Luke 2 v 41/50
The Gospel for the current year is from Luke, a lovely gospel written by a doctor, and so contains that which we can rely on for accuracy and significance. This passage contains a most significant event in that it is the only time we hear of Jesus between the time of His birth and the start of His ministry at the age of 30 year. All we otherwise know is that it has been said He grew strong and was full of wisdom and grace. It also records the first words known to be publicly used by Jesus.
Every year Mary and Joseph in Jewish tradition went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival which meant a period of 10/14 days away from home. There were three major festivals in the Jewish calendar, of which the Passover was the main, and every Jew was expected to attend at least once a year. The Passover celebrated the release of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt by God’s miraculous provision. God had given Israel a command and Mary and Joseph faithfully obeyed it
The journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem was over eighty miles and would take about three days travelling on foot. Families would travel together in groups and it could be an exciting and enjoyable time. The festival itself lasted eight days so it meant two weeks away from home. Jesus was 12 years old and for Him it would signify, bar mitzvah, He was passing from boyhood into manhood.
There would be up to 100,000 people in the city at the festival and at the close there would be a mass leaving as the huge crowds competed to get away. It was common for people to travel in large groups and the practice was for the women to leave first in the caravan trail as they travelled slower than men, who would leave later and the two parties would meet at the first encampment. Mary and Joseph each thought Jesus was with the other and it was not until they met together that it was realised Jesus was missing. There was none of the modern means of communication, no mobile phones to keep in contact. You can imagine the panic of Mary and Joseph for He was lost from them for four days.
The two parents returned to Jerusalem and after three days searching they found Jesus in discussion with the teachers of the Temple. When they asked Him why He had caused them so much anxiety, Jesus answered, ‘why were you searching for me, didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house’. Naturally they did not understand Him, but Jesus was revealing that He knew He had a unique and special relationship with God, which made Him divine.
Luke in his gospel, and in his writing in the Book of Acts, is teaching that all that happens in life is under God’s control. This does not only relate to the big events in life, but also to our own personal lives. In all our doings God is with us, controlling the lives of those who will let Him. Remember that God cares for you, and if you are in the midst of some traumatic problem in life, remember that God cares for you and is in control; it is a case of seeking to find out the answer by speaking to Him. Prayer is not only asking for something, it is also trying to listen to God. Learn to trust Him and find how He can help you through your difficult time.
Mary and Joseph have much to teach us, providing us with an example of devoted Godly worship. Today worship is treated very lightly, often only engaged in when convenient as more and more so called Christians are not willing to make any commitment.
I have visited 21 Churches in and around Bedford where people live in lovely surroundings, beautiful homes, most in good regular employment, so much to be thankful for, yet they would never give a thought about coming to thank God for their blessings. I guarantee if anyone went around this village and told the residents this Church was going to close, there would be outrage and uproar so where are they on a Sunday.
Mary and Joseph attended as husband and wife, not a common sight these days, but in marriage characters are often moulded together and there is joy in doing many things with each other, but sadly attending Church is not for many couples.
Whilst men can be a great asset in Church, attending is seen more as a woman’s thing, and next time you watch Songs of Praise on television, notice the ration of men to women, unless the singing is from Wales. A lot of men appear disorientated when coming into Church, but contrast that with Muslim men who rejoice in attending the Mosque.
Some men even resent their wives attending. I had a lady come to my Church who had a magnetic personality and drew others to join. Her husband worked on an oil rig in the North Sea and when he discovered she was coming to Church gave an ultimatum, leave Church or me. For the sake of her children, Church lost.
We also read that Mary and Joseph took Jesus with them. Parents will now take their offspring to dancing class, horse riding, playing football, but Church is one place few would think of taking their children and yet are depriving them of a precious and lasting experience. I fondly remember going with my mother to Evensong at Liverpool Cathedral each Sunday afternoon.
I think the Church itself must take some responsibility in these matters. Apart from the fact we squabble unnecessarily in public over matters which could easily be resolved if we let Scripture guide us, there is often indifference within individual Churches. When a member drops away, rather than remember the parable of the lost sheep, there is the tendency to just accept the situation instead of finding out why this has happened.
The Bible calls on us ‘not to give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing’, and this is a timely message for the coming new year. The true Church is one where we meet as a family, sing together, praise God, listen to His Word, pray for each other, take bread and wine together as we remember the sacrifice our Lord made for us; and a place where we know we can receive support and help when we need it.
I wish you well here, and pray that for you 2013 will see a time of spiritual awakening in this locality. May God bless you and be with you in all your efforts for His Name.
Saturday 29 December 2012
Monday 24 December 2012
Christmas message
I thank all who have turned to this site over the last year and read the words in the 100 postings.
