Like a boomerang ( John 6v 66)

Sometimes when one ministers God's word,something  you touched on, comes back like a boomerang to you.,I was feeling  a bit unsettled in relation to a person I know, I was wondering what he was up too,and then the words from the word I preached came into my mind.It was from John 21 Jesus was talking to Peter,recommission him in his service,Then Peter said to our Lord ,'what about him?',speaking of John the beloved disciple,Jesus answered,'what is that to you? You must follow me'.It  was like Jesus saying  to me,'get your eyes of him ,'You must follow me'.There is an old saying,'Key your eye on the ball',it was a reminder to me to keep my eyes on Him and follow Him.It could l suppose  have  been a rebuke to me,and I deserved it.There's a game I used to play when I was a child called ,'Follow the leader',the only thing is following Jesus is not a game,it is the challenge to all Christians,in all walks of life,there are no exemptions.We must keep right on to the end of the road,no matter what anybody else is getting up to,if we don't ,then what will be the end there off?,

                                                            ' Jesus said follow me'

A great artist . (Genesis 1 v 31 )

 Genesis 1 v 2 reads ,'Now the earth was formless and empty',Calvin translates these words,as,'confused emptiness'it is David Atkinson who writes a number of  helpful comments on these words,'So here creation,shapeless and formless,awaits the artistic creativity and ordering of the Creators hand', There is a modern song written by Rod Stewart called,  'Who designed a Snowflake', the last verse reads,

                                      ' Some will tell you natures random,

                                        That beauty's just a quirk

                                         I believe an artist is at work  ,

                                        Sshhh, an artist at work,

                                        I say,look a genius at work'

In the Academy in Florence stands Michelangelo's sculpture of  St Matthew, It is unfinished. The inscription points out how the sculptor is about to cut away the stone around the figure that he has perceived inside the marble block' Yes out of the formless emptiness,our great God would create a world of great beauty,let us bow humbly before Him and worship Him.

Faithful Creator. ( Ephesians 2 v 10)

I was surprised to receive notification as regards my pension,on April 3rd I was 80,they said that I was going to receive an increase to my pension,my heart was beating  rapidly,at last my ship had come in,but alas my dreams were shattered,as I read the amount awarded me,25 p a week,now I cannot go on that cruise.You see 25p is not very much,it would not get me one a half cup of coffee.Ah well I am not concerned  God will continue to look after me,as he always has done.One of the wonderful things about God, is His faithfulness,I remember when I was young ,there were times we did not  have any money,but God was gracious even though Jesus was not our Saviour. Our Saviour said that our Father in heaven 'causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous, and on the unrighteous. My mother had separated from my father,and she was left to bring up 4 children,she worked,but women's wages were poor.I have asked myself recently how did my mother manage,the answer is simple ,God .Mankind may have deserted God and they have ,but He is a faithful Creator .(1  Peter 4 v 19),even though they do not recognise Him,or even thank Him.So like our heavenly Father we are called,'to do good to all people',and then he adds,'especially to those who belong to the family of God .( Galatians 6 v 10)

                                                 ' If I can help somebody as I travel along'

                                                   If I can help somebody with a word or song,

                                                   If I can help  somebody from doing wrong,

                                                   my life shall not be in vain.'

An imperfect family. ( 1 Peter 4 v 8 )

 Would it be a good thing if church leaders would gather any new Christian together and teach them a very simple truth ,let me put it this way,'When we are born we are born into a imperfect family,so it is when we are born again  we are likewise born into  an imperfect family.We who are part of God's family are far from perfect,we are at different levels of sanctification.Our Saviour said ,'be you perfect',He was talking to his disciples and indeed to every Christian,telling us to always to bear that in mind,we are accepted by God  because of Christs righteousness, but in ourselves we are still children of Adam, and unfortunately we sometime show that more that  the fact, that we are children of God.We loose sight of the fact that we are to be .conformed to the image of Christ.(Romans 8 v 29) . The result being  Christians are not always loving to each other, I  have been hurt by other Christians,and I'm sure you have, and I'm sure I have hurt other Christians.There is a little rhyme which goes,it is a bit cynical,'To live with saints above that will be grace and glory,to live with them below ,now that's another story'. As Christians we have to accept our fellow Christians imperfections,as they have to accept ours,it will not always happen,but it should.As God loves us so we must love others,1 John 4 v 20, reads ,'Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar'. 

