Matthew 15 v 21 /28

Jesus has completed a very hectic ministry in the region of Galilee in the area of Capernaum. He knew He was nearing the end of His earthly ministry, and wanted to rest and teach His Apostles for the future work they would have to do. Jesus has left the area of Galilee completely, and withdrawn into the area of Tyre and Sidon, two places on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in what is now Lebanon. Tyre is about fifty miles south of modern Beirut, and Sidon was halfway between the two. He had gone there for peace and quiet whilst He taught His Apostles.

The cities were outside the boundaries of Israel, and the people were largely Gentiles, but there was a Jewish community. This was the only occasion when Jesus left Jewish territory, and had on His present journey crossed geographical, ethnic, gender and theological boundaries. Later it would mean removing barriers, to enable the gospel to be taken to the whole world.

I have found that quite a number of people found this story hard to understand, as Jesus appeared to be doing something which seems contrary to the image they have of Him, especially in the way He spoke to the woman.

Today many people are anti-Israel and wish to separate from the Jews, but forget the specialness of Israel in the purposes of God. Jesus never implied anything different, but Paul was specially commissioned to bring Gentile and Jews on equal terms. Many of the wonders of technology, which we all enjoy so much, were first discovered and developed in Israel, and given to the wider world in medicine, wireless communication, agriculture and more.

Never overlook the fact that we worship a Jewish Saviour, born into a Jewish family, and our God is the God Israel. We teach, (or are meant to) from a Holy Book written by 40 men, 39 of whom were Jews, under the divine inspiration of God. Our faith is not man-made, and is recorded in history by witnesses, which negates any justifiable call for joint worship with other faiths. We respect their right to hold their own beliefs, but they do not acknowledge the divinity of Jesus.

The story revolves around a "Canaanite" woman, turning from her idols to seek the help and mercy of Jesus to cure her daughter’s illness.This is a woman of Canaanite heritage, who were ancestral enemies of Israel, and thereby of Jesus. She has no understanding, or even knowing of the Old Testament. She is not even in a place where she would be in regular contact with those who did. It is likely that she had heard of Jesus as miracle worker in the land of Israel, from those who were now passing through her land, and now she finds that Jesus is in her area.

She went to Him and pleaded for His mercy, which is further evidence that she does understand something of who Jesus is, for by definition, a person who asks for mercy, asks for something that they know that they do not deserve. She turns her back on the idols of her own culture, and turned to Jesus.

She pleaded with Jesus to help her crying out, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." . Jesus turned His back on her, refusing to answer and His Apostles urged Jesus to chase her away. He then said to her, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel’.

Whilst this was in contrast to Jesus’ last commission to His Apostles to go into the world and make disciples, at the time of this incident it was in the plan of God for Jesus to focus on the Jews, and their spiritual needs.

She then knelt before Jesus, and begged Him to help her. His reply was that it would not be right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. She seems to accept the insult and Jesus’ judgement on her, but still pleaded and said even dogs eat the crumbs from the table In Palestine, dogs were wild scavengers, and Canaanites were referred to as such by the Jews who were ancestral enemies of each other.

The woman responded, that extended blessings were mentioned by Abraham to the promised Gentiles, that God’s plan was to bring salvation to His chosen people Israel, and then to Gentiles. The woman was showing an attitude of humble faith, which allowed Jesus to answer, for God responds to all who call on Him in true faith.
Jesus was testing her faith, for it was His way to help all people. The woman was displaying greater faith in Jesus than many of His own people, and Jesus responded by telling her faith was so great and granted her request with the result her daughter was healed.

She was persistent, and such perseverance should be the mark of every Christian, but sadly it is not. Too often we give up when we do not receive a quick reply to our requests. We may even get discouraged, thinking the Lord is no longer listening to us or is ignoring us as He was this woman.

What a beautiful example of the humility and faith, and what a contrast she was to the pride and unbelief of those Jesus had been with in Galilee. She responded in What a beautiful example of the humility and faith, and what a contrast she was to the pride and unbelief of those Jesus had been with in Galilee. She responded in complete humility, which is the way each of us should respond

What can we learn from this story.?

This is one of the miracles performed by Jesus, Let us look to see what we can learn from it.
We see first, that true faith may sometimes be found, where it was least expected. A Canaanitic woman cries out to our Lord for help, on behalf of, her daughter. ‘have mercy on me’, she says ‘O Lord, thou Son of David’. Such a prayer would have showed great faith, had she lived in Bethany, or Jerusalem. But when we find she came from the coasts of Tye and Sidon, such a prayer may well fill us with surprise. It ought to teach us, that it is truth we have in this passage.

The prayer of this afflicted mother, at first seemed entirely unnoticed. Jesus did not answer a word. Yet she prayed on, ‘Lord, help me’. The saying which fell from our Lord’s lips was discouraging saying,’ I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel’. Yet she prayed on.

The second saying of our Lord, was even less encouraging than the first: It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs’. Yet hope deferred did not make her heart sick. Even then she was not silenced. Then she finds a plea for ‘crumbs of mercy to be granted to her. And her pleas obtained at length a great reward ‘

O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt’. That promise was never yet broken, which stated. Seek and ye shall find.

There is a lesson for us when we pray for ourselves.