I wish you all a very happy, peaceful and blessed Christmas and hope you will join me again at the end of this week.
I would very much like to hear from any of you and so know the names at least to whom I writing.
The response from the United States has been an overwhelming factor and source of much encouragement, especially as often the content is primarily relating to the United Kingdom. Well might I say therefore, God bless America.!
I hope those of you who kindly read from the UK will tell your friends, especially members of your Churches
I thank all who have turned to this site over the last year and read the words in the 100 postings.
I wish you all a very happy, peaceful and blessed Christmas and hope you will join me again at the end of this week.
I would very much like to hear from any of you and so know the names at least to whom I writing.
The response from the United States has been an overwhelming factor and source of much encouragement, especially as often the content is primarily relating to the United Kingdom. Well might I say therefore, God bless America.!
I hope those of you who kindly read from the UK will tell your friends, especially members of your Churches
Saturday 22 December 2012
Luke 1 verses 39-56
This Sunday the Church honours Mary, the mother of our Lord. In the past the Roman Catholic Church has perhaps made too much of Mary’s position whilst the Protestant Church has made too little.
The gospel passage opens with Mary, a fifteen years old virginal girl from a Jewish village, having found she was pregnant, and been told by an angel of the Holy Spirit being upon her, decided to go seventy miles to visit her elderly cousin Elizabeth, whom she had been told was also pregnant in her old age.
On arrival the two women greeted each other, and Elizabeth in a loud voice proclaims how blessed Mary was. Until that time Elizabeth thought this was just a family visit, but now she realised how unique the situation is and feels she should have been the one visiting Mary. At the same time Elizabeth felt movement of her own baby.
Elizabeth’s joy inspires Mary to fully recognise she is to be the mother of the Saviour of the world and spontaneously sings a song, which has been sung at every Evensong in Churches all over the world for centuries since, the Magnificat. The Lord God is magnified in this song of praise which is filled with Scripture.
Mary expresses her glory and rejoices in being blessed, and how gracious God has been to her in her humility. There is a significant point made by her in that she recognises she needs a Saviour, which implies she recognises that only a sinner needs a Saviour, which tends rather to negate some Roman statements about her. God therefore in His amazing grace has allowed this girl to be the mother of His Son. This reflects the words of John Newton in that wonderful hymn which he wrote, that God saves us by grace.
Mary knows that all future generations will speak of her and indeed throughout the ages she has rightfully been praised, and she has brought honour to her sex. Mary has raised being a mother to the highest of professions, although now some feminine politicians are anxious to downgrade motherhood and their sex by trying to equate women on all levels with men. In the process some women have demeaned their sex by not only copying men’s excesses, but furthering them.
When God created the world men were intended to care and provide for the family, and women to be mothers, (primarily but not exclusively)and for that role were endowed with a more tender and caring nature. Now for their own selfish purposes, politicians and social workers want to change all that. We are all equal under God, but are meant to have different roles in life.
The Pope has wisely state that the future of mankind is at stake when the understanding of what a family means is challenged through proposals for same sex marriage. He said ‘In the fight for the family, the very notion of what being human really means – is being called into question. He spoke of the falseness of gender theories and of the current attack on the structure of the family made up of father, mother and child.
.
Mary told of how God is merciful to those who fear Him, and we should be mindful that whilst God is a God of love and mercy, He is also a God of wrath. In that respect we should take note of Mary’s words, ‘ He has brought down rulers from their thrones’. She has a profound view of God, who disputes the worldly values of status and misunderstanding of what it means to be equal.
God chooses people who are lowly. If the Church authorities had been given the responsibility for choosing the Apostles, Christianity would have died in very short time. They would have been looking for people with degrees, and with an equal balance of men and women Apostles. (A cynic once said the Church is falling apart by degrees). This is why God chose Mary and gave her everything that He may be glorified. Mary acknowledged her humility, her ordinariness, and the high honour God had given her.
She ends her song by singing praise of how God has remained faithful to His chosen people, the Jews, by keeping His promise to Abraham. Every Jewish boy and girl would know the history of Israel and how God has blessed them.
God chooses ordinary and lowly people to do His work, so that they will remain faithful and dependent on Him and not be full of themselves and feel self important. We should each seek to find out what God wants us to do in His service.
This Sunday the Church honours Mary, the mother of our Lord. In the past the Roman Catholic Church has perhaps made too much of Mary’s position whilst the Protestant Church has made too little.
The gospel passage opens with Mary, a fifteen years old virginal girl from a Jewish village, having found she was pregnant, and been told by an angel of the Holy Spirit being upon her, decided to go seventy miles to visit her elderly cousin Elizabeth, whom she had been told was also pregnant in her old age.
