Is it time to cry? ( Luke 15 v 11 ff )

The story Jesus told of the prodigal, or the lost son, ( Luke 15 v 11 )has much to teach us in relation of people coming to Christ. A young man leaves home with money in his pocket,whose  one purpose was to throw of the restraints at home. This he did in a full measure,wine women and song, with the help of a lot of hanger on's,but in the end he ended up destitute. In his joys he give little thought for his loving father, it is interesting we do not have a mention of his mother.It does appear that when people are doing well they do not consider their need of a Saviour.I think of the people where I live, most of them have cars ,nice homes, nice clothes,nice food, so why do they need God,they rarely give Him a thought ,the word of God sums it up, ''in all his thoughts, there is no need for God ( Psalm 10 v 4 ).The young man never gave a thought  for God, or family, UNTIL  the water in the well dried up,his money ,nearly naked and starving,he comes to his senses, and he begins to think differently,and he then started home into the arms of a loving father. I know a couple of lads like that prodigal, who ended up in prison,and it was there that they cried out in desperation  to our Lord Jesus,                                                                                                                                                                                                        This poor man cried , and the Lord                                                                                                             heard him, and saved him out of all                                                                                                           his troubles.                                                                                                                                               He brought me up also out of an                                                                                                               horrible pit, out of the miry clay,                                                                                                               and set my feet upon a rock,and                                                                                                                 established my goings.                                                                                                                               And He hath put a new song in my                                                                                                           mouth,even praise unto our God.                                                                                                                 ( Psalm 34 v 6 / 40 v 2 - 3   )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

We would see Jesus. ( John 12 v 21 )

.John Bunyan's last words from the pulpit were,'Live like the children of God, that you may look your Father in the face with comfort another day''.We often hear the term ,''like father like son',I suppose that we should be trying to aim at every day, that is the challenge,for all of us.A little boy asked a missionary,''are you Jesus'', of course none of us are ,Jesus,but we called to be like Him,in every aspect of our lives,in our home,or wherever we find ourselves. Like so many things ,we know this,but knowing and doing are two different things,it may surprise you to know that ,every Christian struggles in being what they should be, a little children's chorus comes to mind, it reads.                                                                            Be like Jesus , this my song ,                                                                                                                    In the home and in the throng  ,                                                                                                                Be like Jesus all day long,                                                                                                                          I would be like Jesus.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Come over to the light. ( John 8 v 12 )

My wife was given ,the gift of a large bulb,from which a long stem grew, as the stem grew it began to lean towards the light,so you  are advised to turn it around,so it straitens up,as it goes towards the light,it has now flowered,its name is an Amaryllis. I found it fascinating, and am puzzled ,at a plant doing this. I also had some flowers in my garden ,that opened up when the sun shone, and closed up when the sun went down, again I found this fascinating. The apostle John has a number of things to say about light and darkness ,in the first chapter of  his gospel ,he mentions five  times the word light ,( he is referring to Jesus), as it where shining in the darkness ,in spite  of who He was,what He did, and what He said ,they did not understand, and not only did they not understand they did their best to extinguish the light, but they could not.The darkness of humanity is awesome, the Jews did not recognise their creator, nor did they recognise their Messiah.That Messiah they believed would liberate their nation,and they would rule the world with Him,they appeared to not see that He would  deal with their sin. Yet this goes further than the Jews,Jesus is the light of the world,who came to all in order to bring us out of darkness.The  light has come ,He is still shining, but the sad thing is, in our natural sinful state we actually love darkness rather than light.There is way out of the darkness that is to see it for what it is, darkness,and to respond to Him, who said, I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,but will have the light that leads to life ( John 8 v 12).

Without Him ( Ephesians 2 v 11 - 13 )

When out walking I was praying and the dread thought came,' With You', and then I remember dear old Jack Halcomb singing a song titled, 'Without Him'. While the non Christian can live their lives without Jesus, the Christian shudders at such a thought,so here are the words of that old song,written by, 'Mylon Rae Lefevie .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Without Him I could do nothing                                                                                                              Without Him I'd surely  fail,                                                                                                                       Without Him I would drifting                                                                                                                    Like a ship without a sail.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Without Him I would be dying                                                                                                                   Without Him I'd be enslaved                                                                                                                     Without Him life would be worthless                                                                                                       But with Jesus thank God I'm saved                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Oh Jesus, oh  Jesus,                                                                                                                                  Do you know Him today?                                                                                                                          Please don't turn Him away,                                                                                                                      O Jesus, my Jesus,                                                                                                                                      Without Him, how lost I would be.                                                                                                            Without Him how lost I would be.