We are sometimes tempted to think we get no good for our prayers, and we may as well give up altogether. Let us resist the temptation from the devil, and pray on. For strength to do duty, for grace to bear our trials, for comfort in every trouble. Be sure that no time is so well spent in every day, as that which we spend in prayer. Jesus hears us and in his own good time, will give an answer.

When we pray for others, remember this history. We may have children whose conversion we desire. Relations and friends whose salvation we are concerned. We follow this Canaanite woman, and lay their souls before Christ. Name their names before Him until we have an answer, which might be a long time.

We may seem to pray in vain, and intercede without profit; but never give up. Believe that Jesus is not changed, and he who granted this woman’s request, will also hear us, and will one day give us an answer of peace.

May God’s Holy Name be Glorified.

.

 

 

2 Imothy 3

There is the choice from two collects today.  One prays that the Church will be steadfast in faith; the other prays that God will defend His Church from false teaching.  This morning I want to collate those prayers into words of St Paul when he wrote Timothy.

During the 1939 war there was a comedian named Rob Wilton who had a catch-phrase, ‘don’t you know there is a war on.’  Those words are what all Christians need to hear, and should remember and recognise, there is an intense anti=Christian attack, which we have to defend, from forces not only from the secular world with its actvists, but from within the Church, a false doctrine is being thrust on us which true Christians must be prepared to resist.

  There is now a spiritual war going on. We are living in a time when our faith is under sustained attack, so in the words of the collect, ‘we must be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel, and steadfast in faith and active service.’ And in the words of the other collect,’ Lord God defend your Church from false teaching.’

First then, the need for being steadfast in the faith.

I watch American news broadcasts, and see the American people are both stunned and amazed at how we in this country, have let our Christian faith be attacked and diminished.  Something many of us wonder at. 

On the main services in the United States, the Church services are all solidly biblical with the Pastors devoid of the robes our Ministers have.  A Bible is very apparent, often held in the hand. How wonderful to see the Bible given its due authority. What is the purpose of a Christian service, unless the Bible is given its true place.

One of the favourite pastimes of our entertainment industry is ridiculing Christians. On TV, Christians are portrayed as gullible, and somehow lacking in common sense. There has always been hostility toward Christians, but today it is open season.  TV ministers appear to be shallow and superficial. And this very perception, real or not, has given ample ammunition to the detractors of Christianity. It is most noticeable, that these people never have the courage to mock Islam.

Any expression of  Christianity, by word, deed or symbol can lead to suspension or dismissal from employment, again something which does not apply to other faiths.

 Far more serious, is the legislation that the government has introduced which is distinctly anti-Christian.  Churches and Church organisations no longer have freedom to act in accordance with their beliefs, but are forced to employ people who are clearly unsuitable, because their lifestyle is blatantly contradictory to Biblical teaching.

 In addition, we are not expected to suggest our belief and standard of morality are more worthy.  Indeed, some verses from the Bible could put us under threat of prosecution if forcibly preached upon.

 You can realise how the fundamental beliefs of Christianity are being eroded, and there are undisguised attempts to force our faith into a closed minority sect.  Every Christian is required to fight this spiritual attack on our faith.

 Paul was writing to Timothy, a young man who Paul hoped would take over from him and maintain the faith in those early days.  Timothy was a timid man, and like many in today’s world,was put under enormous pressure from non-believers.  We all have to keep on pursuing our faith, not content to think we are all safe and have all we need.  If you just coast along, and let down your guard, you may fall into their trap. 

 Secondly, let us look at false teaching.

In addition to these direct attacks from outside, we are facing problems from within the Church, from those who preach a different and false gospel from that laid down in Scripture.  There are those who have their own agenda, motivated by a desire to promote a moral lifestyle which is acceptable to modern society, but which does not accord with Scripture.

However convenient and popular same sex marriage is, to people and some of the bishops, it is not to God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who have created marriage, the bedrock of society, to be only between a man and a woman.

 Sometimes we hear a suggestion, which I accept is made as an attempt to cause people to attend Church services, but unfortunately that put forward is as ridiculous as it is unsuitable.  For instance, have coffee services in which people sit at tables and have coffee as part of the service. The minute coffee is withdrawn, is when the people leave.

There are others it would be embarrassing to mention. 

It was a similar situation, as when the Pope condemned people living together outside marriage.  Whilst we recognise it is now a fact of life, any Church which preached that would soon empty.

Today, worship services do not always have the fervour and passion that once was held; people are drawn away from belief in judgement, such a major doctrine of the Bible.  We need to return to the Scripture, with eyes opened afresh, to learn the doctrine of eternal life and salvation. 

Paul, writing to Timothy, said, ‘ a time would come when people would not want to listen to sound teaching, but having itching ears, would find teachers ready to suit their own likings.

Surely that is descriptive of our own day. It indicates a time when people will forsake what is commonly called ‘a Christian consensus,’ an undergirding of the institutions of social life by Christian principles, and substitute others. This is the time in which we live.

Paul is referring to a godless world, a life centred on self and what’s in it for me approach.  As we see crime and lawlessness increase, rebellion against authority, many people wonder what is going wrong with our country.

Some of us would say when the liberal minded educators, were allowed unlimited freedom, to take Christianity out of education and supplant it with freedom of expression.

