I was not perfect. ( Philippians 1 v 6 )

A young lad was singing a song about his dad who had died recently,some of the words went like this,' No need to forgive,no need to forget,I know your mistakes and you know mine'.I attended a funeral recently of someone I have known for a long time,we were joint leaders in a certain church. The service was full of tributes to that brother,and I was impressed by what was said,every thing was very positive,as you would expect it to be.  I am a father of  five son's, I have been married twice,my first wife died of cancer. I am eighty years of age and looking back back on my life as a husband I wasn't perfect ,likewise as a father,I made mistakes. When it comes to my funeral  I hope they will point out that I was far from perfect,as a husband I was faithful I loved both my wives,but I was not the perfect husband ,likewise I loved my children, but I was not a perfect father,I made mistakes,and they made mistakes,but I have  loved them greatly.Let us remember that there are no perfect husbands, and no perfect children,but  this I know if God had not saved me early in my life, I would have been a worse person,I can quarantee that.I exalt the grace of God,and the mercy of God , and the love of God ,for saving a wretch like me when I trusted Jesus as my Saviour.

                                                    'Amazing grace! how sweet the sound

                                                     That saved a wretch like me!

                                                      I once was lost, but now am found;

                                                       Was blind but now I see.'

                                                                  John Newton.

                                                          

Only one sin. ( Numbers 32 v 23 )

When the Bible tells us that all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God,(Romans 3 v23) that's a fact,how serious does one take that?,and how serious do we take sin?. I heard a person say,as regards something that was being done,'that's not a big sin', I think a lot of people categorise sin ,from a human point ,we see murder ,child abuse,rape as being very severe ,and then other things as not so serious.But how does God look on sin ?, well He takes all sin very seriously,even sins of ignorance.I was talking to  a friend recently,and he mentioned about his mother,whom he loved,she was not saved .When he spoke to her as regards salvation,like many people she said the usual thing ,she went to church,and didn't do very much wrong.Her son said this to her,'one sin will take to you to hell,'he went on to say how he invited his mother to go to church with him,which she did, it was snowing so not many people were there.My friend went and spoke to the preacher before the meeting began,he said to him,that there was only one unsaved person in the meeting,and that was his mother.He said to him that in his message say,'that even one sin will take you to hell',and the preacher did that.At the end of the message he made an appeal for anyone who wanted Jesus as their Saviour to put up their hand,and my friends mother did,she became a Christian, and when she died ,she didn't go to hell, she went to heaven.

Image ( John 1 v 14)

 I have just read an article by Melanie Reid,she is tetraplegic and is partial paralysed and gets about on a wheel church.It was a very frank articial,she confessed she did not like to see herself in a mirror because she didn't like the image she saw,after all she said,'I'm someone in a wheelchair, that's my distinguishing characteristic,how can anyone be proud of that'. She confessed'The cruel rider is I've never lost my vanity.being in a chair just makes conceit more poignant'Recently I saw a photo of myself  with my wife Daphne,and I did not like what I saw,I looked old,which I am,I am eighty,I no longer have a good side,I think I shall go to the body shop.Alright I'm not the man I used to be,but in another sense that's good,what do I mean by that?.In 2 Corinthians 4 v16,we read,'   Though outwardly we are wasting away,yet inwardly we are renewed day by day'.Man looks on the outward appearance we see this in so mamy things,but God looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16v7) .Paul must have being shown the wear and tear of all the trials and difficulties he had come through.So he reminds us that we must see ourselves not just from a physical point of veiw,but from a spiritual point of veiw,what is the quality of my being inwardly? that is what is important,how are we developing spiritually?,an old saint once said,'yes I am old,but I'm still growing',and becoming more like Jesus.You cannot take a photo of that,but we can manifest it in our live s.Isaiah wrote 53 v 2 about the coming Messiah Jesus,and he said the following, ' He had no form nor comeliness ; and when we shall see Him,there is no beauty that we should desire him,' and yet he was alltogether lovely.

                                                'His words were beautiful,His life 

                                                 life was beautiful,and His death

                                                 was beautiful'

Therefore (Romans 12 v 1-2 )

In that wonderful book of Romans, Paul hammers out so many wonderful truths,having done that, in chapter 12 ,it starts with the word ,'Therefore ', in the light of the great truths of  salvation,to both Jews and Gentiles, the fact that we are no longer condemned,and the tremendous security we have  in Christ,and that nothing seperates us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (8 v 35-39) there should be a response to that,Paul first of all reminds us,'In veiw of God's mercy,we should offer our bodies as a living ssacrifice,holy and pleasing to God,this is our true proper worship'.One word I use continually is mercy,and I rejoice that God in his mercy saved me,not only that,he give me a new life.When the hymn writer wrote of the cross he said ,'Love so amazing so divine demands my soul ,my life ,my all'.That is what we are challenged with in these opening words of Romans 12, to offer our bodies as living sacrifice, yes our bodies,'holy and pleasing to God'. John Stott writes the following,'No worship is pleasing to God which is purely inward,abstract and mystical; it must express its self  in concrete acts of service performed by our bodies'.We all must all become motherTeresa's,again as John Stott writes,' That our feet will walk in His paths,our lips will speak the truth and spread the gospel,our tongues will bring healing,our hands will lift up those who have fallen, performing many mundane tasks; our arms will embrace the lonely and unloved,our ears will listen to the cries of the distressed,and our eyes will look  humbly and patiently  towards God'.

A word in season ( Lamentations 3 v 22-23)

 I was speaking to a young man ,who was unsettled as regards his employment situation, I said to  him that as I  looked back I could see how God in His providental care,had undertook for me.He said that's in the past, but what about now?,yes what about now,is God just the God of the past?,I did my best to encourage that that young man how God would undertake for him now.Coninciding with this I was concerned about something,my dear wife was travelling on the following day to our son's home,I wanted to go with her,but was unable to.The weather forecast said there would be heavy rain,and also strong winds.Also  there were road works in place,possible diversions,it  created a degree of concern for us both. The next day before she went on her journey I read  a devotional about a man going on a journey,and how the Lord undertook. The verse at the top of the devotional read,'The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and evermore' (Psalm 121 v8) That to me was a word in season,it came just at the right time,and encouraged me greatly, God's providental care for us His children is ongoing,not just in the past,but also in present,and also in the future. 

                                                  'Consider what you owe to God's providence'

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.'