Predestination ( Romans 10 v 14 -15 )

 On writing in his commentary on a very controversial  subject,predestination  John Stott  gives 5 examples of why people don't agree with it,'It fosters arrogance,uncertainty,apathy ,fosters complacency,and lastly  narrow -mindedness' Let me say this predestination is continually declared throughout the Bible, Israel were a  chosen people Deuteronomy 7 v7,our dear Saviour said to his disciples ,'You did not choose me,but I  chose you' John 15 v 16.Writing to the saints at Ephesus ,Paul wrote,'For He chose us in Him before the creation  of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined us for the adoption to sonship  through Jesus Christ,in accordance with His pleasure and will'.(1v 4-5)  People who hold to predestination are Calvinist in other words they fall in with the teaching of John Calvin. Spurgeon  was a Calvinist but he was not a Hyper-Calvinist it was they who opposed William Carey going to India as a missionary he was  told  that God didn't need him to do His work. That did not stop him from going,and he became known as the father of modern missions.Coming back to Spurgeon  he was opposed by the Hyper -Calvinist but their opposition  did not stop him in his great work,when many thousands came to know Christ. Yes God will save  His elect,but  that  does not rule out evangelism,and urging souls to come to Christ, in fact  we must or we will be held accountable.

Dying grace (2 Timothy 4 v17)

 One of the songs sung in the 1936 movie ,'Show Boat', by that wonderful singer Paul Robeson was 'OI' Man River,',it has the following words in it, 'I get weary and sick of trying, I'm tired of living and scared of dying',  The last words ,'scared of dying',is a reminder that death can be a fearful thing.we live in a time when people live just for here and now. If a person is dying without Christ they should be fearful, for after death there comes judgement,but for the Christian  heaven beckon's,no judgement awaits in relation to hell for  the child of God,it is absent from the body and present with the Lord ( 2 Corinthians 5 v 8) So that should quite all our fears,after all we are all familer with  those words from the 23rd Psalm v 4, 'Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death,I will fear no evil,for you are with me'.Yet for some Christians death strikes fear in to them, the hymn writer touches on this,when he writes,'When I tread the verge of Jordon,bid my anxious fears subside'.We must not judge people who struggle with the thought of death,but it does raise a question,how to cope with our mortality,you cannot win that argument,we are going to die,and so it is we must hold on loosely to the things of this life.We are told to set our hearts  on things  above where Christ is (Colossians 3 v 2),how often do we think of heaven?,what do we value the most?, Here is what is important,our God who grants us grace for living, will surely grant us grace for dying,

Don't worry.( Matthew 24 v 4 - 31)

 Hitler and the toxic cloud  of anti- Semitism was spreading across  Germany, a Jewish lady who lived in neighbouring Austria said,'Surely it could not affect them in Liberal  Vienna'.How wrong she was for in a very short time Hitlers hoards invaded Austria,and that was that.When Russia invaded Ukraine the head  of the Unoited Nations,was heard to say,'this should not be happening in the  21st century'.It was our Saviour who said that you will hear of  wars and rumors of wars,that nations will rise against nations,and  kingdom against kingdom.( Matthew 24 v 6-7) .When a gastly crime happens in some quite areas,people are amazed that such things should happen in what they thought was their nice safe little heidi ho. Why does it happen?,why can't we have peace? indeed why,well sad to say it will never happen,wishing will not change things,yes no Genie will grant us three wishes,that the bad things will go away.The fall of humanity  will continue and that means unabated ,no one can change that.So don't be surprised ,keep on praying ,trusting and looking for the return of our long awaited Saviour.Remember what our dear Saviour said, 'See to it ,that you are not alarmed.

                                                        'Even so Lord Jesus, come'

Theology ( 2 Timothy 3 v 16- 17 )

 Theology matters,many people do no think they should get involved in Theology,which literally means, 'thinking about God,studying about Him and what the word of God teaches as regards doctrine. They would say it's not for them ,leave it to the academics,the so scholars for a great period of the churches history that's what people were told, and so they did just that. unfortunately those so called scholars betrayed the trust given to them,by adding to God's word,things that were contrary to God's word'They denied God's people the right to study God's word,and forbidding them to own a copy of God's word.William Tyndale 'God's outlaw', was put to death for translating  the scriptures into English.He is reputed to have said,of the so called Christian leaders of his day ''If God spared his life the boy at the plough , would know more of the scriptures than they did ,''If we do not get a grasp of God's word we will find ourselves in real difficulties ,as regards the truth,as it is only that, that can set us free,and we may never get to know more about Him who is the Way, the Truth,and the Life.'( John 14 v6 ).

