Jesus is a ( Colossians 1 v 13)

There is a little town in Northern Ireland about 18 mls from Belfast and it's famous for one thing,it has a lighthouse.Lighthouses have always been very important,even now they still important.Most modern lighthouses are not man by people ,technology has taken over.Consider the lives that  have been saved by  having lighthouses .In ancient days many ships  foundered on the rocks because there was no lighthouses.yes the lighthouse beam was a life saver.There is a modern song ,written by Ronnie Hinson  and portrays Jesus as being like a lighthouse,one of the verses reads like this,

                                               'And I thank God I owe my life to Him,

                                                Jesus is the lighthouse, and from the rocks of sin,

                                                He has shown a light around me,that I might clearly see,

                                                If it wasn't for the lighthouse,tell me where would 

                                                                        the ship be?'

The second  verse in Genesis 1 reads, 'Darkness was over the surface of the deep'we can apply that spiritually ,it appears that there is a darkness over all the world, it is in1 John 5 v19,we read,'that the whole world is under the control of the evil one'.Now that is an awful darkness, very scary, to be under the control of that evil being  known as the devil.He blinds people spiritually,he fills people hearts with so many things ,promising them so much that appears good,but he is a liar and the father of lies(John 8 v44) But praise God the Easter message tells of Jesus who came to rescue us and save us from our darkness. yes Jesus is a lighthouse shining brigthly over this world and those who follow Him shall not walk in darkness,but shall have the light of life (John 8 v12)

Friendship ( Proverbs 18 v24)

 Jim Reeves uesd to sing a song with the following words in it,' A stranger is just a friend you do not know',I wonder is that true?,I doubt it.Friendship is important to most people ,I have had a number of good friends during my life .I would also add I've had some that we're not so good,young people can get into  trouble by getting the wrong friends (Proverbs 12 v 26).I know a man who became my friend ,he said he would like like to come round and visit me,and that was it,and we have been friends ever since.He is a very dear Christian brother. We can be friendly with many people,and we should be,but that does not mean that they are our friends,a true friend is someone you have a relationship with, one who will stick with you,and help you  and likewise you will help them. I jokenly said to a friend of mine who had taken me to hospital appointments, 'why do you not become sick so I can take you to hospital oppointments? , he laughed'.One of lovely things Jesus said to the disciples 'You are my friends',imagine Jesus being your friend,now when we are talking about friendship with Jesus,it comes with a proviso, we must keep His commandments,and that we should love our fellow Christians. ( John 15 v12-17) and of course we should love Him.Why is that proviso there?because as Chuck Swindoll says 'Genuine  friendships are founded upon shared values and goals'.Amos 3 v3 tells us, 'Do two walk together unless they agreed to do so' one writer comments, 'At peace with each other'.or as Matthew Henry say's,'Where there is not friendship ,there cannot be no fellowship'.the whole idea is that of harmony. Just to add to this  if you want Jesus to be your friend ,He must first become your Saviour and your Lord.

Not worhy ( Ephesians 1 v 6)

 A friend of mine told me that after he got saved he went to church,but he felt unsettled thinking that he shouldn't be there,because he wasn't good enough,It's understandable as a new Christian one may  think that,but its wrong thinking,the fact is none of us are good enough,we are all without exception sinners saved by grace,we are all flawed, and none should forget,that we are only sinners saved by grace. There is no them and us,yes we are all in different degrees of sanctification,I have never met a perfect Christian oh yes I have known some lovely Christians ,and some not so lovely,but they are all Christians,and we are to love them all. John was known as the apostle of love,and writes very strong words against those who professed  to be Christians and don't love their fellow Christians,here is what he says,'Whoever claims to love God yet hates his brother or sister is a liar. For whoever  does  not love their brother and sister,whom they have seen,cannot love God,whom they have not seen.And He has given us this command; anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister'( 1 John 4 v20- 21)  We are being told very clearly what God expects of us all who profess to be Christians,that none of us are good enough,but we are all loved and accepted by the grace of God,let us not forget that.