On arrival the two women greeted each other, and Elizabeth in a loud voice proclaims how blessed Mary was. Until that time Elizabeth thought this was just a family visit, but now she realised how unique the situation is and feels she should have been the one visiting Mary. At the same time Elizabeth felt movement of her own baby.
Elizabeth’s joy inspires Mary to fully recognise she is to be the mother of the Saviour of the world and spontaneously sings a song, which has been sung at every Evensong in Churches all over the world for centuries since, the Magnificat. The Lord God is magnified in this song of praise which is filled with Scripture.
Mary expresses her glory and rejoices in being blessed, and how gracious God has been to her in her humility. There is a significant point made by her in that she recognises she needs a Saviour, which implies she recognises that only a sinner needs a Saviour, which tends rather to negate some Roman statements about her. God therefore in His amazing grace has allowed this girl to be the mother of His Son. This reflects the words of John Newton in that wonderful hymn which he wrote, that God saves us by grace.
Mary knows that all future generations will speak of her and indeed throughout the ages she has rightfully been praised, and she has brought honour to her sex. Mary has raised being a mother to the highest of professions, although now some feminine politicians are anxious to downgrade motherhood and their sex by trying to equate women on all levels with men. In the process some women have demeaned their sex by not only copying men’s excesses, but furthering them.
When God created the world men were intended to care and provide for the family, and women to be mothers, (primarily but not exclusively)and for that role were endowed with a more tender and caring nature. Now for their own selfish purposes, politicians and social workers want to change all that. We are all equal under God, but are meant to have different roles in life.
The Pope has wisely state that the future of mankind is at stake when the understanding of what a family means is challenged through proposals for same sex marriage. He said ‘In the fight for the family, the very notion of what being human really means – is being called into question. He spoke of the falseness of gender theories and of the current attack on the structure of the family made up of father, mother and child.
.
Mary told of how God is merciful to those who fear Him, and we should be mindful that whilst God is a God of love and mercy, He is also a God of wrath. In that respect we should take note of Mary’s words, ‘ He has brought down rulers from their thrones’. She has a profound view of God, who disputes the worldly values of status and misunderstanding of what it means to be equal.
God chooses people who are lowly. If the Church authorities had been given the responsibility for choosing the Apostles, Christianity would have died in very short time. They would have been looking for people with degrees, and with an equal balance of men and women Apostles. (A cynic once said the Church is falling apart by degrees). This is why God chose Mary and gave her everything that He may be glorified. Mary acknowledged her humility, her ordinariness, and the high honour God had given her.
She ends her song by singing praise of how God has remained faithful to His chosen people, the Jews, by keeping His promise to Abraham. Every Jewish boy and girl would know the history of Israel and how God has blessed them.
God chooses ordinary and lowly people to do His work, so that they will remain faithful and dependent on Him and not be full of themselves and feel self important. We should each seek to find out what God wants us to do in His service.
Wednesday 19 December 2012
Minority opinion rules
The Government last week published its proposed legislation for same sex marriage and included in this Bill was an exemption for the Church of England. A friend of mine who is opposed to the proposal (as I am) said to me ‘we have won’, meaning our Church was legally excluded. I replied that we certainly had not.
Apart from the fact that I cannot accept any assurance from David Cameron, for others of his promises have gone astray, and I cannot believe he is unaware that the European Court could, and no doubt would, overrule such a provision. Already an attention seeking Vicar has called for others to join him in vowing to perform such marriages in Church.
We also have the ‘rent a quote’ Giles Fraser jumping in voicing his opposition to such an exclusion, and in consideration of the consequences which followed his interference with the police when they were trying to clear the steps of St.Paul’s, one might reasonably have expected him to keep quiet. And of course the ever troublesome Richard Harries, ex Bishop of Oxford is making things difficult for his fellow Bishops by making embarrassing statements. (Nothing new there then.)
Of course we have allegations of homophobia and bigotry made against opponents of same sex marriage, notably Nick Clegg and the rather silly Lynne Featherstone, who called the Church of England itself homophobic. But like all liberals their comments are very selective. Notice that no such allegations by these people are made against Islam, which is far more anti than the C of E. We have protests made outside Anglican places of worship, but I have never heard or seen any such protests outside Mosques.
I fully expect an organised set up, where two people will seek marriage in a Church contemplating a refusal, and then with widespread publicity claim discrimination. One thing I am sure of is, that no such stunt would be made to a Mosque.
The majority of priests and people in the Church of England will welcome the exclusion clause, accepting as they do that same sex marriage is contrary to all Christian teaching. In some quarters of course this would be an irrelevance.
