Ephesians 2 v 8, /23

I am turning to the Epistle to the Ephesians.in Chapter 2, and Starting at verse 8.

For by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not of your own doing, it is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one can boast.

The most famous hymn in the world is ‘amazing grace’, especially is this so in the United States, where it has been a regular favorite. It has been sung many times, often without the singer having the remotest meaning of the term spiritually.

Grace means, we owe everything to God.  No one is too bad to turn to God, he is ready to forgive all sin, past and present, for all.  There is nothing we can do to earn or add, the grace of God confers a blessing on us, and if we take this gift, our salvation is granted to us. Like any gift offered to us, we have to accept, do nothing else to earn salvation; it is solely a gift of God. Salvation starts with God, not with man. He takes the initiative, He makes the first move, to all who truly repent, and turn and accept Jesus into their life. We have to accept that when Christ made his sacrifice, dying a cruel death on that Cross, he was providing forgiveness for us, for all our sins committed past and present. When we accept that Jesus did so for us and in faith believe he is our Savior, God in his infinite mercy and goodness forgives us, and by his grace accepts us as one of his children. God is love and wants to love all people, but sin breaks God’s heart and hearts cannot be made whole. 

When we break a law of God we break God’s heart, and only an act of forgiveness by the grace of God can put us back into relationship with God.  We can never earn Gods’ forgiveness, we can only accept in perfect trust and faith.

God will save who will believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, but

you must believe that He died on the cross, paying the price for your sins, and  He is ready to forgive your sins.

In verses 11-15 Christ makes peace between Jew and non-Jew (Gentile) to unify one people.  There is only one united people of God.

    Our epistle looks at the hostility that existed between Jew and Gentile in Paul’s time.  The Jews hated the Gentiles, so much ,so, that if a Gentile woman fell into difficulty during labor, they would not help her, in order to stop another Gentile being born into the world; and the Gentiles were not too fond of the Jews either.

The Jews saw themselves as God’s chosen people, which gave them the right to hate others; they had been promised the Messiah; and they alone had been part of God’s Covenant.  Anyone else did not belong to God’s people, which meant judgement with hell, as the natural consequence.

The Jews had a national home in Palestine, but were scattered around the Mediterranean area.  Wherever they went they took with them a high moral standard, and pure faith in a holy and righteous God in contrast to the Gentile gods.  They did not want to be dragged down morally, by those who lived in a world of moral and spiritual corruption.  For them, the Mosaic law was the solution, for it regulated every aspect of life.  So it was this law which separated Jew and Gentile.  The Jew was determined to maintain this separation, and not let the Gentile have a share in the promise of salvation, unless he accepted and obeyed every line of the law.

The Jews considered the Gentiles had rejected God, which in fact they had, so causing a dividing line of hostility.  In the Temple Courts, there were separate Courts, and there was an inscription on the wall, which stated that any Gentile caught within the Temple area would face death.  The Temple was at the heart of Judaism, and was a symbol of all the law stood for.    

The Gentiles had their own gods. It was a multi-faith society, and like those today, who have their own gods of money, property, etc, all of which do not give the spiritual satisfaction of belief in the one true God; they were without hope, for there is no fulfilment in an empty product.

To be separated from Israel was to be separated from Christ, because salvation was from the Jews. God had made his Old Testament redemption and promises by his oath bound covenants with Abrahamic, Davidic and Mosaic covenants, but the new covenants fulfils all the divine promises

The Gentiles had a mixed reaction to the Jews.  Some returned the hatred; others were attracted by the moral outlook of Judaism.  They saw in the Jewish Synagogue, fellowship and brotherhood, that contrasted with the disintegration of their own society.  They saw noble standards.  The barrier was the acceptance of 613 laws, plus any Rabbinic additions.    

The Gentiles felt like many people today, in that they did not seem to belong to anything, and had no clearly defined belief.  They knew there must be something better within their grasp, and wanted to find it.

We can see a parallel situation within the main line Churches to day.  People see clearly defined doctrine being ignored, and re-interpreted, to suit and embrace modern culture, and to make the Church appear worldly friendly, but  which lacks a clear moral basis.  So each year, there is a decrease in the number of members, whilst people go to the small evangelical churches or just drop away, which is extremely sad and very worrying for the future.      

          The evangelical wing, has formed an association called the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, which is campaigning for a return to orthodox doctrine and biblical integrity, yet whilst everyone is entitled to an opinion, some of the remarks from the liberal establishment, you would think they were trying to destroy the Church and deprive people of their liberty.   

Paul was trying to explain the loss of not being Jews. The Gentiles were seen as foreigners, and as such were excluded from all the benefits of Israeli citizens, namely the promises made by God to Moses and David. 

Paul believed that all Gentiles,  were unsaved and without God.  This meant there were two classifications, Jews or Gentiles.  To be brought near, meant to have access to God. In Christ’s death, He died not only for Jews, but for all his followers even for those who were far off.

When the word peace is mentioned, it refers to a harmonious friendship between all peoples in the church.  The opposite of peace is hostility, which Christ quenched.

Whilst Paul was an Apostle to the Gentiles, he still had great concern for the Jews, and was striving to bring the two together.  He talks of the dividing wall, which prevents them from mixing, and says we all have to get right with God, and until we do so we will not get right with other people.  We get the answer by Jesus death on the Cross, who brings reconciliation for us to be right with God and people. Jew and Gentile can now sit down together as one, and form what became known as the third race, Christians.

In the mention of commandments and ordinances, this referred to the Mosaic law which would separate Israel from other nations.  This created a dividing wall which Christ had abolished, by removing people from the law’s condemnation.  This meant a new man denoting a human race under Christ.

Paul uses illustrations which would be vivid to a Jew, to show hatred can be ended, and unity achieved.  He said those who were far off had been brought near. 

When Rabbis spoke about receiving a convert into Judaism, they said he had been brought near.  He assures the Gentiles and Jews, that they can be followers of Jesus, and end the resentment because of the peace earned for them by His death on the Cross.

You Ephesians, he says, "are no longer strangers and foreigners’. Once you were strangers, says the apostle. You did not know what God could do for you. Now that you have come to Christ you are no more strangers.

