Obstacles ( Matthew15 v 21 - 28 )

 While on holiday recently,in a charity shop,I managed to strike up a conversation with a man,I asked him  I wonder if you wouldn't mind me asking him a pertinent question, 'do you know the Lord as your Saviour?,' He replied that he had been brought up as a JW, but he left that,he went on to say he went to an Anglican church, but he left it because the minister was abusing young people.He then joined another church not Anglican,but they were to political,so he  left that.He raised different questions, which I did my best to answer.He mentioned that his wife was a nurse,who turned from a belief in God ,because of all the people she saw dying. He spoke about faith in a trivial way but I assured him it was far from trivial,but I sensed that this was still seeking God, in spite of all all the obstacles he had encountered.For most people there are obstacles which they have to face if they want to know Christ,so it will always be,let us remember that obstacles are not there to put  one off, coming to Christ,they are there as a test,in which we must show how much we want Christ ,how much do we value Him,well then tell me, how much do you value Him?.

Possible suffering ( Philippians 1 v 29)

R.Davis in his fine commentary on Luke's gospel writing on the death of John the baptist who was executed  by Herod Antipas comments,' It shows us that sometimes there is no 'fulfillment' in ministry, we are being shown that John had to bear the cross before the cross.Luke  who recorded this isn't  implying that being Jesus servant always leads to this, but he is saying it can and may lead to this? The Bible never hides the hard  stuff in the small print. You could face this,you must be ready for this, in life under the gospel,' Many years ago as a young married man with a young family,my dear wife and I sought to serve the Lord, we had in mind being in missionary service,with a mission called the,'Acre gospel mission'.they worked in the interior of Brazil,a missionary we knew served the Lord there, his  dear wife had died when they first went out.he said it was known as the green hell.Knowing this we were prepared to go ,even though we had four young children, so we applied to the mission,but we were not accepted. Reading the history of missions,many did go,and paid a heavy price. As a Christian I have never suffered for  my faith,but everyday  I pray for those who are suffering. Yes we may suffer but we may not ,if we are called to suffer may God grant us the grace to remain faithful to Him,who suffered greatly for us.

A strong weak man.( Philippians 4 v 13 )

Let us consider the  one I believe was  strongest  man who ever lived,Samson,he was not  a mythical figure, he was a real flesh and blood person, you can read about him in the book of Judges chap 13-16.He tore a lion apart with his bare hands.he slew one thousand of Gods enemies using a donkey's jawbone. On another occasion he uprooted the gates of a city and carried it up a hill. He didn't get his strength by going to the gym,although he was strong, why then did his enemies capture him ,and gouged out his eyes and make him their captive?.You see he had a weakness,remember strong men have their weakness'es,even strong Christian men,it can be money,sex,pride,or whatever,He was a womanizer,as was Solomon's ( 1 king 11 v 1ff,) It was a woman called Delilah who caused Samson's downfall,she found out the secret of his strength,revealed it to His enemies,and the rest is history.But id didn't stop there, for his hair grew again ,and he prayed unto God, for after all that's were his strength came from,and he brought the house down,killing many of the enemies of God,but also killing himself. It is interesting that Samson is mentioned in Hebrews 11 v32 ,as a man of faith.R.Davis writes the following as regards Samson as,' being a wild ass of a man', in many ways a man who failed yes even morally,but when he prayed,God forgive him,and granted him victory.Yes God can use us failures.

God gives the increase ( Revelation 7 v9 - 12 )

 I wonder if your like me,you pray for the unsaved, you witness to them,and you don't see many people saved.Thinking about this I prayed, I said, 'Lord I want to see people saved',and I thought I heard Him say 'you will', and I smiled.Now what does that mean?,it could mean,here and now ,before I go to heaven,but it also could mean when I get to heaven,and of course it could mean both. In John 4 v 37, our Saviour said,' One sows another reaps', and in 1 Corinthians 3 v7 we read,'God..gives the increase'.God is very patient and we must learn that ,especially when it comes to witnessing.we all have a part to play,all the witnessing I or others have done is not wasted,others will reap the benefit. One persons wrote the following ,' God uses human instruments to bring to men the message of his truth and love; but it is He alone who wakes the hearts of men to new life'.There is a great church in China and it came into being because Hudson Taylor and others went and declared the gospel in that great land,So like those of old let us go into all the world and tell others about our wonderful Saviour, trusting God to give the increase.