Try as I may, I cannot understand how any man, (or woman) who is ordained, can speak and act as some do against their Church, when they take a vow on ordination to observe all the Articles and Formularies of the Church. To me, this is not only hypocrisy, it is total disloyalty. If they want to do their own thing, why not as a matter of honour resign from the Church.
One thing is for certain, and that is there are massive consequences with legal challenges promised. I can imagine the lawyers thinking Christmas for them is bright. Already opinions are being given as to whether adultery can be claimed for same sex couples, and other issues as to what can and cannot follow. The Conservative Party is split wide open as Cameron’s duplicity is exposed in pursuing such a controversial subject on the spur of the moment, without any manifesto commitment or prior consultation. UKIP are naturally delighted, they can be the unofficial true Conservative Party.
It is interesting how minority groups in this country seem to have an influence way beyond their representation. Centuries of tradition, in addition to Scriptural interpretation, are being amended to meet their desires in the case of marriage.
In another instance Christmas celebrations are being muted or totally altered and omitted to avoid offending other faiths and none. In fairness, other faiths do not seem to have any problem with Christmas being celebrated, and indeed many of their traders welcome it for their profit. It is just woolly minded liberals seeking to make themselves feel justified.
I am told the majority of people approve of women being appointed as Bishops, and indeed amongst the general population this may be so, or be indifference. There may well be approval from those who seek membership of Synods, but I have not heard any great clamour from ordinary congregations. However many people do approve, I know one place where it is not approved, and that is in Scripture. My explanation for stating that will have to come after Christmas.
The Government last week published its proposed legislation for same sex marriage and included in this Bill was an exemption for the Church of England. A friend of mine who is opposed to the proposal (as I am) said to me ‘we have won’, meaning our Church was legally excluded. I replied that we certainly had not.
Apart from the fact that I cannot accept any assurance from David Cameron, for others of his promises have gone astray, and I cannot believe he is unaware that the European Court could, and no doubt would, overrule such a provision. Already an attention seeking Vicar has called for others to join him in vowing to perform such marriages in Church.
We also have the ‘rent a quote’ Giles Fraser jumping in voicing his opposition to such an exclusion, and in consideration of the consequences which followed his interference with the police when they were trying to clear the steps of St.Paul’s, one might reasonably have expected him to keep quiet. And of course the ever troublesome Richard Harries, ex Bishop of Oxford is making things difficult for his fellow Bishops by making embarrassing statements. (Nothing new there then.)
Of course we have allegations of homophobia and bigotry made against opponents of same sex marriage, notably Nick Clegg and the rather silly Lynne Featherstone, who called the Church of England itself homophobic. But like all liberals their comments are very selective. Notice that no such allegations by these people are made against Islam, which is far more anti than the C of E. We have protests made outside Anglican places of worship, but I have never heard or seen any such protests outside Mosques.
I fully expect an organised set up, where two people will seek marriage in a Church contemplating a refusal, and then with widespread publicity claim discrimination. One thing I am sure of is, that no such stunt would be made to a Mosque.
The majority of priests and people in the Church of England will welcome the exclusion clause, accepting as they do that same sex marriage is contrary to all Christian teaching. In some quarters of course this would be an irrelevance.
Try as I may, I cannot understand how any man, (or woman) who is ordained, can speak and act as some do against their Church, when they take a vow on ordination to observe all the Articles and Formularies of the Church. To me, this is not only hypocrisy, it is total disloyalty. If they want to do their own thing, why not as a matter of honour resign from the Church.
One thing is for certain, and that is there are massive consequences with legal challenges promised. I can imagine the lawyers thinking Christmas for them is bright. Already opinions are being given as to whether adultery can be claimed for same sex couples, and other issues as to what can and cannot follow. The Conservative Party is split wide open as Cameron’s duplicity is exposed in pursuing such a controversial subject on the spur of the moment, without any manifesto commitment or prior consultation. UKIP are naturally delighted, they can be the unofficial true Conservative Party.
It is interesting how minority groups in this country seem to have an influence way beyond their representation. Centuries of tradition, in addition to Scriptural interpretation, are being amended to meet their desires in the case of marriage.
In another instance Christmas celebrations are being muted or totally altered and omitted to avoid offending other faiths and none. In fairness, other faiths do not seem to have any problem with Christmas being celebrated, and indeed many of their traders welcome it for their profit. It is just woolly minded liberals seeking to make themselves feel justified.
I am told the majority of people approve of women being appointed as Bishops, and indeed amongst the general population this may be so, or be indifference. There may well be approval from those who seek membership of Synods, but I have not heard any great clamour from ordinary congregations. However many people do approve, I know one place where it is not approved, and that is in Scripture. My explanation for stating that will have to come after Christmas.
