Fear or Trust. ( Proverbs 3 v 5-6 )

    I  read recently that we are born   with two inherent fears,'a fear of falling, and a fear of loud noises',while that may be true, one thing for sure we all develop other fears,we call them phobias.Often they are very irrational,yet they are real to us,most of them of then don't affect us to much,but some affect us a great deal.God alone knows what we are like,and so in His word we read,'fear not', many times.Often the disciple were afraid like us,what is the answer to our fears?.I believe trust in God, whatever the fear is., simply trusting our God and Saviour,that seems very simple,but it would surprise  us if we knew how many people refuse to do this.A friend of mine who when he was told that the doctors could not  do anymore for him,  realised he was going to die,from that moment on fear took over,and this caused him and his family a great deal of pain.When difficultess arise be what they may,we have two options,on one side there is panic and fear,On the other side we can trust and not be afraid,we have a choice.Faithful trust in God will bring peace,it is there for the asking,our dear Saviour say's to us today,'Trust Me',have faith in me'

                                                       'Commit thou all thy griefs

                                                       And ways into His hands,

                                                       To His sure truth and tender care,

                                                       Who heaven and earth commands.'

                                                        

Pilgrims. ( 2 Timothy 4 v7-8)

Jacob ttravelled up to Egypt to be reunited  to his son Joseph,the son whom he was told had  died , when he arrived, Joseph introduced him to Pharaoh. he asked Jacob,''How old are you?' Jacob replied,''The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My  years have been few and difficult,'' Jacob viewed his time on earth as a pilgrimage, he described it as being few and difficult.( Genesis 47 v8 - 9)Many people go on pilgrimages to so called holy places .Jacob describes his life as a pilgrimage,the fact is, every Christian is on a pilgrimage, the destiny that we are heading toward is no earthly place,like the saints of old, who considered themselves foreigners and strangers on earth.(Hebrews 11 v 13) They longed for a better  country - a heavenly country,  (Hebrews11v 16) This contaminated  planted is only a stop gap,its a tempory residence,it will soon no longer be.Like Jacob we will face difficulties challenges,trisls, they are enevitablei, its the way it is on planet earth. Dear John Bunyan wrote a book called Pilgrims progress,it is worth reading,he describes the journey of Christian the main character in the book, from his salvation to glorification in heaven.We used to sing  a wonderful hynm ,words by John Bunyan ,It  emphasises the steadfastness  that we need to have on our journey to glory and home,

                                          'He who would valiant be gainst all disaster,

                                           Let him in constancy,follow the Master.

                                           There's no discouragement shall make him once relent

                                           His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

                                           Who so beset him round with dismal stories,

                                            Do but themselves confound;His strength the more is.

                                            No foes shall stay his might, though he with giants fight

                                            He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.'

Worries ( Psalm 55 v22 )

 Are you worried about tomorrow?are you fretting about that operation you are going to have? I'm not pointing the finger at you, for I worry at times,inspite of the fact I've been following the Lord for over 60 years.The fact is we live in an uncertain world, even though I have come through many difficulties,I still worry.  Here is the most important thing, I don't stop at my worries or my fears,I seek the Lord,the  word of God says ,'The Lord is compassionate and gracious.....for He knows how we are formed,he remembers that we are dust' Psalm 103v 8/v14.We are also told that we have a great high priest who feels sympathy for our weaknesses, (Hebrews 4 v 15)The disciple who followed Jesus were not perfect,likewise even the great theologians like John Calvin, writing about Luther said,'He lacked control and allowed himself to be worked up into a rage far to quickly'but Calvin also confessed he was like that himself.'God loves his imperfect children,so go to Him with your worries. Then the next thing I do when I worry,I go to God's word,looking for assurance as regards the things I worry about,God knows how weak we are,that's why we He has given us so many  wonderful promises,to reassurance us,to comfort us,in our times of trials,when we are worried about so many things,Remember  those wonderful promises are not just wise sayings they are Gods words given to His children.The worried non-Christian does not have that advantage,so hang unto  that promise of God , like grim death ,don't let the devil rob you of the assurance they bring ,and he will  try,stand on God's word as if your life depended on it, and God will see you through.