Are you a nobody? (James 5 v 17 - 18 )

There is a little chorus with the words,'With Christ in the vessel,we can smile at the storm, as we go saling on'.For many people, even great men of God, they struggled in the storms of life.Let me name one,Elijah a mighty man of God,He confronted a king, his prayers controlled the weather,imagine that. But when a wicked queen threatened him,he was afraid, and ran for his dear life,he lay down under a bush,and wished for God to take his life,which he didn't. A wonderful man of God ,but a man for all that,flawed and at times depressed, complaining to God that he was the only one left of the prophets,A powerful man but his power came from God,and God reminds us that in himself, he was just like you and me, with many  weaknesses .( James 5 v 17 - 18)When God looked on Elijah he did not think ,there's a mighty man, no when He looked at Elijah, He dropped the word mighty,for He just saw a man ,a man He would use  in  mighty ways. Remember ,God chooses the weak things, the foolish things so that no one can boast;(  1 Corinthians 1 v 31).So don't think God can't use you because your a nobody,the good news is, God uses nobodies.

Delayed answers.( 2 Peter 3 v 10 - 13 )

Let us consider delayed answers to our prayers,the following people had delayed  answers to their prayers,  Sarah ,she was 90 when she had her prayers answered by having a child (Hebrews 11 v11). Rebekah  Isaac's wife had to wait 20 years,before she had children,she had twins Esau and Jacob.Here is a few more ,Manoah and his wife Judges13,Hannah mother of Samuel , (1 Samuel 1).Then we  go to Luke 1, to Zechariah and Elizabeth. The Bible is full of examples of delayed answers to prayers,so the question is this why?, we have our timetable  God has  His,and it is perfect. His delay in answering our prayers will result in a manifestation of His glory , the impossible happens. It is true, delay is not denial, it calls upon us to exercise trust,and patience, as the prophet Habakkuk was told as regards the prophecy that he was given ,'it will be fulfilled.If it seems slow in coming wait patiently, for it will surely take place,it will not be delayed.(2 v 3). He is told also in 2 v 4, ' That the just shall live. by faith', we must never forget this, the non-Christian  is often filled with despair,while the Christian looks by faith to His God,who will  in His time, move in impossible ways.R .Davis, writes that the prayer we have raised to God is recorded in heaven, it is not forgotten, but will be answered in His time'.

Our greatest kindness ( James 5 v 20 )

 What is the greatest kindness one can do for anyone?, what would your answer be?,before I answer that I believe we as Christians should  remember those who have needs.James in his epistle tells up works without faith is dead (James 2 v 16 ff, our works do not save us but they are an necessary evidence that we are saved.We have still not answered the question,'What is the greatest kindness we can do for anyone?'.Here is what Albert Barnes said,'When we come to die,as we shall soon,it will give us more pleasure to be able  to recollect  that we have been the means of  saving one soul from death,than to have enjoyed all the pleasures which sense can furnish,or to have gained gained all the honour and wealth which the world can give'. Humanity's greatest need is be saved, and my greatest responsibility is to tell them of  the one who can save them. We are watchmen  who are called to warn people of coming judgement,  yes it is coming,consider the words of Jude v 14- 15,' See the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones to judge everyone'. Charles Wesley wrote.

                                                 'My talents,gifts and graces,Lord,

                                                  Into thy blessed hands receive;

                                                  And let me live to preach Thy word.

                                                  And let my to Thy glory live;

                                                   My every  sacred moment spend

                                                    In publishing the sinners friend'