Was it all worth the sacrifice?
Sometimes when I have gone to Cambridge I pass the American Cemetery, the last resting place of so many young American men who paid the supreme sacrifice during the years 1939-1945. It is a poignant scene and in consideration of contemporary events, heart rending.
Recently we saw on television vast cemeteries in Europe where so many British young men died in the same cause. In both cases, and similarly with other Allied countries, those men believed they were fighting for freedom; for the rights of people to speak freely, as long as they did so with respect for others.
How distressing to witness the liberty and freedom and Christian values these men (and women) fought and died for, being eroded by men totally unworthy to be spoken of in the same breath.
The majority of people in both Britain and America are prepared to live and let live, and if others want to follow an alternative sexual lifestyle, leave them to do so. Our political leaders are not prepared to be so tolerant, and are forcing 98% of the population to live under threat of prosecution if they voice and disapproval even of the mildest nature, and of course to express a biblical teaching is a serious matter.
In the United States an Army Chaplain was disciplined for preaching from the Bible, and an Officer who had kept a Bible on his desk for years was told to remove it lest it cause offence. This in the land of the free and the home of the brave!
We have Barack Obama and David Cameron forcing same sex marriage on the population, even though the majority of same sex couples in civil partnerships do not want it. Now Cameron, who almost destroyed a once great Party by introducing same sex marriage, with a display of arrogance consistent with his nature wants to export same sex marriage to other countries. I can imagine how well that will go down with Islamic nations.
What was especially disgusting, and indeed vulgar, was the statement by Desmond Tutu, an Archbishop in the Anglican Church, saying he did not wish to worship an homophobic God; would rather go to hell than go than the heaven of a homophobic God. Considering God inspired the writing of the Bible, including Genesis, Leviticus, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 1 Timothy and Jude, he may get his wish.
What was particularly offensive was to liken opposition to homosexuality as being in comparison to apartheid.
Then we have Pope Francis telling that he would not condemn homosexuality, although his more illustrious predecessor did, and would not rule out such admission to the priesthood. He did however firmly reject women being admitted to the priesthood. That was a display of priorities.
Now we have the Archbishop of Canterbury having doubts about opposing same sex marriage. Once it was considered as very dangerous to admit one’s sexuality and it was referred to as ‘coming out’ Now it is becoming fearful to admit being a Christian in many circles and there is a need to ‘come out’ and say so. I hope all Christians are treated with the same tolerance.
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Friday, 26 July 2013
Luke 11 v. 1-13
The Gospel reading for Sunday contains the giving by Jesus of the Lord’s Prayer.
I am often in mind of a scene broadcast on the Christian Broadcasting Network in America when I say or hear this prayer. It is of the first English settlers who landed at Viriginia Beach in April 1607.planting the Cross and reciting the prayer. They were the forerunners who were joined by others to make that such a great and powerfully Christian nation.
We read that a disciple asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. This is a reasonable request for praying is hard for a lot of people. I had a Vicar who was masterly at praying at any given time for any possible reason, but others find it hard to do so without a book of set prayers.
Jesus gave His disciples and by extension us, a model prayer simple in its composition but profound in its teaching. The prayer begins with us thinking about God and our relationship to Him, and then moves on to our own concerns.
We have to remember that prayer is talking to God, who we are encouraged by Jesus to call Father, so we begin by recognising God as ‘our’ Father who cares for and loves us just as an earthly father cares for his sons/daughters. The Jews would not recognise such intimacy and not until Jesus spoke to us had anyone ever done so.
We recognise His holiness and that He reigns in heaven, and approach Him in reverence. We also acknowledge that in being holy, God is above and beyond us. In Jewish thought a name reflected the character of the person so we recognise God’s holiness and seek to display it in our lives. We cannot see God but He is present in heaven and all authority is His. If we trust in Him He is always ready to hear us in time of need.
We pray for the time to come when God’s name will be honoured on earth as it is in heaven and His rule will be established. This is the mission of the Church which is often overlooked as other (worldly) causes are pursued.
In saying ‘thy kingdom come, thy will be done’ we are praying that God’s rule be established more and more. We want God to be fully present in life and not just an invisible hope. We want to see more and more people converted and obey His will and that those who disobey and hate His commands will decrease. We are praying that all God’s plans and purposes will be fulfilled.
We pray that God will provide for our daily needs, bread being the basic food which sustains our physical life, so we are asking God to supply for us as He did for the people of Israel when in the wilderness and He sent manna from heaven. This reminds us of our dependence on God and approach each day as a separate entity in our life.
We recognise God’s grace as we seek forgiveness for the debt we owe to God for sinning, and lay our sins on Jesus Christ. The Bible states ‘there is no one righteous, no not one, we all fall short of the glory of God’, so here we confess we are in fact sinners. There is the need to forgive those who offend us, forgiving the person not the sin, for only God can do that. This is a hard call for many people and even harder to put into practice. It is important to remember that the word ‘sin’ has a far greater meaning than just sexual matters, which people usually have solely in mind.