Sound teaching, is that which leads to health and wholeness of spirit, soul and body; teaching that permits human beings to live at peace, to develop themselves and enjoy their lives. But, Paul says, men and women will turn away from that and refuse to hear it.

They will do this, because truth requires people to abandon passions, which they do not like to do; and submit to the authority of God. They turn away from the truth, they will not even give it a hearing. It is not that they will listen to the truth and then decide whether it is right or wrong; no, they do not even want to hear it. They do not want you to say anything in this direction, and they resist, sometimes openly, sometimes with subtle influences, every attempt to introduce the truth into any situation.

Then, since they will not listen to teachers of truth, as the apostle says, they will look for others who will teach them what they want to hear. There is a disease, widespread in our day, called "itching ear disease," which Paul mentions. This is an ear that wants to hear a particular line of things, an ear that wants to be entertained, an ear that is always looking for something new, an ear that wants constant affirmation and does not want to hear anything negative or contradictory.

People who have this disease, look for teachers who will scratch that itch; and the result, the apostle says, is that they "wander into myths."

What do these teachers, which such people accumulate in great numbers teach? They cannot teach the truth because the truth is unacceptable, so they teach attractive lies, fantasies for the most part, speculative philosophies, that emerge from the minds of men which have no basis in fact or history.

A matter of greatest concern, is that our children are being denied Christian teaching.  All other faiths, educate their children in their own faith, only Christian children are missing out.  Children are a trust from God and belong to Him not the state. Yet the state interferes so much.  All of us, parents, grandparents, godparents have a responsibility for them. 

But, schoolteachers have a tremendous influence on them. And in consideration of the views of some teachers, parents need to be so watchful.  They need to examine the children’s work, and find out what is being taught. 

I understand, many teachers do not even believe in God, or have no Christian belief, and in some schools children are being taught that all religions are the same.  No longer are assemblies held, sometimes said to be because of shortage of time, yet there seems plenty of time for explicit sexual instruction.

Gone are the days, when parents as a matter of course, would send their children to Sunday school and/or read and tell them about Jesus and bible stories.  Consequently, the children are growing up without any Christian knowledge, and are then unable to pass it on to their children.

We have been saturated by a world that is committed to falsehood. That is why, as Paul sets forth here, we must increasingly proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus. I understand the feelings of frustration, that come when we see all that is dear and precious in humanity being destroyed by these lies. The apostle reminds us, that the most effective thing is, announce the truth, tell of reality, make it clear, spread the word. and declare that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

You and I are called to advance that work. Do not let anybody tell you that your life as a Christian does not count. It counts tremendously. It is the most significant thing taking place on this earth today, Glory in what God has called you to do, and be faithful to his command.

May God bless you and may God's Holy Name be forever glorified

 

                              JOHN 15 v 18-27

 

The Collect for the service this coming Sunday asks Jesus to give us pure hearts and steadfast wills to worship in spirit and in truth. Let us turn therefore to the gospel of John in Chapter 15, verses  18-27.

It is John’s way to see things as black or white; there is the Church and the world, and there is no fellowship between.  There is no half-way or compromise solution. For John it is a man of the world, or a man of Christ.

At this time, the Church was under persecution. Christians were individually persecuted and Christianity was illegal.  In the Law Courts the Magistrate would ask whether the man was a Christian or not.  No matter what the charge was, a Christian would be liable to a severe punishment or even death.  A Christian could not pretend he did not know or had not been warned.   John reported this as it was.

Jesus told His people they could be beaten in the Synagogue, and be taken before the rulers for a testimony against them.  Within families, brother would be against brother, and even between parents and children, they were ready to betray each other. When John wrote about such hatred, it had already begun and was frightening.

The Roman government hated Christians, because they deemed them as disloyal citizens.  The Empire of Rome stretched across Europe and North Africa, and the unifying force was Caesar, who was called Lord, but the Christinas insisted on only  Jesus being called Lord.

The Eastern and Western Churches of Christendom were divided about their meaning, and in some ways still are.

Jesus did two things. First, He exposed sin. He told of things which grieved God, and told them the way God wanted them to walk.  Secondly, He provided the remedy for sin, and did so in a double sense.  He opened the way to forgiveness for past sin, and gave them the power  which enabled a person to overcome sin and do the proper way. Those were the privileges and knowledge which he brought forward.

Suppose a man was ill and would call a doctor who diagnosed the cause, and offered a cure. If the man disregarded the diagnosis and refused to take the cure, he had no one else to blame. If he survived in a condition in which his life is ruined, he is at fault.  As John saw things, they  should have done what told they told to do.  The Psalmist said in Psalm 19, they hated me without cause.

It is still possible to do the same. There are not many hostile to Christ, but there are still those who live their lives as if Jesus had never come, and simply disregard Him.

The world dislikes people whose lives are a condemnation of it, in fact, it can be dangerous to be good.  The world likes a pattern; it likes to be able, to take a person, clarify him and put in a pigeon -hole.

The basic demand on the Christian, is the demand that the Christian should have the courage to be different; this can be dangerous, but no one can be a Christian unless accepting the risk, for there will always be a difference between a man of the world and a Christian man.

