All posts by Dorothy

Currently, I (Dorothy Newton} am a Street Pastor in Ramsbottom, working alongside Christians who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. Christian, visible unity among the churches.
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The Messiah’s Secret – Fulfilment of Prophesies

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The Messiah’s Secret – Fulfilment of Prophesies 

The parable of the talents is not so much about money. It’s about Jesus leaving them at his ascension and his disciples being trusted to use their God given ability (talents) to tell people about Jesus and it’s the same for us today
Verse 15, “To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.” Using our ability God’s gifts to tell people about Jesus
 
The Apprentice
Three teams to promote the Bible.

The task: each team takes one of these three Christian items to hand out: Comic strip, Christmas Cards, Book Markers.

Each person in the congregation can only receive one of these three things.

You will have only 3 minutes to complete the task.
The team that distributes the most, when the egg timer fills the lower bottle, is the winner.
Second – this team come back next week
and the third team will be fired. This team give their item to the winning team.

The parable of the Talents informs us that Jesus expects us
 to be actively contributing to the work of making Him known
in expectation of his return to the earth.

Readings: Matthew 25: 14-30. 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11
The Apprentice game was about working as a team everybody having apart to play whether in producing the handouts or in offering it to people as a gift. The gift is the message in our readings this morning it speaks of Jesus at some point in the future returning to the earth.
In the Bible we find prophesies that indicate that Jesus’ return is nearer than we think and one of those prophesies is in the process of being fulfilled .
In Luke’s gospel Jesus pointed to a time when he said, “Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21. 24 
Many Christians believe that this prophecy was fulfilled in 1967 after the 6 Day War when after Israel took over Jordan’s eastern half of the city. Israel controlling Jerusalem after a gap of 2,000 years.    

However, today many more Christians believe that this prophecy was fulfilled only in part in 1967. The times of the Gentiles continues until Jesus returns.  
Romans 11: 25, 26. “Hardening has come upon part of Israel until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, and so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, The Deliverer shall come from Zion and he shall banish ungodliness from Jacob.”                                                                                                                                       
This hardening of Israel’s heart, is their rejection of Jesus as the Christ that will persist until Jesus returns, so this is the period of time we are in now, it is linked with other prophesies that lead us to understand that Israel has to control Jerusalem until Jesus returns.
According to Zechariah Israel’s present day defence of Jerusalem is described as a great stone like the heavy stone that grinds the corn. 
 Zech 12: 2, 3. “On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it shall grievously hurt themselves.” Meaning that Israel is using a strong hand against their enemies, as we have seen over the last few years in the contention between Israel and the Palestinians.                                                                                                                                                 
Since the 1970’s there have been numerous attempts to bring a peaceful settlement between Arab, Jew and Palestinian. On Wikipedia which is an on line encyclopaedia The website ’Israeli – Palestinian peace process’  summarises the peace initiatives and treaties up to the present day: like the UN resolution 242 November 22nd 1967, The Oslo Accords, Camp David year 2,000 and the ‘Road Map’ for peace.
During this time some agreements have been made making process towards peace. The website concludes on a positive note there are people on both sides involved in Joint economic effort and development.
But prophesies indicate that Israel will find no true peace until Jesus returns
Zechariah 14: 2-4 “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the mount of Olives.”
We are living now in the time that is leading up to where Jerusalem will be surrounded by the armies of nations and Israelis will flee to the mountains and only a remnant will remain. 
Jesus calls the church to watch, be ready for when this sign is being fulfilled.
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know that its desolation is near.“ Luke 21: 20  
As Paul wrote we who are in the light and are awake to this prophecy. Paul assured the Christians at Thessalonica, we are not destined to be involved in this battle at Jerusalem
Paul had informed the Thessalonians that Jesus will call out his body of believers to meet with him in the air, before he returns to the Mount of Olives. This meeting is were both those who have died in faith are awakened and those who are alive, in the light, all will come together at this awesome event and meet Jesus face to face.
After this takes place when Christians are taken out from the earth, people who come to faith they will go through  the tribulation, this period of time when the tension will build up  between the nations against Jerusalem and those who come to faith during this time will suffer.
So, this is when the times of Gentiles are fulfilled, when the full number have come to faith. Jesus will return and take up the fight with the remnant of Israel and Jesus the Christ defeats the nations that will be lead by the antichrist against Jerusalem.                       

To conclude: At God’s timing Jesus will call out his church before this battle takes place and he will call when we least expect, so we must be ready, the sign of Jerusalem no longer being trodden down by the Gentiles is quite significant and so we can be sure that God will bring this prophecy to its full conclusion.

34 prophesies were fulfilled in one day, on the day of Jesus crucifixion, so we can rejoice with the angels as they watch with great anticipation as these events unfold, looking and expecting Jesus to call out his church.


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The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus Reigns

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The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus Reigns                                        

Evening Lectionary – Daniel 7: 1-18. Luke 6: 17-31.
Anglican Nun Sister Irene Mary would say to me, “Dorothy pray for God’s kingdom to come,” referring to an actual kingdom on the earth.  (picture taken 1995 at lake Windermere after Sister’s group visit to Rydal Hall in the Lake District)

The link between the two readings: Daniel 7: 18 “The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever and ever.”  And in Luke 6 Jesus was preparing his disciples for the coming in of God’s Kingdom, which had been prophesied by most of the prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Zechariah.                                                                                         
Therefore the news of the kingdom being established was not unexpected. John the Baptist and Jesus preached a baptism of repentance in preparation of the coming in of God’s kingdom. “The time is fulfilled,” he said. “Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1: 15.
In our reading the prophetic word was directed at his disciples Jesus spoke of the changes that his teaching would bring:
They would be blessed for coming to him in their poverty, poverty of spirit, under law they did not know God in a personal way, but through having faith in Jesus they would know Jesus as Lord and be with him in his kingdom.

They would be blessed for coming to him being fed from his expounding of the Hebrew Scriptures and they would become rich in spiritual riches taking out the Kingdom message, as they brought people to faith in him, with signs following his word.
Jesus prophesied that the message would fall on deaf ears; many of the Pharisees were sceptical. An example when Jesus healed the man who had been born blind, the Pharisee disputed that the man had been blind at all. John 9: 2.
(God had allowed this man to be born blind. God allowed Job to be tempted by Satan)
The other week I heard of a lady who was healed of her blindness by prayer. Her optician who later examined her eyes confirmed her healing, but he was amazed as he saw behind the eye the scarring of glaucoma that should have still prevented her seeing anything at all, but she could see perfectly.
The Pharisee wanted evidence from the man’s parents. In the interaction that followed, in verse 22, “His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be the Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.”                          
So we learn from this that those who followed Jesus believing that he was the Christ were excluded from the synagogue as Jesus had predicted.
Luke records that Jesus said to love your enemies; this was contrary to Jewish rules then, as it still is today. The Law “an eye for an eye” to mean to replicate what has been dealt out to them as a punishment.  Whereas, under the New Covenant. Luke 6: 31 “As you would wish that men would do to you, do so to them.” 
God knew that the only way for this to happen to treat others as you would want them to treat you was through the renewing of the heart. Through a person repenting in accepting Jesus dying for their sin and all that stands between us and God on the cross, as a result knowing Jesus as Lord and Saviour.                                                    
We have the assurance of the Biblical prophesies concerning the kingdom of God coming true, without them being dependant on us.
One day all will recognise Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. 
Daniel, Zechariah and Apostle John’s Revelation prophesied that the Messiah would establish the kingdom of God. 

3 Views on the Reign of the Messiah. Revelation 20: 
Eyre & Spottiswoode Bible page 1884  1-15

Post Millennium
Holds that the millennium is a period of world history in which the reign of Christ has been established through His church which is destined to conquer the world with the gospel, and at the end of this golden age Christ will personally return to earth and inaugurate a new heaven and a new earth.
A – Millennium
A – Millennialist denies that there will ever be a literal earth-rule of a thousand years, either before or after Christ’s return. By some the thousand years are taken to be simply symbolic of eternity (although verse 5 poses a serious problem for this view), and the only reign spoken in this passage is an eternal heavenly reign. Christ’s return to earth will simply usher in the “new heaven and the new earth” and His only eschatological rule will be celestial, not in this world. By others the one thousand years of Christ’s reign are taken to be the period between the first and second comings of Christ.
Pre-Millennium
Looks for the return of Christ to earth at the beginning of a literal, thousand year reign upon the earth when “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea” and all the nations of mankind will be completely subservient to the Lord Jesus. At the end of this period Satan will be released again in order to stir up the secretly rebellious portion of mankind to a final open revolt against God (verses 7 – 9). After a second “Armageddon” the new heavens and the new earth will be ushered in.