Finally, we plead with God to so order our lives that we do not face temptation beyond our ability to resist. God will never lead us into temptation, but we face this every day of our lives and will do so as long as we live on this earth. At this point we also want Him to protect us from evil which abounds so much all around us, and so order our lives that we may not be faced with anything we cannot bear.
The words of this prayer have passed over our lips many times. How many who recite it, sometimes automatically, really desire is petitions to be granted. Do we really see God as our Father and truly care for His will and name, and wish for the kingdom to come.
This prayer is read at almost every funeral service and said by people who have little if any religious faith and do not appreciate its wonder or meaning. The prayer is factually for believers who are entitled to call God ‘Father’, for Jesus stated no one can come to the father except through me.
Jesus went on to give a parable. In Palestine travellers often travelled late in the day to avoid the heat. Jesus tells of one traveller who arrived at his friend’s home at midnight and put his friend at an embarrassment.
In the East hospitality was a sacred duty, it was not sufficient to give a basic meal; the guest had to be given a full spread. Bread was baked at home because if it was kept it would go stale and be uneatable. The late arrival meant the householder had en empty larder and could not therefore fulfil his obligation of hospitality. He went out and asked a neighbour to help but no one would normally knock on a door which was shut for that was an indication that the householder did not want to be disturbed.
The home would have been one room with two thirds on ground level and the other third raised. It was also the custom to bring their animals into the house at night, so when there was persistent knocking on the door the whole family would be disturbed. The neighbour gave what was asked of him.
Jesus said the lesson of the parable was that we must persist in prayer and knock on God’s door until we can persuade God to answer. Jesus was pointing out that if a rather unwilling man can eventually give what was asked of him, how much more can a loving God give to supply His children’s needs.
This does not mean we can treat God as something like a heavenly beneficiary and make a list of things we want. We often pray for things to happen and sometimes God will not answer directly because He thinks they are not for our own good, just as an earthly father will deny his children because they make come to harm or not be for their good. We must pray with intensity and passion knowing we are asking the One who knows all our needs and will act for our best interests.
In Church intercessions some think it necessary to pray for every conceivable person and thing, or to use flowery phrases, whereas Jesus in this prayer He gave was a model of simplicity. We share this prayer with millions worldwide.
Our Lord’s prayers were short when offered in public but when alone with God mean a whole night in prayer. Long prayers in public can weary listeners. The publican’s prayer was, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner’. The Syrophenician woman was shorter still, ‘Lord help me’ and her prayer was answered. Let our prayers be to the point, just telling God what is on our mind.
Some people try extemporary prayer and then find it hard to terminate. The secret is to keep it short and get to the point of the prayer. There is a lady in my Church who is quite superb in her prayers; she is concise, relevant to the intercession, simple and brief. I don’t think she has had theological training, and in fact I don’t think she realises how good she is.
This passage shows how wide and encouraging are the promises which the Lord holds out to prayer. Ask and you shall receive seek and you will find knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Be at Church on Sunday and may God bless you
The Gospel reading for Sunday contains the giving by Jesus of the Lord’s Prayer.
I am often in mind of a scene broadcast on the Christian Broadcasting Network in America when I say or hear this prayer. It is of the first English settlers who landed at Viriginia Beach in April 1607.planting the Cross and reciting the prayer. They were the forerunners who were joined by others to make that such a great and powerfully Christian nation.
We read that a disciple asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. This is a reasonable request for praying is hard for a lot of people. I had a Vicar who was masterly at praying at any given time for any possible reason, but others find it hard to do so without a book of set prayers.
Jesus gave His disciples and by extension us, a model prayer simple in its composition but profound in its teaching. The prayer begins with us thinking about God and our relationship to Him, and then moves on to our own concerns.
We have to remember that prayer is talking to God, who we are encouraged by Jesus to call Father, so we begin by recognising God as ‘our’ Father who cares for and loves us just as an earthly father cares for his sons/daughters. The Jews would not recognise such intimacy and not until Jesus spoke to us had anyone ever done so.
We recognise His holiness and that He reigns in heaven, and approach Him in reverence. We also acknowledge that in being holy, God is above and beyond us. In Jewish thought a name reflected the character of the person so we recognise God’s holiness and seek to display it in our lives. We cannot see God but He is present in heaven and all authority is His. If we trust in Him He is always ready to hear us in time of need.
We pray for the time to come when God’s name will be honoured on earth as it is in heaven and His rule will be established. This is the mission of the Church which is often overlooked as other (worldly) causes are pursued.
