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Lost and Found

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Luke 15: 11-32.

My sister Vicky was a bit of a rebel, my father would insist that was came home for 11pm and she always was later. She wouldn’t go to church with us and when she started to smoke cigarettes that didn’t go down well at all.

Jesus no doubt observed young people growing up with the constraints of Judaism. The law governed every aspect of their lives, dictating what they could eat, and they were not allowed to mix with none Jews.

Jesus portrait the youngest son dissatisfied and leaving his family home. His inheritance I see as being the Hebrew Scriptures that he was brought up with.

When he settled in another country, he met others of his own age and he got caught up in Gentile activities, pursuing pleasures that he was ashamed to even think of before.

God’s purpose – to show the people how the Pharisees and Lawyers were overburdening the people with their added laws to the law given to Moses by God.

The visual aid – the pig representing Gentile involvement in his life an unclean animal to the Jews. The pods I see as representing other religions: new age, witchcraft, occult,

There are many young people going to Universities who will find themselves being approached by students promoting eastern religions. For some they will expose themselves to practices and belief systems that they cannot get free from and spend years in their grip.

Other young people who are searching for God will explore the internet for religious faiths like Destiny Church, or Super Apostles, charismatic leaders who attract young people and lead them away from the truths of the Bible.

While some seeking the truth will return to their faith in Jesus.

Freedom of choice, free to invest our eternal life into what we believe is true.

Joshua 24: 14-18

Joshua asked the people to choose between the God of Israel and the Canaanite gods. 14 “Joshua said, “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. . . . . 16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”

They chose the God of Abraham.

The young man in the parable, when he found himself in a mess and struggling to cope with his situation, he suddenly realised that the true God had guided and upheld his family and so he turned back to the God of Israel and repented.

If we have taken any other religion on board when we were searching for God then we need to repent and renounce any involvement, even if it’s years ago.

Jesus in his parable was removing the constraints of the law, and bringing in the Gentiles.

The youngest son wasn’t punished by observing ritual cleansing, he was welcomed home. His father forgave him before they greeted one another on the road.

Sea Captain John Newton discovered God’s amazing grace and as a result wrote it down in his hymn.’” I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see . . and ‘How precious did that grace appear, when I first believed.”

The greatest celebration we can ever participate in is when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Scripture tells us that the angels celebrate this great event, a party in heaven.  Luke15: 7

The prodigal son received from his father a ring and festal garments, so we receive special garments.

Isaiah 61: 3.  “To grant to those who mourn in Zion – to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”

Isaiah prophesied.  We receive a crown, ‘a garland instead of ashes,’ a garland of forgiveness instead of sackcloth and ashes, Jesus said that his disciples needn’t fast while the bridegroom was with them. Mark 2: 19. ‘The oil of gladness instead of mourning,’ oil that makes our faces shine, reflecting our new-found joy. ‘The mantel of praise,’ clothes of fine linen, bright and clean and instead of a faint spirit, ‘oaks of righteousness,’ we shall stand tall and secure displaying God’s splendour. Isaiah  61: 3

The elder brother was the son or daughter who did what their father asked them to do, he worked on the farm and kept the Law.

Today the elder brother or sister is the Christian that’s reliable, strong in faith, who maybe didn’t have a Damascus road experience when they accepted Jesus as their Saviour,  but who simply experienced drawing near to God, James wrote “Draw near to God and He’ll draw near to you,”  and when asked to share their hope, they give the message that God loves you and forgives you when you turn to him in faith.James 4: 8

Prodigal in the dictionary: spending money recklessly.

Prodigal also means the person that has turned away from the faith for some reason and later returns to faith in Jesus.

Jesus reveals in this parable that the lord our God understands all our situations and when we are at a loss why some things happen to us. The Holy Spirit searches our heart and will encourage us to repent and turn back to God. Let’s rejoice that we are blessed with a wonderful Father who is thrilled and welcomes us home.

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The New Testament based on Better Promises than the Old Testament

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Job 19: 1-27 Hebrews 8 Luke 11: 1-13.

“Father, “ asked the village villain, “What would be the sciatica that I read about?” The parish priest saw his chance, “Ah,” he replied, “You may well ask. A most painful and incurable infliction and it comes of loose living and bad ways. Those get sciatica who neglect their religious duties, and go after the drink, and lead lives of dissipation.” “I’m very grateful to you, father he replied, and I’m glad to know about the sciatica, for I have just read how his Lordship the Bishop is suffering from a severe attack of it.”   “Smile Please” Phil Mason                                                    

Just as the priest was embarrassed I think Job was embarrassed by his predicament

Job described how he felt when he was brought to the edge of despair; his body was full of inflamed soars and swellings. His three friends only furthered his agony by saying he needed to repent of his sin. But Job insisted that he hadn’t sinned. In verse 27 his faith in God is such that he sees that in his flesh he will see God on the last day.

 “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth, 26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19: 25-27

Job would have been delighted with the New Covenant with the promise to know his redeemer lives in this life; before death.

In the letter to the Hebrews the New Covenant having better promises than the old covenant.

Hebrews 8: 6  “But Christ has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent than the old covenant as the new covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted, to make into law, on better promises.”

Jesus as high priest of God, he offered the final sacrifice of his blood, as a result he mediates for us directly to the throne of God our Father.   No longer going through the priesthood with its rituals and sacrifices.

Jesus revealed God to his disciples as their Father, they heard conversations that Jesus had with the Jews.

John 5: 19 “Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but what he sees the father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise, For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.”

So he made it known that he was the Son of God. in touch with his Father in heaven.

In our Gospel reading the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. So he directed them to pray to their Father in heaven. To simplify the prayer he told them a story.

“You needed a loaf of bread for a friend visiting, and you called upon your friend who had gone to bed, to supply him with the bread, because of your persistence he responded and gave you the bread.” 

Two things: The Friend who had gone to bed was God,

Secondly: nothing that concerned the disciples was trivial to God, so they should be persistent in prayer. This applies to us Jesus is never too busy to respond to our prayers.

As we look at the prayer:

“Father, hallowed be your name, thy kingdom come.” The disciples revered God but couldn’t enter into the promise of the coming kingdom until after Jesus had established the New Covenant.

They entered into the kingdom in Christ through Jesus sacrifice being the end of the Law given to Moses by God.

A better Covenant “And forgive us our sins,” Father God has supplied us with Jesus the living, unleavened bread that came from heaven that is pure, and sinless. Jesus paid the price for our sins forgiven by laying down his life. A better promise we pass over from death as a result of the resurrection and enter into new and eternal life.

J John writes, “God brings people into deep waters not to drown them but to cleanse them.”

The next line has an interesting refection on the words

 “For we ourselves forgive all those indebted to us.”

We apply this first to ourselves, we may feel indebted to God for what Jesus has done for us, but God doesn’t hold us to account by being obliged to show gratitude. For his grace, and mercy has released us completely.