Our Aim. ( Romans 14 v 5 - 6 )

It was said of the Roman empire, ''that adversity never brought them low, and success never puffed them up''. I was listening on the radio, two athletes involved in the winter Olympic ,they came in eleventh , but they where not disappointed,as they told of the difficulties they had experienced,one of them told, how she had an accident ,and was told  that it brought the end of her performing.But in spite of this she had persevered. In spite of the adversity she had faced,  it did not make her give up.One of the most important things in the Christian life is perseverance,we read of many believers who are facing adversity, and in it all they do not give up.But perseverance is not just for those been persecuted, it  applies to us all ,for their are many challenges to face in life.unemployment, children    who break our hearts,whatever the difficulties we may be facing,we can ,let me repeat the,''we can'',     by Gods grace, yes ''we can'' persevere. Then let us consider, not been puffed up by our successes, puffed up simple means full of pride,when the Roman general was returning from a successful campaign,he was reminded of his humanity. I notice that when footballers score a goal many of them point up,I wonder why?, could it be that they are giving glory to God,I hope so,remember in all our successes we should always  give glory to God.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A prayer                                                                                                                                   Dear Lord grant us the grace we need to                                                                                                    persevere in all of life's  adversities,  and                                                                                                  in all my successes ,to remain humble                                                                                                                            Amen                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Rome ( Galatians 4 v 4 - 6.)

Historian Tom Holland writes the following , '' A bishop named Eusebius  could see in the Roman Empires  globalisation the very guiding hand of God. It was not just as a consequence of human action, he declared,' that the greater part of the world should  have come under  Roman rule at the precise moment Jesus was born. The coincidence that saw our Saviour begin His mission against such a backdrop was undeniably arranged by divine agency. After all- had the world still be at war, and not united under a single form of government, then how much more difficult would it have been for the disciples to undertake their travels.''                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Daniel 2 v 20 - 21 .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Praise be to the name of God for ever and                                                                                                ever,wisdom and power are His.He changes                                                                                              times and seasons, He sets up kings and                                                                                                    deposes them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Unclean ( Isaiah 1 v 18 )

One of William Cowper's other famous hymns,which we do not hear sung very much these days is , 'There is a fountain filled with blood'. I wonder why?.Should we not hear more on that precious subject,the blood of Jesus, that cleanseth us, from all sin ( 1 John 1 v 7 )  Consider what sin does to us it makes us unclean, it pollutes,its an infectious disease,we all are dirty old men, and dirty old women,   yes that means you, and  it means me,we are contaminated,and as to our  righteousness they  are like filthy rags.  There was a moment when Israel sinned, they had not long been freed from slavery,they had witnessed ,so much of Gods power. What did they do? they started worshipping a gold calf, and committing all sorts of things,yes they started acting like a pig rolling in the muck. ( Ex 32 ) God had to warn them and deal with them,and from that point on wards, they learned as Alec Motyer writes, of the ''sinfulness of sin'',we all without exception underestimate our sinful condition,and its awful consequence. In Revelation  21  v 27 we read, ''But  nothing unclean will ever enter it '',we are being told in picture language, of Gods future home for His people. It is telling us of those who will be excluded, they who have never had their sins forgiven ,who because of their sin are consider unclean.                                                                                                                                                                                                 There is a fountain filled with blood                                                                                                         Drawn from Emmanuel's veins;                                                                                                                 And sinners , plunged beneath that flood,                                                                                                 Lose all their guilty stains.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             The dying thief rejoiced to see                                                                                                                   That fountain in his day;                                                                                                                             And there have I , as vile as he,                                                                                                                 Washed all my sins away.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood                                                                                                      Shall never lose its power;                                                                                                                        Till all the ransomed church of God                                                                                                          Be saved to sin no more.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream                                                                                                          Thy flowing wounds supply,                                                                                                                       Redeeming love has been my theme,                                                                                                         And shall be till I die.