Today is Bible Sunday
Genesis Chapter 1: 1- 4 In the beginning God created heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. God said, “let there be light” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.” I’ve brought with me a bottle in it is a liquid and if I shake it up it looks black, which represents darkness. Now if I leave it for a few minutes it separates and becomes light at the top and dark at the bottom.
Can anyone tell me how many Books the Bible? 66
How many in the old Testament? 39
How many in the New Testament? 27
Jesus spoke and things happened, Jesus the Word of God clothed in the flesh. At Jesus’ word to the servants at the wedding at Cana and the water was changed into wine, he multiplied the bread and the fishes and he stilled the storm, he said to the wind and the waves “Peace,be still,” and a great calm came over the Sea of Galilee.
In our reading blind Bartimaeus came to Jesus and Jesus healed him of his blindness from being in the Dark he could see Jesus in the light of day and the smiling faces all around him
Can anyone tell me what the liquid is inside the bottle? Answer at the end of the blog.
A church member who is a fantastic photographer shared his slides In the darkness our eyes can’t see images, all we can see is darkness. his camera reveal images in the darkness, He related how God sees the dark places in our lives there is nothing hidden from God. His light turns our darkness into light when we turn to Christ.
On the 28th September I attended Fixed Conference 18’ Bridge Church Bolton Paul and Vicky Lloyd were guest speakers, they head up Victory Church Outreach in Manchester which is part of the revival that’s going on in Cwnbran, Wales. They are doing a great work for Christ among the young people caught up, in this nation-wide drug epidemic on the streets of our towns and cities.
Paul and Vicky before they knew each other, their lives, were like this picture on the screen a man walking through a forest where it’s dark because of the density of the trees keeping the light out.
Paul and Vicky’s darkness was in their addiction to drugs and they struggled to find a way through their situation.
Paul was a former drug dealer in London, that is, until he met Jesus. his wife Vicky used to be a heroin addict, Jesus set her free from addiction 19 years ago. They found that what the Bible says about Jesus was true. The Holy Spirit adding substance to their faith. The reality of being healed became their experience.
The Lord separated light from darkness in their lives.
Vicky described her day in darkness: sitting in squalor, with her needles beside her, slumped in a chair, for hours on end. Unable by her own human nature to overcome it all.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines Human nature as the natural ways of behaving that most people share including mind and personality.
Unger Bible Dictionary – Hebrew word Nephesh – a self-living nature.
1 Peter 3: 20 The people were disobedient (self-living)when they ignored Noah, so they remained in darkness and perished. Only 8 were saved through their obedience to God’s word to Noah, “I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth”. Genesis 6: 11-22
God’s purpose is for our self-living nature to be transformed to be like Jesus.
Jesus sanctified his disciples in the truth and he was consecrated (set apart for this purpose)bearing the darkness of sin (he was separated from God) and its causes on the cross. In his resurrection God raised him up into the light. In the heavenly Jerusalem there is continual light, the glory of the Lord is its light. John 17: 17, 19. Revelation 21: 23
The Holy Spirit in his ministry to us will make it known to us the areas of our life that he wants to sanctify like Vicky it happens over a period of time..
After Vicky was raised up from the depths of despair, the Holy Spirit acting on the word, brought God’s search light into the areas of her life that needed to be sanctified. Vicky said, that the Holy Spirit journeyed with her, healing the rage, jealousy and many things that had accompanied her addiction to drugs. she said, “I come to the seat of transformation on a daily basis, Christ is the only one who can help, mercy draws you to his love.” What was happening the Bible calls sanctification: separating light from darkness, God’s righteousness transforming her nature to be like Jesus.
Asking for God’s mercy drew Bartimaeus to Jesus, in his unworthiness he cried out and Jesus responded in grace, which is undeserved giving from God.
Both Vicky and Bartimaeus came to Jesus even though they felt unworthy, they came to him in faith. It sounds to simple, don’t let your feeling of unworthiness stop you from coming to Jesus with your need, believe the scripture they came to Jesus in faith to be healed.
Can you imagine what it must have been like for Bartimaeus, his eyes opened to see Jesus and he was surrounded by smiling faces, and great joy among the crowd.
God is reaching out to every person in some way. Like A’s pictures reveal that there is light in the darkness. Jesus is the light of the world and that light is in his Word that he has given to us to tell the world.
God’s calling is for us to share the message of the cross where Jesus overcame darkness in all its forms and in the light of his resurrection, forgiveness of sin brings healing and the receiving of God’s righteous love that transforms our nature to be like Jesus
Paul and Vicky Lloyd received God’s mercy and they came out of the forest of darkness into the light of Christ.
. At the conference every testimony I heard by people of all ages, they started by using cannabis and then moved on to hard drugs. Canada has now legalised cannabis this is not good news and if cannabis is legalised in the UK its opening a door to many more peoples’ lives being wreaked by drugs.
What can we do? we can pray.
Heavenly Father we know that every person before coming to know you is in a prison without bars, for some it’s an open prison with little condemnation for crime against God, and for those in solitary confinement for serious sins against God and people. Many are found in between, but all have sinned against God. Thank you for your great gift of grace in Jesus paying the price for all sin great or small. Thank you for our reconciliation in receiving forgiveness Thank you for our adoption into the family of God.
In Jesus name, Amen
Answer – oil and water