And you are no longer foreigners, either. A foreigner is different than a stranger. A foreigner may be very familiar with the country in which he lives. He may have lived there for years, but he has no ultimate rights. He is living on a passport.   

So as we come to Church, perhaps even on a regular basis, we have to be careful, we come not like the foreigner with a passport, but as one who has the full rights of a citizen of the Kingdom of God.          

Paul is writing as a Jew to a largely Gentile people, and wants to show how wonderful it is to be a Christian and to belong to a Church. He sees the Christian as part of a great building, and each Christian a stone built into the Church.  Jesus is the corner stone, and if you take the cornerstone away the building will collapse. A cornerstone, is the main stone in the course of foundation, which ensures the building is square, and in a heavenly family with one Father, and with Jesus, and we have a common spirit.    

 Unity comes from Jesus not from any organisation, ritual or liturgy.   When we are able to understand how God sees the Church, we will want to do all we can to make others want to become part of it.

In verses 16-18 there is Peace with God, which was obtained by the death of Christ on the Cross,  which had done away with the hostility between Israel and other nations.  Two parties were reconciled, brought into a relationship  to satisfy God’s wrath against his enemies. They are now friends in one body, the church

To draw near to God, and to enjoy him forever in the new creation, is both mankind’s greatest good and ultimate accomplishment of Christ’s earthly work of redemption.

Christians have to know and really be convinced, of who they are as members of God’s household if they are to live accordingly as one.  Strangers were deemed to have no connection with God.

We have to accept that our world has divisions, the clashes of interest are real.   Despite all the wonderful advanced technology and aids we have today, we haven’t advanced that much in relationships.  We have wonderful medical operations which perform heart transplants, yet many hearts are without compassion. 

In every walk of life we find hostility, even regrettably within the Church.    We don’t have to go back 2000 years however to find racial or cultural hostility. There was a wall in place in Belfast, erected during the troubles to keep Protestant and Catholic apart. 

Such rivalry in the name of religion was appalling, but even more shameful was the fact that such rivalry could have been cut out, if the Church leaders of both faiths had got together, and told their peoples to stop, for clergy in Northern Ireland have more influence, and are listened to more than here, but on either side there was support for their own factions, one especially so.   

There are differences between people, which God no doubt intended.  We are not, despite the efforts of the equality zealots in Parliament, all equal or the same.  Those inequalities and differences can be an asset.  You don’t have a body which is all hands or heads. If the body of Christ is to be complete and functional, it needs to have various qualities.  And each sex performs some functions in life in a better way than the other, and should be allowed to get on without interference.

Christians should be able to rise above strife. People sometimes see others through their own eyes.  We allow the emotional differences people have, to be given greater significance than what they have in common.

In the concluding verses of our passage, Paul wants to encourage us to come into a living relationship with God.

The final verse speaks of built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets.  They were thought to be foundational  because they proclaimed the very words of God, which became the books of the New Testament. Since a foundation can be laid only once, there can be no further apostles or prophets to day, and their function has been replaced by the Bible.

The holy temple is where God meets with His people in joyful worship and fellowship.  We are children of God, who cares for us and has a purpose for our life.  As Christians, we belong to the church, this means we meet not with strangers, but as brothers and sisters of God’s family.

 

Praise God for His Holy Gospel and pray He be Glorified 

 

J O H N  C H A P T E R 17

The verses in this Chapter are widely read and treasured among Christians. This is one long prayer, the longest in the Bible, made by Jesus to God his Father. There is a sense of communion between Father and Son. during the time Jesus was here on this earth. It helps to show believers what they should mention when they pray,
In the first six verses, are deep words that Jesus states to his Father. There great truth which stands out.

Firstly, the account of the office and dignity of Jesus. The Father’s given him authority over all flesh, he has given Jesus the right to give eternal life. The keys of heaven are in his hands, he controls the salvation of all people.  Life eternal, is to know is to know the only God, and Christ whom he sent.

The mere knowledge of God is not enough, and none has changed. We must know the Son as well as the Father. God knows  It is God in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, who alone can give to the soul life and peace. We read that Christ has done the work that his Father sent him to do. He has finished the work of redemption, and given perfect righteousness to his people. Unlike Adam, who failed to do God’s word and brought sin into the world, Jesus let nothing undone that he came to do.

Christ we read, had glory with the Father before the world was created. Our minds are not about to fully understand all the words used. We have to admire and reverence what we cannot explain or grasp. But one thing is certain and fully clear, the words only understood by someone who is fully God.

For ever, let us thank God that the hope of a Christian rests on the solid foundation of a divine Savior. He, who we are commanded to go to for pardon, and to whom we are bid to rest for peace, is God as well as man. To all who care about their souls, and are not careless or worldly, the thought is full of comfort. Such people that know how great sinners need a great Savior; and no human redeemer would be of any use. Let them rejoice and lean on the Christ who has all power, and is able to save the uttermost, because Christ is divine.We should notice an account they have of our Lord’s disciples. Jesus said, they kept Thy word, and know things |Thou hast given me are of Thee. They have kept Thy words, they know I came out of Thee, and believe Thou has sent me.

We see what character these men had, for they had little knowledge or faith, yet a little after Jesus spoke those words they forsook him. Anyone who reads the four gospels can see how weak the servants of Jesus were. Yet, Jesus spoke of them in honorable terms.
It becomes clear, Jesus had more faith in them, than they did for him. The least degree of faith is precious to Jesus however, Jesus the gracious Savior, sees true faith in himself, he looks with compassion and passes by many defects. The eleven Apostles were weak and unstable, but hey believed and loved Jesus , when millions refused to accept him.
The true servant of God should mark the future of Christ’s character, we may feel ashamed of our defects and of poor efforts, but do we really believe in Jesus? Can we really say as Peter said, you know Lord I love you, yes you know I do .

 Let us take comfort from, the words of Christ. Jesus did not despise the eleven Apostles because of their weakness, but bore with them, and saved them to the end, What he did for them, he will do for us.

Whilst there were words which are hard to understand, there are points to which all Christins need to give attention to. Jesus has things for true believers, which he does not do for unbelievers. He says I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those you gave me.