Friday 14 December 2012
Luke 3 v 7-18
Sunday next is the 3rd Sunday of Advent, and the theme is on John the Baptist. We do in fact honour John on the 24thJune, and on that day in Spain, which is still largely a Catholic country, they do so in style with ceremonial processions through the streets. John was a very special character in the Bible, being described by Jesus as ‘a prophet greater than any born of woman.’
A period of 400 years elapsed between the Old and New Testaments and John acted as a bridge between the prophecies of the Old Testament and the coming of the Messiah. God chose John to prepare the people for the coming of Jesus.John attracted huge crowds to see and hear him; they came from all directions, North and South, East and West. They came from all levels of society
John was bold and fearless preacher giving a message of confession and repentance, and did so in the most direct way accusing them of being a brood of vipers, and told them there was a wrath to come. He was not one to seek popularity and attacked hypocrisy. Most preachers would rejoice in being able to emulate his appeal, although they would hesitate to use the language he used in today’s atmosphere, where the least criticism raises accusations of phobia or bigotry.
The Church now needs Ministers like that who will give sound doctrinal teaching, not flinching from doing so and will not fear of what people might say. Jesus said, ‘woe unto you when men speak well of you’.
John spoke of God’s judgement and hell, which is now considered to be offensive. I attended a meeting where there was stated to be a famous mural, which was supposed to show sinners being chased into hell. I commented to several other Ministers that I could not understand it as it was faded somewhat. One answered that it was outdated as ‘we don’t preach about hell now’. When I said well I do, I received looks of horror as if I had landed from a strange plant. But we should acknowledge that when Jesus spoke about heaven, He invariably spoke of the alternative, hell. People would rather have smooth comforting words I accept, but a Minister’s duty is to say what should be heard instead of what people want to hear. People will never take notice until they are afraid of the consequences, and if we are silent we are betraying our calling.
Because of his successful appeal to people a delegation of priests was sent out to find out if he was acting in an orthodox manner. The Jews believed, and were proud of the fact, that they were God’s chosen people and He would one day send a Messiah who would be a great national leader who would lead them to world conquest. It was also believed that prior to the Messiah coming Elijah the great Old Testament prophet would come back to herald the Messiah’s coming.
The priests wanted to see who John actually was. When John spoke of baptism it was not the meaningless kind that is sometimes practised in churches today. Baptism was a symbol of admittance into the Christian faith, taken by someone who had come to need a personal Saviour in the person of Jesus Christ, who they would take into their hearts and lives and live according to His teaching.
John wasn’t concerned with numbers or adding to some Church roll, he wanted genuine commitments. The Bible is clear in all four gospels that the Christian life involved repentance and the following of a new way of life. If we analyse our lives we will find there are things we have said and done and sincerely wish we hadn’t, but there is nothing we can now do except pray that God will forgive us, and that others will accept our flaws.
The place where John ministered was way out in the wilderness a bleak and desolate place, living off the land, getting his clothing from wild camel and food from whatever grew there. There is a wilderness in many people’s hearts.
John calls us to a new life in Jesus Christ and it was with such a desire that people sought out John. Jesus can come to us in very different ways. It may be through a poster we noticed, which is why we need well thought out poster displays which will catch people’s eyes and strike them, and they ought to be relevant. Thousands have been led to Christ through reading posters placed on the London tube system by the London Christian Mission. Other people have been influenced by the words of a preacher, but the most telling witness is that of other Christians drawing in others by their way of life.
It is possible to become so engaged in religious activity dressing ourselves with religion without changing our hearts. Church attendance is essential and proper, but words without practice are of no merit. We Christians need to be more aggressive about our faith and be prepared to act and rebel as other faiths do when bloated bureaucrats try to stifle expression. We have to display in our manner of living we are Christians, and that extends throughout the whole week and not just on Sunday. Confession has to mean repentance and an honest intention not to go on committing. It is sheer hypocrisy to say sorry and then continue doing what we know is improper.
We are now approaching Christmas and the secularisation of it is almost complete, which is why all who hold the Christian faith dear must be prepared to support Christian worship. Advent is a time when we come out of the wilderness and be inspired by the ministry of John the Baptist.
Sunday next is the 3rd Sunday of Advent, and the theme is on John the Baptist. We do in fact honour John on the 24thJune, and on that day in Spain, which is still largely a Catholic country, they do so in style with ceremonial processions through the streets. John was a very special character in the Bible, being described by Jesus as ‘a prophet greater than any born of woman.’
