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St Anne Edgeside MU Meeting – Pentecost Sunday

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The Bible  Brown Bible

1-Bible contents               crosses:

Celtic, Palm, wooden plain, 2 ‘Cross in the Pocket.’

All shapes and sizes of crosses: ‘Cross in the pocket’ The MU have recently donated 90 ‘Cross in the pocket’ to Langley House Trust.

Over this last week we have been hearing from the UK’s politicians each party putting their policies before the people in a General Election.

The Sanhedrin was Israel’s centre of government 2,000 years ago. Israel had several political parties that stemmed from their interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures. The Pharisees, ‘The Circumcision Party’ believed in the resurrection, whereas, ‘The Sadducee’s’ their Party did not believe in the resurrection. Other parties included were the Herodians, the Zealots and the Hellenists, they all had similarities and differences, and they taught different things.

The Jewish people including the disciples had been taught by the chief priests, Lawyers, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees that the Messiah having come from God he would remain on the earth.

John 12: 34 “The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ would remain forever  . . ”   The people were taught from the law that the Christ would have already an eternal life when he comes.

They had the example of Melchizedek

The writer of Hebrews saw Melchizedek the high priest of God who met with Abraham, had come from God and is described as “Having no father or mother or genealogy and has neither beginning or end of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.” Hebrews 7: 3.

It’s understandable that the people were taught by their leaders to expect the Messiah to already have eternal life.

That’s why in my view the disciples struggled to believe Jesus, when Jesus said that he was going to be killed and rise on the third day from the dead. Peter in response to these words said, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Matthew 16:21, 22.

Luke records that in fact they could not grasp what Jesus was saying when he spoke of his death and resurrection, “But they understood none of these things; this saying was hid from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” Luke 18: 31- 34 “

Undeniable evidence that they did not believe that the Messiah would come and die.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, the chief priests, scribes and others shouted up to him, “Save yourself and come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests mocked him to one another with the scribes saying, ‘He saved others but he cannot save himself. Let the king of Israel come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Mark 15: 30-32.

It couldn’t be any clearer that the Jewish leaders taught that the Messiah was not expected to come and die, especially on a cross.

Someone shouted, “Let’s see if Elijah will come and take him down.” Mark 15: 36. Malachi 4: 5. They believed that Elijah would come and announce the coming of the Messiah. An empty chair is placed at the Passover table in expectation of Elijah’s coming.

John the Baptist

John the Baptist taught the same as the leaders: the chief priests, Lawyers, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. that the Messiah would come in his eternal state “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3: 12.The wheat and the chaff represents; people and the wheat are those whose names are written in the ‘Book of Life.’ Those whose names are absent from the ‘Book of Life’ are in hell, where there is no light at all, no presence of God. The unquenchable fire a term relating to the judgement by the Messiah. (Names recorded on the Day of Atonement)

The Unquenchable Fire

Luke 12: 49, 50. “I came to cast a fire upon the earth and would that it were already kindled, but I have a baptism to be baptised with and how I am constrained until it is accomplished.”

Jesus knew about the fire of judgement. He said before he brought in the fire of judgement that he would complete his task the baptism referred to his death.

Jesus used this term ‘Baptism’ when two of his disciples asked if they could sit on his right and on his left ruling with him in his kingdom. “But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised.’ . . . and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10: 35 -45.

The disciples on the road to Emmaus spoke of Jesus being the one who they had hoped would redeem Israel, implying that they believed that the Messiah wouldn’t die. “How our chief priests and rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes and beside this, it is now the third day since this happened.” Cleopas went on to declare Jesus’ resurrection, not realising that he was speaking to the resurrected Jesus. Luke 24:20, 21.

On the evening of the day of Jesus’ resurrection he opened up his disciples’ minds to understand the scriptures concerning his suffering and being raised from the dead. Luke 24: 44-48.

Now the disciples were able to unravel the teaching from their leaders: the chief priests, Lawyers, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. Before they like everybody else had been taught that when the Messiah came he would live forever. Now they could see the words, the prophets’ prophesies that revealed his death and resurrection. Isaiah 53: 4-6

“Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

10.Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,

(See blog 34 prophesies fulfilled in one day.)

So Peter at Pentecost proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah to the crowd for the first time in public, many would find his words contradicted the teaching of the chief priests, scribes the teachers of the law and Pharisees.

Pentecost Sunday 2017

In my ministry as Reader Chaplain at a Langley House Care Home we held a Baptism for those who work and live there. I put together the preparation sessions and for the first time this word that the Lord gave me in 1996 I included. It was God’s plan for the Jewish nation to receive Jesus as their Messiah after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, Pentecost was the first time that the disciples proclaimed publicly that Jesus was the Christ.

Peter said in Acts 2: 21 Jesus was crucified in the foreknowledge of God. But God had hidden his prophesies concerning the death of the Messiah from the leaders and people so that God’s plan of salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross would take place.

For God’s plan to succeed he had given the high priest Caiaphas a prophecy that one man would die to save the nation; Caiaphas  took it to mean that through Jesus’ death he would save them from the Romans taking over their Sanhedrin, they were afraid of insurrection coming from the people making Jesus their King.  On an earlier occasion Jesus had heard that the people wanted to make him their king, so he withdrew himself so it couldn’t happen. John 6: 15. 11: 45-52.

God’s plan also included Jesus being raised from the dead Psalm 16: 8-11. Peter quoted from the prophesies of King David proving that God intended Jesus to die and be raised from the dead.

“ David said about him:

“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ Isaiah 53: 25-28

Peter continued: “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. “ Acts 2: 25-32.

Many responded convicted by the Holy Spirit they repented and were baptised into Jesus’ baptism.

Jesus’ baptism revealed in the Book of Exodus the Israelites on their journey towards the Promised land. They ran out of water in the desert, they found  a the pool of water, however, it was undrinkable, so they complained to Moses and he sought God’s help, he was told by God to throw a tree that lay beside the water into the pool. The water became sweet and drinkable. Exodus 15: 22-25.

