4th December 2018

It is a long time since I have written anything here. A lot has happened in the world, some of which I have made comment on on facebook. But now it is time to put some of my thoughts here as we approach yet another Christmas.

I want to wish everyone reading this God’s richest blessing. It would appear nothing has changed much: still we are, as a nation, rushing headlong into Christmas without thought of the real meaning of Christmas. Yes it is a time for coming together to celebrate, but what are we celebrating? Is it just an excuse to eat and drink too much or give lavish presents or is it far more than that. I believe it is far far more than that and would caution all to consider Christ who came into this world, at Christmas time, to give us the most incredible gift of all: a possibility of a relationship with the living God now and a secure place in heaven when we die. Eternal security in God is conditional see the end of this post. The word hope in the Bible is not used the way we use it today. Christian hope in God fulfilling His promise is absolute rock solid certainty.

He will fulfil His promise, if we have received Christ as saviour, to carry us into His presence when we die or Jesus comes again.

13th January  2016

So many people around us have such a limited and somewhat unbalanced view of the Christian church.
The side issues that become major headlines in the media completely mask the true church and continue to be a justification in the minds of the majority that church is irrelevant and has nothing to offer this generation.
After all we have got so much good stuff in our lives that we do not need God do we!!

Today in our land of great wealth we have thousands who are in poverty, many of whom are finding it hard to feed themselves.
It could be argued maybe, that our lifestyle choices have brought us to the position we are in. Expectations of so many good things to add to our lives have not been fulfilled or the satisfaction that should have ensued has not become reality.
Thousands today are taking drugs prescribed or not and these are proving to be ineffectual and for many a snare.

We as human beings are by nature quite self centred and unable to grasp we are spiritual beings made to commune with the living God. We are not complete without this spiritual dimension alive in our lives.
We are also sinful and quite unable to make the best decisions for ourselves without divine help. This is true of us all whether we have a faith or not. It is also true that this permeates the whole of society at every level from personal to national government level and every imaginable level between.
It is easy to knock the church and be very negative. But I wonder how many people will take the time to discover what the church really is and does. Church is not the building but individual fine Christian men, women, boys and girls who beaver away daily to bring help and relief in so many ways to this world. Thousands preach and teach the truth (gospel) yet the majority ignore God’s word. The thousands of organisations set up by Christians from right across our land for instance, work to make our world a better place. This is a true practical expression of their faith. The offensive comment they are just a load of do gooders seems to enable the majority to dismiss these groups to irrelevancy.

I meet so many older people who in a former life were working so hard for our good. Now they in old folks homes and the like. The world passes them by. But these same people some eighty or ninety years of age still have bright sharp minds and when pressed you realise that here before me is someone who has made a significant difference in this world but so few know this or even care. To make any  impact in this world, after all, you have to found a great organisation that makes millions and employs thousands, don’t you!!

I wonder what sort of world it would really have been to the groups or individuals who were impacted by these same ‘irrelevant people’ had they not existed!

There is coming a time when Jesus Christ will return to this earth. Before that event the Bible indicates that God is going to remove this influence in the world. The Bible calls this the great tribulation. Frankly I do not want to experience tribulation on this scale. Being a Christian I know my destiny is a home in heaven, see Jesus Christ face to face and be part of His glorious kingdom on earth when Jesus comes again.

Today if you will respond to God’s voice and humble yourself before Him and confess your sin then your sin will be forgiven and you will have eternal life and a home in heaven. This has been the urgent message of the church this past two thousand years and now many are sure that soon Jesus will be sent, by the Father, back to this world. So the words “today if you will humble yourselves …” Have a greater urgency because the day of God’s grace could be drawing to a close.

Christianity has never been a religion but a relationship with the living God. This was forged by Jesus Christ when He came to earth and died on the cross for our sin. Jesus’ resurrection has given each one who believes in Him total and absolute justification to trust all the words of scripture concerning God’s Son. I have absolutely no doubt He is who He said He was and is and I am confident when Jesus comes again or calls me home, I will be with Him in heaven.

You too can know this absolute certainty of relationship with the living God. Today will you come to Him and confess your need of Him?

2nd January 2016  Matthew 9: 1-8
Jesus in his home town meets the paralysed man and heals him. The words He used offended some of the leaders because he said ” Son your sins are forgiven”  To make the point that He really has got authority to forgive sins (the only man who has) Jesus said to the man get up and go home. At this command the man got up and went home totally healed. I am sure more drama occurred but we are not told what, apart from the fact that many were obviously astonished at the healing of this man. Jesus standing before them appeared as an ordinary man. Of course He wasn’t, and I can quite imagine Him looking straight into their eyes and looking right inside at their innermost souls. How they felt we do not know, but one thing is certain many people I believe had no doubt as to who He really was; the Son Of God.

I know from his look that he knows all about me. He is not fooled by any outward appearance of goodness I might have and what is more I know he knows what I am really like inside and yet he still loves me. That penetrating look has won millions of hearts and lives to him over the centuries. He has won my heart.
Will 2016 be the year you surrender your life to Jesus?

16th December 2015  A thought for New Years Eve 

The thief on the cross close by Jesus Christ, that history making day, cried out “remember me when you come into your kingdom!” Christ’s immediate response was “today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43) Along with millions of people since, this man having realised his sin and need of someone to save him recognised Jesus as the one, the only one, who could give him eternal life, eternal security and a home in heaven.

On the threshold of another new year, the world to my mind is still going mad. Incidence of death, destruction, flood, famine and earthquake seem to be multiplying. Many the world over seem to be gripped by the illusion that it is alright to kill or main those of their fellow human beings who do not think as they think. “If you don’t join us we will kill you” seems to be their hate filled mantra. Fear is gripping millions.

Christ implores us to love our enemies and do good to those who despise us. I am not alluding to how we should behave towards warring nations as a nation but rather to our personal response to our neighbour, our work colleagues even family members. As a Christian I detect a very definite anti Christian bias in this country and yet my response is still “love your neighbour as yourself; do good to those who abuse you”

So where am I going with this? I am asking every Christian across this world to put aside the differences that separate and determine to preach the hope we have in Christ. The death of Christ on the cross just over 2000 years ago ushered in the church age. The last days so described have been and are the church’s opportunity to reach out to this world to preach the gospel of reconciliation and forgiveness. To go into all the world and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He died so we can put our trust in His completed work on the cross and go to be with Him when we die. Our eternal destiny is held in this one man, there is no other. Christianity is not another religion but a way to live, which sets it head and shoulders above all others.

The behaviour of the church over the centuries has not always been very inspiring, yet despite its shortcomings millions have been impacted by the gospel message and their lives transformed by the in-dwelling Christ. If ever there was a time to work together, pray together and reach out in love to this world it is now. By the way it estimated there are approximately 2 billion Christians alive today and with the millions that have already gone to heaven demonstrates the power of the gospel of Christ to change and transform lives.

In this new year let us continue preaching of Christ and His love for this world. We may not influence directly the unwise decisions of our political leaders but our neighbours and friends need to know they are loved by the God of Heaven. They need to know they too can know their sins forgiven and a new direction in their lives. The world may not change but their world will change because Jesus will change them on the inside as they respond to His call.

I earnestly ask that every Christian determines in prayer what God wants them to do. How will you reach out to your neighbour? Will you do this with great determination. Do not look at what others are doing. Do what God wants you to do.
Have a brilliant new year.
Look up Luke 26:27; Matthew 5:43-48; Romans 5:8; 1Timothy 1:15