Every blessing
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Marvellous in our eye Thoughts on wealth
Christmas song sang by Elizabeth Marshall
I AM....
Amazing GraceAmazing Grace
In love for us the cross He bore.
A crown of thorns He bravely wore.
Stripped naked He was hung on the cross in shame.
Amazing grace; this was why He came
Throughout His life He knew no sin.
But all the world's sin was lain on Him.
The innocent died and suffered great pain,
Amazing grace; this was why He came,
His side was speared, no doubt could there be;
the man had died, it was plain to see.
The price was paid, it cost God's Son His life.
Amazing grace; Christ died for me!
The cost of sin was high, but the price fully paid by this One
God's love for the world was so great, that He gave His only Son,
By our believing and trusting, forgiveness comes, and sets us free.
Amazing grace; Christ died for me!
His work of redemption complete, He rose again in victory.
The Advocate then came, sent to lead and guide you and me.
So let us proclaim this glorious truth to all whom we see
Amazing grace; Christ died for me!
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Grace
It is a promise that should fill us all with gratitude and love
We can receive the unmerited favour of our Almighty God
As we respond to His call by faith this is proffered to me and you
My grace is sufficient for you He says and His word is sure and true
By His grace we may always know His presence and protection,
This means we have no need to fear in all of life’s conditions.
Trusting in the Lord who loves us will always ensure our peace
And so with Paul we can say that we have learned to be content
It is by God’s grace alone that we have been forgiven and saved
There is nothing that we can boast of, the Scripture reminds us
for we can do or say nothing sufficient to pay the price of our sin
Sin demanded the sacrifice of God;s son alone to cleanse us from within
Experiencing the grace of God should inspire us to live holy lives
Aided by the Spirit, we need to live our life to bring Glory to the Lord
By purity of speech and action; to be in the world but not of the world
With deeds of kindness and selfless living, we seek to portray the Lord to all
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A tale of two hills
An old man climbed a mountain
a task he must perform,
his heart was broken,but his faith was sure.
On mount Moriah.
The God he trusted, he was prepared to obey
for so long He had shown him the true way
and promised and delivered so much.
On mount Moriah.
His son was with him , pleased to be there,
a sacrifice was needed, but he knew not from where.
he asked the question ;"the Lord will provide" his father replied
On mount Moriah.
The story unfolded, the man's hand was stayed
a ram was revealed;on the altar it was laid
and the son's life was spared.
On mount Moriah.
The years have passed, another sacrifice takes place
a Father's Son is offered freely
but His hand is not stayed
On Calvary.
The"lamb" is the Son,
God,the Father, gave him up, since
He loved the world so much.
On Calvary.
What Abraham was spared
Our heavenly Father has endured,
the perfect One was slain,the world by love was saved.
On Calvary.
Then let us bend the knee and worship
the one who died and rose again.
The Law's demand was met; "it is finished" was His cry
On Calvary.
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A wonderful promise
God is faithful, what a wonderful promise is this,
a statement of truth, backed up by fact
which is from before the creation of time and space.
The very character of the triune God is portrayed for us in this way.
The covenant once made with man, He keeps what e’er betide.
When they sinned, in love He forgave them, and sought to be their guide
An animal, slain, provided the skin, to cover their guilt and shame,
showing them the cost required to be able to worship Him again.
God is faithful, thus whilst His people often erred and strayed,
He kept His promises although frequently by them He was dismayed.
Calling them back by the Judges and prophets; seeking for them to return,
offering forgiveness if they repent of sin, and their need of Him discern.
Finally, God demonstrated His love by sending His beloved Son,
in human form, thus revealing Himself, as ever, the faithful One.
becoming obedient to death,even to death on a cross,
He has saved us by His grace, at such enormous personal cost.
God is faithful, what a wonderful promise is this,
of this we need be in no doubt; history has proven this.
Such a God deserves our trust and adoration
for He has truly shown Himself to be the Lord of every nation
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Contest on Carmel
Fire shall be the proof, but fire not made by man.
In response to prayer, must this deed be done,
As a sign of power, to be seen by everyone.
Ba'al or Yahweh would be the victorious one.
The scene was set upon Mount Carmel,
As the prophets of Ba'al began their ritual.
A sacrifice was chosen and laid upon the altar,
They began to call out and they did not falter.
In desperation they cut themselves and cried,
But response from their 'god' was never supplied.
Perhaps he's away or asleep; the taunting came
Until exhausted they ceased, all their efforts were in vain.
The lone prophet of Yahweh, Elijah, also was there,
God's altar was rebuilt and the offering prepared.
"Pour water on it" he instructed,"make sure it is soaked.
Our God will respond when his name is invoked".
"Let it be known you are God...."; then the people saw
The fire fall from heaven as they gazed on with awe
The offering was taken and God's answer was clear,
Elijah's prayer was answered; the One True God was there!
The contest now was over; Ba'al had been proved to be
against the God of Israel, an impotent adversary.
For God alone in the heavens reigns
So we must place our trust in His holy name.
Many years have now gone by, but this fact is true:
There is only One True God and He still loves you.
no longer by fire does God speak to us today
but now through his Son; sent to show us the Way.
Jesus lived and died, then rose again for you.
"He who knows me" He said "knows my Father too".
He brings forgiveness and freedom from sin
To all who believe and put their trust in Him.
1 Kings 18
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A journey to Faith
The road was dusty and dry, as Saul travelled with one thing in mind
to stop these blasphemous lies and punish all those he could find.
He had witnessed it first in the City; how could they believe this........and die?
The man had claimed to be God,the King and promised Messiah,
The High Priest had judged him; he was clearly an heretical liar.
for such an offence he deserved to die and nobody survived being crucified.
The light which had shone at noon was brighter than the day
their progress was stopped, they could not continue on their way.
Saul was alarmed as a voice spoke his name: "Saul,Saul why do you persecute me?"
The voice came from heaven and he fell down in fear
with awe he replied " Who are you Lord?" and anxiously waited to hear.
The Lord spoke and told him that he had been chosen; he would later know what he must do.
Three days of blindness and fasting as he waited and no doubt prayed.
A disciple, Ananias came, his Lord's will to perform by giving him aid.
"Brother Saul, receive your sight" he prayed - the persecutor was reborn!
Baptised and revived, the change was plainly on view,
in fellowship with those he once loathed, in grace and understanding he now grew.
A relationship began with Jesus that would control the rest of his life,
and so began on that day, the journey of service to God on high.
A life summed up in the words he wrote to the Christians at Philippi:
"FOR TO ME TO LlVE IS CHRIST
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Trust in God
Do not be afraid, Moses heard the words, the bush before him alight
I need you to rescue my people from Egypt, see, I am aware of their plight,
and my presence will be with you as you stand before the Pharaoh.
Following miraculous signs and wonders my people he will let go.
Do not be afraid Joshua heard the words; facing the city of Jericho
As I was with Moses, I will be with you, so this is what you must do.
Obeying the Lord, and following His plan, the walls of the city fell down
Joshua went on to subdue the land, his victories knew no bounds
Do not be afraid, Gideon heard the words, hiding within the wine press
‘A man of valour', you will defeat the Midianites, who my people oppress.
As Gideon obeyed the Lord’s directions a miraculous victory took place
three hundred with torches and trumpets demonstrated God's grace
Do not be afraid, Mary heard the words, in a small town in Galilee
You shall be with child and shall give birth to a son, the Holy One is he
a virgin she trusted her Lord, “may it be so”, her response to these words
and so in the fullness of time, the Son of God entered the world.
