JOHN 17

    It is the night before the Crucifixion.  Jesus is with His Apostles at the Last Supper and is spending His last hours before going to the Cross.

     In a few hours He will be dead so He is telling them He is going to leave them and they will be left to face life without Him. He then concludes with a prayer, which makes this one of the outstanding passages in the New Testament, telling His followers then, and by extension to those who follow Him through the ages, what they will have to face as Christians.

     For Jesus, life was life with a climax and that was the Cross.  When He spoke of the Cross as His glorification it had a deep significance.  It is one of the facts of history again and again, that it was in death that some people’s greatness was recognised and they would never ever know how they influenced others.

     I once took a funeral of a young man who virtually gave up his life by the way he lived, suffering from acute depression and a feeling of achieving nothing.  Tributes were paid in the most sincere and outstanding words by men of his profession who went to considerable effort to do so, and it was sad to realise the young man never knew how much he was valued.  We see this in the life of religious figures and in the world of music and art. 

     The Cross was the glory of Jesus because it was the completion of the work God had sent Him to do.  God had given Him authority over every man and woman on earth; He had come to show the love of God and what He was prepared to suffer for mankind.  In His glory He brings glory to God, and if He had not gone to the Cross, it would have meant His work was not completed; to stop short would have suggested there was a limit to that love.  Jesus showed there was nothing the love of God was not prepared to do and suffer for us. 

     The Bible makes it clear that Jesus could have escaped the Cross by never going near Jerusalem.    The Cross was proof that men could do their worst yet He could rise above their worst, and the Cross would not be the end, for the resurrection was to follow.   

     In verse 6, Jesus says ‘I have revealed you to those whom you have given me’.  Jesus is here thinking of particularly of the Apostles with Him in the Upper Room; those who turned and followed Him in His ministry; those ‘kept the Word’, meaning they were obedient to the faith.  But this also equates to all who would one day follow Him.

     Then Jesus goes on to say He was not praying for the world, but for those who God had given Him.  Jesus is teaching us that we are rescued from the world.  The world means all who are opposed to God’s standards and way of life; those who live without reference to God.

     This means there are two types of people in the world, which the gospel makes clear over and over again, those who are loyal and obedient to God and those who are not   Jesus was always quite unequivocal, that we are either for Him or against Him, there is no neutrality or sitting on the fence. Jesus is firmly black or white in how you respond to Him   

     It is like being on a mountain top; you can keep to the laid down path and be safe, or make your own way which will likely end in disaster.  Jesus spoke of two roads, one leading to eternal life, the other to destruction, so we have to decide our course in life. 

     Sometimes we feel buffeted by the storms of life, the stresses and strains, the problems of work and family, and personal relationships.  We ask will I be strong enough to do the work God wants me to do.  Jesus is praying here for all who believe in Him, and particularly for the difficulties to be faced. 

      In the Bible names mean not only how we are addressed, but also refer to people’s character.  When Jesus says that God will protect us by the power of His Name, He means the power associated with God’s character that He will keep us and watch over us and guard us spiritually from falling from Him.  The Bible makes it clear we need to obey the Word of God

     In verse 11 Jesus prays that God will leave His disciples in the world and will protect them from the evil one, because like Him, they do not act to the world’s standards.  He wants His disciples to be active in the world.  God will rescue us from people who in rebellion are opposed to Him, but that does not mean we should gather in holy huddles out of contact from others, who need to hear about Jesus from us. 

     There are of course, religious orders that lock themselves away from the outside world.  They are truly dedicated men and women who sincerely believe they are serving God.  The kind of Christianity however, which shuts itself off in a monastery or convent, would not have seemed to Jesus to be Christianity at all.  The kind of Christianity which finds the essence of the Christian life in prayer and meditation in a life secluded from the world, would have seemed to Jesus to be a sad version of the faith He died to bring to people. 

     It was Jesus insistence to be in the hurly burly of life that we must live out our faith. Christianity was never meant to withdraw men and women from ordinary people.  It does not release us from problems, but equips us to deal with them.  It offers not always peace, but triumph. 