Jesus renews us daily as we feed on his word. John 6: 63 “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.” His blood constantly flows from his throne of grace to forgive us when we do sin. 1 John 1: 9 “But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”   

These words applied to a third party, “For we ourselves forgive all those indebted to us”   God left on Jesus’ resurrected body the marks of the cross; the nail holes and where the spear was driven into his heart. They are there to remind us of the cost of forgiveness and the healing that took place when God raised Jesus from the dead.

We are called to forgive, and release those who may feel guilty of their sin against us, who are in debt to us. “Lead us not into temptation.” We are not to bear grudges.                  

Dave Barry says, “The best way to knock off a chip on another person’s shoulder is to pat him on the back.” and so we should release them.

In our reading the covenant promise of the Holy Spirit

Jesus only wants his children to receive the Holy Spirit, ask and you shall receive. The Holy Spirit continues Jesus’ ministry, Jesus said, “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine; and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 16: 14, 15.

The Holy Spirit acts on our concerns, compassion for people. I meet people whose lives are disfigured often brought on by taking drugs. Several years later, they realise that they made a bad choice, they find themselves on a roundabout, a treadmill of addiction and they need help to change their life.

John came on our Alpha course he had been a drug addict, he spent a lot of time in prison, he said that he trusted no one. But he found out that God loved him. God spoke to him as he was about to take his life. Several weeks later he was still amazed that God loves him. He had spoken with Christians at the hostel and accepted Jesus as his Saviour and now he wanted to learn about God through Jesus by coming on the Alpha course.

John told me that he was still unsure if he could put his trust in God.

We know that the Spirit will lead him into all truth, just as Jesus revealed the Father and he can take God and trust his word found in scripture.

As John continues on his journey with Christ the Holy Spirit will gradually lead him into all truth; revealing spiritually good things concerning Jesus, that will strengthen and build him up to trust God. He will receive assurance by being risen with Christ and to know his nature has been transformed, he will feel how God the Father feels about sin because the commandments are written in his heart.

He will know that Jesus is God made visible in the flesh and that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the living word of God and many more wonderful things to know about our Lord God shown to us by the Holy Spirit.

The words in the next hymn reflect John’s heart for God.

“Abba, Father, let me be yours and yours alone.”

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The World cannot discern the things of God.

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   2 Sam 11: 26 – 12: 13 John 6:: 24-35.

Last week the crowd had recognised Jesus as their prophet and king. This was as a result of the amazing miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 plus the women and children. The crowd would have taken Jesus by force to make him their king, but this would have been rebellion against the Sanhedrin and God.

Jesus knew that this was wrong and slipped away by himself up on a mountain. The religious fever was coming from head knowledge the spirit of the world rather than the Spirit of God. They were under law the Holy Spirit fell on people for particular tasks under law.

Catchphrases

The world cannot understand the things of God without the Holy Spirit.

A stitch in time saves nine –sewing up a small tear with one stitch saves nine stitches when the tear gets bigger.

What it means in relation to our reading many people having had the incentive (worldly) by witnessing the feeding of the 5,000 afterwards they went searching for Jesus seeking signs.

The crowd arrived at Capernaum and they found him and in the conversation that followed Jesus said that they had not understood the miracle in the way God had intended. They took it upon themselves to make him their king and they had satisfied their hunger eating the food, but they were to look for the food that would last for eternity.

Romans 8: 5 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” 

In our Old Testament reading, the prophet Nathan gave a message to King David in the form of a story that reflected God’s displeasure over his adultery with Bathsheba and his cruel plot to send Uriah her husband to his death on the battle field.

The rich man had a lot of sheep and herds. Poor man had nothing, but one ewe lamb. It grew up with him and his family, it was the family pet.

The rich man rather than take a sheep from his own flock to feed a visitor took the poor man’s sheep.

In response to Nathan’s story David’s reaction he was angry at the rich man taking the pet lamb when he had herds of his own. David would have the rich man restore fourfold under law because he had no compassion.2 Samuel 12: 5,6.

Nathan told David that he was the rich man in the story. David saw his wrongdoing, but he couldn’t discern it for himself without the Holy Spirit revealing it to him. Romans 8: 7. “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.”

There’s an advert on the telly for Finnish dishwasher tablets. which uses a Christian song to sell their product, “This little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine,”

We know it means this little light  shining in us, is Jesus. But  the world doesn’t understand its meaning, the world cannot discern the things of God.

The crowd in John 6: 28 this conversation asked him, ”What must we do?” some had realised their wrongdoing in wanting to force Jesus to be King in a way that wasn’t lawful.

Jesus replied, “What God wants you to do, is to believe in the one he has sent.”

The message is for today

  • God wants people to believe in Jesus, to accept him by faith as our Saviour King.:

We put our faith in people like: the doctor we go with our complaint and believe that he will diagnose and treat our problem with the right medication, so faith in Jesus is to believe that he is the true way to find God, and in him is eternal life.

  • Jesus is the Heavenly Bread that satisfies our hunger and thirst for God.

Jesus said that he was the ‘Bread of life’ and in the conversation that followed he declared that “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” and to the Jews hearing this it was sacrilege, cannibalism, they didn’t understand and some of his own followers turned away. John 6: 47, 54, 66.

Mark records in his gospel that Jesus had declared to his disciples that all foods were clean and it was what came from their heart that defiled a person. Mark 7: 19.

Jesus sacrifice was the end of foods that they were not allowed to eat under law, and also for every sin against God and its causes, so we know it was by the sacrifice of his body and blood he made foods clean in his resurrected body and we have forgiveness of our sins.

 We remember what he has done for us in his life laid down by sharing the bread and wine at our communion service these are symbols of Jesus’ wonderful victory over sin and death.

Jesus revealed that the eternal heavenly bread is in fact his words: In verse 63 in gave understanding 63 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.

The Holy Spirit had acted upon Jesus’ words.

When he took the bread and fish and blessed it, the Holy Spirit then miraculously satisfied their hunger by providing the bread and fish.

Later on in Jesus’ ministry he informed his disciples about the Holy Spirit’s coming into the world to continue his ministry with them. Jesus said, “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine; and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 16: 14, 15

At Pentecost that these words of Jesus were acted upon by the Holy Spirit. Peter told them that Jesus was the Messiah and God in his foreknowledge had allowed Jesus to die on the cross and God had raised him from the dead as King David had prophesied.” Acts 2: 25-28. Psalm 16: 8-11.

The crowd responded saying, “What shall we do? Just as they had said to Jesus in our reading in John 6, but now there was a difference, the coming of the Holy Spirit enabled them to discern the Spirit of God from the spirit of the world satisfying their hunger and thirst for God.                                                            

Jesus thirsted for God on the cross while he was separated from God. He cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27. 46 and in John 19: 28, 29. “After this Jesus knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil scripture), “I thirst” they took a sponge  full of vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth.”