                                                     'Make God your first port of call

                                                      not your friends or family,when

                                                       trouble comes'

Drastic measures. ( Isaiah 52 v 13 - 15 /John 1 v 29)

 Christ death on a cross seems at first glance a very drastic means for God to use,but the fact is ,mankinds condition is so drastic it took a drastic solution to deal with it. John Calvin believed that sin could not be fathomed, counted or measured,and was thus infinite.So it is that those who die without their sins being forgiven will hold unto their sin for all eternity.Someone has said the following,'God is an eternal an infinite being (Psalm 90 v2 ) that means that all sin requires an eternal punishment'.Look out on our world today ,read the history of the 20th century,this is never going to change. It is impossible to name all the different types of sins there are,and the ravages and damage they bring with them ,or the offence they cause a holy God.Someone has said, 'every sin committed has disatrous consequences'. Here is the good news God's mercy is infinite.Again let me quote someone,' Infinite mercy means incomprehensible mercy,infinite mercy does not mean condemnation,but hope in Christ''.That drastic means that God brought in through the death of His Son on the cross tells us that no matter how sinful we are,we can receive mercy,forgiveness and eternal life,when we trust Jesus as our Saviour.

                                                    'Blessed is the one whose transgressions

                                                     are forgiven,whose sins are covered'.

                                                                    'Psalm 32 v1'

He is Lord ( 1 Samuel 15 v 22 )5

 'Help us,Lord Jesus not to fool ourselves by only calling you our Lord but not doing the Fathers will,and trying to be your followers in our own terms' (Amen)We come to the last  thoughts by me on the prayer by a lady in the church I attend'. For our Saviour the will of God was vital,not to be trivaled with, not to be taken lightly, the reason He came, was to do the will of God His Father.He knew if He did not fulfill it, the consequences would be unthinkable for all humanity.He never compromised ,and He bore it though to the bitter yet glorious end.We must follow in His footsteps,we call Him Lord,what does not mean for you and me?  The word Kurios (Lord) in the NT has the meaning of deity,(John 20 v28),it can also mean owner  in 1Corinthians 6 v 20 , we read'we are not our own ,we have been bought with a price'.that means His will must be our will it is not optional,to go against it, is rebellion and sinful.The will of God in all our lives is not negotiable,He expects us to do it.The last part of the prayer speaks of trying to be a follower of Jesus on our terms. To think like that is absolute folly,we are not to dictate to God,if he says somthing is wrong then we are not to do it,morally or whatever.When we start to dictate the terms then we are usurping king Jesus rule in our lives.

                                                          ' King of my life,I crown Thee now,

                                                           Thine shall the glory be;

                                                            Lest I forget Thy thorn brow,

                                                             Lead me to Calvary'

                                                               'Words J.E,Mussey'

A need to be changed, ( Job 23 v10)4

     The prayer.'Lord we confess that when we look at ourselves,we must recognise that we are so far from the best  version of ourselves,from the person who you want us to become, because we keep taking steps back and withdraw ourselves from you.' Oh for a consistent Christian life, it's one thing being seen in Church singing lustly, looking like butter wouldn't mealt in ones mouths,we all are to some extent Jekyll and Hyde's .Of course that's where sanctification comes ,in that process that God  uses to make us more like Jesus.Joseph, Jacob son suffered so much ,but before he would be raised out of his suffering and be exalted to be next to Pharaoh ,his character needed to be purged from dross by the  prison experience, that experience   would qualify him for the task that lay ahead,and of course make him a more holy person. God has ways of changeing us,they are often  painful . Before the rough diamond becomes a thing of beauty ,the roughness must be removed, God has a purpose, and its this , as I have said ,that we may be conformed to the image of God's Son.

                                                          ' Have Thine own wat Lord,

                                                            Have Thine own way,

                                                             Hold o'er my being

                                                             Absolute sway,

                                                             Filled with Thy Spirit,                                

                                                             Till all can see,

                                                              Christ only always living in me'

                                                                     ' Words A,D,Pollard'

What you do with the riff raff? ( Romans 5 v 6 - 8 )3

 The prayer,'Dear Lord ,we don't why you chose us; probably  because we are the weakest of all and therefore you can show your great power through our weakness'.Yes is a good question,in 1 Corinthians 1v26 ff gives the answer. 'Brothers and sisters,think of what you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards,not many were influential;not many were of noble birth. But God chose  the weak things of the world to shame the strong.God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not to nullify the things that are'. So that no one may boast before Him'. We  were chosen from the riff raff of this world,what you do with the riff raff of this world?,what did God do ? He saved them by His grace through Chrst His Son.No one can boast ,no one,whatever we are now as Christians,whatever hights we have been raised to,we are what we are by the grace and mercy of God.

                                                    ' The vilest  offender who truly believes,

                                                      That moment from Jesus a pardon 

                                                       receives.'

                                                           ' TO GOD BE THE GLORY'