     Jesus is saying He wants His people to be in the midst of the world, mixing with non believers.  Just as a lifeboat is of no use set permanently polished in a station, but is needed to go out and rescue people trapped in stormy seas, so we need to be rescuing those dear to us, trapped in the perils of life in this world.  Jesus was saying His people are not meant to be little ships which stay in harbour, although it is much safer, that is not what ships are for, they are meant to be on the high seas.

     Jesus prayed for the unity of His disciples, and that they would be one as He and His Father were one.  There can be no divisions between Christians.  If there are, the cause of Christianity is harmed and the prayer of Jesus is rejected.  Jesus never considered different denominations which would be criticising one another, or considered one denomination could claim exclusive access.  Jesus prayed we would be one, and there is no prayer of Jesus which has been so hindered from being answered by Christians

     Jesus warned us of the hostility we face from a hostile world which hates Christians.  If you find that hard to accept, just consider the violence, even murder, of Christians in Pakistan, Nigeria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. 

     On a more subtle scale, in Australia and Canada; where Bible preaching is under threat and proposals have been made to ban parts of Scripture.

     You may say well this is England it can’t happen here.  Consider scientists, intellectuals, to whom the Bible is a form of hate literature, arty types, who have shown their dislike and contempt for the Christian faith.

     The world hates biblical truth, and if you take a stand publicly for the truth of the gospel, you will not be popular and are likely to be called narrow minded at best, and a bigot at worst. 

     Finally Jesus prayed that His people would be made holy by the truth, set apart for a purpose, and have the character necessary for he task. If we are Christians set apart through the death of Christ we must go into the world with the Word of God. 

     Remember Jesus words and be encouraged, for He has told us that we are protected by the Word of God who gives us the strength to be the kind of people He longs for us to be.

    

John 5 v1/8

This story is about the healing of a man in the pool at Bethesda.
This is a factual story about a hopeless case of man who had been ill for 38 years, like from 1981 until now.

In this passage we are told of one of the miracles performed by Jesus. The bible refers to it taking place in Jerusalem at a feast of the Jews, but we do not know which particular feast it was.

Jesus was attending this feast in the Jewish calendar, one of which all male Jews were expected to attend in Jerusalem. There are three such feasts, Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles; this was nearest in time to Pentecost.

Near to the sheep market there was a pool around which all kinds of men gathered hoping for a miracle to happen. There were five porches situated around the pool where the weak and infirm would shelter. The name of the pool was Bethesda, which means ‘house of mercy’, and it was where desperate people gathered in the hope of being healed by a miraculous cure; it was in future years identified as being near the Sheep gate in Jerusalem beneath where the Church of St Anne. There are now many Independent chapels with that name today, often also in the Baptist Church.

It was believed that on occasions an angel would visit and disturb the water and when this happened the first person into the water would be healed. What actually occurred was not the work of an angel, but due to there being an intermittent spring, this happened when a surge from the waters from a hill reservoir caused the spring to rise and fall.

Healings may well have taken place just as to-day healings occur at well-known places, such as Lourdes, Harrogate or Bath, where spas are thought to have healing powers and to which many desperate for healing visit hopefully. When however people attend a place, which has a reputation for healings having taken place, they go there expecting a healing, some subsequently feel healed when they may not be.

Some Churches have healing services where dramatic results occur, but often there are psychological explanations; some people can even feel better just by association. However, it cannot be denied or refuted that some people are gifted by God and have powers of healing.

We are told of a man who was unable to stand, and had no one to help him to get healed. When the waters surged there was a scramble and the fittest got there first before they subsided, leaving this man and others like him to miss out. Those who were paralysed or too ill were left to try another time.

Jesus visited the pool and spoke to the man, asking him if he wanted to be healed. But although there were plenty of others with all kinds of infirmities, when Jesus went there, He chose this man. This suggests Jesus had divine knowledge of the man’s condition. It may seem a strange question for Jesus to ask someone suffering so much, but Jesus never asked a question without reason.

It is perhaps significant the man did not say he did, but answered by saying I can’t, he didn’t say I do. There are people who like to either be ill, or pretend to be, they crave the attention they invariably receive.

I have just had to spend a week in hospital and there was man in the Ward who would try any trick or tale to get notice and attention; it would be impossible for anyone to have so suffered and still be alive.

