I wish you all a very happy and blessed 2014.

New years are often a time for making resolutions and new starts. The best resolution a Christian can make is to follow a way of life advocated by Jesus and to be regular in attending Church to worship Him.

As members of a human family we like to meet with brothers and sisters in our parents’ home and as members of a Church family we should welcome the chance to meet with our Christian brothers and sisters.

A Church family is unique in that it consists of different ages, backgrounds, experiences and sexes. It is where God provides for us to be come equipped to carry out His message to the world. We sing praise together, pray for each other and for the worlds needs share bread and wine in Holy Communion and remember what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.

We live in two worlds. We live in the earthly world but we also live in the world of the Spirit, and there is always the danger we can forget about God and become so involved in earthly activities.

The Bible says, ‘let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another’. We need to meet with others to have fellowship, to gain and give encouragement. Each of us has to make an effort. Most people believe in God and many have a respect for the Church, but that is as far as it goes. They don’t want God or the Church to intrude into their lives, unless of course they want a baptism or wedding and then both can become useful.

But just believing in God’s existence is not enough we have to draw near to Him and the only way is through Jesus Christ. There is one way, one Saviour, one way to eternal life.

Jesus is described in the Bible as the great High priest of God. The function of a priest is to be a bridge between God and man so that we can come into God’s presence and Jesus makes that possible. Jesus can take us into the very presence of His Father.

Some people treat Church like a petrol station. They go to refill their spiritual tanks, and although there are lots of people on the forecourt, don’t wan t to get involved with them, but just drive in fill up and shoot off.

There are many, far too many people in recent times, who have forsaken Church and it can be so very easy to give up, go with the flow and fall away. Once this is done it is often hard to get back into the practice of coming to Church. This is why the Bible urges the need for Christians to be with each other.

There are numerous reasons for people giving up worship. There are the cynical voices pouring scorn making people feel doubtful. There are forces of secularisation, now given so much attention and credence. There are pressures from within families where some members are anti-church, notably husbands regarding their wives. The worry about taking a public stand, and indeed, from within the Church itself.

I know a lady who was a wonderful practising Christian, as practical as one might be. Always the first to offer help when any member was unwell, or in difficulty. Very active in the Church, taking a leading role in all activities, social and religious. PCC Secretary, trained to be a Lay Reader, and then a new Vicar came to the Church with a wife who was one of the most unpleasant women I have ever met. She was intensely jealous of anyone likely to overshadow herself or husband, and made the other lady’s life so difficult she gave up attending a Church she had attended for many years. Perhaps the lady was wrong in not moving to another Church, but when you have been attending a Church for which you have become so attached, it can on a human scale be quite demoralising.

So we should not be tempted to separate ourselves from those who are joined to us by a common faith. Meeting and following Christ can be costly but mostly well rewarded. We must always be aware of the fact that in many parts of the world Churches cannot exist, nor can Christians meet with other Christians for fear of imprisonment or even death. Increasing hostility is being displayed in countries like Egypt, Pakistan, and Nigeria, where Churches are burned down and bombed. Here we still have freedom to worship, but if not cherished and valued and fought for will be lost.

We are living in an increasing anti-Christian environment with so called Equality and Diversity laws making it hard for Christians to express themselves, as public servants strive to find ways of excluding Christian expression.

Coming to Church should be like sons and daughters coming to meet with their (heavenly) Father in complete harmony. My sons regularly visit my wife and self, and I would be very concerned if they did not. Our heavenly Father is also upset when His children neglect Him.

But there is one thing I feel needs to be stressed. We should ensure the Church we attend is one faithful to God’s Word and seeks to build each other up through the Scriptures, and where the true gospel is preached.

We have to acknowledge however sadly this is not always the case, so it serves no purpose going to a Church which fails to do these things. Too many preachers have their own agenda, which is created around a morality not supported by Scripture, and where the teaching is given to subscribe to the culture of the day.

You must find a Bible based Church. Research in America has shown that going to Church and meeting with fellow believers is good for your health. A survey in North America of 4,000 people, found that older people especially who attended Church, were less depressed and far healthier that their non religious counterparts.

There are few people who can say with hand on heart I have no worries, problems, everything in my life is sunshine and roses. We all need spiritual fulfilment.. To all who are worried Jesus says, ‘come to me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls’ He is saying He is waiting for you and has got the help if you only will go to Him.

Jesus added, ‘take my yoke upon you’. A yoke was a wooden frame placed on a persons shoulder in order to make a load easier to carry. So Jesus is saying let me help you carry your burden. In John’s gospel we have the promise of Jesus that He will never turn anyone away.

Let us therefore draw near to God. holding firmly to your belief, and never give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us always give each other encouragement. Don’t let unpleasant people, secularists, or anyone else hold you back. Remember too, Jesus said if anyone rejected Him, He will one day reject them. Such a fate is too horrible to consider.

Matthew 1 v 18/25

Most people know this story having been to a Nativity play, heard it at Sunday School, or sang at Carol Concerts. Even those who never cross a Church doorstep in the year will attend midnight Mass service. People who do not think of Christ from one end of the year to the end sing about Him.

Overpaid and under talented pop groups will sing about Chris-se-muss, yet the Christian impact is less at Christmas than at any other time. In the United States an atheist organisation is placing posters in New York asking for Christ to be taken out of Christmas, and here in England people have written to papers to say just get rid of religion at Christmas and let us enjoy it.

Why do Churches, contrary to normal services, fill up at Christmas time when their message has so little notice taken of it? Because a baby does not threaten nor make you feel uncomfortable. This story is for ever new and relevant; we put Christ back into Christmas and if you Him out all you have left is M & S. The Bible says ‘He will be called Jesus because He will save His people from their sins’.

This is why people reject Jesus, He makes them feel guilty. He didn’t come to save us from problems or loneliness or hardship, just from our own misdoings. Here in this story you have one of the basic doctrines of the Church, the Virgin Birth. The Bible is clearly unequivocal, ‘this is how the birth of Christ came about’. If you believe the Bible is the Word of God, you have no problem with accepting this.

In Jewish culture of that time there were three stages in a relationship. First there was the announcement of the engagement. Often the parents would choose the partners, and some people think that they made a better job of things. After the announcement the betrothal would take place when the couple entered into a legal contract to marry, which could only be ended by divorce. The woman was viewed as a wife although no physical contact was made. If either party died the other would be deemed a widow(er).

Joseph discovered Mary was pregnant and was told by an angel that this was through the Holy Spirit. I can understand some modern day sceptics will ridicule this, and it may be beyond our understanding, but those who have faith and trust the Bible will not have difficulty in believing.
When we look at all the marvels and wonders of technology and see what we can achieve by man’s endeavour, is it so difficult to believe that the God who made the world could not also perform wonders and miraculous events.

Joseph although shocked accepted what he must have thought wrong, and by doing so allowed Jesus to be born in the line from David, and was rewarded with the direct message from God. Messages and visions have regularly been used by God to communicate His plan to His chosen ones.

God took Mary to give the humanity of Jesus whilst the Holy Spirit provided the divinity. God has often acted in supernatural ways in giving women children when they could not have conceived by normal human ways, such as with Sarah, Hannah and Elizabeth.

You will read of Jesus being hungry, thirsty, tired, and sad, reflecting his humanity, but you will also read of His works which could only have been accomplished because of His divinity. If you are only prepared to see Jesus as some sort of exceptional social worker or reformer, you are failing to recognise all He came to do.

I have served with Christians who refuse to accept Mary as a normal Jewish woman. enjoying married life with Joseph in a normal physical relationship, refusing to accept any such normal married life, ignoring also Jesus had brothers and possibly sister. The Bible clarifies this in Matthew’s gospel when it states, Joseph had no union with her’ ‘until she gave birth to a son whom she named Jesus’

Until recent times Christianity in the West was a distinct part of our heritage and culture. We celebrated all the main festivals especially Christmas and Easter. We are in danger of seeing this great faith wiped out of public life by aggressive secular and atheistic forces, which have gained strength way beyond their size in this country, and it appears even more so in the great land of the United States which was once seen as a bastion for the Chistian faith, and in fact still has in some places Churches of such size that we could only dream of this country. So why are these pathetic, ignorant organisations allowed to peddle their venom so freely.

Good Friday, once such a solemn day reflecting the greatest sacrifice made on behalf of men and women is now no more than another shopping opportunity. Sundays have long since been ignored as a holy day. Now even Christmas, which only has credence because of its Christian association, is in danger of being replaced as an orgy of shopping, drinking and immorality.

Once Christmas Day, like Sundays, was a closed day for shops (as I understand it still is in Germany) now even that is being abandoned, and amazingly under a Conservative administration which once was seen as more prone to support the Church

Perhaps the greater condemnation ought to be directed at Church leaders who up to now have not put forth any resistance, in contrast to their devious plotting to ensure the appointment of women as bishops, over- riding normal rules of procedure. If it is desire to appoint women, fair enough, but play by the normal rules and show the integrity demanded from Christians.

