Psalm 34; 15 – 22 

The young people listening to David were able to make an informed choice concerning their faith in the God of Israel. They heard from his teaching the truth about God, it was backed up by evidence from God’s divine intervention in his life.

In this Psalm he gave thanks for his deliverance from his enemy the Philistines.

David was constantly being pursued by King Saul, so he entered the land of the Philistines where he could lie low. However his identity was soon discovered and he was brought before King of Gath. David was perhaps afraid of what they might do to him as he was the one who killed Goliath, so he pretended to be insane, they were unable to make sense of his conversation, he also foamed at the mouth which a sign of madness. It worked and he was let go, during that exploit not a bone of him had been broken and he gave the glory to God, This prophecy in Numbers 9: 12 was also fulfilled by Jesus on the cross, ‘Not a bone of him was broken.’

Our Christian experiences are valuable lessons to share with younger people: through our personal relationship we have with God, it means that the troubles we face is where we rely on God to uphold, support and be comforted.

 But every trouble can seem like Goliath

October 2016 my husband had a sore throat that got worse over three days. At the doctor’s surgery on the second visit, he was rushed into hospital and diagnosed having quinsy, which is an abscess in the neck stemming from the tonsils. The bacteria from it were tracking down to his organs. He had an operation to remove the puss from the quinsy and a ventilator was put in place, which they struggled to do because of the swellings and he was sedated, an induced coma, and the fight to save his life began.

The doctor advised me to send for close family, our daughter took the next flight out and came home. I informed St Mary’s Prayer Chain of the situation and within a few days the septicaemia had tracked back. But the antibacterial drug that worked against the bacteria had yet to be found. A week after his entry into hospital the Lord gave me a word, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still.” Exodus 14: 14.

We were on that journey towards the Promised Land, the bacteria were like the Egyptians pursuing the Israelite’s.  After 21 days no drug had been found to work. Then over following week it was like going through the Red Sea, the scariest place and yet it was the safest place, I felt we were surrounded by walls of water and behind the pursuing Egyptians. At the end of that week ‘Micro fungi’ the antibacterial drug was found to work. 8 days later Douglas was brought out of the induced coma, he had been in the coma for af 36 days. Two weeks later he was taken off the ventilator. (we were advised to keep a diary after he came round)

In our reading Joshua witnessed how God had brought them out of Egypt, the blood of the Passover lamb redeeming them, and their completed victory going through the Red Sea.

I knew the Lord would fulfil his promise and I believed my husband would recover and all the way through the prayers of many Christians had brought about healing and had upheld our family.

On his last appointment 3 months later with Critical Care Unit, we were told how life threatening this illness had been, Micro fungi one of the last antibacterial drugs they had. I explained that we were Christians and could we say a prayer of thanksgiving. The nurse replied, certainly I’m a Methodist Minister.

The staff at Royal Blackburn Critical Care B Unit were truly brilliant, their dedication and skill were fantastic.

It was a miracle; almost two year later my husband is fully recovered, he painted the outside of the house using scaffolding this summer.

Thank you Lord, we give you all the glory.

Longholme Methodist Rawtenstall  Morning Service

Children’s spot – Putting on the armour of God.

I  brought a Roman soldier’s armour. I explained that God wants to protect us with his armour, they’re not actual pieces of a Roman soldiers armour, but the items represent  God’s word and our experience of applying the truth of his word in the spiritual dimension.

For example: God’s goodness is worn like: a waistcoat, a jumper or a breastplate. Which is the correct answer?

Sermon

Joshua 24: 4-18. Psalm 34: 15-22. Ephesians 6: 10 – 20 John 6: 56-69.

Mark Twain wrote, “Truth is stranger than fiction, fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities, truth isn’t.”

Proverbs 12: 9. “Truth stands the test of time.”

Our Old and New Testament readings seems to be saying we have a choice to make, do we believe in God or another god?

Joshua testified to what God had done for them delivering them from the Egyptians v 7 the cloud moved from going before them to behind them so that in the darkness the Egyptians couldn’t see the Israelite’s. God’s presence in the cloud protected them, Exodus 14: 19. 20.

Joshua asked the people to chose who will they follow the God of Abraham or the Canaanite gods.

We read that they chose the God of Abraham.

I was in my teens when I found myself looking at other religions curious as to what other people believed. I was hungry and thirsty for God, searching to find the truth, I realise now that I was separated from God by the sin in my life.

Jesus experienced being separated from God on the cross, he was separated by bearing our sin, and the causes of sin. We have the evidence when Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27. 46. John 19: 28, 29. “

Then he said,  “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 spiritually separated from God and he thirsted for God, he felt how we feel when we were searching for God.

The Psalmist prophesied the Messiah’s suffering and where he thirsted for God. “Thou knowest my reproach, and my shame and my dishonour and my foes are all known to thee. Insults have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none; and for my comforters, but I found none. They gave me poison for food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Psalm 69: 19-21 RSV Bible. His separation lasted for a few days

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

So putting on the armour, Paul says we put on the belt of truth Jesus is the only way to find the true God.