I today’s society where people can obtain financial benefits for being unfit to work, there is the temptation to feign injury or sickness. We have heard plenty of stories of people who are falsely claiming disability benefits and so cheating the government, when in fact they are perfectly able to work; some have been found taking part in sporting, and other kinds of physical activities.

I once had a man in one of my congregations who loved to tell how ill he was. One lady said I never ask Mr X how he is in case he may tell me. The man would walk jauntily down the street until he saw someone he knew and then start limping. A lot of people want to feel ill just to get attention.

Jesus responded to the man by saying ‘get up’. At once the man did so feeling he had better do what Jesus had said, and was told to throw away his bed as he would not need it any more.

Some people just don’t want to make the effort. In such situations people are tempted to give up and feel they must just accept things. Often people suffer from alcohol addiction, which seems to get the better of a lot, they try but the pull is too strong. I have seen some tragic cases of otherwise fine people drinking themselves literally to death.

People do bring illness upon themselves and indeed upon others by their actions by sinful acts. A person who drives a vehicle when they have drunk alcohol and kills or seriously injures another; people who live immoral lives and pass disease on to others as well as incur themselves, and expect the State to spend money on them which could be otherwise spent on deserving cases.

We face many difficulties in life and we just need the desire and determination to overcome them. In a lot of cases there is a ‘will problem’, people give up mentally and there is no determination to fight; there is an emotional issue.

Jesus was giving a message so vital to those who feel like giving up, don’t accept failure, and don’t feel you are helpless and need assistance all the time. Some people do expect a lot of attention and everybody to give them help. But care has to be taken in receiving advice also.

I had a Deaconess who felt she had healing powers and told an elderly lady who suffered with arthritis badly that she would lay hands on her and pray for healing and medication could be thrown away as she would be healed. The elderly lady did so in great faith, and became quite ill.

There are so many things which concern us, but when there is an intensity within us to overcome and a desire to make an effort however seemingly hopeless, the power of Jesus Christ gives us the opportunity conquer that which is conquering us.

John went on to tell that Jesus had face the wrath of the Jews because the man who He had healed was seen carrying his mat and the Jewish leaders who wanted to know how he had been healed, for the priests told him he should not do so as it was the Sabbath day. There was nothing in the Old Testament which prohibited a man from carrying his bedroll on the Sabbath, but Jewish tradition forbade a man carrying something from one place to another on that day.

The man did not know who it was that had healed him, but later after he met Jesus in the Temple and Jesus identified himself. The man then returned and told the priests it was Jesus who healed him.

We have to realise Jesus came into our world to preach the gospel
not to perform acts of healing. The miracles of healings performed were an indication of that purpose for the church to understand. Jesus was acting against Jewish law and custom in this healing for it was performed on the Sabbath when it was obviously not urgent, the man had waited 38 years one day extra would not have mattered. In doing so, Jesus was being provocative in seeking a clash with the Jewish leaders.

The Jews saw suffering as a consequence of sinning. Whilst Jesus performed other acts of making people well and did not attribute their illness to sinning, it will be noticed that when Jesus met the man sometime later, he told him, ‘now you are well; so stop sinning or something worse may happen to you’

There is a lobby, especially in the United States, which believes that national disasters are God’s reaction to a nation’s sin. When 9/11 occurred in America there were people who sincerely believed because of the nation’s general behaviour against God’s will. Secularists were of course outraged, but it struck a chord with many Americans who were reminded of God’s outrage in events recorded in the Bible.

In closing, let me remind you of an event in Britain in 1984.

A man newly appointed to be a bishop was due to be consecrated in York Minster the magnificent Cathedral in that city. This man had shocked the majority of Christians all over the country, by mockery of the Resurrection story and his rejection of basic doctrine; people were appalled at his appointment as Bishop of Durham, a traditionally evangelical Diocese, and protests at such an appointment were of course ignored.

At the time a new lightning conductor had been fitted to protect three million pounds worth of renovation and smoke detectors were installed throughout the building. On the night of the service to appoint this man, shortly after the service had ended a bolt of lightning of a million volt struck the building starting a fire which blew the whole system, and shut down every smoke detector.

