The bigger picture. ( Habakkuk 3 v 17 -19

I remember when TV's had very small screens,my what a change has taken place, I also remember when movies were made  in  cinemascope, a very wide screen,not so long ago I went to see a movie and it had a massive screen.I must confess the bigger screen is better, or the bigger picture is better. Life is so often like a small screen, events happen to us disappointments, and so on,although these things can be major , we often do not see the bigger picture . I am aged 79 many things have happened in my life and so often  I didn't understand why ,but now looking back at the bigger picture, I can see God's providence in his protective care, and in so many ways,and am assured that He is working out  all things for my good. I can truly say ,great has been His faithfulness .Of course there are still mysteries , I have to bow in humility and simple trust Him, whose ways are pass finding out (Romans 11 v 33),yet holding on to the truth of Romans 8 v28,that all things are working together for  good for all God's children.God only knows the bigger picture, one day we shall know,and on that day,

                                                 ' We'll bless the hand that guided,

                                                   We'll bless the heart that planned,

                                                   When throned where Glory dwelleth

                                                    In Immanuel's land'.

                                                         Words A.R.Cousin.

What need I more?. ( John 1 v 1 - 3)

 One of the readings in our Kings coronation was Colossians 1 v 15 - 20,it was read by our Prime minister , it reveals to us wonderful truths about Jesus,His being,His power,His purpose.There were those who were troubling the Christian church in Colossae, saying  that they needed more than Christ,but they are told ,when we have Christ our needs are fully met,beware of those who say you need more, so here is what Paul wrote.

                         'The Son is the image of the invisible God,the firstborn over all creation.

                          For in Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible

                          and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;all things 

                          have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in

                          Him all things hold together. And He is head of the body the church;He is 

                          the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything

                          He mighty have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness

                          dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile  to Himself  all things, whether

                          things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through  His blood, shed

                          on the cross'.

                                                            'Hallelujah !what a Saviour!'

Follow where He leads. (Matthew 8 v 18 - 22)

 C H. Spurgeon started preaching at the very early age of 17 ,and  God blessed his ministry,and one  of those  who heard about  him was a principal of a Bible college,he felt that if  Spurgeon would attend a Bible college for some  formal training his usefulness could be multiplied. He arranged to have an interview at a friends home,when Spurgeon arrived for the interview he was shown into the drawing room, the principal of the college was shown into the parlour, they had not been informed of the others presence.In the end he had to leave to catch a train,so the interview never took place. The principal left a note encouraging him to apply to the college ,feeling that a trained preacher's usefulness would be increased by this.That evening while out walking,and thinking about what had happened , his direction was changed when he heard as it where a voice saying,''Seekest Thou great things for thyself, seek them not'.So there and them  he decided against going for formal training,though many friends urged him to, He said,'I remembered the poor yet loving people God had placed in my charged,so he decided that he would continue ministering to them ,even though it would mean possible obscurity and poverty'. God knows what we need,we may need training ,we may not ,Spurgeon was a remarkable gifted man, a humble man,and a obedient man,and God used him wonderfully .We all have a path that God has ordained for us,let us not be disobedient to His heavenly calling,and with humble obedience follow where He leads.

Hell is not a laughing matter. ( John 3 v16

 I want to  borrow two stories I read in a book by ,' Dale Ralph Davis','Two famous preachers were talking,their names were Andrew Bonar and Robert Murry M' Cheyne, M'Cheyne asked Bonar what text he had preached on the previous Lord's Day, Bonar said,'' The wicked shall be turned into hell''( Ps 9 v17). on ' hearing that awful text, M'Cheyne asked,'were you able to preach it with tenderness?'. I read the following by someone who said,'That the righteous will laugh when the wicked are turned into hell',I think that is most awful thing anyone could say.Hell is no laughing matter, and anyone who thinks it is,is sadly wrong.I witnessed to many people,preached to many people and told them about hell, it was always with great sadness, That great minister George Whitefield said this,' You blame me for weeping, but how can I help it when you will not weep for yourselves, though your immortal souls are on the verge of destruction, and for all you know,  you are hearing your last sermon, and you  may never more have the opportunity to have Christ offered to you'.