It wasn’t that Jesus needed a drink, at that moment he was bearing the sins and the causes of sin, all that separated us from God, he was spiritually separated from God and he thirsted for God.

In his resurrection Jesus’ was united with his Father and the Holy Spirit.

The people  listening to Peter now they understood, the Holy Spirit was present convicting them of their sins. Peter said, if they would repent and be baptised they would receive forgiveness of their sins and the Holy Spirit. They were washed by the water of the word. Ephesians 5: 26

Today the world cannot understand the things of God or live according to his word, unless the Holy Spirit is present in people’s lives.

We, his people are empowered by Holy Spirit and appointed by Jesus to bear fruit. The fruit of the kingdom is for people to come to faith in Jesus.. We must not be afraid of receiving or being refreshed by the Holy Spirit. God loves us and wants us to understand the things that belong to his kingdom.

Prayer

Lord God, We have called to mind in our worship the things we have said that have grieved your Holy Spirit, so through repentance and forgiveness,  please refresh and renew us by our faith in Jesus with the Holy Spirit to discern  the Spirit of God from the spirit of the world.. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Salt and Light

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Children’s spot:

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5: 13

So what’s good about salt?

It’s good on fish and chips, salt brings out the flavour.

Salt preserves food like meat and bacon.

It’s a medicine, salt and water is a good mouth wash. A salt water rinse eases pain from canker sores by gently reducing the alkalinity (and subsequently bacteria)  in the mouth.

A grain of salt – a little bit of truth in a story.

 A pinch of salt –  doubt a person’s word.

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5: 13

A Christian who is honest and truthful, whose word is reliable and keeps God’s Commandments as they are written in the heart.

  1. 1. God must be first in your life. He is more important than your computer, car, mobile, TV. Even friends or anything else you can think of.
  2. We worship the One God and He made the world and everything in it.
  3. Do not dishonour God by using angry or bad words. You should only use God’s name when you are talking to Him or about Him
  4. Always remember the Lord’s Day Sunday and it should be spent with God and your family
  5. Always honour your parents by obeying them. Helping them without being asked and spending time with them.
  6. 6. Always respect life and the lives of others. God gave us life and it is a great gift.
  7. “Marriage” is a for ever promise between a husband and a wife. Married people should respect their sacred union and stay faithful to each other.
  8. Do not steal, cheat or take things that do not belong to you. It is harmful God wants us to respect the rights of others.
  9. Always tell the truth, it hurts others if we lie and say  bad things about other people.
  10. Always be grateful for our life, family, and the home we have and not to be jealous of what other people have. Remember to thank God every day.

2 Sam 11: 1-15 John 6: 1-21

Prayer “Your Word is a lamp to our feet a light to our path”

“Four business men, pillars of their local church, were chatting after dinner one evening. The conversation turned to the subject of honesty and each agreed in turn to reveal their secret weaknesses to one another.

First:               “When I’m away from home I sometimes visit dubious nightclubs.”

Second          “Although people think I I’m teetotal I sometimes have a drink on the sly.”

Third:              “No one knows, but I have a real gambling problem. I can’t keep away from the betting shop.”

Fourth:           “Your not going to like this. I’m a dreadful gossip.”

‘Smile Please’ Phil Mason.

I wonder if the disciples felt guilty they had eaten their own food hence the twelve empty baskets, so when Jesus asked them to provide for the people they were concerned that they hadn’t enough money to buy bread for everyone. Andrew had found a lad who had 5 barley loaves and two fish, he said, ”But what are they among so many?” Jesus told his disciples to divided the crowd into groups of 50, small communities. Jesus took the bread and fish and gave thanks to God and a miracle took place before their eyes a huge amount of bread and fish appeared.

In John 16: 14 Jesus said, “All that the Father has is mine,” and here he used the resources available to him from his Father.

The disciples took the bread and fish and fed everyone present, with 12 baskets left over, showing the generosity of God.

Earlier this morning, I saw this account as the pouring out of God’s Spirit at Pentecost. (50 days after Passover)

The conversation in those groups when they heard about Jesus providing this food by performing a miracle, the excitement and joy must have been amazing.

Through the feeding of the 5,000, many were enlightened and recognised him as their prophet and King. In verse 14 they described as ‘the prophet who was to come into the world’ and in verse 15  they wanted to make him their king.

The word of the Psalmist was fulfilled when Jesus fed the people:                    Psalm 132: 15-18.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.

17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself  his crown will shed its luster.” RSV Bible

God’s purpose – Jesus fulfilled every prophecy about himself

Standing among the crowd Jesus knew their thoughts and saw their body language, their excitement was gaining momentum they had witnessed a miracle and they wanted to make him their King

,Verse 15 “Perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, and make him their King, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” John 6: 15

So he withdrew went away on his own to the mountain. Jesus knew it was wrong of the people to want to make him their king by insurrection, which was rebellion against the Sanhedrin and God.

On the 8th July Chris spoke of King David’s followers taking revenge on his enemies thinking that they were doing God’s will.

Here perhaps they were thinking in the same way they were doing God’s will or they wanted to shame their leaders into accepting Jesus as the King.

But taking him by force, giving him no choice, they would have led him to break the law to acquire position and power that of a King.

King David used his position and power to conspire against Uriah the husband of Bathsheba, David had an unlawful relationship with Bathsheba and as a result she was with child.  He sent Uriah home to sleep with wife but Uriah was an honourable man he couldn’t enjoy the benefits of his position while his men where on the duty on the front line of the battle against the Ammonites.

God saw the heart of King David and was displeased. Whereas, Jesus’ heart wouldn’t allow him to covet position and power by the rebellion of the people.

The Psalmist’s prophecy verse 17. The translation in the Good News Bible v 17 “Here I will make one of David’s descendants a great King: here I will preserve the rule of my chosen King.”

The kingship that was given to King David was for ever

2 Chronicles 13: 5 “Ought you to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel for ever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt.”

Salt covenants, salt was a symbol of the eternal duration of the covenant.

Jesus fulfilled this prophecy; he was born a king, the wise men from the East came to Herod and asked, “Where is he born King of the Jews?” Jesus died a King. The plaque on the cross bore the title, “The King of the Jews.”

Only this King a descendant of King David God raised from the dead to  establish Jeremiah’s prophecy of the New Covenant, 31: 33, 34

God says, “I will put my law within them and write it upon their hearts . . . and they all shall know me, from the least to the greatest says the Lord; for I will forgive their sins and I will remember their sin no more.”

Jesus established the New Covenant in his life laid down for the sins of the world, through faith our nature is transformed to feel how God feels about sin. But when we do fall, “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1: 9

Heavenly Bread not touched by humanity. We cannot add (salt) anything to the New Covenant it is complete

Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Corinth that Jesus was ‘The unleavened bread of sincerity and truth’,  1 Corinthians 5: 8

Jesus the heavenly bread of life came to earth from heaven pure and sinless, to be broken and scattered from the Passover table across the world. 

In Christ we are the salt of the earth.

