Holiness. [ 1 Timothy 1 v8-9 ]

I have just started studying the book of Leviticus using a book written by
Derek Tidball,I have read this Leviticus many times,but I have never studied it.It is not a book that one hears preached ,I have preached from it many years ago.I am sure it is one of the most neglected books in the Bible, why is that?,maybe you have never read this book,D.T,points out,that the key message of Leviticus is that the children of Israel should be holy,as God is holy [ 19v2].DT,goes on to point out, ''that the key to holiness,involves,
separation and purity and that Israels lifestyle was to be different from those around them,in how they they worshipped,what they ate,how they
loved,and in their dealings with each other.''Now of course as children of the new covenant we are not under any restrictions as to what we should eat.But you get the picture ,holiness was to be comprehensive,again as D.T
points out ,''no area of life is untouched by it.''I end again by quoting D.T,
''Like Israel ,we to have been set free by Christ, but not so that we might continue to live in sin or with indifference to God;rather ,we have been set free to be holy''.
                                         A prayer.
Dear God we worship you ,we acknowledge that You alone are holy, and your will for our lives,is that we should seek to be holy,help us Lord by your Holy Spirit,in Jesus name Amen .

I loved to choose. [Mark 5 v 18 ]

William Barclay wrote,''Christ still needs His witnesses;He needs those who are not so much to die for Him,as to live for Him. The Christian struggle and the Christian glory still exsist''.That applies to most of us,but of course in certain places in the world many are witnessing for Christ by their deaths.What does it mean to live for Christ?,to be missionary?it may mean that,the world needs missionaries.When Jesus healed a demon possessed man,we read that the begged to go with Him.But Jesus did not let him.Rather He said to him,''Go home to your family,and tell them how much the Lord has done for you,and how He has had mercy on you''.[Mark 5 v 18] Someone I know is not happy in their job,would like to move,and I suggested to her that God had her there for a purpose.Dr Bernardo was on his way to China, when He found that God had a work for him to do in London.I sought to serve God on the mission field in Brazil,and various other places,but God brought me to England.Consider how the man begged,to go with Jesus,he was very earnest and sincere,but he was humble and obedient enough to accept what his master said,and serve Him where he was sent.

                        Lead kindly Light,amid the encircling gloom
                        lead Thou me on;
                        The night is dark, and I am far from home;
                        The night is dark,and I am far from home,
                        lead Thou me on.
                        Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
                        the distant scene ;one step enough for me.

                        I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
                        should lead me on;
                        I loved to choose and see my path; but now,
                        lead Thou me on.
                        I loved the garish day,and spite of fears,
                        pride ruled my will; remember not past years.
                               [ Words J.H.Newman ]

Saved [ Matthew 1 v 18-25 ]

Arabella. C. Hankey wrote the hymn I love to tell the story,of unseen things
above.Of Jesus and His glory,of Jesus and His love.That's the good news, which the gospel is,but is everyone wanting to hear that good news?.As a
minister I know it is vital to tell people about Jesus,the question is,why do they need Jesus,why does anyone need Jesus.It is only as they  realise the why they turn to Him and be saved.The challenge for us Christians is
to be faithful,in telling people why they need Jesus, we dare not fudge the truth, as to why they need Jesus.When Joseph was told that his virgin wife was expecting,he sought to divorce her quietly,but the angel of the Lord came and spoke ,telling him to marry Mary.He was told to call Him Jesus
the Greek name for Joshua,meaning,the Lord saves.it  gives us a clear clue as to why He had come.The angel declared that He would be known as Immanuel,meaning God with us.[CP Isaiah 7 v14]He was truly man and truly God. This does not tell us why He came,well we are told that He shall save His people from their sins.This is the reason why He came to save us from our sins,you see, sin dams us to Hell,sin destroys,it cuts us of from a relationship with God.People do not want to here this,because they do not grasp  the seriousness,of sin, the consequences of sin.To die in your sin  is to find yourself being judged by a holy God.That's why we have to warn people,to tell them clearly as to the consequence of sin,yes that's our task, We must not fail in it,no we must be faithful.
                                  
                                Man of sorrows what a name
                                For the Son of God who came
                                Ruined sinners to reclaim,
                                Hallelujah what a Saviour.
                                  [Words by Philip.P.Bless ]

I'm coming home. [Luke 15 v 11ff ]

I read this recently,''Sin will take you further than you want to go,keep you
longer than you want to stay,and cost you more than you want to pay''. I do
not know who wrote these words but the are very thoughtful and full of meaning .Lets consider these words, sin will take you further than you want to go,David looked on a married woman,lusted after her,slept with her,and thought that was that.That is as far as he wanted it to go,but sin took him further ,he discovered she was pregnant,and he ended up, having her husband killed,sin had taken him further than he wanted to go.What we see as a one night stand,can lead on a road that that we do not want to be on.There are people in prison who thought they could sin and that was it,but now they are in prison.There are people who clicked unto a sex site on the inter-net,now they are hooked. Yes it is very true ,sin will take you further than you want to go,many people never thought it would, but it has. Jesus told of a young man,who wanted to be free from parental control,and went down a road that practically destroyed him.[Luke 15v 11ff]

                                  I've wandered far away from God;
                                  Now I'm coming home;
                                  The paths of sin too long I've trod;
                                  Lord ,I'm coming home

                                  I've wasted many precious years;
                                  Now I'm coming home;
                                  I now repent with bitter tears;
                                  Lord, I'm coming home.

