Serving God ( James 1 v 27)

 How can we serve God?that's s good question,there are so many ways we can do that, it is important for all of us to find out,but not only find out but to do it.what would be an indication of some work,if you can't sing then don't join the choir.One of my sons job is an organizer of a group of a Christian churches,another one is the international director of a prayer ministry,he loves doing.What do you like to do?what can you do?.If you have children that's a wonderful ministry,I believe we all have some degree of gifting, in which we can serve God.There are many needy people all around us,pastors don't seem to visit like they use to,there could be valid reasons,lets not be to harsh on them.Maybe God is calling you to fill the gap,in so doing you would be helping your Pastor There is a man I know who lives on his own,I  heard him say he was lonely,his daughter does her best to support him.But she can't be there all the time,so he does'nt see anybody for a whole week.Serving God takes many forms but they are all important.

Meaning ( Romans 1 v 20 )

 In the book of Ecclesiastes 3 v11 we read,'   He (God) has also set eternity in the human heart'. some translations have world instead of eternity,Matthew Henry chooses world, but let us consider, 'that God has set eternity in the human hearts'.Why are  vast sums of money spent in the exploration of space.I believe it can be summed up in one word,'meaning'. They hope they will find the meaning of our exsistence,there is a want within the human heart,that won't go away.The evolutionist has not solved this want,and never will,they cannot answer satisfactory mankinds existence.To say it just all happened is an absurdity that is beyond words,could be that mankind is afraid of the real answer,that there is an eternal God who has placed in our hearts a sense of eternity/,that won't go away.We do try to make it go away in our blindness ,it is a spiritual blindness,that can look up into the heavens and see only the stars.They look at a new born baby and see only a baby, look at the beauty of this would,and only see the beauty.

                                                         'In the beginning God created the 

                                                          heavens and the earth'

                                    

Doing good ( Galatians 6 v 9-10)

It may sound trivial ,but I don't think so,I believe it's very important to do good,I could relate to you the many blessing I have every day,and yet I remenber the many who have very little of anything.Remember faith without works is dead,I can't help remembering my childhood  my mother who had left my father and she was left to bring four of us  ,how difficult it was for her, the difficult times leave their mark on you.but you do recall the kindness of people who helped one through the difficult times. God touched their heart ,I will always remember their kindness,and so does God.We read in Proverbs 19 v17,'Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and He will reward them for what they have done'.

                                                                'So let us do good'

                                                         

Hell ( Matthew 25 v 41 )

It is a long time since I have heard any preacher mention hell in their sermons ,most evangelials believe that hell is taught in the Bible,why do they not mention it?Dr Morey writes,'Since no one is told why he should believe that there really is a hell,doubts begin to creep into people's minds.It becomes unfashionable to speak of the doctrine of hell as being''unkind'',unloving'', or ''negative''. As one is called to the ministry it brings with it a imperative challenge to preach the whole counsel of God,heaven also hell,But people have said to me we are not to frighten people into become Christians,is that valid, I would say no,the fact is people should be afraid ,they should surely flee from the wrath to come. (Matthew 3 v7) Let us be very clear ,all non Christians are children of God's wrath ,so wrote the apostle of love,John 3v 36.Hell is not preached because we hate non Christians,it is because we love them,and weep for them.No one wants anyone to go to hell no matter how wicked they have been.Hell is not just for the worst of people.A friend of mine said one sin unforgiven  will take a person to hell, but the fact is the nicest of people  have committed many sins.I know many nice people who do a lot of good,but it is not the good we do that is the problem,it is the sins we commit,that's the rub. Jesus frequently spoke  about hell and judgement,as a place of,''unquenchable fire'' outer darkness ,and weeping and gnashing of teeth. If your are not a Christian flee from the wrath of God , turn to Jesus,before it is to late.

Hope ( Romans 4 v18ff)

 Alexander Pope said,''Hope springs eternal in the human heart'',I wonder what you think of those words,during the second world war a lady called Vera Lyn sung a song with the following words,'  We'll meet again,don't know when ,don't know where.But I know we'll meet again some sunny day''.Two aspects of hope,one hopes for many things that may happen ,but then again it may not,there are no guarantees.A elderly Christian lady I know who lives on her own, feels lonely and isolated,claims the promise in Hebrews 13 v 5,'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you',those words are what God has promised to her and to every believer,they give us hope.a sure and certain hope.There are Christians who are in prison cells for their faith,they are not forsaken or forgotten by God ,He is with them.and He is with you.They say that there are two things that are cetain in life,'death and taxes',but that's not true,if we know God we have hope,hope beyond the grave. Our Saviour said that even though we die we shall live again (John 11 v25),and when I have taken funeral services, of a person who is a Christian here are the words I would say as I commit that person to the ground,'earth to earth,ashes to ashes ,dust to dust; in sure and certain hope to eternal life,through our Lord Jesus Christ'.Do you have that hope?

Special ( Mark 3 v7-12)

Himmler's world view removed any notion of the inherent ''specialness''or sancity of human life for those outside his racial definition of Germanic people' The Nazies hated Christianity ,when our Saviour said ,'Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth, (Matthew 5 v 5)he pored scorn on,He stood for Darwins theory,the survival of the fittiest,which led to the destruction of all those  Nazies considered weak. To me humanity is special,whatever their condition or disability,why do I believe that?the answer is God.Nietzsche who is remembered ,for his 'God is dead',belief loathed Christianty and saw that concern for the lowly was a form of poison.He admired the Greeks  not dispite,but because of their cruelty'. Nietzsche would have have seen Christianity as a monster that needed to be destroyed,but those who walked in His footsteps created a monster,in nazism.In spite of humanities sinful condition,and behaviour,our great creator  see's us as special,that He loved us so much that whoever believes in Jesus (the crucified one)shall not perish,but have everlasting life'.  ( John 3 v16),I would just add that our Saviour manifested a loving concern towards the weak ,and disabled,he saw them as important.

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Lonliness ( John 15 v14 )

 It ws the Beatles who sang a song called ''Eleanor Rigby''one the verses went,All the lonely people,where do they all come from? ,All the lonely people,where do they all belong?When I was a young boy,we knew our neighbours,there were those who came into our house,they were very friendly.And one knew most of the children in the street,we played  marbles,or kick the tin,we even played football in the street,there was not to much traffic then,different now.I suppose they were happy days,people were friendly,very few people owned their own homes,rents were not to dear.Things have changed people are better off materially,one of the things that many people suffer from is lonliness.I have felt lonliness at times, particulary when I came back to the Lord but God brought people into my life who befriended me.I believe God can meet our needs,and provide friends for us,he has done it for me all through my life.My best  friend is my Saviour Jesus,he is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother,I am conscious of His presence with me everyday.I talk to Him all the time,and He listens.

                                             'What a friend we have in Jesus'