In verse 22, Jesus has returned to a thought recorded in John’s gospel. It is the conviction that knowledge and privilege bring responsibility.  Until Jesus came, people never had the opportunity really and fully to know God.  He tells His Apostles if he had not spoken and done among the Jews, which no one had done before, they would not have had sin. By this he means they would not have been as sinful as they were then, but were entirely without excuse They had seen the works of Christ and heard His teaching, yet remained believing He could not have done anything more.  They wilfully sinned against the cleanest light, and of all people were most guilty.  No one can know life in this world, or in the world to come if they disregard the Lord of all good life.

John uses two ideas which are close to his heart, and which are entwined in his thoughts. The first is the witness of the Holy Spirit.  When the story of Jesus is told, we recognize Him as the Son of God and we see divine wisdom. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit within us, who moves us to respond to Jesus Christ.

The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as a person, and with God the father, and God the Son, is the third person in the Trinity.

Jesus said to His Apostles, you will be witness about me.  There three elements about Christian witness

.(1) Chrisian witness comes from long fellowship and intimacy with Jesus.  The Apostles are the witnesses for Christ, having been with Him from the beginning.  A witness is someone who can say this is true, and I know it to be so.  There cannot be witness without the experience, we can only be a witness when we know Christ.

(2) Christian witness comes from inner conviction.  The accent of personal inner conviction, is one of the most unmistakeable accents in the world. A person hardly begins to speak, before we know whether it is really believed  what is being said.  There cannot be witness without inner conviction, which comes from deep commitment with Jesus.

(3) A Christian witness issues in outward testimony. A witness is on who knows Christ, and is prepared to say that they know it is true. And wants others to know Him too

This is our privilege  and our task, to be witnesses in the world for Christ, and we need inner conviction and outward testimony, and a knowledge of Christ.

 

 

John 3 v/1/16

The gospel this morning is one of the outstanding passages in the whole Bible. In it, Jesus is calling for an inner change in your life. So often we seek change in relationships or in other people, here Jesus seeks a change in us.

In verse 1, we read of Nicodemus. Here was a man who recognized that he needed a change and wanted to go deeper, he wanted what Jesus offered. Sometimes it may be difficult to admit this, but Nicodemus was ready to face up to it

.He was an important man in the community. He was a Pharisee, one of an elite company never more than 6,000, who took a pledge to spend all their lives observing every details of the Jewish Law. To a Jew, that Law was the most sacred thing in the world. He was also on the ruling council called the Sanhedrin, a Court of 70 members, the Supreme Court of the Jews. All the people looked up to Nicodemus, for he was a teacher and answered questions. He tithed a tenth of all his income, fasted and prayed for two hours each day. He was a man many Churches would welcome. He had religion, but not Christ.

One night he went to see Jesus, which meant he was taking a great risk, for if found doing so it would have meant losing his position, so he had to avoid being seen. No one need to be afraid of seeking Jesus, He will take you however you come. There are people now who don’t like to acknowledge that they are identified with the Church of Jesus for fear of embarrassment through being mocked and want to live a secret faith.

So beneath an Asian sky, on a hill overlooking Jerusalem, when it was dark, Nicodemus went to find and speak to Jesus and say, no one could help but be impressed by what Jesus had achieved. Jesus replied that it was not the acts that were important, but it was the effects on a life that mattered.

The religion of Nicodemus was that of doing good works. The problem with a religion of good deeds is that we can never know when we have done enough, but that is the basic religion of the world. 95% of the population today, believes that as long as you are honest, kind and helpful to others and do no harm, you are a fully- fledged Christian with a passport to heaven. What we need to ask ourselves is, if I stood before God to day and He asked me why I should be allowed into heaven, what would I say?
Jesus saw that Nicodemus had in his heart a great need, for he could see the effect Jesus was having on the crowds and he wanted that experience. He sincerely believed he was doing what he thought God wanted from him, yet he realised something more was necessary; it was that feeling which led him to Jesus and risk incurring the wrath of his people. So many people like Nicodemus.

Jesus answered him with that phrase, which has been immortalized by evangelical preachers, ‘you must be born again’. Jesus didn’t say ‘you must think about it’ or ‘you must consider it’. He said ‘you MUST be born again.’ This verse is so difficult for many within the Church to accept, for it means a change in their way of living; in other words, it condemns them.

Nicodemus took Jesus’ words literally and asked ‘how can a man be born when he is old. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb. Jesus was of course speaking figuratively.

The problem with so many people is that they think they are quite satisfactory and don’t need to change or do anything. They like a certain amount of religion, but not too much; having to attend Church is an unnecessary thing for them to do. Now people are fooled into thinking if their morality is in line with State law, they have a way of easing their conscience, failing to appreciate God’s law overrides State law.

But there is also a lesson and warning for many within the Church. It may be entertaining and give one a feeling of self- importance and learning to justify writing books and taking part in profound discussions in academic circles, but all that is useless in practical terms, if unable to communicate the simple message of Christianity to ordinary people.

The Apostles of Jesus were ordinary men without a degree among them. Well has it been said, ‘the Church is falling apart by degrees’.

If you go into hospital you don’t want the surgeon to give a lecture on the workings of the human body, you just want him to make you well. Christianity is something we accept by faith; we do not need a theological treatise.