Do not be afraid, the twelve heard the words, many times over three years,
in incidents beyond their control, Jesus gave strength to quell their fears
As they witnessed the miraculous it became clear He was no ordinary man,
He was the Messiah, none other than the Son of God and man.
Do not be afraid, we too hear these words, in our world today,
when faced with trials and troubles as we seek to follow His way.
Through the Word of God the Spirit seeks to encourage us all,
revealing Jesus as the living Lord, the Saviour of us all.
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Stephen
He was chosen to assist the apostles in Jerusalem
With others who demonstrated their Spirit led wisdom.
With joy he sought to meet the needs of the poor.
He displayed his faith as he served Jesus his Lord.
For as he shared out the food he also shared God's word.
His ministrations to their needs gained for him the approval
Of all who saw that he served them with love and grace.
But others were jealous of him and they lied bare faced
Stirring up a mob, just as had happened to Jesus before
By the Sanhedrin he stood accused - he had broken God's law.
Even they then were struck by his assurance and grace,
As the look of an angel seemed to spread over his face.
Moved by the Spirit he outlined God's dealings with man,
From Abraham,Jacob, and Joseph to the rescue by Moses
He showed that from the beginning God was fulfilling His plan.
He continued with the history of the people of Israel
Which often incurred the condemnation of the prophets.
Reminding them of Isaiah's dire warnings of judgement
Proclaiming that their attitude had not yet changed
For the death of the Christ they were to be blamed!
This statement caused an immediate reaction of fury,
He was dragged away with the intention to stone him.
As the stones rained down on his body he looked up to see
The Lord Jesus standing, as if to say 'come and join me'
This vision enabled him to pray ' Lord please forgive them'
We may not be called upon to give up our life in this way,
But the call for us to uphold the truth remains to this day.
God's love requires that we are to care for the poor,
To obey His commands and place our trust in the Lord.
That we, like Stephen, receive our eternal reward.
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Amos - a man with a message
Amos, was just a man from Tekoa
A herdsman and a dresser of trees
He came to Bethel from Judah
With a message that did not please
He warned of an end to their life of ease
The impending judgement of a holy God.
He never claimed to be a seer
A prophet or even a prophets son
But his message began "thus says the Lord"
And he spoke the words of the holy one
A warning of troubles that could not be averted
For they had tried God's patience and broken his Law
They had ill treated the weak and exploited the poor
Thus their fate was determined by the deeds they had done
For this they would suffer; the Lord's will must be done
His words would come true in the fulness of time
The Assyrians came and the northern kingdom fell
A salutary warning to the 21st century as well.
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A task unfinished
Go into the world and make disciples of all.
With the Spirit's power this task was enacted,
the Ethiopian was baptised in response to this call
and Cornelius, a gentile, to the Church was added
The apostle Paul then took up the reins
Travelling the Roman Empire proclaiming Christ crucified
Preaching and writing, as he took great pains
To encourage the growing Church to commit their lives.
The ensuing centuries saw a continuing spread of the Church,
sadly including division and acrimony between those who would lead.
However at all times there were those who were true to the Word,
who, guided by the Spirit, expressed their faith in both word and deed,
By the nineteenth century in Britain, a new impetus was needed
William Carey expressed a concern to take the gospel to lands overseas
As a result he dedicated his life to serve the Lord in India
To be known henceforth as 'the father of modern missionaries'
The twentieth century expanded the range of missionary endeavour
to include translation of the Scripture into the tongues of unknown tribes
five young men gave their lives to reach the Aucas of Ecuador
as a result thousands more committed themselves to dedicate their lives.
Missionary tasks remain to be done in our world today,
both in the wealthy West and in the so called third world.
The continued need for the gospel has changed in no way,
but how shall they hear if they are never told of God's Word.
So we too must be prepared to be witnesses to the Word
For it is by our words backed up by action that the Church will grow
And hasten as it does so, the glorious coming of the Lord
As the victorious King of creation when every knee to Him shall bow.
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Contend for the Faith
From the early days of the Church the message is made clear;
whatever the circumstance, wherever we may be, for gain or for loss;
“Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints...” are the words that we hear.
Penned by Jude, one of the brothers of our Lord, this challenge still rings out today
As in the time of Jude the gospel message is being distorted by some
who claim that the Word of God permits evil practices under the guise of grace.
They rely on their self knowledge, rather than trusting in the power of God's Son
Denying the Sovereignty of our Lord Jesus Christ, having only a form of godliness,
Such are those we are urged to contend with, if we would honour the Lord.
We are called to show from the Scriptures how erroneous are their views.
As the Holy Spirit seeks to guide us into the understanding of God's Word
And by our very lives to demonstrate the power that is at work within us.
The ‘faith’ we are called to contend for is based solely on the promises of God
expressed in the truth of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus ,
for it is by grace we are saved..., the loving expression of the gift of God.
Only by repenting and trusting in our Saviour, can this Truth be fully known.
To “contend for the faith once delivered...” can often be an unpopular stance to take.
Speaking of trusting in Christ as the sole means whereby we can be saved,
appears to many to be intolerant in this enlightened age, and ought not to be made.
God will save all who try to live a good life; no matter what they do or do not believe.
While we wait for the Lord to come or call, we must respond to His call.
If we would be true to the “faith once delivered to the saints..” in the world today,
Living, by both our words and deeds, as those for whom ' the Truth’ is our all in all.
For our world still needs to know of the depth of God's gracious love in Christ Jesus
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The Prodigal's brother
He listened in amazement to what his younger brother said
"Let me have my inheritance now" he was saying to his dad,
now this was tantamount to saying I wish you were dead!
He waited for the chastisement that was sure to come back.
But his father conceded and gave him his full share!
It was not long before the inevitable happened; his brother left home.
Taking all he had gained he headed for pastures new, far away.
News of his wasteful and profligate living drifted back to his home
whilst the elder brother resentfully toiled on his father’s farm day by day
But his father waited and yearned for his missing son
When his brother did return he refused to welcome him back home
The bitterness he had nursed within over the period he was absent
spilled out in anger as he complained to his father about what he had done
But his father just smiled and said my son who was lost is now found.
This parable as told by Jesus we believe speaks of God’s grace
None is beyond the love of the Lord, no matter what they have done
By believing, repenting.and trusting in Christ all are granted his grace.
But this is required also of the elder brother as well as the prodigal son.
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The book of the twelve
Let us speak of the book of the twelve,
of the men who were called to proclaim
a message of both judgement and hope
from God, whose covenant they contain.
Hosea tells of a faithless wife and love that will not give up
So too will God continue to love, although His people have gone astray.
Joel warns of the power of a God ,who will always have His way
As locust can devastate all the land, His judgement is on its way.
Amos speaks of injustice in the treatment of the poor and weak.
This should not be the Lord declares, you really do it unto me.
For Obadiah the guilt is clear, the people of Edom should not jeer,
their kinsmen who suffer should instead receive aid and their love and care.
Jonah is loathe to do the God of Israel's will , and so he runs away
but the Lord will not be thwarted; and Ninevah repents and turns to His way.
Micah tells of justice and mercy to follow the judgements of God,
he speaks of one to be a 'light to the gentiles' who ultimately will come.
Nahum expresses how justice will be seen in punishment of all,
ill treatment of others will result in the oppressors fall.