                                                 'Dear brothers and sisters in Christ

                                                  we are not perfect, but one day we 

                                                  will be. ( Jude 24-25)But until that

                                                  day ,be patient,forgiving, and 

                                                   loving with one another.

Amazing Love. ( Romans 5 v 8 )

Around our coasts we have  an organisation called the coastguards ,their job is to rescue those in danger in the sea,children can be washed out to sea very easily on little rubber dinkies.Some people do not take the dangers seriously, and get into trouble,and the coastguards will rescue  them.They have a policy that rescues everybody ,who needs  rescuing irrespective of how they  got into trouble. In someways it is like Gods mercy,take the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 v 11ff. The  son in the story that Jesus told,was no good,he was interested in doing things his sinful way,the bitter older brother summed it up ,he had squandered the money his father had given him on prostitutes,he spent all his money on the good life,with his no good friends.He ended it up in Skid Row,he ended up in dire straits,serves him right ,he made his bed,let him lie in. The situation brought him to his senses ,so he decided to go home to his father when he came to him, begging forgiveness his father choose to forgive him,irrespective of what he had done.We are all prodigals to some degree yet irrespective of whatever we have done,if we come to God in all our need ,in all our guilt, God will forgive and forget those sins we have committed, and welcome us into His family, through Jesus His Son.

                                           'I was sinking deep in sin,sinking to rise no more, 

                                           Overwhelmed by guilt within,mercy I did implore

                                            Then the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,

                                             Christ my Saviour lifted me,now safe am I .

                                                                                       

                                              

                                              

The race set before us,( 2 Timothy 4 v 6-8)

Just recently the London marathon took place,it is a very large event ,  it raises a lot of money for charity,it is 26mi 385 yds or 42.195 km, long.In  Hebrews 12 v1  we read,'Let us run with perseverance  the race marked out for us', generally people running a race wear very light clothing,they remove all that hinders them,so the writer of Hebrews tells us that we are to 'throw off everything that hinders  and the sin that so easily  entangles'us.consider how inclusive this exhortation is,we are to throw of everything that hinders us,no matter how legitimate it may be,we are not to spare it ,if it is a hindrance we are to get rid of it.This also includes the sin that so easily trips us up,yes it is easy to fall into sin ,whatever it may be, we are to get rid of it.The race that the Christian is on will have obstacles to overcome.What obstacles are we facing?, let us remember every obstacle we face is an opportunity to exercise faith  and they are not meant   to drive us away from God ,but to drive us to Him.We must keep our eyes on Jesus,for without Him we can do nothing,but with Him we can do all things Philippians 4 v13.Let me highlight what is very important.,in the the words of Paul the apostle ,one who suffered so much for Christ,and faced tremendous difficulties/, just before he was put to death he said,'I have finished the race,I have kept the faith.2 Timothy 4 v 7,in giving up we loose everything ,but in finishing the race we will be be wonderfully rewarded, that's not saying we earn our salvation,John Stott calls it 'the evidence of our justification ' that will be rewarded. 2 Tim 4 v 8.

                                                          Press on,hold on ,carry on'

The worst of sinners.( 1 Timothy 1 v 12 - 17 )

 In Luke chap7 v34ff, we have Jesus in the home of a Pharisees called Simon ,He had been invited there for a meal,there were other guests there as well,some were Pharisees.As they sat eating the meal a woman came in, people knew who she was , she came to where Jesus was sitting, she came not just as a spectator ,but as women who had a great need,which only Jesus could meet.This woman  was more than likely a prostitute,she carried in her hand a container with very expensive perfume in it. Jesus was sitting on a low couch with His feet tucked behind Him.Standing behind him she started crying profusely wetting  his feet, so she knelt and wiped his with her hair,she also kissed them and then poured the perfume over them.The Pharisees were outraged,saying if this man were a prophet he would have known what kind  of woman she was,that she  was a sinner. Jesus knew this,they failed to see  that Jesus had come to save sinners. He said to the woman,''Your sins are forgiven'' ,and,''your faith has saved you go in peace''. He also said ,' her many sins have been forgiven',connecting  that with the great love she had shown.Thomas Brooks said the following.

                              'The greatness of a man's sins  does but set off the riches of free grace.

                               Sins are debts,and God can as easily blot out a debt of many thousands,

                               as He can a lesser one; therefore let not the greatest rebel despair, but

                               believe, and he shall find,that where sin abounds,grace shall much more 

                               abound'.