Sir Cliff Richard a person you would describe as ‘the salt of the earth’ his music has brought the light of the Gospel to millions of people. His life over 4 years has been under the spotlight, but the truth can stand being scrutinised. Telegraph recorded his comments:

“Even though I was under pressure to ‘speak out’, other than to state my innocence, which was easy for me to do as I have never molested anyone in my life, I chose to remain silent.” 

So like Jesus Cliff was silent before his accusers and innocent of the charges brought against him.

However, Matthew 5: 13 Jesus said, those who lose their saltiness and will be trodden under the foot. Sadly, the former Bishop of Gloucester Peter Ball was convicted of historical sex abuse.

The Lord calls us to be ‘salt and light’ in a very dark world, our lives are scrutinised judged by the world and brought to the light of God’s Commandments. The Commandments are a real powerful force in the world.

We are a heavenly people the commandments are written in the heart and we are accountable to them.

Prayer

Father God, may our words be always seasoned with salt and please help to walk in the light of your commandments, so that we may stand for Jesus in boldness and in truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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Jesus Releases us from Fear

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1 Sam 17: 32 – 50 Mark 4: 35- end

Bush Tucker Trials

I’m a celebrity, ‘Get me out of here!’

Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas came face-to-face with some of his worst fears.        He has admitted that his list of biggest fears include “bugs, spiders and cockroaches crawling all over my head.”

The challenge for the bush tucker trial;

Drink –    A delicious ‘Earthworm/Cockroach Shake’BT Trial 2

It contains apple juice, green food colouring, and melted marshmallows.                 (With a plastic cockroach.)

In our reading David wasn’t afraid to make a stand for Israel, to confront Goliath. He had been prepared by God to do the business. His training in the field among the sheep, he trusted God to deliver him from the lion’s mouth when he rescued the lambs in his flock from the lions. He knew his strength was in his sling shot, he had practised it defending his sheep from wild bears. He wasn’t afraid and it worked he killed Goliath and God was glorified.

Finding Stars Amongst the Slimy WormsBT Trial 3
Spaghetti, oil, food colouring, spiders, cockroaches, giant ants… (none real, unfortunately), feel for the stars, not knowing what else was in there. It was the FEAR!  Find a stars

But the disciples in the boat on Galilee in a storm were afraid of being sunk. They looked to Jesus to save them, Jesus wouldn’t be afraid. Jesus stilled the storm and their fear.

Third Trial – Box containing locusts and spidersBush tucker trial

Standing inside the box, the locusts are poured into the box, find the stars among the creepy crawlies .OOOOOOh aaaaaahhhh!

How many stars collected 7

We often develop fears at an early age, these fears we might term as being Goliath’s in our lives. Going to the dentist was my fear for a long time, I used to give myself a treat after going, so I could look forward to that, and when I took my children I took them for a treat after they had been. My fear shaped their lives.

Jesus releases us from fear, he healed me of that fear nineteen years ago, at an evening healing service at St John’s Baxenden, a lady on the row in front of me said that she had a pain in her left upper jaw and asked if anyone present had a similar pain.  I put my hand up, they prayed for me in faith, to release me from the pain. It worked not only did the pain go, but later I discovered the fear of going to the dentist went with that prayer.

The disciples were afraid of the turbulent waters so they woke Jesus up they were terrified that the boat would sink beneath them and they would all drown.

Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”

Mark records how their faith grew after that storm: they had witnessed Jesus healing many people, and he sent them out in his authority with the message of the Kingdom and to heal the sick. Then we read Peter’s faith had grown to the extent he had faith to get out of the boat and take a few steps walking on the water.

God may want us to step out of the security of where we are, to do something for Jesus led by the Holy Spirit. God gave his disciples the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who would be with them when he wasn’t there, to still the storms in their lives.

Jesus had only been with his disciples for a short time, but the Holy Spirit would be with them forever. Jesus was going away and the Holy Spirit would be with them. God had faith in Jesus when he was sent to us to redeem us from sin, Jesus had faith in Holy Spirit to continue his work with his disciples. All three have put their faith in us, who believe in them, to tell people the good news about Jesus.

The Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives made them fearless.

Genesis 1: 2. The fearless bold Holy Spirit, “The earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the power of God, (the Holy Spirit) was moving over the waters.” Good News Bible

So we like the disciples have received the fearless  and bold Holy Spirit. He is continually teaching and revealing Jesus to us and by his tender, compassionate leading, he will help us to walk with God and release us from fear.

 In Acts 4: 13. The disciples Peter and John were arrested and came before the members of the Sanhedrin for questioning, they  were amazed to see these uneducated men Peter and John boldly witnessing Jesus’ resurrection.

First Bush Trucker Trial

God has called us to be fearless

  1. How bold and fearless Stephen was to drink the delicious Cockroach shake

Roosevelt said, “There is nothing to fear, but fear itself,” which means fear makes things worse.                                                

Many of those who come to the Job Club have genuine fears of the result of not having a job, they worry over paying bills, buying clothes and food.

Some are ashamed of their circumstances and take it as they feel inadequate and useless. They have only the Social Services and the doctor to turn to for help.

But we have to offer them the good news in times of crisis to turn to Jesus for God’s help: like the disciples who turned to Jesus when the waves were crashing over the sides of their boat.

The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to comfort, and release us from our fears. Perfect love casts out fear, the Holy Spirit disarms fear. The Holy Spirit fills that empty space within us,  like the earth it was empty and desolate he turned darkness into light working with the word- when God said Let there be light and there was light.

 God wants to fill that empty space within us, with the Spirit of God’s love.

Our Second Bush Tucker Trial

Sue’s hand searching for the stars among the slimy worms and insects in the bowl these represented   the people who are searching to find the meaning of life and they can’t  find their way, they need our help

In our third bush trucker trial the fear of insects and flies.

In some countries a swarm of locusts is bad news, these flies eat the crops and the farmer can’t do anything about it, so there is a real fear of a swarm of locusts.

Joel the prophet relates the swarm of locusts to the last days Joel Chapter 2: 6 – 11.

Joel the prophet saw a vast army describing them like the locusts in their swarms blocking out the light, from the sun, moon and stars coming against Israel and then he saw the Messiah coming and defeating this vast army.

The disciples assumed that this was imminent then, they had the evidence the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost they witnessed to strangers on the street about Jesus, and were able to communicate by speaking to them in their own language.

Joel wrote about the Bridegroom had yet to leave his room and the Bride her chamber. The Lord being the Bridegroom which Jesus spoke about in his parable the ten virgins, but what the disciples didn’t realise that the Bride was not Israel. Verse 16. The Bride is the church, and had its beginning at Pentecost. Matthew 25:1-13

Today the powers of darkness will try to block out the light of Christ’s body, the church.

