The Heavenly Wisdon (James 3 v 17-18 ) 3

 We have mentioned the worldly or earthly wisdom, that many exersise,and can lead to so much evil.now we will consider the wisdom that comes down from heaven.One could liken heavenly  wisdom to the fruits of the Spirit,the first is described as being pure,perfect and holy,for as I said it comes from heaven, where everything is pure,perfect and holy.There is no deviousness in it,none whatsoever,it is not built on crooked thinking,or underhand dealings.Our Saviour manifested it in its fulness ,we His followers who have this ,will manifest Christ. Next we have peace -loving,William Barclay writes that it has a two fold meaning,a relationship of peace with man,and peace with God,how we need that,Christ the Prince of peace,made it possible we can have peace with God Romans 5 v1,Calvarys peace with God ,was purchased by Christs sacrificial death on the cross,By the Spirit's aid we can live at peace with man.There is so many things  that are stirring people up in conflict with others,the list is endless.let us bear in mind that to be a peace maker is to be blessed. ( Matthew 5 v9 )

                                                  Dear God and Father,fill us by Thy Spirit,

                                               that we will manifet purity and peacefulness,

                                                                in Jesus name . Amen

Wisdom ( Luke 20 v 20 -26) 2

 James encourages us to ask God for wisdom, 1v 5-6,then in chap 3 v 13 -18, he describes two kinds of wisdom.a worldly wisdom and a heavenly wisdom.Our lives and actions will manifest the wisdom we live by,we shall be known by our fruits. Wisdom should mean a lot to all of us,it should be a priorty in all our lives if we live by the heavenly wisdom we will manifest the life of Christ. Likewise the worldly wisdom does not come from heaven is unspiritual,demonic,very strong words,but if looks one at some leaders in 20th century,like Stalin ,Hitler,we can say they had wisdom,but it was surely demonic,they represent so many others like themselves. They where full of  selfish ambition,that crushed anyone who they felt stood in their way. They caused disorder  and practiced every kind of evil,and that's what they are remembered for.I have been mentioning,the wicked rulers of this world.In a lesser level people can manifest it, here is an example, my wife's car developed a fault,we found out it would need a new engine,it had not done that many miles,it is not obivious that it has a problem,two people advised trading it in without declaring the fault,of course we didn't, you see that's worldly wisdom.In so many ways wordly wisdom is at work,as one writer puts it,' People are ready  to intrigue and to plot and to use any means to gain their end'.

Singleness, ( James 1 v 7 -8 ) 1

We all need wisdom as Christians we have a choice ,it is James in his epistle who stresses the importance of wisdom,in chapter 1 v 5 he writes,'If any of you lack wisdom',often we are faced with situations ,and we don't know what we should do.If that is so you situation James say's ,'ask our generous God for wisdom , and He will give it to you,He will not rebuke you for asking'That's very simple,but he goes on to say,be sure your faith is in God alone.Do not waver,Motyer says ,'we should have a singleness of vision but, unfortionately most of us have double vision' ,that will get us nowhere ,and we will receive nothing from the Lord. God is the giving God who delights  in those who come to Him with a singleness of purpose.Consider  Solomon he had a singleness of vision ,when God said to  him, 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you,'  Solomon made a choice,here is what he asked for,\.Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong', (1v9)We may not be a king like Solomon, but we do need to know the difference right and wrong. God gave him a wise and understanding heart'. (1 v 12) God was so pleased with his choice  He give him more than he asked . May God grant  us  that singleness of  vision ,that godly wisdom, in our walk of holiness, and as we walk with Jesus.

Continue walking. ( Psalm 23 ) 3

 I want us to further consider Enoch,that godly man who walked with God,in Genesis 5 v 22  we read that he had a family, Leupold comments,'Celibacy is not a requisite for a holy life', So having a wife and a family did not stop him in his relationship with God.Marriage is God's way for humanity and yet it is coming more and more under attack,in Hebrews 13 v 4 reads 'Marriage should be honoured by all,'.and of course it should only be between a man and a woman'. Likewise in Hebrews 11 v 5 ,we read he was a man of faith, ,we are told the just shall live by faith, Paul wrote,'I live by faith in the son of God,{Galatians 2 v 20) John Stott comments on these words ,'Faith is not just an intellectual conviction , but a personal commitment to Christ....a daily running to Him  for refuge  and calling on Him for mercy',that's the walk that Enoch walked ,and we are called to walk.

