Turning back.( Matthew 13 v 1ff)

 Recently my friend met his former Pastor and his wife,it was with sadness when his wife said,they did not believe in God anymore.Many years ago I had a similar experience when someone I knew who had been a bright Christian,was no longer following the Lord.It is very sad when we hear that,there are many, sadly to say, who fall by the wayside,they all have their many reasons, we can read about them,in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13 v 1ff/ Mark 4 v 1ff/ Luke 8 v5ff)Most of us know this parable told by our Lord, that illustrates the different reactions,to those who hear the word of God.that includes those who turn away .In v11 we see how the devil is actively engaged in turning  people away from God.Satan tempts us in many ways  to turn back from following Christ ,in Exodus 32 the people of Israel turned from God to worship a golden calf,imagine leaving God for a golden calf,Peter Lewis writes the following,'Where would we be without the gracious presence of the Lord in our lives? God knows, but you may have an inkling! So,when Satan offers you the golden calf or an alternative loyalty, when you are tempted to turn your back on all the kindness and grace of the One God,when  you are tempted by the world to 'chuck' Christianity, remember it is a thousand times better to 'chuck' the golden calf'.

The whole council of God.( Luke 16 v 19 - 31)

 We had a heavy storm with thunder and some lightening recently,later on I jokingly said to my wife,'I thought it was the end of the world'.It is interesting that Noah and the ark is often depicted in a lighthearted  manner, like  the man holding up a placard,with the words ,'The end is nigh',is not taken seriously.When Lot went and told his sons-in-law that judgement was going to fall on Sodom and that they should leave that place,they treated it as a joke. Genesis19 v 14.It is sad that even ministers shun preaching on the time when God will destroy this world (2 Thessalonians 1 // 2Peter 3 v10). This teaching is totally excluded by most preachers,why?,because they don't want to offend.Recently I read in a devotional ,that when Paul preached at Athens,the center of  Greek philosophy, he didn't preach hell,it appeared the writer was given those who dare to preach about hell a rebuke, its as if he was saying,we should'nt offend people with such a thing. It appears that it takes a brave man  to tell people about hell and judgement,and the end of the world.I wonder how those who play down the coming end of this world,of sin,judgement, and hell will fare when they stand before the great judge Christ?. It was Paul the apostle in his farewell speech to the elders of  the Ephesian church said, 'Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all ,for I did not shrink from declaring the whole council of God'.

Make me a channel.( John 3 v30)

 Piet Mondrian said ,'The position of the artist is humble.He is essentially a channel, 'it reminded me of a hymn we used to sing,it really is a prayer ,which we could all pray. .

                                          'Make me a channel of your peace.

                                          Where is hatred,let me bring your love

                                         Where there is injury, your pardon Lord;

                                         And where there is doubt,true faith in you;

                                         Make me a channel of your peace.

                                         Where there's despair in life,let me bring hope;

                                         Where there is darkness,only light;

                                         And where there's sadness, ever joy;

                                         Make me a channel of your peace.

                                         It is in pardoning,that we are pardoned

                                         In giving to all men that we receive ,

                                         And in dying that we're  born to eteraal life

                                         O Master,grant that I may never seek

                                         So much to be console as to console;

                                         To be understood as to understand;

                                          To be loved,as to love with all my soul'

                                           

                                        

                                         

Are you in debt?.( Isaiah 1 v18)

In Matthew 6 v 12 we read,'Forgive us our debts', there used to be a time when people would not get into debt,they would save up enough money to buy what they wanted.But today it is different now, most people get into debt ,and also get into trouble,and they have to declare themselves bankrupt. That's when their borrowing stops,until the next time. In the 14th century debtors could end up in the debtors prison,where they would stay until the debt was repaid.(we have it mentioned also in Matthew 18 v 34) According to one commentator the words,'Forgive us our debts', can be translated ,'forgive us our sins',we are told that all  have sinned and come short of the glory of God,(Romans 6 v23). That means  everyone is in debt, and it is a debt that we can't pay,it is impossible for us to pay that debt, be it a large debt or a small debt.The debt must be paid to God,and yet none of us can pay that debt. Charles Spurgeon asks the following  question. 'How much do you owe to my Lord? Has He forgiven you your sin?'well has He?,do you think that he has forgotten your sins?,or ignored your sins?.The answer is no ,if we die with that debt unpaid,we will carry that debt with us into eternity. The wonderful thing is, God is prepared to pay your debt, the way He does this is by His dear Sons death on the Cross.when He shed his precious blood .Right now you can have your debt(sins) paid if you ask Jesus to be your Saviour, you will be debt free,you will be released from the debtors prison.