The Holy Spirit releases us from the fear of death and helps us to stand for the truth about Jesus and make him known

Through his fearless church.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we lift to your throne of grace the Church the Bride of Christ. Will the Church be ready for the Bridegroom’s call? Help us by raising up Watchmen and women, intercessors to alert your people to be ready for his call. In Jesus’ name.

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Christians Together in Haslingden – The Miracle of the Iron Axe Head

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2 Kings 6: 1-7

A Police car pulled up in front of grandma Bessie’s house and grandpa got out. The Policeman explained that the elderly gentleman had got lost in the park and couldn’t find his way home. “Morris” said grandma, “You’ve been going to the Park for 30 years, how come you got lost today? Leaning close to grandma, he whispered “I wasn’t lost I got too tired to walk home.”

He ran out of steam, he had  to find an alternative way to get home.

Things were going well for Elisha, he had an amazing ministry, he had received the mantle from Elijah, the prophetic anointing and was full of the Holy Spirit, miracles and people being healed were a regular occurrence. He had compassion for people: like the widow the wife of one of the prophets, since her husband’s death she had been reduced to poverty, her creditor had come to take her two children as slaves.  Elisha instructing the widow to collect as many empty jars as she could and pour from her jar of oil fill the jars. A miracle occurred, the jar never emptied and produced enough oil to release her from the creditor and more than enough to live on. Elijah helped her on several more situations Elisha a very caring man. 

In our reading the number of prophets had grown, so much so that the place where they lived was too small.

Elisha gave permission for some of the men to build a bigger house. We read that they were felling the trees by the Jordon, when one of the men lost his axe head it fell off into the water. He knew where it had fallen in, but he was alarmed and dismayed as this axe didn’t belong to him, so he told Elisha.

The tool would be looked upon as valuable, the means to make things from wood.

So its loss would be costly to replace, and the man probably couldn’t afford to replace it.

The man was left with the handle that was no use to him.

The combination of the axe head and its’ handle becoming one.

This was like Elijah and Elisha, Elijah had chosen Elisha to take up the prophetic authority to succeed him. Elisha had said that he would never leave his side. When they reached the Jordon River, Elijah with his mantle struck the water and the water parted, they walked together across on dry ground.

Elijah asked Elisha what he could do for him, before he left him to go to heaven. Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. Elijah’s reply, “You will receive it if you see me as I am being taken away from you; if you don’t see me, you won’t receive it.” 2 Kings 2; 10      He did see Elijah taken up into heaven and he received his prophetic authority and they parted.

When Elisha heard the man’s dilemma, he took a stick and threw it on to the water above where the axe head had fallen in, the iron axe head came up to the surface, it’s a picture of Jesus’ Baptism – the stick- the cross, the axe head falling and rising Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The man collected it out of the water and he no doubt attached it to the handle.

Elijah will return and take up his prophetic authority in Rev 11 it is thought that he is one of the 2 witnesses. Matthew 11: 13. Malachi 4: 5. The other person his name not mentioned in Revelation, but the point I’m making  the handle and the axe head coming back together in that he will fulfil his calling.

Holy Spirit is not inherited

Since Pentecost the Holy Spirit is not inherited from another person; we receive the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus. God had faith in Jesus to be our Saviour. Jesus had faith in the Holy Spirit to continue his ministry teaching, guiding his disciples and us.

If like the man if we find ourselves in a crisis losing sight of what the Lord’s gift to us in ministry.

We may have gone through a time where it’s been hard going, the enemy has tried to distract us or hinder our work and we may have lost the sharp edge our ministry, the LORD will restore us through his love and grace .

Timothy was reminded by Paul to rekindle the gift that he had received from the laying on of his hands. He wouldn’t have written this if Timothy’s gift of evangelism was being used by him, maybe, his sharp cutting edge of being bold had been undermined by his youthful shyness or the constant arguments coming from the Jewish coverts who were still under law.

So like Timothy we can have a fresh start and like the axe head rising up coming to the surface to fulfil its’ work, and once again be a sharp cutting tool for God.

Through the Holy Spirit’s ministry we can expect miracles, especially finding a person who is lost and needs our help to find God.

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The Comforter, the Holy Spirit

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1-Diamond ring       A diamond can be cut to have many facets.

The facet catches the light from within and without  of the diamond and it sparkles. The Lordship of the Holy Spirit has many facets which capture the light of the Spirit’s ministry.

The first contact we have with the Holy Spirit is when he is reaching out to people, for many it’s when we are faced with life changing events that happen in our life, and these can prepare us for when the time when the Holy Spirit acts in conjunction with God and the word Jesus, on a person’s faith in him as a result we come to know God.

Jesus said he would send the Comforter into the world

Jesus said, “ I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him or knows him, you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you” John 14: 15 – 17.

Jesus had only been with his disciples for a short time, but the Holy Spirit would be with them forever.   Where Jesus was seen and heard and people followed him , the Holy Spirit cannot be seen or heard by the majority of people, those who turn to Jesus come to know the reality of the Holy Spirit and his ministry.

At Pentecost the promise of the Holy Spirit’s coming was realised. “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2: 33.

The great exchange.

Jesus said to his disciples that he was leaving them and he would send the Holy Spirit to comfort them, to teach them, also bring his words to their remembrance. The Holy Spirit would give them guidance, revelation and administrate the wealth of Jesus and Father God.

He is the Spirit of truth, he will act on the truth of Jesus’ words, “All that the Father has is mine, therefore I said that he will take of mine and declare it to you.” John 16: 15. Paul writing to the Ephesians pointed to the wealth of Jesus.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”

“That in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 1: 3. 2: 7 Matthew 19: 29.

Jesus had total faith in the Holy Spirit to continue his work with his disciples. Just as God had faith in Jesus to complete the task he had called him to do: to redeem humanity from unbelief and the devil’s power over death to give us eternal life  and become children of God. John 17: 4. Hebrews 2: 14.

The Holy Spirit will convict people of sin in the light of God’s righteousness according to Christ’s gospel, love fulfils the law of Christ. God’s love forgiving us our sins making peace with God. Those who believe are justified through faith in Jesus. Romans 5: 1 “Therefore we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Holy Spirit will be made known to us by his presence within.

Jesus’ baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove, the Spirit could relate to Jesus because of being from the same Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit revealed to John the Baptist that Jesus was the Lamb of God. The nature of Jesus was that of a lamb, which speaks in Biblical terms of gentleness, purity and selflessness.

For us to have the nature of the lamb of God it’s necessary to acknowledge God being the Father of Jesus, and Jesus’ selfless act of dying for our sin, and being able to redeem us through the purity of his blood

For those who ask Jesus into their life, they will be guided into all truth by the Holy Spirit.

It may take time in study and prayer before we realise that a great exchange took place when Jesus left the Holy Spirit in his place.    Ask the Holy Spirit to come into your life and he will reveal the truth about God and Jesus’ birth, his ministry, his death on the cross, his resurrection, and ascension and his own coming into the world and his ministry to reveal and glorify Jesus. Jesus has total victory over the principalities and powers that are at work in the world and in the heavenly places . The Holy Spirit working with us and in us will apply the Lord’s victory. 

