Judgement. ( 2 Peter 10 - 13 )

We take so many things for granted ,water,energy,our homes,peace, all these and other things are being are  effected ,suddenly things have changed ,uncertainty has come in.The future doesn't look so secure,who knows how things will pan out,why is it happening?,the question I ask is,what is God saying?,in fact we could take it further,why is God bringing these things upon this world?.Oh yes God is causing these things to happen, these are judgements upon a world that is blind,you may not want to hear that.You may argue against what I am saying,and say that's life, things happen.not so, God rules over all the affairs of mankind.We need to take note of what is happening,why should He do this? I have mentioned the word judgment, William Hendriksen writes a number of things as regards this worlds,'The wicked base their entire hope upon the luxuries and pleasures of this life......this pleasure -mad, arrogant world, with all its seductive luxuries and pleasures, with its anti- Christian philosophy and culture, with its teeming multitudes that have forsaken God, and have lived  according to the lusts of  the flesh and the  desires of the mind shall perish.'This world has forsaken, and forgotten God they walk in paths of unrighteousness, choosing their own way and their own gods ,not realising that they are accountable to God, temporary judgements are fallen now upon the nation,but eventually their fate will be eternal judgement. Psalm 9 v17  reads,

                                                'The wicked shall be turned into hell,

                                                 And all the nations that forget God'.

                                                             Psalm 9 v 17.

Free. ( Hebrews 10 v 5 - 10 )

 I was out walking and I saw wild blackberry bushes also called brambles,they had a profusion of fruit,I tasted some and they were very nice. So next day I took a little tub with me and filled it up with blackberries,and they never cost me one penny.As far as I am concerned they were a gift from my loving heavenly Father,and I am grateful.God is so generous and kind,and this especially applies to salvation ,which is a gift of God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6 v23).Salvation is the most important thing in all the world which anyone can receive. religion makes so many demands on people, do this, do that,jump through one hoop  after another,and if you fulfill  all they want you to do, they still cannot assurance one of salvation. In the Jewish religion there are 613 commandment which  are meant to be kept.The problem is this, in James2 v 10 we read,' For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all'.That's were it breaks down,for you must keep all the law,that means also the  spirit of the law.Our Saviours death provided the only way for us to  be saved,His perfect life  and death ,was Gods perfect answer,for us imperfect beings.

                                                      'No more.my God, I boast no more

                                                       Of all the duties I have done;

                                                       I quit the hopes I held before.

                                                       To trust the merits of Thy Son'.

                                                                  Isaac Watts

The seven churches (Revelation 2 - 3 )

 In the book of Revelation chapters 2-3 ,we have 7 churches who our Lord speaks to ,they are Ephesus the loveless church, Smyrny the persecuted church, Pergamum they tolerated wrong teaching ,Thyatira the tempted church .Sardis the dead church, Philadelphia a weak but faithful church, Laodicea a disobedient Church.William  Hendriksen points out' that the church is in the world. That was true then . It is still true today. The  Church  should shine in the midst of darkness.' Yes nothing Changes ,there will always be, loveless churches,persecuted churches,Churches tempted in the area of sexuality,Churches that WH writes of very being a'' peaceful '' church,but it was the peace of the cemetery' Thankfully there will be faithful churches, there will also be Churches that are down right disobedient. Let us be in prayer continually for the church of Christ,that they walk in the light.

A work in progress. ( Romans 8 v29 )

 Philippians 1 v 6,  reads,' I am certain  that God, who began the good work within you, will  continue His  work  until it is finally finished on the day when Jesus returns'.From the moment we trust Jesus we are a work in progress,yes we are accepted by God,we are justified,no longer under condemnation, we are children of God. But we are still in planet earth, our Saviour in His prayer to his Father as regards those who were His said,'that they may be brought to glory, and that they be kept safe from the evil one,and that He would make them holy (or sanctify them) by His truth ,that He teach them His word', John 17 v 17. William Hendriksen writes, 'Jesus requests, therefore , that the Father may cause these men, in an ever increasing degree,to love that word, and to live according to the truth of God revealed in this message which they have received from Him, and which he,in turn,had received from the Father'In other words that our lives would  reflect God's word , and so reflect Christ more and more.Paul is confident that God the Father  will do this,what God starts He will finish. We are a work in progress, during our lifetime  there should be definite changes.I am not the man I should be, but praise God I am a better man than I used to be ,by God's grace.