In saying ‘thy kingdom come, thy will be done’ we are praying that God’s rule be established more and more. We want God to be fully present in life and not just an invisible hope. We want to see more and more people converted and obey His will and that those who disobey and hate His commands will decrease. We are praying that all God’s plans and purposes will be fulfilled.
We pray that God will provide for our daily needs, bread being the basic food which sustains our physical life, so we are asking God to supply for us as He did for the people of Israel when in the wilderness and He sent manna from heaven. This reminds us of our dependence on God and approach each day as a separate entity in our life.
We recognise God’s grace as we seek forgiveness for the debt we owe to God for sinning, and lay our sins on Jesus Christ. The Bible states ‘there is no one righteous, no not one, we all fall short of the glory of God’, so here we confess we are in fact sinners. There is the need to forgive those who offend us, forgiving the person not the sin, for only God can do that. This is a hard call for many people and even harder to put into practice. It is important to remember that the word ‘sin’ has a far greater meaning than just sexual matters, which people usually have solely in mind.
Finally, we plead with God to so order our lives that we do not face temptation beyond our ability to resist. God will never lead us into temptation, but we face this every day of our lives and will do so as long as we live on this earth. At this point we also want Him to protect us from evil which abounds so much all around us, and so order our lives that we may not be faced with anything we cannot bear.
The words of this prayer have passed over our lips many times. How many who recite it, sometimes automatically, really desire is petitions to be granted. Do we really see God as our Father and truly care for His will and name, and wish for the kingdom to come.
This prayer is read at almost every funeral service and said by people who have little if any religious faith and do not appreciate its wonder or meaning. The prayer is factually for believers who are entitled to call God ‘Father’, for Jesus stated no one can come to the father except through me.
Jesus went on to give a parable. In Palestine travellers often travelled late in the day to avoid the heat. Jesus tells of one traveller who arrived at his friend’s home at midnight and put his friend at an embarrassment.
In the East hospitality was a sacred duty, it was not sufficient to give a basic meal; the guest had to be given a full spread. Bread was baked at home because if it was kept it would go stale and be uneatable. The late arrival meant the householder had en empty larder and could not therefore fulfil his obligation of hospitality. He went out and asked a neighbour to help but no one would normally knock on a door which was shut for that was an indication that the householder did not want to be disturbed.
The home would have been one room with two thirds on ground level and the other third raised. It was also the custom to bring their animals into the house at night, so when there was persistent knocking on the door the whole family would be disturbed. The neighbour gave what was asked of him.
Jesus said the lesson of the parable was that we must persist in prayer and knock on God’s door until we can persuade God to answer. Jesus was pointing out that if a rather unwilling man can eventually give what was asked of him, how much more can a loving God give to supply His children’s needs.
This does not mean we can treat God as something like a heavenly beneficiary and make a list of things we want. We often pray for things to happen and sometimes God will not answer directly because He thinks they are not for our own good, just as an earthly father will deny his children because they make come to harm or not be for their good. We must pray with intensity and passion knowing we are asking the One who knows all our needs and will act for our best interests.
In Church intercessions some think it necessary to pray for every conceivable person and thing, or to use flowery phrases, whereas Jesus in this prayer He gave was a model of simplicity. We share this prayer with millions worldwide.
Our Lord’s prayers were short when offered in public but when alone with God mean a whole night in prayer. Long prayers in public can weary listeners. The publican’s prayer was, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner’. The Syrophenician woman was shorter still, ‘Lord help me’ and her prayer was answered. Let our prayers be to the point, just telling God what is on our mind.
Some people try extemporary prayer and then find it hard to terminate. The secret is to keep it short and get to the point of the prayer. There is a lady in my Church who is quite superb in her prayers; she is concise, relevant to the intercession, simple and brief. I don’t think she has had theological training, and in fact I don’t think she realises how good she is.
This passage shows how wide and encouraging are the promises which the Lord holds out to prayer. Ask and you shall receive seek and you will find knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Be at Church on Sunday and may God bless you
Friday, 19 July 2013
I have just been listening to Sky News and what a depressing experience. Murder has become a common crime with people doing so for no other reason than vengeance for some perceived person grievance. Rioting and violence for personal gain, members of Parliament fleecing the tax payer, and hospitals falling apart.
As what seems like some sort of joke, the government is telling us crime has fallen to the lowest level for some years. Anyone with even half a brain realises the reason crime figures are low is due to the fact people have lost so much confidence in the police they don’t waste their time reporting for they know little will be done, if anything. It is reliably reported that 45 per cent of all crime reports are binned by the police and you stand a 75% chance of escaping justice in London.
I am reminded of a verse in Psalm 11, ‘when the foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do?’