Similarly there was no lethargy in the hasty desire to appoint a Committee to enquire how to get around the problem of recognising same sex marriages without appearing duplicitous.

If positive and equally aggressive steps are not taken to defend the Christian faith, using all modern methods of communication, there will be no Christianity to defend.

The birth of our Lord and Saviour should be an apt time to start reclaiming the ground so which has so feebly been surrendered. Other faiths are ever ready to take our place in the spiritual vacuum which will be left.

The gospel reading this week is about John the Baptist who is incarcerated in a dungeon and is near the end of his life. The place where he is held is one of the hottest places on earth and he is there because he has criticised Herod for his immoral lifestyle.

John is also depressed as he realises his ministry is over, Jesus is now predominant, and whilst John has always preached about Jesus, he finds Jesus appears to be doing nothing to help him. Consequently John begins to have doubts about his faith, as most thinking people will have.

In order to resolve his fears he sends his disciples to ask Jesus to confirm He is the Messiah, and Jesus responds by telling them to return to John and acquaint John with what Jesus is saying and performing

Jesus also points out all things happen in God’s appointed time. The people generally expected Jesus to lead them in a political campaign against the Roman power, but Jesus was not One who would command military action. Jesus knew people would be disappointed and fall away once their expectations were not fulfilled, and the same thing happens today. At the same time Church members can be very cruel and their conduct can cause havoc in a Church.

I had a lady in one Church where I was acting in an honorary capacity who worked so hard and demonstrated her faith in a very practical way. She was one might call a perfect Christian in action. If a person became ill she would be the first to see what help she could offer in a practical way, shopping cleaning or just visiting and offering comfort. She was a PCC Secretary, a lay reader, and generally active in all Church social events. Sadly a new Vicar was appointed whose wife who would have been more suited to a prison guard. She was jealous that any other woman could even have a say never mind being so popular, which led to my friend’s life becoming unbearable there, and at the wife’s behest caused her to leave the Church. She drifted away from Church, which lost a valuable servant at a crucial time as both the Vicar and his wife left soon after. There should never be any animosity within a Church family.

If you feel disappointed or downcast, if you feel no one cares for you and you feel you have laboured in vain, remember there is some One above who is watching over you and will recognise your efforts. He records all we do and sees the goodness in us. One day he will say ‘come ye blessed of my Father and receive the Kingdom prepared for you’.

There does come times of personal weakness in which doubt enters all our lives, and if it has not happened to you (yet), then perhaps you are not thinking things through.

The devil is always active and can influence our thin mind, especially in times of personal sadness and worry, and then like John we begin to wonder if we have got it right. Jesus understood John’s thinking and praised him publicly as the greatest man born of woman, yet he did not have the experience which each one of us can have of knowing the Holy Spirit come into our lives.

Millions of people consider themselves Christian, without any real entitlement. True they are Christian supporters, but there is no commitment. Many people feel inspired by the ceremony often performed and enacted in the Church of England, in which ritual take the place of real faith and belief. I have served in Churches where ceremony was a feature and which was very meaningful, and added much to worship, rather than the basic services, but it should be an aid to remind us we have been in the presence of an Almighty God and nothing more.

The message people always need to remember, is that we are worshipping the Jesus who died on the Cross for the forgiveness of all our sins, and as the Bible emphatically states, no can come to God the Father except through Him… He alone is the means of our salvation.

There are a lot of politicians, and other trouble makers, who want to airbrush our faith right out of existence and we are letting them get on with it., They are pathetic cowards who would not dare to say or do the things to Islam that we allow, and to the credit of Islam they stand up these cowards.

If you have trusted God for some purpose and feel like John let down; if your faith becomes weak, be like John and tell God to speak to you. Listen or read the great hymns of Charles Wesley who wrote in one hymn ‘my faith looks up to thee, O Lamb of Calvary’ Above all, never let anyone cause you to doubt or lead you to spiritual rejection so that you drift away from Church. You may think it could never happen, but it could and will if you are not careful.

May God bless you and be at Church each Sunday.

I have always thought of myself as an evangelical, and so did my first Bishop who sent me to a very High Anglican Church to experience the alternative side of Anglicanism. This was a new and at first disturbing experience as coming from a city like Liverpool, Catholic practices either Roman or Anglo were not the thing for a good Protestant.

During my service in Ministry| I have served at Churches of both Evangelical and Catholic persuasion, and have received greater recognition and been more received in those Churches which had a Higher form of liturgy; but I stress that I have always maintained a belief in the full authority of Scripture.

During the 1980s like many people with a love of the Bible, and a desire to see it preached faithfully, I was favourably impressed by Pope John Paul who appeared to be as evangelical as any other man. When he was succeeded by Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope, I felt here was a Church leader who had everything. A man ready to speak frankly, fearlessly, and positively; deeply evangelical, yet gracing with fine ceremonial, and ready to oppose all those who wished to see the Church adopt a soft line on moral issues, especially a tolerant attitude on sexual morality.

The Roman Church seemed to be in the ascendancy with these two men and fine Archbishops in Basil Hulme, Peter Smith, and Vincent Nichols, as against some of the indecisive Bishops in the Church of England. Now we are swinging back with the present Pope who would appear to be more of a public relations, headlines seeking person.

I am not impressed, as I suspect millions others are not, to read he likes to live in a small flat rather than at the Vatican palace; that he prefers to drive a clapped out old Renault rather then be driven in a luxury car; that he sneaks out in the night to hand money to the poor , etc etc etc. More especially that he is soft pedalling on traditional Catholic teaching.

What is most disturbing is to read newspaper adulation by the words he is the religious equivalent of Obama. That must terrify the faithful. The last thing the Christian world needs is a disaster.

Mark 1
Mark begins his gospel with the words, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." At the beginning of creation, as Adam and Eve sinned, God was already speaking of the coming of the One who would save men from their sins, and in the Old Testament God spoke of the One who would come as the forerunner, John the Baptist.

So, as Mark's Gospel opens, John the Baptist is there to prepare the way so that the people would be ready to receive Jesus. He was a voice crying in the wilderness. This is where God sent him to preach and many went out to hear him. They went because of the message which was being preached which had a significant effect on them.

John spoke in a way that touched their hearts. Within all of us there is a conscience which is often dulled and needs reawakening. In their hearts people know they are sinners and it weighs on their minds.
What is sad is that in today’s world no one is supposed to be made to feel guilty. There is a distinct lack in the preaching of the Church to point out the consequences of sin lest we upset people. We have got to a stage where there are no absolutes, as long as one feels something is right, that is all that matters.
As a result, many in our day fix the blame on someone else for their behaviour. Now, while there may have been someone else involved, the fact remains that you are still responsible before God.

So whilst the Church now is reluctant to speak of sin lest it upsets people, John proved the opposite effect is true. People went miles just to hear him tell them words that would enable him to touch something in their hearts and minds. They were able to confess and have peace of mind.

When Billy Graham first came to England, many pompous clergy were derisive before they had even heard him speak. Whilst they were preaching to small numbers of people in sweet soporific tones, Billy was speaking before crowds of many thousands ranging from 20 to 60 thousands, with overflow meetings in theatres and church halls. He was never reluctant to tell them they were sinners and needed to turn to Christ. When people think of great evangelists, Billy Graham is often the name which comes to mind.

Just as did John there was a conviction of sin combined with a message of hope which offered relief. If the Church is content in observing state law assiduously and declining to speak of judgement, which determines heaven or hell, then it becomes little more than a social club with a spiritual flavour. We need to have more teaching based on the Bible rather than that identical to some social based magazine.

Then John called them to publicly acknowledge their repentance by baptism. Baptism at that time symbolised the washing away of the past and the beginning of a new life. This was performed when someone confirmed their faith repented and promised to lead a new life. It was not the frivolous act performed in too many churches where it is mainly children being baptised, which is in fact just the prelude to a party, and where the parents of children are not required to make any commitment other than just say the words on the service sheet.

John was the forerunner for Christ pointing to Jesus as the Messiah, the One who would come and baptise with the Holy Spirit, but his message can mean as much to today’s generation as it did to the people of his day.

Matthew 24
Today is Advent Sunday and for many Churches it is the start of the Church’s year. For all Christians it is a time when we think about the return of our Lord, although for so many people, they have not recognised His first coming. This is a very serious and important subject and should not be treated lightly. The teachings of the Bible are not acceptable to many folk within the Church, but they are quite clear. Let us look at them together this morning.

In the Epistle Peter wants his readers to know God will one day bring an end to this world. 380 times in the New Testament the return of Jesus is mentioned, and the whole Bible promises His return.
Peter is concerned that they should live by the teachings of Jesus, and warns them that there will be people who mock the faith. They will do so in order to justify the sinful way in which they live.