I take the Pre-Millennium View 

Jesus reigns on the earth Revelation 11:15-19. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.” 

Zechariah 14: 4 Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives., verse 5 “And the Lord shall come with his saints” verse 9 “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth, in that day there shall be one Lord and one name.”                                            
Daniel 7: 13. ”I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the son of man and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.” And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.
In Revelation 19: 13-16. When Jesus returns with his heavenly armies, he will rule the nations with a rod of iron.
Psalm 2: 4- 11 says this: He who sits in heaven laughs; the Lord has them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,” I have set on my king on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash to pieces like a potter’s vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling kiss his feet, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
According to John in Revelation all the people living on the earth will serve him he reigns for a thousand years and then Satan is let loose for a period of time, before the final judgement at the White throne by God the Ancient of days.                                 

Jesus will Return
We have the assurance of the Biblical prophesies coming true, without them being dependant on us to bring them about. 
                        —————————–
Continuing with more evidence in scripture of the ruling rod of iron.
The Messiah’s Secret Revealed.

In 1996 I was having my afternoon cup of tea when I was rocked in the chair. My thoughts were on the pottery orders that I was preparing. I put transfers of flowers, Biblical texts on china beakers and then fired them in my kiln. The words that came to mind, ‘The disciples were setting up the kingdom of God at the beginning of Acts.” Two weeks later I woke up with the words, ‘Jesus could only be received as the Messiah after his death, resurrection and Ascension.’ The two words came together The disciples were setting up the kingdom of God in anticipation of Jesus’ return with the angels of God. The calling of the Messiah was a national calling. I had never heard of this before, I had been brought up to believe that the time for the Jewish people to receive Jesus as their Messiah was before he was crucified. 

The Ruling Rod of Iron of the kingdom of God 
On the evening of the Day of Jesus’ resurrection Jesus came into the house, the room where his disciples were gathered and he breathed on them the Holy Spirit and gave them his authority to forgive or retain the sins of people, this was the ruling rod of iron in association with setting up the kingdom in preparation for Jesus’ return, and was fulfilled in Acts 5 Annanias and Sapphira lied over the proceeds from the sale of their land to Peter and both in turn fell down dead at Peter’s feet.
Jesus had told them in several parables that he was about to leave them and they were left to be about their master’s business until he returned. Parable of the talents.Matthew 25. 15. The nobleman who went away. Luke 19:11-27

The disciples were expecting Jesus to return soon after Pentecost. 
Peter spoke to the crowd at Solomon’s Gate, ” I know that you acted in ignorance as did your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. Moses said, “’The Lord will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people. And all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days.”Acts 3: 17 end
The Jewish leaders and people had acted in ignorance when they handed Jesus over to the Romans with the charge of blasphemy and making himself a king. The prophets had prophesied the suffering and death of the Messiah. If they would repent and turn to Jesus accepting him as their Messiah he would return and bring in the times of refreshing the restoration of the throne and land of King David and Abraham.   Moses had prophesied the Messiah would be a prophet who had the ruling authority to lead and make judgements over the nation. Jesus himself hoped to return soon after his ascension when he said, “There are some standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom  of God has come with power.” Mark 9: 1. 
Jesus will return and establish his kingdom on the earth.
We have the assurance of the Biblical prophesies coming true, without them being dependant on us to bring them about. 
                                                                                                    
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The Messiah’s Secret – The Great Commission

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 The Messiah’s Secret – The Great Commission

“Remembering before God and Father your  work  of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1: 3

Thessalonians 1: 3  is linked with this verse Chapter 5: 8 Breastplate of faith and love. The Helmet of the hope of salvation

Visual Aid – Breastplate of faith and love
In the Old Testament the chief priest wore on his chest a breastplate. 
On it were 12 precious stones each stone represented one of the tribes of Israel. This meant that the people belonging to the tribes the 12 sons of Jacob were close to the heart of the chief priest.                           
Breastplate of faith and love covering our heart, it speaks of our close relationship with God.(A child came forward and we put on the breast plate firstly the heart shape and other children put on the other words and pictures) 
Our faith in Jesus and of the Lord’s love for us. We are so precious to God that nothing can separate us from God’s love for us. 
“For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8: 27-29                                                        
God created us and he also in his love gives to us his joy, love and peace. (put on breastplate love, joy and peace)
The Lord our God surrounds us with all that we need to live: water, air ( the wind blowing trees) and food.

Visual Aid – The helmet the hope of our salvation
The high priest wore a helmet made of linen cloth on it was a few words ‘Holy to the Lord’ his life was dedicated to serving God.              
The Christians crown– Greek word stephanos which translates, the crown given to a victor, like an athlete who has won a race, the Christian who faithfully serves the Lord our God. (place on the head of the child the crown)                                        
 ‘Salvation’ means that we have received the gift of Jesus into our heart.          
Our hope is that we will continue always have Jesus in our heart until the day we die. (place on the crown the rosette)

The breastplate means that nothing can separate us from God’s love.
The helmet of hope looking towards our heavenly home that God has provided for us. 

1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10. Mark 16: 15-20   RSV Bible                   

Paul wrote this letter from Corinth after he had been updated by Timothy on the progress of the Thessalonica church.  
On Paul’s second ministry tour he teamed up with Silas they went from Philippi to Thessalonica.  In Acts 17 we read that on arrival they went to the synagogue where following the custom of visiting Jews they were invited to speak. Paul told those present: the Jews and the God fearing Greeks the message of the suffering and resurrection of Jesus. Paul argued with them for three weeks from the scriptures proving that Jesus was the Christ. 
The Messiahs Secret Revealed 
The Messiahs calling was a call to the nation to repent and the Messiah would return. Peter explained that they had acted in ignorance, not realising that the Messiah had to suffer and die and be raised from the dead and ascend into heaven before the nation could receive Jesus as the Messiah. Acts 3: 17 – 21
I was taught by the church that the time for the Jewish people to accept Jesus as the nations’ Messiah was before Jesus’ death. 

Many of the Greeks and leading women believed and this caused jealousy among the Jews.  
Paul sent Timothy to build up their faith and to encourage them so that they were not moved away by the controversy coming from the unbelieving Jews. Thessalonians 3: 2, 6.                                                                                        
Paul pointed out to the church that they would encounter opposition. 3: 4. “For when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction; just as it has come to pass.”
When we look at the Gospel reading Jesus prepared his disciples before he commissioned them by reminding them of their unbelief and hardness of heart when they first heard of Jesus’ resurrection from the women.
“Afterwards he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he had risen.” Mark 16: 14. 

Rejection and suffering part of the commission
Paul through his unbelief caused suffering to Christians, he had arrested many Christians and put them in prison, before he became a follower of Jesus.                                 
Between 16 and 27 years old I did not appreciate the gospel message from Christians. After my first child was baptised I took up my faith again and on many occasions I witnessed to my relations and they ignored me and at work some people distanced themselves from me after I had shared my faith with them. My sister eventually responded and she was filled with the Holy Spirit at her children’s baptism.         

‘Living Waters’ by Chinese Pastor Brother Yun. The Chinese house church confirmed this view, the Henan Province Church sent 17 Christians to Sen Province.
 Time and time again they returned beaten and bruised and on numerous occasions arrested and put in jail, but Brother Yun wrote that eventually the people began to respond until the whole of the province became Christian. 
In many situations rejection and suffering go before conversion.                                                                  
In Thessalonians Chapter 1: 3 Paul was encouraged by their work of faith, labour of love and their steadfastness of the hope in Jesus. 

These three things had inspired Paul: faith, hope and love. 
The Thessalonians were steadfast in faith against the opposition.They had faith to move the mountains of discouragement, they rejoiced  in their suffering and nothing could separate them from the love of God. And they hoped for Jesus’ return.                                                                                                                                 
Paul wrote in verse 10 about the hope of Jesus return it will happen when we least expect and it’s before the day of wrath, when Jesus will defeat the Antichrist. John recorded in Revelation 3: 10,11. “Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. Those who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God;”
Jesus said he could come at any time, don’t allow anyone to discourage or persuade you to turn away from your faith in Jesus.

These three things for us today Faith, hope and love
The most wonderful gracious gift is to bring a person to faith in Jesus. For them to receive our words as from God and turn to Christ and walk with him in their heart, and as a result signs will follow.
The signs from the Thessalonians they turned away from pagan worship to worship Jesus and this news went through Macedonia and Greece.
Today, changes that take place for some can be dramatic or for some it’s a gradual thing being inwardly convicted to get right with God. 
Last week on Friday and Saturday I heard at CAPs Christians Against Poverty Training days  many people are coming to faith as they respond to the help they receive in becoming free from debt by the expert free guidance from CAPs  and finding a job through CAPs Jobs Clubs. Lives are being transformed by the love of God and the excellent service and kindness of Christians giving up their time in serving the needs of others in their communities.  

