DO NOT LOOK BACK- GEN.19:15-26. 
A new year Resolution?
God's Judgement upon Sodom and Gomorrah, the places of Sin and degradation.
Lot, a kind of believer with mixed loyalties and family. God never led him to live in Sodom- Gen. 13:10-18.
Two angels came to Lot but God stayed behind with Abraham, Lot's Fellowship and witness with God had broken down. The Angels urged them to get out of Sodom but they lingered on. Finally they took refuge in a remote cave.
God's command was clear, 'Do not look back', but the wife disobeyed, Why? Their hearts were in Sodom. She had family in Sodom, perhaps a nice house, all the comforts of modern life, a nice SUV?
When Christ comes for us in the air will we be ready to disengage from this world?
The result of that disobedience was a disaster for that wife, God's judgement never fails. Love not the
world....' 1 John 2:15-17.
Today the Sodomites are pressing on our doors wanting respectability and acceptance. There is no room for compromise.
The stay in Sodom must have had an adverse affect upon Lot and his family. Their minds were polluted by the vileness of that place. What is God's advice? 'Come out and be separate....'
Though we live in a dark and evil world, God promises to keep us till the very end. Paul the Apostle
has the final word in Phil. 3:13-14, not to look back but unto Jesus.
There are moments when we need to look back and consider past failings so that we amend our ways, but to look back in longing for past experiences and lusts is definitely out. It is not a sign of a
healthy christian life.

CHRISTMAS, MT.2;1-12.
The familiar story of Christmas. What else do we need to know, apart from Mangers,
Christmas trees, gifts, gluttony, etc. etc.
The story unfolds with some wise men who set off from their home in a far country, east of 
Judea, to find the New born King, in order to worship Him.
What is the situation? We have the Jews who knew everything about their Messiah but when He came they missed the event. A wicked king who will not stop at genocide in order to keep His throne,
the town of Bethlehem where business is good because of Caesar's decree, but has no room for the
Messiah. 
The story is familiar to us today, it begins with the sudden appearance of a star in the sky. Only a trained eye could observe this happening. Only a trained ear could observe God's message to our hearts today: Christ is coming again.
The wise men, led by the star arrived at their destination but they knocked on the wrong door but God
was in control. Do not knock on wrong doors if the Holy Spirit is leading you.The Psalmist says in Ps.119:105, 'Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path'.
Imagine the amazement of the wise men when the star led them to a stable, not a palace and they found a mere baby in a manger; but they were not put off. 
How did they recognize the New born King? Was there a sign outside the stable or a halo over the baby? How do we recognise our Saviour and God?
They came to find the new born King and to worship Him. They were not holidaymakers. They came, they saw and they worshiped Him. They offered their gifts Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh,
ingredients for true worship. No empty signs, no hype nor a lot of noise.
Having fulfilled their purpose they departed by the way God led them.
This story of the First Christmas still speaks to the hearts of true worshipers of the King of Kings.

Parable of the Friend at Midnight, Luke 11:5-13.
Message: God is willing to answer even at the last hour.
In the story, an unexpected guest brings the unreadiness of the person to the light, like the foolish
virgins.
The man lacked a vital necessity-bread. We often find ourselves in that kind of situation, having
nothing to give. We cannot give people anything if we are lacking in ourselves.
There are so many needs around us, especially the need for Salvation. The man in the story did the reasonable thing, he went and knocked at somebody's door, a friend.
Jesus said, ' Knock and it shall be opened to you' He also said, ' I am the Bread of life' God's provision for us.
The man asked for 3 loaves, but he could have asked for a lot more. Let us not be timid in asking God, He is very rich, do not limit God. James 4:3.
We must admire the man's determination and boldness. He could easily have been put off by the late hour or by another excuse. Remember, he went to a friend. Jesus called us His friends. If our relationship is good with our friends we have the confidence to ask. If we sit in meetings, enjoying
ourselves and expecting nothing from God, we should not be surprised if we receive nothing.
Our Heavenly Father is willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask, ' If you being evil know......', but we need to knock till the door of Heaven is opened. Remember, it does not say how long we need to keep knocking.
Though the friend was inconvenienced by the lateness of the hour, yet he got up to please his friend.