People also scoff at any talk of Jesus returning or the suggestion of judgement, stating God will not intervene and asking why He hasn’t done so. They forget that one day to us is like a thousand years to God, who is giving time for more people to be saved.

They forget too, if they ever knew, that God did once destroy the earth and is saving up fire for when judgement comes. This will be sudden Peter points out and without warning, leaving no place or time for hiding. Peter concludes by telling Christians to live pure and holy lives to avoid punishment that awaits the ungodly.

When we turn to the gospel passage we find Jesus had been talking to His Apostles on the Mount of Olives, who asked Him what the signs are of His coming back at the end of the age. Jesus answered there would be wars and rumours of wars, nations would fight nations--- there would be famines, ----earthquakes----Christians would be persecuted ----people would turn away from the faith. ----there would be false teaching---evil--wickedness.

You don’t hear much preaching on this subject, the Church tends to avoid it. The Church is remarkably quiet about anything which is likely to upset people’s tranquillity; there is reluctance in a politically correct obsessed society to suggest judgement or guilt. But we are thinking here about the climax of world history, a point where any national psychopathic leader could, by pressing a button, unleash nuclear destruction on an unimaginable scale. So we may be nearer to the end than many think or want to believe.

It is true that such signs have been prevalent in each generation but they increase in their likelihood as time goes by. If you look at present world events, there are grounds for concern. Wars and terrorism are occurring all over our world.

A situation of utmost gravity exists in the Middle East where Iran wants to wipe Israel off the map, and world leaders seem to be deluded into thinking they can trust Iran, whereas Israel is more ready to face reality. They in turn are ready to attack Iran, and bearing in mind that the Bible prophesises the world will end in Jerusalem, we should all be concerned. The Bible states God will protect His ancient chosen people.

We see famines in Africa, earthquakes and typhoons of unprecedented strength, with one island which rarely has rain having had large parts destroyed by storms. False teaching aplenty is given in our Churches, to justify and make acceptable modern moral behaviour. Christians are being forced out of Middle Eastern lands, where arson and murder reign against them. Jesus says all these kinds of things will happen in the last days, that is before His return.

In v.36, which opens our reading, Jesus states that only God knows when that time will be. He then compares life in the days of Noah to those relating to what will be happening when He returns to earth.

You remember the story of Noah. A lot of people laugh and scoff at it, but archaeologists say there is plenty of evidence that a flood did exist at one time over a certain portion of the world, the portion that Noah lived in. The Bible says that God looked upon civilization, and He saw the wickedness of men.

Jesus said as it was then, so it will be in the day of the coming of the Son of man. There are several things said about that day. First, it was a world in which marriage and home were abused. Marrying and giving in marriage was the idea of exchanging wives. People were obsessed with sex. Emphasis was on immorality. Look at our world today; we are living in the same way as in the days of Noah. We see the same conditions today. Pick up a newspaper.

The Telegraph and Mail newspapers often feature religious articles on their websites and a lot of comments are made in response which are quite vitriolic; not just disagreement open hatred of religion. People do not like to hear their way of living is seen to be immoral by others. They want to live their lives without reference to God or biblical values.

One journalist wrote an article in response to a speech by the ex Archbishop of Canterbury, who had suggested the Church faced extinction. He stated the Church could not expect younger people (especially) to reject same sex relationships, or couples sleeping together outside of marriage, or the doctrines of the Church such as a Virgin Birth and resurrection, which SOME churches still do preach. He was in fact implying that the Church should drastically change its stance on such issues, although I think many within the Church have done so in thought and practice.

Noah tried to warn his fellowmen of coming judgement, but there was a sceptical unbelieving and casual unconcern. The more Noah preached the more they laughed at him. God said man was too evil, so He was going to make it rain for forty days and destroy the earth. But God saw Noah was a good man of moral integrity who worshipped God faithfully.
God told Noah how to build a ship, and when Noah did so everybody laughed at this crazy guy building a ship out in the desert. Today you would have television crews from around the world taking pictures. But then the rains came and how they must have wished they had listened to Noah

This is how it will be before Jesus returns to an unbelieving world which will be living as they choose. People laugh at this story and at today’s gospel; they call it a myth and fairy tale, but they will find out one day.

When Jesus returns, just as the flood brought sudden judgement His return will do the same. People will be caught unawares as they will be unprepared through rejecting Christian teaching. The world will be separated even between families and friends as Jesus taught. The Bible is clear – there was a beginning and there will be an end, when Christ comes again.

Jesus stated two people will be together, one will be taken to be with Him, the other will be left. A person who has accepted Jesus, who died on the Cross as their Saviour, will be safe on Judgement day. A person who has not will be let behind. There will be no chance to make a decision then, we have to be ready beforehand and decide we want to accept Him now. The Bible states, ‘now is the day of salvation.’ God has given everybody a chance to decide and choose. These are Jesus’ words, not mine.

This is a very serious truth to consider, for the Bible teaches that the consequences are drastic, some will be saved for eternal life and the rest will be lost. However much we might like to conclude there is a different ending, the Bible leaves us with no doubt.

The last verses of our passage call on us to be ready, and Peter in his Letter urged us to spread the gospel message, particularly to our families and friends, for we will never have warning. The Bible states now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation

There is a grossly mistaken notion that as long as one is honest and a nice person one is assured of heaven. That is not what the Bible teaches. Many people who are atheists are honest and nice people. There has to be a personal commitment to Jesus. The Bible states, ‘salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved’. Jesus said, ‘no one comes to the Father except through me’. The Church has not always given sound teaching on this; indeed there are those who do not accept those words.

Whilst it may be comforting to believe that we can all get to heaven regardless of one’s beliefs, and we like to please our fellow men and women, it is quite cruel to mislead if it is not true. It is like telling a blind person standing on the footwalk of a busy road it is safe for him to cross when ready. Others say if you just follow your conscience you’ll be fine, but consciences become dulled and hardened. We need to be prepared just as any responsible householder will take care of their property against theft, for burglars do not give notice of their coming.

This is why it is so important for each person to make his/her own decision whether to follow Jesus in His teaching, commands and demands He makes on us.

You see the Bible is all about commitment. We are reminded of the superficiality of commitment in our own time. Less than 10% of people think God worthy of one hour per week to visit a Church. Yet if you were to ask people their religion, the vast majority would reply C of E and seriously consider they were Christians. They would be mortally offended if you suggested otherwise. Very few people seem it necessary to think of Jesus, even less to do anything about it.

Some Christians have sincerely gone to extremes to prepare for Jesus’ return. Jesus never called us to do anything more than to be faithful in all that we do and always to thing to the best of our ability and be ready to greet Him either here on earth or in heaven. SCRIPTURES REFERENCED

Matthew 7 v 13/14

This passage is part of Jesus teaching where a great crowd had gathered on a mountain. He is telling the rules and practice by which Christians should live by, and tells them how they can be saved.

He taught there are two gates, to two roads, and two masters.
He said there are two destinies, heaven and hell and divided people into two classes. There are only two roads, no third, no alternative. This is not generally liked as it is seen as being too restrictive, too bigoted and intolerant, and we don’t like to be judged. Yet in spite of all this, Jesus says we must enter through the narrow gate. So let us look at the choice we face and consider honestly which road each of us is on and to where heading.

It is like driving up to a crossroad junction and you have to make a decision as to which road you choose. On the broad road you enter by a wide gate and the road is spacious, there is plenty of room on it and there are plenty of people on it. It is the road where you can live as you like. There are even otherwise decent men and women on it, so many claiming to be Christians albeit without due cause. It is widely assumed, and strongly encouraged by the secular press, that if you are honest and sincere you will go to heaven.

You see the Bible is all about commitment. We are reminded of the superficiality of commitment in our own time. Less than 10% of people think God worthy of one hour per week to visit a Church. Yet if you were to ask people their religion, the vast majority would reply C of E and seriously consider they were Christians.

As we come to the narrow gate leading to the narrow road, which Jesus wants us to take, but says only few take it, and those who do must do through Him. The command quoted in John 14, despite being non correct in many Churches now, still states ‘no one can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ.’ He is the only way.

Being narrow these days means you are classed as bigoted or phobic. You are expected to be broad minded, be modern, 2+2=5. The road is narrow because it is the way of truth and truth is always narrow.

Jesus said there is a life to come and it is a long life, it is eternal, and there are only two destinies, , and you alone choose, God will not push you. He gave you the ability to choose and lets you do so. Where you end up in eternity will be determined by which road you take, so what you do in the world is important.

One of these roads leads to destruction the other to life with Jesus. He took time to remind people of the seriousness of salvation. He wanted all to be sure of the future. People do prefer the easy road in life but Jesus made it plain He wants us to journey down the difficult road and enter the narrow gate.