Jesus’ Baptism

The undrinkable water – sin.

 The tree- the cross where Jesus bore the sin of the world.

The sweet water – forgiveness of sin and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ baptism in the Hebrew scriptures fulfilled in the New Testament when John the Baptist baptised Jesus and the Holy Spirit alighted upon him in the form of a dove, and Jesus’ baptism is for us today. Matthew 3: 13-16.

The Lord has blessed the word, the truth shall set you free, “Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8: 31, 32. The promise of the Holy Spirit has revealed Jesus to the people who were baptised on June 4.

Alleluia! Jesus is Lord, Alleluia!

Jesus was expected to return soon after Pentecost.

Luke records: Peter said to the crowd that had gathered at Solomon’s Portico that their leaders and themselves had acted in ignorance when Jesus was killed, and if they repented their sins would be blotted out and God would bring in the times of refreshing meaning the restoration of the throne and land of King David and he would send the appointed Messiah, Jesus. Acts 3; 17-21.

Why didn’t the leaders of Israel respond to the disciple’s message?

The Sadducees were unable to undo the stronghold of belief that they had built their party upon, they did not believe in the resurrection.

The Pharisees condemned Jesus for not keeping the Sabbath laws, the laws that they had added to the Laws given to Moses by God, to earn their righteousness as they wanted to please God and by doing so over burdened the people.

Will the church be ready to respond to Jesus calling out his bride, the church?

John was inspired by his vision wrote about the seven churches, their ministry and for them to listen to the Spirit’s words to them.

Prayer

Help us, Lord God, to be ready for Jesus calling out his church, help our leaders and all Christians in our churches to be bold in making Jesus known to all people in our communities. Help us to focus on Jesus, the cross foolishness to the world. Yet we know the cross is where Jesus bore the sins of the whole world and as a result paid the price for our sin with his life’s blood.“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sin.” Hebrews 7: 7      To look to his words that set people free from all the lies coming from the devil that would stop them from recognising Jesus, as their Saviour.      For us to listen for the gentle whisper of your Holy Spirit to have the words in prayer to move the mountains, the strongholds of unbelief in Jesus across the nations. Bless the people who today who confess with their mouths from their heart that Jesus is their Lord and Saviour. In Jesus’ name,  Amen.

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Show Me Your Glory

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The Messiah’s Secret – Show Me Your Glory!

Exodus 33: 7-23. Luke 9: 28-36

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My two daughters aged 9 and 7 wanted a pony, however, I didn’t want them to have one, simply because from my own experience when I had my horse, they would be danger of having accidents. After about a year of constantly asking we were persuaded to let them have one.

At the beginning of Exodus 33 Moses as God’s chosen leader of Israel was able to persuade God not to depart from His chosen people, the Israelites. God had said he would honour his promise to their Patriarchs, but He would not go up to Canaan, the Promised Land with them.

The Israelite’s sin had grieved God time and again, but on this occasion it was more serious, they had made an idol while Moses was on the Mount. On his return when Moses saw the idol he was angry and smashed the tablets with the commandments written on them.

God always keeps His promises to those who believe in him, we can trust his words to us. When a problem arises we can remind our self and turn to a promised word from God.

 After the golden calf incident, God met with Moses in a tent outside the camp, we read when Moses met with God the people watched and worshipped. God came in the form of a cloud and conversed with Moses like a man with a friend.

God favoured Moses and agreed to show him His glory, ‘The Lord’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”

As God passed by the cleft in the rock, He covered Moses with His hand so as not to see His face, no man could look on God’s face and live, he saw the back of God.

At the Transfiguration a meeting took place between Moses, Elijah with Jesus, while Peter, James and John looked on and saw Jesus transfigured, his appearance glistening white. On this occasion Moses saw God’s face, Jesus being both man and God.

The law God gave to Moses was the shadow, the back of God.

When Jesus fulfilled the law in His death on the cross, he revealed God’s GLORY in his resurrection, God’s grace and mercy in the New Covenant. John the apostle wrote that after Jesus was glorified he would send the Holy Spirit. John 7: 39

God chose Jesus,

John also wrote that God had chosen His own Son to reveal His grace and truth. ”Full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.”

 John the Baptist acknowledged that Jesus who came after him, ranks before him “. . . For the law was given to Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1: 14-17.

Jesus knew His calling was to be the Saviour of the world when he said,

 “Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father glorify, your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” John 12: 27, 28.

Jesus’ hour of glory was when he bore our sin upon the cross outside the city walls or the city gate. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews wrote:

“So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify people through his own blood.” His life laid down for the sins of the whole world. And again in Hebrews we read, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sin.” Hebrews 9: 22. 13: 12.

What Jesus did on the cross God’s glorious grace and mercy in forgiveness of sin.

It is the meeting place for every person wanting to enter into a relationship with God. 

God chose Moses to fulfil His purposes and Saul or Paul as we know Him was chosen to take the good news to the Gentiles.

We know that Paul didn’t find it easy to convince the Christians that he had come to know Jesus as his Saviour, the Christ. He had a mountain of sin in their eyes: he had rounded up Christians and brought them to court and he had watched and consented to the crowd stoning Stephen. But God chose Paul to be a light to the Gentiles.

In his letter to the church at Rome, he pointed out how God calls a person, chosen to do his will. He gave the example of Esau and Jacob, God chose the younger twin over the older to receive the blessing. He goes on to say:

 “What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.  It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”  Romans 9: 10-18.

God doesn’t look at the level of goodness of a person to fulfil his will, but God chooses the person.

Some Christian Jews argued with Paul over the greater the sin,that  the punishment should be likewise, equal to it as it was under the law.