There is so much evil. We read and hear of terrible, violent, abuse of children, women and many innocent men for little if any reason. We see pictures of drunken and disorderly young people staggering around our towns and cities, making the places unsafe for normal people, and we live in constant fear of terrorism by people who want to destroy our way of life. In addition to all this, we fear the effects of a recession, and a country out of financial control.
As we look at this country at the present time, we see a nation in moral and spiritual decline. Morally, we have become bankrupt, as the barriers of decency have been swept away so that there are no restraints. Telling lies has become endemic; all attributable to the fact people have abandoned Christian values and have no spiritual belief. The ensuing collapse of Christian values and morality has however, led to an unstable society in which the foundations are crumbling. There is so little respect shown.
The average person has no religious commitment, which is why they live as they do. The Church is considered out of date and the Christian message has no relevance to them. Consequently, you have this general lowering of standards; and in some places no standards at all. What however should concern us very much as Christians, is the sustained and systematic attack on our faith from people who should be supporting the Church..
The country owes much to Christian influence, which has been the faith of the nation over the past 1500 years and the foundation for a stable nation. It brought and kept the country together, but now Christianity is being phased out of public life by politically motivated people, ideologues in the government and public service, who try to place every obstacle and restriction on Christian expression, and who betray the culture which nurtured them.
Let us consider some of those restrictions.
Mentioning God in the workplace is strictly forbidden(unless it is a non Christian god).
No Christian cross or symbol to denote a Christian commitment.
Legislation, such as same sex marriage, enacted which offends Christian teaching and belief.
No comment allowed which suggests lifestyles are immoral.
BBC uses non Christians to be in charge of religious programmes.
Marriage of man/woman, to be of no importance or relevance.
We have a Prime Minister who relentlessly and unscrupulously pursued legislation to destroy the meaning of marriage ignoring proper debate in Committee and refusing to allow amendments permitting public servants from being allowed to be excluded from the provisions on religious and conscience beliefs; and we are told this was largely driven at the behest of his wife.
Teaching of Christianity in schools not insisted upon, but sex education to children of tender age, embracing all manner of relationships, to be compulsory..
As Christians we must regret this. You may have noticed that no such restrictions or obstacles are put on other faiths, but to be fair, other faiths are embarrassed by the patronising of people who look for things to be offended by on behalf of non-Christians.
There are those who are out to destroy a stable society, destroy the country, destroy the faith. in order to establish their own moral, political and social agenda. When you go away from the founding principles which made this nation great, and take away the morality and biblical fundamentals, which are the basis for the freedom we enjoy; if you erode all these, there is no foundation for society, which is a dangerous thing. So what should the righteous do?
If Britain is to defend its values successfully, it must rediscover the Christian faith in which those values are ultimately rooted. We are constantly being reminded by the press as to how people are turning away from the Church, with the blame being placed firmly on the Church. Whilst to some small degree this may be true, the real responsibility rests upon those who fail to attend, and encourage children not to attend. Society was more stable and balanced when people did attend.
Both individually and as a church, there is need for repentance. Collectively the Church has not always spoken out on moral issues as it might, for fear of being accused of some kind of phobia or thought to be narrow-minded.
Ministers are however faced with a dilemma in faithfully teaching Biblical morality in these times. Apart from a lack of consensus within the Church, many of their congregations would find the strain on their consciences too severe. How heartening to hear the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster once saying ‘I am not here to be popular. I’m here to be successful.’
In view of the lack of consensus within the Church at national level on the question of morality and Biblical authority, each local Church must take responsibility for both defending and promoting, the true Christian faith. We need to convince people we have something positive to offer them. We must consider our priorities.
Would Church come before the golf course, a garden centre, a lie in, or even Tesco, on a Sunday morning? What motivates you? There can be no compromise, no trying to accommodate society’s ways. In every Church there are Christians whose relationship is only formal and outward, a case of being associated with Jesus without being united. Sometimes the faith goes cold. There is only one way to remain on course and that is to be close to your Church, not to have a periodic attachment.
We need to let God know we serve Him, which I believe, is what God wants to hear, and try to encourage others to join us. There is a need for examination of our lives to root out those ways which are not worthy of us as Christians. Things which the Bible clearly defines as wrong, yet which are still practised by people who call themselves Christians
I visit village Churches which would once be well attended. It is a pleasure and privilege to do so but I notice the congregations now consist mostly of people in the upper ages. It is a dreadful thought that a time may come when they can no longer maintain a presence. We must earnestly pray that inspiration may come which will turn the situation around.
Each year a Covenant is re-made by Methodists, which many other Churches have adopted. In this members pledge themselves to freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to God, and declare they are no longer their own but His. How faithfully is it kept? Making a promise to God is a serious matter. It means obeying, fearing and faithfully following His Word. God is a jealous God who wants a complete loyalty. We have to take away from our lives all that is unworthy and against His teaching. He gave us guidance in Holy Scripture.
