Jesus.
Jesus existed well before everything that we know, see and understand.
He was at the creation, He existed before He was manifested in human flesh and we will see Him again either for Salvation or for Judgement.
Psalm 75:3, John 8:58, 1 Corinthians 8:6.
‘Sorry to dissapoint you.’
You may believe the hard facts of science, based on a pack of lies in relation to creationism. You may believe you know the ages of the rocks, are able to work out the mathematics of the big bang, gravity and the ideas about the ‘Laws of the Universe?
But it is God who will answer you back through His words to mere men in the bible. Deep questions about who we are, why we were created and exist are all to be found in this book the greatest ever written, most sold and read.
Proverbs 3:19-20, 8:22-30, John 1:1-5, Colossians 1:16-18.
Blessed are You.
Have you ever been set up, accused of something that you did not do? People at work, school, at home, services tell lies about you, put the blaim on you?
That is what it is like when you stand your ground, do what is right and refuse the worlds advances.
Jesus has said and promised that we will be blesses, when we are rejected by the lost world around us, or the selfish false believers, when they won’t let us into their little club or circle.
Matthew 5:10-11, Psalm 27:12, 35:11, Philippians 1:28, Revelation 2:10.
SIN.
Do you think you are a good and fair person, perhaps you try your best to be kind, listen and help people around you. There is nothing wrong with being good, seeking justice and reporting crime.
But your ‘good works’ will not save you from Hell and allow you entry into Heaven. God does not work on self-achievements, as the human psyche does.
He tells us in His word the bible ‘that there is no one who is good and no person is withouth Sin.’ We have first to acknowledge Him and the works of His Son Jesus on the stake, tree, cross. We have to see our own failure and repent of it and then follow Him.
Romans 3:10-18.
Liberalism.
In this series we have looked at what George Orwell was seeing happening in Britain in 1948, Winston Churchill had become comfortable within the new conditions of World War-II (1939-45) and it seemed that those in the establishment were content for this system to continue.
In fact the term cold war could be the answer for them to justify the continuation.
Now we ae going to look at an opposite view of a very open state of human ideas of equality and liberalism and suprise, suprise it is nothing new.
Acts 6:9-15, Psalm 27:12, Proverbs 15:18.
Ruling Families.
We are using the account from Matthew chapter two to look at the power and the fear that comes upon corrupt leadership, wither it is the one party government or the ruling Royal family,
The thing that most comes to the fore in these generational ruling families is that of paranoia, the fear that everyone big and small is out to get them. As we have seen over recent years many of these Dictatorships across the world have fallen, Saddam Hussien, Colneal. Gadaffi, and the list goes on.
All of them, including King Herod were evil in their intent, behind respectability and those involved such as the Wisemen and Joseph were told to flee from the forthcoming Genocide.
Matthew 2:3-7, 12-23.
Police State.
Today there are many countries around the world who maintain almost total control over their people, they whatch and set up to try and test loyaltity to the state. These nations acts or have some element of George Orwells ‘1984’ in their political system.
We are told about China and North-Korea and their closed systems, yet Saudia Arabia, Algeria, Iran and now the Ukraine are being run by gangster elements dressed up in religious garb or wearing democratic suits.
The bible tells us about great empires and kingdoms such a Babylon and men who though they wer gods, but in the end before the One and Only God they came to nothing and so it has in our own human history.
Jeremiah 27:8-9, Luke 13:31-32.
God’s Standards.
We all like to think we have done good and what is right and sometimes we can forget that God chose us because we were bad and not able to be good on any level. Many people who met Jesus thought of Him as a good man because of the healings and miracles that he was performing daily.
Another problem that plagues our thoughts is to see what we think is good works being carried out around the world and we are so easily lead to praise others, while forgetting to recognise the work of Jesus and believers leading thousands to faith and the promise of Eternal Salvation!
Luke 18:18, John 5:41-44.
The Fear of Changes.
Loosing out is one reason for starting one, others trade, and wanting a change that is dramatic. The New Testament shows us the man Demetrius who wanted rid of this new teaching, which he felt was putting him out of business.
He was accused of starting a riot and if this stituation was to esculate it would open the door to change in the Roman Empire.
Today we have seen revolutions in Egypt and the Ukraine over economic issues, they claim it is better to be with the west or the European Union?
Acts 19:24-41, 1 Timothy 6:9-13.
Absalom and Sheba.
There are many people out there who think that they can do a better job at leadership than the current established order. But there are some serious problems that arise with power and that is, that it can go to ones head.
Currently we are seeing a changing Middle-East, many Dictators are in the process of being removed and being replaced by others with new names.
Absalom felt he would make a better King than his dad David and Sheba was after power within that new set-up. But God was not going to change His agenda for sinful and greedy men.
2 Samuel 15:10-20:6, 2 Samuel 20:10-22.
Ask me and I will tell you! 