Neither can the narrow road be pursued if we are motivated by a desire to please society. True disciples of Jesus Christ will not play to the galleries nor form values according to the passing approval of people in general. God’s approval is all that matters.

Finally Jesus speaks firmly and rather profoundly when He says not all who think they are to enter the Kingdom of heaven will in fact do so. But it can be hard to be a Christian in this country at the present time and many find the going too hard and strenuous and the opposition oppressive. Any open expression of our faith is likely to lead to suspension or dismissal from work. There is so much harassment of Christians which is not reported here and you have to listen to the American news channels to discover what is going on in this country.

As Christians we must always seek to glorify the Lord in our ways and speech.

Jesus warns us that there must be a clear acceptance of His teaching and total obedience to it. Just to recite a creed and attend Church is not enough. We honour Jesus by calling Him Lord and sing hymns expressive of our devotion to Him. The lips that sing His praise should never be the lips that start trouble.

The headline in the Daily Mail this morning is seizing on a speech by Lord Carey in which he foresees the extinction of the Church of England.

I remember my bishop at the time of my ordination stating people have been forecasting the end of the Church for so many years and we are still here. I would have expected Lord Carey to have foreseen the headlines his words were bound to attract.

I regret Lord Carey had not been more forthright when he was in office as Archbishop of Canterbury. I seem to remember him as a sort of disaster. We had under his reign the decade of evangelism, a much triumphed initiative which in fact lost more members than attracted them. He was all things to all men, ranging from devout Anglo-Catholic to committed evangelical, according to which lobby he was speaking.

What should be under criticism are the number of clergy who are letting the Church down, some also making themselves look foolish whilst seeking a few minutes of fame and headlines. For example, we have Remembrance Sunday, when all patriots glow in love of country and are prone to attend Church, and some little known Vicar who claims to be an expert on hymns pops up and condemns the hymn ‘I vow to thee my country’, which is so revered by so many people.

We are about to see some spiritual blood letting during the debate on women being appointed bishops as the debate will get bitter, but personal ambitions must triumph above evangelism.
I so admire Bishop Nazir-Ali who alone amongst the higher echelons of the Church touches the minds of ordinary people, and if Lord Carey wishes to promote the Church and its future should encourage his fellows to adopt a similar tone, rather than have bishops writing to newspapers supporting same sex marriages and other practices which are contrary to Scripture.

Hard to believe as it may be, you have a bishop as chairman of church schools advocating giving priority to non church families above church families. The Arch bishop of Canterbury had to rush a correction after an interview with the Times Religious correspondent in which he appeared ambivalent on which children should be given priority for church schools.

Church attendance now cannot be compared to that of years ago. There are now too many excuses for people not attending now and too many distractions they can claim, such as shops, caravans; children visiting absent fathers, mothers working all week, (being encouraged to do so by governments).

However, all those things do not seem to affect Muslims who face all Christians have to face in life. They don’t abandon their faith, and I suspect you never hear a Muslim cleric challenging anything in their Holy Book in the same way that Christian leaders decry the moral teaching of Scripture and the authority of the Bible. In addition, Muslim women are not wailing about discrimination.

Statistics suggest Christian Church membership is declining, but Islam is increasing. Surprising?

Let us remember Jesus said I will build my Church’. So we mortal clergy do not build or convert, only God does through Christ, we are merely messengers for Him. I don’t think Jesus would approve of many of the messages that are coming out of His Church.

John 13, v 31 to 14. v 6

We are now approaching Christmas a time when we celebrate the birth of our Lord. Whilst this is the true and original meaning and purpose of Christmas, the wider world has little if any thought or concern for Christ, yet will indulge itself on the basis of His birthday. Christmas does have Christ in the title.

Many pompous politicians want to ban or at least restrict public religious ceremonies, even to the extent of re-naming Christmas in secular terms. Well did Pope Benedict say we have an aggressive secularism.

The Lectionary readings for Advent are on the theme of Christ’s second coming, but I think it more important we concentrate and recognise the wonder of His first coming.

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

Let us turn now to our gospel passage.

The reading begins after Judas has left Jesus and the other Apostles where they have been celebrating the Last Supper and Jesus tells the Apostles, ‘now He has been glorified’. Because of what Judas was going to do, Jesus would face the Cross, and so would bring glory by His sacrifice, and by His obedience to God, He too would be glorified.

Jesus went on to tell them they must love one another, and by that He simply meant they should show loyalty to each other and not get engaged in disputes.

When Jesus tells the Apostles He is going to leave them they are devastated and fear for their future. For three years they have lived every moment with Jesus and now He suddenly tells them He is going. This brings us to the end of Chapter 13.

I often see a likeness to a present day situation when a Minister leaves a Church to go elsewhere (or retire) and there has been a good relationship with the congregation, there is then very often sadness.

When the Bible was first compiled, each book of the Bible was one long script. In 1227 the then Archbishop of Canterbury divided it into chapters, and in 1448 Robert Estienne separated into verses. This has been a great help in enabling us to find a verse readily, but has in another sense caused passages to be taken out of contest and adopted to suit the purpose.

This happens with the first six verses of Chapter 14 which are regularly asked for by relatives for a funeral service without any understanding of what has gone before, and indeed which is most relevant to what is coming, and why Jesus is saying what He did. To ignore Chapter 13 is to miss the meaning.

Everyone wants to claim a heavenly room without any conditions. They have no doubt a place is automatically reserved for them irrespective of the way they have lived here and the fact they have not accepted Him as Saviour. Let it be remembered Jesus is speaking to His Apostles, and indeed all believers can accept His words.

He tells them to believe in God, in other words, trust God, but not only God, Jesus too. In heaven there is room for all believers. Jesus is going to prepare a place for believers.

Thomas asks where He is going and the way, and Jesus makes that immortal reply, ’I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me’.

Unless we re-write our Bibles we cannot get away from these exclusive claims of Jesus. No one will be in the Father’s heavenly mansions unless they are a committed follower of Jesus. If you decide Jesus in not for you there is no eternal future in heaven.

We have the declaration of Peter, ‘salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved’

Then you have the words of Paul, for no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Jesus says he is the way, the truth and the life. Not just a way to know God and get to heaven, but the one and only way to be with God. Many people, especially non believers, say this is arrogance and discriminatory. We have got to a state of affairs now in this country whereby one is not permitted to make comment about a person’s age, race, sexuality or ethnic faith, but it is open season on Christianity. This should not surprise us since we live in a day of increasing religious pluralism when people in influential places, especially politicians, who have no religious affiliations say, all religions are equal.

Saying this insults thoughtful followers of every religion. Talk to a Muslim for a while, and you’ll discover that what they believe and what we believe are radically different. They do not accept the divinity of Christ, saying God has no Son. Talk to a Buddhist, and you’ll discover that their beliefs are different from ours and from the Muslims. The same is true for followers of Judaism, Hinduism, and so on. It’s easy to say all roads lead to heaven when you don’t know anything about what you are speaking of.

Jesus make such claims because he says is the truth. From the beginning of the Gospel Jesus has been making outrageous statements about what God wants. If Jesus was simply a human being then his exclusive claims would be most arrogant. However, since he was fully divine then we must accept those claims.

We know that some who agree with our answer don’t like to talk about it openly. They fear stirring up trouble, so even if they answer yes, they prefer not to discuss the question publicly. Others of course fear being dismissed from employment or even prosecuted if they dare to mention their faith.

I read that the Home Secretary is to introduce new legislation making it a criminal offence for any person to make a statement which might cause offence (imaginary or really) to another person. This will seriously endanger street preachers as one American evangelist found out when he was arrested for preaching on 1 Thessalonians 4.

If we are to be in a right relationship with God, Jesus is the only One who can restore that relationship. By his death, he paid for our sins and bridged the gap that separates us from God. By his resurrection, he proved he is the Son of God.

We must accept members of other faiths have sincerity in their beliefs.We do not need to doubt the sincerity of those of other faiths. I admire them for their dedication to what they believe and wish all Christians would show similar dedication to Christianity.

Christians have always believed that Jesus is the only way to heaven. We haven’t always expressed it with equal forcefulness, but the teaching itself is not new. We now have to think about the challenge of sharing Christ in a pluralistic world. This means all Christians have to know what they believe and why, and then not be afraid to contend for what we believe (as the bible urges us to do) For example, it is life or death; heaven or hell; Jesus or nothing.

We should be inspired by Christians in the non Christians lands who daily face hatred, violence, even death; and see their Churches and homes destroyed, yet never waver in their faith.

There are many religions, and many good things to be learned from the religions of the world, but there is only one way to God. Jesus is the way.

We only face one impediment. Not all who are in ministry, clergy and lay, even accept Jesus is the only way. I heard sermons when His name has not even been mentioned. We should all honour the name of Jesus. Christian preachers and teachers should stop challenging the Bible and be true and faithful to the gospel as given in the Apostolic teaching

You will never hear a Muslim cleric disputing any word of the Koran, nor would members of their faith allow the Koran to be abused. When we Christians respond with similar dedication and commitment, this nation will be transformed.