                                                       'Where will you spend eternity?'

That evil trinity. ( Ephesians 6 v 10 -18)

 The Christian we are told face on their onward walk with God, an evil trinity, the ,'World',the 'Flesh,and the 'Devil'. It is in 2 Timothy 4 v 9 ,Paul writing from prison , conscious that he was going to soon face death,writes something very  painful and sad,a former colleague and friend called Demas had deserted him,why?, because he loved this present world.John Stott comments on this ,he writes,' The details are not divulged. Bishop  Moule may have been right  to guess that he was smitten by cowardice in that reign of terror'.The question we could ask ourselves is Christ worth dying for,? We could also ask is Christ worth living for,if it means suffering? ,Paul thought so. Now let us consider the,'Flesh', in Romans 13 v 14, we read,' Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires'.It would be interesting but sad to know how many Christians are involved in pornography.Let us not pamper our Flesh cp  Matthew 18 v7 -9, where our Lord stresses how severe we must be with ourselves(we must not take it literally).Last but not least the,'Devil',in 1 Peter 5 v 8, we read,'Be alert and of sober mind,your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion ,looking for someone to devour'.There is no telling where he will not attack you,or when he will attack,but what is certain he will attack ,of that you can be sure,so you have been warned.

                                             '   'Be strong in the Lord and in His

                                                            mighty power'

                                                           Ephesians 6 v 10.

The devil. ( 1 John 3 v 8 )

  He told me a lie,so said my friend about her brother,it has upset her, she is wondering why he did it. I  remember when I was young ,my friend denied that he been dinking the milk from the fridge,but alas he had ,as one could see a milky ring around his mouth.My mother use to say you cannot trust a liar,and of course it is true you cannot trust a liar.I wonder do you realize that all the trouble and evil we have in the world began when someone believed a lie. The one who told the lie was the devil,our dear Saviour  ( John 8 v 44) called him the father of lies,those words were spoken to very religious people.It all began at the very beginning of creation,Eve our first mother, chose to believe a lie and disobeyed God ( Genesis 3 ) ,and so sin entered the world ( Romans 5 v12 ),A great divide came into being,and as dear C Swindoll points out,'The universe  is sharply divided between light and dark, truth and lie, the kingdom of  God and the world'. The devil continues to cause havoc by his lies,consider the false religions,lies from hell,he blinds multitudes,with false promises (Matthew 4 v 8 ),gives people false hope.. But I will leave you with words from  James 4 v7.

                                                     'Submit  yourselves, then, to God. 

                                                      Resist the devil, and he will flee

                                                      from you'

                                           

God the Father. ( Nehemiah 9 v 17 )

I recently was looking at comments on a book that I was going to order,I found one interesting,it was a man in his early eighties.He mentioned his early Christian  experience,which he said was miserable,one of the reasons he said was ,he never felt he was good enough.He went unto write that the second half of his life was happier,because he was not living under the shadow of an angry God who would punish him every time he didn't get things right.I was very sad what that man had to say, I just wonder ,where this came from?,was it from his family ,or his church situation? or was it from both?.For the God he mentioned is not the God of the bible,When I was young ,school teachers were permitted to use a cane, to punish what they considered were  wrong doings, some had a reputation of being very severe,God is not like that . That persons religion appears to have been  very legalistic , like living under the law.I have never looked on God like that,He has always been my loving heavenly Father,and although I am 79 He still is my Loving heavenly Father.I have never been the perfect son,but He has been the perfect Father.Yes He will  like any loving father discipline us when we do wrong,(Hebrews 12 v 5-6 ),but He is not standing over us to beat us into the ground ,and  our acceptance by Him, is not on the bases of what we do ,but what Christ has done.

                                                         'There's a wideness in God's mercy,

                                                           Like the wideness of the sea.

                                                           There's a  kindness in God's justice,

                                                            Which is more than liberty'

                                                                 Words F.W.Faber.