We are all gifted with a conscience, which warns us when we face temptation. Ask yourself, ‘what would Christ do?’ We need to be more positive, even aggressive, in giving people a clear vision of what it means to be a Christian and to have a Christian based society. We now have to proclaim it boldly and challenge those who try to put us down. To convince them we have a message worth hearing, and both the Church and its Ministers are not all as cynically portrayed on television.
So, what for the future of the Church? There is hope and confidence if all members realize there is no future if they are content to sit back and say ethereally, ‘God will provide’. Christ did say ‘I will build my Church’, but He expects a little help.
We urgently need to promote ourselves vigorously, advertise our presence. Let as many people know as we can where we are and what we have to offer. The American Churches do, and they have substantial congregations. Why would major companies spend millions on advertisements if they didn’t produce results?
Above all, let us proclaim the truth however inconvenient.
Friday, 12 July 2013
Why the Church is important in our national life.
A verse in the Bible asks, ‘when the foundations are being destroyed, what then shall the righteous do?’ which might be applied to the situation we find in the country today.
People are justly angry at the gross dishonesty of MPs. However, this is just another symptom of the moral and spiritual vacuum existing in today’s society, in which we constantly see violence, abuse, fraud and unashamed lying.
At the same time there is a sustained attack on the Christian faith by public servants, anxious to be offended on behalf of other faiths so as to justify blocking any expression of Christianity by word, symbol, or expression. In addition, we are subject to anti-Christian legislation, which is in direct contradiction of Biblical teaching and offends Christian belief. And we are issued with threats if not complied with.
If Britain is to defend its values successfully it must rediscover the Christian faith in which those values are ultimately rooted. 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.
There may be readers who will reject any relevance between the moral collapse and the failure to observe Christian values. I direct you to China, once so anti-Christian but now having more Christians than any other country with the encouragement of their leaders, who state that Christians make better and happier citizens. Our leaders should have such vision.
The Church has much to offer in moral and spiritual help and support, and there is the opportunity of making friendships and to be of help in establishing a good community spirit, especially within the village setting. Most people who criticise the Church have no practical experience, so creating a false impression. Show your support for the Christian faith by visiting your local Church.
The Church does not always receive a good press, largely due to national leaders failing to speak out as forcibly as they might on moral issues. But local Churches are doing so without due recognition
A verse in the Bible asks, ‘when the foundations are being destroyed, what then shall the righteous do?’ which might be applied to the situation we find in the country today.
People are justly angry at the gross dishonesty of MPs. However, this is just another symptom of the moral and spiritual vacuum existing in today’s society, in which we constantly see violence, abuse, fraud and unashamed lying.
At the same time there is a sustained attack on the Christian faith by public servants, anxious to be offended on behalf of other faiths so as to justify blocking any expression of Christianity by word, symbol, or expression. In addition, we are subject to anti-Christian legislation, which is in direct contradiction of Biblical teaching and offends Christian belief. And we are issued with threats if not complied with.
If Britain is to defend its values successfully it must rediscover the Christian faith in which those values are ultimately rooted. 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.
There may be readers who will reject any relevance between the moral collapse and the failure to observe Christian values. I direct you to China, once so anti-Christian but now having more Christians than any other country with the encouragement of their leaders, who state that Christians make better and happier citizens. Our leaders should have such vision.
The Church has much to offer in moral and spiritual help and support, and there is the opportunity of making friendships and to be of help in establishing a good community spirit, especially within the village setting. Most people who criticise the Church have no practical experience, so creating a false impression. Show your support for the Christian faith by visiting your local Church.
The Church does not always receive a good press, largely due to national leaders failing to speak out as forcibly as they might on moral issues. But local Churches are doing so without due recognition
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Romans 1
One of the outstanding passages, and perhaps one of the most encouraging, is that in the first chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
‘I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: the righteous shall live by faith’.
Paul is writing to Christians in Rome, the mightiest city of the day, a city full of learning yet also full of immorality, where Christianity would not be appreciated, and he was ready and eager to go and preach the gospel no matter what the cost even though Christians were in danger of persecution; a sort of London of the day. We need to look at particular words in the passage.
Paul says he was not ashamed, in fact he glorified in the gospel and that is what all Christians should do. But sadly I fear we all do not. How many Church members are embarrassed when asked if they believe? Indeed how many are ready to acknowledge they attend Church? How would we answer is asked to give our opinion on moral questions? If you are not ashamed you are ready to speak out about your faith. Some people are fearful of their friends finding out they attend Church in case they get mocked, or because it might restrict the way they want to behave. Remember the words of Jesus, ‘for whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He comes in the glory of the Father’.