A meteorological map of the area showed over the whole county of Yorkshire there was only one trace of cloud, which circled over the Minster for twenty minutes, which should have produced a few drops of rain, and despite it being a million volts of lightning, there was no thunder. Sixteen meteorologists stated there was no possible meteorological explanation, and all were convinced it could only have been an act of God.

The following day amid the ruins of the Cathedral, the then Archbishops dismissed that suggestion because God would not do such an act. Such a statement only displays a complete misunderstanding of God, and is unworthy of any further comment.

This passage is the Epistle for Sunday.

There is obviously a great divide between God and us, and the Bible recognising mankind’s sinfulness pointed us to the answer how this is resolved. The answer was the Cross, and in his Letter to the Galatians Paul tells how we can be restored to a relationship with God. It is being ‘justified by faith’.

We have to accept, with sadness, that Britain is no longer a Christian country. Indeed, government has been at pains to tell and show us. With passionate determination David Cameron set out to destroy the bedrock of society and made no secret that as far as he is concerned Christianity does not require protection; similar action has not been taken against other faiths, but have no confidence it will happen.

Despite being photographed each Sunday leaving Church as a devoted Christian ,harassing and disruption have continued unabated under her disastrous premiership..

There are two lines of thought as to how we can get to heaven. One so popular with the person in the street, and with many Church members lay and ordained, is by our own endeavours and deeds. It is a common belief that if one is honest, kind and helpful to others, there is no need to suffer the inconvenience of going to Church or becoming religious. The Christian belief and teaching is that when we die our spirit moves on to either eternal life in heaven with Christ, or to eternal destruction. This is not popular theology, but it is biblical.

I heard of an elderly man who was caring for his sick wife and his neighbour, a Muslim lady, offered to help him with shopping and washing. He thanked her and said what a kind Christian lady she was. She rightly told him how offensive this was to her. But it is symptomatic of the way people think. A| lady once told me her granddaughter didn’t believe in God but was a real Christian girl. (If you can work that one out let me know)

So what should we base our hope and confidence in? Paul tries to explain in this Letter. He had founded the Church in Galatia and moved on. Later some Jewish Christians had arrived from Jerusalem, and whilst they accepted all the teachings of Jesus, they required the Jewish Law and circumcision to be added. Paul was furious that anyone should suggest anything needed to be added to that given by Jesus.

These Jewish believers also questioned Paul’s right to be called an Apostle, to which he pointed out that he had been called uniquely by God through Jesus Christ so that his words could be accepted as being spoken by God.

Paul taught that Jesus came into the world to live and die for us. In His death, He suffered on the Cross for our disobedience and because of that death, paid the penalty for our sin to enable us to be forgiven by God. All we have to do is to repent of our sin and put our whole trust in Jesus Christ to save us. This justifies us in God’s sight and we are accepted as sons and daughters into the family of God. Such a simple, yet profound act, but one beyond the ability of many to accept.

God will not accept human terms, for He wanted it understood that it was only through Jesus that salvation could be gained. The Bible states ‘there is no other name under heaven by which we may be saved.’

Imagine a woman charged with stealing food from a shop and appearing before a judge. She admits stealing and pleads for mercy. The judge tells her he must as a just judge fine her and does so, but then tells her the fine will be paid for her. God has to judge us and require a penalty to be paid. He gave His Son Jesus Christ to pay that penalty, which He did at Calvary.

Be at Church on Sunday and may God bless you.

John 10 v. 22/31

The whole of Chapter 10 is about Jesus portraying Himself like a good shepherd taking care of his flock. In Jesus time shepherds would know their sheep byname. A group of shepherds would each put their sheep in a communal pen at night, and they would be looked after by one shepherd who would not let anyone enter who did not belong there. The next day each shepherd would collect their own sheep who would recognize their keeper.

Jesus uses this analogy to show Himself having similar care for all who follow Him. The words of Jesus are so assuring in that He knows each of us personally and was willing to die for us; He is a true pastor. If you are trusting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you are one of His flock.