The Holy Spirit bearing the sword.

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The Holy Spirit looks at the thoughts and intentions of the heart of every person. The word of God is what he stands by, “For the word of God is living and active sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4: 12,13. Ephesians 6: 17.

Jesus in the temptations in the wilderness was tempted by the devil. The devil’s intentions by using the word of God was to try and penetrate the Spirit of Jesus. If he had succeeded the devil would have compromised the Word of God and power in the Word and Spirit of Jesus.

Jesus fasting and praying in the Spirit was able to withstand the devils attempts and he emerged out of the wilderness in the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke 4: 14.

The Lord Holy Spirit will help and guide us in applying Jesus’ victory.

The Holy Spirit is God’s personal representative on the earth, the Lordship of Jesus is worked out by the Lordship of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit dwells with us, among the Lord’s people. He is serving, ministering to our needs bringing contentment, peace, acknowledging our part in serving the Lord.

The Holy Spirit’s ministry among us

Praying in the Spirit we bring our concerns before the Lord. Recently in my prayers I’ve been asking and seeking to know more about the ministry of the Holy Spirit the Lord had answered my request.

At the end of May we were on holiday for a week at Scargill the Christian Community and Conference Centre, Kettlewell, Yorkshire. On the Wednesday during the night  I awoke to find my thoughts were asking to know more about the Holy Spirit’s ministry? Then in the Spirit I saw the Spirit in the form of a butterfly gently moving from room to room ministering to the people in the rooms and then he came to me in our room, I experienced my spirit reaching out to meet the Holy Spirit. It was a pleasant experience.

In the morning when I thought about what had taken place, I questioned, “The Holy Spirit in the form of a butterfly?”

I attended the 8.00 Morning Prayer in the chapel the talk focused on the Holy Spirit, the lady speaking referred to the Holy Spirit’s unusual activity, he works in a variety of ways: he ministers through music, people seeing something of God in nature.

Her talk pointed to what I had experienced that night and after the service I shared it with her and she recognised a butterfly in the resurrection of Jesus. The metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly is a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. During the process of transformation, the chrysalis experiences darkness and constriction inside the cocoon. It emerges from the darkness a butterfly.

After the metamorphosis of Jesus which had taken place, in the tomb, the transforming of the appearance of Jesus meant that his disciples didn’t recognise him, it was seeing the marks of the crucifixion in his resurrected body that convinced them.

The Holy Spirit glorifies God and Jesus.

We are familiar with the butterfly silently fluttering its’ wings moving from flower to flower. In the same way I saw in the Spirit the gentle, peaceful way he moved from room to room. Ministering to the restless heart of the day’s activities, quietening the soul and strengthening the weak and feeble heart and perhaps stirring, motivating  the passive into action.

I’ve been blessed, comforted by this experience and I’ve been able to put the Lordship of the Holy Spirit in his rightful place. I understand more deeply about his ministry.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

By faith I invite the person of the Holy Spirit to bring the fullness of his entire person and my Lord’s work into all areas of my being. I ask the Holy Spirit to fill my mind, my will and my emotions with his control. I choose for him to bring all parts of my being into wholeness and submission to the Lordship of Christ. I give my body in all of its parts and appetites to the Holy Spirit’s control and transformation. I desire that he enable my spirit to be in fellowship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit throughout this day. I offer up this prayer to the heavenly Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with thanksgiving. Amen.

Study from Bible and  YouTube Derek Prince ‘The Ministries of the Holy Spirit’

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The Church, the Bride

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Joel 2: 21-32. Acts 2: 14-21.

On Saturday millions of people watched on TV the marriage of Harry and Meghan in St George’s Chapel Windsor.  In a marriage a couple learn to love and trust one another.

Putting our faith and trust in Jesus is like:  Blondin the tight rope walker walked across Niagara Falls many times. One of his feats was to wheel a wheel barrow on a tight rope across Niagara. He asked if anyone would like to sit in the wheel barrow while he wheeled it across, no one watching in the crowd volunteered. His mother had faith and trusted him and she was wheeled across Niagara Falls on the tight rope.

It’s that kind of faith we have in Jesus, but Peter the disciple lost his faith for a short period, it diminished when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and taken to Caiaphas the Chief Priest’s house. In the court-yard Peter denied knowing Jesus three times and there is no account of him being at the cross. His relationship with Jesus was broken.

Joel 2.12 speaks about returning to the Lord, “Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful.”

After Jesus’ resurrection the angel at the tomb told Mary to tell Peter that Jesus was risen. Peter saw Jesus on the same day of his resurrection and later Jesus spoke to Peter and asked him three times, “Do you love me” the same number as Peter had denied him, Peter replied. “You know I love you,” Jesus never let go of Peter; he never ceased to love him.

Faith looks to God to embrace us and never to let us go.

I’ve known people who have started out with Jesus and for one reason or another and have fallen away. But there is a way back.

I turned back to Jesus on Christmas Eve 1970 I decided I would be in Church on Christmas Eve next year because that’s what Christmas is really about. A year later I was in church having made a commitment at Louise’s baptism to take up my faith again.

At the ascension the disciples were told by the angel that Jesus would return their expectation of his coming must have been very real. Jesus had indicated he would return soon he had said, “There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” Mark 9: 1

Joel spoke of the gathering of the people and assembling of the elders. The bridegroom was about to leave his room and the bride her chamber. Joel 2: 16

Yesterday I watched the arrival of Harry the Bridegroom with His brother William his best man and 20 minutes later Megan his bride arrived at the church.

So the disciples were looking for the bridegroom to come, but first they had to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The disciples had faith in Jesus’ word that he would send the Holy Spirit into the world and he did at Pentecost.

What Peter didn’t understand that this is where the church, the bride came on the scene.

Jesus in his death paid the bride price or dowry, a covenant of betrothal with his bride the church.

However, Peter here realised that Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled, “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.” They had evidence, it was happening before their very eyes. Speaking to people in their native tongue without knowing the language they were speaking.

Today the Holy Spirit’s ministry is just as it was at Pentecost; to convict people of sin in the light of God’s righteousness according to Christ’s gospel and those who believe are justified, judged through their faith in Jesus for rewards. Those without faith in Jesus, fall under judgement on the last day.

Verse 21 “And it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The Holy Spirit acts on our faith and reveals Jesus to us; the Spirit’s manner of working is different, because we can’t see him as a person. His indwelling presence affects us, in our body language:

Peter was able to equate the effects of receiving the Holy Spirit with the appearance of men looking as if they were drunk, drunk in the Spirit.

There are other noticeable effects on the body; my sister was holding a child in her arms and was slain in the Spirit at Holly Bush Camp. The Holy Spirit ministered to her specifically in that way.

I’ve seen the Spirit’s love in people’s faces, I saw a halo of gold and white light around the head of Rev Ronald Freeman in a brightly lit room in the light, and I saw the word ‘Love’.