Preachers should be prepared to tell the Bible as it is written, telling people what need to hear rather than what they might like to hear. Preachers can however be intimidated and be frightened of upsetting modern susceptibilities. To preach fundamental truth will inevitably cause some upset. But let us take heart from Paul who faced all that could be put against him, and so caused Christianity to spread throughout the ancient world.
I have been to three service in recent times when there has been a child being baptised, with people who have not been to Church for a long time if ever. What an opportunity of preaching the gospel, yet there has been a nebulous sermon meaning absolutely nothing.
Then look at what is meant by the gospel. How many Christians I wonder would be able to answer if asked what the gospel is? The gospel is a simple story of a baby born to a young Jewish girl by virginal conception, who lived a sinless life until God called Him to die on a Cross, so that all who truly believe in Him and accept Him as their Lord and Saviour, will have all their wrongdoings forgiven, so that one day they will live for ever with Him in heaven.
There is false teaching being given from within the Church that all will go to heaven. It is said that God would not send anyone to hell, and that is right, but people choose to go there by there own neglect. To believe as some do and preach that everyone will go to heaven is nowhere stated, nor can be found in the Bible.
We Ministers are constantly meeting bereaved people who sincerely believe their loved ones are bound for heaven despite never having a religious thought or action in their lives. We are too compassionate to make any comment in such a situation but it is a terribly sad feeling and situation to be in when you know the Bible’s teaching.
The gospel is the story of Jesus Christ who gave Himself to be crucified for our sins in order to reconcile us to God. Why should anyone be ashamed to tell that story? We all no doubt are ashamed of things we have done in our lives, and the things we have said but wished we hadn’t, and that is understandable. But we allow ourselves to become ashamed of something for which there is no need to be ashamed of.
Righteousness. We cannot make ourselves righteous before God, but we can be through Jesus’ atoning death. Jesus acts as a bridge between God and us, putting us in good standing in God’s eyes, making it thus possible for us to be acceptable to God. This is God’s powerful way of bringing all who believe to heaven. We are saved by grace (Great Riches At Christ’s Expense) through faith. The gospel is the power that gives us salvation. But the gospel is bad news for non believers, for it offers no future hope.
Faith. You must have faith and believe. We are prepared to place our faith in many people, but reluctant to trust in God. We travel by plane and put our faith that the pilot knows what he is doing although we know nothing about him. If you go to the doctor for some illness and he gives you a prescription, you then get dispensed and take, trusting the doctor and the chemist, but you don’t just leave it in a cupboard if you want to get better. So with the gospel. There is no point in just seeking a spiritual prescription; you have to take that by faith which means reaching out to God and accepting the gospel.
For all who believe. This power is for everyone who believes. This means more than just believing there is a God, the devil accepts that; believing means making a commitment. Too many say they believe but do nothing, which is why regular preaching of the gospel is important so that people may come to live by the Scripture. .
They are religious and even show some outward inclinations toward Christianity. They come from a Christian background. They think that Jesus was a great religious figure. But they have not believed in Christ. Though the gospel is God's power for salvation, because they have not believed, they have not experienced this power nor have they known the gospel for what it truly is.
The reason so many people are not willing to accept the Bible is because the message is too simple. We know there are many people who are not prepared to accept the Bible story as they find it too incredible to believe. They are more ready to listen to the strident outpourings of nauseating, insulting, self indulgent secularists. For others accepting the gospel would mean a change of hedonistic lifestyle. It means accepting a standard of morality they are not prepared to accept.
You will find theologians complicating matters by having all kind of discussions on who wrote this and that, and it is all very well for academics sitting in their common rooms to do this for their amusement, but it sends out a wrong message to the masses.
Martin Luther was so inspired by this passage it caused him to start the Protestant Reformation and if all preachers were inspired similarly there would be less empty seats in Churches.
Let us proceed by faith and never ever be ashamed
‘I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: the righteous shall live by faith’.
Paul is writing to Christians in Rome, the mightiest city of the day, a city full of learning yet also full of immorality, where Christianity would not be appreciated, and he was ready and eager to go and preach the gospel no matter what the cost even though Christians were in danger of persecution; a sort of London of the day. We need to look at particular words in the passage.
Paul says he was not ashamed, in fact he glorified in the gospel and that is what all Christians should do. But sadly I fear we all do not. How many Church members are embarrassed when asked if they believe? Indeed how many are ready to acknowledge they attend Church? How would we answer is asked to give our opinion on moral questions? If you are not ashamed you are ready to speak out about your faith. Some people are fearful of their friends finding out they attend Church in case they get mocked, or because it might restrict the way they want to behave. Remember the words of Jesus, ‘for whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He comes in the glory of the Father’.
Preachers should be prepared to tell the Bible as it is written, telling people what need to hear rather than what they might like to hear. Preachers can however be intimidated and be frightened of upsetting modern susceptibilities. To preach fundamental truth will inevitably cause some upset. But let us take heart from Paul who faced all that could be put against him, and so caused Christianity to spread throughout the ancient world.