Jesus really is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
As we gather once again on this special day, our minds remember the great sacrifices made by men/women who gave their lives serving in the Armed Forces, and others who were injured and disabled for life.

As the years roll by, the number of those who were alive during the last World War grows ever smaller, reducing by the year. But the memories do not fade, as we recall how this nation stood alone on the brink when all seemed to be lost and there was even talk of surrender. Yet God raised up a man who would rally the nation to perform such heroic deeds.

Sadly, so many young people do not, and will not, try to learn of this glorious chapter of our history, never having had to endure the horrors and hardship of war. Such has been the direction of education in recent years in (state) schools, they have little or no knowledge of what was done that they may have all the privileges they now enjoy.

There have been conflicts since 1945 in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, but they have been localised and have not intruded on so many lives in this country.

But we think of those shot down over German skies
perished on a French beach; tortured in a Japanese prisoner camp, drowned in deep waters. This causes us to think of honour and sacrifice, with a requirement to be remembered.

Now we have to add those who perished and have been injured, on the streets of Iraq, or blown up on dusty Afghan roads.

We all long for peace and to be able to walk the streets without fear; to be free from crime and violence, to be safe in our own homes.

But a greater peace is that which is with God. The world has largely rejected Christianity, without having anything to put in its place to combat the evils of the world. All we hear today is about ‘human rights,’ yet in all walks of public life, even to the highest level of government, we have flagrant lying, deceit, corruption and unrestricted immorality. Such conduct sends out an entirely wrong message to the young and gullible.

We have a Prime Minister educated at one of the most elite schools in the world, elected to the highest Office in the land as leader of a most reputable political party, (whose traditions and beliefs he betrays) whose principal passion was to destroy and abuse the bedrock of any society and legislate for same sex marriage. Even after doing so, he made promises and gave assurances which any intelligent person with half a brain realises can’t be honoured. Consistent research reveals it is not only the bedrock of society, but makes a better environment for family life.

This nation was built on the solid foundation of God’s law, it was the basis of our legal system. Our nation’s future depends on all accepting the standards laid down in God’s Holy Word. That is what men fought and died for and what men and women are doing now in our Army, Navy and Air Force.

What would the men and women who fought and suffered, some unto death, say if they knew what things were going on this country now? Would they wonder if their great sacrifices were worthwhile as they looked at us? How disillusioned, as they looked at their injuries and saw people making huge compensation claims for minor injuries, and taking legal action for hurt feelings caused by mere words.

How horrified they would be if they knew we have to rely on young people from other countries coming to do essential work in this country because many people here do not consider they have to work but instead claim their right to be supported on benefits supplied by the state,

How would they feel to hear some jumped up public official refusing to let the flag they fought under be displayed lest it upset people not even born here, people who in fairness would not think of complaining.

How would they react to our Courts allowing men to remain in this country who are intent on causing explosions to damage and injure as part of a religious crusade.

Meanwhile Christians are being pursued through the Courts, in which judges have declared must not treat Christianity with any particular respect. It is therefore intensely important, that we should positively let people know the true message, according to God’s Holy Word, and identify that which is plainly wrong in life.

We have a society which is encouraged to forsake a Christian consensus and live, not by Christian principles, which lead to health and wholeness of body, mind and spirit, and permits people to live at peace and enjoy their lives, but by substituting other principles.

We are submerged in a world that is committed to falsehood, which is why we are called to proclaim the truth.

If ever the Word of God was needed it is never more so than now. It calls for people to turn back to God who is ready and able to meet the needs of everyone who turns to Him. The message we have for the world is centred upon the person of Jesus Christ.

Remembrance Sunday will find people in all our Churches who would not normally be there, thus revealing a spiritual content in their lives. Indeed, almost all people have some spiritual longing. There are so many of these people who would be of enormous value to the Church and who in turn could add so much to their lives. Whilst the majority may not be willing to accept it, we all need a spiritual life. We need God and the forgiveness, which He offers in Jesus Christ. Without this our souls are restless. The only obstacle is a lack of motivation.

Many people are like the two British soldiers who found themselves lost in the deserts of Iraq. They eventually came across a two star American General in his jeep. As they approached him they didn’t even bother to salute and simply blurted out ‘excuse me mate, can you tell us where we are?’ The General took umbrage at their casual attitude and sternly replied, ‘Don’t you know who I am?’ at which one of the soldiers turned to the other and said, ‘Now we are in real trouble, we don’t know where we are and he doesn’t know who he is!’

Neither do we know who we are and why we are here, so we just live for today and who cares about tomorrow. And that is how we will remain unless there is some communication from the outside, from the One who has made us. A godless self-centred life is a fruitless and empty one.

We need a spiritual revival, which God is challenging us to make. However, there is reluctance within some Churches to preach a vibrant Biblical message for fear of being criticised as being offensive to other faiths. Such reluctance is not reciprocated. People, I believe, are longing for and wanting spiritual leadership

May we, on this special day, well remember the sacrifices others made that we might be here at this hour. We must never ever forget the lives of so many gallant young men and women given that we may have peace in our lives.

The BBC have posted an article on their News website in which they refer to the baptism today of Prince George and quote Archbishop Welby as saying he hopes the baptism will inspire others to do the same. Under the article the BBC have asked readers if they are planning to have a baby christened and invites them to send pictures, comments and experiences, and to say if they would be prepared to have a BBC journalist to contact them. You can imagine the excitement this will cause in many households and the consequent rush to contact the BBC.

When the Duchess of Cambridge emerged from the hospital after the child’s birth, the dress she was wearing was immediately copied (and as with other clothes she wears) was in immediate demand by women to have the same. The same result will follow as thousands I would imagine across the country will want to have their baby ‘done’ to follow the royal couple’s action.

This in theory might seem like a welcome outcome, all these people coming to Church, but when we get down to practicalities it will be largely symbolic, for few I am sure will honour the vows and promises they make, and from what has already taken place, some extrovert Vicars will turn baptism services into little more than a three ring circus.

In a separate message, the Archbishop stated, ‘God’s love is offered without qualification, without price, without cost, to all people, in all circumstances, always.’ I have no doubt he meant well and used those words spontaneously without deeper thought. But this is not what the Bible would corroborate. The Bible teaches that before baptism there must be repentance and a declaration of faith; the baptism service also requires parents to bring their children up within the family of the Church and by their example. I venture to suggest that is a cost few are willing to honour.

A far greater cost was paid on the Cross, when even more requirements were demanded by those who followed the Saviour of the world.

I hope the Archbishop will at some time qualify his rather rash invitation.

The Epistle for this Sunday is 2Timothy 3 v16 to 4 v5.

I think it rather sad that we do not view and treat our sacred book with the same commitment and devotion that Muslims treat the Koran. I fear that even many Christians seldom read the Bible on their own and the only contact with Scripture is listening to it being read in Church.

I have taken services in 28 Churches in and around Bedford and in the majority Bibles are not displayed in the pews, something which would enable members to follow the readings and sermon. In one Church they did not even have a Bible for the lessons to be read from.

I remember one summer being in Scotland when the city Council of Glasgow held an exhibition of the Bible and invited people to write any comment they wished on a displayed Bible. As expected certain passages relating to sexual behaviour had obscene words written thereon. None of the mainline Churches offered any resistance, but an evangelical group challenged the City Council to display the Koran alongside with the same invitation. A firm refusal was the natural display of cowardice, probably because they did not have sufficient fire insurance cover.

So let us turn to our passage from Paul’s 2nd Letter to Timothy in Chapters ¾. All Scripture is God breathed. This means that all (not some; not just those you think suits you) owes its origin and contents to the Spirit of God. God chose 40 men (all except one a Jew) of varied occupations and personalities, and inspired them to write what God wanted, His thoughts and requirements.

A major reason why the Church in the West is in decline, and the Eastern Churches are in the ascendant is that in the West it has become fashionable to dismantle those parts which do not correspond to modern morality and values, whilst Churches in the East, Africa, and South America faithfully adhere to he Bible. You simply cannot pick and choose the parts that are convenient to a particular standard of living.

Is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.
This means to point out where false teaching is given, and correct errors in doctrine and conduct, warning when wrong paths are being followed; and to train people to live in such a way that pleases God.

Having pointed out the importance of Scripture, Paul then reminds Timothy he and all Christians will one day have to give account to God and Jesus Christ, and Timothy must take every opportunity to deliver the message from God.
This passage although though written 2,000 years ago, is highly relevant to our own day and describes so accurately the day in which we live. Like Timothy we are a tiny minority amidst an overwhelming majority committed to unbelief.