Jesus sheep listen to His voice and obey Him, they are not swayed by false teachers, and there are so many preaching in our Churches. They tell you the Bible is outdated and you have to live with the times, thereby accepting a lax moral code. We hear Church leaders calling for multi-faith worship, but true Christians cannot join in worship with those who deny the divinity of Jesus. Here in this chapter, Jesus says ‘I am the gate, no one enters except through me’. Later in Chapter 14 He will say, ‘no one comes to the Father except through me’.

I know to be so exclusive is not popular and in some Churches such statement is not welcomed, but to deny or refuse to state is to deny the Lord Himself.

People can be like sheep without minds of their own. Take for example the political scene. People were praising one leader to the skies, but when asked what his policies or beliefs were, they had no idea, they were following because they saw others and felt they had to go with crowd, even though balanced minded people knew he couldn’t be trusted with a word he said.

This passage in the Bible comes after three months had passed from the first part of the chapter. Jesus was in the Temple when he was surrounded by Jews who wanted to know if He claimed to be the Messiah, and wanted Him to say so plainly. He replied that what he had done in God’s name was plain enough and confirmed who He was, and the only reason they failed to understand was because they had not followed Him.

The reason so many people doubted Jesus then and still do, is not because of lack of information; the problem is that they reject the evidence given. Jesus referred to the works of healing He had done, but they selected what they wanted to believe.

To distort facts and figures is common, we are seeing this as the country’s future is being debated as each side widely differs from the other to support their claims. When public figures do this brazenly it is not a good example to the rest of the population, yet this is what they done regarding the Bible. Most of the atheistic speakers have never come to know Jesus or do much to learn, and have no personal knowledge on which to deny Him, or know what He did and why.

Jesus said ‘I know my sheep and I take care of them.’ Brash people say they don’t need a crutch to prop them up they feel quite adequate to take care of themselves and stand on their own two feet, provided in many cases they are propped up by drink or drugs.

I have heard people say after being burgled I was intending to get insurance cover but never got around to doing it. We all need security; how many people I wonder intended to go to Church and turn to Jesus, but never made it and now face eternal loss? Eternity is a long time.

The modern-day philosophy is to live life to the full and have a fantastic time, but it is a short sighted one. Research in the United States has shown that being a Christian and attending Church is good for you, spiritually and mentally and for your health generally. Some people say I tried to find God, but nothing happened. We all need to humble ourselves and ask God to turn our hearts to Jesus, ask the Lord to ‘teach me the way.’

When Jesus says my sheep hear my voice the true believer listens to the voice of Jesus and it encourages them and feeds them, and they try to live out that belief and faith. It takes them to Church on a Sunday morning when others rush to supermarkets or golf courses, and although they have to rise early on weekdays, they are still ready to do so on Sundays. The pretend Christians attends Church when convenient, if at all, and even then, do not live out a Christian life.

Jesus said, ‘my sheep follow me’. This means they obey Him, and do what He commands. This does not mean they always do so without a struggle, all of us find it hard going at times, but we realise what Jesus gave up for us, and our attitude is then Lord whatever it costs I will do what you say.

Jesus said, ‘if anyone will come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.’ This is the mark of true sheep.

Why do we gather here each Sunday, often exerting a lot of effort? For most people the satisfaction of knowing Jesus would want them to do so, and they have a peace and joy and the feeling of inner security, and the sense of forgiveness and belonging. Our friends, and indeed members of our families, may not be like us and instead are committed to a life that leads nowhere. Jesus said, ‘I give you eternal life.’

If you were to be asked to state what quality you would like to see in a Minister, think for a moment how you would answer. I read of a survey carried out in the United States and the favourite replies were, having a charismatic personality, showing a sense of humour able to make one feel good. What they certainly didn’t want was some old-time revivalist type who made one feel a sense of guilt.

Some years ago, in this country a new Archbishop of Canterbury had to be appointed, and one of the favourites among Church attenders was the then Bishop of London, who many of us wanted to see appointed, but we knew he stood little chance for he was positive, traditional, orthodox, a true bible man. Instead, a very nice gentlemanly man who was known for sitting on the fence when faced with a decision was appointed. He proved the point however that when you try to please everyone you end pleasing no one.