 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world?7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.” Romans 3: 5-8. NLT Bible

For instance: when the Jews saw someone who broke 8 out of the ten commandments they were forgiven in the same way as someone who had broken only 2 or 3 commandments. They questioned the justice. “For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification.” Romans 5: 16. 18-21. R.S.V Bible

Jesus’ parable: the ‘Prodigal Son’

This parable shows us God’s grace, mercy and compassion stemming from his nature of love

.1-prodigal3

The son collected his inheritance from his father and left home and spent the lot on worldly pleasures. When he repented and returned home destitute, his father welcomed him home celebrating his return.

The elder brother was not pleased and complained to his father for he had little of the world in his life.

The prodigal father mirrors God’s love in forgiving a person whatever their sin amounts to. The eldest son is comparable with those whose sins are few, both receive the same: their sins being wiped out, being forgiven equally with a full pardon. Luke 15: 11-32.

Paul’s life reflected God’s mercy and grace after he saw in a vision Jesus on the Damascus Road he was forgiven for persecuting Christians. He was chosen by God to do His will and Paul responded to God’s call and we give thanks today for Paul’s faithfulness to his calling.

The nature of God is revealed also in the parable of the Vineyard, those who were hired at the end of the day were paid the same as those who had worked all day. The early Christians had to come to terms with God’s generosity and mercy,  Seeing God our Father in this light, everybody is blessed. It’s a privilege to serve the Lord in whatever way he calls us.

Every Christian is chosen by God to fulfil His purpose, is God calling you to a ministry, to use your gifting in some way?

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Christian Unity

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Christian Unity

Jesus prayed that each believer through faith in Him would receive the indwelling Trinity; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The unity in being members of Christ’s body.

 “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, 21 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. 22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.” John 17: 20-23

The giving and receiving of the Trinity at Pentecost

Thank you Jesus, for your prayer, it was answered loud and clear at Pentecost when about 3,000 people responded to Peter’s message, ‘Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are afar off, every one whom the Lord calls to him.” Acts 2: 38. 39.

On that day thousands of people knew the living presence of Jesus as their Saviour, God as their Father and the person of the Holy Spirit dwelling within them and as a result would know that Jesus had been sent by God to be their Saviour. The glory of God being revealed through the new covenant established in Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension.

Jesus in His prayer said, “23 I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me”

 Our human body, a spiritual house the dwelling place of God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.

Perfect unity is with the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit our created soul/spirit has been transformed and united with His Spirit and transformed by God’s nature and character indwelling our soul, mind and will, we now feel how God feels about sin.

We read and inwardly digest the Words of Jesus, his teachings remembered and wrote down by His disciples and followers.

We have been baptised into His death and raised up with Him in His resurrection.

We are seated with Him in heavenly places; our desire is to do His will.

Unity in the Spirit that Paul wrote about:

 “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Romans 12: 5

The body consists of many Christians, whose function is by working together will make Christ known in the world. For one part to function properly the Christian needs to be sensitive to the other working parts, because we are individually members of one another.

It’s like the blood cells work individually, tiny as they are they travel through the lungs picking up oxygen, they take their precious load of oxygen to a tissue and at the same time the waste carbon dioxide is carried by the cell in the blood stream to the lungs where it’s exhaled.

The blood of Jesus

 Spiritually each blood cell carries the forgiveness of sin to a person, their sin (waste) is disposed of into the darkness of the tomb and through the resurrection of Jesus enter into a new life in Christ.

This means that each Christian having been cleansed by the blood, are able to contain and have perfect unity with the Trinity, and as individuals we are not transferring our sin or spiritual baggage to another member of the body.

To function properly, the Christian needs to keep their spiritual house clean and not to leave any windows open for bad habits to start and take up residence. It can be a variety of worldly things that we can allow to come into our spiritual house. Jesus tells us to watch and pray.

Christian Unity

The church is the body of Christ; we commune together sharing the love and spiritual gifts of Christ. When each member of the body uses their gifts to fulfil ministry to others as a result will bring people to faith.

Paul describes the church as sanctified, cleansed by the washing of the word. “That Jesus might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 6: 27

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The Resurrection of the Body

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The Messiah’s Secret – I Believe in the Resurrection of the body and life everlasting.  Creed Series.

Song by James Weldom: “Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones, dem bones, dem bones dem dry bones dem bones dem bones dem dry bones, now here ‘s the word of the Lord.”

THE BIBLE has the answers to the future of the planet and God’s plan to establish his kingdom on earth through the Messiah’s reign.

Ezekiel prophesied that God would raise the dead . “And the bones came together, bone to its bone. And as I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them . . . .  you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.” Ezekiel 37:1- 8, 10-13.

Ezekiel’s prophecy fulfilled when God raised Jesus from the dead, a bodily resurrection, the first fruit of them that slept.1-Jesus

Job points us to the Messiah, “I know that my redeemer lives, and at last, he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been destroyed, then from my flesh shall I see God.” Job 19: 25, 26.

Martha in her conversation with Jesus believed Ezekiel’s prophecy:

 “Jesus said to Martha, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Martha’s response was the understanding, the teaching of the day, that on the last day, the resurrection of the dead.

Early Church confusion                              

But in the early church there was confusion when Christians were dying but their bodies remained in the grave.

It left people undecided some were now saying that there was no bodily resurrection.

Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians Chapter 15 he made the point firstly that Jesus was seen after his death and burial: Peter, the twelve and to hundreds of people. And in verses 13, 14 he pointed out, “If like some were now saying that there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ was not raised from the dead and you are still in your sins.”

He continues verse 23 “Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”

In this verse Paul gives us insight into the timing of the resurrection of the dead in Christ. We receive our resurrected body when Jesus calls out his church; those who are alive on the earth and those who have died in Christ will meet together in the air.

In verse 51 “We shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and mortal puts on immortality.”

A bodily resurrection: the bones put on flesh and breath enters the body as Christians rise up from the grave, and where the ashes of Christians have been scattered, each persons ashes will be gathered up and become a resurrected immortal body.

The insight Jesus gave to Martha and ourselves about his resurrection.

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet he shall live, and whoever believes in me shall never die.” John 11: 23-27.

 “I am the resurrection and the life.”