Do not lose hope? What causes us to lose hope it maybe through Anxiety, exhaustion, failure and suffering of some kind?
I heard last Thursday evening at the Bury Bible Society Action Group with Rossendale Annual Conference Canon Noel Proctor in his address mentioned his own suffering: after the Strangeways Prison riots combined with the death of his wife he was completely devastated and shattered. He felt that he had lost hope in everything: his Chaplaincy work had taken a beating and his grief for his wife left him a broken man, something he had ever experienced before.  
In his despair he brought it all to the cross and prayed for the Lord forgiveness and healing and the Lord heard his prayer, he was renewed in receiving a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit, he said that his faith had grown he was stronger now than it was before.                                                                    
In Noel’s testimony we can see those three things: love, hope and faith. 
The love of God that would not let him go and the hope that was rekindled through his faith in Jesus’ cross. He clung to the old rugged cross knowing that some day he will exchange it for a crown.                        

Finally Paul wrote that the greatest of the three is love.  
God’s Love that reaches out through the message that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and to everyone who believes he will give eternal life.  Even though at first it may be rejected through unbelief. The Lord will still stand and wait knocking on the door of a person’s heart to let him in.                                                   
The love that would not let Noel go in his state of hopelessness, the bonding between the Lord our God and ourselves it’s like super glue. When super glue first came out people had to have items surgically removed from their hands etc. 
How Paul understood that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
 “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 
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The Messiah’s Secret – The Crimson Worm

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The  Messiah’s Secret  – The Crimson Worm.

 
(picture taken from our hay field overlooking town of Haslingden, Rossendale )


This year our summer in the North of England has been the warmest that we have had for a long time. It has been so warm that I had to sit in the shade especially hay making in June, however, we didn’t erect a shelter).

In the Middle East the temperature reaches over a hundred degrees especially in the region where the city Nineveh was located on the eastern bank of the Tigris river opposite the modern city of Mosul in Iraq.

Young people’s talk.  
Jonah the prophet was called by God twice  to take a message to the people of Nineveh. In our reading we find that this is the second calling and this time Jonah responded. He went through the streets proclaiming,“Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.” Afterwards he found a place to sit and watch over the city, where he built himself a shelter.(A child came and sat on a chair in front of the picture of a shelter.)


It was very hot: the sun shone (hold up the sun) and the wind blew.(hold up the picture of the wind)

Overnight a plant appeared and it protected him from the heat of the sun’s rays, and the sultery wind blew 
God sent a worm, which was not like the worms we find in the soil.It was round and scarlet in colour and about the size of a small pea. The worm ate the root of the plant. 
(Tolaath – from the same root, refer to the cochineal insect. Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Coccus ilicus. Scarlet worm. Biblehub.com)
When it is time for the female to lay her eggs, which is only the once in a life time, she climbs onto a tree and lays her eggs under her body. 







The eggs are  protected by her crimson shell . When the eggs hatch the mother dies and the  young worms feed on their mother. 
She gives her life to create new life which speaks of Jesus dying for us so we might live for ever.
Jonah liked the plant and was angry that it had died.
God was teaching Jonah that just as he liked the plant and felt sorry for it. God loved the people of Nineveh and took pity on them.
God says to us, I love all the people in the world even those who don’t know me yet and God wants us to tell people about His love for them.

Readings Jonah 3: 10. 4: 11. Matthew 20: 1-16.                                                                 

The prophet Jonah was called by God twice to go to the city of Nineveh with a message
The two calls are quite different in their content. The difference lies in the change of one single word. The word ’against’ in the first call was to ‘preach against’ the city, in the second to ‘preach to it’ the message. The first of Judgement, the second a message of grace and mercy which resulted in repentance and salvation for the Gentiles.

On the first occasion, Jonah disobeyed; on the second he fulfilled. Between the two calls, Jonah had a most gruesome experience, dying in the stomach of the whale, and then being miraculously resurrected and deposited on dry land.                                                                            
In our reading after Jonah’s second call he was given a message that he clearly believed that God would bring judgement on the city, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.” But the King and people of Nineveh believed him and they repented.                                                       
Jonah was displeased, and being a prophet of Israel, he was worried about his reputation.
Even though he knew that God was merciful and not easily angered. The outcome was not how he had discerned it, Jonah wanted to die, his pride had been injured, he had not expected the city to repent.

We read in verse 10. God had changed his mind about destroying the city of Nineveh. “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it.”
God had pity on the people of Nineveh even though they were enemies of Israel, God saved them from destruction as they repented from their heart. “All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.” John 6: 37

The visual aid revealed that God was showing Jonah his love for all the people who he had created. And he was showing future generations the way of faith and grace, illustrated through the plant and the worm.

Many Biblical scholars see this as depicting Law and Grace
The plant that sprang up was the law and the worm that ate the root of the plant represents the new covenant by faith and grace in Jesus.
The plant represents Jonah’s reliance upon himself: when he built his shelter and his pity for the plant which really was in fact his self pity at being left without the plants shade .And his pride, his self esteem had been injured, having discerned the message as a word of condemnation that was punishable under law.

Jesus’ parable. The labourers were under law who had worked all day had expected more than what was agreed with the vineyard owner. The denarius represents Salvation and a day represents a life time.  Those who Jesus described as ‘the last first and the first last were under grace. Jesus is both the last and the first. When John saw Jesus, “I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18. And the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore.” Revelation 1:17, 18. This as I understand it,( in verse 12) makes us all equal in Christ as Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians,  “And have put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Sythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.” Colossians 3: 10,11.

The crimson worm under grace was a prophecy relating to the Christ,.  Psalm 22: 6-8.  “But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people. All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads; He committed his cause to the Lord; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him.”                                                                                         
The Psalmist prophecy was fulfilled when the passers by along with the chief priest and scribes mocked and wagged their heads at Jesus on the cross saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.” In Mark 15: 29-32.                                                                                                                   
In Paul’s letter to the Romans he  wrote, “ the wages of sin is death”
Jesus bore all sin upon the tree and died and God delivered Jesus from sin that leads to death. Three days later God raised Jesus up from the grave.

The scarlet worm that God used to illustrate his grace.
The female worm firmly attaches herself to the tree and dies, so that her young feed on her and take up their new life from their mother.
Three days later the worm changes colour from scarlet to white, it speaks of death, resurrection and ‘Christ in us.’ 
             
 In Paul’s letter to the Galatians,  “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in my flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.” Galatians 2: 20.  God calls us to die to sin and self. We feel how God feels about sin and were we once relied entirely on ourselves in every aspect of daily life, we now look to Jesus.

The scarlet worm continues to bless us after her death:The dead worm’s  white wax was scraped off the tree to used for polishing wood, it’s called shellac
The crushed worm was once used to make medicine to regulate the heart beat and its’ colour was used as dye.


Prophesies for the end time in John’s Book ‘Revelation.  
Jesus blesses us in many ways: we  have fellowship with the Trinity Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and other Christians. Now as we pray we find that Jesus is guiding us, watching over us. Jesus relies on us to serve him through the things he calls us to do like telling people about the prophesies that are leading up to the ‘Great Tribulation’ great in the sense of being a great catastrophe. This ia a warning to the world that John wrote about in Revelation 7: 14. 18:9. Matthew 24. 
 It’s part of the churches ministry to make this prophecy known in order to bring nations to repentance.                                                      
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The Messiah’s Secret – Visions and Dreams

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The  Messiah’s Secret – Visions and Dreams                                                         

A Prophet to a Nation
Christian Mary Whitehouse spoke out against the permissive society in England in the sixties and seventies. Rev Gerald Moate said at her funeral service said “Her achievements and failures, her prophetic vision and personal limitations have been well documented.” Mary campaigned to ‘Clean up TV.’ The 9pm watershed to protect children from adult material on TV. The watershed was introduced as a direct result of Mary Whitehouses’ campaign.