Those of us who try to maintain biblical integrity still have a problem. I cannot imagine any preacher of substance setting out to cause offence, but if one preached strictly in accordance with Scripture, the Churches would be emptier than they are now. Most people don’t want to hear truth, they want spiritual prescriptions to make happiness as if the Church was a spiritual dispensary.

You may have heard of the Vicar who gave a literal exposition of the duties of husbands and wives in the terms of Paul’s Letter to Ephesians in a wealthy area of the country, with the outcome being that numerous women left the Church taking their direct debits with them. So, a preacher has to decide whether to be faithful to Scripture, avoid all contentious issues, go with the flow, or be faithful to the Bible.

If any person is offended by a preacher, he/she should consider why and speak to the preacher after the service rather than walk away in a huff. One preacher who was always fearless was our Lord Himself; remember, Jesus either saved or caused people to turn away from Him.

A lot of people who call themselves intellectuals, think Christianity is for the poor and simple minded, but history records many clever and able men and women, some of them with brilliant minds and occupations, surrendered their way of life to travel far and wide in the service of Christ. People do not give up a lucrative lifestyle for a harsher life without a lot of conviction.

There was a programme on television which asked if Christians were being discriminated against. It was quite alarming, first to hear the vitriolic anti-Christian views, and secondly to hear so-called Christians selecting passages and deliberately distorting to justify an immoral style of living specifically condemned by Scripture.

But you cannot convince anyone who is determined not to be convinced. We may struggle, we may hurt, and go through times of darkness, deep depression and doubt, but we shall never perish if we have become part of Jesus flock, but we can be sure we will one day be with Him in glory.

(Please feel free to pass a comment)

The Impurity of the Church of England

I urge you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4 I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvellous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. ((Jude)

The Bible throughout its pages spells out clearly the moral absolutes we are expected to follow as Christians, and if individual people choose to ignore and follow a different course, that is a personal matter for them and I do not wish to make any comment.

What however is a matter for all who love the Church and wish it to have God’s blessing and favour, is a concern, frustration, and despair, at the action and flagrant ignoring of Biblical teaching and who seek to endorse embrace and insist on others to support that which the Bible declares as sin.

Just as in the days of Jude, men and women holding influential positions in the Church from Archbishops to parish Ministers are trying to introduce a new philosophy into Church ministry, and are doing so without opposition as it emerges from the highest Offices, They have cast the Bible aside with all that it teaches, and like Jude we are called to identify and recognise their false teaching, an firmly reject. If we do not, there will soon be no Church for we see a continuing decline in attendances. We are not offering anything which is special to us as the Church, representing Christ on earth.

True believers need to wake up and speak up against the damage being caused to both faith and Church by what is happening.
Consider the following events taking place, or have done.

Our once great Cathedrals are being dragged down by Deans who have abandoned traditional Christian values in order to curry favour with popular culture at the expense of turning people with scriptural beliefs, and more importantly those seeking scriptural guidance, away from the Church.

A cathedral that hit the headlines for screening films with graphic sex scenes, full female nudity, a pagan sacrifice and a satirical depiction of Jesus Christ, has banned a prominent conservative clergyman from preaching at a student carol service during Advent.

Derby Cathedral told Derby Christian Union it will not permit a local evangelical Vicar, widely admired, to be the preacher. I think it obvious the Cathedral were embarrassed at their own hypocritical shame.

The Cathedral of Durham is to ask its staff to take part in a gay pride march with banners specially created to express the Cathedrals support for homosexuality.

Flags have been flown from Ely and Southwark, and support offered at York from Dean and the Archbishop of York who are encouraging the clergy to support engagement in such marches, and such support is also offered at Liverpool.

The Bishop of Liverpool and Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral want the Church to end its exemption from the terms of the (so called) Equalities Act, and the bishop is patron of Liverpool gay pride and active campaigner. I can’t help feeling if he put equal energy into preaching what he was ordained for there would be a Christian revival in Liverpool.

What a shameful picture all this creates. In addition, we have the head of the Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury,
categorically declaring his support of the government’s Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) statutory instrument, in the face of mounting opposition from Muslim, Jewish and Christian parents, and pro-family campaigners expressing concerns of RSE being used to normalise homosexuality and transgenderism among children of tender age and without parents being allowed to withdraw consent.