Habakkuk pleads ' Lord how long must I wait ? ' for justice to be done.
His answer comes; you must live by faith, for 'the day of the Lord' will come.
Zephaniah declares that all nations, including God's people, will be judged.
'The day of the Lord' will be followed by an offer of salvation to all who remain.
Haggai reminds of the Messianic promise, as they return to the Holy Place.
Give God his rightful place he pleads, and He will reward your faith.
Zechariah also speaks of a Messianic hope and calls for a need to repent.
For him this is clearly a future event; after judgement,will come salvation for all.
Finally Malachi the last 'messenger ' of the twelve warns of the need to take care.
He speaks of one who calls out 'repent' , for 'he will prepare the way of the Lord.'
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Encounter in Emmaus
We had thought he was Messiah, the travellers shared their tale
The stranger who had joined them seemed unaware of the detail
Jerusalem in tumult, a crucifixion preceding the Passover Feast
Now friends were saying that the one who was killed had risen from the dead!
The stranger listened attentively, then began to express his views
Displaying a remarkably sensitive knowledge of the history of the Jews
Explaining the scriptures to them he enthralled them with his words.
Their journey now completed, he was persuaded to stay and share some food.
The stranger took the bread, said a blessing, then shared it with them
Their eyes opened to the truths they felt as he had walked and talked with them,
This was their Lord, alive, as he had promised – and then he was gone!
What they had seen was enough, they returned to the city, convinced He was the One.
Thereafter their lives were changed, as they joined with those who believed
Becoming part of the fledgling Church which grew as the good news was received
Repent and believe, the message was spread; the crucified One had risen that day
Salvation is offered to all who respond; the Holy Spirit given to guide them on the Way.
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The Fruit of the Spirit.
We thank you Lord for your Spirit's aid
In helping to fulfill the vows we have made;
to to live a life that is pleasing to You
in bearing fruit by the the things that we do.
We pray for 'patience' with all whom we meet,
a 'joyful exuberance' that leads us to 'peace'.
A 'humble acceptance' of the matchless 'grace' from You
as we express 'kindness' and 'goodness',in all that we do.
With 'love' directed by your Spirit's power
we seek to do your will and to serve you hour by hour.
With faithful endurance, and 'soundness of mind',
may we express your truth to all mankind.
This fruit then we pray will grow day by day,
as we bear witness to 'the old old story'.
Until at the last we meet Him face to face
and sing Hosannah to the King of glory!
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Gifts fit for a King
We hear the story every year, as part of the Nativity tale.
How strangers from a foreign land began a journey that led to Israel
Guided we are told, by a new star they had spotted in the
heavens;
a sign they believed, of a new king having been born somewhere on the earth.
Scripture is clear on how much importance they attached to their quest.
On arrival, they headed for the palace expecting to be welcomed as guests
by bringing their greetings for the new king; instead they filled Herod with dread
Aware of prophecies about messiah, he ascertained when this event took place
He then sent his visitors to Bethlehem, a small Judaean town, and they travelled there alone.
Herod’s advisers having explained where the prophesied messiah would be born.
Feigning an interest, Herod suggested they return with news of the child
whilst planning the demise of one he viewed as a rival for the throne.
With joy they continued travelling, noting the star was still to be seen in the sky
On arrival they were led to where Joseph, Mary and their young son resided
Almost two years after the start of their trip, they saw the One whom they sought
On bended knee they worshipped Him, revealing the gifts they had brought.
Gifts ‘fit for a King’ were then presented; also symbolic of the life he was to live.
Gold speaks of a Kingly presence despite the humble life He lived.
The gift of frankincense speaks of His priestly role; offering one sacrifice for sin.
Finally the myrrh which indicates how this was to be achieved by Him
The ministry of Jesus is thus represented by the precious gifts offered to Him
For the King of glory came to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sin
To all then who in repentance and faith place their trust in Him
there is offered eternal life through Christ by the grace of a loving God
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God is faithful
Daniel prayed thrice to the One true God
Although the law decreed that he should stop
A practice he had established whilst in Babylon
he had determined that this would continue to go on
This law had been enacted because of the jealous thoughts
Of those who disliked the role he held within the king’s court
A foreigner who had succeeded due to his prophesy
They feared he would put their roles into jeopardy
Having flattered and persuaded the king of the day
A law was passed, that none could gainsay,
Whoever prays, breaks the law, the king had said,
They show a lack of respect and deserve to be dead.
To the lions lair Daniel was taken to die in great pain
The king had been tricked, but his remorse was in vain
So he prayed that Daniel's God might even then intervene
early at the den, he was amazed at what was seen!
God protected his faithful witness although he was securely bound
The lions mouths remaining closed, not a mark on him could be found
A miracle had happened, king Darius was overwhelmed.
A new decree issued: Daniel's God to be worshipped throughout his realm.
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God's loving kindness
Hesed is a Hebrew word describing many truths.
It speaks of the loving kindness of a God who cares for all,
of His covenant love; the relationship He desires to have with you
and with all those who will respond to His gracious call.
It is often seen to mean mercy, the gracious forgiveness expressed by God,
This word speaks of an unconditional love, one which is both eternal and true,
by One who responds to all who repent, welcoming back those who fall.
A love which is neither deserved nor earned, offered to me and to you.
This is also used for the steadfast love of a God unwavering in his promise,
Unmoved by circumstance or change, He alone can be trusted by all,
I will never leave nor forsake you He says even to the end of your days.
Such love, though totally undeserved, is offered to those who on Him call.
Created in the image of God, 'hesed' is an attribute we too should express.
In our relationship with one another, loving kindness we should know
mercy and forgiveness to be our response to those who would do us harm
The unconditional love extended to us is the love we are required to show
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Hope of Glory
Christ in you the hope of glory,
the sign that we belong to Him.
To all who ask the Lord into their life,
who choose to live their life for Him.
It's a life which brings joy and peace,
a life full of purpose that's new.
For Christ has promised that we'll have life,
and that more abundantly too.
Christ's grace now dwells within us,
enabling a life ruled by love.
To care for the poor, and help those in need,
as we seek to serve our Father above.
This offers us too, a glorious hope
which shows how much He cares.
When we pass from the realm of this mortal scene,
we dwell in the home He has gone to prepare.
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‘Marvellous in our eyes'
When Gideon threshed his corn he did so in a winepress,
Hiding from the Midianites who were intent rhe Isrealites to oppress
his was considered to be one of the smallest of the clans
As the youngest of his father’s sons, he, an insignificant man.
Imagine his surprise when he was addressed
as a warrior to whom God would give great success
In a series of incidents he showed his integrity
To be known as a Judge in the annals of history
His greatest task; to defeat the Midianites
It began with a large army responding to his call
Some 25,000 all armed and ready to fight
But God said send away all those who are filled with fright!
The number now down to 10,000 brave souls
Go down to the river and drink, they were told
Only 300 lapped the water from cupped hands
These I will use to honour my name, came the Lord’s command!
The contest was strange, using trumpets and torches
With a shout of triumph, and a blast on the trumpets
The torches were exposed, creating confusion in the enemy.
The battle was brief, the Israelites had the victory!
In no way could Gideon or his army claim to have won
Without the hand of God in all that was done
"‘This is the Lord’s doing and marvellous in our eyes'"
Is the only response to be made to such deeds, we must cry.
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Pentecost
Jesus had left them to go to his Father.
How could they do what His love now demands?
They stay in the city the doors locked and barred
to wait for His promise and obey His command.