In the New Testament John the disciple recorded the discussion in the synagogue at Capernaum Jesus was revealing to them that he was the ‘Bread of Life’. They didn’t understand and some of his own followers turned away

Jesus had said, v 56 “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I live in him”  and to many listening it was sacrilege, they associated these words with their food laws. 

The truth is that Jesus’ sacrifice was the end of the law including food that were unclean under law like shell fish,  animals that do not chew the cud and especially blood they were not allowed to eat blood as life is in the blood. Leviticus 11

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, so we know it was by the sacrifice of his body and blood the law came to an end.

He made all foods clean in his resurrected body and also we have forgiveness of our sins. The bread and the wine at our Communion service are tokens to remember his sacrifice.

Our hearts are right before God through faith in Jesus, so we put on the breast-plate of righteousness, Godly goodness.

In verse 63 Jesus went on to say that the ‘Bread of Life’ wasn’t his flesh, but was his words, ^“ 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.”

Those who eat his words will never be hungry, and he who believes in him will never thirst. A Bible study for me it’s like going to a banquet, I’m nourished by the word. The Holy spirit acts on the word. John wrote in his first letter that they had handled the Word of Life and in his gospel verse one, “In the beginning was the Word , the Word was with God and the Word was God.”

So we use the sword of the Spirit to learn and arm ourselves with the word of God.

Jesus satisfies our thirst when we take hold of his words in our heart they become Spirit and life  our helmet of salvation.

John 7: “If anyone thirst, let them come to me and drink.”

To drink in Jesus’ words of our salvation.

The word salvation means – being saved by God, the word salvation is i found in Exodus 14: 13:”Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord.”

The blood of the Passover lamb redeemed them and going through the waters of the Red Sea gave them complete victory over the Egyptians.

God instructed Moses that each family before leaving Egypt should have a meal. They were to take the best lamb of their flock, slay it and take its blood and brush it onto their door and lintel of their home.

The purpose of doing this was so that when the angel of death saw the blood he passed over that house,

The Lord redeemed the people with the blood of the ‘Passover’ lamb.

They needed the two elements: the blood of the lamb and the water of the Red Sea to enter into their salvation – to be saved.

Had the blood alone saved them Pharaoh, there would have been no need of the water to make an end of Pharaoh’s army. During Pharaoh’s pursuit they came so close to the Israelite’s, God moved the cloud from leading them by day to the rear of them so that during the night the cloud separated them from the Egyptians. Neither saw or heard each other’s movements or voices.

 ^“Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. ⁷ And when they cried to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them.” Joshua 24: 6,7.   

The cloud acted like a shield enabling them to reach the Red Sea. We are shielded by the same God who gave Israel complete victory over the Egyptians, with the two elements the blood, and the water.

Having reached the Red Sea Moses lifted his rod and the water parted. The Israelite’s 600,000 walked across the sea on dry land.

The Egyptians caught up with them and as they began to drive their chariots across, Moses lifted up the rod and the ground beneath the chariot began to clog their wheels and the waters came and covered them.

Pharaoh’s army was defeated.

Following on from the crossing of the Red Sea, in the next chapter Exodus 15 It begins with Moses’ song where he exalts God for their victory over the Egyptians and in verse 23 we have this incident that prophesied our Salvation in Jesus.

Verse 23-25. “When they came to Marah they couldn’t drink the water of Marah because it was bitter . . . And the people murmured against Moses, saying “What shall we drink” And Moses cried out to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.”

The bitter water represents sin, the tree-the cross where Jesus shed his blood and the sweet water the Holy Spirit eternal life.

The two elements the blood and the water making up total salvation – through faith in Jesus’ blood we have the forgiveness of our sins and in his resurrection we receive the Holy Spirit, eternal life.

1 John 5: 6, 7.”This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with water only but with water and the blood. And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is truth.”

The blood and the water working together with the Holy Spirit speaks of baptism. 

Jesus commissioned his followers to be Baptised,

Paul writes, “We are all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. And all were baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”

1 Corinthians 10: 1, 2.

The cloud is recorded in Numbers  of covering the whole of the camp. When the cloud lifted the people knew to pack up and leave, moving on to the next place, the cloud went before them during the day.Numbers 9: 15-23. 10:34.

The receiving of Salvation through baptism in the cloud.

One day last week I took the dog out for a walk, it was fine when I left home, but it began to rain heavily, I got drenched; that I would say that was immersion, Baptism in the cloud, it’s a picture of an Anglican and Methodist baptism were we’re sprinkled The Baptists it’s immersion in the river or the sea. Both ways are baptism.

Holy Spirit’s comfortable shoes we wear enables us to walk, the walk of peace through us drawing our inheritance from the wells of our salvation . Isaiah 12: 3

Our inheritance entitles us to all of God’s blessings ;wisdom, love, joy and peace and the gifts of the Spirit.

In fact all that belongs to Jesus belongs each one of us, we are joint heirs with Jesus, seated in heavenly places, we are a heavenly people.

So we’ve put on the whole armour of God and we give thanks to God for his blessings.