How the Lord must weep when he sees such action being supported and endorsed by those who sing hymns in Church. read the Bible in Churches, and preach to others in His name.

John 21

The scene in our Gospel story is the Sea of Galilee just after the crucifixion. Seven of the disciples were there feeling probably a little guilty; only John had remained at the Cross leaving the others to feel a sense of betrayal. The main character in this story however is Peter, the man who denied the Lord and is now devastated with himself, a feeling which many Christians may have passed through. Now things are going to change as he meets the risen Christ.

When the chapter begin they are all wondering what is going to happen to them, all their plans and hopes for the future have been blown apart. There is nothing to induce a feeling of hopelessness so much as a time of tragic failure. Peter had wept bitterly after denying Jesus; he had been so close to the Lord for three years and failed Him at the last days. We may all have experienced a similar feeling when we have succumbed to temptation in a time of weakness and regretted doing so, realising we have let the Lord down.

What would our live be like if our actions were in line with what we said? How many people regularly sing and say words in Church and then go out into the world and behave in a contradictory way? I know clergy who recite the Creed but do not accept the Virgin Birth, or/and, the physical resurrection of our Lord. How shameful is that? Let no one therefore think ill of Peter, ‘i>there is no one righteous, no not one.’

I like the story of a Church where the congregation had just sang ‘stand up for Jesus’ and the Vicar had gone into the pulpit when two men wearing black hoods walked in brandishing guns. Who is going to stand up for Jesus here they asked? The choir ran out, the Wardens and best part of the congregation. The men took off their masks, put down their guns and said, ‘carry on now Vicar, we have got rid of the hypocrites.’

The disciples decided to get on with their lives and went out fishing, and it was the practice to go out at night using torches to scan the water, so attracting fish to the boat where they would then be netted. We are told that nothing seemed to be going right for them as they had caught nothing. But help was at hand.

Jesus was on the water side, saw their need, and went to meet them. The Lord will come to our help when He is needed too. The Bible is full of stories offering comfort and bringing light and hope into souls which are grieving. No matter if our condition is one of loss or failure, Jesus will not cast us off if we are repentant.

Jesus mad Peter realise his failure and still speaks to us in various ways. Often through a preacher who will have no knowledge of your problem, but the words he uses may have been given to him by the Lord to speak to your heart. Whilst God as a God justice cannot overlook sin, He will try to make our hearts feel we have offended Him, until we confess our betrayal of Him.

Jesus told the fishermen where to cast their nets and we are told specifically they caught 153 fish. This was thought to represent the number of different kinds of fish that existed, and is an indication to us that God wants us to go out and bring the gospel to all men and women.

The story tells us these men were in effect just drifting along when Jesus brought them back to be successful, and rather than send a storm to teach them a lesson for letting Him down, He tends to restore them by love. He cooked breakfast for them around a charcoal fire, like the one Peter stood around when he denied the Lord.

Jesus then had a personal meeting with Peter, something we should all seek, for it is good to talk privately with the Lord. Three times Jesus asked Peter if the loved Jesus, and three times He said feed my sheep. By that Jesus meant teach people the Word of God and what Jesus could mean to them. How we need to heed Jesus command, for the Word of God is not being taught in too many Churches, and is being vastly moderated, diluted and indeed twisted in others. Even within Churches immoral behaviour is being tolerated and accepted.

I once knew a Vicar who was so devoted to teaching about Jesus. He saw one of his congregation in a supermarket and went up to her, then introduced her to another unknown woman and said ‘this is Mary, she wants to tell you what Jesus means to her’, then left poor Mary together with the unknown woman.

Another time he was walking along a London street with a Vicar friend, and said the next person he met he would tell them about Jesus. They walked a few yards and there was a window cleaner up a ladder. The Vicar shouted, ‘come down I want to tell you about Jesus.’ The window cleaner told him to go away, or words to that effect, so when the window cleaner stepped from his ladder on to a window ledge, the Vicar took away the ladder and said, ‘now will you come down’?

Jesus would not want us to be so committed perhaps as that dear Vicar, just want us to tell a friend we go to worship Him at Church would be a start. Better still, invite your friend to Church.

But be there on Sunday and God bless you.