Double Guidance. ( Revelation 3 v 7-8 )

When Abraham responded to  the call of  God he obeyed and went out ,not knowing where he was going.(Hebrews 11 v 8).When I went to Bible college my wife and I thought we knew where we were going,well we were in for a surprise,it didn't work out that way. We applied to the mission we thought would accept us,but they didn't,but we still  felt the call of God heavy on our hearts.it took another two years before God opened the door,we ended up in England,The day we set off  for our destination ,I read this verse,'Behold ,I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared' (Ex 23 v20) It is A.T.Pierson who writes of 'the double guidance  prohibition and restraint the other being 'permission and constraint',in other words the Spitit says,''go not''; and then He says ''Come''. (CP Acts 16 v6 ff)Here are some examples of 'double guidance'Dr Barnardo believed he was going to China as a missionary,C T.Studd likewise thought he was going to China,instead he went to the Congo.Willian Carey planned to go to Polynesia but God guided him to India. When God calls us,we need not be surprised or disappointed if he shut doors,but if your call is of God He will open the right door.

Glorification( Colossians 3 v 1-4)3

Is this all there is?so many people dismiss an after life,and so they try to focus totally on this life, the very rich will build a little heaven here on earth.When one witnesses to people often they do not want to know, its as if they are saying don't intrude into their little world .But then as a Bishop Blougram writes,'Just when we are safest,there's sunset touch,A fancy from a flower bell,some one's death'.Or as Bruce Milne writes,'Or, as we may add,a terrorist outrage.Something breaks into our lives that cries out against our materialistic complacency,The great questions of existence rise up once again;What is life? Where is it going?What about death and beyond?. Yes ,what about death and beyond?,the Bible gives us the answer,it is not an ambiguous answer,no it is very clear, that answer is to be found in Jesus,who came from heaven to earth for a purpose, that is to rescue humanity.Oh yes we need rescuing,look out on this world and the awful suffering,and wickedness we hear about everyday,why with all our abilities can we not create a perfect world,why?,because we are all imperfect,or as the word of God says we are all sinners,I was witnessing to a person once and he said you always mention about sin. Yes I do ,for unless our sin is forgiven,Hell awaits ,once you cross into eterniy ,all hope of going to Heaven ,and escaping Hell is gone.There will be no glorification for anyone, but for the believer the one who has trusted Jesus glorification awaits.One writer puts it like this,' glorificationis that final stage of salvation where believers are fully transformed to be like Christ, experiencing a state of perfect holiness and glory in the presence of God,free from sin and suffering'

Sanctification ( Jeremiah 18 v 6 )2

 From justification to sanctification, no Christian is perfect,that does not affect our position in Christ,we are saved and we will not perish,our eternal future is secure (Romans 10 v 28).But God did not only predestined as regards salvation(Ephesians 1 v11), He also has predestined us to be conformed to the image of  His Son' (Romans 8v 29),That is sanctifiction,to be like Jesus,we often hear people say ,he gets more like his father everyday,as it is in the natural so it should be in the spiritual,we should be- come like Jesus everyday.that should be our aim and purpose in life.we are all the unfinished artical,unpolished diamonds.This is a work of God in all our lives,the apostle Paul wrote that He was confident that God who has begun a good work in us would carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.(Philippians1v6).We are not passive in this process we have to march to the beat of a different drum,crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires and keeping in step with God's Spirit.[Galatians 5 v22ff) Yielding and accepting God's will in all things including suffering.

                                                    'Have thine own way ,Lord,

                                                     Have thine own way;

                                                     Thou art the potter,I am the clay;

                                                     Mould me and make me after Thy will,

                                                     while I am waiting,yielded and still.'

                                                                  Words  A A Pollard

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Justification (Romans 5 v1)

 There are three tenses in relation to salvation,(1)  Justification (past) (2) Sanctification (present) (3) Glorification (Future) Let us consider them briefly,so let us start at number one Justification ,it is that moment in time when you trust Jesus to be your Saviour.Convicted by the Holy Spirit you came to Christ to forgive you all your sins,we are all sinners and so we all need forgiveness,its as simple as that.In our unsaved state we are all shut out from the presence of God,Justification comes through faith in Christ not by our good works,but by the work  of Christ on the cross.Our sins are all forgiven by simple faith,God no longer sees our sins,and alongside that,God imparts unto us the righteousness of Christ.