Martha would understand what Jesus was saying as she would hear the prayer below being said at the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus was telling her indirectly that he was the Messiah, salvation and eternal life was in him, believing that he is the Messiah.

“ A voice heralds, heralds and saith: Turn unto me and be ye saved, Today if ye hear my voice. Behold the man sprang forth – Branch is his name- David himself.   Stand up! Be buried in the dust no longer! Ye who dwell in the dust. Wake up and sing. Glad will be the people when he ruleth. The name of the ungodly shall perish. But to his anointed, the Messiah David, he giveth grace Grant salvation to the eternal people to David and his seed forever. The voice heralds and saith.”    

A Messianic Prayer, the Last Day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Taken from Buksbaken “Gospel in the Feasts of Israel”.

Martha’s brother Lazarus raised from the dead.  

Four days after Lazarus had died Jesus called Lazarus up from the grave, the cave were he lay.                                              

Here we see mirrored when Jesus will call of the church, the believers in Christ will receive their own immortal body. A bodily resurrection, the bones put on flesh and breath enters the body as we rise up from the grave to meet Christ in the air, never to die again. John 11: 38-44.

Jesus the first fruit.

Jesus raised up by God to receive an immortal human body that was recognisable as belonging to him.

Jesus words to Martha apply to us through our faith in him “He/she who believes in me, though he die, Just as Jesus died ,so we will one day die.

 “yet he shall live.” Continue to live out our lives. “whoever believes in me shall never die.” but have passed over from death to life.

We are risen with Christ through faith in Jesus we have been united with him in his death, dying for our sin, and raised up with him in forgiveness of our sins and receive eternal life.

Paul gave the church at Corinth and us today the assurance that while we live now, our bodies contain our eternal life in Christ, although we in our eternal life would rather leave our earthly body to be with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5: 6-8

Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Philippi, “I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for it is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.” Faith is to believe that when we die it’s our spirit that is resurrected and goes to that place prepared in our Father’s house and our bodies will be gathered and transformed and restored to us when Jesus calls out the church. Philippians 1: 23.

The signs of the time of Christ’s calling out of the Church.

We have this hope of being called out and it will be unexpected like the thief in the night. It is necessary for the believers to be ready in Jesus finding us busy in witness and serving, while watching for the coming of his kingdom on the earth and we can rest in that whatever is about to happen to us, because Jesus loves his body the church we will escape the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 1: 10

Prophesies coming true in our time that lead us to think we are not far off Jesus’ return

The current world seems to be tottering on the edge of nuclear war. The prophesies of Daniel  are fast becoming a reality. The increase in knowledge, the computer revolution. The DNA science manipulating cell activity, we don’t know what some scientists are up to. The world family of nations coming ever closer to a one world government.  Daniel &: 24. 12: 4.

“For we walk by faith and not by sight” looking for the world to come, everlasting life

After this great reunion in the air when those who are alive meet with those who have died in Christ, we attend the wedding the bride (the church) and the bridegroom Jesus. This is followed by the supper of the lamb. Revelation 19: 7, 9.

 “Then the Lord your God will come, and all the holy ones with him.” Zechariah 14: 5,  16.

Jesus returns with the saints the church, and Jesus takes up with the remnant of Israel at Jerusalem and the battle against the antichrist takes place. Zechariah 14: 1-5

The antichrist is defeated and we will reign and rule with Christ over the kingdoms of the earth. The parable of the pounds  refers to this: “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.” Luke 19: 17. We shall judge the world and angels. 1 Corinthians 6: 2, 3.

The wise worldly person searches for answers to questions about the future of our planet and I believe as we draw closer to Christ’s coming many will turn the pages of the Bible as it covers the beginning and end of all things.

 

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The Battleground of the Cross

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The Messiah’s Secret – The Battleground of the Cross1-jesus-on-cross

Luke 16.19-31.  The Rich Man and Lazarus

World Values

The world judges people by how successful they are, which is backed up by world values: big houses and fast cars, designer clothes and plenty of money to treat friends.

In Jesus’ story the rich man must have been successful in accumulating wealth, he attracted the poor outcast to come to his gate. However, the poor man Lazarus wasn’t one of the rich man’s friends, so his thoughts had concentrated on accumulating his wealth, not giving it away, so he disregarded him, he gave him nothing. He probably had the mind set, let him go to the temple treasury and get relief from there. This attitude would come from his fallen nature.

Our old nature is our number 1 enemy, there’s a battle in the mind, I want to do the good, but I end up doing the opposite.  Paul considers that the old nature is the source of all our bad habits. Romans 7: 20, 23. 8: 5, 6. Ric Warren ‘The Battlefield for Your Mind’.

Paul in his letter to the Ephesians,  “ Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”   Ephesians 4: 19 – 24  NIV Bible

The mind is a battle ground, we are not to believe everything we think.

Satan wants control of our mind, he’s continually planting thoughts. He’s not able to force a person to do anything. But if we accept a thought he’ll build on it, It can start with a doubt, then becomes a deception, like the Sadducees who didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. It probably started with a doubt about the resurrection, that became a deception as they built a doctrine upon it, it then became a stronghold. Sadducee and high priest Caiaphas God had given him prophecy, ‘that one man would perish to save the nation’ when he heard later about the resurrection of Jesus, he was unable to discern and overcome the stronghold of unbelief in the resurrection. Matthew 22: 23.  John 11

How are strongholds destroyed?

Truth is stronger than lies, Jesus was reminding the listeners that their founding father Abraham who believed in the resurrection of the dead verse 31, “Abraham said, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”  Jesus knew when he said this that he was pointing to himself the someone’.

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus came against the stronghold of Satan where he held the power over death and hell.

The battleground of ‘the cross’

In the garden Jesus was tempted to resist going to the cross, Jesus’ whole self, his soul, will, mind, strength wrestling with the enemy.

