The Christian hope. ( Revelation 9 v 11 - 17 )

Nobody likes being robbed, nobody,but there are many people in this world who are involved in robbing others.On the internet,on the phone,in many other ways,and it is sad, it goes without saying that it effects people, but those who rob don't care,  how it effects others.Now of course people rob others of their reputation,but what about robbing a person of hope, is that not serious?,of course it is. A  wonderful aspect of the Christian faith is hope,not an uncertain hope,but a sure and certain hope.Now Christianity has taught that if one puts their trust in Jesus then we have eternal life  ,we have a place in heaven.,not in hell,in Colossians 1 v 27 , which reads ,'Christ in you the hope of glory'..As a Christian I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3  v 20 ) being an alien and stranger on earth,I am looking for a better country, a heavenly one. ( Hebrews 11 v 13 / 16 ),and one day I will have a new heavenly body ( 1 Corinthians 15 v 49 ),and I will stand around the throne of God in heaven,with a great multitude that no one can count ( Revelation 7 v 9 ).And yet there are those so called Christians who want to destroy these truths,and destroy the Christians hope,such people  are thieves and robbers, of the worst type.

Reckless love. ( Romans 5 v 9 - 11 )

I was visiting a new church in which we sang a wonderful song,in fact the most popular song in 2018, it was written by Cory Asbury I want to share with you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me,                                                                                  You have been so, so good to me,                                                                                                              Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me,                                                                              You have been so,so kind to me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     When I was Your foe ,still Your love fought for me                                                                                  You have been so, so good to me                                                                                                              When I felt no worth,You paid it all for me                                                                                               You have been so, so kind to me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  There's no shadow,You won't light up,                                                                                                       Mountain You won't climb, Coming after me                                                                                           There's no wall ,You  won't kick down,                                                                                                     Lie you wont tear down,coming after me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Chorus                                                                                                                               Oh the overwhelming ,never ending ,reckless love of God,                                                                     Oh,it chases me down, fights' till  I'm found,leaves the ninety-nine,                                                         I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve  it,still you give yourself away,                                                       Oh, the overwhelming ,never ending , reckless love of God,Yeah.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          .                                                                             

Parenting ( Psalm 127 )

I have five sons, all grown up,and everyone of them is different,each have there strengths and weakness's,but I love everyone of them. God has millions of children, He loves everyone of  them,He has no favourites, He deals with everyone of them in a loving way,excludes none.God is the perfect father ,not like me,I have a  son in Christian ministry and a son who will be soon going into ministry,some people say you must be proud,but I am not,I was not the perfect father, but I prayed every day for them,and still do.I love them all.Having children is such a big responsibility,our own background may not have prepared us for parenthood, I did not only pray for them, but also for myself,and of course I had a godly wife and we did our best to support each other. There are very few experts in bringing up children, God knows,I am sure as we seek Him, and rely upon Him, he will help us with our precious children.                                                                                                                                                              Fathers , do not exasperate your children ;                                                                                                instead ,bring them up in the training and                                                                                                  instruction of the Lord.  ( Ephesians 6 v 4 )                                                                                              Train a child in the way he should go,and                                                                                                  when he is old he will not turn from it.                                                                                                     (Proverbs 22 v 6 )                                                                                          

Changed. ( Romans 8 v 29 )

If you are a Christian I wonder have you asked yourself , what is Gods ultimate goal or purpose for those who are His?.Well the answer is simple ,we read of it in Romans 8 v 29 ,''For  those God fore- knew ,he also predestined to be conformed to likeness of  his Son''. While here on earth we are being changed by the grace of God,it is a process called sanctification ,it is not instant,but it is ongoing. God uses many means to accomplish this,Job 23 v 10 ',which reads, 'But He knows the way I take; when he has tested me , I will come forth as gold'.When we reach heaven that process will be instantly completed,and we shall be like Christ,conformed to His image.Our minds and characters will reflect Christ,our personality will have no flaws, we will be holy,and wholly committed to our God and Saviour. It is hard to appreciate such a change but it will happen. A  man asked a sculpture  what could he possible see in an  old piece of marble he was working on?, he replied,''I see an angel ''.We sinners may ask the same question,what can God possible see in us,He sees the finished article, He sees us conformed to the image of His Son Jesus.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             We will be like Him.                                                                                                                                        ( 1 John 3 v 2 )

Father. ( John 3 v 1 - 7 )

When I was very young my mother left my father,in those days it was a challenging thing to do in many ways ,for there was very little financial support, given to single mothers.I had two older brothers and one older sister,I do not have any bad memories as regards my father,but none of us ever bothered with him.So I may as well not have had a father,it must have had an affect on me,but I remember as a young child,praying to God, and saying ,'your my Father'. I do not know if I had trusted Jesus as my Saviour.   I was not into theology then, it was a little child reaching out to God the father. Again early in life as a little boy I did trust Jesus,and then my relationship with God was put on a firm biblical bases. What is a firm biblical bases as regards knowing God as ones Father?.Well we turn to the gospel of  John 1 v  12 -13, 'To those who receive Him ( Jesus ) to those who believed in His name,He gave the right  to become children of God''.In other words if one has never received Christ as ones Saviour, then we have no right to call God our Father.As v 13 tells us that they,who are children of God, ''They are reborn , not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.''

The cross ( Galatians 6 v 12 - 16 )

Fanny .J, Grosby that blind hymn writer ,wrote  many  wonderful hymns,one of my favourites is ,'Jesus keep me the cross'.                                                                                                                                                                            Jesus keep me near the cross;                                                                                                                     There a precious fountain,                                                                                                                          Free to all - a healing stream-                                                                                                                    Flows from Calvary's mountain.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Near the cross,a trembling soul,                                                                                                                Love and mercy found me;                                                                                                                        There the bright and Morning Star                                                                                                            Shed its beams around me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Near the cross, O Lamb of God                                                                                                                 Bring its scenes before me;                                                                                                                       Help me walk from day to day                                                                                                                   With its shadow o'er me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Near the cross, I'll watch and wait,                                                                                                           Hoping, trusting ever,                                                                                                                                 Till I reach the golden strand                                                                                                                     Just beyond the river.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Chorus                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 In the cross, in the cross,                                                                                                                           Be my glory ever;                                                                                                                                       Till my raptured soul shall find                                                                                                                 Rest beyond the river.                                                                                                                                                                                       

Wine and Vinegar. (Ruth chapter one)

Raymond Brown on Moses said the following,''Israel's leader  must have faced many a day with a heavy heart. These Biblical characters did not belong to a make- believe world where , because they loved God, everything automatically went well for them. Their experience hardly supports the optimistic euphoria of the' prosperity theology' people,with their assurance of wealth and health. The Bible is more honest. When we have, as the Puritan Richard Baxter says,'wine and vinegar in the same cup'.Well many of us while not holding to the prosperity theology teaching,need to take to heart, what Richard Baxter said,my personal life experience as a Christian would agree .Yes it is hard when painful things happen in the Christians life, after all the Christian reads the Psalms, and the wonderful promises there,yet the man who wrote most of those Psalms experienced a great deal of trouble in his life.Right throughout  the Bible we read of godly people yes experiencing blessing.but I think of Naomi a godly lady,whose husband ,and two sons died,and who was left destitute,They  had  gone to the land of Moab,to escape a famine in their own country,but then she and her daughter -in-law returned to Israel.When she returned her neighbours said,''Can this be Naomi?'',Her reply was this ,''don't call me Naomi which means pleasant,call me Mara'', which means bitter. Yes Richard Baxter was so right in what he said,that the Christian life is a wine and vinegar experience.