Three things ( 1 John 2 v 15 -17) 2

 Lets consider further what John in his epistle wrote ,as regards not loving the world and indeed anything in the world (1 John 2 v15ff) So what is John saying? first of all he is not rubbishing the world, the hymn  writer wrote ,Of the beauty of the earth',there are many things that are beautiful. It is C.H.Dodd who says  John is speaking in a moral sense,he writes,Our author means human society in so far as it is organized on wrong principles,and characterized by base desires,false values,and egoism'.So John goes on to highlight three things that fallen humanity manifests,'The lust of the flesh/ The lust of the eyes/ The pride of life'. The lust of the flesh includes many things, one writer puts it like this,'a gratification of  worldly,earthly, and material desires'.The lust of the eyes,so much enters through the eye gate that in snares us, it takes just one look,lust is as good a word as any to describe mankinds fallen humanity. Then last but not least ,the pride of life,it manifest itself in so many ways,from  sport ,money ,power,oneself,These three things are not just occasional things,but lives that are given over to them. Verse 17 tells us two things,'The world and its desires will pass away,and then what? John tells us,'that whoever does the will of God lives for ever'.

Stranger in paradise ( Colossians 3 v1 - 2) 1

 There's an old song which had the following words in it,'Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise',it's not a spiritual song,but I see a spiritual application in these words.I believe padadise and heaven are the same place.The dying thief was  assured that very day he would be with Jesus in paradise,although Jesus had not acended into heaven He was there in His diety.In 2 Corinthians 12 v4, Paul declares' that he was caught up into paradise',again I believe that is heaven he is talking about.The fact is, all true believers will go to paradise/heaven ,when we leave this mortal coil.and we will not  be strangers in paradise.But as regards this world the saints of old confessed,that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth (Hebrews 11v13). While we are on this planet earth we will never be at ease,because it is a fallen planet,the earths values are not the child of God's values,in a sense everything has been affected by sin,we must always be on our guard .It is James who writes,'Friendship with the world is enmity with God (4 V4),in John 2 v15-17 we read,'Love not the world neither the things that are in the world,If any man love the world,the love of the Father is not in them' We will consider this further next time

Peter the failure ( Matthew 14 v 22 ff)

The  traffic was flowing  along nicely I looked down at my dashboard ,and when I look up the car in front of me had braked suddenly,but I managed to stop. When you are driving you must keep your eye on the traffick in front of you.I often get annoyed when watching a movie,when a person who is driving, takes his eyes of the road ,and talks to people.I'm just so grateful that I braked in time, but it could have been so different , likewise taking our eyes off the Lord can have an affect on us.Consider Peter who walked on water  (MT 14  v29)  everything was fine,  he was doing what was humanly speaking impossible,but with Christ all things are possible, after all Jesus invited him to do that, unfortionately faith give way to fear,and he began to sink. Well did Jesus let him drown? no, He reached out to him and saved him,and they both got into the boat.It is so easy for any of us to let faith give way to fear,when we do let us remember Christ will not forsake us,He remains faithful.He didn't give up  on Peter, ,and He won't give up on you.

24 / 7 ( Micah 6 v 8)

Micah the prophet brought a message of judgment against Samaria and Jerusalem,judgment was coming,the wealthy powerful people were exploiting the poor and vunerable (2 v 1-2 ).There were false prophets, (2 v6ff/ 3 v5ff) and the rulers were destroying God's people (3 v 1ff), there are other things we could say as regards what the books about,it would be a profitable study,David Priors book  in ,'The Bible speaks today' series,would be helpful,it also covers Joel and Habakkuk) I just want to consider 3 v9 -11,whch highlights the blind  hypocrisy of the rulers,here is a summary,they despised justice,were violent,wicked,would accept bribes and were motivated by money'. Inspite of that,they looked to the Lord for support,and said,'Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us'.' It reminds me of song that Patsy Cline sang,here is a verse from it.

                                          'I go to church on a Sunday,the vows that I make,

                                        I break them on Monday,the rest of the week, I live

                                    as I please,then come Sunday morning,I pray on my knees' 

It is sad that there are people who have, as one person says,'A Sundays-only faith'.Chistianity is a 24/7 faith,that means in our home ,our work life,and every aspect of our lives

                                        

                                                       

Our foundation. (Ephesians 2 v20-21)

 Recently my wife and I where on hoilday in Malta,very popular  with tourist, 4 million people visited it every year,it has a population of half million,plus a vast number of foreign workers.It is a Roman Catholic country, many of the places they worship ,are beautiful, the one that stands out the most is the Cathedral in the  capital Valletta.You have to pay to see it and it is truly amazing,gold and paintings everywhere. While I appreciate such buildings,I am more concerned as to what is taught in those buildings,what does the Roman Catholic church stand for ?. Likewise there are mosques that are very beautiful and so we could go on, but we must ask the same question, what do they teach ?. Protestants usually have plain buildings, some  have a cross ,or scripture written on the wall,and I would still ask the same question,what do they believe?.The fact is that buildings are inconsequential,they are just buildings nothing more ,nothing less,The church is the people and it is built upon Christ,He is our foundation (1 Corinthians 3 v 11.)Let me stress, He must be the Christ of the Bible ,Edward Mote wrote.

                                                      'My hope is built on nothing less

                                                      Than Jesus blood and righteousness;

                                                       I dare not trust the sweetest frame,                                               

                                                       But wholly lean on Jesus name.

                                                       On Christ the solid rock I stand;

                                                       All other ground is sinking sand.'

                                                       

                                            

                                               

The Word of God.( Psalm 119 v 127-128)

Psalm 119 v 16 reads 'I will not neglect your word', why would he say this? very simply,because God's word is very important,Psalm 119 has much to say as regards the word of God, the one thing for sure we will be the poorer if we neglect it,we loose out in so many ways. . As Christians we so often need guidance in so many things,v 104  of 119 reads ,'I gain understanding from your precepts', likewise many get into a trouble because they lean on their own understanding, but the word of God instucts us ,as to the moral pitfalls in life, but the ungodly rush into so many things that can destroy them. Verse 105 reads,'Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path'. Iike countless others I have found it so.it will help us in this dark world of sin.One commentator wrote,'Scripture is light giving ,as well as life giving,guiding our footsteps with perfect direction'.

                                       

                                                        'I delight in your decrees;

                                                        I will not neglet your word'

                                                                   Psalm 119 v 16

Not impossible ( 1 John 1 v 1-3)

 At the end of  that wonderful chapter 5 of Matthew our Saviour leaves these challenging words,'Be ye therefore perfect,even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect'.Many years ago a friend of mine said,that this was an exhortation,and it something we are to aim at,it must,I stress,it must be taken very serious.Because of who spoke those words, Jesus,yes our Lord,He is not mocking us,  He is deadly serious. In 1 Corinthians15 v 31,the apostle Paul declares,'I die daily',this is the great apostle talking,it means everyday of our Christian lives,we die to self. Yes I'm sure I'm a better person that I once was,I have come a long way in following Jesus,yet sometime I feel I have not come very  far ,there is still  so much that needs to change.Michelangelo  was asked what he could see in a block of marble?,he answered,'I see an angel'.It did become an angel,but it did not happen over night.Someone has said ,'deliverance from sin is begun at conversion,but is only completed in glorification'.In 1 John 3 v2  we read of our future state ,'It doth not appear what we shall be;but we know when He shall  appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall seen Him as He is,That is what God is doing,but in v 3,we read what we have to do,' And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure'.