What are you building on? (Matthew 7 v 24-27)

 I have been to Venice, and travelled on a gondola,we were only there for the day,Venice is a very old city,it came into being on March 25 ,421 AD.It  was built on marsh lands.How were they able to do that?,a good question,well they discovered a place where there was clay,so that enabled them to build the city of Venice if they had not discovered the clay Venice could not have been  built. You must have a good foundation, you cannot or should not build on sand.In Matthew 7 v 24-27 our dear Saviour told the story of  two builders  ,one was foolish,the other wise,one built his house on sand,the other built his house on rock.this is what followed,a severe storm came,rain and strong winds,the result was the house built on sand collapsed,but the other stood firm ,because it was built upon rock.So what is Jesus  seeking to teach us? He is teaching us the importance of not just hearing what He taught,but to obey it.Those who don't are classed as being foolish,the house they built, fell with a great crash,emphasising  the severe consequences  of disobedience.One writer said,'It is Jesus claim that obedience to Him is the only sure foundation  for life;and that it is His promise that the life which is founded on obedience to Him is safe,no matter what storms may come'.

Two ways ( 2 Timothy 4 v 10)

In Matthew 7 v13 -14 our Saviour spoke of two gates one was narrow and the other wide they lead unto two roads one narrow the other broad.They are not roads to nowhere they have a destination,ask yourself  where is your destination  going to be?.Jesus spells it out,the broad one leads to destruction and the narrow leads to life. One writer says,'Consider the difference between the two roads,one is hard the other is esay,William Barclay writes,The easy way may look very inviting at the moment,and the hard way may look very  daunting.The only way is to get our values right is to see not the beginning but the end of the way ,to see things not in the light of time but in the light of eternity'.The narrow way may look uninviting ,two many restrictions,the vast majority don't want that,so most people  choose the broad road,for they want to do it their way,as opposed to God's way.Look out in the world  ,it is a very broken world,full of very broken people,not knowing why they are here,or were they are going.The narrow way,is not easy, yes it is challenging,but it will be worth it all when we see Jesus,who forgive us all our sins, saving  us from its consequences,and also enableing us to overcome sin. John  Oxenham wrote the following.

                                 'To every man there openeth  a way,and ways and a way; 

                                              And the high soul climbs the high way,

                                              And the low soul  gropes the low;

                                              And in between on the misty flats

                                              The rest drift to and fro;

                                 But to every man there openeth,a high way and a low way,

                                    And every man decideth the way his soul will go'

There is a cost.( Hebrews 11 v 36-38)

I asked a lady was she a Christian  she said,yes but a little Christian,I sensed that she chose what made her a Christian, to be honest I'm not sure what she meant.But  it was opportunity to say a brief word of witness, and the importance of knowing Christ as one's Saviour. It sounds like a very  easy way to become a Christian,just believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.Yet it is not an easy believism,for it means that we follow Jesus come what may, many people are paying a great price,as they suffer for knowing Him and following Him,let me give you some examples.Three Iranian Christians were arrested and received prison sentences.They were charged with 'propaganda activities'Thirty -seven -year old Narges Nasri, was sentenced to 16 yrs., even though she was 4mths pregnant.Abbas Soori aged 48,received a sentence of 15yrs .Mehran Saloumi aged 37,  recieved a sentence of 11yrs. No its not easy believism ,for those dear girls are paying a severe price,as followers of Christ,Do pray for them and their families, Hebrews 13 v 3 reads,'Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them'.

                                          'Jesus said,'Take up your cross and follow Me'

Don't give up (Luke 18 v1- 8)

 Our Saviour said,'That we should always pray and not give up'. (Luke 18 v1)Just today I was talking to my neighbour Sandra,I have known her a long time,we are in very good terms. When her mother died  she asked me to take her funeral,which I did,every day I have prayed for her,that she may know Jesus as her Saviour,I have never really spoke to her about that,but recently I have prayed that He would give me an opportuniy to witness to her,and He did,I asked her did she know Jesus as her Saviour,she didn't,I said to her I want to see you in heaven,and she replied she wanted to see me in heaven..Well I said why don't you pray a little prayer and ask Jesus to be your Saviour,she said she would,then I said promise me you will do that,she replied ,'I will'.I am glad I didn't give up praying for her,so often we have to persevere in prayer .

