The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31 v31-34)

 Our  Bible is made up of two parts,which we call the Old Testament and the New Testament,there is nothing wrong with that,and yet  I believe that instead of the word ,'Testament', being used the word  covenant  would be more appropriate. The word testament is an old English word meaning covenant,it is in the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31 v 31)we have God declaring  ,'The days are coming,'declares the Lord,when I make a new covenant with Israel'. A covenant is an agreement between two people ,in this case it is God making a new covenant between  Israel and Himself,the superior to the lesser.Our Saviour spoke of the New Covenant in Luke 22 at the passover meal ,we read,'In the same way ,after the supper He took the cup,saying,'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you'.v20.so it was that the New Covenant was instituted by His death on the cross.The book of Hebrews declares clearly that the old covenant was obsolete and outdated (  Hebews 8 v13) The old covenant was inaffective,it is now about the person of Christ who is greater than angels,Moses,the Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ who is now our Sabbath (Matthew 11 v28-30). The old priesthood is gone,a new priesthood has come into being ,a priesthood after the order of Melchizedek ( Psalm 110 v4 ).The sacrifical system was finished it was ineffective (Hebrews 10),the death of Christ on the cross effectively dealt with sin,once and for all.(Hrbrews 9 v28/ 10 v 14).There is no longer a need of a temple,for every Christian is a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. (1 Corinthians6 v19).The old covenant is gone the new covenant has come in,likewise the old covenant  Israel is finished ,the New covenant  Israel has come into being,where Jew and Gentile are one,when by faith in Christ we all become children of Abraham. ( Galatians 3 v29),and we all become children of God.(Gal 4 v 4 -6)

It is not optional.(Luke 23 v 34)

 In Matthew 5 v 43-48 our Saviour spells out what should be our attitude to those who are, our enemies,it is very challenging.He starts by telling us what some people were saying,'Love your neighbours and hate your enemies.In Lev 19 v18  we read ,'Love  your neighbour as yourself; I am the Lord '. but differnt groups did not appreciate that, they limited the use of  neighbours to those of their own kind.But our Saviour in telling the story of the good Samaritan gives a fuller and wider meaning, of who is ones neighbour  it could include ones enemy.That's a challenge which many found hard to do accept,but Jesus points us to the greatest example of what our loving heavenly Father does. 'He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good,and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous'He stresses how its easy to love those who love you,and says 'What good will that get you?. Before one becomes a Christian ,we are God's enemy ( Romans 5 v10),and what did God do? He loved us and forgave us our sins. So it is ,that we are to follow our heavenly Fathers example,and love our enemies.

/

Don't worry (Matthew 6 v34)

 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own'.(Matthew 6 v34) These are the words spoken  by our Saviour,He has been instructing his disciples and the crowds that gathered,He challenges them to not lay treasures on earth,and to worry what they  will eat or drink,and to focus on how God  feeds the birds of the air,He uses the term your heavenly Father,and reminds them that they are more important than the birds of the air.He speaks about the futility of worry,it doesn't accomplished anything.He tells then not to be like the pagans who are engrossed in seeking what they should eat and what they should wear,and reminds them that their loving heavenly Father knows what they need.Then He challenges them to seek God's kingdom and His righteousness and He will look after them. ( Matthew 6 v25 -34).

                                                    'Lord, for tommow and its needs

                                                     I do not pray;

                                                     Keep me,my God,from sin of stain,

                                                     Just for today'

                                                        Words Charles W.Everest.

Never mentioned. (John 3 v 16)

J.I.Packer wrote,'Life should be viewed and lived in terms of two worlds,and two destinies,'heaven and hell'.Sad to say it's a long time since I've heard  hell mentioned. Where I come from ,the North of Ireland,it was clearly taught,but my last minister and my present minister has not mentioned it even once.I wonder why that is?,I'm sure there are a number of reasons,but none of them are valid,yes hell is a fearful doctrine, it is not a nice thing to preach on,no one should take any pleasure in preaching it,we should avoid any crudeness,but we should preach it out of a heart of love,I don't want anyone to go to hell.Our dear Saviour preached about hell,not all the time,but He did preach it. and He made very clear what it meant.I read these words in a modern song,'You make your own heaven and hell right here on earth',it's not true,in fact it does not come near to what heaven means or hell means.Lets mention heaven,we cannot make a heaven right here on earth,why? because we live in a fallen world, there are no earthly paradises,for the effects of sin even on this planet earth will soon manifest itself,in various ways.There is no country that has escaped  the ravages of humanities sinful nature,and there is no one who will escape death,the wages of sin.Yes there are two worlds,'heaven and hell'.So the question must be asked ,'where will you spend eternity'?

