Can you wonder. ( John 3 v36) 2.

 Last time we considered  the price Christ paid for our salvation,the price involved Christ becoming a man and coming into this world, and dying on a cross,All that was mind blowing, but we go a bit further ,the question why? what did it all mean? .We are told that He would save his people from their sins,how was He going to do that ?,This leads on to consider a  certain word ,which some peopel don't like, it is the word propitiation, it is mentioned four times in the NT,in Romans3 v25/  /Hebrews 2 v7/1John 2v2/ 1John 4 v10/. the word means satisfying the wrath of God,turning away that wrath,appesseing God's just judgement and righteous anger against us and our sins..Consider John 3 v36,' Whoever  rejects the Son will not see life,for Gods wrath remains on them.' In other words if you are not a Christian the wrath of God abides on you,there is no middle ground.But God has made a way for that wrath to be removed,And that is where Christ  sacrifice comes in,on that cross He choose to be a substitute,in other words he would take our the place on the cross ,so that when we put our trust in Him for salvation, the wrath of God is taken from us and put on Him.Consider the depth of  suffering He endured,no one can calculate the depth of that suffering,that's the price He paid.

                                                     ' Can you wonder,can you wonder 

                                                             Why it is I love Him so ?

                                                          When I think of all He's done,

                                                             And for me the guilty one,

                                                             Can you wonder why it is

                                                                      I love Him so'

Amazing (Philippians 2 v5 -8 ) 1

 I had some loose change sitting on my desk,and the words of a song came to mind.'Thirty piecec of silver was the price they paid,Thirty pieces of silver just the price of a slave.And my heart I have given to this Christ betrayed,for I know just how much He loved by the price he paid.' I don't know who wrote those words,or if I have the words right,but they are lovely words with a profound meaning. From eternity Christ knew the price that He would have to pay for our salvation,He would have to leave heaven,He who was the Son of God,equal with God, he didn't grasp at that ,but emptied Himself(Figuratatively speaking)He would still be God,but as one writer puts it,'He would divest Himself of His rightful dignity, by decending to an inferior condition abasing Himself.' When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon he said,' One small step for man, one giant step for mankind'.When we think of the step that Christ took when He left heaven and came to planet earth, it's beyond words to describe .He didn't come as a visitor,He came, taking upon Himself the very nature of a servant, but it didn't stop there,for we read, He humbled Himself ,by becoming obedient to death,but not just to death but death on a cross.That's part of the price He paid for our salvation one words sums it up amazing,we will continue to look further at this, next time.

Prayer ( Luke 11 v 1 )

Are there people who are experts in praying?, its a good question,I wonder what's a good answer ? One of my favourite hymns is all about prayer,I feel led to leave it with you,it is by James Montgomery.

                                   'Prayer  is the soul's sincere desire,uttered or unexpressed,

                                   The motion of a hidden fire,that trembles on the breast.

                                   Prayer is the burden of a sky,the falling of a tear,

                                   The upward glancing of an eye,when none but God is near

                                   Prayer is the simplest form of speech,that infant lips can try;

                                   Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach, the Majesty on high.

                                   Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,the Christian's native air,

                                   His watchword at the gates of death,he enters heaven with prayer.

                                   Prayer is the contrite sinners voice,returning from his ways;

                                   While angels in their songs rrejoice,and cry,behold he prays!

                                   O Thou by whom we come to God,the Life,the Truth,the Way!

                                   The path of prayerThyself hast trod; Lord teach us how to pray.'

                          

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'