I’ve seen men and women’s faces glow with the Holy Spirit as they witnessed their faith about Jesus to me.

I’ve been rocked in my chair gently from side to side and the words that came to my mind formed the basis of my book ‘The Messiah’s Secret.’

He touches our emotions sometimes we are filled with compassion for someone and as a result of the Holy Spirit’s love we shed tears.

The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts among a body of believers.

He gives direction through dreams, and visions, this is where his presence within speaks in a visual way to our mind.

In our reading the prophecy in verses 19, 20  “I will show wonders in the heavens above  and signs on the earth below,  blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

Joel’s word of prophecy relates still to the future.

Jesus the bridegroom, the church is the bride, and the prophecy has still to be fulfilled where he leaves his room and the bride her chamber. It speaks of the calling out of the church to the marriage of the lamb.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19: 7

Yesterday, after the bride arrived the wedding took place and afterwards they waved to the crowd and went to the castle where the guests were gathered for the marriage supper.

 “And the angel said to me, “Write this, blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” Revelation 19:  9

Joel continued Israel will no longer be a reproach among the nations, “I will remove the ‘northerner’ far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land.” Joel 2: 16, 20.

After the wedding supper the Lord will come with his heavenly armies and defeat the beast, the Antichrist and the false prophet.  Joel described the Antichrist and his allies like the swarms of locust that darkened “The sun and the moon are darkened and the stars no longer shine, there are so many of them. They are like a mighty army drawn up for battle.”

The Lord says, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten, the great locusts and the young locusts the other locusts and the locusts swarm. 2: 25 The Antichrist will be defeated by Jesus and the heavenly armies.

The days of rejoicing will follow,”…..The Lord will satisfy you full; never again will I make you the object of scorn to the nations.” Joel 2: 19.

God’s love will never let Israel go; they will one day recognise Jesus as their Messiah.

Zechariah prophesied,   “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him.” Zechariah 12: 10.

His love will restore the fallen Christian; the temptations that will come our way may cause us to sin.

Paul wrote, “I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I have betrothed you to Christ to present you a pure bride to her one husband.” 2 Corinthians 11: 2

Jesus the lover of our soul will help us to walk right with God the Father, upheld by His Son and comforted by His Spirit.

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The Messiah’s Secret Revealed – Friends of God

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John 15: 9 – 15. Acts 10; 44 End

‘Facebook’ is a website where friendships are sought and friends are united. Some people have friendships that started at school and last a life time. Friends are those who know us and accept us for who we are.

Friends in the Bible.  We shared some of the accounts in the Bible were people had a friendship; Abraham’s friendship with God. Elijah with Elisha, Naomi and Ruth, John the Baptist and his disciples, Jesus and his disciples. etc

Whether we’re at school or in the work place, “A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.” Friendships can last a life time. In Proverbs 27: 10 it says, “Never abandon a friend . . either yours or your Father’s.”

Jesus called his disciples ‘friends,’ they believed in him, and he was teaching them to live, abiding, one with Him and putting into practice God’s love and word.

We’ve received the Spirit of love and the word through faith in Jesus.

An example of faith: The new Bank of England bank notes still have on them, “I promise to pay the bearer on demand five pounds.” With the chief cashiers name on it.

We believe the promised word on the bank-note. It comes with the knowledge that the Bank of England has the resources to cover that promise,

so when God says “Ask and you shall receive the Holy Spirit” we can have faith in God’s word, it is backed up with all of creation. 

We have the example of faith receiving the Holy Spirit through believing the word about Jesus in our Acts reading.

Gentile Cornelius and his family and friends heard about Jesus from Peter.

Peter was staying for a few days at his friend Simon’s home at Joppa by the sea-side. There he had a vision from God.

It was of a sheet with creatures on it descending from heaven.

We placed on a sheet toy animals and birds etc We then held the corners of the sheet and raised it up and down three times.

The story continued: Peter was given a word in the vision from God , “Rise, Peter, kill and eat.” Peter responded, “No Lord for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” While Peter was thinking about what this meant, three men came to the door asking for him. They told him about Cornelius’ vision and Peter knew that this was in connection with his vision, so he went with them.  Cornelius in anticipation of Peter’s arrival had gathered his family and close friends.

Verse 27 “And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered; 28 and he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

The Messiah’s Secret Revealed.   During Jesus’ ministry he had bestowed on Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven/God  At Pentecost Peter with a key opened the door of the kingdom to Israel, “Men of Judea,” “Men of Israel,” Acts 2: 14, 22.   Here in Acts 10 with a key he opened the door of the kingdom to the Gentiles. 

The vision that he had from God signified the removal of the barrier of the law that forbid a Jew to associate with a Gentile.   

We are especially thankful for Peter’s ministry to the Centurion Cornelius and his family and friends. We tend to think only of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles                                                                                           

Cornelius told Peter about his vision, “Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.’ 33 So I sent to you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

Peter then began to tell everyone about Jesus, “You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest; 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” 44 While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.

Verse 43 “To him the prophets had borne witness too that everyone who believes in him receive forgiveness of their sins through his name.” Up till them the message was to the Jews and Proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism)  Acts 2: 10, 14, 22, 29.

Everyone who believes and turns to Jesus receives forgiveness of sin and is saved and it’s not restricted to adults, children are included.

We can have faith in God’s word because Jesus word is truth and he has faithful fulfilled his word to us.

“I do not pray for these only (disciples) but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” Jesus’ prayer John 17: 20, 21

The Trinity are One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, they are three separate persons in their own right that are united in Spirit and Word.

Jesus’ prayer was  answered  Cornelius and his family and friends had heard the word from Peter and believed on their word about him. So for us we receive through the recorded word in the Gospels the Spirit of God’s love that abiding love and word that is our oneness with Jesus and unites the friends of Jesus.

“Beloved let us love one another; for love is of God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.” 1 John 4: 1

God’s love: is the Spirit of God and his love is all-embracing.

His love constantly reaching out to seeking the lost. The Lord has given to us his love to bring the lost to faith.

  • Love that gives freedom

God’s love has no boundaries it’s free from the law kept by rules. God writes His commandments in the heart. It is abhorrent to steal, to lie, etc sometimes we do fall into sin,  John says, “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just and Jesus will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1: 9

  • Love that is fearless

Love has no fear of death through Jesus conquering death. Many people including Christians suffer the effects of fear: they won’t leave the house, the anxiety of being in crowds, fear of rejection all kinds of fear.

Perfect love casts out fear, God’s Love disarms fear.

  • Abiding in God’s love.

God will act on his abiding  presence our oneness  with Jesus and his word. Jesus working in us, when we pray in the Spirit of God’s love, the things we ask for in prayer will come into being, materialise, like healing those fears.

God’s purpose in loving us is to share his love with our friends and part of that is like Peter telling them about Jesus.