                                  I'm tired of sin and straying Lord;
                                  Now I'm coming home;
                                  I'll trust Thy love,believe Thy word;
                                  Lord I'm coming home.
                                    
                                  My soul is sick,my heart is sore;
                                  Now I'm coming home;
                                  My strength renew, my hope restore;
                                  Lord , I'm coming home.
                                    [Words by W,J.Kirkpatrick]
.
                                        

A certain hope . [ John 11 v 25 ]

Yesterday we looked at a young girls request,to be put into cold storage,in the hope that in a coming day she may be brought back to life.I believe it is a vain hope, that it will never be possible,and many think that to be brought back like that young girl wants,is unthinkable,once is enough. Many people of course think that when one dies,that's it,oblivion.Well I believe in a historical Christ,in other words He was a real person,I believe He existed as God the  Son,with God the Father,and God the Holy Spirit,not three Gods of course,but our triune God.In Gods word it was foretold that He would come,and so we have Christmas.He manifested power beyond what anyone ever did,His coming was to die on a cross,that if we believed in Him our sins would be forgiven.Yes He really died ,but on the third day He came back to life,He said He would,and He did.But He also said this,if we trust in Him,we can also be resurrected,and live with Him for all eternity.Yes death need not have the final say,because of Jesus ,we can have a certain hope.
                                           A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you for your dear son Jesus,who died that we might be forgiven,and go at last to heaven, Amen
                    
                       / I will return to my Blog Sunday,every blessing/

I want to live. [John 11 v25 ]

A young girl who died of cancer ,requested that her body would be preserved,she was only 14,she did not want to die,but she accepted that she
would,The mother went with her daughters request,but the father didn't.It was taken to court and it was agreed by the judge that the young girl should have her request.Of course this is not a new thing,it has been going on for a long time ,those who want this are hoping that in a coming day a cure will be found for the disease,they died from,and so they will be revived,cured, and live again. Why do we die?well when God made man,death did not exist,we were never meant to die,but alas we do,nothing can change that,it is an appointment we all have to keep.Genesis 2 v17/Hebrews 9v27 .Death is called an enemy [1 Corinthians15 v26],we cannot defeat it,at most we but prolong it,but it will happen.The prolonging brings with it problems the body and often the mind deteriorates,the result of this we all know about.Is their any hope as regards death,when we die is that it?,is it for many a happy release,is there life after death,more tomorrow.
                                             A  prayer.
Dear God help us to face up to the reality of death,help us to cope when
death comes,and help us to cope when we loose someone whom we love,
in Jesus name Amen.

Amazing Grace. [ Ephesians 2 v 1 -10 ]

                                      John Newton
                                      [1785-1807 ]
                         Once an infidel and libertine
                         A servant of slaves in Africa.
                         By the rich mercy of our Lord
                         and Saviour Jesus Christ.
                         Preserved,restored ,pardoned.
So reads the words on his gravestone,he lost his mother when he was six,his
father was a sea captain,and eventually he joined the Navy.For a great deal of his life he was involved in the slave trade,even after his first religious experience,but eventually the reality of his faith in Christ took hold,and he became an opponent of the slave trade.He even wrote a booklet on its evils,which became very popular.  He served as a Church of England priest,was a popular minister,friends of William Wilberforce,and William Cowper.He passed into the presence of his Saviour at the age of 82.

                       Amazing grace,how sweet the sound
                       That saved a wretched like me
                       I once was lost but now an found;
                       Was blind but now I see.

                       Twas grace that taught my heart
                       to fear,
                       And grace my fears relieved;
                       How precious did that grace appear
                       The hour I first believed.

                       Through many dangers,toils,and snares
                       I have already come;
                       Tis grace has brought me safe thus far.
                       And grace will lead me home.

                       The Lord has promised good to me,
                       His word my hope secures;
                       He will my shield and Portion be,
                       As long as life endures.

                       Yes when this flesh and heart
                       shall fail,
                       And mortal life shall cease,
                       I shall possess within the veil
                       A life of joy and peace.

                      When we've been there a thousand
                      years,
                      Bright shining as the sun,
                      We've  no less days to sing God's praise
                      Than when we first begun.