I think the battleground that Satan used against His thoughts: the temptation to use the power of his position as the Son of God, trying to persuade Jesus not to go to the cross, but for God to find another way. Hence Jesus’ words, “Father if you are willing take this cup from me.”  Earlier he had said that he could summon legions of angels to assist him. Matthew 26: 53.

Instead Jesus summoned his disciples to pray for him.

Jesus overcame the tempter, enabling him to die to self. We read he said, “Not my will but yours be done.” Luke 22: 42.

We can struggle with tears over some temptations, even when our old nature has been transformed. The Spirit of Jesus within us calls us, and we desire to be set free. That’s when like Jesus we need the prayer of other Christians, using the gifts of the Spirit in the body of Christ to help us overcome them.

We apply Jesus’ victory in word and prayer, we have died to sin, it has been buried with Christ in his death. God raised Jesus up from the dead into his resurrected life. So we are raised up from all that Satan would try to bind us with, he has no dominion over our thoughts any more.

Our mind is able to think things through and make a choice. It was too late after the rich man died, to seek forgiveness from God and the poor man Lazarus.

The poor man didn’t bear a grudge

The battleground of the cross is when I hear a Christian say ‘I can’t forgive’ we have and there are consequences for the Christian who can’t forgive.   Jesus forgave on the cross those who had sinned against him.  “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23: 34.  God’s devastating blow to the stronghold of Satan.

Paul in his second letter to the Corinthian church wrote about forgiving the people who were clearly continuing to walk in the ways of the world.  “Anyone who you forgive, I forgive too. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, to keep Satan from gaining advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”  2 Corinthians 2: 11. 1 Corinthians 5: 1, 2.

Paul had learnt by experience that unless the Spirit of God’s love and forgiveness that enabled Jesus to go to the cross and die for our sin was at the centre of his life, Satan would use his ‘unforgiveness ‘ against him.

“Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.” Colossians 3: 2

The Spirit of God greater than the spirit of the world. Godly wisdom will discern the lies of Satan.

Joyce Meyer “Battlefield of the Mind.”  “Jesus tells us how we are to win the victory over the lies of Satan. We must get the knowledge of God’s truth in us, renew our minds with His Word, then use the weapons of 2 Corinthians 10:4,5 to tear down the strongholds and every high and lofty thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.”

We are rich in Christ in having a Father who loves us and has transformed our soul, our nature and as a result we feel how God feels about sin, we have the mind of Christ.

Our minds set values are that of Jesus, we love our neighbour as ourselves, and through Jesus’ victory we can apply who we are in Christ, we are sons and daughters, children of God.  We have been blessed with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Jesus united earth and heaven in coming as one like us in our humanity, in his resurrected body unites us with him in us being translated into his kingdom by faith and grace.

We will one day sit down at the great banquet with Abraham in the kingdom and Jesus will wait upon the table, what humility and great love. Matthew 8: 11. Luke 12: 35-37.

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Tailored by God to be like Jesus

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Christians. Together  Haslingden   31st  March 17

Preparing for Tuesday’s Job Club   

I felt the need on the next step to spend some time to emphasise the importance of tailoring their CV to a job description, so I looked up a tailor’s job description.  Also I had been asking the Lord what I should speak about at the ‘Christians Together’ meeting on Friday? The answer:                                                   

Jesus was born one of us, tailored by God his Father to be like Him. We too are tailored by God to be like Jesus.

A Tailor has a set of skills:

A tailor understand measurement of the body to make a garment and also make a pattern to fit the individual.

They are equipped with the skill to design a dress or a suit. If they themselves do the work, they use special machine needles to deal with different types of materials: some materials stretch, others fluffy or very fine, some when cut begin to fray. The way the tailor lays the pattern on the material depends on the type of material.

Visual aids: tape measure, a pattern and card with switches on

God tailored Jesus

Jesus was formed according to the pattern of the perfect human being, He understood creation through having the mind of God his Father, and he was equipped with the full measure of the Holy Spirit. His ministry on earth was to the Jewish people, the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but in his death, resurrection and ascension to the Jews and the whole of mankind.

When we came to faith our lives began to be tailored by Jesus.. The creases of sin have been ironed out, through turning to Jesus in repentance and faith. Jesus has enabled us, through his resurrected humanity, to be the bride of Christ.

In the reading the people had observed that Jesus was not fasting, like John the Baptist and the Pharisees who fasted twice a week according to the law. When they enquired, Jesus referred to the joy of the bridegroom on the occasion of his wedding.

They must have wondered what he meant when he continued saying,  “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.” Mark 2: 18-21.

Jesus I think had watched his mother mend the clothes of the family. He had observed that when a garment has a tear, a problem occurs when an unshrunk piece of material was used to repair it. After its been washed it would shrink and pull away from the old material.

The unshrunk patch covering the tear that when washed it shrinks and makes the tear worse. I interpret this to mean: it’s the people who were followers of Jesus and then turned away from him when they came up against things that Jesus did or said that was contrary to the law. John 6: 66

We know that Jesus was pointing to the New Covenant rather than patching up Moses Covenant, that was flawed by only making a covering for sin. Jesus has replaced the Law of Moses with a new covenant, he being the perfect sacrifice that atoned completely for sin and transforms the soul, the nature, so that law is written in the heart, to know God in a personal way, so we feel how God feels about sin.

 We have been healed of the torn relationship between our self and God, we are a new creation in Jesus Christ, and we wear garments that have been made to measure by God the tailor of our salvation. Isaiah wrote, “He has clothed me with garments of salvation. He has covered me with a robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61: 10.

The church the bride of Christ  described in John’s Revelation           “ ………clothed in fine linen bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” Revelation 19: 8

When I think of the church I see a patchwork quilt of various expressions of humanity in worship, more like Joseph’s coat of many colours, but nether the less, one in Christ.

This morning I saw the church of Christ that overcomes the barriers, the restrictions to ministry through denominations. But  every Christians can experience the fullness of Christ in their own ministry as God has tailored us to be like Jesus.

Some people give up on the Church.  