We are to preach “the Word.” not ideas theories or analysis of current events. When people come to Church they have a right to expect that they will hear a sermon based on the Word of God. This should be the norm for all Churches of whatever denomination. It might not make us popular, but we are not here to be popular. A Church that does truly preach such Word will find plenty of opposition, but the Church has to choose whether to please the world or God.

There is much that could be said about the relevance of this for us today. It speaks most directly, I think, to our understanding of what ministry should be about. Quite simply, ministry is about being faithful, not about being successful.. Churches and their ministers are often judged by numbers, and whilst we all would like to see our congregations being larger, we should not try to attain this by presenting a form of entertainment, and/or seeking popularity..

The themes of the full authority of Scripture and salvation through Christ alone were the themes of Charles and John Wesley. Listen to the words of John Wesley. ‘I want to know one thing, the way to heaven, how to land on that happy shore. God has condescended to teach the way, He was written it down I a book. Give me that book at any price give me that book’. I fear both Wesleys would find a lot of preaching these days not to their liking.
When people turn away from what is written they lose their spiritual moorings and just drift ashore into the secular wilderness.

You will never hear a Muslim saying the Koran must be re-interpreted to please society, or that it is in any part in error; nor will they permit anyone else to say so.
In addition, Timothy must deal with those who fail to live righteously, pointing out the error of their ways, perhaps rebuking someone who is acting badly which is destroying him and others, and there will be some depressed people who will need encouragement

There always has and always will be those who refuse to accept sound teaching, and as time has gone on things have got progressively worse. A time has come, it appears, that people are willing to tear Scripture apart claiming openly that the Bible is too old fashioned in its original form and needs to be re-written to suit the time. Sadly many Christians are living unworthily of the Lord and are ready to hear an up dated version of the Bible to appease a guilty conscience.

All Christians should be concerned at the way events are going. If Christianity is pushed out, the spiritual vacuum is likely to be filled with something far worse. The Bible states that Jesus is the only way to God, the only means of salvation because of His death on the Cross. We should not be fearful of saying this, otherwise people will not fully appreciate what we are here for, and to make this proclamation is the only reason for our existence; we must stand and say boldly, and not be afraid to do so even if it upsets some false teachers. Sadly, there are too many within the Church more anxious to promote their own ambitions and desires than to promote the gospel.

The Lord calls on each one of us to be steadfast in the faith, to remain true to His teaching and promises to Him; this applies to every Christian. Nowhere in the Bible do we find a particular standard for some Christians and a different one for others. Some may find the negative influences around us make it hard to live consistently for the Lord, but we are called to be steadfast and contend for the faith. Christianity is not just a philosophy you hear on Sundays, it has to be lived out daily. I fear some members have not just given up; they have given in and are following society’s ways rather than God’s. Society has developed a standard of morality which we cannot share.

Charles Wesley once stated that the manner of living as well as attending Church was important. I held a service in honour of this great man and the research I made caused me to realise how far the Church (in general) has moved from the ideals of Methodism, which once had such a profound effect on the spiritual health of the nation.

If there was ever a day when Christians need to know what they believe it is now. Unless we are sure as to what we believe and why we must live that way, we will not be able to defeat the spreads of secularism and the cultural trends which challenge our faith and the foundations on which this nation was built.

The great Methodist preacher of the last century, W E Sangster once said, ‘ preaching is in the darkness, the world doesn’t believe in it’ and this is more true now than when it was first said. The Church itself does not value preaching, it is not seen as important although it can be a source of learning. How can we get the gospel out if it is not taught?

When a new bishop was introduced recently, he stated his priority would be to tackle poverty, which is an amazing statement but so typical of to-day’s Church thinking, where bishops are acting like unelected politicians. Priority of all clergy should be preaching the gospel and so encourage Church growth. This was stressed by Jesus in Mark’s gospel when he said His mission was to preach the gospel, and by the Apostles in Acts 6.

Christians have often found themselves in those places where there is much hostility but they have not given up. They continue to struggle, to fight, to overcome in the name of Christ, and are still doing so bravely against immense provocation in non Christian lands where they find their Churches burned down, their homes attacked and themselves persecuted, beaten and even murdered.

If those Christians can endure such persecution, we should be always ready to stand up for Jesus in this and other Western lands, for if we become weak there are wolves in the secular world who are ready to make every effort to suppress us, and they have powerful support from the judiciary and politicians. Let us be like Paul ‘and never be ashamed of being a Christian’.

The Collect for Sunday calls us to pray that ‘the Spirit’s gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ and make us eager to do your will that we may share with the whole creation the joys of eternal life’.

Quite recently I wrote about the foundations crumbling when referring to the way Christian values, morals and faith were being cast aside. I inferred that if Christianity was being phased out of the nation’s life as politicians led by the present Prime Minister, the judiciary and large sections of the media seem intent on doing, a spiritual vacuum would be filled with something else. Then this week it was stated in the press that thousands of militant Islamists trained abroad, were intent on attacking this country and intent on introducing sharia law.

At the same period it was stated that the Scouts were abandoning reference to God in their pledge, just as the Guides were coerced into doing. Now we have the Magistrates Association wanting the Bible to be removed from the Courts, so abandoning a centuries old tradition. They cowardly state so few witnesses take the oath seriously but rather without it having meaning to them. If that is their thinking, it needs to be asked what steps they have taken to make it clear the penalties available to make witnesses take it seriously. ( I have however never had much time for lay Magistrates, I found so many totally unsuitable and ill equipped to be sitting in judgement on crimes.)

Returning to the words of the Collect, how seriously do we in the Church accept these words, and how assiduously will we apply them. Let us consider, (and admire) the devotion of the non militant Muslims to their faith. The men have no embarrassment at attending the Mosques, and are ready to proclaim so. But if you put most British men in a Church they are disorientated, and when forced to attend for a baptism don’t know how to conduct themselves.

I have heard many excuses as to why people are unable to attend Church on Sundays, and it makes me wonder how people of other faiths can attend their places of worship when they have the same kind of obstacles to get around, and in fact do so.

You will never hear the BBC nor its depraved (comedians?) pass rude comments about the Koran, yet the Bible and Christianity are freely mocked. I cannot imagine any Council refusing to allow Muslim prayers in the way the way they object to Christian ones.

This country has for many years been one based on Christian teachings and standards. People through the ages, but never more so than at the present, have forsaken their religion unless it suits them for some social occasion. The Church has been grossly negligent by not adhering to the Bible and has argued its way around Biblical teaching to justify supporting immoral ways of living.

A recent report on religion in schools showed that inspections revealed this was not being taught in any responsible way in many schools, some teachers were apparently afraid of saying something
that might offend members of other faiths or none. Isn’t it amazing we can find so few teachers capable of telling children the stories from the Bible, yet no difficulty when it comes to those able to teach about sex education?

There have been two appointments of bishops in recent months and the priority of one bishop was to tackle poverty. (This is a politician’s priority) The other listed his interest as social housing, equalities, monasticism and cricket. I can understand any Christian having social or political interests, but wouldn’t it be inspiring to read that a new bishop had the priority of making the Bible more relevant and acceptable, and wanted to strive to bring people back to Church? Unfortunately most bishops seem to be theologically liberal, with distinct leanings politically to the left. I think few would be admirers of Margaret Thatcher.

During the 1990s we did have an evangelistic campaign ‘decade of getting back to Church’ but it was so badly organised with so little enthusiasm from on high that it ended with more people leaving the Church than joining.

We will be celebrating Bible Sunday later this month and this is such a time when the Church should make an all out effort to promote the Bible, but how many will in fact do so? Too many clergy for a start don’t believe much of the Bible, even before we begin considering congregational response. Until we get to know the Bible we will not be fully equipped to live according to Christ’s teachings or make His teachings known to others.

But however small a consolation, we can see the same declining position in the United States where the Civil Liberties lobby is showing what aggressive determination can achieve in stopping prayers in public places and schools, removing the Cross and tablets bearing the Ten Commandments from public view.

Turning to Scripture, a sentence in today’s bible passage reads,
(Jesus speaking) you may ask for anything in my name and I will do it’. Let us ask that ‘the Spirit’s gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ and make us eager to do your will that we may share with the whole creation the joys of eternal life’.

I hope you will be in Church on Sunday and may the Lord richly bless you

Home. Marriage. Family

‘As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’.
(Joshua 24 v.15)
Joshua was nearing the end of his life, so one day he called the leaders of the people together at Shechem to deliver a final message. This was a most important place in Jewish history. Abraham had first settled there, Jacob bought land, and Joseph was buried there

Joshua was a great military leader who had served under Moses for forty years and when Moses died he became leader for a further twenty five years. At this time Israel had come to a crucial point in its history. They had faced tyranny in Egypt but God had saved and rescued them, God had given them the land of Canaan a good land flowing with milk and honey, and continually blessed them, and led them where they had been able to settle down, but problems had arisen.