A period of 400 years elapsed between the Old and New Testaments and John acted as a bridge between the prophecies of the Old Testament and the coming of the Messiah. God chose John to prepare the people for the coming of Jesus.John attracted huge crowds to see and hear him; they came from all directions, North and South, East and West. They came from all levels of society
John was bold and fearless preacher giving a message of confession and repentance, and did so in the most direct way accusing them of being a brood of vipers, and told them there was a wrath to come. He was not one to seek popularity and attacked hypocrisy. Most preachers would rejoice in being able to emulate his appeal, although they would hesitate to use the language he used in today’s atmosphere, where the least criticism raises accusations of phobia or bigotry.
The Church now needs Ministers like that who will give sound doctrinal teaching, not flinching from doing so and will not fear of what people might say. Jesus said, ‘woe unto you when men speak well of you’.
John spoke of God’s judgement and hell, which is now considered to be offensive. I attended a meeting where there was stated to be a famous mural, which was supposed to show sinners being chased into hell. I commented to several other Ministers that I could not understand it as it was faded somewhat. One answered that it was outdated as ‘we don’t preach about hell now’. When I said well I do, I received looks of horror as if I had landed from a strange plant. But we should acknowledge that when Jesus spoke about heaven, He invariably spoke of the alternative, hell. People would rather have smooth comforting words I accept, but a Minister’s duty is to say what should be heard instead of what people want to hear. People will never take notice until they are afraid of the consequences, and if we are silent we are betraying our calling.
Because of his successful appeal to people a delegation of priests was sent out to find out if he was acting in an orthodox manner. The Jews believed, and were proud of the fact, that they were God’s chosen people and He would one day send a Messiah who would be a great national leader who would lead them to world conquest. It was also believed that prior to the Messiah coming Elijah the great Old Testament prophet would come back to herald the Messiah’s coming.
The priests wanted to see who John actually was. When John spoke of baptism it was not the meaningless kind that is sometimes practised in churches today. Baptism was a symbol of admittance into the Christian faith, taken by someone who had come to need a personal Saviour in the person of Jesus Christ, who they would take into their hearts and lives and live according to His teaching.
John wasn’t concerned with numbers or adding to some Church roll, he wanted genuine commitments. The Bible is clear in all four gospels that the Christian life involved repentance and the following of a new way of life. If we analyse our lives we will find there are things we have said and done and sincerely wish we hadn’t, but there is nothing we can now do except pray that God will forgive us, and that others will accept our flaws.
The place where John ministered was way out in the wilderness a bleak and desolate place, living off the land, getting his clothing from wild camel and food from whatever grew there. There is a wilderness in many people’s hearts.
John calls us to a new life in Jesus Christ and it was with such a desire that people sought out John. Jesus can come to us in very different ways. It may be through a poster we noticed, which is why we need well thought out poster displays which will catch people’s eyes and strike them, and they ought to be relevant. Thousands have been led to Christ through reading posters placed on the London tube system by the London Christian Mission. Other people have been influenced by the words of a preacher, but the most telling witness is that of other Christians drawing in others by their way of life.
It is possible to become so engaged in religious activity dressing ourselves with religion without changing our hearts. Church attendance is essential and proper, but words without practice are of no merit. We Christians need to be more aggressive about our faith and be prepared to act and rebel as other faiths do when bloated bureaucrats try to stifle expression. We have to display in our manner of living we are Christians, and that extends throughout the whole week and not just on Sunday. Confession has to mean repentance and an honest intention not to go on committing. It is sheer hypocrisy to say sorry and then continue doing what we know is improper.
We are now approaching Christmas and the secularisation of it is almost complete, which is why all who hold the Christian faith dear must be prepared to support Christian worship. Advent is a time when we come out of the wilderness and be inspired by the ministry of John the Baptist.
Monday 10 December 2012
God’s Chosen People.
God said,’ I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered and I will give you the land of Israel once again. They will truly be my people and I will be their God’
A few short weeks ago a serious conflict broke out after Israel responded to persistent rocket attacks on the Southern part of the country from Palestinian territory. Peace was eventually negotiated but already a leader of the Palestinian group Hamas has called for the removal of Israel and the establishment of the Palestinian capital in Jerusalem.
In 1993 Israel ceded the territory of Gaza to the Palestine National Assembly following an agreement in Oslo, which was seen as a gesture of the desire for peace in the region. Sadly that has failed in the intention for there has been constant strife.
On 14th May 1948 the United Nations granted independence to Israel and the nation was born with its own distinctive ‘Star of David’ flag. This fulfilled Biblical prophecy that God would bring His people home at last. Ever since that time Israel has been under attack from hostile nations which surround this little country the size of Wales. The nation has faced overwhelming forces and against such odds has fought off enemies in two wars, which has resulted in a general consensus of opinion that God was certainly with them. Anyone who challenges this should study the recapture of the Golan Heights, which was an achievement beyond human endeavour alone.
