All equal. ( Galatians 3 v 23 - 29)

There's a song from the,'The slave songs of the United States',which at one time was very popular,here is a verse from it.

                                       'Some times I'm up, sometimes I'm down

                                                           Oh ,yes, Lord.

                                        Some times I'm almost to the ground

                                                            Oh ,yes,Lord.

Well if you were a slave you can understand those words,they had good reason to feel like that,it is amazing that many slaves became Christians.At the time of our Lord when Rome ruled millions of people were slaves,and many becames Christians.That give then a new standing in life ,for they became children of God,and in God's eyes they were precious. There are many disadvantaged people in life in so many countries,who are very poor,uneducated,born into a religion that has a cast system,and those in the lower casts are looked down upon.Then there are religions that treat women as inferior to men,which can be very abusive.The good news is this ,God's love is not discriminatory,it reaches out to everyone,and through accepting Christ as their Saviour they become children of God. 

                                             'In Christ nobody's become somebody's'

How big is our God?. ( Ephesians 3 v 20)

 Its so easy to get down, problems are piling up,family problems,lack of money,illness,and so we go on,and we might be like Elijah filled with despair (1 Kings 19),or like Elisha's servant when the enemies of Israel surrounded the city they were in,he cried out in fear,'what shall we do?'Elisha spoke to him ,'Don't be afraid.Those who are with us are more thatn those who are with them'.And Elisha prayed,'Open his eyes Lord ,so that He may see,and the servant looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire'. (2 Kings 6) In Psalm 78 v19 we have these words spoken by a unbelieving Israel.'Can God provide a table in the wilderness?',spoken in unbelief.There is a childrens chorus written by Nigel and Jo Hemming that goes,

                                                'Our God is a  great big God

                                                Our God is a great big God

                                                Our God is a great big God.

                                                He's higher than a skyscraper

                                                And deeper than a submarine,

                                               He's wider than the universe,

                                               And beyond my wildest dreams

                                               He knows me,and He loves me,

                                               Before the world began,

                                               How wonderful to be part of 

                                               God's almighty plan'

Better. ( Romans 8 v28 )

 Ecclesiastes 7 v 8 reads 'The end of a thing is better than its beginning', we can look at this in different ways, we see it in the lives of people in the Bible  like Joseph,think of all he suffered the hatred of his brothers ,being  sold into slavery ,falsely accused of rape,put into prison ,but in God's providence all that changed.Think about David and the trials he  had during King Sauls reign,but again in God's providence it all changed for the better.I know of people who had awful childhoods but again in the providence of God things are better now.Possible you are facing trials now but in God's providence things can change to a better ending.Let us look at another aspect of this verse ,as regards healing, now I speak as one who experienced the lost of my first wife from cancer ,she was a young woman in early 30s,I prayed she would be healed,but in God's will it didn't happen. It makes me very sad when I see these so called faith healers exploiting people financially,they give people false hope,they have a lot to answer for.Let me just say if it is God's will, healing will take place.Let me share a story,about a couple in  Uganda they came to the Kisiizi hospital,the woman looked thin and pale they had attended many other facilities,spending a lot of money with no improvement.She was examined and was told she had advanced cancer  and it was to late for surgery to help.The staff prayed for them and left them alone for a little while,when they returned  to their surprise they found them both smiling.'The couple told them  that nobody had told them the truth as regards her diagnosis,and they had lost their faith.but now they were at peace again ,and trusting in God, knowing that this life is not the end of the story.'

                                                 'For the Christian the end will always

                                                  be better than the beginning'

They need to hear, ( Romans 10 v 14)

I have just finished reading a biography of  Robert Murray McCheyne a minister of the Free Church of Scotland ,he ministered in the 19th century.He did not live very long dying at the early age of 30,his ministry lasted but 7 yrs ,yet in that 7yrs he accomplished so much. He was an evangelical in other words he was faithful to the word of God, he spoke of a perishing world. He had a great burden for the souls of humanity,and if people died without Christ they would go to hell. When one becomes a minister it is vital that one is faithul in proclaiming the gospel of our Lord Jesus .Sad to say there are many who do not do this,but we have to leave that with God ,none of us are accountable for other ministers,we will only be held accountable as to ourselves,it is an awesome responsibility,a minister has.Yet it does not only apply to ministers it applies to all Christians, we are called to be witnesses.Coming back to McCheyne ,before he found Christ he said although he had many ministerial friends he could find no one to talk to him about his soul. No friend who cared for his soul,none to direct him to the Saviour. He said I had no minister to take me by the hand,and say,' come with me , and we will do thee good'.