The prophet Ezekiel
 Ezekiel’s name means “God will strengthen” He was strengthened by God to be a sign to Israel. Ezekiel found the hardest part of being given a prophetical vision was speaking it out, any prophecy is open to scrutiny as a result it won’t be necessarily be acted upon. Ezekiel 12: 11.                                                                                                     
Ezekiel’s visions at Chebar in 593 BC were powerful as they showed the glory of God and spoke of judgment.  
The interpretation: God resided in the temple, but because Israel was a rebellious people God would leave his temple.                                                                                           
Ralf Alexander in his book ‘Ezekiel’ “The Mosaic covenant was a conditional covenant. If the nation of Israel obeyed the stipulations of this treaty, she would appropriate the blessings of Yahweh, which were intimately connected to the possession of the land of Canaan and its fruitfulness. On the contrary, if the people disobeyed this law, they would experience the cursing of God which would be manifested by their expulsion from Canaan and the desolation of the land.” Deuteronomy 27: 28.
The false prophets who had hardened their hearts could not hear what God was saying so we read they spoke from their own human spirit. 
They said that there was no call for alarm in their day. Ezekiel 13: 3                                                                                                                                         
Ralph Alexander in his book ‘Ezekiel’ wrote, “There were those who spoke against Ezekiel’s visions through a proverbial saying that was circulating Jerusalem at the time which declared: “The days are prolonged and every vision failed” this judgment was in the distant future” Ezekiel 12: 21

Ezekiel again heard from God, he was instructed to go and shut himself in his house where God would not allow him to leave the house and speak with anyone, unless God himself gave the words for Ezekiel to speak.

“But the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet; and he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself within your house. 25 And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them, so that you cannot go out among the people; 26 and I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be dumb and unable to reprove them; for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God’; he that will hear, let him hear; and he that will refuse to hear, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.” Ezekiel 3: 24-27.                                                                                                           Ezekiel’s dumbness was a sign to Israel   
In Chapter 24 the people asked him for the meaning of the visions. Ezekiel was given the words to speak, “Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.” Ezekiel 24: 21.                                                                   
 Seven years later in 586 BC the prophecy was fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon’s temple. God released Ezekiel from saying nothing. His message changed to one of hope and restoration of Israel.

A sign to Israel    
Zechariah the father of John the Baptist while at the hour of prayer in the temple saw in a vision an angel who spoke to him, telling him that God had heard his prayer for a child and they would have a son who they must call John. Zechariah could not speak afterwards. His speech returned after John’s birth when he announced his name. This was sign to draw attention to John’s ministry of bringing people to repentance in preparation for the coming in of God’s kingdom.                                                                                                   

Another sign   
Jesus’ miracles and healing were signs that God was calling the nation to see what God was doing.  
In our Gospel reading Mark 7: 24-37 Jesus demonstrated that he was more than just a prophet. He released unconditionally the man who was deaf and had a speech impediment and the demon possessed daughter of the Canaanite woman by the power and grace of God.  

At Pentecost the fulfilment of the prophet Joel’s prophecy. 
 “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on my menservants and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.”        

During my Reader training I was linked with St John Baxenden for a year. The Lord confirmed to the fellowship at St John’s that they were moving in the right direction when a well respected member of the fellowship was given a vision. It was of a bridge linking the church with the community.
As I understood it was a vision to encourage them. The Lord was upholding and developing the ministry between the church and the local community.

Christians are given a vision that brings them to faith like Paul on the Damascus Road. 

Mrs Paris saw a vision of Jesus at work. 
On our way home after a meeting Mrs Paris the wife of one of the Wardens at Christ Church Walmersley shared with me her vision of Jesus. Many years before while at work Jesus stood at the side of her sewing machine in front of her. She said it happened so quickly and in a moment he was gone. This dear lady so quiet and gentle, unassuming and sincere in her faith, she had a wonderful experience and her faith took on substance. 

John the Apostle’s Revelation. 
John the Apostles’ visions on the Isle of Patmos. In Chapter 4 he described God’s throne giving similar descriptions of the living creatures in Ezekiel’s account, but John does not see any wheels. He saw the door was open and there are 24 elders around the throne worshipping the Lord our God.
In chapter 7 the Lamb is on the throne surrounded by thousands of Saints wearing white robes and holding palms all praising God and the Lamb.
John’s vision is a message of assurance that reveals that heaven’s door is open to all believers. Our future is assured in Christ that whatever our circumstances we are to keep looking forward to our eternal life in Christ. 

Dreams. 
Joseph in the Hebrew Scriptures was given dreams from God and he also had the interpretation of dreams. Joseph shared his dream with his brothers, “Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose and stood upright; and behold your sheaves gathered around it, and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers were not pleased they like Joseph knew the interpretation, “Are you indeed to reign over us.” 
Joseph had another dream and he told his brothers his dream, “Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” His brothers dismissed his dream. Joseph’s dreams were prophetic and they came to their fulfilment when he became governor of Egypt and his family came to Egypt in the famine and came before him seeking grain. Genesis 37: 5-11. 42: 6. 

Another kind of dream 
The famous words of Martin Luther King, ‘I have a dream today.’ 51 years ago on the 28th August 1963.                                                                                                                                               
Mahalia Jackson shouted from the crowd, “Tell them about the dream Martin.”  

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.” Isaiah 40: 4. 
“This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.   
With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.” 

Martin Luther King like all prophets have a difficult path to follow and we know that he saw his dream realised in 1964. He was assassinated on 4 April 1968. But Martin Luther King will go down in history as a man who had a dream fulfilled.

The prophet’s calling to speak out in the face of opposition is indeed a hard path to follow. The harder the message to give the more important the message and we have the assurance that God will strengthen his prophet and his word will not return empty. Be patient and trust in the Lord.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
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The Messiah’s Secret – A Heart Transformed. A Wild Rose to Illustrate the Body of Christ

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The Messiah’s Secret – A Heart/soul Transformed – body, soul and spirit.    
A wild rose to illustrate the body of Christ.

   In  Song of Songs 2:1 in the RSV Bible there is a reference to the Christ as a rose ‘the rose of Sharon.’  Roses we use as a symbol of love. The cultivated rose was developed by the Chinese 200 years ago.

This morning if we can imagine that our church St Marys is like a rose and we are the petals, each petal is a member of St Marys and each and every one of us has been given gifts that contribute to the whole function of the body of our church.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans he mentions seven of the many gifts: prophecy, serving, teaching, counsellor, contributes, gives aid and acts of mercy.
 (place the name of a gift on each petal )
At the centre we have the stamens these bear pollen that are collected by the bees and in the process transfer pollen from one rose to another.
Jesus is at the centreof our church and his word and Spirit ministers to us and the good news is spread by us to people who we meet.
The beauty of a rose with its’ five petals, each joined at the centre When the petals individually begin to fall and die, the rose is transformed into a rose hip. (the pollen is removed and the petals are taken off, the rose hip is put in place.)
As Christians we find that Jesus calls us individually to faith in him and as we make that commitment we find the cross is where we die to self and to sin. As a result we are transformed within our hearts and minds we are a new creation in Christ.

The Rose Hip its’ benefits are well known: rose hip syrup contains an abundance of vitamin C, the seeds are used to produce rose oil, soap perfume and more rose plants.
St Mary’s Christians.
Like the rose we are beautiful in the eyes of God and the Lord our God has transformed our lives so that we produce the seeds of faith in Jesus that are full of goodness and bring forth new life as we tell our friends and family about Jesus.
Readings: Romans 12: 1-8.   Matthew 16: 13- 20

Jesus was born the Christ, he did not develop into becoming the Christ, he was born the Christ, just as he was born a king.
In Matthew’s Gospel we read God himself had revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, it was not by him working it out from his own thinking, he was given thoughts coming to his mind from God the Father.
For St Paul it took a visionof Jesus on the Damascus Road for him to come to realise that Jesus was the Christ. Before he had been totally opposed to Jesus and his disciples and followers.  In his letter he wrote from his own experience that he had been conforming to the world’s thinking when he opposed Jesus, he was blind to the truth of his own scriptures until the veil was removed and the transformation, the renewing of his mind took place, as the Holy Spirit revealed to him that Jesus was the Christ. Acts 9.  

Paul and our transformation goes much deeper than a person changing their mind as to what they believe. We can’t transform ourselves, it happens through faith by God’s gift of grace.
On Tuesday a man came in church conspicuous by his dress and from his conversation he was of a religious group. Before he left he gave us a book Edited by Nathan Eddy and the Foreword was written by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, I researched it and found it was the product of Christian Science ‘New Thought.’ A teaching that trains the conscience by divine science.           
But from what I have observed over the years, the training when it ceases the person like the cultivated rose will revert to their old self. A cultivated rose left alone over a period of time will revert back to being a wild rose.
Many religions use techniques to bring to obedience, to control the body, soul and spirit:  transcendental meditation, yoga, Tie chi etc. They produce a calm, tranquil state of mind.
There are three things that make up a person: The body, soul and spirit. Thessalonians 5: 23.