Jesus indicated in the ‘Marriage Feast” the marriage supper of Christ with his church, the bride. In the parable one person is there without a wedding garment and is duly cast out. A Christian that starts enthusiastic but at some point come up against barriers and they turn back into the world. Matthew 22: 11-14.                                        

We might feel like stepping out of church life or we might feel worn at the edges and that we have nothing left to give, but please don’t go back keep looking forward, do not focus on the troubles of the church or the world, but look on Jesus, his church of many colours.

John wrote, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb.” Revelation 19: 7-9.

I had been told before hand that Alan the pianist had gone to be with the Lord. I’m sure Alan will be wearing his wedding garment at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

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‘Called to be Sent’ Peace and Reconciliation

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                                1-cross-at-sunset                                                 

Week 6  Lent Series ‘What On Earth Am I Here For’ book by Ric Warren    ‘Evangelism’   ‘Called to be Sent’ Peace and Reconciliation through Jesus the Messiah.

Story from I G’s Peace Blog “A journalist assigned to the Jerusalem Bureau took an apartment overlooking the Wailing Wall. Every day when she looked out she saw an old Jewish man praying vigorously. So, the journalist went down and introduced herself to him. She asked, “You come every day to the wall. How long have you done that and what are you praying for?” The old man replied, “I have come here to pray every day for 25 years. In the morning I pray for world peace and then for the brotherhood of man. I go home have a cup of tea and I come back and pray for the eradication of illness and disease from the earth.”

The journalist was amazed, “How does it make you feel coming here every day for 25 years and pray for these things?” she asked, the old man looked at her sadly, “Like I’m talking to a wall.’”

Luke 10: 1-24  This story reminds me of in our reading of the spiritual blindness that Jesus encountered among his own people, they failed to recognise the kingdom message, and the signs that followed.

The Messiah’s Secret enables us to understand why the Jewish people didn’t recognise him as their Messiah during Jesus’ ministry, even his parables they didn’t understand. God had hidden these things because the Messiah had to die on a cross where he bore the sins of the whole world. God his Father raised him from the dead and Jesus ascended into heaven. Jesus united heaven and the earth in order that those who believe in him Jew and Gentile would be reconciled to God, being at peace with God now and for eternity. The Jewish people today most are not aware of this and many feel under condemnation through the accusations of Christians over their ancestors actions 2,000 years ago.

Christ Building His Church, the Temple of his Body. 

Jesus’ body the ‘new temple’ made up of living stones, the family of God.  God’s purpose and calling on our lives not only to pray for peace but to be sent out with the message of peace and reconciliation with God with each other and bring the peace of God into people’s lives.                                           

This is what Ric Warren called the PEACE Plan.

He states that he PEACE Plan is not for superstars. It’s not for saints and nuns and priests, missionaries.  It’s for ordinary people like you and me.

God’s plan of evangelism started when Jesus sent his disciples out:  to build his church. First of all he had prepared them: he gave them a message “The kingdom of God has come near to you’ and he equipped them with his authority to heal the sick and many became his followers.

Ric Warren gives us the example of NASA’s Mission to send a man to the moon

On the outline sheet:  Mercury.     Having a goal, a purpose.                   In 1963 J. F. Kennedy had a goal to send a man to the moon and back. God’s goal for our lives to be at peace through being reconciled to God and then to go and make disciples, so that they too are at peace with God. In order to do this he has a purpose for each one of us and Jesus empowers us with the Holy Spirit to fulfil our purpose in ministry, and our commission to go to the whole world.

Gemini – The scientists and Astronauts began to develop those skills to go to the moon.                                                                                                            All God’s people are prepared and equipped with the reality of the message, because the cross is our experience. put simply, John 3: 16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

The disciples went out on foot locally, with their message.

So we start evangelising with the circles of our family, through the extended family, friends, at work, people who we meet socially or linked with. I remember witnessing my healing to my family, I invited them to come along to the Bible study I attended, and as a result my mother and my sister later came to know Jesus in a personal way. There are other ways is to find something we have in common with a friend and invite them along: it could be to watch the FA Cup on your TV or to a bar-be-que. Invite people to come to a special service or an evangelistic event at church. Like ‘Renew’ or ‘Men’s Breakfast’ or ‘Big Film Night.’

Apollo – Going to the moon!  In 1969 July 20th Men walked on the moon and then returned to back to earth.    Mission completed

What God has planned for us will happen Isaiah 14:24, 26.  , “It will all happen as I have planned it will come about according to my purposes… “I have a plan for the whole earth…” Christ’s church will be completed when the last stone is in place, when the final Christian comes to faith and then Jesus calls out his church.

On the sheet: 1. Pray. We pray that people will say ‘yes’ to God.

Matthew 9: 37, 38 reveals that Jesus prayed for more labourers as well as his disciples to take out his message. His prayer was answered when he sent out the 70. RSV Bible (72 in the NIV Bible)

Luke 9: 57-62 “As they were going along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (RSV Bible)

It’s interesting to note that these three disciples are included here in Luke’s gospel just before the 70 are sent out in the next chapter. The first disciple ‘I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus’ replied, in verse 58 “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head”  indicating that he had been refused a bed for the night at the Samaritan village because they saw him as their enemy, the Jews and Samaritans had fallen out, Jesus’ ministry to them was to bring peace and reconciliation, but they turned him away. In  Luke 10 he gave warning of the judgement to come, over the cities and towns, where they had rejected the message of peace and reconciliation  with God and each other.  The second and third disciple put their own needs first, they had to consider their families needs, so maybe Jesus was frustrated at their lack of priority in putting their own needs before God’s business.   He made it clear when he said, “No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”   You can feel the urgency in those words, so we mustn’t miss the opportunity say ‘yes’ to God and go to where he would send us.

2.  Give, to help others go.

Ric Warren writes “Maybe you’re at home with young little ones, preschoolers and you couldn’t go somewhere in the world.  Or maybe you’re an elderly person and you are a little more creaky in your old age, a hitch in your get-along, but you can help, I can pray and I can give”.