                                                       'O  walk with Jesus! to thy view

                                                       He will make all things sweet and new;

                                                       Will bring new fragrance from each flower,

                                                         And hallow every passing hour.

                                                        Jesus a great desire have we

                                                        To walk life's troubled path with Thee;

                                                         Come to us now,in converse stay;

                                                          And walk with us day by day'

                                                                    'E.Paxton Hood.

Saving Faith ( Isaiah 53) Enoch 2

 In Hebrews 11 that great chapter on faith and the heroes of faith, in v5 we have Enoch mentioned ,it commences by saying ,'by faith'. Hughes says ,'Faith must have an object and God is the supreme and eternal object of all faith.' Without faith in the God of the Bible,God will not be pleased.An elderly lady who comes to our church ,said that she  believed that there was something out there.That is not faith in God ,if we are to  be accepted by God ,as I have said we must have faith in the  God of the Bible,and we must  take that further ,God is a triune being,'Father,Son,and Holy Spirit'.and it goes further still we must accept by faith the Son of God as our Saviour. To reject Him is to reject God , that is the faith  God is well pleased with. Enoch had that faith, Leupold writes,' Since  Enoch was of the Sethite line, where faith in the Saviour to come prevailed,he having  lived in such faith,after his removal  shares the glory that is theirs who believed on  the Saviour. He is glorified as believers in Christ are, and that of course ,at once.'The saints in the OT believed in a coming Messiah ,Abraham did ( John 8 v 56), the OT saints looked forward to Christ sacrificial  atoning sacrifice on the cross,yes  Enoch was one of them,Whither in the OT or the NT,faith in Jesus  is the only way to be saved.

Just keep on walking.( Genesis 19 v14/ 26) 1

In Genesis 5 Moses records a list of  people starting  from Adam to Noah,and in the midst of all those names we have one whom we are told  walked with God v22., his name was Enoch. John Calvin writes,'This holy man,whom the Holy Spirit excepted from the common order,was rare and almost singular'. JC  goes on to say ,' This one man , stood firmly in the season of most dreadful dissipation'yes this one,walking with God can be lonely experience,the narrow way restricts us and saves us,from much that is wrong in life.When I came back to the Lord 60yrs ago,my best friend  went his way,I went God's way. JC comments 'If we wish to live rightly and orderly, we may learn  to regard God more than men' Enoch lived a long time, he didn't become a drop out,like old father Thames he just kept rolling along. We do not read of what trials and difficulties he experienced I'm sure he had his share,but he didn't give up. nor should we ,we have to endure whatever comes at us, right to the end ,how? by God's grace.

                                                                ' No looking back and

                                                                  No turning back'

Be faithful ( Jonah 1 v 1- 3 )

 I read this recently.' The problem in politics is that operatives tell candidates what they want to hear rather than what they need to know'. Political parties do this, especially when it comes to an election,very few of them spell out the difficulties,one politician did it, Winston Churchill,'On May the 13th 1940 ,he told the House of Commons,' I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears,and sweat',he followed this by saying why,' We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind'. The OT prophets had to tell it as it was ,had to tell what people didn't want to hear, if they didn't proclaim God's word faithfully they would be held resonsible.(Ezekiel 33 v 8-9 )Things have not changed for the New Covenant Isreal,we are called  to proclaim the truth of  God,without fear or favour. In Romans 10 v 14, we read'And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?'the answer is they wont,likewise if the preacher only tells people what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear,there is a measure of guilt on them also.Romans 10 v15 declares, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news'.Yes it is a beautiful thing to proclaim the Gospel to people ,and that is what we are called to do, let us not fail in that task.