The body has senses and emotions: touch smell hearing and sight. Emotions consist of a mixture of what makes us happy and content and what makes us sad and discontent.
The soul is quite often referred to as the ‘heart’ the part of our SELF our personality, will, conscious and our mind. Everything that comes to our mind, will and conscious goes through the soul. Every person’s soul is corrupted by our knowledge of good and evil since the fall. 
The spirit every one of us has been created with the human spirit, is the part of us were we have an awareness of God and have a desire to worship God. Archaeologists find artefacts associated with worship going back thousands of years.
Everything changed when people heard and believed in Jesus. God’s Spirit activated with our human Spirit and at the same time our soul was renewed and our body became aware of the holiness of God, so our body, soul and spirit are now one with God our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Paul in his letter to the Ephesians wrote, “We are made alive together with Jesus Christ and we are saved.” Ephesians 2: 5. John Newton wrote of God’s amazing grace, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now I’m found was blind but now I see.”

Christians have been changed like a car that has a new engine, the appearance of the car is the same, but with a new engine. Our appearance is the same, but the old state of mind has gone. 
              
Now we find that our own concerns take a back seat and we begin to think and feel about what concerns God our Father.
We will at times sarcoma to temptation, but when we do fall into sin through repentance we are forgiven and not brought under condemnation of Adam’s sin as we used to be. 1 John 1: 8.9.
The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts among God’s people. Each gift is linked with heaven where Jesus is and where we are ascended with him

Love triggers the gifts into use and our prayer enters heaven to the throne of God’s grace where we are seated with Christ. “Made us alive together with Christ. (by grace you have been saved;) And raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians  2: 6.

Tom Wright Study on James puts it this way, “Prayer must surround everything we do, whether we’re sad or happy, suffering or cheerful. Prayer that is based on the fact that the Christian stands at the overlap point of heaven and earth.” “The person praying stands with one foot on earth in the place of trouble, sickness and sin and with the other foot in the place in heaven of healing, forgiveness and hope.”
Tom Wright has given us an example that we can visualise of how it works, but we don’t have to attain this knowledge for our prayers to be answered.
The other Tuesday at the Bible study June witnessed her prayer being answered. It took place when her daughter rang and in their conversation her daughter mentioned about wanting to move house. June said she immediately thought of the empty house next door and later the same day she bumped into the Landlord outside her house and she asked him about her daughter moving into next door. He said, ‘ yes’ and also mentioned two other houses that she might like to consider nearby. June gave God the glory.
It’s the abundance of God’s grace.

Recently my sister told me of a man at her church who was unemployed and try as he did he could not even get an interview, so he asked the Pastor at my sister’s church to pray for him and within a week he had employers contacting him and more than one offer of a job. This man gave God the glory.
Getting our prayers answered does not depend on how we feel whether we’re in a good mood or a bad mood or how much we know (Gnosticism)about the Bible.
It simply depends on our love for and faith in Jesus.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Messiah’s Secret Revealed continuing Matthew 16: 18-20
In our reading Jesus gave Peter the leadership of the church and confirmed his calling when John the disciple recorded Jesus’ words, when he said to Peter ‘feed my lambs’.  John 21: 15.
Simon Peter’s name meaning ‘rock’ Jesus chose him to lead the disciples beginning at Pentecost,  with one key Peter opened the door of Christ’s kingdom to the nation of Israel. Peter stood and addressed the crowd as ‘men of Judea’ and ‘men of Israel’. Acts 2: 14, 22.
Peter with another key had opened the door to the Gentiles.
Peter was staying at Joppa with Simon the tanner, the Lord gave him a vision of a sheet coming down from heaven and on the sheet where all kinds of creatures. 

The Lord in the vision told Peter to kill and eat. However, some of the creatures where unclean to a Jewish person. Peter cried out that he was forbidden by the law to eat anything regarded as unclean and he would not break the law. But the word came again telling him not to call anything common or unclean. Under law food had spirituality, a Jewish person was not allowed to eat blood and certain creatures. But here in this vision Peter was being taught by the Lord that food was clean and the Gentile people were not unclean. Two groups in the Bible The nation of the Jews and the nation of the Gentiles. Matthew 21: 43. Acts 1: 6.
Following this vision two men came to the house asking to speak with Peter. They informed him that they had been sent by Cornelius a Centurion who lived at Caesarea. In a vision an angel told him to send for Peter the disciple of Jesus.
Peter accompanied the men and when he arrived at Caesarea, he found Cornelius and his whole family had gathered. Peter told them about Jesus and as he spoke the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he had on the disciples. Acts 10

When the men of the circumcision Partyheard that Peter had been eating with Gentiles he was summoned to give an account of his behaviour. Peter shared with them the vision and the how the Holy Spirit filled the Gentiles when they heard about Jesus and afterwards they were baptised. 

Peter brought Cornelius and his family into the body of believers through faith and grace. Paul wrote that we are strengthened by the Spirit and our energy is in Christ. Ephesians 3: 16. Colossians 1: 29. 1 Peter 4: 11.

Peter’s vision fulfilled Jesus’ words that food had no longer any spirituality.
Mark recorded Jesus’ words, “Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not the heart, but the stomach, and so passes on? (Thus he declared all foods clean)” Mark 7: 18, 19.                                 
“Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings; for it is well for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by regulations about food, which have not benefited those who observe them.” Hebrews 13: 9.

Jesus words the bread of life, “Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life within you.” Jesus’ sacrifice was the final sacrifice for food laws. Jesus went on to say “It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.” John 6: 53. 63. Jesus’ risen body is a spiritual body, without blood. Luke 24: 39, 40.
                                  
Angels at the close of the age reap the harvest, but under grace, no condemnation, Not under law, Wheat seed

The Messiah’s Secret – The Wheat harvest

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The Messiah Secret – The Wheat Harvest    

One of the amazing facts of life is that a wheat seed has to die before it can start to grow and in the fullness of time the plant produces many seeds after its own kind.” Contained in the seed is the complete make up of a wheat plant, its colour, height etc.


Jesus described himself as the seed of wheat that had first to die to produce more seeds. 
“Unless a grain of wheat fall into the earth and dies it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12: 24.

The wheat seed has first to die and that takes place while it is being stored over several months where the process dying off is completed, afterwards the seeds can be planted in the field. After the seed is planted it lies in the soil in darkness where it germinates and then starts to grow as it is watered by the rain. 

Jesus’ words were fulfilled when in his humanity he died on the cross, to produce the seeds of his eternal life.

The Messiah’s Secret Revealed
The disciples and followers of Jesus were devastated when Jesus died on the cross. Two disciples on the road to Emmaus talking to the stranger said, “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” This shows that his disciples hadn’t understood that Jesus had to die to fulfil the prophesies of the resurrection of the Messiah. Luke 24: 21. Job 19: 24. Psalm 16: 10. 49: 9.
After Jesus had died on the cross he was taken down and carried by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea to a tomb where he was buried and the tomb was sealed. On the third day Jesus rose from the dead. The seed, Jesus, had to die and become the first fruits of the resurrection. Matthew 27: 57-61. Luke 24: 21, 36-43. Romans 8: 12-25.  Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43

The eternal seeds the good news about Jesus.
“You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23 

The Holy Spirit bears witness, shows us within our being, our mind and conscience of a change that has taken place through receiving into our heart the words that tell us of what Jesus has done for us on the cross and in his resurrection and ascension. These words are the imperishable seeds of faith that germinate within us as they are planted in the heart and unite with our old nature that dies and our new nature appears, so we begin to grow and think in the same way as Jesus showing compassion and wanting to please God and our way of life, we become ‘Christ-like’, a Christian. The seed of faith sown in the heart is complete in itself, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It contains the potential to grow to its fullness. 

The seeds sown in the field
The Lord our God created us with a free will, so that we can choose what we believe and many after hearing the gospel message repeatedly turn away from it and seek a self determined way of life. In the parable Jesus identifies these people as weeds not wheat.
Many Christians after receiving Jesus as their Saviour do not move on from there, they continue to look at the cross, and are stuck between the cross and moving forward to walk in the Spirit. 
From my experience I have observed  that for some Christians there is a hurdle of ‘self’ we say what can I do for God? What am I capable of? What am I comfortable doing? The thought of asking Jesus what he wants me to do for him, the brake goes on, the traffic lights change to red. It is as if they are restricted by doubt and wanting the best of both worlds and what usually follows gradually they fall away or like some of Jesus’ followers who fell away when he said that he was the ‘bread of life.’  John 6: 66. 2 Timothy 3: 5.

Jesus died to his own will to do the will of his Father and we find it is the same for every Christian, Jesus calls us to look to doing his will and not our own desires. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus died to ‘ self,’ Jesus said, “Father if you are willing remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will be done, but I your will be done.” Luke 22: 42. The result of Jesus dying to self he was willing to fulfil the task that God his Father had sent him to do which was to literally die on a cross, in great pain and agony, spiritually taking upon himself sin and the causes of sin against God.

