Show me a sign. ( Hebrews 4 v16)

In v 17 of Psalm 86  we read David asking God,''Give me a sign of your goodness'',is it  right to ask God for a sign?.  Gideon did  Judges 6 v 17,and God give him what he asked,The miracles that Jesus performed were in fact signs,they pointed to convince men who He was. (John 14 v11) Often the miracles did convince people who He was,and to believe in Jesus.The same applies to the miracles the apostles performed Acts 5 v 12-14.but there is no guarantee,that people who see miracle signs or experience them will turn to Christ,consider all that our Saviour did and instead of trusting Christ they crucified Him. Do these signs happen now?, yes the times of miracles is not passed ,a friend of mine told me of two people he prayed for and they were healed,they never turned to Christ.Yet the challenge is not everyone gets healed, for whatever reason,and that reason is in God's hands. We focus an awful lot on healing,but Christ miraculously fed thousands with a few loaves and fishes. I'm sure many can testify how God has provided for them,again a friend of mine,spoke to his wife and how they needed another car,and shortly after a friend whom he had not seen for a long time phoned and said that he had a car to give him. What is wonderful how many experience terrible suffering,and yet still trust the Lord,how do we account for that,it is a miracle of Grace. Everyone who is a Christian is a miracle sign of the grace of God,it changes their standing,they become children of God,their sins are forgiven,the power of sin is broken in their lives,their destination is not hell, but heaven,of course all comes into being when we trust Jesus as our Saviour.

                                                               'Amazing Grace'

Stop stumbling. ( Acts 4 v12 )

 When in Athens Paul came into contact with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers,one may ask what good comes out of philosophy? Epicurean believed that the universe  was self -creating  and self-destroying,it began by a  chance combination of atoms.of course chance can not do anything.Modern day thinking on the universe and how it began,is similar to Epicurism,it just all happenened which is impossible. The center of Philosophy was Athens the great thinkers came from there and yet Athens was full of idols one writer says it was smothered or swamped by idols and as John Stott says it was a veritable forest of idols.,and just in case they missed a god they had an altar to a'unknown god'.Spititual blindness was the name of the day for they knew not God they fumbled about in the darkness.Blinded by the god of this world,and their own darkened nature,the wisdom of man will never lead anyone to a knowledge of the only one, and true God. And as for the Gospel it is foolishness to them, but that foolishness is in fact the wisdom of God.Paul writes, that the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. ( 1 Corinthians 1 v18/23)But to us who are being saved it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1 v16) all mankind need a saviour,that Saviour is none other than Jesus Christ.

                                                    'Stop stumbling about in the darkness and turn to 

                                                     Jesus, the Light of the world'

We are to blame.( Romans 3 v10 - 18)

 It may not be obivious but God is still there,yes He is,and he is aware of everything that is going on ,He knows every persons  thoughts,there is nothing hidden from our sovereign God .As one looks at this world it appears as if so much is out of control,if that is so how is He sovereign?.In Romans 11 v 33 we read 'How impossible it is for us to understand His  decisions and His ways'!.Humanity may know  a lot of things,but when it comes to God and His ways,we are very limited,His ways are past finding  out,as one commentator says,'we will never figure out God fully ,or His ways. Habakkuk the prophet struggled as regards His ways,twice he asks ,'Why?' 1v 13,like Habakkuk we have all wondered why,as we look at so much evil,and pain in the world.We must bear in mind that we are all part of  this fallen human race,that means that at some leval we are acting contrary to God's will.It is no use crying and blaming God,when Adam sinned he blamed his wife and then she blamed the serpent,who are we to blame God?, as regards the mess the world is in.In spite of our rebellion against our holy God,He is merciful and forgiving, and He has gone to great lengths to bring us back to Himself,for in spite of our sinfulness He loves us, an Easter hymn comes to mind, written by Cecil F. Alexander.

                                    'There is a green hill far away,outside a city wall,

                                    Where the dear Lord was crucifed,who died to save us all.

                                    We may not know,we cannot tell,what pain He had to bear;

                                    But we believe it was us for us He hung and suffered there.

                                    He died that we may be forgiven,He died to make us good,

                                    That we might go at last to heaven ,Saved by His precious blood.

                                    There was no other good enough topay the price of sin;

                                     He only could unlock the gate,of heaven and let us in.

                                     O dearly,dearly has He loved!and we must Him too,

                                      And trust in His redeeming blood and try His works to do.'