The doctrine before us is hated by the world. Nothing gives so much offence among the wicked, as the idea of God making distinction between man and man. Yet the world’s objections to the doctrine are unreasonable. Let us consider the good and bad; holy and unholy; righteous and unrighteous.   What kind of God could possibly show equal complacency and favor. It would be a strange God who could do so. The intercession o Christ for his people is pure common sense.

Like every other gospel truth, the doctrine before us needs careful statement and mutual safe guarding..

We can, and must show concern for sinners, but also bear in mind not to be too wide. Christ has care for all sinners, and wants them to be saved, but he especially loves his fellow people, who he makes holy, and glorifies. He has offered redemption for all people, and offers it freely. But is also factual, that his redemption is effectual, only to those who believe.
Whilst it is true, that a mediator between God and man, Christ intercedes actively for none but those who come from God by him. This is why it is written I pray for them, but not for the world.

Jesus gives special intercession, for the believers who are daily sought for, and provides with every care by Jesus, who never slumbers. Jesus is available at all times to the uttermost, to attend to those who come from God.
The special intercession of Jus is a safety for believers. He daily watches and provides care. When Judas fell, never to rise, Peter fell astray but he repented and was restored
We learn that Jesus does not want his believing people to be taken from the world, but just left to be kept from the evil in it.

The mind of Jesus and its wisdom are clearly seen. He wants to see them in all places, tempted , perhaps assaulted but kept from falling into sin.

True believers can be satisfied that Jesus knows what is good for us, so we leave ourselves in his safe hands

The verses from 17 form a fitting conclusion to this longest Bible prayer. often described as the most wonderful prayer ever made, given after the Last Supper. It contains certain three important petitions, which Jesus offered on behalf of the disciples

Jesus prays his people should be sanctified. He asks that God would so through his truth. The word sanctify means holy, and he wanted them to be more holy, more spiritual. With more power, more saintly in thought word and deed. Grace had already done things for them,

More holy living is proof of the reality of Christianity. Holy living prepares us for heaven. The more nearer we are to God while we live, the more ready we shall be to live forever in God’s presence when we die.

Secondly, we read how Jesus prays for the unity and oneness of his people., that all may be made sure we are one, so that the world may know and believe that. Jesus said God sent him, and this is a leading petition in the prayer of the Lord to his Father. This perhaps is the strongest part of the prayer.

Finally, Jesus prays that his people may at last be with him and behold his glory . He prays those who God gave him be with him where he is, that they may behold his glory. This is a tender and beautiful conclusion to our Lord’s prayer. We may believe it was meant to comfort those who heard it, and strengthens for the parting scene which is drawing near.
We do not see Christ now. We read about him, believe in him, and restore souls in his finished words. We shall at last see Christ as he is, and know as we have known. We shall actually be in his company, and go out no more.

We know little of heaven now, we try to create an idea of future date. Let us leave this prayer, letting holiness and unity leading us in the company of Christ for ever. May Christians be happy in nothing so much as be holy and loving as the Lord gives, and be a companion of the Lord.

 We praise God for his Holy Gospel and pray he be Glorified 

Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesian Church. Chapter 1 v 1-13

There are six Chapters in this Letter, each one containing profound Christian teaching.

He is in a Roman prison, awaiting trial by the Emperor Nero, and is writing to the Ephesian Church describing himself as a servant of Christ, and sees himself as a prisoner for Christ. He is in prison, because he preached to the Gentiles so upsetting the Jews, who had forced the Roman authorities to act against him.

God had originally chosen the Jews to be the people to whom He sent Jesus to offer salvation, but when they rejected Jesus, God chose Paul to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. The love, mercy and grace of God was now being extended to all mankind. The gospel is for all people, regardless of color, race or gender.

Paul was proud of the fact, that when Christ called him on the Damascus Road he had the revelation that God was going to send him to the Gentiles, giving him the special task of taking the gospel to the non -Jews, and it had been revealed to him by God, of the secret plan to reconcile the Jews and non -Jews who had hatred between them. Now both would receive all the blessings meant for the Jews alone, and Paul saw himself, having been given the special privilege of discovering the secret of God’s grace.

He points out that previously, God never disclosed His intentions, but on this occasion God had told him of the plan to bring the non- Jews to share with the Jews, all the rich blessings inherited by those who follow Jesus, and which would be given to all who accepted what Christ had done for them on the Cross. In addition, God had given to Paul the privilege of telling everyone, and endowed him with special ability to do so.

He admits he had done nothing to deserve this, and had been totally unworthy as he did not claim to be much of a Christian, knowing personally of the way he had persecuted non -Jews previously before his Damascus Road conversion. He was now able to tell all people of the endless treasures they could have, if they turned to see Jesus as their Saviour, which God had planned from the very beginning through Jesus Christ as Lord. Now all the angels in heaven, could rejoice that Jews and non- Jews alike could share the inheritance. We now have to consider how it relates to us and the Church in the present times.

This passage ought to be a lesson to those Church leaders in the West, who adopt anti-Israel views and express criticism unjustly in any situation, and have unwisely endorsed a boycott of Israel made goods, when in fact they provided employment for non -Jewish citizens. The United States Churches have on the other hand, have recognised we Christians and Jews worship the same God, and are part of an ancient Judea-Christian tradition.

Paul was an example, to all who are allowed to preach for Christ, he always remembered and acknowledged he had been favored and never claimed credit or showed pride. He never expected others to look at him or seek praise, and was someone quite a few people I have met could learn from. He was never ashamed of the gospel, and suffered mightily for preaching it without spirit of timidity, and never ever failed to acknowledge the gospel’s authority as the Word of God, or support any behavior or action contrary to God’s commands.

Paul understood the grace of God meant, it would enable us to face up to any situation in life. He constantly told that in Jesus, we have free approach to God as a child to a father; we can turn to God as our heavenly Father, this only through Jesus Christ, who had been deemed the only one to give us way to God. He now had the authority to be known as an Apostle along with those previously chosen.

The times of Paul were as decadent and immoral as those we now face, bible literacy at an all -time low, whilst immorality has reached new heights; it may reasonably be said that one is consequent on the other.