As peoples throughout time have behaved, once the hard times were over, they began to fall away from and forget God. History is full of instances where people have turned to God for His help in times of difficulty, but when He has answered, His usefulness to them has been laid aside. In this case, the Israelites began to fraternise with other peoples so betraying God, and even started to worship idols. Joshua warned them they were guilty of idolatry told them the faced the wrath of God.

We all have to make a choice in this life. Joshua was quite clear he had made one and for Him it was quite definite, he and his family would serve the Lord. The choice we make will decide our eternal future, so we should think deeply.

Joshua’s words have a resonance for us today. We too have to reflect on our lives and face the choice God gives to us, He gives us free will. Everyone has to decide whether to serve God, or the gods of our time. Life is constantly calling on us to make choices, and God allows us to say either yes or no, but we must face the consequences if we make the wrong decision,. Many people do not wish to consider, but will one day regret not doing so. Fundamentally it is a case of serving the Lord or His adversary the devil, and so many people are quite happy to serve the latter.

We may not have the same idols as gods as did the Jews, but we have our own modern day gods. Whilst many people today may not even have heard of the Ten Commandments, one reminds God said we should have no other gods but Him.

People believe they can do without God. They live as if there was no tomorrow. Following God is a personal decision you must make for yourself, no one else can make it for you. It has to be accepted however that it may mean personal sacrifices have to be made, we must remain faithful to Him, and give up doing things which are wrong in His sight. So we must consider our priorities.

We are facing a time of ungodliness. On every front there is an anti-Christian bias. Discord and discouragement is being sown in the lives of Christian people. We have to resist on every front so as to maintain a Christian faith and presence.
In our schools and universities, and in intellectual circles the Bible is seen as some form of hate literature, and religious studies have to include other faiths in as much, if not more so, than Christianity.

The Courts favour those who challenge Christian expression in every case taken before them and reflect no credit on the judiciary who seem determined to eradicate Christian faith from public life.

‘A nation is only as strong as its homes’, said Abraham Lincoln, and today our homes are reflecting the state of the our nation, which is in the deteriorating state of moral and social decay, which should make us fear for the future of our children and grandchildren.

The home now doesn’t mean as much today as it used to do, and to so many people the idea of two people (of different sex) being married as the ideal is old fashioned and rather stupid. .

Marriage was built on the foundations of the Bible, but our erstwhile Prime Minister forced through the legislation which re-defined marriage to include people of the same sex. He now states he did not realise the furore it would cause and regrets having done so, which only goes to reveal how stupid and out of touch with normal people he is.

We have so much unhappiness and trouble in the home today because we've got away from God's laws, rules, and regulations governing marriage, When God performed the first marriage, He laid down the rules, and He said if you want to have a happy home, obey these rules. If you want to have trouble, disobey them.

The Bible says listen to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. We can learn so much from Jewish parenthood. Father’s teaching to his children of the Ten Commandments, one for each of the ten fingers, and the history of the Jewish people from the Old Testament, and the mother controlling behaviour. I have never known nor heard of a Jewish child being involved in violent disorder or crime. When I have sought an answer, I have been told it is because of the Jewish Mama in the home.

Mothers can indeed have a great effect on children. I was often required to be away from the home for long hours, and it is a great tribute to my wife that two of my sons became ordained, and have proved to be very wonderful and successful Ministers

Far too many children are left to their own devices. How can teenagers roam the streets drunk and threatening people, stabbing other teenagers, and forming life threatening other gangs, without the parents knowing of it. So why don’t they do something about it

Christian standards have gone from many homes. Everywhere, people search for happiness from the wrong things and wrong places. Many criminals have come from homes where there has been no peace, no discipline nor Christian values or teaching. The biggest cause of young criminals is due to marital breakdown and separation

If any country is to defend its values successfully, it must rediscover the Christian faith in which those values are ultimately rooted. Marriage and the home are firmly part of those roots. When the founding principles are eroded, and the morality and biblical fundamentals are taken away, there is no foundation for society, which is a dangerous thing and we are seeing some of the consequences developing.

As Christians, we have a commitment to serve God. Just as Joshua reminded the Jews of all God had done for them, so must we reflect on all that which God has done for us, and respond accordingly. God speaks to us from the past, to show us the sins His people committed in order to help us decide. God is still speaking. We can either listen or ignore.

Joshua made his choice, let us make ours, and say, ‘we will serve the Lord

C

When the foundations are being destroyed, what shall the righteous do? (Psalm 11)

The reason I have chosen to speak on this verse is lest we forget or overlook the way our faith is being marginalised, restricted, and attempts being made to drive it out of public life. To remind you that traditional teaching and principles of Christianity are being stealthily abandoned that will threaten our way of life.

When this Psalm 11 was written, David was passing through a bad time, when all he believed in seemed to be falling apart. David faced total disorder all around and saw only corruption and disorder. Something similar one might say to what is happening here now.

We are facing exactly the same situation that David was facing. We are witnessing an all-out assault to remove the foundations on which this country was founded.

Christianity has been the faith of this country for over 1500 years and its influence has kept the country as a stable nation, offering moral and social guidelines. We now face a systematic attack on this faith by ideologues in political circles to remove Christianity from public life; people who betray and dislike the culture which nurtured them and are placing restriction on Christian expression. Those foundations are being destroyed, for in this age of religious tolerance and pluralism we are told that no one religion should be considered to be of more influence. In effect, other faiths are shown more consideration.

A foundation of this country was a morality based upon the word of God, but since we have rejected the word of God, one person’s concept of what is right and wrong depends on what they wish to be. When such a situation exists, there is no consensus for determining what is right or wrong other than what is decided upon by a majority, or by those who wield the most political power.

The bedrock foundation of any society is a strong family, but our families are being destroyed because the Biblical concepts of children being raised by one biological father and mother, are no longer followed. On the whim of a Prime Minister obsessed with personal popularity, the traditional and biblical definition of marriage has been destroyed, and been replaced by a definition which is totally offensive to the biblical concept of a family.
Those who believe they cannot in religious conscience accept this legal change have even been denied the right to do so.

Religious assemblies (in State Schools) have been largely abolished; in some education establishments the Bible is seen as hate literature.
no longer is the Cross respected and permitted to be freely worn in public places as a symbol of faith, yet other faiths can wear and display what they will.
laws have been enacted in order to placate 1% of the population and prevent even Scriptural quotation from the other 99%.

A street preacher visiting from the United States was arrested in London and held in a police cell for seven hours for preaching from the New Testament. It seems that the influence of the minorities has become so powerful that criticism is forbidden, although criticism of Christianity is completely acceptable.

Another street preacher was answering (in private) a question a lady asked him; he was heard by a man listening in who reported him to the police, the preacher was arrested.

When such foundations are destroyed, it becomes hard for many people, and they fall apart. They feel the world has come to an end. They fall into deep despair and depression. What then do the followers of Jesus Christ do?

This is a very important question, because Christians are the only people who have the answer. In our politically correct society, it appears the power of evil is so great that people are afraid, even in danger, if they voice criticism; the righteous are not expected to speak, and if they do they are accused of some kind of phobia or bigotry.

Just because the world is crumbling and the social order is deteriorating, that does not absolve us of our responsibility to do all that we can to right the wrongs, to stand for the standards men and women fought and died for, and rebuild the foundations.

It is tempting in these days to give up on the world and everyone in it. Nevertheless, we must continue to teach and spread the word of God in a world that is hostile to it. We must live in such a way as to show others how right it is to live according to God’s word. Even if the judicial system becomes corrupt, and we have seen that Christians have little chance when it comes to claiming the right to express our beliefs, we have a responsibility to try to live according to the law of God. The world may follow the devil, but we still have the responsibility to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.

The Church is the only answer to this secular assault. The Lord stated he would build the Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. At times it seems as though some within the Church are saying and we will pull it down. The Lord still controls and works through it.

The Church is a wonderful organisation which has many members around the world, without distinction between rich/poor, young/old, race, colour or sex. Never minimize the power of the Church, it may be in decline in Britain and the West, but in Africa, South America and the East, it is immensely strong because they have not been dismantling the Bible. We can draw inspiration from them.

The Church however needs to get its act in order; to wake up and speak up and to do so with one voice. The faith and belief of the Church are built on two essential doctrines; salvation by grace through faith, and the full authority of Scripture. They may not be important to some, but they are fundamental to real Christians.

We are saved by the grace of God when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus paid it all for us on the Cross, we owe everything to Him. He is the only means of salvation; no one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ.

The religious fashion now is multi-faith. Whilst all peoples must have the right to follow their own religion, we cannot join in worship with those who deny the uniqueness of Christ, and His being the Son of God.

God chose 40 men to write His Word,all except one being Jews of different occupations and with different personalities which God used and inspired to communicate His thoughts and commands. It is a divinely inspired Word and members of the Church should stop taking it apart to fit in with modern ideas and morality.