                                                        ' Tis God that justifies

                                            Who shall recall the pardon or the grace,

                                         Or who the broken chain replace of guilt replace

                                                          'Tis God  that justifies'

                                                         (Words  Horatius Bonar )

                                                                       

Tears ( Psalm 34 v18)

 I am reading the life of Winstone Churchill and often you read of him crying,and yet he was a manly person,brave and courageous.Tears are very important in our lives they give release as regards sorrow,I remember attending the funeral of my brothers wife,after the commital friends and family met for a time ,and a number of us sat with my brother,and I said something nice about how he felt his dear wife.It appeared to embarrass him ,as if he didn't want to show emotion, It should not embarrass someone if they shed tears at the loss of a loved one.The Bible is full of people who shed tears,Joseph was a man who shed many tears,(  Genesis 42 v24/ 45 v2/14/43v30/50 v1/17)They were not tears of anger or wanting vengance,but  love  for those brothers who had caused him so much pain. King David experience a lot pain in his life ,at a time when he and his men lost everything we read 'that they wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.' ( 1 Samuel 30 v4)It could have been from that experience he wrote ,'Weeping may stay for the night but rejoicing comes in the morning',( Psalm 30 v5),for he and his men recovered all that they had lost.We can all have that experience when God can turn  our tears into rejoicing.if not in ths world but in heaven, we are told that our God will wipe every tear from our eyes. (Revelation21v4)Last but not least let us consider Peter the one who denied his Lord he was the one who foolishly boasted that he was prepared to go to prison and die with his Lord (Luke 22 v33),but it was not to be,three time he denied Him.Just as he had spoken the third time the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter,and we we read ,'And he went outside and wept bitterly'(v62) From these tears he would learn so many things about himself. Ira F. Stamphill wrote the following ,

                                            'He washed my eyes with tears,that I might see,

                                             The broken heart I had was good for me

                                             He tore it all a part,and looked inside,

                                             And found it full of fear,so much foolish pride.'

                                              'What are you learning through your tears? '

                                             

                                                      

                                                 

1 Samuel 30 

Prayer a need. (James 5 v 17-18 )

 Daniel was a man of prayer,daily he prayed three times (Dan 6 v 10).we do not have to be like Daniel,it would be good if we  were.But one thing for sure we need to pray,it must be a priorty in all our lives,when should one pray,I have set times of prayer,but of course I pray regularly through the day.I very rarely close my eyes when I pray,especially when I'm driving.I love writing about prayer ,there is so much one can say about prayer. First let me say it is not something one  does to impress people,or even God,or even ourselves.Prayer is a very personal thing,not something one should boast about,it is not to gain browie points,no its connecting with God,bringing all things to Him,praise,petition,and personal.Many people live very busy lives,with challenges each day,they may have deadlines to meet.God undersands all about us and the pressures's we are under,but the fact is because of those things we need to pray,and when we do we will receive the help we need,the wisdom we need,the guidance we need ,and the protection we need,and so on.The pressures's we face are not meant to drive us away from God,but to God, and so one must avail oneself to prayer,He will always welcome us into His presence,always. Although our Saviour told us to pray in secret (Matthew 6 v 5-6) understand why in its conext. It is not wrong to tell people you pray for them,it will encourage them,and even offer to pray with people,but don't be pushy.Remember  as a Christian you have the Holy Spirit who will help you in your prayers,

Burdens ( Isaiah 1 v18)

 Life is often filled with burdens,people are burden with debt, and a mulitude of other things,it is the nature of life.This may seem a negative thing to say,yes it would be if I just left it there,but the wonderful thing is ,there is one we can always turn to,God. Consider ,all of us have done wrong in life,we have told lies,yielded to temptation,the list is endless,what secret wrong are you carrying?,you try and push it away,but it comes back to hunt you.You may have tried to justify what you done,but it doesn't work.The fact is no matter how much we try to paper over the things we have done wrong,they don't go away, nor will they,we may try to brazen it out,but it is still there.I am sure as we look around yes even in church,there are those who have hidden secret sins .There are no secret sins when it comes to God, Hebrews 4 v 13 reads,' Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.Everything is uncovered and laid bear before His eyes of Him to whom we must give account.'My advice is, respond to the voice of conscience for one day you will give an account  before God ,be sure your sin will find you out,on that day.While there is still breath in your body there is hope,for you can turn to Christ and have all your sins forgiven,no matter how great they have been,if you will seriously seek forgiveness He will forgive.  Ignore this to your cost,for on judgment day there will be no place for repentance,on that day if you have not trusted Christ as your Saviour,you will carry those sins into sins into eternity.

                                                         'Burdens are lifted at Calvary'