Despite the evil they faced, Paul and the Apostles were following the command of Jesus to make disciples, and teach all that He had commanded, and they had much success. They taught that the Bible had the authority and completeness for all things in life; they told of the need for us to be in a proper relationship with God, which was only possible because of the death of Jesus on the Cross, so that all who put their faith and trust in Jesus and accepted Him as Savior, would be seen as righteous by God, and the gospel spread quickly without any of the wonderful technological aids we enjoy. Over the years men added unnecessary and false doctrines, which changed the message.

,There are various ways we come to know Jesus; through a friend telling us; through a poster carrying a message; but primarily through hearing a preacher. Paul was intent that people could only hear and believe if someone told them, and this was the appointed task and duty of the preacher.

We have celebrated the Protestant Reformation, perhaps more in the United States than in this country, which motivated Luther to write his theses, one of which states, ‘the true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.’ This is the message the Church should now be preaching, but instead too many are more concerned with following an equality agenda, which is obsessing the country. Luther’s stance was that any issue which tended to overshadow the gospel must be ignored and abandoned. He recalled the Church to follow the gospel.

Figures have just been released for Church attendance and are frightening; it looks as is the Church is falling apart. We desperately need to recall the Church back to the gospel, as we see it flagrantly abandoning the teaching our Lord gave. Until we get back to the teaching of the Apostles, there will be little improvement.

We have services of baptism, in which we encourage people to make false promises; we tell that ways of living which are expressly deemed wrong in Scripture are perfectly acceptable; we hold funeral services which we infer heaven is open to all, irrespective of their lack of belief in Jesus as the only way to God.

We have largely replaced God’s law, to placate and win favor from the State and its people. Consequently. fidelity to Scripture is avoided because preachers are ashamed to preach the Bible.

We live in a very aggressive secular society, one in which there are numerous minority groups who expect and demand consideration above their proportion. If we are to face the challenges of the day, we have to be people of the Bible, which is why sound doctrine has to be given.

Jesus in His preaching had two effects; He either saved people or upset them. If we study the preaching of Jesus the people did not always go away smiling, even His own disciples walked away from Him at one time. We like to read and hear the stories of Jesus, as long as they do not place too much of an obligation on us. But many did believe in Him, and went away with a different reaction.

The Bible should be the basis for ALL our preaching, it is the foundation of all truth. We cannot just pick and choose which parts we want, and cast out those which are not popular with society. We should all be preaching on the same lines. We have to also accept that the Church exists primarily for one purpose, to proclaim the Christian gospel. All other activities are subsidiary.

People have a right to expect a positive message when they attend Church, a biblical message. This is why Billy Graham became the most successful preacher of all time. His preaching was uncompromisingly based on the Bible, and people flocked in their tens of thousands to hear him, and they respected him for his directness

It is good and helpful to have involvement in social activities, but the primary means of bringing people to Christ is through the preaching of the gospel. If we restrict that then we have no claim to be here; people can get social amenities from many sources, they can only get the gospel from the Church.

The Bible states the gospel is the power of God leading to salvation for all who believe. This means more than just believing there is a God, the devil accepts that. It is not enough to just hear and say you believe, it demands a response. God wants all people to turn to Him.

Remember the words of Jesus, ‘for whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He comes in the glory of the Father’.

We tell how God took a young Jewish girl, and caused her to conceive by the power of the Hoy Spirit; that when this child became man, He performed miraculous deeds and eventually gave His life by a cruel death on a Cross, in order that God would forgive people of their sins: that three days late would rise from the dead, as a sign that one day all who believe in Him and accept Him as Savior, would live eventually with Him in heaven.

Why should anyone be ashamed to tell that story? We all no doubt are ashamed of things we have done in our lives, and the things we have said but wished we hadn’t, and that is understandable. But we allow ourselves to become ashamed of something for which there is no need to be ashamed of.

The sceptic will say, I can’t believe all that could happen; some young woman told me recently the Bible was telling things impossible to understand. Such reasoning is amazing. If I take this mobile phone and press 13 numbers, people in the other side of the world can answer in seconds. Thousands of miles away between us, with millions of others sending messages, yet he will hear uninterrupted. Ask any bible sceptic to explain this and they will waffle. How can a brown cow eat green grass and produce white milk and yellow cheese. Yet we eat.

In conclusion, never be ashamed of the gospel. When Paul wrote to Timothy, he told him not to have a spirit of timidity, but be ready to preach the word that God saved us by His grace which He has given us through Christ Jesus.

Let us Christians be as proud of our faith as other faiths are of theirs, remembering there is salvation in no one else than Jesus, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we can be saved.

Praise God for His Holy Gospel; we pray He be Glorified

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 5 v 20.to 6 v 10

 

In this Epistle, the words of Paul are particularly relevant; 'be reconciled to God.’

 

The passage begins telling us we are ambassadors for Christ, and an ambassador is someone who represents their Sovereign in a foreign nation. As Christians, we are citizens of two nations; our national one in which we observe our country’s rules, but also in the Kingdom of God whose rules we are committed to obey. Wherever we reside, we are to represent God faithfully and devotedly, living according to his Word, and being a credit to him

We have the awesome duty of bringing people back into a living relationship with God; thatis what we are here for, to lead people to God. We are the hands, feet and mouth of God on earth. Jesus said He would build His Church and He meant He would do this through His followers.

We are living in a world which is hostile to Christians, materialism and hedonism are big factors in people’s lives, and God is seen as a restrictive force. But there is a need for a spiritual dimension in every person’s life, and the Church is the only body which can provide that need.

When God looks at our world, He sees the hurt in people's lives, the misery they are going through. He sees all the hatred, violence and bitterness.

This is a troubled world; so many people with problems, financial, moral, domestic, spiritual, and breakdowns. There are people in our towns and cities, living lives isolated from family and friends, victims of broken marriages or romances, or just lonely people. Some have become prisoners of alcohol, drugs, or some other addiction, and long to break free from that addiction and find freedom. The Bible gives a simple answer, turn to God.