Like many people today, Nicodemus felt he was too old to change, to set in his ways, but we can begin anew at any age. So many people are desperately unhappy and unsatisfied because they are missing out in their lives. They seek refuge in alcohol or drugs or gambling or whatever. The thought of seeking spiritual help is beyond their ability to think of such a move.

What Jesus calls for is a complete transformation in our lives. To lead a life in which we submit all willingly to the will of God. This means in our thoughts, words and actions. A true Christian cannot live by society’s standards from Monday to Saturday and think a token statement of repentance on Sunday will be acceptable. Nor is infrequent attendance at Church, and/or a casual attitude to faith during the rest of the week.

If you think of a birth, the body exists before birth and can move and feel, but knows nothing of this world. It cannot see nor communicate yet the world is all around it. At the moment of birth, the embryo comes in to the world and can see, breathe and make contact. The baby is born of the flesh.

Jesus told Nicodemus he needed to be born again, that being to be changed in such a way that can only be described as a re-creation. To be born of the Spirit means to have the Spirit of Jesus Christ living inside of you, and you are ready to believe that Jesus Christ was Lord and is the Saviour of the World.
People come to a point in life when they feel that they are going through the motion of religion, of having the ritual without there being any sense of the real thing. If you come to that point in your relationship with God, and it happens to people all the time, you need to come before Jesus and ask Him to come into your life and give you that new life.

At this time John had been baptizing and it was a sensational event. Many people now superstitiously think that if they have their babies baptized that will ensure their entrance into heaven, a sort of once and for life matter irrespective of a life in between, which is pure superstition. Water may cleanse and may make you smell nicer, but that is not enough in God’s eyes. What it stands for is important, but you have to grasp the full meaning, which is repentance for sin, and the start of a new way of living.

Most people don’t want to admit there is anything to repent of, they are perfectly good and God should recognize that. A Vicar put a notice outside his Church which read, ‘this church is here for sinners.’ The next week two thirds of his congregation was absent.

Jesus referred to the wind blowing and being heard without it being seen or knowing where it came from or where it was going. When we are born again we feel the Spirit of God inside us. You don’t see God or control Him, but you see the effects when Jesus takes hold of your life. Your worship becomes more meaningful and necessary to you. You don’t find so many excuses for not coming to Church.
When we are born of the Spirit we have a new power within us. It may be asked how do I get it? 

Sometimes a man and a woman meet and immediately know they have met the person of their dreams, instantly they fall in love. The relationship may last for ever or indeed may fall apart after a while when they reconsider with the regularity of normal living. Another man and woman meet and meet again and again, and suddenly realize how deeply they have come to love each other and they live on happily. If you asked them at what point they actually fell in love, they could not tell you it just developed.

So it is with religion. Many thousands of people went to the Billy Graham Crusades in the latter half of the last century. Touched by rousing hymns, massed choirs, sermon by the world’s greatest preacher, they immediately had a Damascus road conversion. Quite a lot of men became clergy and even bishops, others went back to their parishes and in the more mundane atmosphere of 1662 Matins, poorly put together services and indifferent preaching, fell away; whilst others with regular worship and a desire to know the Lord just grew in grace over time.

We have the whole message of the gospel in verse 16, ‘God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ Just as a mother suffers to give us physical birth, so Jesus suffered on the Cross that we should have spiritual birth.

Jesus went on to Jerusalem and the Cross and a cruel death in the most horrific form of execution, and after being beaten with a leather belt fitted with steel studs 39 times.

Jesus endured this that we might be forgiven of our sins.  As you bear this in mind, think of the pain He suffered, and consider if He gave His life so willingly for us, our first reaction should be, we are willingly going to follow His teaching and accepting Him as Savior.

 

May these words so motivate our hearts to follow the teaching of Jesus,

 

 May God’s Holy Name be Glorified.  

 

                              A LOOK AT TWO CHURHES

 

All my life, from a boy in a Church choir, to a young man at Liverpool Cathedral,  eventually to being ordained in the Church of England.  As I look back at the Church over the years, I find it hard to believe it was the same Church as now.

The Ministers were largely fine English gentlemen with engaging manners, always dressed in smart suits, easy to speak with, indeed it was a pleasure to do so. They conducted their services in professional way, and their sermons were Bible based.

Of course, the Churches were well attended as it was an accepted attitude that Sunday was Church day for parents, and children in Sunday School, although Sunday School depended on which district they lived in.

Most of this was ended as Governments changed, and a different kind of Church resulted also. I know those Ministers would be horrified by the way the Church had developed. It has become a rather different Church now.

For one big difference, by a change of living, in which the Church has for so many people become irrelevant.  There are few Churches which have a Sunday School, or Junior Church as now called.  This is due to families going out together, and most children do not have any true religion assemblies in school to give them an interest.  Something is a mystery, how do other faiths still attend regularly. We can however always have those people who come when they want something which only the Church cam provide.

The biggest difference of all is, that the Church of England has become an Apostate Church.  The Bible is not the authority, for all preaching and teaching, it has been silenced in places to meet the culture of to-day.

The view of the Church’s decline, could not be more clearly displayed than by the reaction from other countries.  The Church of England is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and Global South Fellowship, and the Church of England was the mother Church with the Archbishop of Canterbury was the leader. Both Church and Archbishop have been disqualified, because of following a doctrine  which is against the Word of God.