Such were the themes to Charles and John Wesley. Listen to the words of John Wesley. ‘I want to know one thing, the way to heaven, how to land on that happy shore. God has condescended to teach the way, He was written it down I a book. Give me that book at any price give me that book’. I fear both Wesleys would find a lot of preaching these days not to their liking.

Many Churches do not have Bible available for people to follow the readings, or sermon. In one Church I visited to take the service there wasn’t even a Bible to read the Lessons. All Christians need to read regularly so as to be able to discern false teaching.

You will never hear a Muslim saying the Koran must be re-interpreted to please society, or that it is in any part in error. When people turn away from what is written they lose their spiritual moorings and just drift ashore into the secular wilderness.

All Christians should be concerned at the way events are going. If Christianity is pushed out, the spiritual vacuum is likely to be filled with something far worse. The Bible states that Jesus is the only way to God, the only means of salvation because of His death on the Cross. We should not be fearful of saying this, otherwise people will not fully appreciate what we are here for, and to make this proclamation is the only reason for our existence; we must stand and say boldly, and not be afraid to do so even if it upsets some false teachers. Sadly, there are too many within the Church more anxious to promote their own ambitions and desires than to promote the gospel.

The Lord calls on each one of us to be steadfast in the faith, to remain true to His teaching and promises to Him; this applies to every Christian. Nowhere in the Bible do we find a particular standard for some Christians and a different one for others. Some may find the negative influences around us make it hard to live consistently for the Lord, but we are called to be steadfast and contend for the faith. Christianity is not just a philosophy you hear on Sundays, it has to be lived out daily. I fear some members have not just given up; they have given in and are following society’s ways rather than God’s. Society has developed a standard of morality which we cannot share.

Charles Wesley once stated that the manner of living as well as attending Church was important. I held a service in honour of this great man and the research I made caused me to realise how far the Church (in general) has moved from the ideals of Methodism, which once had such a profound effect on the spiritual health of the nation.

If there was ever a day when Christians need to know what they believe it is now. Unless we are sure as to what we believe and why we must live that way, we will not be able to defeat the spreads of secularism and the cultural trends which challenge our faith and the foundations on which this nation was built.

The great Methodist preacher of the last century, W E Sangster once said, ‘ preaching is in the darkness, the world doesn’t believe in it’ and this is more true now than when it was first said. The Church itself does not value preaching, it is not seen as important although it can be a source of learning. How can we get the gospel out if it is not taught?

When a new bishop was introduced recently, he stated his priority would be to tackle poverty, which is an amazing statement but so typical of to-day’s Church thinking, where bishops are acting like unelected politicians. Priority of all clergy should be Church growth.

Christians have often found themselves in those places where there is much hostility but they have not given up. They continue to struggle, to fight, to overcome in the name of Christ, and are still doing so bravely against immense provocation in non Christian lands where they find their Churches burned down, their homes attacked and themselves persecuted, beaten and even murdered.

What can the righteous do? They can do what that little band of Christians in the upper room did 2,000 years ago. They can turn the world upside down. There is hope if all members realise the time has passed when we sit back and say ‘God will provide’; we must remember He needs a little help from His friends. Let us proclaim the truth, however inconvenient it may prove to some people.

The Ten Commandments
I am going to be old fashioned and write about the Ten Commandments. Field Marshal Montgomery once said, ‘God spoke these words, and I agree with Him’.

Shortly after God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, God called Moses to the top of Mount Sinai and gave him the Ten Commandments, which God intended to be the spiritual and moral absolutes for His people. They offer basic rules for behaviour; for guidance into an ordered life; Western nations have built their legal systems on them; society needs them to determine right and wrong. People will mutter ‘this is 2013, we don’t need some ancient words from the Bible to rule our lives’.

That is the view of many people, even some Christians, who say we don’t need rules and regulations. They were written thousands of years ago in a foreign land and don’t relate to our society. We don’t need to be told how to behave; all you need is common sense. Unfortunately sense is not very common

In Jewish homes children are taught the Commandments at an early age and learn them on their ten fingers. They are encouraged to observe them. Many parents these days have no time to spare for their children. Abraham Lincoln once stated, ‘the strength of the nation lies in the home’. If homes continue to break up, the threat to our nation will be as great as any other crisis; the nation needs a spiritual and moral reawakening.

There is also one essential requirement, they have to be enforced, which is why we are in such an awful state in this country. Police have given up enforcing many of our laws, and are under encouragement to do so, and indeed, on moral issues have been told specifically not to do so. Indeed, Police action has on several occasions been taken against those who are proclaiming the values of the Commandments by quoting Scripture, which offends a politically correct society and touches consciences.

Ours is a permissive society which doesn’t like authority and the Human Rights law takes precedence over God’s law. But just as loving parents want to protect their children from harm’s way, and human predators putting temptations in their path, so our heavenly Father wants to protect us from all evil and give us a balanced and happy life.

A big problem is that few people in today’s generation actually know the Commandments, even so called Christians. Young people have never been taught them and those that do know them see them as rather like an exam paper, try any four from ten. Test your knowledge and without cheating try and name them all. Or are considered as Ten Suggestions

How many times have I heard Billy Graham point out they are like a chain; when you break a link the chain is broken; when you break one Commandment, you break the lot. If you have a chain and a link breaks you don’t say ‘I have broken a link’, you say ‘I have broken the chain’, and the commandments are a chain. Break one and you have broken the lot

People do not like strict morality. Morality has been redefined to mean you can do anything provided you feel clear in your conscience. It is considered to be old fashioned to have religious instruction, but human nature doesn’t really change.
I am rather bemused when people start using the term old fashioned in a mocking manner. In our new fashioned society we have the highest number of abortions, the highest number of teenage pregnancies, the highest rate of alcoholism, the highest rate of unsociable behaviour in Europe. The only thing we are lowest in is Church attendance.

Schools (in the state sector)no longer teach Christianity as the country’s religion, often preferring to teach other faiths. They are taught all about sex from an early age and with particular emphasis now on alternative lifestyles. Consequently our children are growing up without knowing any spiritual or moral truths, but are full of sexual knowledge, often practised to cause much distress and social problems. They live in a world unable to distinguish between right and wrong.

The world in its misguided wisdom has decided to reject God’s authority and decide for ourselves how to behave. God’s laws recognise our duty to God, parents, society, property, marriage. and if they were generally obeyed there would be far less criminal, domestic and unsociable behaviour.

People once put faith in politics, but the politicians have shown us how they only look after themselves. No longer can we expect moral standards from them. Especially when we are told by a government minister we are a secular country and not entitled to make the Christian faith our standard of reference; when we have a Prime Minister who takes it upon himself to re-define marriage to canvass what he thinks will bring him a few more votes and produces anti-Christian legislation.

For too long the liberal intellectual establishment have influenced and guided society into the moral abyss. It is now time for the Church, and all Christians, to demand the kind of society God has laid down.

God spoke these words, and I agree with Him too.

The Church of England 2013 style

It was once stated that the Church of England was the nation’s treasure. In consideration of recent statements and events, the treasure is losing some of its value.

Last week the Church in Wales, the Welsh Anglican section, decided to appoint women as Bishops. The only surprise there was that it took them so long to do so. The Archbishop of Wales is also an arch liberal and made the astounding and somewhat arrogant pronouncement that it was ‘theologically correct’. The archbishop might have justified his questionable statement with theology, rather than I suspect his reliance on the (secular) Equality Act.

If we should approach this topic with the same intellectual approach that lawyers give to any controversial matter, we would have to come to the conclusion that nowhere in Scripture is there any grounds for the archbishop’s statement.

Jesus was supported financially in His ministry by women and by their devoted support. Jesus appointed Apostles and had the opportunity to appoint a woman, but did not. For two thousand years the Christian Church has not, and the majority still have not, appointed women. Is this not a fact to ponder on?

The usual response is to refer to the high place women attain in many occupations, and rightly so. The Church is not a secular organisation; it is to function in accordance with God’s Word, and as stated, that Word does not appoint women as leaders in the Church.

The Church of England will meet in November and will follow the same path as Wales has done, have no doubt; if the present voting system should not support it, the system will be changed. The Archbishop has signalled his determination to push it through.


Therefore if the Church is to act with integrity, it must come clean and say
‘we want to appoint women to be bishops. We know we are not
conforming to Scripture, but we do want to popular with society
so are substituting the Bible for the Equality and Diversity Act.
We have already conformed to the Act by sanctioning civil
partnerships so that we may in the near future appoint a man in a
same sex relationship to the office of bishop’.

I readily agree that (some) women speak with far more common sense and commitment than many men, and are more worthwhile to listen to, especially some American women I have heard; but we must decide whether the Church is to abandon Scripture or abide by it.

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Congratulations to the new Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler.
Bishop Butler states his priority is going to be tackling poverty.

Silly me; I thought it might be preaching the gospel so that more people would attend Church.