 There can only be liberty and freedom when the Holy Spirit is present, and that means turning to God. There is a need for them, and indeed for all of us to turn to God.

There is a very widely held belief that everyone, irrespective of lifestyle, will end up in heaven when their life here is over. I have taken many hundreds of funerals over many years, and I imagine barely 100 have been Church members. Yet in everyone, relatives have assured me their deceased will be in heaven. One lady told me her niece didn’t believe in God, but was a lovely Christian girl. (I am still trying to work that one out) Another asked me not to make the service too religious.

The Bible states that people turn away from God at their peril, and the greatest need to day is for reconciliation with God. Jesus Christ died on the Cross for that. He held out two arms, one reaching out to us, and the other reaching out to God to bring us closer together. His message was that all could be reconciled to God.

God seeks reconciliation, bringing together those separated for any reason. It is because we have turned away from God and decided to our own way, that so many have become separated from Him. Nothing could be sadder than to be estranged from God who made us; but we have the assurance that God has found a means of reconciliation, and it is our duty to declare it to those willing to hear.

In the Epistle, Paul writes, ‘God was reconciling the world to Himsqelf in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them’. This does not mean that God is not concerned about our sins; He knows that we cannot be free until something is done about them.

This is not just a call for so-called bad people. The Epistle calls on us all to come to God with all our. hearts, but all this is done through the action of Jesus on the Cross.

The Bible states we have all fallen short of the glory of God because we are sinners, but what God wants us clearly to understand, is that our sins do not keep us from coming to him. We can come to God, knowing we will be received and forgiven.

The New Testament never speaks of man seeking reconciliation with God, God is the One who takes the initiative and provides the means by which we can be reconciled, by sending Jesus to the Cross to accept the punishment we deserve, so restoring our relationship with Him. That means that the cross of Jesus Christ was substitution. Christ stood in our in order, that our sins were placed upon the head of Christ.

But we have a part to play. We have to respond to God’s call for repentance, which means to turn around and adopt a new way of living. It means putting God and Jesus first in our lives, to let God be God, and not be forced out by other things. We may have to admit we have fallen short of what God expects from us. Only when we have submitted ourselves to Him, will God grant us forgiveness, and we will be reconciled to God.

The apostle Paul was very anxious that the truth of what God has done in reconciling us, His people unto Himself through the work of Christ, be declared through preachers. This great fact, he says, must be proclaimed.

God has called on His Church to witness that He has reconciled the world to Himself, and given us the privilege and responsibility to proclaim the gospel, and it is important we do so because of the eternal consequences that depend on what we say; and let it be known that all who hear it may be drawn to Him, because of the work of Christ upon the Cross.

The Church is the body of Christ, and belief in the Church is essential.

The doctrine of the Church however, must be based on the teaching of the Apostles, which has been passed down to us in the New Testament.

Many of us here, will remember when the Church was held in much greater respect that it commands today. It was seen as a place set apart from the ways of the world; a place seen as holy, with something special to offer, something spiritual and supernatural. This is no longer the case, which means our task is much harder. We can only truly perform the task God has set us, when we preach the doctrine handed down to us by the Apostles, and we have to be careful, that we do not wander away from the true gospel in order to achieve the approval of society.

The Church at large in the Western nations, has not been united in proclaiming the gospel as handed down by the Apostles, partly because it is something people do not want to hear, and partly because many preachers don’t want to tell it, fearing unpopularity, if in fact they really believe it themselves. I doubt you will hear many messages in the pulpits of our land, of that nature.

Some may say I am a good Church going person, and this call to be reconciled is really for other people. If anyone thinks all Church going people are good, they are living in a world of make believe. People go to Church for various reasons, not all worthy; business advantage, giving a false appearance of being holy. I have seen Ministers driven from their Church by embittered people, who were upset at not being given the attention they felt they deserved.

Charles and John Wesley were religious men, Ministers of the Church, but it was some years later when first Charles and a few days later John, after a meeting realised there had to be a complete realisation of salvation in Christ alone.

This is not just a call for so-called ‘bad people’. The Epistle calls on us all to come to God with all our hearts. But all this is done through the action of Jesus on the Cross.

 The Bible states, ‘salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved’. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.’

These are not welcome statements to make these days, being seen as politically incorrect. It is more popular to say all religions lead to God, and there is only one God, both of which are incorrect. They are false statements and not biblically correct. We worship the God of Israel, other faiths do not. Islam states God has no son, and worships Allah, and would not recognise any God of Israel. So, whilst we must accept other faiths, and the fact that some good moral precepts are held, we cannot depart from Apostolic teaching. There is only one way to God.

The Bible states, ‘ by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is a gift from God’ God in His gracious spirit had mercy on us, and gave His Son as a sacrifice, so that all who believe on Him shall not perish but have eternal life. We have to accept, there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation; we have to depend on Jesus for that. Our only hope of salvation, is based on a total and whole hearted faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

The Cross is at the very heart of our faith, but not of any other faith, and it is all about judgement on human life, which many may not like, but that should not stop us from preaching about it. There is a reluctance to speak of judgement; of heaven or hell, yet Jesus spoke about such 46 times.

The Cross makes a judgement upon human life. Jesus taught this when He gave the parables of the sheep and goats; the tares and wheat; of two roads, giving warning of our eternal future.

We cannot preach any credible message without the Cross being at the centre, it has been the standard for God’s people, and the Church. The Cross is displayed outside and inside Churches, to remind people of its importance.

There are people in our Churches who are dissatisfied with life, and don’t know why this is. The reason is, they are trying to please God and mankind, to serve God, and the world at the same time. Their conscience tells them what they should do, but their mind is calling them to do something different.

 

.We thank God for is Holy Word. May God be for ever Glorified

 

MATTHEW 11 V 28

I Wonder if there is anyone in who can stand up and say, ‘I have no worries in my life?’ If there is, would you like to stand up so we can all admire you?

There must be very few Christians or non- Christians who have not experienced some worry, some
anxiety. We need hardly ask whether worry harms. Worry can be defined as a disturbance of the mind, and the consequence of that can be severe. Hair turns grey or falls out; loss of sleep and appetite; mental reaction; even lead to an early grave.

