Faith. ( Romans 4 v 18- 24 )

Are there as one person say's 'degrees in faith'? I am sure that is true,as I  think back in my Christian life I have been  influenced by George Muller of Bristol who had great faith. He was the founder of a work among children, raising up many orphanages,many children were rescued from dire poverty.It was a work of faith, George never made pleas for money, he prayed and God provided,his life is worth reading. He had a deep sense that God had called him to that work, that's a very important point to make.If God calls you to a work ,whatever it may be,then He will aid and guide you to accomplish that work,and He will honour your faith. He honoured George's faith, and that was a confirmation that his calling was of God. There are people I know who have started ministries and and yet they never came to anything. When our Saviour came it was to accomplish the will of God ,He never wavered from that at anytime, nor should we,wondrous things will happen,if it is not the will of God it won't happen,it is as simple as that. A great example is Abraham,who responded to God's call on his life, God blessed him,as He responded to God's  call on His life. his response was an act of faith,and obedience to God , Whether it was to leave his homeland,to marry Sarah,or to sacrifice his son,he acted in faith,and God abundantly honoured his faith.  The life of a Christians commences by faith in Christ,what follows is a life of faith, that faith will surely be tried,and in those trials we can grow in faith, or we can diminish in faith, whatever trial we may face it is a call to exercise faith,Charles Wesley wrote,

                                                       'In hope,against all human hope

                                                       Self-desperate,I  believe...

                                                       Faith,mighty faith,the promise sees

                                                            And looks to that alone;

                                                            Laughs at impossibilites

                                                          And cries; it shall be done!

                                                 

A closer walk with God.( Philippians 3 v 7-14)

 William Cowper was a great poet,a great hymn writer,a very close friend of John Newton,who helped him as a friend with his mental illness.My favourite hymn is ,'God moves in mysterious ways', written by WC , it is a very profound hymn.Another hymn that shows him as being concerned with his walk with God,and aspects of it that many of us can identify with,I know I can ,consider the godliest people,they are not perfect,none of us are,our walk is not all it should be,and  as the opening verse begins there is a longing for a closer walk with God.

                                  'O for a closer walk with God,a calm and heavernly frame; 

                                  A light  to shine upon the road,that leads me to the Lamb!

                                  Where is the blessedness I knew, when first I saw the Lord?

                                  Where is the soul refreshing view,of Jesus and His word?

                                  What peaceful hours I once enjoyed,how sweet there memory still!

                                  But now I feel an aching void,the world can never fill.

                                  The dearest idol I have known,whate'er that idol be,

                                  Help me to tear it from Thy throne,and worship only Thee.

                                  So shall my walk be close with to God,calm and serene my Frame;

                                  So purer light shall mark the road,that leads me to the Lamb.'

The only sacrifice,the only meadiator.( Hebrews 9 v11 -28)

 In the New Teastament Christians are called saints,but in the NIV Christians they are called God's 'Holy people', the meaning is one who is set apart,I wonder if NIV use  those words to clarify a confused situation. Caused by the Church of Rome and its unbiblical  teaching that saints are limited to some special group who they appoint  whereas the the Bible teaches that all Christians are saints,and then these special group whom the Church of Rome exalt to the position of  mediators for all those who pray to God,because it is not what the Bible teaches,1 Timothy 2 v5 reads 'For there is one God and one mediator between God and  mankind,the man Christ Jesus'.There is no bases for making others mediators that includes so called saints or Mary. .As there where many sacrifices under the Old Covenat these sacrifices could never take away sin (Hebrews 10 v 11),but Christ sacrifice put and end to them, by His one never to be repeated sacrifice  ,sin would be finally dealt with, Hebrews 10 v14 reads,' For by one sacrifice He has made perfect for ever those who are being made perfect.' So it is was that under the Old Covenant there many who mediated for the people of God, again that was only a temporary measure, there was a new priesthood promised (Psalm110 v4).Jesus was that person ,no other mediators would be needed,he alone qualified for that role ,no one should can  usurp His position as our great High Priest.