Parable of Rich man and Lazarus- Luke 16:19-31.
Message: The reality of Hell, a place of torment without escape.
Two types of people here, those who have riches and those who have not.
Rich man:Nameless, wealthy, having comfort, no regard for anybody. He relied on his wealth, cared only for himself. Not all rich people go to hell. Rich man died and is in hell tormented but fully conscious.
Lazarus: Poor, destitute, nobody to lean on, only God. Not all poor people go to heaven. Jesus said,
'Blessed are the poor in Spirit.....' Matt. 5:3.
Is God unjust in sending people to Hell? There is no excuse for anybody, everybody is warned about going to Hell but people regard it as a joke- Rom.1:18-20.
Poor man died and is found in Abraham's bosom, i.e. comforted.
Rich man can see Lazarus in Abraham's bosom and calls Abraham 'Father' i.e he is a person of God's people, a  person of religion but of no Faith- James 2:19-20.
Rich man's request for comfort from the torment is flatly rejected. Nobody can cross over from Hell to Heaven. Repentance only on earth while living, Jesus has the key to hell.
The rich man's second request is also rejected, 'Please send someone....' 'If they do not hear Moses.....'
It is the preaching of the Gospel that leads to repentance'. We may admire the life of Jesus and His teaching but that will not lead us to heaven.
The final plea is also rejected ' If someone rose from the dead.....' Jesus rose from the dead but people still do not believe or want to repent.
Finally, is there a way out of Hell?  Yes there is, Jesus went down into Hell so that I can be given a chance of escape. Christ is the way; but we must accept this way before death

Parable of Pharisee and Publican-Lk.18:9-14.
Message:Who is justified before God?
A story of everyday life. Two men went to pray in God's House, but with different motives.
The Pharisee: The religious person, full of his righteousness, pride and hypocrisy.
The Publican: The real sinner, hated for his greediness, working for the Romans.

Contrast the attitude of each man:
 The Pharisee full of his pride puts himself above everybody else, ' whoever exalts himself shall be abased....' Lk 14:11. True religion before God is to visit the widows and fatherless and keep oneself unspotted from the world-James 1:27. 
Five times we hear the Pharisee say'I am not.....' What he did were not necessary evil things, but the motive was not right 1Cor.10:31. Do not leave God out of your daily life in whatever you do.
The Publican: Convicted about his sin and repentant. David cries out in Ps.51, 'A broken and a 
contrite heart you will not despise......' Repentance is a daily experience for the believer. It is God's call. We need to put our lives right before God and with our fellow humans- Luk.19:1-10.
Jesus made it clear which of the two was justified before God.

Parable of Fig Tree Luke 13:6-9.
Message:A Christian life that is unfruitful will be rejected by God.
Three trees are used in the Scripture to symbolize the Nation of Israel, The Olive, the Vine and the Fig tree.
In a wider sense Trees symbolize persons or committed believers -Ps.1:1-3.
Life is geared to growth and fruit bearing. Whenever that fails drastic action is called for. This call applies to a Christian life also.
What is fruit, why the need for it?  Fruit is the natural product of a tree, it identifies the tree. No fruit
means a barren tree or life- Matt.7:15-20.
Fruit is what God is looking for in a believer's life because it brings glory to His Name.
There are two kinks of fruit in the Scriptures. The fruit of the flesh-Gal.5:16-23 and the fruit of the 
Spirit. Both are called Fruit but vastly different A corrupt tree will bring bad fruit whereas a good tree will produce good fruit- Luke 6:43.
God the Father watches over His trees to tend them. They are His trees.His desire is for us to bring fruit that will honour His Name-John 15:1-8 A farmer will prune his trees so that they become more productive, bearing good fruit. God will apply the same process to our lives to bring good fruit,
otherwise they are cut down.
Notice the righteousness of God in the parable. He gave the tree another chance before uprooting the tree. How many chances has God given us?

The Parable of New Wine - Matt.9:16-17.

Message: God's New Life given to His believers cannot fit into Old Moulds.

We become new Creations in Christ when we are Saved. God does not give us a new body or a new nature automatically but the old nature, the Old Man, remains in us. Why? If He had taken it away , our character and personality would collapse. We need time to grow in Christ for our new character to be formed by the Word of God. The two natures co-exist in us and are at enmity with each other. This is where our problems arise-Rom.7:15-20.

Why do believers fail so often in living out their New Character? The failure to deal with the Old Nature and let the New One grow in Christ.

New Wine: Speaks of God's New Life with its dynamic drive and joy. For example, telling lies is a sign of the  corrupt Old Nature. The New Nature does not want to practice this sin, therefore conflict arises, there will be a rupture, a disruption of the New Life that wants to obey the Commands of God, the old wine skins will break.

What is the remedy? We need to know the ways of the Old Nature and deal a deadly blow to it- Crucifixion-Col.3:5-10.

At the same time we need to nurture the new life, the New Wine- Gal.5:12-24.