They wait and they pray, not knowing the outcome.
The building was shaken, a wind blew amongst them,
Then tongues of fire touched them; their hopes were restored
with boldness they went forth, praising their Lord!
The people were baffled
as they heard in their own tongue::
"The Messiah is Jesus,he has risen from the dead,
of this we are witnesses",were the words that they said.
Some mocked their behaviour, but Peter spoke out
The prophet foretold this, it's proof of the truth
that Jesus,the Messiah; who on the cross our sin did take
has now risen and lives having died for our sake.
Repent, be baptised, he said, salvation is free
to all who respond in faith; listen to me!
At Pentecost then, the 'church' was born
as numbers were added and this message goes on.
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Naaman's Story
Naaman was a rich man famed for his bravery and military prowess.
Although respected by the King of Aram, he suffered; from leprosy.
Among his servants, a Hebrew maid told of the ministry of Elisha the prophet in Israel
On hearing this the King of Aram sent him to the King of Israel, with gifts, saying 'make him well'!
This request was considered to be a ruse to cause war, the King was In anguish and tore his robes as well.
Elisha then sent word ; 'send him to me, I will show him there is a prophet in Israel.'
When he came Naaman too was given a message from Elisha's servant concerning his cure
This was seen as disrespectful by the proud commander who expected at least to meet his deliverer.
He was further annoyed by Elisha's instructions to him concerning what he should do
Go, bathe in the Jordan River seven times, he was told, your skin will then be as new
Finally, persuaded by his attendants who appealed to his prowess, Naaman succumbed and did it…….
…...after he bathed seven times the cure was effective! Naaman was again whole and fit.!
In joy he returned to thank Elisha, offering him all the goods he had brought as well
These were refused by the prophet, who attributed the cure to the God of Israel
Having unsuccessfully urged him to take the gifts, Naaman recognised the God of Elisha.
He requested some of Israel's soil to stand on as he worshipped ;
so Naaman returned to Aram, a cleansed and changed man.
The subsequent actions of Elisha's servant provides a salutary warning to all mankind
Seeking to make some personal gain, he lied to Naaman, claiming Elisha had changed his mind.
But our God is not mocked, Elisha perceived Gehazi's sin, warning him of the consequences of his action.
There being no repentance the punishment was grave, his body became leprous to remind him of what he had done.
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Thoughts on wealth
The young man was sincere in his intent when he fell at Jesus’ feet
“What must I do to gain eternal life?” Every word he said was true.
The reply both pleased saddened him; as he was commended for his goodness,
yet Jesus then challenged him to forsake his wealth, a task he was not prepared to do.
An entrepreneur with outstanding success, the man in the parable was rich.
This caused him to build bigger barns, then he thought 'now I will take my ease.'
A self made man with no thoughts for God, he was warned to be prepared for his life to cease.
That night he died, called to give an account for his life; his wealth was meaningless there.
The rich man sat at his sumptuous table, oblivious of the plight of those in need
He died and found himself in torment, Lazarus, a beggar, was in Paradise.
Between these two states ‘a great gulf’ is fixed over which neither side may pass.
The lesson is clear, how we live on earth determines our eternal destiny.
These passages might cause us to think that rich is ‘bad’ and ‘poor’ is good.
However this is to miss the point, the truth lies in the attitude taken not the wealth itself.
As we read in James “ the love of money is the root of all evil” wealth must never eclipse love for God.
In committing our lives to God through Jesus, He must be Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.
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Providence
The story of Ruth is one that speaks of love and loyalty.
Her choice to stay with Naomi, affecting the course of Israel’s history.
“Your people shall be my people, and your God mine”, she said.
Ruth arrives in Bethlehem and gleans barley so that they may be fed.
In the Providence of God, the owner is a relative of the husband of Naomi.
Admiring her fidelity and evident beauty, Boaz learns who this new girl is.
Throughout the barley harvest he ensures her success in his field
Instructing his foreman to even deliberately see that she lifts grain from their yield
In accordance with the rules of the Law at that time, a 'kinsman redeemer’ had rights.
He could buy Naomi's land, but must also accept responsibility for her and Ruths' plight;
meaning he would be obliged to take Ruth as wife ensuring the family name lived on.
The nearest kin demurred, but Boaz was pleased to accept, and Ruth became his wife.
The Providence of God continues to be seen as Israel's history unfolds,
In the fulness of time Ruth gave birth to a son, Obed is his name we are told.
Little is known about him except that his son was Jesse, the father of David.
Destined to be the forebear of the Messiah, the son of God and Man.
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Psalm24:1
The earth is the Lord's and the people there of.
What a wonderful promise is this.
As we look all around at the strife in the world,
Let us thank Him for giving us life.
The earth is the Lord's and the people there of.
Of whom then should we fear?
In love God sent his only beloved son,
Our future through Him is secure.
The earth is the Lord's and the people there of.
On the cross Christ gave us His all,
Then He rose from the dead to show us His power
Over sin and death and the world.
The earth is the Lord's and the people there of.
From everlasting to everlasting the same,
In faith we look up to our only wise God,
So with joy let us praise His great name!
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2000 years Ago
It happened one starlit night,
two thousand years ago,
that the Lord of Love and Might,
came down to earth, gave up his right.
because he loved us so.
The shepherds shuddered at the sight,
two thousand years ago,
listened in silence , and full of fright ,
when told the news from God that night
because he loved us so
To Bethlehem they hurried off,
two thousand years ago,
and they saw the babe who was
spoken of ; laid by his mother
in a manger so rough.
because he loved us so.
The babe in the manger they saw,
two thousand years ago,
was the Christ ; and a cross he bore,
to pay in full the debt required by Law.
because he loved us so.
Place your trust in the One who died
two thousand years ago.
He rose again and wants to be your guide,
to bring you New Life this Christmastide.
because he loves you so
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The Armour of God
The scriptures warn of Satan's schemes, encouraging us to thwart them.
This must not be by human means, for alone we can never defeat him,
but clothed in the armour of God and wielding the sword of the Spirit
our success is sure, which is why we must not daily neglect to do it.
We put on the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth round our waist
next the helmet of salvation is worn, whilst carrying the shield of faith,
wearing on our feet “the gospel of peace” we stand protected and sure.
Safe and secure we are then free to use the Word of God as our sword
The Word of God, the sword of the Spirit is the only weapon we may use.
Reliance upon knowledge, intellect, or ability, we must constantly refuse,
the use of these although 'right in our eyes’, Satan is sure to defeat.
God's Word alone is his ‘nemesis’ and will always cause him to flee.
Putting on the armour there is one more way we must prepare
wearing it shows our trust in God; it is thus to be put on with prayer.
This armour protects when facing the foe, and so it is we stand firm.
Protected thus, with the Spirit's power, Satan can do us no
harm.
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Sanctification
As followers of Christ, to be sanctified is our lifelong task.
To reach forward by faith to the prize of our calling in Him,
endeavouring to live a life that pleases Him; doing all that He asks.
Submitting to the leading of the Spirit as we seek to serve Him.
We are sanctified ‘set apart’, primarily to give glory to our God,
acknowledging at all times His faithfulness, power and majesty,
declaring therefore, with confidence, that He is the only true God,
The Lord Jesus Christ His Son the sole object of our loyalty
We are to be set apart also by the deeds that we do for the Lord;
caring for the poor, seeking for justice and assisting the weak,
displaying the right attitudes to all in obedience to the Word
For by our love they may come to know Him of whom it is we speak.