                                                                     'Keep praying'

Be ready .(2 Peter 3)

 Just recently bones of 10.000 Dinosaurs were found,speaking of what might have happened archaeologist said some catastrophic of some sort must have caused that.The Bible has the answer we read of it in Genesis 6-8 ,the world was very wicked to such a point that God  would send a world wide flood,and this He did.The Story is not a myth or some fictitious made up story,no it really happened,it is a point in history that really happened. Likewise Noah and the ark,it really happened and we should take it very serious,because the end of the world is coming, why ? the same reason God judged the world for their sinfulness by sending a flood.It is Peter who writes about the day of the Lord when God will judge sinful humanity.It will not be by water Peter tells us the following,

                                              'But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.

                                               The heravens will disappear with a roar; the

                                               elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth 

                                               and everything done  in it will be laid bear.' 2 Peter 3 v 10'

                                               That day will bring about the destruction of the

                                                heavens by fire,and the elements will melt in the

                                                 heat'.  2 Peter 3v 12.

At this moment God is holding back this Judgement,allowing for people to get saved not wanting anyone to perish,are you ready?.

                                                  

A dedication service( Matthew 10 v13-16)

 We have recently attended a dedication service were three young children were dedicated by their parents,who dedicated them to the Lord.The children did not have to do anything, the doing will be done by the parents,the public dedication is a statement by them that they bring their children up in the ways of the Lord,it will be hard, but under God they can do it. If you are a parent you know how demanding bringing up children is ,very challenging,but this goes further than that ,because it has a spiritual aspect to it,for the desire and hope of every godly parent is that their children  will come to  know Christ as their Saviour.John and Charles Wesley had very godly parents,their father was a minister,but it is reckoned that Susanna their mother had the greatest influence on them.Likewise Timothy had a godly mother and grandmother who greatly influenced Him,Paul writing to him declared,'How from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures,which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus' (2 Timothy 3 v 15) His mother and grandmother are mentioned in 1Timothy 1 v 5,Paul writes ,'I am reminded of your sincere faith, which lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. One thing saddens me greatly is that the young people in are country know nothing of a godly influence in their lives, there are many things that influence them ,not for the better. Don't be overawed in bringing your children up in the knowledge and fear of the Lord,Proverbs 22 v6  we reads, 'Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old,he will not depart from it'. 

                                                 'Do your best and leave God to the rest'

All your cares,All your anxiety (Hebrews 4 v 15-16)

 Here are two verses,'Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken' (Psalm 55 v22) 'Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you'.( 1 Peter  5 v7)Both these verses tell us to cast our cares/anxieties upon the Lord.The first verse tell us the result of doing that,the Lord will sustain us.I was speaking to a lady who has been through so much,her husband of many years got dementia, during that time he became very agressive towards her,and their was a point when he tried to strangle her, the police had to come and take him away,his dementia lasted about 5 yrs. The whole experience was terrible  and I said  to her ,it was only the Lord that sustained her,and she agreed.We wonder how we are going to get through certain situations,the Lord's  sustaining grace will bring us through.The next verse tells us,'Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you'.yes He cares for you,no one cares for us more,you may be doubting that,the devil may be whispering ,'how can he care for you, look at all that you are going through, don't believe that liar. I will leave some lovely words from an old song.

                                               Does Jesus care when my heart is pained

                                               To  deeply for mirth or song?

                                                When the burdens press,

                                                 And the cares distress

                                                 And the way grows weary and long.

                                                 Oh yes He cares,I know He cares

                                                 His heart is touched with my grief.

                                                  When the days are  weary,

                                                   The long nights dreary

                                                    I KNOW MY SAVIOUR 

                                                              CARES'