I have been to three service in recent times when there has been a child being baptised, with people who have not been to Church for a long time if ever. What an opportunity of preaching the gospel, yet there has been a nebulous sermon meaning absolutely nothing.
Then look at what is meant by the gospel. How many Christians I wonder would be able to answer if asked what the gospel is? The gospel is a simple story of a baby born to a young Jewish girl by virginal conception, who lived a sinless life until God called Him to die on a Cross, so that all who truly believe in Him and accept Him as their Lord and Saviour, will have all their wrongdoings forgiven, so that one day they will live for ever with Him in heaven.
There is false teaching being given from within the Church that all will go to heaven. It is said that God would not send anyone to hell, and that is right, but people choose to go there by there own neglect. To believe as some do and preach that everyone will go to heaven is nowhere stated, nor can be found in the Bible.
We Ministers are constantly meeting bereaved people who sincerely believe their loved ones are bound for heaven despite never having a religious thought or action in their lives. We are too compassionate to make any comment in such a situation but it is a terribly sad feeling and situation to be in when you know the Bible’s teaching.
The gospel is the story of Jesus Christ who gave Himself to be crucified for our sins in order to reconcile us to God. Why should anyone be ashamed to tell that story? We all no doubt are ashamed of things we have done in our lives, and the things we have said but wished we hadn’t, and that is understandable. But we allow ourselves to become ashamed of something for which there is no need to be ashamed of.
Righteousness. We cannot make ourselves righteous before God, but we can be through Jesus’ atoning death. Jesus acts as a bridge between God and us, putting us in good standing in God’s eyes, making it thus possible for us to be acceptable to God. This is God’s powerful way of bringing all who believe to heaven. We are saved by grace (Great Riches At Christ’s Expense) through faith. The gospel is the power that gives us salvation. But the gospel is bad news for non believers, for it offers no future hope.
Faith. You must have faith and believe. We are prepared to place our faith in many people, but reluctant to trust in God. We travel by plane and put our faith that the pilot knows what he is doing although we know nothing about him. If you go to the doctor for some illness and he gives you a prescription, you then get dispensed and take, trusting the doctor and the chemist, but you don’t just leave it in a cupboard if you want to get better. So with the gospel. There is no point in just seeking a spiritual prescription; you have to take that by faith which means reaching out to God and accepting the gospel.
For all who believe. This power is for everyone who believes. This means more than just believing there is a God, the devil accepts that; believing means making a commitment. Too many say they believe but do nothing, which is why regular preaching of the gospel is important so that people may come to live by the Scripture. .
They are religious and even show some outward inclinations toward Christianity. They come from a Christian background. They think that Jesus was a great religious figure. But they have not believed in Christ. Though the gospel is God's power for salvation, because they have not believed, they have not experienced this power nor have they known the gospel for what it truly is.
The reason so many people are not willing to accept the Bible is because the message is too simple. We know there are many people who are not prepared to accept the Bible story as they find it too incredible to believe. They are more ready to listen to the strident outpourings of nauseating, insulting, self indulgent secularists. For others accepting the gospel would mean a change of hedonistic lifestyle. It means accepting a standard of morality they are not prepared to accept.
You will find theologians complicating matters by having all kind of discussions on who wrote this and that, and it is all very well for academics sitting in their common rooms to do this for their amusement, but it sends out a wrong message to the masses.
Martin Luther was so inspired by this passage it caused him to start the Protestant Reformation and if all preachers were inspired similarly there would be less empty seats in Churches.
Let us proceed by faith and never ever be ashamed
Thursday, 4 July 2013
Happy Independence Day
A happy July 4th to all American readers. May your great nation continue to be blessed and may it remain true to the original Constitution to provide freedom of speech, liberty, and its commitment to one nation under God. May it also continue to be a beacon for the Christian faith in a world so anxious to marginalise the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
May the harassment which is being given to people in Britain who are exercising their (perceived) right of speech and religious freedom not be such the case in your country.
Such indeed was the irresponsible treatment meted out to an American evangelist visiting here. Tony Miano, a much decorated veteran of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was preaching in a district of London about spiritual growth, holiness and the person and work of Jesus. In one session he spoke about sexual immorality both heterosexual and homosexual and sin, without discrimination. An obviously bigoted woman heard him and called the police to complain when she heard him say homosexuality was a sin.
Tony was arrested and led to the Police Station in handcuffs accused of using homophobic speech contrary to the Public Order Act. There he was photographed, finger printed, had DNA sample taken, questioned about his faith in Jesus Christ, interviewed by a detective and asked the incredible question would you feed a homosexual man requesting food when he was hungry.