We are not under Law but under grace.

When I started woodcarving in the early eighties I went to wood work evening classes one of the items I made was a bedding box  1 &1/2 metres by ½ metre with five carved panels. On one of the panels I carved these words, ‘A Christian is not under law, but is under grace.’ On another panel Jesus walking on water, on another my daughter age 5 her hands praying and on another a cross and on another an open Bible.

The law written into my  heart when I heard at a Bible study in the 1970’s that the commandments are not to be adhered to as a set of rules, and later studying Paul’s letter to the Romans we are not under Law but under grace.  Under grace the Lord God wants us to be like a child dependant upon its parents, we are God’s children and we come to the Father in prayer as we are dependent upon him for our very life. 

The cross is the way to find God our Father’s forgiveness, his love, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3: 16. By faith we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we can’t earn our salvation by good works that is by self effort, I’ll do this to please God, all within the limits of our self control what we decide to do for God. Faith to believe is followed by the Lord directing our path by giving us works to do, so we die to self, we say how we can please God.

Jesus, the eternal Word of God the Father, as we take hold in our hearts of Jesus’ words they are Spirit filled living words by them we are strengthened to stand against the unseen principalities and powers, the spiritual wickedness that is at work in the world.

The Bible tells us that the Cherubim Satan was full of self esteem and he developed a desire for power, his ambition was to be like God. As a result other angels joined him and together they conspired against God. A battle was fought and Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven. Isaiah 14 12-17. Job 1: 7. 2: 2.
Jesus saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. Luke 10: 18. 
In Moses account of creation on day two when the atmosphere came into being, the words ‘it was good’ are not written like they are on the other days. It is generally taught that when Satan was cast out of heaven he took up residence in earth’s atmosphere, where he roams to and fro, like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Genesis 1: 6-8. 1 Peter 5: 8.    

Moses inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote that the first people Adam and Eve were created by God a living being and had fellowship with God until they were tempted by Satan to become like God. They responded to the temptation and fell under the spiritual influence of Satan and the condemnation of God. Genesis 2: 7. 3:1-7, 23   
Jesus is the second Adam he has set us free from their condemnation. 

By faith and grace (undeserved giving from God) he gave power to those who believe in his name to become children of God. John 1: 12.  

(I didn’t take a picture of the 5th panel Jesus walking on water. The box is to heavy for me to move. Hebrews 11: 1) 
Jesus walked on water in the power of faith, Peter asked if he could join him having the faith to believe he could be like Jesus and then we read his faith faltered and he began to sink and Jesus took hold of him. 
What happened to Peter’s faith? Maybe just for a moment the strength of the waves made him unsteady, and his humanity got in the way of his faith. The Lord understands our weaknesses and the enemy will hinder us if he can, but Jesus is always there to lift us up, the Holy Spirit comforts us and Christian friends encourage us. Matthew 14: 28-32                                                                         
The reality of personally knowing that God is our Father.   
I can only speak of what I know from my own experience, this knowing that God was my heavenly Father I realised when I received the Holy Spirit from the laying on of hands by Rev Ronald Freeman in 1980 and I knew personally that Jesus was God made visible in the flesh through studying the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew Chapters 5-7.  

A walk in grace  
I was listening to a home insurance ad on TV, it stated by paying so much a week the benefits you would receive: replacement of breakages: vases, glass domes, TV, windows, even to the extent of re-building your home.
Jesus has paid the payment in full for our salvation and the benefits are enormous, out of this world. 
When any person in the world turns to accept Jesus as their Saviour, Jesus’ final sacrifice deals with all our sin that has stood between ourselves and God. 
It is like erasing words or files on our computer and empting the recycling bin as well, both at the same time. No records kept of wrongs. We are a new creation in Christ, our broken spoiled nature is replaced with a new nature like Jesus himself.   

The enemy would try to recover his lost ground in our life, but we are set free from any condemnation. Romans 8: 1    
When I am tempted by Satan and I fall into sin and I seek God’s forgiveness and say I am sorry to God.  I know that I have been forgiven as there is no condemnation no guilt or fear lingering on as it used to do. The devil cannot recycle my sin, unless I allow him to.  

If I need to be reconciled to someone then the Lord will go before me and enable me to say sorry and if that person still holds onto unforgiveness then that is between themselves and God, I am  free from any condemnation.  

Corrie Ten Boom wrote that we should imagine a pond with a sign ‘no fishing’ and we should throw our sins forgiven into it and leave them there at the bottom of the pond. “Clippings from my Notebook” Corrie ten Boom page 75
  
Angels reap the harvest 
Our gospel reading is where Jesus illustrated this event of the gathering of the wheat harvest, the children of God from among those he described as weeds growing among the wheat. Revelation 20: 6   

Some years ago the Lord gave me a picture of a field with angels sounding the trumpet ready to separate the wheat and weeds that where growing together.  I wanted to carve the picture and make a bed head. I bought beech wood planks and duly at evening class made them up into a large board and started to carve the picture of this wheat field. However, the wood is so hard I haven’t finished the carving. (Below the unfinished wood carving on the bed head)  This unfinished work reminds me of the parable in the reading: the angels gathering in of the wheat harvest at the end of the age that has yet to take place.  
The wheat and the weeds growing together in some cases rubbing against each other, when this happens it is like Christians living and working together with unbelievers. There are occasions when our way of life comes into conflict with those we are rubbing along with. I remember being invited to a lingerie party only I found out beforehand that it was in order to buy sexy underwear, I declined the invitation. The world is overflowing with seducing spirits.  

The close of the age.  
Another picture the Lord gave me in 2002 was of wheat in a field shining like the sun.  I painted it on a small piece of paper and pinned it up in the church vestry. Any picture received usually is associated with scripture.  ( I have kept a folder with the pictures that the Lord has given me.)  

21st July 2002 St. Mary’s Church. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father Matthew 13: 43. I discerned that the wheat were people belonging to our church.  At that time the young teenagers of St Mary’s and St Paul’s, Kay Street Baptist and the youth from other churches began to move with the Holy Spirit and many teenagers came to Christ.  

All creation waits for the new heaven and the new earth that follows the close of the age. 
After the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ Satan is let lose for a period of time, this is followed by the end of the age battle where Satan and his fallen angels are defeated and destroyed. The books of life are opened and both great and small come before Almighty God’s white throne for judgement. Revelation 20: 7 -15

Jesus ends his parable, “He who has ears, let them hear.”  Jesus’ sense of humour in us having ears like the wheat.
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The Messiah’s Secret – Christians Together – Celebrating the Ascension

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The  Messiah’s Secret – Celebrating  the  Ascension
Christians Together Haslingden 
 
  In Acts 1 we read that Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, “As the disciples were looking on, Jesus was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”
Jesus was greeted into his Father’s kingdom David’s Psalm captures the moment. “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors! That the king of glory may come in. Who is the king of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.”Psalm  24: 9, 10.
The  welcome the Lord must have received on his return to heaven.  
How the angels must have praised and sang just as we read they did at his birth. A multitude of heavenly hosts saying,”Glory to God in the highest and peace to all men.”
I liken it to the Queen’s coronation the crowds lined the streets, cheering and singing ‘God save our gracious Queen’ flags waving, trumpets sounded and bands played and bells rang out throughout the land.
Pearly gates 
The heavenly Jerusalem has 12 gates, each gate made of a single pearl.  
Pearls are found in oysters, they are the result of a parasite entering the oyster’s shell. The oyster sends a solution to the parasite, over a period of time this solution becomes the pearl. If the parasite represents our sin and the solution that destroys the parasite the blood of Jesus. Jesus’ blood blots out our sin and the beautiful pearl represents our salvation.   Revelation 21: 21 We enter the heavenly city by grace and faith in Jesus. 
 Where is heaven?    
Isaiah wrote of the Kingdom of heaven being in the North of the universe above the stars.  Isaiah 14: 13 Acts 1: 9, 12.                                                                                                                                 
Jesus’ Ascension signalled the start of the union between heaven and earth. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 1: 10. “God’s plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him in heaven and on earth.”
The Ascension is a crucial part of our eternal salvation. Jesus has united heaven and earth through his death, resurrection and his Ascension.
Paul in his letter to the Colossians 1: 13. Wrote that every Christian has been united with Christ, and transferred while we live on earth by the Spirit into Christ’s heavenly kingdom.
Our entrance into heaven, scripture says there is joy in heaven when a person repents, how we rejoice when a person comes to faith in Jesus and I wonder how much more in heaven will the angels be rejoicing when a new Christian is passing through the gates. Revelation 4: 1.
Paul in his letter to the Ephesians wrote “When Jesus ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
The captives ascended with Jesus, these were the people, who Jesus preached his message to in prison or  as we say in the creed ‘ Jesus died and went to hell’ these people  had died  before Jesus lived on earth and in God’s justice he gave them the opportunity to hear and believe in Jesus.