The significance of Israel in world affairs is immense in that the Bible story is based on Israel and Christianity begins and ends there. Jesus was born there, (a Jew), our faith is based on a book written by 39 out of 40 writers who were Jewish, and our God is the God of Israel.
Despite this being so, the nation does not appear to have many friends beyond America, and even there the present President does not seem to have the same commitment to Israel as his predecessors. In Britain, during the repeated clashes between Palestine and Israel, the BBC has been less than impartial as prominence has been given to showing the damage caused by Israeli forces without mentioning this was in response to attacks on its territory. Palestinian spokesmen have rightly been given air time to state their case, which has been subject to less severe interviewing than to the more measured tones of the Israeli spokesman, Mark Regev.
When territorial and other disputes surface, our government
rather tends to not support Israel. However, a fascinating fact of history is that numerous British Prime Ministers who took sides against Israel, all subsequently suffered political defeat. Is that purely coincidental?
In numerous Biblical verses it is revealed that Israel was chosen by God, and whilst Jesus was sent to be the world’s Saviour, God has never abandoned His ancient people.
Let is not forget, when the Jews returned to their biblical homeland, it was largely a swamp filled, untilled wasteland. Jewish settlers drained malaria infested swamps and made it a flourishing fruit and agricultural success, planting millions of trees. In the wider world Jews have excelled in science, medical research, finance, the arts, and have a record number of Nobel prizes.
We must pray that both nations will strive to maintain a peace accord, but this can never happen if one party seeks to eliminate the other. It is in the interests of each nation’s population to accept each other’s right to exist, even if they find it hard to be amicable about it. How can life be pleasant for either nation if the threat of more violence is let loose on innocent people?
God said,’ I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered and I will give you the land of Israel once again. They will truly be my people and I will be their God’
A few short weeks ago a serious conflict broke out after Israel responded to persistent rocket attacks on the Southern part of the country from Palestinian territory. Peace was eventually negotiated but already a leader of the Palestinian group Hamas has called for the removal of Israel and the establishment of the Palestinian capital in Jerusalem.
In 1993 Israel ceded the territory of Gaza to the Palestine National Assembly following an agreement in Oslo, which was seen as a gesture of the desire for peace in the region. Sadly that has failed in the intention for there has been constant strife.
On 14th May 1948 the United Nations granted independence to Israel and the nation was born with its own distinctive ‘Star of David’ flag. This fulfilled Biblical prophecy that God would bring His people home at last. Ever since that time Israel has been under attack from hostile nations which surround this little country the size of Wales. The nation has faced overwhelming forces and against such odds has fought off enemies in two wars, which has resulted in a general consensus of opinion that God was certainly with them. Anyone who challenges this should study the recapture of the Golan Heights, which was an achievement beyond human endeavour alone.
The significance of Israel in world affairs is immense in that the Bible story is based on Israel and Christianity begins and ends there. Jesus was born there, (a Jew), our faith is based on a book written by 39 out of 40 writers who were Jewish, and our God is the God of Israel.
Despite this being so, the nation does not appear to have many friends beyond America, and even there the present President does not seem to have the same commitment to Israel as his predecessors. In Britain, during the repeated clashes between Palestine and Israel, the BBC has been less than impartial as prominence has been given to showing the damage caused by Israeli forces without mentioning this was in response to attacks on its territory. Palestinian spokesmen have rightly been given air time to state their case, which has been subject to less severe interviewing than to the more measured tones of the Israeli spokesman, Mark Regev.
When territorial and other disputes surface, our government
rather tends to not support Israel. However, a fascinating fact of history is that numerous British Prime Ministers who took sides against Israel, all subsequently suffered political defeat. Is that purely coincidental?
In numerous Biblical verses it is revealed that Israel was chosen by God, and whilst Jesus was sent to be the world’s Saviour, God has never abandoned His ancient people.
Let is not forget, when the Jews returned to their biblical homeland, it was largely a swamp filled, untilled wasteland. Jewish settlers drained malaria infested swamps and made it a flourishing fruit and agricultural success, planting millions of trees. In the wider world Jews have excelled in science, medical research, finance, the arts, and have a record number of Nobel prizes.
We must pray that both nations will strive to maintain a peace accord, but this can never happen if one party seeks to eliminate the other. It is in the interests of each nation’s population to accept each other’s right to exist, even if they find it hard to be amicable about it. How can life be pleasant for either nation if the threat of more violence is let loose on innocent people?
Saturday 8 December 2012
A shameful action
Eighteen months ago, with a seeming rush of blood to his head, David Cameron announced at the Conservative Party Conference that he was going to legislate for gay marriage. This must have been a shock to the members gathered as it was contrary to all recognised Conservative policy. Thousands more around the country felt the same, and wondered what ploy he was up to.