As those who are being sanctified we therefore grow day by day,
changing from one degree of glory to another as long as we shall live.
Sharing the gospel message, telling of God’s love and His grace;
Christ having paid the price for our sin so that we through Him might live.
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Sharing & Caring
The covenant was made with the sign of the 'bow.
'Seed time and harvest' we will always know.
The promise is true, but the relationship riven,
when mankind betrays the trust they've been given.
The result is a world that is split by division;
the poor are neglected, less food they are given.
The supply is sufficient but we choose not to share,
the actions we take show that we do not care.
But if Christ is our Lord, then this should not be,
'What you do for them', he says, 'you do unto me'.
The love of our Saviour will help us to share,
with the Spirit to guide, we can show that we care.
For in sharing and caring we show the love of One
whose love for all mankind saw Him give his only Son,
So that we may be forgiven; the relationship restored
that all may become one; in the service of the Lord.
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The Tale of Samson
Samson’s story is one of failure, redemption and the providence of God.
His parents are promised, the son for which they have long yearned
the child when born is dedicated to the Lord as a gift from a holy God
imposing on him sexual purity, no alcohol, avoidance of the dead and uncut hair
These Nazarite vows he soon forsakes, only his hair remaining uncut,
living for self he mixes with Philistines, who are Israel’s sworn enemy
As such, in the providence of the Lord, he is used to serve a holy God,
empowered by God’s Spirit with strength, he defeats his foes with ease.
He is then made Judge of Israel for several years, leading by example.
Samson continues to go his own way without acknowledging the Lord.
He fraternises with the enemy and falls in love with Delilah a Philistine girl
She is told to discover the source of his strength and give to them the word
Samson teases her with false reasons, escaping their clutches each time
Finally however he reveals his Nazarite vow to God, never to cut his hair.
his success is attributed to keeping this vow, his strength being the sign
With the cutting of his hair the Spirit departs and so too does his strength
Easily overpowered he is led away into prison his eyes being gouged out
Thus helpless and humiliated he is put to work on a treadmill grinding corn,
his vows then were renewed as his hair grew again, until he was led out.
The purpose was to humiliate him as a celebration to their god Dagon.
Samson’s final acts were to firstly pray to the Lord he had ignored
acknowledging God’s sovereignty he asked for his strength to be restored
Believing his prayer answered he then placed himself between the supports.
With a mighty push the temple fell, and he died with the Philistine hordes
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The Time has Come
When the time planned by the Father arrived
a girl by an angelic messenger was surprised.
The message he brought amazed and perplexed her,
whilst still a virgin she was to give birth to a son!
He was to be called Jesus, and would be the Holy One.
In humble obedience she said,'the Lord's will be done.'
When the time planned by the Father arrived,
an aged priest carried out his duty ; his turn had arrived.
He too received a message from an angelic being;
his wife, considered old and barren would bear him a son!
The effect of this news was that it struck him dumb,
until when the boy was born, he said 'his name is to be John'.
When the time planned by the Father arrived
shepherds watching their sheep at night were surprised.
A bright light appeared that filled them with fear
and an angel announced that their Saviour was here.
In awe and wonder they were to become the first ones
to acknowledge the coming of God's only Son.
When the time planned by the Father arrived
astrologers in the East saw a new star arrive.
This star they believed signified the birth of a king
so in eager anticipation they travelled miles from home
until they discovered the Christ child and honoured his worth
as the one who was Messiah,the King and Lord of all the earth.
So this Christmas-tide let us give thanks to the Lord
for all that took place to fulfil the Father's plan.
The baby that was born is our King of love
who now reigns in glory with his Father above.
By His sacrifice He completed the Father's plan
Which was to secure the salvation of man.
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The Word
We wish to thank God for the gift of the Word,
both that which was written and 'The Word' of whom it speaks.
For those who were moved by the Spirit of the Lord
to give us a record to challenge, correct and inspire.
Expressing in prose and poetry what is His great desire;
to establish a relationship with those whom He created.
In the books of the Pentateuch we learn of the creation,
and of the consequences of sin and the birth of a nation,
a people through whom He chose as I AM to be known
redeeming them from Egypt with an outstretched arm, and a mighty hand.
Performing signs and wonder as they were led through the wilderness
bringing them back at last into the land He had promised to Abraham
The books of history; Joshua,Judges,Kings and Chronicles
trace how He dealt with those to whom He chose to give the land
Failings and restoration abound, whilst God is always at hand
Warnings often go unheeded, but they show how much he cares
Judgement must come, but He continues to offer His love,
for those who cry out in faith, the word of hope is theirs.
The poets and the prophets speak to and from the Lord
Bringing praise and worship and saying "hear God's Word".
The psalmists express their feelings reminding us of His worth
Whilst the prophets speak to us of His will and the purpose of the world.
A kingdom is to be established, not based on human power,
a divine plan for the salvation of man; the coming of the King of Kings!
The Messiah is to be revealed, recorded by Matthew,Mark,Luke and John
He is 'the Word made flesh' none other than God's own beloved Son
Who was in the beginning, is now and shall be for ever.
He taught and worked wonders as proof of His right to reign.
Divine love required His death as He paid the price for man's sin.
The Sinless One gave up His life; the purpose for which He came.
The message continues after the Son rises and returns to heaven
The Spirit comes, the Church was born and so the word was spread.
Through Paul and the other apostles the infant Church was fed
by the grace of God, these teachings became for the Church its 'leaven',
enabling its growth and over the years it has been read in many tongues,
The Scriptures remain 'the Word of God'.His love letter to the Church.
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Wise advice
How are we to fulfil the will of God
In a world that seems so full of stress?
The book of Proverbs has some timely advice
Suggesting some ways we may test
First and foremost we are to trust in the Lord
who has proved to be faithful through the years.
We may fully rely upon Him – He will surely keep His word
and has promised His presence always.
We also need to recognise and acknowledge
the frailty of our own intellect and choice.
In the light of God's wisdom and power,
we need to ask the Lord and listen to His voice.
The conclusion will then be, according to the writer,
that the Lord God Himself will direct our way.
His will then may be known to those who obey
and choose to say Lord, please show us your way
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The promise of Advent
The meaning of Advent contains three important truths, expressing as it does the coming of the Lord.
This ‘coming‘ may be viewed in three distinctive ways:
the nativity, His promise to be present with us, always,
and finally His glorious return, to rule in triumph as Lord.
The coming of the Lord as a babe in Bethlehem
Shows the depth of the Father's love for all mankind.
For God loves the world so much that He gives His Son
So that He can pay the price of sin for all who repent in faith.
Whilst knowing that the babe in the manger must become the Christ of the cross,
Jesus’ resurrection and ascension enabled the Spirit to come
Thus by His Spirit He can be present where ever we meet,
Fulfilling His promise to be there whenever we gather in His name
So that He can strengthen, encourage and challenge us
Building up he Church that bears His name.
The Advent we now anticipate is the return of our Lord to reign
The ‘ bridegroom’ will come to claim His ‘bride’, the Church,
The culmination of God’s plan of salvation for His creation
will result in there no longer being any sorrow, tears or sin,
A life of joy and peace in the presence of God for all eternity.
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As we search the Scriptures, God’s patience is clearly seen from the earliest times through to the present day.
His forbearance is evident in His dealings with mankind
When none righteous apart from Noah was found signalling judgement by the flood.
The Lord gave him two hundred years of witness before closing the door.