‘And he gave gifts to men’ His Ascension made it possible for the Holy Spirit to come and reveal to us the truth about Jesus’ Ascension and giving us spiritual gifts.
“And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.” Ephesians 4: 8, 11 
These gifts distributed by the Holy Spirit to build up and bless the church, Christ’s body.  
Again in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he wrote, “We have been blessed with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places.” Ephesians 1: 3.   
 What are the spiritual blessings?   
While on earth:  We are citizens of heaven. Philippians 2:20
Children of God and joint heirs in Christ. Romans 8:16, 17.
Imitators of God empowered to imitate Jesus by his Spirit and word in us. Ephesians 5: 1 
Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. 2 Corinthians 5: 20.     
In heaven after Jesus returns
Reign and rule with Christ in his kingdom. Revelation 20: 4. Daniel 7: 22
Judge angels. 1 Corinthians 6:3
Authority over cities. Luke 19: 17. 

When Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives he also fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy of 70 weeks of years. 
From the completion of Zerubbabel’s temple 515 BC on the 69th week the Christ would be cut off from his people, which was fulfilled when Jesus ascended into heaven. 
Daniel prophesied this would be followed by by wars, famine, earthquakes and floods. In 70 AD the Jerusalem temple and city were destroyed. 
What has yet to be fulfilled: the last 7 years of the 70 weeks, which will begin with three and a half years of peace followed by what is called the great tribulation were the antichrist turns on Israel and her allies.” Daniel 9: 27. 

So when will Jesus return?     
Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians 1: 10 he writes that Jesus will call out his church to go to the marriage supper of the Jesus and his bride, the church before the start of the tribulation. 

The difference between being ascended like Jesus and being translated.
Jesus died before being taken up from the earth to heaven. Jesus had his own body in his resurrection, a body without blood that had the marks of the nails and the sword that pierced his side.  
Translated 
Enoch and Elijah were alive when they were taken up from the earth into heaven.   
The writer of Hebrews wrote, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he attested as  having pleased God.” Hebrews 11: 5   
Elijah was translated, “And as Elijah and Elisha still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven.” 2 Kings 2: 11.
 Jesus’ ascension and our ascension when Jesus calls out his church from the earth.     
The Christians who have died and hear the call ascend to meet Christ in the air, the dust that once was their earthly body will be gathered to create a resurrected body with the marks on the body that will tell us it’s our own.  
We come together in heaven with those who are alive and are called and translated from the earth to meet Christ in the air,  these Christians will not die before meeting the Lord, but their bodies will be changed into a resurrected body.   
We take possession of our inheritance when we become Christians we have been transferred into Christ’s kingdom whilst on earth. Colossians 1: 13. 

In John’s Vision in the book of Revelation 19: 11-21. Jesus returns with all the saints and his heavenly armies and defeats the antichrist and his allies. Jesus takes up again with the remnant of Jewish people and rules the nations with a rod of iron.

Christians reign and rule with Christ. 
British values, called to witness the good news, imprisoned for their faith in Christ, mad about the gospel of Christ, newspaper article

The Messiah’s Secret – Who is Jesus

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The Messiah’s Secret – Who is Jesus?    

Matthew 16:13-19.    2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17, 18.
The cross Paul wrote is folly to the world, but to those like us who believe that the gospel is true, by the Holy Spirit revealing Jesus the Son of the living God into our hearts.

Many Christians today are being imprisoned for their faith in Jesus, not just because they believe in Jesus, but because they are living out their faith on a daily basis.   

Paul’s second letter to Timothy was written from the house where he was being held as a prisoner. It is generally thought to be in Rome. Acts 23: 11 
Paul had been given a prophecy through Agabus the prophet.  Agabus took Paul’s belt and tied up his own feet and hands and prophesied ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’. After hearing this some begged him not to go to Jerusalem. Paul’s response he was ready to be imprisoned and even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 21: 10-14, 33  
After Paul was arrested at Jerusalem he was about to be scourged when he appealed to Caesar as he was a Roman citizen. For two years Paul was held at Caesarea until Festus became governor.  
 Paul was brought in chains before Festus  and King Agrippa, they mocked Paul accusing him of madness. After Paul gave his testimony, telling them that he persecuted the Christians and he had seen Jesus in a vision on the Damascus Road. Festus declared, “Paul you are mad; your great learning is turning you mad.” Paul declared that he was not mad, “I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am, except for these chains.” “And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”   Acts 22: 25-27. 25: 23-27                                                              
Paul was prepared  to die for his faith. In his letter to the Philippians, he wrote that he was hard pressed between the two ”For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Perhaps a little weary at times he desired to be with Christ, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ.”  
 Paul ended his letter to Timothy witnessing  how the Lord had stood by him and had strengthened him to give the message to the Gentiles. 
Today we are strengthened and encouraged when the Lord stands by us strengthening us to be bold in witness what may seem to some as madness to believe that Jesus is God made visible in the flesh. 

Extract from an article in the Barnabas Magazine.    
“In many parts of the world Christians suffer discrimination, harassment and violence, and even in the West we face social pressure to water down or abandon our faith.” 

 Bury Bible Society Action Group held a concert at Bolton Road Methodist Church on Saturday 21st June.  I emailed the Bury Times a brief account of the event plus two photos: 

The United Christian Singers presented  ‘New Creation’ Composer Brian Hoare Musical Director Walter Brisk. 

On a warm, beautiful  June evening 120 people gathered in Bolton Road Methodist Church to hear a spectacular performance  by the United Christian Singers of Brian Hoare’s score ‘New Creation’.  The voices of seventy people joyously brought to life the first chapter of Genesis, with the account of God’s creation narrated by a member of the choir. The musical score was accompanied by fantastic photography on the screen that showed the great diversity in creation. God crowned his creation with humanity with the ability to invent and to achieve with numerous skills having different gifts, gifts we see in each other.  Christians believe that we are a new creation in Jesus through his death, dying for our sins, and having received forgiveness we receive a fresh new start. Members of the choir sang solo’s and the audience were asked to join in several times.  The evening’s performance was a great success, and enjoyed by all. Donations amounting to £500 were given to the Bible Societies work in translating the Bible into other languages. (total 189 Words)

The Bury Times published: Heading – £500 for Bible Work  Members of the Bury Bible Society Action Group enjoyed a night of memorable music. About 120 people congregated at Bolton Road Methodist Church to enjoy a performance by the United Christian Singers. The night raised £500 to support the work of the group.”

Today the gospel message may seem crazy in this materialistic and science driven world, especially if you believe that God created the heavens and the earth. The prime minister said on the 21st April 2014 that we were a Christian country, surely then British values are based on Jesus’ teaching, “love the Lord your God . . . . and love your neighbour as yourself.” If that is the case then Christian beliefs should be allowed to be expressed in a public newspaper. 

The person who wrote this at the Bury Times had identified with the Bible, so if I came in conversation with this person, the Bible would be the point of engagement, “What do you think about the Bible is it relevant for today?”   My answer would be to tell him about the prophesies in the Bible that have been fulfilled and some of those yet to be fulfilled.  Daniel 7: 24-28.8: 19-25. 9: 24-27.    

In our Gospel reading Matthew 16: 13  Jesus asked his disciples “Who do men say that the Son of man is? It implies that the people had probably been asked this question by his disciples. The people’s response to the question indicated that they expected someone who had lived and died and then would be resurrected by God to be the Christ.
Peter responded saying that the Son of man was the Christ, one of two names in this passage association with the Christ. The other is were Peter identified Jesus as the Son of the living God. Two names in association with the Christ: the Son of man and the Son of God. 

Today when a similar question is asked about Jesus, “Who do they say Jesus is?”  Most people would separate his humanity from his divinity by saying he was a prophet. Even some Christian denominations say that Jesus is only a prophet.

We believe that Jesus is the Christ being both ‘the Son of man and Son of God, that Jesus is God made visible in the flesh. 
The Son of man: referring to Christ’s humanity.
Luke 4 : 17-19. Jesus confirmed that he was the Christ when he read from the book of Isaiah 61; 1, 2. “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. What Jesus read I believe he outlined the Son of man’s ministry, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” (Christ meaning ‘the anointed one’) God’s anointing was on Jesus to preach the good news to the poor about the coming of the kingdom of God. The release of the captives, the devil no longer holding the power over death and recovering of sight to the blind, the inwardly blind enlightened by the light of his word. Liberation from oppression, Jesus setting us free to worship in the Spirit the living God and proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord that related to his ministry as ‘ the Son of man’.