The Church has agreed to follow a false doctrine, to give blessings to unions of (so called) same sex marriages in secular places. This is going to be exacerbated in the near future ,as it is likely to be agreed to have such ‘marriages’, and allow clergy to have a same sex partnership. This is in direct opposition to the Bible in Genesis 2 and Matthew 19. When both God and Jesus stated marriage is between a man and a woman.  All ordained clergy make an affirmation at the Ordination service to ban all false doctrine. The failure to keep to the affirmation, in turn has created problems.

An Oxford Chaplain was engaged by a private school as Chaplain, and a group promoting sexuality was also engaged, and in one lesson called n the pupils to all shout ‘down with heteroploidy’.  The Chaplain was asked by two boys, if they had to believe all they were told by the ideology group, and he said no, but respect other people’s views. In a teaching lesson, he is stated to have told in a moderate and thoughtful way, that marriage was between a man and a woman.           

The  headteacher reported the Chaplain to the elite Police anti-terrorism Unit for their attention, and they probably thought the teacher was rather confused. for thinking of terrorism, and sent it back.  The Chaplain was ten sacked.

The Chaplain returned to his Diocese, and his bishop after having him examined by a safeguarding woman, decided to suspend him. Now after five years, that Chaplain has been banned from any Ministry, has no employment. He is an ordained Minister of the Church, who quoted the Official doctrine of the Church. In other words, he was suspended for doing his work properly.

He appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who rejected him and gave full support to the bishop.

Christian Concern Legal team took the case to the Court.

The adjudicating Officer, was legal expert Gregory Jones (KC) who ruled that there was no evidence to justify the Rev. Bernard Randall being marked as a risk to children because of his Christian beliefs on sexuality. Evidence was found that the  Diocese had blacklisted him, under the watch of bishop of Derby, after it had departed from safeguarding guidance, and had no reasons for doing so.

The Archbishop of Canterbury was said to have misguided himself  and misunderstood the scope of his powers, after saying there was no case for the bishop of Derby to answer, over the power which led to blacklisting. The Archbishop admitted safeguarding powers had not been followed, and  a safeguarding complaint that the bishop herself had been guilty of abusing behaviour.   The action taken, was described by the judge as egregious and gross.

The bishop was told the safeguarding process, which led to the Rev .Randall being blacklisted was flawed, and needed to be reviewed. The team had discriminated against Dr Randall because of his certain theology.

The Chaplain is still out on his own, but a large number of people have signed a petition for him to be reinstated.  By any standards, the bishop let herself be unworthy in this case.

This is an example that safeguarding is being abused and misunderstood.

If a man/woman has been selected for ministry, it should be assumed they have a sense of personal responsibility, and know how to conduct themselves in speech and action. Any improper behavior, improper speech, assault or theft, would all be against the law of the land, and become a   straight Police matter.  If a Church law or Article is breached, the matter is for a Bishop to deal with.  The Church has managed for thousands of years without safeguarding,

I have had my license revoked, because I only attended one safeguarding lesson. I declined to take two more lessons, as the first taught nothing, and I had taught safeguarding in my previous profession.

I can no longer preach in this country, and I am disappointed, and I am sorry to miss you, but the Church has got another biblical preacher out of the way. I have many friends in countries around the world,who follow the sermons I publish on the internet, and have invitations to visit their Churches, so am not completely cast out.  I am quite sure I am not alone in recognizing the safeguarding system is really little more than a charade and fallback purpose.

The Church is the family of God, and if not protected, the damage caused will increase the division within the Church. A parish priest will be put in difficulty as part of the congregation will have a different opinion to the other half and each will feel aggrieved if not listened to.

The Apostles once asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, and He did so saying, Our Father, now we have a change wanted so as to be able to say Our Parent. In other words, to say that Jesus was wrong; just as hear God got it wrong when He made two genders male and female.

God has not got anything wrong.  He made man, and then as man’s greatest gift, he gave him a woman.  Two people, of equal standing, but different bodies so together they may have children to form a godly home.

Franklin Graham, the son of the world’s greatest ever preacher Billy Graham, came to this country to hold evangelical meetings in towns, and whilst not in the same way as his father, is still a world famous preacher, attracting large  followings. There must have been many Church members anxious to hear him, but were advised by some bishops not to attend as he was a hate speaker. When asked what hate he spoke, the answer was he stated marriage was only between a man a woman.  There must be many hate speakers now, but remember that Jesus and God both state the same words.

When people come to Church they expect to hear the full gospel, to hear the teaching and works of Jesus, to see and hear of the love of God, to find comfort in the midst of despair, depression and grief.  It is like going to a restaurant which offers good food, but when visiting get offered junk food. The present situation, is like safeguarding--flawed.  If a  preacher is not preaching the Bible, he should not be wasting people’s time.

On a hopeful note, the largest London Church has initiated a scheme in which men are commissioned to go into parishes, and be guided in Churches which have biblical Ministers, so preparing for future ordination. The Church is doing all it can to bring back the Bible.  This will stop the process in which Ministers are leaving the Church of England to enter the Fee Church of England.