                                              

                                              '  He paid the debt He did not owe

                                                 I own the debt I could not pay.

                                                 I needed someone to wash my sins away

                                                 And now I sing a brand new song

                                                                Amazing Grace

                                                 Jesus paid the debt I could never pay'.

                                                                 Conrad Fisher.

Not my will. ( Psalm27 v 11)

Corrie  Ten Boom  and her family lived in the Netherlands,during the occupation by the German's ,the family chose to hide Jews from going to the  concentration camps.Someone informed on them,the result was Corrie and Betsie were taken to Ravensbruck where Betsie died ,but Corrie survived she was released ,it turned out it was a clerical error.A week after she was released,all the women of Corrie's age group were sent to the gas chamber.It reminds me how we will not go until God  permits, our times are in God's hands,and that has been delegated to the Son of God (Revelation 1 v 17). The question one may ask why did the Lord  not permit Betsie to live?, because  it was not His will for Betsie to live,we must all accept that,   though it may be very painful,and we argue ,but they were so young,so gifted,you needed them, you loved them, remember these words,'His good,pleasing and perfect will.(Romans 12 v2) Corrie was spared, God had an important ministry to for her to fulfill,it was a world wide ministry,and she lived to the grand age of 91.God did not use an angel to rescue Corrie ,but a simple clerical error. He does not always rend the heavens,He uses what He our soverign God chooses to use,and His timing is perfect.

                                      '  My will is not my own till Thou hast made it Thine;

                                        If it would reach the monarch's throne, it must its crown resign;

                                        It only stands unbent, amid the clashing strife,

                                       When on Thy bosom it has leant,and found in Thee its life.'

                                                                George Matheson

                                        

Abba Father ( Romans 8 v14- 16)

 There are scriptures clearly tell us that God is other than us,He is holy,and we are not,take Exodus 33 v 20,God is speaking to Moses and He tells him that he cannot see His face and live, and in fact no one can see His face and live.Other scriptures bear this out,(John 1 v18/ 1 Timothy 6 v14 v 16/ 1 John 4 v 12).It is in Exodus 12 v that God spoke to Moses face to face, it was a unique degree of intimacy. Of course God does not have  a body, He is Spirit  John 4 v24,and so He communicates to us in ways we can relate to,but it is only as when we get to  heaven,and we have our spiritual bodies  ( 1 Corinthians 15 v44),will we be able see God fully. God is not like us He is holy, when Isaiah had a vision of God  he was overwhelmed by His holiness he cried out ,'  Woe is me....I am ruined! for I am a man of unclean lips... and my eyes have seen the King,the Lord Almighty' (Isaiah 6 v5). Yes like Isaiah we are right to be fearful of a holy God, so how can we know this fearful being personallly?. Well God had the answer ,Jesus would come and  bring into being the means of dealing with sin that seperates us from God  (Isaiah 59 v2 ),He accomplished this,through His death on the Cross,sin could be forgiven  ,and we could know  God in the most personal way, as a heavenly Father. That brings us to consider the word which our Saviour used,'Abba , it was an everyday word ,a homely family word(John Stott),like the word daddy,oh yes He is a personal loving and friendly God, But God must also be held in reverence we cannot be familiar with Him. Let not this  detract from the fact that He is your loving heavenly Father.

                                          'Abba Father,let me be, Yours and Yours alone,

                                           May my will forever be ever more your own.

                                           Nerver let my heart grow cold,never let me go,

                                           Abba Father let me be Yours and Yours alone'

                                                          Words Dave Bilbrough.

0

All without exception. (John 3 v16)

 The world is full of needy people and as Christians we cannot ignor that,yes the hungry need fed, and clothed,the homeless need somewhere to live, the sick need medical care. Then we have the better off people ,who can afford to live comfortably,they always have something to eat ,nice clothes to wear,and homes to live in, they even have a nice car,and can afford private medical care.Then there is the very rich, they have it all ,a life of luxury.So what's the conclusion of all this?,well I put it this way,mankinds greatest need goes beyond ,being poor,better of,or even being rich.God looks beyond these groups of people,for they all have one thing in common,the poor are lost,the middle class are lost,the rich are lost.They all suffer from the same condition, they are sinners,the poor person is a sinner, the middle class are the same,likewise the rich .God  looks on people differently ,He is not swayed by any of these things,he is no respector of persons in regard to all distinctions of social rank,or wealth, or knowledge.He offers to one and all the forgiveness of their sins through Jesus Christ His Son. God so loved the world that means all its inhabitants,without exception,let us remember that,and let us reach out to all with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.