Jesus the Son of God 
Caiaphas the high priest identified the Christ as being the Son of God.  Jesus was arrested and brought to Caiaphas’ house, the scribes and the elders where gathered there. “And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” “But Jesus was silent, and the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Matthew 26: 63.
Caiaphas in his response he said that the Christ and the Son of God were one of the same. Jesus’ response, “You will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Jesus pointed to himself in the context of his humanity as the Son of man and of his divinity acknowledging he was the Son of God. 
Caiaphas indicated his displeasure he tore his garments, and accused Jesus of blasphemy.
Caiaphas the religious man that he was could not get his mind around what Jesus was saying that he was the Son of God, which was blasphemy.

Today the Holy Spirit reveals to us that Jesus is God, maybe not always in a vision, but through the revealed word.   


The Messiah’s Secret.  
Before they could receive him as the Christ it was necessary for Jesus to die on a wooden cross in order to make the final sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin before he could return coming on the clouds of heaven.                                                                                                   

Jesus was silent.
On the cross Jesus bore upon himself every aspect of the law even this law of withholding evidence. “If any one sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity.” Lev 5:1
Jesus was only silent until the appropriate moment when he did respond to Caiaphas’ questioning. Matthew 26: 64. 27: 11-14. 1 Timothy 6: 13.   
Isaiah prophesied,“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth, led like a lamb to the slaughter.” 
 ”Yet it was the will of God to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” Isaiah 53: 7, 10.  
                                                                             
baby Oleg, dinosaurs, distribution of languages, gift of tongues, Jobs Club, persecution of the early church, the earth was divided, Tower of Babel, unemployed

The Messiah’s Secret – The Tower of Babel and the Gift of Tongues

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The Messiah’s Secret – The Tower of  Babel and the Gift of Tongues

Matthew  records Jesus telling his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. God gave them the ability to speak with people from all over the known world without learning their language
At the time of Noah the Bible informs us that Noah and his family only spoke one language probably Hebrew.
 God had given instructions to Noah and his sons, “Go and be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” Genesis 9: 1,7.
 However, they did not move very far after the flood, they went to a place on the plain of Shinar with their families and decided to settle there and they started to build a city and in the city they built a tower.

Children with the boxes build the tower 

They built the city and tower of bricks, these were made out of clay and straw and then hardened in a fire which made them strong.
                            
But they had forgotten what God had called them to do, to go and live to different places to populate the earth.
So God confused their language so they had to learn how to speak different languages so they left the city some went to the North, some to the East, and South and West. Some members of congregation spoke in various languages, without giving the meaning.

There is someone in this house. (look inside the house remove Oleg the mere cat) (Read note) “This is baby Oleg, he needs a good home and is hungry for grubs, please look after him.” We will give him a home at St. Mary’s.

Matthew records that Jesus told his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. How amazed the disciples must have been when these foreign words came from their lips and the people around them knew what they were saying. (Go back to those who spoke earlier and ask for their interpretation of what they had said.)

Only the God who had confused the language of Noah’s family who gave them different languages could enable the disciples at Pentecost to speak with people from all over the known world without learning their language in order to tell them about Jesus.
Some hearing the disciples were amazed and confused, other mocking said, “They were filled with new wine,” saying they were drunk. Acts 2: 13, 15.
But in fact those who commented were making a connection with Isaiah 28 “These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are confused with wine.” Isaiah 28: 7
Peter said they were not drunk as they supposed, Isaiah prophesied in same chapter verse 11, 12 “Nay, but by men of strange lips and with an alien tongue the Lord will speak to his people.” And in the following verse, “Yet they would not hear.” RSV Bible

What a tremendous sign that God was in their presence, yet we read in Matthews Gospel that as they stood with Jesus on the mountain in Galilee some doubted. 

St Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians Chapter 14 he quoted from Isaiah 28 to explain the Holy Spirit’s gift of tongues. The Spirit gives a message to a person in any one of the approximately 2,700 languages in the world. 
In verse 10 he wrote, “There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning,” so the message is given in a language either with the interpretation from the same person speaking in tongues or by another person who has the gift of interpretation of a message given in tongues.                                                                                                                        
Paul makes point that the Holy Spirit’s gift of speaking in a foreign language it is so that the unbeliever hearing will be blessed by the interpretation of the message, he says,  “The secrets of his heart is disclosed; and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among them.” The Lord touching the point of need.
In the time of Noah and his sons, God gave them a directive, “Go and be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”  Gen 9: 1,7 But we read that they were reluctant to go and be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with their descendants.  
Under the leadership of Nimrod the mighty warrior they only managed to go as far as the plain of Shinar (Babylonia) or modern day Irac.  We read in Genesis 10: 10 that Babel was the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom. 
In Babylon they decided to stay and build a city and tower. The tower being a monument to their achievement, their pride and ambition.
Stepping out in faith is not easy like Noah’s son’s families felt secure being together in their city, it took the confusion of tongues to fulfil God’s command for them to go and fill the earth.

In the days of Peleg the earth was divided. 
“To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg (for in his days the earth was divided.” 1 Chronicles 1: 19
Some translations translate that this was at the time when the languages were given. 
Amplified Bible “To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, because in his days (the population of the earth was divided(according to its languages), and his brother’s name was Joktan.” 
When the Hebrew scribe wrote that the earth was divided surely it means that it was the time when the earth’s plates separated to form continents and islands.

The Bible confirms the existence of dinosaurs.
In the Book of Job there is a description of a dinosaur,”Who can strip off his garment? Who can penetrate his double coat of mail? Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror. His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal . . . . . when he raises himself up the mighty are afraid.”Job 41                                              

Jesus words to his disciples, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”  
There are varying views as to how long the church community remained in Jerusalem. After due consideration I estimate it would be approximately 4 years. The church met daily in the temple and broke bread in their homes, many thousands of people came to faith. But it took the start of persecution against the church to fulfil Jesus’ command for them to go from Jerusalem and make disciples of all nations.
It was after Stephen was brought to trial and later stoned to death that the persecution of the church began. “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”  Acts 1: 8,  8: 1.

The Messiah’s Secret – The Apostles remained in Jerusalem. 
“The apostles remained in Jerusalem as they were expecting Jesus to return. The evidence for this is clear in Mark’s Gospel Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” Mark 9: 1 After the lame man was healed Peter and John witnessed that they had acted in ignorance when they had Jesus crucified and if they repented God would send Jesus to establish the throne and kingdom of King David. (The times of refreshing)” Acts 3: 17 -26. 
The leaders of the nation had been given the opportunity of accepting Jesus as their Messiah when they heard for the first time Peter publicly proclaim that Jesus was the Christ. Caiaphas the Chief Priest could not discern the prophecy that God had given to him ‘that one man had to die to save the nation.’ John 11: 49-53. 
In the plan of God the Messiah’s death was hidden from their understanding so that the Christ would die to save not just Israel but become the Saviour of the world and that one man  was Jesus.”

The same commission for the church today.
For us today to fulfil Jesus’ same commission to go and make disciples of all nations, it is not easy to step out of our comfort zone, for every Christian there is a cost involved, Jesus told the parable of the cost of being a disciple in Luke 14 Jesus spoke of ‘Taking up your cross.’

1. Taking up your cross  it speaks of suffering and dying to self in order serve the needs of others  
The Lord calls us to serve others in their need Isaiah wrote that the Lord strengthens the weak, he brings hope were there is none. and so God uses us to bring God’s  love  to help those who are desperately in need  of the Lord to give them hope for the future. 
On Thursday Jane and I went to a church in Oldham where they have a Christian Job’s Club, there they hold courses for the long-term unemployed. 
At the meeting on Thurs they had a speaker from Greater Manchester Transport and he explained the various help that is available to assist a person to arrive at their interview for a job on time. For many unemployed making that journey is a momentous thing to do.  

2.    Jesus went on and gave the example of building a tower. Before starting to build  the tower at the planning stage to make sure he has enough funds to complete it. 
The Jobs Club is something that we are looking into at our next Pastoral Committee. On the practical side of running a Job’s Club there is a financial outlay, which for us ties in with our ‘Jigsaw Stewardship Campaign’ in two weeks time. It is an opportunity to take afresh look at our financial giving to the work of making Christ known in our community and of our commitment to the building up of our church. 

The blessings that the church at Oldham have received.  Within a short period of 8 months 11 people have started in full time employment and 3 are currently on a training programme. 19 people have come to faith and have joined their church. 

St Mary’s has never been an inward looking church, it has always been outgoing with the Gospel, and on many occasions in mission working together in serving our Jesus our Lord and God.