2 Kings 5:1-20.
A delightful story full of meaning
Naaman, represents the world's power but sin sick and incurable by its own power and might. When in need he turns to God and His people to find healing and deliverance. This is through the despised believer (the slave girl), the Church. The girl could have kept quiet about the enemy's need for healing, 'Love works no ill to its neighbour.....'
Naaman went to the King of Israel, a type of the official Church in the land, 'Having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof'. Jesus condemned the Laodicean Church, the lukewarm
Church that has no power.
God however has His servants everywhere (Elisha). Elijah, the prophet, thought he was alone in Israel but God told him that he was mistaken. God's command to Naaman was unspectacular, 'We preach Christ crucified.....' 1 Cor.1:23. To the unregenerate the Cross is foolishness. Ananias thought God was mistaken when told to go and pray for Saul.
God's remedy was, 'Dip seven times in the Jordan' Naaman's pride was  tempered, however, by some wise counsellors (servants). We are glad we have the Holy Spirit, the counsellor, abiding with us.
There was not only a physical healing but also a healing in Naaman's heart. Many people only want the benefits of God for their lives, not His great work of Salvation.
Naaaman got his priorities right, to God and to the king of Syria. There was no condemnation from
Elisha. Do we condemn?
A sad end to this wonderful story, the servant of Elisha. Speaks of the carnal believer, 'Love not the world, neither the things.....' 1 John 2:15-17.

Parable of Wheat and Tares-Matt.13.24-30,36-43.
 Message:Who is true and who is false in the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is likened to a field sown with good seed that brought forth fruit, but at the same time Tares appeared at harvest time (the end of the age).
The seed of the Word falls on good soil but at the same time bad seed sown brings forth tares.
Both seeds grow together but bring forth different fruit, or no fruit for the Tares. Similarly, in the Church we find the genuine believer and the imitation one, a child of God and the other a 
child of the devil. Many times it is difficult to recognize the true from the false, Both grow together and both appear the same.
How do we recognise the difference? Matt.7:15-20, The fruit shows what is true and what is false. In the Acts we have the the incident of Ananias and Zaphira, who appeared to be genuine believers but had a tragic end ACTS:5:1-10.
The Lord termed the Tares in the Parable as the seed of the Devil, who is active in the Church,
sowing all kinds of evil; but there will come a day when separation will take place. The servants
wanted quick action but God's ways are different, 'let them grow together till harvest'. There is a time when drastic action is necessary in the Church, as with Ananias and Zaphira, at other times patience and wisdom are necessary,'God is not willing that any should perish....'
We look forward to harvest time when the Righteous Judge will separate the wheat from the chaff.

-Parable of Wheat and Tares (Matt.

Israel
What is it? The chosen Nation/People of God-Ps.135:4
How did it come about? Gen12:1-7. The call of Abraham, the promise of blessing,by God. The promise was repeated- Gen. 17:1-8.
Why were these promises given to Israel? To prepare a people through whom Messiah would come-Rom 9:3-5.
What did these promises involve? The Adoption Ex.4:22. The Glory Ex.40:34-38, The Covenant Gen  15:18, The Law-given by Moses. The Service-Charge of the Tabernacle.
But Israel repeatedly failed God.
Has God abandoned His people?-Never- Rom.11:11-12. God will restore Israel at Christ's comimg-Rom.11  
25-27.
What should our attitude be towards Israel?  Believers should show a loving attitude to the Nation of Israel and its people (Gen 12:3).
What is the future for Israel?  God will protect Israel in the Tribulation period and save His chosen remnant  Zech.12:10-14.
Their   Glorious part in the Millenial kingdom Zech.14:9.



Warm greetings to Jose Gomez

Holiness.

What is it? A strong desire to be clean before God, to be free from sin.
Is Holiness an option?  It is God's command for the believer -1 Peter 1;15. Holiness usually frightens 
believers as something impossible. If God commands us to be holy, we can do it. 
Why is it so necessary? Heb. 12:14 - Without it we cannot know God, Sin will hinder us (unholiness). God called His people Israel and also His Church to holiness-Deut.14:12. Holiness is an absolute must if we are to know God's presence in our midst. Deut 23:12-14.The Mercy Seat was in the Holy of Holies, where God dwelled-Ex.25:22.
To live a holy life is not to have a saintly look, like an icon, it is to have no earthly or worldly character, but to have God's character. He demands this from us-John 17;16-18. HOLINESS separates
us from the world and its Sin.
What is the effect of God's Holiness upon our lives? Is.6:1-5. Like Isaiah, God calls holy people to serve Him. Peter, the Apostle confirms this in 2 Pet. 1:21.

Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42)
The sisters of Bethany, together with their brother Lazarus they speak of a family of God.We can liken them to two types of believers, DOERS and LISTENERS.What is the main thing in the House of God? To be busy for God or to be Involved with God? God has many servants (Marthas) but not many friends (Marys)
Jesus was often entertained in this home. It speaks of our heart-Revelation 3:20. He wants to come in but finds us too busy, No fellowship with Him
Martha wanted to please Him with service but Mary wanted to express her love and gratitude. He cast seven demons from her, she also anointed His hair and washed His feet-John 11;1-2. We cannot
minimize the importance of Service but we must get our priorities right-Service and Hospitality or
Relationship: what comes first? Jesus did not show disrespect for Martha, He loved them all- John 11:5.
What is God really asking from us? Deut.10:12. 
It is so easy to be sidetracked with Service and works for God, a pitfall for many workers of the Gospel. (1 Cor. 9:26-27)
 The Church in Ephesus was a model of a perfect Church, yet Jesus found fault with them and warned them-Rev.2:14.  Their First love was more important to Him, than their works. Remember the unwise virgins of the parable? They neglected their relationship with the Lord because of neglect of the Word: the oil. (Mt. 25:1-13)
Martha felt neglected. Her mind was distracted feeling her service was not appreciated, she even accused the Lord of not caring......but in the end Mary was commended.

Spirit filled Life (Luke4:18).
The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me The ministry and work 
of the Lord Jesus Christ while on this earth. The Holy Spirit was resting upon Him without measure.   
It is the same Holy Spirit that wants to indwell us so that God maybe glorified in our lives. For ministry and service the Holy Spirit is indispensable and without Him our ministry will be powerless and unproductive. The Holy Spirit is called the 'Spirit of the Lord', the One that proceeds from God the Father-John 14:16.-Acts1:4. 
What God promises is a) good, and b) Necessary.
Many believers are Baptized in the Holy Spirit but their lives lack the Power simply because they focus on the works of the H.S. and not on Christ Himself. 
Jesus said,  'Upon Me'. For the H.S. to rest upon someone He must find suitable ground. Remember Noah and the dove? Do we want the H.S. to rest upon us? Make sure your heart is a suitable place for the H.S. to rest and have control of your life.
Was the work and ministry of the Lord Jesus something not to be imitated or to look upon? He
said on one occasion, 'The works that I do you will do and greater......' John 14:12, HOW? They were accomplished by the power of the H.S. filling ordinary fishermen and simple believers after Pentecost, but remember what preceded their ministry. . . . the teaching of the Master and 10 days of prayer in one accord.  

 Worldliness  

 What is it?

To belong to the world inwardly or outwardly or both. We may do so consciously or unconsciously. Both cases are unacceptable to God and to the christian life. It is not always easy to draw clear lines

on this issue but God demands separation from the world-1 John 2 :15-17.

Why does God demand this?  Because it is Satan's world and his system, his life, behaviour, etc. If a

believer lives and behaves according to the world's ways and life, he or she identifies with this Satanic system.

Believers are  in the world but do not belong to this world-John 17:14-17.

When a person is saved, God gives him or her a new nature that wants to grow and be like Christ. At the same time the Old Nature (the Old Man) that belongs to the world will always desire the things of

the world. We need to crucify that character and deny its desires daily. Believers may be sincere in wanting to live this New Life but do not always manage to overcome the desires of the Old life and its ways.

How do we recognize the ways of the world in a person? 
Outwardly- Appearance, places we go to, things we do, e.g. provocative appearance. etc.-Gen.3:21.

Inwardly-Desires, thoughts, pride,arrogance, double mindedness, vanity, and many more-Eph.4:17.

Paul the Apostle tells us how we should talk/ behave in Col.4:6.

What is it?

To belong to the world inwardly or outwardly or both. We may do so consciously or unconsciously. Both cases are unacceptable to God and to the christian life. It is not always easy to draw clear lines

on this issue but God demands separation from the world-1John 2 :15-17.

Why does God demand this?  Because it is Satan's world and his system, his life, behaviour, etc. If a

believer lives and behaves according to the world's ways and life, he or she identifies with this Satanic system.

Believers are  in the world but do not belong to this world-John 17:14-17.

When a person is saved, God gives him or her a new nature that wants to grow and be like Christ. At the same time the Old Nature (the Old Man) that belongs to the world will always desire the things of

the world. We need to crucify that character and deny its desires daily. Believers may be sincere in wanting to live this New Life but do not always manage to overcome the desires of the Old life and its ways.