There are so many fears in modern life.. The man in his 40s fearing redundancy. Young managers worried at having to constantly achieve ridiculously high targets. The business man working such hours he hardly has little time to see his family. Students living away from home for the first time, to live in a busy city, where temptations are everywhere encouraged by poor television.

There is the fear of marriage breakdown, or serious illness. The lack of moral purity and behaviour, has caused enormous worry when one partner has left a marriage, to give their attention to someone new, leaving their first love bereft, especially when a woman is the victim and left with children to care for without the same financial and moral support. In these modern times people act as if no act is sinful, immoral or illicit, and we hear pathetic explanations about not being able to resist the temptations. I can’t imagine the pain and distress that could be caused.

What is the answer for the growing number of older people, frightened to venture out of their homes? A fear of losing someone dear. These are all perils faced by people every single day.

As Christians we need to ask, ‘what is life all about’? So many people, especially the young, have no meaningful purpose. They have a hard outlook of, ‘live life to excess, get what you can out of it by any means whatever’. Wherever you look you find sadness, heartache and despair. The Bible says the answer is that life has no meaning apart from God. But for many God is unreal.

The Bible says that God is separated from us by sin. Sin is not just immorality; it is an attitude of rebellion and independence, saying ‘I go my own way’. Any action which contravenes the teaching of Jesus is sinful.

The Prodigal Son went his own way to be free and independent, but failed to find any true purpose in life, and found he was cut off from the only person who really loved him. People worry about their bodies, and will go to extreme conditions to protect them, when in fact they will one day lose their bodies, but the soul will live on to answer to God, for which they need to worry.

Jesus came, sent from God with the sole purpose of bringing us into a living relationship with Himself, and to all who are worried, afraid or anxious, Jesus says, ‘Come to me and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light’. He is saying let me relieve you of your burden, I will carry it for you.

So who can come? All those who are weary and heavy laden with care. This is a selective invitation. You have to recognise a need and be prepared to admit it. All who are weighed down by sin or guilt.
The Bible says, ‘there is no distinction since all have fallen short of the glory of God’. It doesn’t matter what the past has been, if you repent and turn to Christ, God is ready to blot out your sins and give you a clean sheet. We have all broken God’s laws, but if we are prepared to admit this, then Christ’s invitation is for us.

What happens if you come? Jesus said, ‘I will give you rest’. These are words spoken by someone who fulfils His promises. So many people make promises they either cannot, or have no intention, of fulfilling. Jesus is ready to be faithful to His Word. He says, ‘I can set you free for I am the Way, the truth, and the life. Come just as you are. We rely on what He has done for us, and at His invitation in a spirit of simple trust.

You can’t however come to God except through Jesus Christ. Not by Mohammed, Buddha, or anyone else. Jesus came, sent from God with the sole purpose of bringing us into a living relationship with Himself.Christ came to seek and to save the lost, the fearful and the lonely, the worried and the broken hearted.
To all who are worried, afraid or anxious, Jesus says, ‘Come to me and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light’

It is said that these are the most wonderful words spoken by our Lord, the very heart of Christianity. They speak of the failure of men and women to solve the problems of the world.

It is not just being religious, or even coming to Church that brings peace and rest, or indeed makes you a full Christian. A person can be baptised, confirmed and be regular at Church and not be a true Christian. Many Church people are really unpleasant, arrogant and very un-Christian. A true Christian is a person who believes Jesus died on a Cross for the forgiveness of sins, and by that sacrifice we can be forgiven by God when we accept that Jesus was including us in that death, and we believe Jesus was our personal Saviour, who will help us when called upon..

Coming to Church should be a delight, like sons and daughters coming to meet their (heavenly)Father in complete harmony, as children go their earthly parents home In far too many Churches there are dominant personalities who, instead of looking for the good, want to put their own interpretation on matters, such interpretation not always being favourable. In such cases it is because their own personal life is unhappy, disturbed or there is something lacking.

In one famous promise Jesus said ‘behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sup with Him’. As He stands outside the door of your life, He longs to come in to make His presence and friendship real. But the door handle is on the inside. All you need do is turn it, in faith.

Jesus was brought up in the East, and there the greatest act of friendship is to dine with someone. Jesus is offering to dine with anyone who invites Him.

At the end of every one of his Crusades, Billy Graham asks people to make a commitment to Christ and to demonstrate that commitment to go forward to the front of the stadium. At the same time, the choirs sing the hymn, ‘Just as I am…I come to Thee’ . Believe His promise, take Jesus at His word, come just as you are.

Are you worried about the future with all the anticipated eventualities? As middle age draws near there are worries as to how people will be able to cope. As world affairs give an excuse to raise prices on a lot of essential goods, with the irresistible opportunity to add even more than necessary. All the worry in the world will not be able you to influence such matters.


Believing Christians should find it easier to meet the future with some confidence. Paul writing to Timothy told him not to have a spirit of timidity, but strive to lead a Godly life. Reading the New Testament can help as it urges to follow a way of life, if we give attention to he teaching of Jesus.
Reading the Bible may take away awful suffering from worry. There are clear statements within which will act as a remedy, and help you to overcome what is troubling you. Just hoping all will right itself may prove to be inefficient.

A lot will depend on why you are worried. If it is from some act you wish you had not acted upon, you
repent and confess to God your sin, and if you are sincere he will forgive you. If it is the effect of having lost someone you were fond of, things will not be easy, only by time and praying for Jesus’ comfort will help, but you can’t wipe out the memories so dominating your mind. Just rejoice in past times shared.

For those who have concerns about past ways of life, the words of Peter to such people in his days, is helpful now. Repent of all that bothers you, and turn to God for forgiveness and in his mercy and grace he will forgive you. If you have hurt someone by words or deed, you should seek to heal any feelings, for worry can infiltrate into your system and the one with whom you are at odds with.
If you have felt disappointed, or feel no one cares for you remember this passage, knowing there will be judgment one day, and all who do goodness will be welcomed into His Kingdom.
There comes times of suffering and weakness in all our lives. We may suffer loss, or have some seemingly impossible matter to deal with. It is so easy to give in, but if you do give in, it can be so hard to get back.