Nobody can merit God's favour.( Luke 18 v 10-14)

Saving grace is not heredity,some of the most Godly people have had very bad sons',king David had a son who raped his half sister (2 Samuel 13),and Absalom sought to assassinate his  father David (2 Samuel 17 v2-4).Some very  bad parents have had some very good godly children (2 Kings 21 v23-24),but there are no guarantees that they will have. Neither fame or fortune can have any influence on one becoming a child of God, God is not influenced by human standards. Reception into the family of God is based upon mercy,not merit, for the fact is, we have no merit before a holy God.The Bible makes it clear that we are all sinners (Romans 3 v23) .It  is said as regards the Mafia that outwardly many of them  appear very amiable, but behind that facade, they are very evil.likewise many ordinary people are amiable, likeable people,but they still are sinners, who live apart from God,and die in that condition and go to a lost eternity.The Bible tells us'That the world did not recognise Jesus,and that even His own people rejected Him',but it goes on to say,'To all who believed Him and accept Him ,he gave the right to become Children of God.They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God'.

                                                 '

                                                     

Whose fault is it? ( Romans 3 v 12- 18)

 The downfall of  Israel began when Solomon forsook God (1 Kings 11),God spoke to him but he would not listen,so God proclaimed that judgement would fall,not during his lifetime,but during his son's reign.So it came to pass,the one became two,ten tribes were given to a man called Jeroboam,and Rehoboam was left with Judah and Benjamin.It  wasn't long before the rot set in during Jeroboams reign the 10 tribes would survive for about 160yrs,when the Assyrian armies  invaded the land defeating Israel and taking the surviviors back to Assyria.Judah lasted longer but gradually they deteriorated spiritually until God had enough,and raised up the Babylonians who conqured them, killing most of the inhabitants, and taken a remnant into exile. It was Jeremiah the prophet speaking to Judah who said,'Have you not brought  this on yourselves by forsaking the Lord your God'(Jeremiah 2 v17)These words would apply to all of Israel,but they also apply to all humanity,look at all the suffering in this world,so painful,so awful, what's the reason? sin,we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God(Romans 3 v23), it was not the way it was meant to be.but we humanity  chose  to forsake God and His ways,we have brought it all  on ourselves.The only hope for all mankind  is Christ,the world needs a Saviour,and that Saviour is Jesus

                                                   'There is a way to God from the dark 

                                                     paths of sin,thedoor is open and all 

                                                     may go in,it is Calvary's cross is  

                                                     were we begin,when we come as a 

                                                     sinner to Jesus'

I have so little to give.( Proverbs 11 v 24-26 )

 We live in a world were many countries don't get much rain,I remember reading about a time of drought in South Africa,the Christians met and prayed for rain,then they sang a hymn,and as they did the heavens opened up,and the minister said ,'we should stop now and give thanks'.I wonder how often we forget  to give thanks to God for his blessings upon us.I live in a lovely country,it goes without saying that it's not a perfect country. There are countries that get very little rain,and that causes a lot of hardship,they can't grow their crops,and so they go without food.Many countries have very litte to offer their  people as regards health well being, or even education.Im sure you get the picture,I am reminded of that time when our Saviour was faced with thousands of hungry people (Matthew 14 v 13-21),,and He said to the disciples,''You give them something to eat' '. They replied ,'We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish',So Jesus took the fish and the loaves,and looking up into heaven, He give thanks to God,the result was 5,000 plus people were fed,don't let the littleness you have stop you from giving ,surrender it into His hands,and who knows, miracles can happen.