Visionaries (Titus 3 v 3- 7)

 Whats a visionary?, well it can cover  lot of things,it can be a person who sees  what others don't see,it was Michael Angelo who said as regards a piece of marble,'I saw an angel in that marble,and I will carve it until I set it free'.I watched an English couple  on TV whom I would call visionaries,they went to live in France and looked for a house to buy,and what they fell in love with was derelict,it was in a terrible state,plus the ground it stood on was on was overgrown with whatever, it was terrible. If was me I would not have bought it, in fact I would have bulldozed it all down.But this couple had a vision of restoring it,from the wreck it was to what it could be.It reminds me what our great God does, He looks at people whom we would say were derelict,beyond recovery,we would just give up on them,but He doesn't ,why? well like that couple who loved that house,He has a great love for us sinners no matter how far we have gone,no matter how squalid we are.The Pharisees despised and shunned sinners they  saw then as being only fit for hell but God saves siiners and then begins to transform their lives into something beautiful,such is the love and mercy of God to us sinners.

                                                     'Christ Jesus came into the world

                                                                  to save sinners'

Remembering ( Lamentations 3 v22 - 23 )

 I am 81,and I often stop and look back,not in a negative was but in God's goodness and faithfulness, David did that, here is what he said,'I  was young and now am old,yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread'  ( Psalm 37 v25) And I can say Amen to that ,and it is important that we do not forget the past mercies,and offer up to our Loving heavenly Father, praise and thanksgiven. David of old had many difficulties in life, but God was faithful and brought him through them.So many things come into our lives, like the loss of a loved one ,difficulties in marriage,financial trials, children who went astray,disappointments that you didn't get that job,and so on. It is said that the providence of God is best understood in looking back,and  its so true.It was George Matheson the blind preacher who wrote,'O love that wilt not let me go'.yes there were times we may have given up ,but His love would not let us go. There is a modern song that blesses me ,here is a verse and the chorus from it.

                                                     'You lead me through the fire

                                                      In the darkest night,

                                                      You are closer than no other.

                                                       I've known You as a Father,

                                                       I've known You as a friend,

                                                       And  I have lived in the goodness of God.

                       All my life You have been faithful,All my life You have been so,so good,

                       With every breath that I am able,Oh I will sing of the goodness of God.'

In Christ alone ( Hebrews 12 v2)

I used to sing solo's mainly in church services,I love singing,but unfortionately age has taken its toil,the vocal cords are not what they used to be, often I struggle trying to sing.But recently while attending a service in the fellowship I attend ,I think I prayed that I would be able sing one song.God heard and answered my prayer.I really felt the Holy Spirit helped me,and the words of the hymn touched my heart it blessed me and I hope it blessed others,here are the words of this hymn.

                      1'In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light,my strength ,my song;

                        This corner stone,this solid ground,Strong through the fiercest drought,and storm.

                         What heights of love,what depths of grace; When fears are stilled,when striving cease!

                         My comfort,my all, in all,Here in the love of Christ I stand.

                     2  In Christ alone who took on flesh,Fullness of  God in helpless babe.    

                        The gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones He came to save.

                        Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied,

                        For every sin on Him was laid; Here in the death of Christ I live.

                      3 There in the ground His body lay,Light of the world by darkness slain;

                        Then bursting forth in glorious day, Up from the grave He rose again!

                         And as He stands in victory,Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,

                         For I am His and He is mine,Bought by the precious blood of Christ.

                       4 No guilt in life,no fear in death,This is the power of Christ in me;

                          From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.

                          No power of Hell,no scheme of man,can ever pluck me from His hand,

                          Till He returns or calls me home; Here in the power of Christ  I stand'.

                                                        (Words Stuart Townend)

                                                      

Forgiveness (Ephesians 4 v 31-32)

 The wonderful message of salvation tells us that God is willing to forgive our sins, all of them,but that brings a challenge to us ,are we willing to forgive those who sin against us.A friend of mine told me of a friend of his who received a call to be a minister in a church in America and he told my friend that there were people in the church who were taken reprisals on people they had grudges against.They were spray painting cars,cutting the brake pipes of the cars,and doing a lot of other stuff.I dont know what could have happened to provoke them to act in that way .He did go on to say that things got sorted out.We may not act like those people but speaking for myself I remember old hurts going back many years,and I still get angry,I am very sure that I am not only only one who feels like that,and I confess that it is very hard to come to that place of  forgiven those who have hurt us or hurt our family or friends, think how hard it was for our God to forgive us ,but He did,think of what it cost Him ,we just have to look at Jesus dying on the cross on  Calvary.And so God says to all us, just as I have forgiven you, then you must forgive others unreservedly,Remember confession is good for the soul,and it pleases God our loving heavenly Father.