There are so many ill minded people who long to destroy our faith, some within positions of influence in society, and too many politicians who want to take Christianity our of the public domain. Their words may appear attractive when you are downcast. So if you have trusted God and for some reason nothing has happened, your faith will be under severe attack.

The Apostles act as a warning to us, they came out of difficulties, you too can. Think of that great hymn by Ray Palmer, ‘my faith looks up to thee.’ Above all, never let worry lead you to a spiritual desert. It is sad when someone loses their faith, and like many Ministers I have seen it too often. You may think it can’t happen to you, but it can.

In conclusion;
Let us learn from these verses that the words of the Lord Jesus are deep and wonderful. We see something of he perfect union which exist in the persons of the Trinity. There is a great practical truth, that All power and authority in everything that concern our soul’s interests is placed in the hands of Jesus. To Him we must go for admission into heaven; He is the door we must enter.

We see the breadth and fulness of the invitations of Christ’s Gospel. Notice who they are that Jesus invites. He does not invite those who think they are righteous and worthy, He is inviting all who are burdened and heavy laden. That means a lot of people, multitudes who feel a load on their hearts.

Mark the gracious offer, I will give you rest. He says come unto me let me vary your burden. The only ones who need help. He tells He is humble and lowly of heart. Think how He went to Mary and Martha when they were devastated at the loss of their brother and brought Lazarus back to health; forgave Peter for denying Him and Thomas who doubted Him.

The final thought is He said His yoke is easy. Have we accepted such an invitation? If we have sins to be forgiven, or wounds to be removed, let the voice of Christ saying, come to me.

May we never be satisfied until we know and feel that we have come to Christ by faith to rest and still come to Him for fresh supplies of grace. Let us cleave to Him, His Word shall never be broken, I will never cast thee out.



Thank you God for your Holy Gospel. We pray your Holy Name be glorified.







M

J O H N  13 v 22—36

 

There are many people who will not live in a house which is numbered 13, and some roads omit the number, going from 11 to 11a or 15a.  The superstition originated from the story in this Chapter, not because of the number of the Chapter, but from the story contained in it.

This morning I want to speak on the uniqueness of Christ. This I fear is something the wider Church is not preaching on as firmly as it might.  There seems reluctance to state positively what our message is; that Christ was uniquely born; that His birth is still, (and the only one) universally known 2000 years later; and time is calculated from His birth. No other faith can make the claims we can make and we should be proud to say so.

Jesus entered the room with His 12 Apostles for the Last Supper, so making a total of 13, and within hours of doing so both He and Judas would be dead.  Judas would commit the greatest betrayal in history as he left the room to ‘go out into the night’ (darkness) to sell out Jesus.

In the previous verses to this passage, Jesus has been with His Apostles at the Last Supper, from which the betrayer Judas left to meet the men to whom He was giving Jesus.  After the meal, Jesus then told the Apostles He would be leaving them, for He had to go to Jerusalem and the Cross.  He was calling on the men to love one another, and live peacefully.

The glory of Jesus was on the Cross, where He offered Himself as a sacrifice, to pay the penalty for the sins of all people who accepted Him as Savior.  I quote the Word of God at this point, from which the Apostle Paul wrote, for everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s standards.

 I quote this, as there many people not Church members in addition to those who are, who are quite offended if it is suggested they have sinned.  This is partly due to the fact that sin is considered to be just immorality, when there are other actions, and some people think of their position in life being above such matters.

Sin is described in Galatians 5 as; .sexual immorality impurity, sensuality, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger ,rivalries, dissensions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, for such will not enter the Kingdom of God.

Jesus was going on a journey on which He had to go alone.  Until the last minute, Jesus was thinking of His Apostles, and wants then to love one another as He had loved them, which He did selflessly.  The love was sincere and gave happiness, and His desire was to give all He could for those He loved.  There was no limit, if it meant the Cross, He as prepared to go to the Cross.

Sometimes we all make mistake, and think Love is far from our thoughts, but love brings pain which we fail to see.  Jesus knew His Apostles, all their weaknesses, but still loved them.  He had spent three years with them and it must have been a big loss in departing from them.

We have to remember the paintings we see of the Cross, only show a man having a painful death, but what the Cross really means is that our sins were being paid for.  Jesus regarded His death as the most glorious part of His work on earth.  He does +not see death as a disgrace , punishment or humiliation, but a  glorious event, glorifying both Him and the Father. 

Jesus loved them forgivingly, despite the fact they all fled away in His hour of need; they were insensitive leaving him, but He had the women who remained with Him.

It is the end of a close relationship of three years and time to say goodbye. Jesus tells them He is leaving them, and they cannot go with Him, and that leaves them devastated.  They had only managed to stay together  through His unifying spirit, otherwise they would have parted.

He then gave them the command that they were to love one another, and by that He was calling on them to stay together and be faithful to each other, something all Christians should do; show an example to the world.  So often Christians are seen to be fighting with each other, due to some following a false line of teaching and not obeying Scripture, when they should be seen as a happy family.  This is a complete turn off to non- believers. 

 Enormous damage has been caused to Christianity by the behaviour in Northern Ireland, where Catholics and Protestants have murdered and maimed in the name of religion, too often with the support of clergy on both sides.  Nor does Christianity benefit from men and women who sing hymns in Church on Sunday and  act unworthily from Monday to  Saturday.  There is no excuse for the Irish bishops, they had a position of leadership in theirChurches, and should have met together; the Roman Catholics would have responded and the Protestants would have been forced to stop.

Peter professes undying devotion, but Jesus graciously tells him He is going where Peter cannot then go, but indeed would one day follow.  When Peter said he would lay down his life for Jesus, our Lord knew perfectly well the weakness Peter would show, and told him kindly what would happen.  Whilst Peter betrayed Jesus, unlike Judas it was in a moment of weakness rather than the cold blood action of Judas.

The betrayal Judas made was obviously worse than the action of The Jewish leaders, Pilate and Caiphas. Judas lived with the light of Jesus for three years and was well treated, but he went out knowing what was going to happen in the night, the darkness of which equated his action.

