The Holy Club ( Jonah 2 v 9)

John Wesley was part of a  group of Christians, that became known as ,'The Holy Club', they were very religious. The membership was never large; twenty -five appears to have been their highest number. It was John who eventually became the leader of the Holy Club,  C.E. Vulliamy points out that from a religious point of view ,  they had a definite emphasis upon salvation by works alone. It was not till much later that John came to realise that one was saved by faith alone. The word of God tells us clearly that one can only be saved by faith alone ,and that rules out good works.  Ephesians 2 v8 - 9. To many people this does not make sense ,surly by helping others ,  giving to the poor,being religious ,etc that will gain one salvation . The fact is none of that can, or will save anyone.There is only one work that can save you, the death of Christ on the cross,you cannot add a plus to the gospel,if you do, you are making it your gospel, and your gospel cannot save. It is only the gospel of God that saves,that  and that alone.

                                                      ' Not what my hands have done

                                                        Can save my guilty soul;

                                                         Not what I feel or do

                                                         Can give me peace with God;

                                                          Not all my prayers and sighs and tears

                                                          Can bear my awful load.

                                                          Thy work alone O Christ,

                                                          Can ease this weight of sin;

                                                          Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,

                                                          Can give me peace within.'

                                                               Words Horatius Bonar.

Mercy .( Romans 1 v 18 - 32 )

 Someone I know died, I  heard that there would be no funeral service, instead his body in a coffin I assume would be taken to the crematorium and cremated,and his partner would receive his ashes. To me it seemed wrong, after all he is a human being, things are changing, when it comes to funerals. It all boils down to the fact that many people are not religious, God is being shut out ,it is all very sad. Unfortunately a vast amount of people do not believe in God ,he is shut out of their lives.This is nothing new,but it has consequences, and the question is this,what will God do?, its a good question. I believe that God in his mercy restrains evil, but what if he removes that restraining power, to some some extent that is happening now.Moral barriers are breaking down,things that are wrong are now being seen as acceptable,in the sexual area,in the killing of babies in the womb. Marriage is being undermined ,it is interesting to notice that word sin is no longer heard, the wrongs that people commit are only seen on a human level.and yet its God's laws that people are breaking.When one breaks Gods laws it  does not stop , at the human justice level, for one day all will appear before the ultimate judge God.The only way to escape that judgement,is to seek His mercy and accept Christ as Saviour.

When God says no. ( Numbers 14 v 39 ff)

When we pray we usually want God to say yes ,but here is something important to hear,He often says no,that's a fact. God said no to Moses because he failed to trust and honour Him as he should. ( Numbers 20 v12. Deut 3 v 25 -26 ).If we fail to trust and honour God,we should not be surprised if God says no us. David wanted to build a temple for God ,but God said no( 2 Samuel 7 v 13), a noble desire.Paul asked for healing but God said no (2 Corinthians 12 v 7 ff) There are many other times in the bible when God said no. We have to take this saying seriously ,as regards God saying no, and accept  when God says no. Two things we need to bear in mind ( 1) God's way is perfect (2 Samuel  22 v31), next God's will is perfect ( Romans 12 v 2 ) What do we really know?, we are limited, but God is not,we are told that God knows the way we take. He knows ,we don't,that is where faith come in , we are told  that Abraham when called by God obeyed ,and by faith, he went out not knowing where he was going. (Hebrews 11 v 8) .Next God's will,  God's will is perfect,even it means saying no, it may be to do with healing, promotion,whatever it may be.shut doors ,no doors,open doors.Let us not be rebellious,defiant,bitter, mutinous,  remember God's will is always best,painful though it may be.

                                                    ' Have Thine own way Lord!

                                                      Have Thine own way!

                                                      Thou art the Potter,I am the clay,

                                                       Mold me and make me,after Thy will,

                                                       While I am waiting ,yielded and still.'

                                                                  Words Jonny Cash.

I ( Luke 12 v 16 - 21.