As the years of the Israelites unfold, time and again God’s patience is tried
Many times they fail to repent, despite the pleas of the prophets;
Often it takes disasters and oppression before they cry to Him for aid.
After patiently waiting for their cry, God responds by sending a deliverer to meet their needs
As a result of a persistent lack of repentance the Israelites found themselves in exile.
God never ceasing to love them kept them safe in Babylon for seventy years before the exile ended
The people returned to their homeland but once again they relapse
Into their recalcitrant ways, ignoring the mercies of their God
Trusting in their own understanding rather than acknowledging Him.
God then waits for the time planned from before the annals of time to arrive
And so it was that “....when the time was fully come, God sent forth His Son”
{ History tells us this event was preceded by three hundred years of silence from God }
So the messiah comes “....born of woman….found in fashion as a man….
…..to become obedient unto death….even death on a cross “
In the giving of His Son for the sin of the world, God opened the Way for a relationship with Him.
Patiently waiting; ... for He is not willing that any should die but that all should come to repentance.
However now is the day of salvation before the Lord's promised return in judgement.
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The joy of the Lord
To experience the joy of the Lord is one of the promises of Almighty God
As so often is the case, however, we are prone to fail to avail ourselves of it,
Preferring to bemoan our circumstances; complaining about our lot.
We ought then to be guided by Scripture and trust in the power of God at all times.
One hindrance to our joy is striving for happiness in our desire for a full life.
This dependence on ‘ happenings ‘ is a futile pursuit for us to follow
For these can vary so easily resulting in ‘ ups and downs ‘ in our life.
The ‘ups ‘ making us happy but the ‘ downs ‘ having the reverse effect.
By contrast the joy of the Lord is constant unaffected by circumstance
As Paul reminds us in his letters it brings contentment and peace at all times,
Stating that whether in hardship or prosperity heb has learned to be content
By trusting in the Lord who by His Spirit enabled him to trust at all times without fear.
The only way then to experience this joy is to yield control of our life to the Lord
As we allow the Spirit to guide our responses and actions in our life day by day
The ‘ mind of Christ ‘ develops in us influencing our actions in the service of the Lord.
This creates a joy not based on circumstances rooted deep within the heart.
In practical terms, when we recall the letters of the word JOY.
Ensuring that we always place JESUS first then OTHERS second,
and YOURSELF as last in order of priority at all times in life
/content-pagewill bring about a feeling of joy as the commission of Christ is fulfilled.
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What is man?
What is man? For some, the answer is no more than an animal
As such there is no need for moral restraint; each may do as they wish.
This life is all there is, there is no future bliss; death ends it all.
No God nor man can therefore tell them what they should or should not do.
What is man? A self made creation with the highest IQ of all
Superior to the apes but of the same evolutionary line
Their greater IQ, they believe, entitling them to rule over all
,and to therefore ‘ do their own thing ‘ in any and all circumstance.
What is man? The scriptures place them on a higher plane.
The psalmist declares God’s view to be …’ a little lower than the angels’,
the object of the love of a God who desires to establish a relationship with them by name.
Such a relationship is secured by Christ’s death and resurrection for all who believe in the Lord.
What is man? A sinner who can be saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ
This offer is made to all, that they may ‘ believe in the Lord and live ‘,
And yet sadly mankind’s arrogance and apathy often leads them to reject the Lord Jesus Chris.
However to those who do believe is given ‘ the power to become the children of God’.
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,
As we open the book we meet an almighty, eternal, creator God
yet One who desires a relationship based on trust with His created beings
who are able to enjoy fellowship with Him, created we are told, in the image of God.
Sadly this trust is betrayed and sin enters the heart of mankind as they wilfully disobey.
in His love for them a means of forgiveness is given as God in grace provides a way
Passed on to the next generation, sin soon manifests itself ib evil
Jealousy between siblings results in murderous thoughts and the first death upon the earth.
Successive generations continually display indifference to God by disobeying His will
One person is recorded as one ‘ who walked with God’ upon the earth
Enoch therefore does not experience death and is taken up to be with his Lord,
Evil, however, continues to blight the earth and God determines to wipe out mankind.
Noah finds favour with God and is used for 200 years to warn of the need to repent.
As Noah preaches God instructs him and his famiiy to construct an ark
But no one responds and so along with representatives of all of creation they enter the ark
God himself shuts them in to survive the flood which destroys all remaining creatures on earth,
As life returns again to the earth, God a reveals His love for mankind
He offers a covenant relationship, whilst acknowledging the inadequacy of man
Symbolised by placing His ‘ bow ‘ in the sky, a promise made to never destroy the earth by flood
However man’s arrogance leads once more to disobedience as they unite to aspire to equality with God
The Lord intervenes, confusing their communication with each
other resulting in their spread throughout the land
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Genesis(a summary) Part 2
The focus then shifts to the descendents of Shem one of the three sons of Noah
Relating how Abram hears God speak and in faith responds to His call
Leaving the city life behind he adopts a nomadic life heading for an unknown land
A covenant established promises greatness and a land of his own despite his advancing years
This promise was eventually to be fujfilled when Abram was old and Sarai deemed to be barren
Prior to this event we read oof two incidents illustrating the sinful nature of man
On leaving Haran, Abram had taken his nephew Lot,soon lured by the city Lot settled in Sodom
Sarai too had yeilded to human wisdom, encouraging Abram to have a child with her maid Hagar
Both of these actions were contrary to the will of God but in His mercy the Lord intervenes on their behalf.
Lot is rescued when Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed and Hagar is helped and blessed when the promised son is born
The story of Eliezar’s quest for a wife for Isaac says much about the witness of his master Abraham
In seeking guidance he invokes the name of his master’s God bring him success
he further acknowledges God in leading him when he meets with Rebeckah and her family
Being certain that his task has been fulfilled as he returns to Abraham with Isaac’s bride
And this ratified at the meeting and mutual love of the bride and her prospective groom
The union of Isaac amd Rebeckah though blessed by mutual love for some time remains childless
Until eventually twins are conceived and a prophesy is made that the elder will serve the youngery6
On their birth they are noticeably different. The firstborn being hairy his brother smooth skinned
In adulthood this shows up in contrasting personalities with favouritism displayed by the parents
The hunter named Eaau favoured by Isaac, the ‘ home bird ‘ Jacob by Rebeckah.
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Genesis(a summary) Part 3
The siblings story reflects their personalities, Esua concerned with immediate gratification
Thinks nothing 0f forfeiting his fathers blessing for some stew which satisfies his immediate need
Jacob encouraged by an ambitious mother looks to the future and what the blessing will secure
His aged father being deprived of sight is fooled into the blessing by the goatskin covering the arms of Jacob
The blessing is gained but fearing his brother’s wrath Jacob flees to his uncle Laban
The journey to Haran is bot without incident as Jacob has a life changing encounter with the Lord
Stopping to rest, his sleep is disturbed by a dream of a stairway to heaven with angels going up and down
From the top of the stair the Lord himself speaks confirming and renewing the covenant
God’s promise is made of His everlasting presence, in response Jacob vows to serve Him
Naming the place ‘ Bethel ‘ he journeys on, archanged man but with much to learn about the grace of God
Ironically Jacob’s sojourn with Laban results in his being tricked into a marriage of convenience
However matching his uncle in cunning he gains his first love and leaves a prosperous man
Approaching with trepidation his brothers land Jacob again encounters his Lord
Now truly repentant and faithful he ‘ wresles ‘ with God all night refusing to yield until blessed
As dawn breaks his request is granted , his name being changed to Israel a prince of God
Accepted by his brother who relinquishes his rights, Jacob settled in the land henceforth known as Israel
The Lord had blessed him with a large family during his sojourn including eleven healthy sons
unfortuneately only one had been borne to by his beloved Rachel so Joseph was his favourite son
Rachel would eventually bless him in his old age with his twelfth son, dying in the process.