He goes on to say, “The Bible says when you support other people to go on humanitarian missions and peace missions and relief missions and sharing the good news missions you actually participate in their reward.”

In our reading when the disciples returned Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit. How pleased Jesus was to hear about their success in response to his commissioning them. They had engaged with people with the good news, they had healed the sick showing God’s love and compassion and many became his followers.

  1. Step out. I can step out in faith.

What have you done in your life that’s going to last?  What do you want to do in your life that’s going to last?

The speaker at the Ladies Fellowship David Hollows spoke on this subject he brought with him things that he had treasured over the years; thank you letters, objects that he had been given in appreciation of something he had done for someone, holiday souvineers from Israel and other places and then he went on to say,  the things that really matter is our treasure in heaven: acts of kindness, tears of joy and sympathy, service for your church and community, gifts of love and compassion. But above all what really matters is – eternal life.

  1. Go where I can now.

Over the years St Mary’s has sent people out with the good news: More recently Andrew and Luke took the good news of peace and reconciliation when they ministered to the people in Haimi Uganda.

And for the last seven years my website the Messiah’s Secret Revealed.has been reaching across the world with the good news peace and reconciliation between Jew and Gentiles.  Especially to those like the man at the wall, praying to a stone of the temple, when he could be praying to the living stone Jesus and going out with the message of peace and reconciliation to the world.

Ann &  Ste’s ‘Reach Puppets’ visited Albania ministering to the youth there with their group of teenage Puppeteers.

Having stepped out in faith and experienced the Lord working to fulfil his purpose. The next time there is an expectation and an excitement of what the Lord calls upon us to do for his glory.

The last verse on your outline is 2 Timothy 4:5.  2 Timothy 4:5 says this, “Work at bringing others to Christ.”  Why?  Because they’ll experience his love, his forgiveness,  his peace, his purpose, they’ll experience their past forgiven, a purpose for living.  All of these things God offer to them.

Memory verse. .  2 Timothy 4:5 “Work at bringing others to Christ.”  2 Timothy 4:5.

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God’s love for us

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God loves us

This morning we have come together to worship and it is wonderful to praise, pray and share the word and have fellowship. We also know that in everyday life we have times of worship.

True story    Through her parents divorce, her struggle with bulimia and her miscarriage Australian worship leader Darlene Zschech found a secret weapon for survival: worship. Darlene wrote her popular praise song, “Shout to the Lord” when she was struggling to cope with life.

One particular stressful day she went and sat at her piano and put a song to the spiritual truths to which she desperately clung: “Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name” and “Nothing compares to the promise I have in you.”

 “A Bundle of Laughs” J John & Mark Stibbe

Worship is simply expressing our love to God.                                 

Every time when we say to God, “I love you God,” that’s worship.   Romans 12: 1 “To offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship. “Worship is our response to God’s love and we love him back when we offer ourselves to God. and that is pleasing to God.

In this mornings reading: Ephesians: 9 “He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ.” Worship is having fellowship with God, and God takes pleasure in blessing us.

The Bible tells us that God is love         

God is completely made up of love, his essence, his Spirit is love and from my own experience in the Spirit, where God is, the atmosphere is not of air, the substance is love. God created us to love us, for his love to glorify his name.                                        

We are loved by God.     

One of the most humble statements ever written is in the letter of Jude verse 1, “I’m a servant of Jesus Christ and I’m the brother of James.” He forgets to mention one thing. He’s the half brother of Jesus.   He continues“Can you imagine how hard it must have been growing up with a perfect brother, he was ‘always right.’ How annoying that can be, but I’m sure Jesus loved his  brothers.” (John 7: 5 records that his brothers did not believe in him.) “But now Jude has become his servant and in his letter he is calling the people to receive the love of God and be in the care of his brother, Jesus the Messiah.”

Jesus calls us receive his love, to believe that God’s love is for you. He wants to fill you to the brim and overflow with his love.

 We are to know God in a personal way.    Worship is focusing our attention on God, knowing that he loves us, we can be ourselves, it isn’t a formal relationship, God is not at a distance, he’s like a dad that wants to spend time with us, not just for an hour on Sunday, but in everything we do because we belong to him.

We are brothers and sisters adopted by faith into God’s family, so are entitled to all that belongs to Jesus is ours as well.     In our reading a fantastic promise, “He has blessed us with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places” eternal blessings to be enjoyed, joy and peace that brings contentment in fulfilling God’s purpose in this life for eternity.

The Apostle Paul takes us deeper into understanding God’s love        in the Ephesians letter:  “Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvellous love. 18 And may you have the power to understand , as all God’s people should, how wide how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.” Eph. 3: 17-19 (NLT)

The Bible tells us that we have the potential to know and experience the love that passes knowledge, love that is so great that we will never fully understand it.

So how wide is God’s love for us?  It’s wide enough to be everywhere to embrace all who come to him in faith.

Two, How long is God’s love? God will never, never, never, never stop loving you, because his love is eternal.

How deep is God’s love?  It’s deep enough to handle anything. God’s love goes deeper and lower than your problem.

How about height?  It is high enough to overlook sins.  God offers forgiveness through the cross because of his love.  .

God’s constant love produces 5 significant changes in our lives.

  1. We feel accepted rather than ashamed.

Most people go through their entire life avoiding God.  And the reason why they avoid God is because they’re ashamed.  They feel ashamed. Feelings of guilt and condemnation.  They feel judged. And criticised.  They think, God is a perfect God and I am not so perfect. The Bible says this in Romans 5:1, “By faith we have been made acceptable by God.  And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live in peace with him.” 

Jude didn’t feel under condemnation, when after Jesus’ ascension he joined the apostles and he didn’t need the approval of his friends and the people at Nazareth                                                                                        

Peter the Apostle wrote that ‘Love covers a multitude of sins,’ God’s love has dealt with all that condemned us before God. and his love we receive his forgiveness and it is without any conditions of any kind.   1 Peter 4: 8

Romans 8, “If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anybody bring charges against him?  Or can anybody condemn them?  The answer is no. 

