live in,they were to look after it,at that stage they were perfect  in everyway, but these lovely people sinned,and that sinful nature and it's consequences has been passed unto all of us.That means even lovely people sin,and they need a Saviour. yes the king on his throne and queen on her throne are sinners .Consider this ,King James the ist of England was a very religious person,he loved sermons,and authorised a Bible translation generally known as the AV ,the Bible that Paul the apostle used (I joke).This very religious king, had a likening for women and men,in fact there was a saying at the time which went,'Elizabeth was King; now James is Queen'.Yes humanities sinful nature will always manifest itself ,yes the nicest of people are sinners, don't let us ever forget that.That is why everyone needs a Saviour, the nice young person,the nice old granny,the nice mother the nice father,all need a Saviour. They are all lost, just as lost as the worst of people,and the most evil of people,niceness is not enough,it only hides the fact that they need Jesus. So don't be fooled,don't let their niceness,hold you back from witnessing to them,and indeed praying for them.