The wrath of God ( Isaiah 53)

 Let us consider the wrath of God we apply it mainly to humanity ,but lets consider it in relationship to Jesus.All humanity is under the wrath of a holy God ,there is nothing we can do to change that , so where does Jesus fit in this?,let us consider Him,first He was truly human but was also God manifest in the flesh. in Matthew 1 v22 we read,'They will call him Immanuel which means God with us,He is the one  Isaiah wrote about in 9v6 as being the Mighty God,everlasting Father', there are other OT references to Christs diety ,Psalm 110 v 1/ Psalm 45 v7/ Isaiah 7 v1. There are many other scriptures that declare Jesus to be God in the NT,so why did He come and as Charles Wesley wrote ,'How the incarnate Deity; Our God contracted to a span'?because He loved this world (John 3 v16) a world where every human being is lost, judgement awaits.The good news is this 'He will save his people from their sins',the next question we need to ask is how was He going to do that?It is in Hebrews 9 v 22  we read 'the law requires  that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness' Cp Lev 16 v14.So it is in Hebrew 9 v27 we read,'so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many. Jesus would have to die that also included taken the punishment for our sins ,He became our substitute bearing the full wrath for the sinners sin.In trusting Christ  we are no longer under the wrath of God for Jesus bore the wrath of God for us' Cp Isaiah 53 v 10.

Compassion (Lamentations 3 v 22-23 )

What do you think when you hear the word compassion? there are a number of meanings ,'a feeling for those who are suffering,and for many that's were it stops,just a feeling.I read the following description of the word compassion,'It is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering'.A  strong desire to do something,it is illustrated so wonderfully by our Saviour ,in Matthew 14 v 14ff ,He saw a large crowd,He had compassion on them and healed those who were ill,he followed it up by feeding them .In Luke 7 v11ff,He witnessed a funeral procession,a widow woman had lost her son,we read,'His heart went out to her'then he raised him from the dead,a  wonderful  description of compassion.Someone said that compassion is a verb,a doing word.Of course you may say I can't perform miracles,that's right but we can do something,if we have the where with all ,we can do something,it is not always about  money,When my son had to have an operation for cancer,  people from his church brought meals for his family.

                                                    'Let us turn our feelings of 

                                                     compassion into action'

Walking in their shoes ( 2 Corinthians 1 v 3-4)

I listened to what a person was saying at our home group,the conversation had arisen as regards a person in our fellowship who is married ,he and his wife had lost a son whom they had looked after for 40 yrs,the son had special needs.Coming back to that person he could not understand why the brother was still grieving over his loss.As a person who lost a young wife many years ago, I still remember her and am sad at times,I know that grief can be long lasting,time eases the pain,but we never forget,nor should we,it doesn't control my life,for I know she is in heaven,and that's the most important thing.That person who could not understand why that brother had not got over his sons lost, had not walked in that brother shoes, but one day he will understand,so let us not judge people,let us pray for them .

Heed the warnings ( Hebrews 10 v31)

'' Beware of the ides of March'' is a famous warning from Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar,telling the Roman dictator to watch for danger on March15th. The day he was famously assassinated .The warning was added by Shakespeare,it never really happened,but if it had been uttered would he have heeded it?,we will never know. Many people have ignored warnings,of real dangers,and have suffered the consequences. One of the most well known warning in the Bible was given to Lot and his family,just before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,they were told ,'Flee for your lives! Don't look back' (Genesis 19v17) Lot's wife for whatever reason looked back,and suffered the consequences,but there were other people in this chapter who were warned Lots sons-in-law, but they treated the warning as a joke,but soon found out that it was no joke. When God gives a warning we ignore it to our cost,the preacher is given a solemn responsibility to warn people of the dangers of ignoring God's warnings,They have to warn people of the dangers of sinful behaviour,not to cross God's moral boundaries,and the consequences if they do . This is a challenge not just to the unsaved, but to the saved,when it comes to  sin God will act,heed the warnings.

                                                     

                                                  

                                                        

Preach the gospel. ( Romans 1 v 16)

There are those who say  as regards the Gospel you can't preach the gospel every time you preach,the sad thing is many so called ministers never preach the gospel. As regards those ministers who don't preach the gospel they will be held accountable, I remember being at a funeral service at a crematorium and  I   was so sad that the minister had not really spoken about Christ, and afterwards I spoke to him and I challenged him. All Christians have a responsibility to  be witnesses  for Christ,but a minister should be a minister of the gospel, God has entrusted  us with that responsibility, of telling sinners about Jesus Christ. Responsibility brings with it accountability. We must be not be intimidated ,showing neither fear or favour,but be faithful,to the charge that has been given unto us.People need to be saved,saved from what?,there fallen condition and its consequences.. What is their condition? they are sinners ,I include myself in that,and what do sinners need,they need their sins forgiven ,what is the consequences,so many peoples lives are in ruin because of their sinful ways,only Jesus can break the power of sin,and set people free. But there's more , in the novel 'the Scarlet  pimpernel,the question is asked,is he in heaven? is he hell?. It is very clear that  if one dies without Christ you will go to hell,if you trust Christ  you go to heaven.

New life ( Romans 6 v 1-14)

 I heard recently of a minister who refused who to baptise a man ,many people knew this man by reputation that he was a scoundrel who had not repented of his sins .It was John the baptist who challenged the religious elite whom he felt were very wicked,that they should bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3 v8) John spoke of another who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and  fire,the one he spoke of  was Jesus .Cp  1 Corinthians 12 v 13 which reads,'For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body whiter  Jews or Gentles slave or free and we were all given the one Spirit to drink'.Water baptism is not for the unbeliever,but for the Christian,it is a personal confession  of ones faith in Christ. It is saying I have died with Christ,my old life is gone,  and as Jesus was resurrected and so I am also resurrected to live in newness of life,dead to sin but alive in  Christ Jesus

                                                          'I give myself to Thee

                                                          My Saviour and my God,

                                                          To be Thine own for evermore

                                                          O help me to renounce      

                                                         The hateful works of sin,

                                                         The empty vanities of life,

                                                          The flesh that strives within.

                                                              Words Emily Symons

 

He is able (Romans 5 v 8 )

 I want to bring to some thoughts from Isaiah 50,Israel is in captivity in Babylon,and they are complaining that God has forsaken them,in fact they are saying ,he has divorced them.Of course this was rubbish He had not forsaken them but He had dealt with them because of their sins ( v1) The prophets had spoken to them but they did not listen,and just kept on sinning.We expect that of the unsaved but they were the  people of God, they should have known better. In verse 2 God declares He had come to them ,but He got no answer they turned a deaf ear to Him,He reminds them of His power that could save them,with those well known words,'Is my hand shortened at all, that cannot redeem them,  reminding them of His power. Never underestimate the power of God ,He is all powerful,He can save the chiefest of sinners ,hear what the apostle wrote,

                                                'Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves

                                                 full acceptance; Christ Jesus  came into the

                                                 world to save sinners of whom I am the worst'

                                                                  1 Timothy 1 v15