 

May God so inspire the hearts of all those engaged in Ministry that they faithfully preach and teach that which is laid down in Holy Scripture and may God’s Holy Name be praised

 

 

JOHN  6  v52/70

Few passages of Scripture have confused people as the gospel reading. A sense  has been put upon it which was never meant to  be.  The verses do not mean in a literal way, but mean  more in a spiritual meaning. 

Jesus had fed the five thousand by the Sea of Galilee, and to avoid facing the crowd that had gathered moved to Capernaum, where the crowd traced him. He knew they were following him for the food he could give them and no other cause.

He told them. ‘I am the bread of life, and whoever eats my body and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day.’  The very idea of eating flesh and drinking blood would be revolting.

The bread Jesus is giving, relates to his death on the Cross, and those who believe in him are made righteous before God. Jesus meant life to be more than mere existence, he was speaking of a new life in a relationship with God, which is only possible by accepting Jesus into your life as Saviour; without him no one can enter into a relationship with God. He is the bread, in the sense that he nourishes us spiritually, and satisfies the longing of our souls. Those who accept him into their lives will not therefore hunger, because their spiritual longing to know God will be known.

This chapter gives us a vision of Jesus, whereby we can relate to him not just as someone we read about, but rather as someone we can turn to, and both he and God become a friend, as the hymn states, ‘what a friend we have in Jesus’. This invitation is extended to all people, but there is a stubborn resistance which refuses the offer, so that what the heart is really searching for is lost. This is where the Jews lost out, they could not believe that someone who came from an ordinary home could possibly be a messenger from God.

When Jesus said he was the bread of life, he was saying he was essential for life, so to refuse to accept his offer means to lose eternal life in heaven. He was the mind and voice of God, who lived a human life among us and offers help to all who seek him. He spoke the words, ‘come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest’.

Jesus said he was the living bread, in that all who believe in him shall have their spiritual longing filled. He went on to say, unless we ate the flesh and drank the blood, there would be no life within them. To eat the flesh means to believe in him, and to drink his blood means to accept his death on the Cross where he shed his blood.  

We are reminded when we take Holy Communion of the sacrifice made which the body and blood is representing. The Roman Catholic Church did at one time, I do not know if it still applies, believe when the bell was tolled, the bread broken and wine blessed became the body and blood of Christ. And in the High Church Anglo-Catholic wing, parts maintained that belief.

In Jewish thought, blood stood for life, and when a body bleeds life flows out of it, and to a Jew blood belongs to God, which is why Jews will not eat meat unless it is has been completely drained of blood. Jesus wants us to take his life into the very centre of our hearts and life.

Some people were thinking God did not choose them and Jesus would turn them away, but he promises anyone who turns to him will never be turned away. Jesus said no one can come to him unless God sent him/her, which implies that no one has the moral and spiritual ability to come to Christ unless God the Father draws them, that is gives the desire and inclination to do so. All of us who have turned to Jesus and accepted him into our hearts and lives, were inspired to do so when God touched our hearts and gave us the choice of accepting or rejecting Jesus. All who truly believe in Jesus will be saved  and have eternal life, and on the day of judgement will be raised up to the fulness of eternal life.

You may have a precious book, which you never got down to reading it, just having left it in a bookcase. Eventually you do read it, it thrills, entertains and inspires you, and you are left wondering why you turned away from it from the start.

But people are still finding Christianity is a problem and staying away from Church, and what increases their resistance, is the demand he makes on our lives; we are bound to accept him as the ultimate authority and accept moral standards of purity.

I had a lady in my Church who came infrequently, and I met her in the town one day and asked why I had not seen her at Church, she said, whenever I come to your Church I always feel you are getting at me. I told her that it was probably someone much higher than me speaking to her, as I prepare my sermons well before I preach  them and never can rely on her presence.

How true is the saying, if you never upset anyone, you are not preaching well.

The reason the Church is falling apart is that fewer and fewer within are accepting those demands. God is not going to bless a Church which is acting and preaching contrary to that which he has laid down. We are making accommodation in our teaching and liturgy, for what is unequivocally rejected by God in his Word, (the Bible).

Paul told Timothy, preach the Word; by that to tell what the Bible states, without any amendments or personal opinions. Unfortunately, there are preachers who feel the Bible needs to be made more relevant to modern culture, but their feelings are not a consideration, it is to be stated as written.

We need to seriously consider, what it means to be  a follower of Jesus; it means you accept Christ as Savior, and follow all  Christ teaches and demands. I was once asked to explain what  a man in Songs of Praise meant when he said, he had attended church for years but had just become a Christian.  A Christian is someone more than just an attendee at Church; it is a man or woman who has offered their life to follow Jesus.

We see in this passage back-sliding. When Jesus explained what he meant by eating and drinking, from that time many went back and walked with him no more.

.Do not accept Jesus as just a character in a book, but someone to whom we can turn to as the final authority in life. The invitation is given to all people, but there remains a stubborn something which refuses the offer. The human heart defies God, but when we accept him the heart finds what it has been searching for.

As we come to the last verses in this chapter, we read that ‘many of his followers said this is very hard for us to understand, how can anyone accept it. Such followers were not true and genuine believers, but were following him for what he could do for them, such as healing and multiplying food.

Jesus knew there were some who were unsettled, and knew they would never accept the doctrines he expounded. Paul warned some people in the Church would not either, and would turn to those who were ready to say the things wanted to be heard, and how that is manifest in to-day’s Church.