Realising the opposition, he announced there would be a consultation about the proposal, and the subsequent result shocked him this time. Over 600,000 people signed a petition against it. True to Cameron’s style of democracy, he announced whilst the Consultation period was still in being, that legislation would be introduced, and stated falsely that most people were in favour. He even quoted opinion poll figures to support his assertion, which was strongly contradicted by the poll organiser.
When the Churches made their feelings known he promised Churches would be exempted, but again this impostor of being a Conservative has now stated the legislation would authorise Churches to perform same sex marriages, but stated he guaranteed 100% that they would not be forced to and legislation would enshrine this. Further, the legislation will be rushed through in the New Year, this is because he is frightened of the strength of the opposition and wants to get it done quickly.
If anyone feels reassured by his guarantee they are either naïve at best or at worst completely foolish. He is like the con man who issues a cheque knowing it will bounce. European law states that if any state has in existence an Equality and Diversity law, which Britain has, then there could be no exemptions.
What will assuredly happen is that some same sex couple will be refused a marriage in the Church, (even perhaps a set up) and will run to the Human Rights Court and win their case. Compensation will be applied, for as well as the right to have a ceremony, and Cameron will refuse to accept responsibility saying it was not his fault, the European Court overruled him. David Cameron whatever other faults he has, such as posing as a Conservative or making false promises, is not stupid and will know full well his guarantee is worthless.
This man for some cheap stunt to show he is ‘cool’ in the modern idiom will cost the Tories the next election. Comments in the hundreds have been made on the internet by those who believe in traditional marriage. I only wish our Anglican leaders were as forceful in condemnation as the Roam Catholic leaders have been.
No bible believing Christian could support same sex marriage, just search the Scriptures, but then few Members of Parliament could seriously claim to be Christian in the full sense of the term.
Whilst it was expected that the Liberal Democrats would be in total support of such legislation, and Labour members largely in favour, a vast number of Conservative members are opposed, and if Cameron had any respect for his party he would have consulted them. As one lady Conservative stated seemingly aptly, he and his friend are two posh boys completely out of touch with ordinary people. Other Conservative members have used the word ‘arrogant’, and who could quarrel with them.
Eighteen months ago, with a seeming rush of blood to his head, David Cameron announced at the Conservative Party Conference that he was going to legislate for gay marriage. This must have been a shock to the members gathered as it was contrary to all recognised Conservative policy. Thousands more around the country felt the same, and wondered what ploy he was up to.
Realising the opposition, he announced there would be a consultation about the proposal, and the subsequent result shocked him this time. Over 600,000 people signed a petition against it. True to Cameron’s style of democracy, he announced whilst the Consultation period was still in being, that legislation would be introduced, and stated falsely that most people were in favour. He even quoted opinion poll figures to support his assertion, which was strongly contradicted by the poll organiser.
When the Churches made their feelings known he promised Churches would be exempted, but again this impostor of being a Conservative has now stated the legislation would authorise Churches to perform same sex marriages, but stated he guaranteed 100% that they would not be forced to and legislation would enshrine this. Further, the legislation will be rushed through in the New Year, this is because he is frightened of the strength of the opposition and wants to get it done quickly.
If anyone feels reassured by his guarantee they are either naïve at best or at worst completely foolish. He is like the con man who issues a cheque knowing it will bounce. European law states that if any state has in existence an Equality and Diversity law, which Britain has, then there could be no exemptions.
What will assuredly happen is that some same sex couple will be refused a marriage in the Church, (even perhaps a set up) and will run to the Human Rights Court and win their case. Compensation will be applied, for as well as the right to have a ceremony, and Cameron will refuse to accept responsibility saying it was not his fault, the European Court overruled him. David Cameron whatever other faults he has, such as posing as a Conservative or making false promises, is not stupid and will know full well his guarantee is worthless.
This man for some cheap stunt to show he is ‘cool’ in the modern idiom will cost the Tories the next election. Comments in the hundreds have been made on the internet by those who believe in traditional marriage. I only wish our Anglican leaders were as forceful in condemnation as the Roam Catholic leaders have been.
No bible believing Christian could support same sex marriage, just search the Scriptures, but then few Members of Parliament could seriously claim to be Christian in the full sense of the term.
Whilst it was expected that the Liberal Democrats would be in total support of such legislation, and Labour members largely in favour, a vast number of Conservative members are opposed, and if Cameron had any respect for his party he would have consulted them. As one lady Conservative stated seemingly aptly, he and his friend are two posh boys completely out of touch with ordinary people. Other Conservative members have used the word ‘arrogant’, and who could quarrel with them.
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