How do we recognize the ways of the world in a person? Outwardly- Appearance, places we go  things we do, ex., provocative appearance. etc.-Gen.3:21.

Inwardly-Desires, thoughts,pride,arrogance, double mindedness, vanity, and many more-Eph.4:17.

Paul the Apostle tells us in Col.4:6.

Spiritual Immaturity.
What is it? The inability to grow in the Faith and remain a spiritual baby feeding on milk-Heb.6:1-3,5:12-14. 
There are certain signs to show how to identify believers who live immature lives in the Faith:

1. Preoccupation with First Principles and not moving on to deeper things, these are-
Repentance, Faith toward God, Baptism, Laying on of hands, Resurrection from the dead, Judgement to come.
These can be divided into Three parts:
A Truths concerning Conversion. 
B Truths concerning Church Ordinances 
C. Truths concerning Future Judgement.
These basic truths should be grasped within a few years of Conversion, then  move on to deeper things 'Let us go onto perfection- Heb.6:1.
More Signs of Spiritual Immaturity:
An inability to discern  right and wrong ( spiritual blindness).
Another sign- Rom.12:1-2.Many believers want to grow in the Faith but their minds are not renewed,hence no change- The basic cause of Immaturity (1 Cor 3:1-3).
Does it matter if we remain so?
God's will is for us to grow in Christ-Eph. 4:11-15.
If I do not grow in the Faith what do I do? Repent, turn to the Lord, Feed on His WORD, be filled
with the Holy Spirit, Find a Church that rightly divides the Word, find like minded spiritual
company.

Prayer & Victory ( Exodus 17:8-16)
Another incident in Israel's life on the way to Canaan, the PROMISED LAND.
Satan and his forces-the victory against him by Prayer and Intercession.
Moses instructed Joshua to engage Amalek , a nomadic tribe that
opposed Israel on their way to Canaan, in battle. Likewise, we have a lot of opposition
from Satanic forces that attack and hinder us during our spiritual progress to
Heaven. The opposition we have is not always clear yet we know we are against
a strong enemy who is determined to hinder us from our Heavenly goal . Often we do 
not know where the attacks come from but the Apostle Paul warns us in Eph. 6:12,
our fight is not against flesh and blood.........'.
The fight against Amalek was ordered by God and Israel had to face the enemy. It was a fight
to destruction. Similarly, God wants us to fight the Devil and his forces to the end. We are not
to give up or postpone it indefinetely. King Saul was instructed to deal with the  Amalekites
and wipe them out, but he partly obeyed, thus bringing the wrath of God upon him 1 Sam.15.
There should be no compromise in our fight with the Devil. We cannot afford to engage ourselves in things that suit us or are easy targets, or cause us weariness. Sometimes our attack against the devil will involve great unpleasantness; but we must be prepared to go through and gain victory. The fight by Moses and the Israelites against the Amalekites was done in an unorthodox way. Though Joshua and the Israelite fighters were involved in the physical realm the victory was gained in the spiritual real by Moses' intercession, Aaron and Hur. Moses went on the mountain holding the rod of God, which was God's vested authority in Moses. Down below we have Joshua and the Israelites, a group of warriors, like us untrained in the art of warfare. The art of intercession is shown with Moses holding the rod of God and his hands raised in the attitude of prayer. As long as his hands were lifted up the battle went against the Amalekites. The opposite took place when Moses hands grew weary. It speaks of us in the battle against the Devil and his forces. In the same way that Moses was assisted by Aaron and Hur we have the Holy Spirit whom God sent to aid us. In Romans 8:12 we read "We do not know what we should pray for... but the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us." Final victory was gained by Moses' intercession, victory like we have when we involve the help of the Holy Spirit in prayer. God's battles in our lives are always fought in an unorthodox way. Victory is gained beforehand and confirmed for those who keep God's standard high to the very end. After that, the way forward for the Israelites was opened up to move on to the Promised Land. 
The Devil will do everything in his power to hinder us from moving on in the faith, sometimes physically and sometimes spiritually; we need to know his methods: the way he acts. 
1 Peter 5:8 tells us that we face a powerful enemy; but God has made provision for us in equipping us with weapons suitable for the fight (Ephesians 6)
The Israelites, though untrained in warfare, were sent to fight Amalek. We read "the battle is not yours, but the LORD's". We are God's army and we fight under His banner. God's army is a victorious one, though at times it looks as though it is on the run against the enemy.