Preaching with a purpose

Today I am going to tell you what I did this day.  When you read the things I write about God and His Son Jesus I think perhaps you might like to know what sort of person I am.  Today I enjoyed the first part of one of my birthday presents.  A kind friend had arranged for me to have a Russian lesson.  Instead of struggling to grasp the pronunciation and grammar I have been hearing on the internet, I now had a real person who could gently correct me and stop me developing bad habits.  I found it difficult to think that I had got things wrong but sure enough when I returned home I put on the Bible passage I had been learning to read and I could immediately hear how right my teacher had been.  I am now looking forward to my next lesson, next week.  My teacher also said how beneficial it would be if I could find a fluent Russian speaker who would give me practice.  Apparently there is somewhere online where you can offer something for something. ...

When you are waiting for someone to come and they are late, just get involved in something that makes it difficult for you to answer the door, or at least not wanting to answer the door.   That’s what I am doing now, getting myself involved in writing a blog.   I’m waiting for the Tesco delivery which should have been here between nine and ten p.m. and it’s now ten thirty.   Of course I can stop and answer the door.   I suppose really I ought to go to the toilet and then for sure the bell would go just as I had reached that point of no return.   Do you shout and scream at the delivery man when this happens to you?   I don’t.   After all it’s a pretty thankless task, on the minimum wage.   There are so many pitfalls like diversions on the country lanes where it is so difficult to find one’s way.   I do know there is a hole in the road on our chief lane.   I expect that is the problem tonight. When it gets to ten forty-five I will...

Psychologists talk about people having a guilt complex and do everything to get rid of this for their patients to make Their lives happier; but guilt can be your best friend, telling you that you have done wrong and something needs to be done about it.   The only something that will work is to come in repentance to Jesus for the forgiveness that only He can give. It is no good to try to turn over a new leaf or do something good to the person you have wronged.   That might be a nice thing to do but it does not stop the fact that you have done wrong.   Human beings are all in the same boat.   You and I may not be mass murderers but we have broken the most important commandment, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all heart and soul and mind.” The best way to honour God is to accept the salvation He offers in Jesus.   Unless we can be totally perfect always, we have no hope of receiving God’s forgiveness unless we come to Jesus and trust in Him alone. ...

The Bible is our only source on which to base our beliefs.   In order to have a correct interpretation of what the Bible is saying to us we need to read around the passage we are looking at to give us the context in which our passage is set.   I have heard it said that there was a lady who liked to open her Bible each day at random to have a text for the day.   One day she came across this verse;”And Judas went out and hung himself.” She thought this was not very helpful so tried again to find a random verse. This time the verse was, ”go and do thou likewise.” I hope she learnt from this that picking random verses is not a good idea.   No we need to know what comes before our verse and what goes after it. A favourite verse for many people is Jeremiah 29:11”   For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” That is a lovely verse and many people find it comforting. ...

There is nothing wrong with wanting to drag oneself out of poverty.   We are told to support our families by our efforts. How can anyone blame someone, who wants a better life than the one they have, when that is a life of real poverty. What is wrong is that we should make this aim in our life more important than loving God and putting Him first in our lives.   There is a price to pay for turning our backs on God, it’s called Hell, whether we find it in this life or the next. God requires us to love Him completely, but we can only do this in Jesus who has made it possible for us to be received into God’s kingdom if we trust in Jesus alone for our salvation.   Whoever you are, from whatever your culture and background if you will come to Jesus and ask for His salvation you are guaranteed that He will accept you.   “Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

The answer to that is “always having what you want.” Nothing ruins a person more than always having their own way and owning tons of gadgets and living in luxury.   This life is not about gaining more and more. As the bible says “A man’s worth does not consist in the number of things he owns.” In the last few years young people have flooded into Britain to follow their dream of wealth, health and happiness, but what has this done to their homelands.   Doesn’t the place of their birth need their talents there to build up their own country.   I met a young man from Hungary in the week.   He was in a phone shop where I bought a cover for my new phone (yes I am tempted by gadgets too.)   He was a smart young man and very pleasant, but what is the effect on Hungary of the loss of people like this to his homeland. What I am really trying to say is that all that chasing after wealth and a “good” time is not what life is about.   Now is the time to search after ...

Where did all that time go?  All my life I have known God's blessing on me, even when the hard times came.  Now I have had my "three score years and ten."  This could be the end of my life here, which would be fine, as being with Jesus is far better, however God may yet have interesting things for me to do including helping others to find Him.  I have often let God down but He has never deserted me. If you can say the same I would like you to put a comment on this post.  It would make my day.