Our Saviour told the story of a man who was rich, prospering, had the world at his feet,we read about it in Luke 12 v 16 - 21. The man in the story used the personal pronoun at least 6 times,king I reigned  supreme in this man's life, he mentioned no one else,it appears that he didn't care for anyone else,and he most definitely didn't think about God.He was full of plans,the good life beckoned,it appeared that nothing stood in his way.Today as I write this,many, they are like that man, they are full of their plans ,king I  reigns,they are not accountable to anyone ,least of all God.There is a saying all good things must come to an end, and it most surely did for him.Here is his last words, And I'll will say to myself,'' You have plenty of grain laid up for many years,take life easy; eat, drink and be merry''.And here is the last word said to him,''You fool ! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have preserved for yourself?''.And that was it, no more planning ,no more time to seek God, a Christless eternity beckons,I urge you don't be blinded by the things of this life,get your priorities right,give the boot to king I,and trust Jesus as your Saviour, now.

God is. ( Isaiah 40 )

 The beginning of a prayer in the book ,'The  Valley of Vision', starts like this,'Thou incomprehensible, but prayer - hearing God'. In Isaiah 40, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah,and he asked the people of Israel,''With whom will you compare God?'',. The answer is ,no one can be compared to God, there is no other god, we are told in Isaiah 45 v 5 ,'I am the Lord, and there is no other,apart from me there is no  God', CP  44 v6/  45 v 22./ 46 v 9/ 47 v 8 . There is only one God, who has revealed Himself in His word. one is left trying to comprehend Him,it  is impossible,creation alone should leave us at a loss, He made everything. right down to one blade of grass,one little ant, right up to every star,every planet,everything. ''Yes everything'', A.W. Tozer writes of, 'the helplessness of the human mind before the great mystery which is God'.Richard Rolle also writes,'' Verily God is infinite greatness, more than we can think''.We should be in awe of such a great being,but mankind  on the whole have lost that awe, that mystery.Rather than submit to the mystery of an incomprehensible being, they bow before their god of science, leading then on,teasing them, telling them that they will soon have all the answers. J.I.Packer writes, 'True knowledge of God is through faith', we are told that faith cometh through hearing and hearing by the word of God .Romans 10 v17,that faith  brings us into a  relationship  with God, through Faith in the Son of God .

                                                             A prayer

                                             Open my eyes that I can see

                                                        in Jesus name,

                                                               Amen.

                                                   

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There is none so blind . ( Romans 1 v 21 - 25 )

 I heard this recently ,'We are all instruments of 'Divine Providence', that does not mean God is controlling us.God does not cause anyone to sin. We are not robots ,do we have a free will,no we don't,our sinful nature has affected our ability in the exercising of our will,plus Satan who has a very strong influence over us.2  Tim 2v26. What we do have is the ability to make choices,and so God in his sovereignty has not forsaken this planet because it His planet. He is the one who holds all things together,if He withdrew ,the world and all who are in would cease to exist. He rules and overrules in all things,according to His will.He is working out everything,with an end in view.People may ask  why?, as regards so many things,but the fact is only God has all the answers.He is in control 24/7 ,His will , will prevail no one can stop it.A teacher wrote the following words on the blackboard,'God is nowhere', later a child went up and changed the words to,' God is now here'. When the  Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin went into space he is reported to have said,''I went into space ,but I did not encounter God'',(Although a friend said he did not utter those words,it was possible the Soviet authorities who did).You only encounter the true and only God by faith in Jesus,until that happens you are like that teacher, and those Soviet authorities.

                                                    '' For in Him we live and move

                                                      and have our being.''

                                                             Acts 17 v 28.

Repent ( Matthew 7 v 13- 14 )

 When a Russian diplomat resigned his post in regard to the war in Ukraine ,he mentioned  about others in the foreign office,and said,''that he didn't see  that many would repent and change their views''.I  was surprised that he used the word repent, for I usually associate that word repent, with religion. It was John the Baptist who preached a baptism of repentance for forgiveness, what does the word repent mean?,it involves change in our thinking ,in our behaviour a turning round,going in the opposite way,in which we were going.It means choosing a different way a narrow way. (Mt 7 v 14),although it is a narrow way ,it is a way of freedom,a way of peace,it is a way that leads to life,eternal life,and it is following Jesus who is the way the truth, and the life. (John 14 v6 ).There is another road that is called the broad road,it is a very popular road.most people choose it , they are not for turning, their favorite song is,' I did it my way',not God's way,oh no they say ,'the majority cant be wrong', but alas they are.And were as the narrow way leads to life,the broad road leads to destruction, not annihilation,but an eternity in hell. 

                                               ' For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone,

                                                 declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!'

                                                                     Ezekiel 18 v 32