                                                        'It is all about Jesus'

hebrews 7 

A better world. ( Hebrews 11 v 13- 16 )

A Captian Henry Wasknow was mortally wounded in the second world,before he died he behind a letter for his family ,of akind which many young men wrote;here is part of it,' I would liked to have lived. But, since God  has willed otherwise,do not grieve too much,dear ones, for life in the other world must be beautiful, and I have lived with that in mind all along'.What lovely words they are,yet so many people live just for this world ,living with that other beauiful world in mind,does not mean escapism ,for Henry in his letter also wrote,' I have done my best to make the world a better place',and he did that by paying the ultimate price.Let us follow Henry's example, let us always keep in mind that other beautiful world, which we know as heaven,in Colossians 3 v 1 we read,'Set your hearts on things above ,where Christ is'. But let us until Christ callls us home do our best to make this world a better place.

To deny these truths.( John 20 v 31)

 Malcolm Muggeridge who professed to be a Christian wrote the following as regards the virgin birth,did he believe it?,his reply was,he did,and then he said.''but as regards a particular female,without anything else happening,concieved and bore a child and that child was Jesus.In other words, I see it as an artistic  truth rather than an historical truth'. He may have professed to be Christian,but that statement puts a big question over the reality of that. There are many people who believe in a Christ,but it is not the Christ of the Bible,Islam believes in a Christ,Mormons,Jehovah witnesses also believe in a Christ ,but the Christ that they have is far removed from the Christ in the Bible. To be a true Christian  means that we only believe what the Bible teaches, and nothing else,to stray from that brings into question any profession that we may make .We must accept the truth that He was born of Mary who was a virgin ,and that He was the Son of God (Luke 1 v34 -35/Isaiah 7 v 14). That he was truly human but also truly God (Isaiah 9 v 6/ John 1 v 1//Philippians 2 v 8.) .That He was sinless ( Hebrews 4 v15),and that He came for the purpose of saving sinners (Matthew 1v 22 ) that His death on the cross was a sacrifice for sin,that meant he who was sinless would take the sinners place,paying for our sin,that meant taking the punishment for our sins (Isaiah 53v10 /Romans 3 v25/1John 2v2/4v10) ,that means no add -ons,We must believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ .(1 Corinthians 15 ).We must believed that he ascended to heaven  and will return again (Acts 1v9 -11) To deny these truths is to deny you are a Christian.

0

0

I will not fail you.( Isaiah 26 v3 )

 A woman read from what her fatther had written as regards his experience in the 2nd world war,he said everyone was praying,and he found a bit of paper with these words on it, 'Let not your heart be trouble'. These words are, from John 14 v1,our Saviour spoke those words to His disciples,just before He was going to die,for them it would have been a very troubled time. It didn't make sense to them, that He who they believed was the Messiah, should die and die on a cross of all things,But they would eventially understand,and they would remember His words, and how they failed to let them take root. 'Let not your heart be troubled'but it doesn't stop there,it goes unto say,'ye believe in God , believe also in me'.He is saying to saying to them ,'you trust in God' well ,'Trust also in Me', God won't fail you,nor will I,you can trust me for whatever lies ahead,all will be well ,this will not be the end,it will be the beginning of a glorious future ,an eternal future.The future may seem dark now but there will be light at the end of the tunnel.Yes I will die but death will not have the last say,I  go to prepare a place for all my children,I will not fail you.Today He says to all of us who have put their trust in Him,'Let not your heart be troubled',I will not fail you.

                                                'Peace perfect peace,our future all unknown?

                                                Jesus we know , and He is on the throne'

                                                            Words E.H.Bickersteth

The sin of omission. ( 2 Samuel 11 v 14 - 17 )

 Silence is not always is not always golden, there is a time to be quite and a time to speak ,in these later years we have heard of  the horrendous abuse of children ,which was allowed to go on and on for a long ,long time. It took place possible all over the world in the Roman Catholic Church,many knew about it,those in authority just hushed it all up, they simple moved the person to another place ,where he would continue his abuse. Just recently a well known minister in the Anglican Church otherwise known as the Church of England died,and now it has it been revealed that for 40 yrs he was an abuser of young boys,he abused hundreds  of young people.The former owner of  Harrods Mohamed Al-Fayed,who died in 2023 abused many women,many people knew about it,including the police,and they did nothing .Silence is not always golden,far from it, those people who did nothing to stop it are guilty of the sin of omission, whatever the reasons for being silent and not dealing with the abusers they were wrong. Someone I know was harassed and threatened by someone he worked with ,he reported him,yet there was those who winessed what had happened but they did not want to get involved,so they kept silent.

                                                           'There is a time to be silent

                                                            and a time to speak'

                                                              Ecclesiastes 3 v 7.