God’s word

  • Jesus is the word of God revealed in the flesh. John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1: 1 He also wrote in his first letter, “We have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.”  1 John 1: 1                               Jesus’ is the word of God clothed in the flesh. Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.”
  • Abiding in Jesus, How do we abide? We read the scriptures and think about what it is saying to us, often the Lord will speak to us through his word, and the Holy Spirit will direct us how to act on the word.

Recently I read in Luke 8: 40 on-wards, the reading is about where the people had to wait for Jesus and as soon as he arrived Jairus asked Jesus to go with him and heal his seriously ill daughter, then a lady caused a delay, she had touched his garment and Jesus wanted to know who had touched him? The news came that Jairus’ daughter had died. But Jesus went just the same and he raised the little girl from the dead. What Jesus was saying to me through this word was about time management    I needed to re-organise my time, to have one day, ‘not preparing’ for the next days’ tasks, and it’s worked..

In our friendship with God our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit we have the assurance of belonging to the family of  God.

John wrote at the end of his third letter, “Peace be to you, the friends greet you, greet the friends, every one of them.

 Prayer

Lord we pray for your perfect love, releasing anyone here this morning from any aspect of fear. And for anyone who needs assurance that they belong to Jesus in Spirit one with Him. We ask that they would receive assurance. In Jesus’ name Amen

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Everlasting Peace

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Ladies Fellowship 18th April 2018

In the 1990’s leading up to the year 2000, we didn’t seem to think beyond that date. Today our world community of nations feels much smaller and closer that its’ ever been.

There are a number of different views on the scriptures concerning the second coming of Jesus, this view I’ve never looked at before. The everlasting peace agreement that God has promised Israel will be fulfilled after the Millennium battle when Satan is finally defeated.

Every one should have received two maps: the first one covers the nations that are mentioned in our reading Ezekiel 38: 1-6 and a sheet with the verses of scripture.

Ezekiel Chapters 38 & 39 were the last of 6 messages given to Ezekiel during the night. Ezekiel’s messages were to give assurance to the Israeli’s that God would remove the invaders from their land, and he will enter into a peace covenant with them.

Since 1948 Jewish people from across the world have gone to live in Israel.   Ezekiel 36: 24  In our generation we can relate to this scripture as this event takes place after the people of Israel have been gathered into their own land.                                                                                                     .

Ezekiel 38 & 39 has a double fulfilment of this prophecy

Firstly it takes place at the end of the tribulation period and the beginning of the Millennium where the Messiah’s coming with his armies defeats the beast  ‘Antichrist’and his armies Revelation 19: 19 “”And I saw a beast and the Kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who sits upon the horse and against his army, and the beast was captured and with it the false prophet.”

Secondly towards the end of the Millennium period after Satan will be released for a period of time and the final battle takes place against Gog Satan and Magog Revelation 20: 8.

A double prophecy: 2 events.

Jesus tells us “So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation spoken of through the prophet Daniel let the reader understand.” Matthew 24: 15.

Today we may well be in the end times  The words of Jesus tell us that in the last days we can identify Gog from where he comes from in the world and his allies, not all of the nations (world) are involved.                                                                   

Reading is on the sheet, you will see in bold today’s location, it’s found on the map. Ezekiel 38: 1-6  “The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog a ruler of, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of[a] Meshek and Tubal cities in Turkey.  prophesy against him 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[b] Meshek and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.5 Persia- Iran, Cush – Sudan or Etheopia and Put – Libya will be with them, all with shields and helmets,6 also Gomer- Turkey with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah – Turkey or Southern Russia from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.” (various theories on the location of some of these place names)Ezekiel_38_map

Gog the antichrist will reflect the spiritual nature of the evil one:  lies, accusations, manipulation, deception and is the enemy of God and humanity.

 Israel’s disobedience God allows Gog to invade Israel.

Verse 10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme.    After 52 years of Israeli’s living with the Palestinians to solve a huge problem of national security, the constant suicide bombings and threats of invasion. Israel’s leaders decided to build a wall in year 2000 Now a 436 mile long wall that runs through the centre of Israel and around Jerusalem

See map

The wall is the largest construction project ever undertaken by the nation, The leaders of Israel promised that the wall would bring  peace.  But it’s not a peace agreement that enables Israel to dismantle the wall they have built. It is God in his fury that will bring this about, His judgement on his people. God will use Gog to do this!   

Why does he do this?  Israel’s  trust is in a wall  

Therefore, it is unwise to predict a time of everlasting peace for Israel that will see them dismantle the wall through the country, but God will destroy it.

 God will show his sovereignty over Israel     

“Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? 15 You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army.” Ezekiel 38: 14, 15.                                

Where Israeli’s are unsuspecting and confident in their safety and security, while in reality a false perception. The Hebrew word “betach” as well as meaning safety, can mean having a false sense of security.                                 

Gog will attack Israel when they least expect it.

 “ . . shall quake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs will fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground.” Ezekiel 38: 20

The wall falls God has allowed this invasion by Gog and his allies to remove the wall that has divided his land.   God shows His sovereignty over the beast Gog and his allies are defeated.   

“So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation spoken of through the prophet Daniel let the reader understand.” Matthew 24: 15.                 

“Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 2 Thessalonians 2: 3.

“ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:  4 .

Rev 17:12 –14. 19: 11-16. Jesus and the armies of heaven defeat Gog the beast. Jesus will come with his heavenly armies and with him his church defeat the beast and his allies. The aftermath, the burial that takes 7 months and the destruction of Gog’s weapons takes 7 years,

”From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.” Rev 19: 15.

“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 them in pieces like a potters’ vessel.” Psalm 2:8

 The Messiah rules the nations for 1,000 years.

After the tribulation battle, Satan will be bound during the Millennium period. Revelation 21: 1

“So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 38: 23

The final battle against Satan Gog

 Revelation 20: 7, 8.  “When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them for battle; they are as numerous as the sands of the sea. 9 They marched up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.

Clearly John identifies Gog and Magog with Satan and this battle that takes place at Jerusalem.                                                                                                                       

Ezekiel 38: 11 “You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.”

At the end of the Tribulation period, the wall has gone, so there are no walls around the towns and cities in the Millennium period. It will be an ideal situation for Satan to attack Jerusalem. All the nations of the earth will come against Jerusalem, there’s no mention of a group of kings. Zachariah 14: 2.

The final battle will brings peace an everlasting peace to Israel

God will not leave any Israeli to live among the nations any more, “God says, “I will not let my name be profaned any more; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.” Ezekiel 39: 7.

God will show his sovereignty over Israel. 

“Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God . . . . I will leave none of them among the nations any more; and I will not hide my face any more from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 39:22.

The Millennium nations will be present to observe the destruction of Gog. before the Judgement takes place at the White  Throne.

We thank the Lord our God for the everlasting peace that he has promised will be fulfilled.

Studies: ‘Weekly World Watch’ Andy Walton

‘Ezekiel’ Ralph Alexander.