As the boys grew into manhood his father’s favour of Joseph was evident in the treatment he received
A factor exacerbated by the dreams Joseph had and then shared with them!
These dreams appeared to predicrt greatness in the future with his family bowing before him in obeisance
Sadly this generated jealousy amongst his elder btothers and to his being sold into slavery
Claiming he had been attacked by wild animals they convinced the family he was no longer alive
In fact he had been sold in Egypt ; proving an exceptional servant he had risen to chief of the household
His good fortune ended when he was falsely accused of attacking his mistress having rebuffed her advances
As a result he finds himself thrown into prison where his integrity gains the respect of the jailor
Two uf Pharaoh’s servants join him in prison whilst their fate is decided - reinstatement pr death
Under the guidance of God Joseph interprets their dreams; true to his character he pulls no punches
The cupbearer will be restored and Joseph asks him to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf
The baker however will be executed! Both of these interpretations came true.
The final chapters concern events which followed two years later when Pharaoh had dreams which disturbed him
Summoned from his cell, God leads Joseph into knowing what they mean and what needs to be done
They tell of a severe famine preceded by good harvests, he suggests storage of grain for the years of famine
Recognising the wisdom of this Pharaoh puts him in charge of the project answerable only to himself
When the predicted famine comes Egypt having prepared has enough grain to be able to sell to others.
The famine having reached Israel, they are forced to seek grain from Egypt
And so the brothers of Joseph therefore arrive ‘ cap in hand ‘ to purchase grain for the family
They remain ignorant of who Joseph is but he realises who they are; providentially the dream cpmes true
Having tested them, Joseph eventually reveals himself,saying what they meant for evil God meant for good
The stage is set for the exodus as reunited with his father they all settle in Goshen a province of Egypt
The final words tell us he was embalmed after death but contrary to Egyptian custom he was placed
‘ in a coffin in Egypt ‘
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Joseph
The story of Joseph is one of Providence and grace
Explaining as it does the reason why the exodus took place
He is the eleventh of the twelve sons of Jacob, now to be known as Israel.
Joseph. The first born of Rachel was favoured by his father creating discord in the family,
A situation exacerbated by his dreams which he naively shared with all his family
Each of these concerned imagery which clearly indicated Joseph’s superiority,
not only over his brothers but also in one, concerning the cosmos over his whole family!
The hatred of his brothers eventually led to their intending to kill him
However providentially, his life was spared as passing slave traders bought him,
His father being duped into believing his life had been taken by wild beasts,
Joseph now found himself sold on to be a servant in an Egyptian home
Here the Lord was with him. Blessing him and also his master Potiphar’s home,
Potiphar, who was captain of the royal guard, accordingly promoted him to be in charge of the household.
Sometime later Joseph became the object of her attraction for his master’s wife.
Having rejected her advances, she falsely accused him and Potiphar had him jailed for attacking his wife
God’s hand however continued to be with him during his sojourn in prison.
As a result of his integrity he was soon acting as the jailors assistant whilst in prison
Fellow prisoners a baker and a cupbearer had dreams which God enabled him to interpret,
They had both incurred the wrath of their employer the Pharaoh himself,
Incarcerated whilst the Pharaoh deliberated on what should be their fate,
The cupbearer’s dream indicated that release would come in a few days followed by restoration
In contrast the baker would in a few days time be released to face execution rather than restoration .
When this happened Joseph asked for his unjust treatment to be made known to Pharaoh
Two years however were to pass before disturbing dreams were had by the Pharaoh.
The need for these to be explained triggered the cupbearer’s memory and Joseph was brought from the prison,
Under the guidance of the Lord Pharaoh’s dreams are explained by Joseph,
God, he tells Pharaoh is warning him of a future severe famine to be preceded by years of plenty says Joseph,
His suggestion that during the good years surplus grain might be stored is welcomed by the Pharaoh,
And in recognition of this Joseph is freed to organise things, given a role answerable only to the Pharaoh.
In the providence of God Joseph, as indicated by his childhood dreams, becomes one who exercises power.
Egypt therefore survives during the years of famine which also affects Joseph’s family,
Egypt sells it’s surplus, and along with others, his brothers arrive to buy grain for their family.
Not recognising their brother in his elevated role as an Egyptian official they are however known by Joseph.
After ascertaining his father is alive, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers and is reconciled,
Eventually in the providence of God, Israel moves his family to Egypt settling in Goshen where they prosper.
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Peace
Defined as the absence of conflict this is an attribute to be desired
In practical terms this proves to be an elusive goal to be achieved
For whether it be individuals or countries both parties wish it to be established on their terms
Creating the difficulty that these are often diametrically opposed to each other and cannot be agreed
Whilst by compromise and some ‘give and take’ a fragile and temporary peace may happen
Our sinful human nature then looks for the slightest breach of the terms to cry foul and break off the negotiations
Thus the peace is destined to break down and for hostilities to be renewed once more
How then can true peace be experienced? Only with the help of our gracious God can we be sure.
Peace is listed in Galatians as one of the fruits of the Spirit, as such it is achieved by our relationship with God
This then is much more than an absence of conflict, for it is built upon the reconciliation gained by Christ
By His sacrificial death upon the cross to bring about the forgiveness of our sins
He brought about the conditions whereby we might have peace with God
Primarily this is to be demonstrated by by our endeavouring to live in peace and harmony with our fellow believers.
Indeed, we are told that in seeing how we love one another will draw others to enquire about faith in the Lord
As such, it should serve as a motivating factor for us to engage in evangelism to go into the world and preach the Word
By demonstrating that we have peace with our God the final command of our risen Lord is fulfilled
Cain and Abel
Go forth and multiply, God had instructed them before the Fall,
and this is what they did, though now their issue was tainted by sin.
Their offspring were never to experience the blessings of Eden,
but they knew that unto the Lord for mercy they must call.
The need for them to seek forgiveness from the Lord
had doubtless been explained and passed on by Adam to his sons.
A heartfelt sacrifice, being the means for this function to be fulfilled
Cain, the farmer and Abel, the shepherd thus offered their gilts to the Lord,
Cain brought some of the produce,he had grown, we read.
This then being offered, it would appear, with little personal cost or thought.
Whilst his brother carefully selected from amongst his flock a firstling lamb
For him, a costly sacrifice showing his love for God, we also read.
The offering made by Abel found favour with God, that of his brother did not His favour gain
Even so, we read of God counselling Cain, warning of the imminent danger he was in
Relying instead upon his feelings, Cain gives vent to his anger and kills his brother
Once again In love he is offered the opportunity to repent but this also is in vain.
This story stands as a salutary warning to us all, we are to ‘ do right and be accepted’
As we are reminded by James sin…’when fully grown...produces death’.
Therefore let us, by the power of God’s Spirit within us, seek not to succumb to sin.
In so doing, we may ‘do right’. and. by the grace of God. in Christ be accepted.
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The King comes
In around three years of an itinerant ministry, Jesus had never before resorted to this act…..