                                                            'Tell them about Jesus'

To love the unlovely ( Matthew 5 v 43 - 48)

 I was in a restaurant recently,and the person who was taken our order had a mannerism that was off -putting,not pleasing or likable,not a person you would want to give a tip to.I was not the only one in our group who thought that,we commented on her,in a negative way.It was later I felt convicted by the Holy Spirit,and prayed for forgiveness,and asked the Lord to help me love the unlovely.Our Saviour showed love to many unlovely people,in Matthew 8 we read how our Saviour reached out and touched a man,we may  say so what, well it wasn't just any man ,he was a leper.Even today  in some countries there is a great stigma attached to anyone with leprosy.No one would have touched that leper,but Jesus did,and He also healed him.(I am not saying that lepers are not nice people)There are unlovely people everywhere even in the Christian church ,why should we love these people,because Jesus loves them,and He tells us we must love them,He tells us that we are to love our enemies ,and pray for those who persecute us. ( Matthew 5 v 44).It is easy to love nice people,but a real challenge to love those who are not nice,but that's the challenge we face.There are 4 different words for love in Greek, stergein that word  describes family love ,then there is eros that can mean physical love,next there is philia love describes real love that is warm and affectionate,lastly their is agape ,it is to love those who do not love us,it does not mean that we let people do what they want to us but as William Barclay says by God's grace to not strike back or seek vengence.Let us never forget that God loves the ungodly,that was us but He still loved us.

                                                    'Thy foes might hate ,dispise ,revile,

                                                      Thy friends  unfaithful prove;

                                                       Unwearied in forgiveness still,

                                                        Thy heart could only love.'

I'II Walk With God . ( Hebrews 11 v 5-6 )

Let us consider a man  called Enoch we highlight the fact that he walked with God for 300yrs,but it also tells us when he died he had lived 365 yrs( Genesis 5 v 21-24) .So it appears that for 65 yrs he didn't walk with God. So at the age of 65 with the birth of a son called Methuselah ,things changed,and changed for the better, in that he started walking with God.His walk was one that pleased God for it was a walk of faith.Let me ask you a question how would you descibe your walk with God?, is it a walk of faith?is it a walk that pleases God?.The apostle Paul touches on this in 1 Thessalonians 4 v1, he writes,'We instructed you how to live in order to please God'.It involves faith, obedience,love,and holiness,it is not about making a new years resolution,it is about our relationship with God,if that's right then everything else will be right. In this walk we must put God first in all our lives, the totality  of our life,when we forget this then we are not pleasing God.We must always be seeking to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect,that is our aim,but being in this body of flesh we will sin and fail.Enoch was not perfect none of us are,but when we fall we must seek forgiveness and repent of our sins,and that will please God,Someone said ,'The person who abides in Christ,cannot walk in sin' in Proverbs 24 v16 reads,'For though the righteous fall seven times,they arise again'.

                                                'I want to walk with Jesus Christ

                                                 All the days I live of this life on earth,

                                                 To give to Him complete control.

                                                  I want t learn to speak to Him,

                                                  To pray to Him,to confess my sin,

                                                   To open my life and let Him in'

                                                          Words Clive Simmonds

                                                 

 

Happy New Year (Joshua 1 v 1 - 9)

Now its from, 'Happy Christmas', to 'Happy New Year',one thing we do know,that none of us know what the year will bring forth,what changes will come into our lives.The fact is that life will always have an uncertainy about it.nothing can change that.Many people would like to know what lies ahead,but its not possible and mybe that's for best.If we are Christians we are very fortunate,because we have the Lord Jesus with us come what may,and that does make all the difference.Let us consider an Old Testament saint Joshua,Moses had died,he towers over history,one of the greatest men who ever lived.God gave him the task to bring Israel out of Egypt and it came to pass,and so started the journey towards the promised land,the journey took 40 long years.Imagine taken over the leadership from Moses,to say the least it would have been very challenging. So God speaks to him,telling him,'As I was with Moses,so I will be with you' (Joshua 1 v5)likewise whatever the new year holds for us He will not change,Matthew Henry says,'Moses is dead but the Master is not.'As Joshua would lead Israel God says,'Be strong and courageeous.Do not be afraid;do not be discouraged,for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go'(Joshua 1 v 9) As these words were spoken to Joshua ,they are now being spoken to you and to me.

                                                     'Many things about tomorrow,

                                                      I don't seem to understand;

                                                      But I  know who holds tomorrow,

                                                       And I know who holds my hand'

                                                                    Ira F.Stanhill