 Sometimes people let us down and hurt us and we get upset, perhaps even bitter.  If we could only remember, that we all act contrary to our better nature at times of stress, and many tragic breaches of relationships could be avoided if we could forgive.

At this time, we still have division in the Church when leaders abrogate their responsibility and adopt false doctrine.  The evangelical body cannot except that which is contrary to the Word of God, this as we are seeing is causing division right down to the parishes, where a parish priest has the burden of dealing with congregations in which beliefs vary.  There is the simple answer, that if all abided by what the Bible states; but in too many Churches by too many clergy who are more concerned with pleasing society rather than pleasing God.

 

We praise God for His Holy Word and Glorify His Holy Name.

 

 J O H N  10  v22-30.

 

John begins this passage telling about the Festival of Dedication.  This Festival is the last of the great festivals, often called by its Jewish name of Hanukkah  or the Festival of Lights. It is held on the 25^th day of the Jewish calendar month named Chislew, which is in our calendar December.  This is still held by Jews.

 The Festival was made in one of the great times of ordeal or heroism in Jewish history.  There was a king of Syria, who decided to destroy the Jewish religion, and replace it with Greek religion and Greek gods into Palestine.  Some of the Jews were ready to accept this, but the majority stood firm on Jewish faith.

 In 1750 BC, Jerusalem was attacked, and 80,000 were killed and a similar amount were taken into slavery. It became a capital offence to keep a copy of Jewish law, or to circumcise a child, and if any circumcise was found to have been made, both the one who performed the operation and the child, were killed. Temple Courts were vandalized, and Temple Chambers were turned into brothels, and finally the great altar turned into an altar to the Greek god Zeus. The Temple Courts were eventually destroyed, and the Temple Chamers purified.

 There were large illuminations in the Temple and in Jewish homes. The lights had meanings. First, the light of freedom to Israel, and secondly brought back an old legend.  It was held that when the Temple was purified, there was only a small amount of oil to give light, and this was in a small jar sealed by the ring of the High Priest, which enabled work to carry on for eight days in the Temple, so it was believed that God made the oil to last so long.

 Jesus is revealing Himself as the Good Shepherd, and also the Christ; One with the Father.  One day when He was at the Festival, and was seen to be walking in the Solomons Portico.  The Jews saw Him and wanted to know if He was the Christ, and if so to answer in clear words. Jesus answered  by referring to the times He had already done so, and reminding them of His miracles.  He pointed to their unbelief, and said they would know if they were His sheep. If they accepted Him as their Shepherd, they would know all He had said and they would have gained eternal life.  Everyone who knew Jesus and His Father were One who gave care to those who followed Him, and were safe in every way.

 The Jews regarded His words were blasphemous, by stating He was one with God, and in their fury went to a pile of stones, to collect some to throw at Him. He told them they should make a study of His words and accept them by faith. They abandoned the intention to throw the stones, and had Him arrested.

 The great majority of Jews did not accept what Jesus stated.  In Palestine people had followed Jesus and they were His flock. They belonged to the Good Shepherd and heard His voice. The Jews were not of His flock.  John is here saying were not destined to follow Jesus. 

 In the New Testament, the fact was everything happens within the purposes of God, yet everything happens in a way that man’s free-will is considered. The Jews made themselves such, that they were predestined not to accept Jesus, but as John sees it, that does not mean they are to be condemned.

 Though they did not accept Jesus, there were those who did.  He promised eternal life, a foretaste of the life which is the very life of God. He promised that    if they accepted Him as Master and Lord, and became part of His flock, all the weakness of earthly life would end, and they would know the splendor and magnificence of the life of God.  He promised life without end, and would not perish.  He promised a secure life which would not suffer, have no sorrow or death, but would mean, that in the worst moment and darkest hour there would be everlasting arms underneath and about them.  They would know a security which earth could not offer.

 This passage shows the tremendous trust and claim of the Lord Jesus. The trust was something which traced everything back to God.  He has been speaking about His flock and the sheep, that no one could snatch from His hands.  He is the shepherd that will keep His flock forever.  Jesus is not saying it is all in His own power, He was sure because of the love of God; He had the confidence of God; He was so certain of ultimate safety and victory because He gave all power to God.

 The claim I  and the Father are One, was acclaim that confused people.  This is written in the 17^th Chapter of John’s Gospel.  John tells of the prayer of Jesus for His prayer for His own people before going to the Cross.  He prayed. ‘Holy Father, through thine own Name, Thou has given me that they be as one as We are one’.  It was clear that Jesus knew of the unity of Christian with Christian, as His unity with God; He says so in so many words. In the same passage, He went on, ‘Neither I pray for them alone, for them also, who will believe in me through their word; that  they may all be one as Thou Father art, One and I in Thee, that they may also be one in us; that the world believe Thou hast sent me’.  Jesus is saying in simple terms which no one can mistake, that the Christian life is that Christians should be as one.as He and the Father are one.

 Jesus stated to us, ‘a new Commandment I give you, that you shall love one another; as I have loved you’.  Jesus’ one with God, because of His love for God.

We can go further; He said ‘if ye keep my Commandment, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept Father’s Commandments and I abide in Him.

 There is the essence of the matter.  The bond of unity is love; the proof is obedience. Christians should obey the words of Christ. When Jesus said He and the Father are one, He was not moving in the world of philosophy, He was moving in the world of personal relationships.

 The unity of Jesus with God, came from twin facts of love and perfect obedience. He was in love with God, because he loved perfectly and obeyed perfectly.  He came into this world to make us be like Him.

 We Praise the Holy Name of God and pray He be Glorified. 

We can go further; He said ‘if ye keep my Commandment, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept Father’s Commandments and I abide in Him.

 There is the essence of the matter.  The bond of unity is love; the proof is obedience. Christians should obey the words of Christ. When Jesus said He and the Father are one, He was not moving in the world of philosophy, He was moving in the world of personal relationships.

 The unity of Jesus with God, came from twin facts of love and perfect obedience. He was in love with God, because he loved perfectly and obeyed perfectly.  He came into this world to make us be like Him.

 We Praise the Holy Name of God and pray He be Glorified.