Growing .( Romans 8 v 28)

 Ronald Regan came across as a lovely man he had a great sense of humour,he also made very wise quotations,here is one, 'Growth does not come in your comfort zone'.  Romans 5 v 3 -4  reads,'We glory in tribulations,knowing that tribulation produces perseverance,and perseverance character; and character hope'.From the moment Paul became a Christian it doesn't appear he had a comfort zone,he had so many trials ,read his life,and the list of things he suffered, in all those things he never became bitter,he would look at such things not with the natural reasoning,but with a spiritual  understanding,which he passed on to the church of Christ,to you and to me.John Stott  commenting on Rom5 v 3-4,writes,'That we are not meant to merely endure suffering with a stoic fortitude,we are to rejoice in them.This is not masochism,however, the sickness of finding pleasure in pain. It is rather that there is a divine rationale brhind suffering. First, suffering is the one and only path to glory......Suffering can lead to maturity and can be very productive,if we respond to it positively,and not with anger or bitterness'.

                                                    'Suffering is not accidental,always 

                                                     remember God is sovereign,who

                                                     tells us that everything is working

                                                     for our good'

                                                     

                                               '

Escapism ( Luke 15 v 11 ff)

An actress asked herself a question,as to why a certain TV series she acted in was so popular?,here is her answer,''Its escapism. That was important in lockdown,but its still the case- the world hasn't got any better,has it?''I think it's true,when I was a little boy I loved the cinema,I even remember thinking,how wonderful to actually live in the cinema.it was all escapism.Looking  back on my childhood I cannot remember my father being violent,but my brothers and sister remembered .My mother left him ,with my brother, sister and me,life was difficult ,I suppose being very young I  could not process what was happening,and so I pushed it away. And so the cinema became my place of escape,that's the way it was for me,and for many people.The world has not got any better,the words of a song that was once popular,goes,  'Make the world go away',but of course it won't'.Some religious groups who profess to be Christians,teach that being a Christian ,will bring you wealth,health,  and prosperity,now that's escapisim ,but it's not what the Word of God teaches.Christianty is an escapism ,from what? well when we trust Christ as our Saviour, we escape the guilt of our sins,we escape sins power,and the consequences of our sins.Yes in the world we  will have tribulation,we will have trials,but by God's amazing grace we will be victorious.

An open door.( 1 Corinthians 16 v9 /2 Cor 2 v12 )

 As I was leaving the fellowship I attend, the door gently opened to let me out,those who had previously left the building before me,must not have shut it probably the wind must have blown it open.It amused me,but it caused me to think of the words of our Saviour in Revelation 3 v8 ,spoken to the  church in Philadelphia,it reads,,'See I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you hsave little strength,yet you have my word and not denied my name'.They appeared to be facing difficulties and Christ exhorts them to hold on ,right through his words to the church,our Lord says ,'I will',six times.What ever difficulties they were going to face the Lord was assuring them that He would be with them,and they could go forward with confidence,be it missionary endevour or whatever.It is an open door which no power on earth or hell can shut,so they can go forward  in their Christian life and in their Christian service in the knowledge that if God be for them who can be against them. 

                                         'When the King in His power,opens the way of

                                    usefulness,not all the powers of earth or hell can close it.

                                                              James  B. Ramsey.

Who Rules? ( Ephesians 2 v1-10)

 Who rules is important,and the importance of how they rule,modern governments are led by certain principals and beliefs.The Italian diplomat of the 16th century Nicolo  Machiavelli  wrote a book that has influenced rulers, it is called 'The Prince',it could be seen as an instruction model  to those in power . The  main point it sought to make was the idea of, 'the greater good, 'It is said that Stalin slept with a volume of that book under his pillow. he took ,'the greater good idea to evil extremes.The Nazi government ruled by evolutionary teaching,which highlights the survival of the fittest ,we owe a lot to Darwin,tell that to the millions who have been brutally murdered . Yes who rules is important,and to those governments mentioned they were awful,they are not on their own .As we look at humanity what rule could we say was ,and is, awful,beyond words?,Satan and sin. From the moment God created us, Satan became our enemy seeking our destruction ,oh yes he is a defeated foe,but he still is active,he is called the god of this world, blinding the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel. (2  Corinthians 4 v 4.) In our unsaved state we are ruled by sin and all the terrible consequences of that ,for time and for eternity.(John 8 v 34) But here is the good news Christ Jesus came into the world to save,sinners,and on the cross He won the victory, over death sin and Satan.When we trust Jesus as ones Saviour, death will not have the final say,sin will be forgiven and we will be free from it's power,likewise Satan's power over us will be finished.Indeed when  Satan knocks of the door of our hearts,and asks who rules ,we can reply 'JESUS'.

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'