He was told he would not be released for 24 hours, the maximum for that offence, and would appear before a Magistrate the next day to answer the charge and any trial necessary would mean he could not leave the country for between 4 or 5 months. The circumstances would be reported to the Crown Prosecution Service as to future action.
He was led to a cell (with cctv)but not allowed to take his Bible into the cell because it had some metal fittings, but a solicitor from the Christian Defence Society (like the American Center for Law & Justice) was advising him and supplied a Bible and prayed with him. He sang hymns as he settled down for the long hours wait until the next morning, but after seven hours he was told an Inspector had considered the evidence and he would not be charged on that occasion.
We don’t know whether the Inspector was a man with common sense realising the absurdity of the action taken, or if he feared the consequences of adverse publicity if he proceeded and wanted to limit the damage caused.
This is similar to a case which infuriated me a few years ago. A Council set up a stall in a library full of homosexual advice literature. An elderly man and his wife, both devoted Christians, placed some Christian literature alongside pointing out it was contrary to Scripture. Shortly after they were visited by two policemen who coerced their way into these two innocent minded elderly people’s home, and to their distress the policemen lectured them for 80 minutes. If I were to be put in such a situation I would have refused entry into my house and advised them to go to a place which would not be called heaven.
This American Christian’s experience was not an isolated one, numerous street preachers have been arrested for daring to quote the Bible.
Tony Miano made the comment on his video, (well worth seeing) that Britain has lost its soul and the Church is doing nothing about it. I have reluctantly to agree with him and in some small way apologise for the action of a Police Service which some time ago lost not only its soul, but a great deal of practical professionalism and reputation.
There was an age when the Police in this country were essentially used to arrest criminals, people committing real crime, rather than seeking to appease people with limited sensitivity. But then again, one has to remember words used which offend a person’s sexual views are considered to be of great seriousness. The police will attend quickly when so summoned, but when burglary is committed, or women subjected to domestic abuse, police have been known not to be interested. Priorities are important in modern Britain.
All this before we even have the Same Sex Marriage Act passed into law.
May the harassment which is being given to people in Britain who are exercising their (perceived) right of speech and religious freedom not be such the case in your country.
Such indeed was the irresponsible treatment meted out to an American evangelist visiting here. Tony Miano, a much decorated veteran of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was preaching in a district of London about spiritual growth, holiness and the person and work of Jesus. In one session he spoke about sexual immorality both heterosexual and homosexual and sin, without discrimination. An obviously bigoted woman heard him and called the police to complain when she heard him say homosexuality was a sin.
Tony was arrested and led to the Police Station in handcuffs accused of using homophobic speech contrary to the Public Order Act. There he was photographed, finger printed, had DNA sample taken, questioned about his faith in Jesus Christ, interviewed by a detective and asked the incredible question would you feed a homosexual man requesting food when he was hungry.
He was told he would not be released for 24 hours, the maximum for that offence, and would appear before a Magistrate the next day to answer the charge and any trial necessary would mean he could not leave the country for between 4 or 5 months. The circumstances would be reported to the Crown Prosecution Service as to future action.
He was led to a cell (with cctv)but not allowed to take his Bible into the cell because it had some metal fittings, but a solicitor from the Christian Defence Society (like the American Center for Law & Justice) was advising him and supplied a Bible and prayed with him. He sang hymns as he settled down for the long hours wait until the next morning, but after seven hours he was told an Inspector had considered the evidence and he would not be charged on that occasion.
We don’t know whether the Inspector was a man with common sense realising the absurdity of the action taken, or if he feared the consequences of adverse publicity if he proceeded and wanted to limit the damage caused.
This is similar to a case which infuriated me a few years ago. A Council set up a stall in a library full of homosexual advice literature. An elderly man and his wife, both devoted Christians, placed some Christian literature alongside pointing out it was contrary to Scripture. Shortly after they were visited by two policemen who coerced their way into these two innocent minded elderly people’s home, and to their distress the policemen lectured them for 80 minutes. If I were to be put in such a situation I would have refused entry into my house and advised them to go to a place which would not be called heaven.
This American Christian’s experience was not an isolated one, numerous street preachers have been arrested for daring to quote the Bible.
Tony Miano made the comment on his video, (well worth seeing) that Britain has lost its soul and the Church is doing nothing about it. I have reluctantly to agree with him and in some small way apologise for the action of a Police Service which some time ago lost not only its soul, but a great deal of practical professionalism and reputation.
There was an age when the Police in this country were essentially used to arrest criminals, people committing real crime, rather than seeking to appease people with limited sensitivity. But then again, one has to remember words used which offend a person’s sexual views are considered to be of great seriousness. The police will attend quickly when so summoned, but when burglary is committed, or women subjected to domestic abuse, police have been known not to be interested. Priorities are important in modern Britain.
All this before we even have the Same Sex Marriage Act passed into law.
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