2. We can be bold in bringing our needs to God.

We are invited by Father God to come boldly to his throne of grace with our prayers. We can talk to him about anything, because he’s our dad, we can expect answers to our prayers.

3. We have peace in pain I don’t understand.

There are probably occasions when you have asked God why is this happening to me?  Why is this happening to our family?  Why now?  Why here?   Why this?  And we’re going to see things happen in the world and ask Why?

From my own experience I believe that God sees pain differently than we do, he allows his people to suffer pain, but through suffering we find that our faith grows, to a greater depth. We learn to trust God more and more and as a result God embraces us with  the peace that passes all understanding.

  1. We gain the courage to take risks.

Called to be loved so when someone believes in you unconditionally the way God does, it releases you to take more risks for God. I can look back and think how hard it was to step out in faith, being called to fulfil God’s purpose. But God has never let me down. My advice is to pray and then if the impulsion is still there, then to step out in faith.

  1. We worship instead of worry.                                                                             It is so natural to us to start worrying when we become fearful over a situation. so we are reminded to pray and praise God which is worship. Like Darlene Zshech God doesn’t want us to worry.
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The Messiah’s Secret – The Beginning and End of all Things

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The Messiah’s Secret –  God at the Beginning and the End of all Things.

Reading John 1: 1 – 14.

Children’s spot. Kaleidoscope

The light from the star shone over the stable at Bethlehem, it’s light would shine inside the stable through the door or window, helping Joseph and Mary to see what was going on around them.

The Bible tells us that ‘God is Light’  and in Jesus we see God’s light . Light that makes us feel safe when we are in a dark place. Light that shows us the way in our lives.

I’ve been making this week some kaleidoscopes a toy in the shape of a tube that you look through to see different patterns of light made by pieces of coloured glass and mirrors. I’ve not used mirrors instead I’ve used clear plastic to reflect the light. The children present came and collected from me  a kaleidoscope and a pattern to colour.

At the point in the service were we say sorry to God for our sins, we focused on the cross. Reading from 1 John 1: 6 – 10

After the reading and hymn Jim focused on John 1: 9 with a Word Search Game.

Sermon

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”

The Apostle John wrote in his gospel of what he saw, heard and experienced from Jesus. He began his gospel from his conclusion of who Jesus is, Jesus being the Word of God clothed in the flesh, confirming Jesus’ word that he and the Father God are one, the life and light of God in him, Jesus the second person of the Trinity.

John remembered what John the Baptist had said “Jesus the true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.” John 1: 9, 10.

Jesus came into the world to enable us to receive a new pattern of living out our lives, to be enlightened about God, to have his values based on love. Love God and your neighbour as yourself.

Archbishop Justin Welby in his Christmas address said that the world’s values are in the wrong place, ’Economic, technological, and communication progress hasn’t resulted in economic justice,’ he called them the ‘economics of despair.’ He went on to say, “Uncertainty in the midst of much, but far from universal, prosperity is a sign of our trust being in the wrong things.” I understand him to mean: Globalisation has produced a material pattern whereby people trust in riches: the accumulation of wealth by the few, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

What produces universal prosperity comes from our knowing God and His values.

An anecdote from J John and Mark Stibbe’s Book, ‘A Bundle of Laughs’

“H G Wells after he had studied the history of the human race and had observed human life, he came to the conclusion; “Religion is the first thing and the last thing and until a man has found God and been found by God, he begins at no beginning, he works to no end. He may have his friendships, his partial loyalties, his scraps of honour. But all these things fall into place and life falls into place only with God.” Materialism has its’ place, finding his place in God, he had found life. Jesus came into the world to enable us to receive God into our heart, for our lives to be transformed from knowing about God, to have a relationship with God.

Verses 11-13. “He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in His name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God.”   The Jewish people were born from human descent, whereas, Jesus his flesh coming from his mother Mary, but his life’s blood coming from his Father God, the Alpha and Omega without descendants. Jesus was born of God.

John confirms a Christian is born not from descendants who were Christians, but born of the will of God through faith in Jesus.

Paul writing to the Corinthian church wrote, “ The cross a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”  1 Corinthians 1:23, 24.

Jesus’ own people the Hebrews in their worldly wisdom couldn’t understand the cross, they perhaps saw Jesus as being humiliated, at Calvary they shouted, “Let the King of Israel come down from the cross and we may see and believe.” Mark 15: 32.

Many were not enlightened by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but those who were, John wrote, “But to all who received him, who believed in His name, he gave power to become children of God.”

It is the same today, the cross is still a stumbling block to many, and it speaks of sin, failure, suffering, and being ignored.

“But to all who receive him, and believe in His name, he gives power to become children of God.” Born of the will of God.

God’s saving love through faith in Jesus, Romans 10 : 8, 9. “But what does it say; the word is near you, on your lips and in your heart, that is the word of faith which we preach, because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

God has given us a pattern to follow, to walk by faith and not by sight,   sight being: human wisdom, logic, and science. One person I long to be enlightened to find God is Sir David Attenborough. He has spent all his adult life observing and studying wild life and yet he cannot see the creator of life, God.

Walking in faith in Jesus, trusting that God has the whole situation its’ beginning and end in view, because He is the Alpha and the Omega.

I learnt this from Mark’s  recent illness; God has the beginning and the end of all our situations, he sees the whole picture and  all the Lord asks from us is to trust that God will work things out, true to his word.

The third person of the Trinity the Holy Spirit will give assurance in our Spirit of the outcome, so therefore faith, hope and love grow in our inner being as we trust and rest in the light of His Word to us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, may we have opportunity today to those who we meet, to give the light of Jesus’ words. By your grace may the deaf hear and the blind see and be enlightened, to come to know Jesus as their Saviour God. Amen

Bookmarkers were given out with the Service /Notice sheets.