                                         'Let us read the Bible,study the Bible ,

                                          and live it out, in our daily lives'.

                                    

The Honesty of the Bible ( John 14 v6 ) 3

 Here is a question ,what is one of the first things a  totalitarian state do when they get into power,they control the media,and tell a lot lies.It was Joseph Goebbels who told what has become known as ,'The big Lie',It reads like this,'If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it,people will eventially come to believe it'.Their history will only reveal their supposed successes,not there blemishes,their wicked deeds,and failures.When we come to the Bible we come to the most honest book ever written,yes there  are many wonderful people mentioned in it like the warrior king David,who wrote all those wonderful Psalms,a man after God's own heart,but it also tells us of his darker side,his adultery and callousness.Then there was Solomon  with all his God given wisdom,and all his riches and power,but it doesn't leave out his gross folly.It dosen't excuse or overlook them or make light of them, they are judged,for God is no respecter of their persons.The bible tells us  honestly how things are  ,peoples shortcomings and failures.Recently I spoke to a young married man who pointed out  peoples devious ways,and I asked why that was,he did not come up with a satisfactory answer,and I give him the Bibles answer, sin,yes thats is an honest answer,,Many people came to Christ and he always told them the truth,even though they didn't  like what he said. It is only the truth,that helps people,painful though it is,Read the Bible  it will not tell you what you want to hear,but what you need to hear.Here is what our Saviour said ,the truth will set you free,the truth that is revealed in Himself.

The Frailty of God's Saints .( 1 Corinthians 1 v 1 -31} 2

We aare told that God chose the weak things of this world (1 Corinthians 1 v 27),if that is true then we shound not be surprised whan they manifest frailities ,that means they are not strong,cannot endure strain ,or pressure. God did not  choose one whom you would pick to play on your team. The 12 disciples were not so great,in fact they were pretty awful at times,why did God do that?,very simple answer,'so no one could boast before Him (1 Cor 1 v 20) I  saw a photo of my old principal ,a  Mr Malone,I liked him,a friend told me he spoke to him at a class reunion,and he told him I was a minister,and he said,'I didn't think that I would ever amount to anything.' Glad he had a nice opinion about me,I understand what he meant,I didn't do very well school,in fact I didn't lkie school. But when one comes to know Jesus ,then things can change for the better for us failures and frail people.When you come to know Jesus things can change for the better, we can become winners, yet we still fail.The word of God say's do no despise the day of small things,and\ don't despise the frail people of this world if you are one of them, I am. Yes the saints of God are frail,but I like what Proverbs 24 v16 say's,'For though the righteous fall seven times(yes us failures) they rise again'.   

                                                

                                                  

Mercy. ( Ephesians 2 v 4 - 5 )1

 It is Leupold who mentions 3 very important things,(1) The Greatness of God's mercy. ( 2)The Frailty of  God's saints. ( 3 ) The Honesty of  the Bible.Everyone has a story to tell .as to how God saved them,they all have one thing in common, God's mercy. No one no  matter who they are,no matter how young or old they are,it is God's mercy that saves them,There are no exceptions to the rule, be it a child or an adult, be they the worst of sinners,or  some who appeared to be morally upright,morally upright does not change a thing,they are still sinners for all that, and if the they are going to be saved they still stand in need of the mercy of God. How do we receive mercy?by seeking forgiveness,repenting,and trusting Jesus as one's Saviour,it's as simple as that.

                                                'Oh! the love that drew salvations plan,

                                                Oh! the grace that brought it down to man,

                                                 Oh! the mighty gual that God did span

                                                                  At  Calvary.

                                                 Mercy there was great, and gace was free,

                                                 Pardon there was multiplied to me,

                                                 There my burden soul found liberty

                                                                    At Calvary.