                                      

                                   

                                     

                                               

Beware of Novelty. ( Ephesians 4 v11 - 16 )

Someone I know who is not a Christian has been going round different churches with his partner and daughter I believe he is seeking to grasp what Christianty is about,I have witnessed to him,and have given him a Bible. He has never attended any church and is completly ignorant as regards spiritual things.He told me of one church he attended,he said it was like a cult, and said he was not going back there but thankfully he will continue to look for a church that will preach the word. While we don't want a dead lifeless church the word of God is vital in helping the church grow spiritually,we all need to be instructed in the things of  God,instructed as to walking in the paths of righteousness.there is no substitute for sound Biblical teaching.John Stott wrote the following,' The refomers were accused by the Roman Catholic Church of teaching novelties.But they denied it.'We teach no new thing',Luther claimed.'but we repeat  and establish old things, which the apostles and all godly teachers have taught  before us'. Or as Lancelot Andrews was to say a century later, 'we are renovators not innovators'.

                                                           'Preach the Word'

His kingdom ( Daniel 6 v 7-8)

 When our Saviour stood before Pilate,he asked him,''Are you king of the Jews''? why did he ask Him that?.' well it was simple enough,because he knew that the Jews wanted to overthrow the rule of Rome.When Paul was arrested he was asked was he an Egyptian who had started a revolt?,( Acts 21 v38)of course he wasn't.So as I have pointed out the Romans were always aware that a revolt could happen any time.But our Saviour put him at his ease,and replied,'My kingdom was not of this world' (John 18 v36).Our Saviour never came to set up an earthly kingdom by force of arms.Because the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom. filled with spiritual people, by the new birth (John 3 v 7) That kingdom can never be destroyed,can never be overthrown, (Daniel 6 v 26).many are trying to do that,by murdering the citizens of God's kingdom.That will not work  ,God's kingdom will not only survive but it will continue to grow, those who are persecuting citizens of  God's kingdom  are fighting against King Jesus ( Acts 9 v 4).King Jesus cannot be overthrown no matter how much they try. In  Deuteronomy 32 v4 and Psalm 89 v26  God is called a Rock, likewise in 1 Corinthians 10 v 4 Christ is called a Rock, He is that Rock upon which the Church is built upon,and none other.

                                                 'On Christ the solid Rock, I stand;

                                                 All other ground is sinking sand'

                                                            'Edward Mote'

                                                 

 

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Habits. ( Ephesians 4 v 17 - 24)

 Old habits die hard,so it goes,and its true,this was borne in a upon me recently,I have stopped wearing a wrist watch,but I have started to wear a bracelet,with a cross displayed.But here's the thing, I keep looking at it, to see what time it is.it makes me smile.But I know that there are many habits that many people have that don't bring a smile,or cause them to be happy,there are good habits and there are bad habits.If one is a Christian then we should ,read our Bible,pray,witness ,attend a fellowship with fellow believers,also we should do good works,when we let these things slip then we are slipping up.Those habits should not be done unthinkingly but with earnestness and sincerity,all this will help one grow spiritually. Reading the Bible regularly is like spiritual food,it is food for your very soul.Prayer is vital to our relationship with our triune God,we will gain strength from it, opening up many pathways,that are all good,neglect it to your cost.We are all called to be witnesses,by our lives and our words,to a lost world,ask the dear holy Spirit to empower you to witness to others.Not attending a fellowship with other believers,we are neglecting our Christian  family,lets not neglect our family, remember they need you and you need then.Then do good works ,not to be saved,not out of legalisim but out of love for others,and as we do that, we are glorifying our heavenly Father  (Matthew 5 v 16 )

                                                 ' Let our lives be filled with good habits'

The have's, and the have nots. ( Luke 10 v 25 -37 )

 In 2017 their was a major fire in a block of high rise flats ,72 people died.223 escaped,I watched it on TV, it was awful. Then  there was fire in a block of flats in East London thankfully the 100 residents escaped. One of the residents was complaining that she lost her wedding dress, now I know a wedding dress is important,or is it?,after all she didn't loose her life.So often we get things out of proportion , I believe that is so ,like the case of the young lady who lost her wedding dress. We need to look out of our comfort zone , to the have not's in the world.There is so much suffering going on ,think of the homeless,hungry, persecuted,in Mozambique there are approximately one million people who live as Internally Displaced People.If you are one of the have's,be grateful,be thankful, keep things in proportion, let us remember the have not's, in our prayers,and in our giving, or in anyway we can help them.

                                                    'It is more blessed to give than to receive'

                                                                        Galatians 6 v 10