Who, why. ( Romans 1 v 18 - 23 )

 Recently I  listened on utube to Charles Laughton reading a letter written by a man called Carl Milles, he wrote it in response to his views on religion.  It is a very interesting  letter, he wrote much about nature, beauty,creativity, these things raised questions, like ,'who,why' ?,who has created us,it must have been someone?,he wrote, people pray ,the hardest and worst of men pray,and he comes to the same question ,'there must be someone?' It is the apostle Paul who writes as regards the evidence of creation, and that mankind is left with no excuse for not knowing God, Romans 1 v 18 -20. It appears that's as far as Carl Milles got,no farther, he was aware of Christianity, but never embraced our Saviour. He never went any further,in Acts 17 v24 ff Paul declared that God  made the world and everything in it, and he goes on to say, that should give us the desire to seek after God and feel our way towards Him,he assured us that God is not remote,but near those who seek Him. Unfortunately Carl didn't go any further he could see there was a creator ,but he never expressed his need of a Saviour. Acknowledging A creator is fine, but it will not save us,we must trust Christ as our Saviour for the time of judgement is coming upon all .All who have not sought forgiveness and repented of their sins will be Judged.

Special status. ( John 14 v 6 )

 In a number of the letters written to different church's ,Paul calls them saints, CP  Ephesians 1 v 1. 2 v19/ Philippians 1 v Colossians 1 v 4.this term is also used in many places in the OT. Psalm 16 v3 .31 v 23/ Zechariah 14 v 5.The term saints speaks of all the living Christs, not a selective few individuals selected after they  have died ,by a  so called hierarchy of the church. The term saint,means Gods holy people, separated  unto God, if you are a Christin you are a saint. There is a difference between the Christian and the non Christian,because we are separated to follow Jesus. Our values are not the worlds values, our aims are not the worlds aims. Unlike the non Christian the Christian seeks to glorify God in all things, that is our chief aim.Next let me mention that saints in heaven do not make intercession for the saints on earth, no were in holy scriptures  do we read of anyone praying to saints.In  1 Timothy 2 v5 we read ,'There is only one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus',Jesus alone ever lives to make intercession for us Hebrews  7 v 25.Likewise the position of the virgin ,Mary who is not the mother of God,,she was the mother of Christs humanity. Millions unfortunately have been led to believe things that are at variance with Holy Scriptures.

Common Grace. ( James 1 v 16 - 17 )

 Kagando Mission Hospital in Uganda have a motto which reads,' We care and God heals',I like that motto,People want to see miracles,yet everyday miracles are happening, our very existence is  a miracle, for we read Acts 17 v 28,'For in Him we live and have our being'. If God withdraws His powerful presence, we would all die. As regards healing, god has enabled mankind the ability to develop skills to perform wonderful operations, and to bring healing to people.Likewise we have medicine, which also is a gift of God.I believe all these things come from God,it is R.C.Sproul who writes of the invisible hand of God,' Because God is invisible to us, we often fail to recognize His activity in history'.God is merciful and  is a faithful , This world is God's world ,we read in Psalm24 v1,'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it ,  the world, and all who live in it'. Yes it is God's world,and in spite of  mankind's rebellion God has not forsaken this world,and His common grace is manifest in a multitude of ways.Let every child of God, rise up and say ,to God be the glory,for  His many blessings,in healings, in  His provision, in His protection, in all the blessings that we enjoy.