There is much to be learned from this passage.  People place too much emphasis on ceremonial procedure, but Christianity makes the state of the heart the principal matter. Flesh and blood means the atonement of Jesus, and eating and drinking means faith.  Faith in the atonement of Jesus is of absolute necessity to salvation, and we are united with our Saviour.

We see the hardness of people’s heart.  Even when the preacher was Jesus who Peter describes, as ‘the Holy One of God’,( that is the One set apart for service to God) yet was not accepted by so many. When Jesus spoke kindly and clearly, not all listened.

The true grace of God is an everlasting possession, and true followers do not fall away.  But there is also fake and unreal religion in the Church, which is why some people do leave. Like the ground spoken of in the parable of the Sower, the stone is hard and nothing can take root there. Many words and resolutions are made, but they have not had the grace of God.

If Jesus experienced so much, well might we do so, but do not be discouraged; do not let your faith be threatened, there have always been failures in the Church who fail and want to take others with them;  the remarks of Peter apply to us.

Casual Christianity is not enough to save our souls.  Grace is needed to make a true believer, which will enable us to serve God in the most difficult times.  Never rest until you have that grace properly established in the soul.  The words of our Lord come to us when he states, ‘ask and it shall be given you’.

All Christians should by faithful and loyal to Jesus, and demonstrate this by not being hypocritical in their way of living, rather accepting and practising his commands. 

Millions have been baptised, and such has been the mendacious meaningless procedure, that we have never seen them attending further. We live in an age of free thought and behaviour, in which the sole aim is pursuit of self-pleasure. Those who deceive themselves they are heaven bound, because they consider they are so righteous on spurious grounds, will one day see their judgement overruled by divine judgement. Jesus said human effort accomplishes nothing,

When Jesus saw people walking away, he asked his Apostles were they going to leave him, and Peter who loved the Lord asked, ‘to whom shall we go?’  Peter knew Jesus was the only way to God.

May the Lord richly bless you, and help you to receive Jesus into your life.

 

E P H E S I A N S 6 V 10-20

Paul was leaving his people at Ephesus, and he is concerned, for he knows the struggles which thwart them. People had to live hard lives in Paul’s time. We may feel discouraged, often because we have those who govern us, who have promised us much to gain election, but when elected claim to have been left a legacy by their predecessors, to excuse the lies which were freely given, but we cannot compare with people of Paul, They believed in demons, devils and evil spirits. They thought the air they breathed was full of harm.  The names Paul uses, such as powers and rulers, where what he used for evil spirits and demons.

To Paul, the world was a battleground, and in effect it still is for us in the same way. The  people had to face attacks, and also found spiritual forces fighting against God. (Still the same today) We may not use the description of Paul, but now there is a more sophisticated way in which we face the same.

Robert Louis Stevenson once said, I met Satan at an icy cold Station in Scotland on a windy night. That actual experience was not mentioned, but we have all meet the same influence, which seeks to upset us.

Paul was all the time chained to a Roman soldier. Night and day, the soldier was there to stop him escaping. Paul was the kind of man who could get alongside anyone, and would have talked to all the soldiers he met. This gave him an idea, that the Christian could be a soldier for Christ, and could use armor like them.

The Belt of truth.

The belt was worn around the tunic, and had a sword hanging from it which allowed easy and quick movement.  Christians move freely, and in any situation know the truth.

The breastplate.

Righteousness is a breastplate, when a man is clothed with righteousness is totally protected.  Words are not a protection  from accusations, but a good life is. When Plato was accused of sinning, he said,we must live so to prove they were a lie. The only way a Christian can act if so accused, is to show how good a Christian they are.

There were sandals. 

The sandal allowed a man to walk quickly and be ready to move. The sign of a Christian is to be eager to preach the gospel, and tell of their faith and the story of Jesus Christ.

There was the shield.

This was a small round one. The most used weapon was the dart equipped with pitch on the point  The shield was made of wood, so that when a dart was fired  , it st,ck in the wood. Faith can deal with the dart of temptation, And give complete and perfect trust in Christ.  That means faith with a close relationship with Christ is safe from all  weapon of temptation.

The helmet.

This was for salvation. Salvation looks forward and back. This means your past sins are forgiven, and  strengthen you for things to come.

There is the sword.

The sword is the word of God. A   weapon to attack or defend. In the word of God we find protection from sin, and fight stops the sins of the world. Those who fought with Cromwell did so with a sword in one hand, and a Bible in the other hand.

Finally, we come to the greatest weapon, of prayer.

We have to note that which Paul used about prayer. It has to be constant in every time of life.  It is so often only used when things go wrong, or when things were wanted.  For Paul, it meant daily prayer.  Worry and stress cause lack of sleep and sometimes illness, so prayer needs concentration. Lots of words are not necessary, God will know what you need, so be concise.  And remember to give thanksgiving when answered.

,Paul asks for the prayers for his friends for himself. And this prayer is not for peace, this prayer is for comfort; this prayer is that he may be allowed to tell God’s secret, that God’s love is for all men, to all the world.  We would do well to remember  that no Christian leader and no Christian preacher, can go on unless his people are ever upholding their hands in prayer.

Lord, We give thanks for your word to us. May your Holy Name be Glorified