Having travelled for many miles.apart from the occasional sail;all of these were made on foot.
Then, when nearing the city of Jerusalem, disciples were sent on ahead to secure the foal of an ass!
He then proceeded to mount the creature and then to ride the short distance to the city.
However for the Jews of His day, this act carried great significance promoting a spontaneous reaction by them.
This was seen as a Messianic act which fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah about the entrance of the king of glory
The people therefore hailed Him as such; with cries of hosanna and the waving of palm branches as He passed by them
Apart from the elation expressed by the angels at His birth this was the only time Jesus received the adulation He deserved,
This was however to be short lived, for before the week was over the cries were to be crucify Him!
In the providence of God these things had ro be, for the Father’s will must be done.
The plan of salvation conceived before the foundation of the world required complete obedience from Him.
In the fullness of time therefore, Christ died for our sins and was raised for our justification.
Christ will enter the Holy city once again to finally fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy
However this will be into the new Jerusalem as He takes His place as King of all the world.
This acclamation will not be short lived, for He will then be praised for all eternity,
acknowledging the worth of our triune God for all His grace, mercy, and love.
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A Roman soldiers view
It seemed like it was going to be just an ordinary day in the life of a soldier. We were on execution duty, nothing unusual in this, I had lost count of the number I had witnessed. There were to be three victims on this occasion and we were hoping one of these would be Barabbas; he had been a thorn in our side for months. We had all breathed a sigh of relief when he had been captured and couldn't wait for him to get what he deserved.Then a rumour reached us that Pilate had exchanged him for some religious extremist to placate the Jewish leaders and avoid another disturbance in the city! Pity, but we still had three crosses to fill and ' orders is orders' as they say.
It was when they arrived at the execution site that I began to feel something strange was happening. The religious one, who I later found out was called Jesus, must have seriously upset somebody in the city; he had taken quite a beating and had clearly also been scourged, it was a wonder he was still alive, but it was when we laid him down for nailing..., He, he seemed...seemed…. to be in control! As if he was voluntarily surrendering himself to the indignity of it all. It had been the same when the others had stripped him; not a word passed his lips. He handled it with a dignity that I had never seen before or since!
That was just the beginning; no sooner had we elevated the crosses into position, an act usually accompanied by curses and cries of anguish, than he spoke. "Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing" Those are the very words,they are etched into my memory forever. This 'criminal' was asking for forgiveness for us! Then a little later the other two, joined in the insults coming from the crowd and I heard one of them taunt him to get them out of this mess if he was so special. The other one told him to shut up; they were getting their just desserts but not so this man.There followed an exchange that I can recall vividly. "Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom", the reply"This day you will be with me in paradise"!
It was shortly after this that the sky went very dark and there was an eerie silence even the jeering crowd were stunned into quiet contemplation. Eventually this was broken by the cry from Jesus, it was remarkably strong considering the circumstances, it was uttered in his own language but L later learned he said My God, my God, why have you forsaken me", a few moments after this was followed by "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" then almost triumphantly " It is finished "!!
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Barnabus
The story of Barnabus is raely told, but its impact however is plain.
We first hear of him in Jerusalem as he gives money to the common purse,
by selling land he owns and giving all the proceeds to be used in the Lord’s name.
Significantly. As he relates this, Luke states that his name means ‘son of encouragement’.
Barnabus, it seems remained a faithful and trusted member in Jerusalem.
Following the martyrdom of Stephen, as news of the scattered believers gaining converts in Antioch
reached them, he was selected to investigate what was happening and report to the apostles in Jerusalem,
After assessing the situation, he fetches Paul from Tarsus and together they spend a profitable year teaching the believers.
Their ministry is clearly effective and results in the believers being the first to be called Christians
An indication of Paul’s stated intent, as he later wrote ‘ to know nothing amongst you but Christ and Him crucified’.
On hearing from a prophet called Agabus of a potential famine in Judea they send him and Paul to Jerusalem with a gift for their fellow Christians.
Having successfully completed this task they returned to Antioch taking with them a young man called John Mark.
Whilst in prayer the fellowship there are led by the Spirit to set Paul and Barnabus apart,
They are charged with the mission to spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
With the blessing of the church therefore, and taking Mark with them as an assistant, they depart.
Sailing from Selucia, they start their journey in Cyprus the birthplace of Barnabus.
Having success in their ministry as the move across the island, they lead the procoul to faith following a demonstration of the power of God
, For reasons not recorded by Luke, Mark returns to Jerusalem An event which later caused friction between Paul and Barnabus.
When they move on to Antioch in Pamphylia they are invited when visiting the synagogue to speak from the Word of God.
Using his understanding of the scriptures Paul demonstrates that Jesus is the Christ, the risen Lord.
In response he is requested to return the following Sabbath when many are brought to faith in Christ, including gentiles
The knowledge of the gospel begins to spread throughout the region, but not all respond to it favourably.
As had been the case since the outset there were those who opposed the message, especially strict Jews who objected to the inclusion of gentiles.
Consequently they were forced to move on to Iconium where their ministry continued to flourish.
However the antagonism is again stirred up and for safety they travel on to Lystra
Here, a cripple is healed in the name of Jesus, and this is mistakenly attributed to the appearance of greek gods.
As spokesman, Paul is deemed to be Hermes, Barnabus to be Zeus, and they are ‘worshipped’ as such by the people of Lystra.
Their refuusal to accept these accolades causes the mood to quickly change and Paul finds himself being stoned and left for dead outside the city.
The believers however gather and pray; Paul revives, returns to the city, moves on to Derbe then retraces his steps encouraging the believers.
Returning by a different route and preaching and teaching as they travel Paul and Barnabus arrive back in their home church Antioch.
As commissioned to do, a report of how the Lord has blessed them on their journey is delivered to the fellowship of believers.
Thankful to the Lord for His grace and mercy on their travels Paul and Barnabus remain in Antioch for some time enjoying the fellowship.
The final historical reference to Barnabus in scripture highlights his personal ministry of encouragement, but results in his leaving Paul.
In planning a return to see how the young churches are faring, Paul considers it unwise to take Mark who had previously deserted them.
Barnabus, seeing the potential of the young man, disagrees and as a result he separates from Paul.
Interestingly he is subsequently proved right in his assessment since Paul, when a prisoner in Rome, describes Mark as ‘a faithful friend'.
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Exodus( a summary ) part 1
Some time had passed since the death of Joseph
The children of Israel had however continued to flourish
As the current Pharaoh who did not remember Joseph
Considered their presence he feared for the people of Egypt.
His immediate solution was to enslave the Hebrews using them as forced labour.
The midwives were then instructed to ensure that only the female babies lived
This plan to reduce the numbers of potential fighting men failed: the midwives did not interfere with the women in labour
Claiming that by the time they were called, the births had already taken place.
A more drastic measure was then enacted by the soldiers to solve the potential threat.
They were instructed to seek out the new born males and to throw them into the Nile!
One family succeeded in hiding their child for three months, thus defying the Pharaoh’s threat
Unable to keep him concealed any longer, the mother devised a plan to secure her son’s survival.
A waterproof basket to hold the child is floated on the river, trusting his welfare to whomever might find it,
Instructing her daughter to keep watch to see what happens to her brother.
In the providence of God, none other than the Pharaoh’s daughter comes to bathe and is therefore the one who finds it.
In compassion she chooses to keep the babe: Miriam’s quick witted suggestion resulting in her mother being employed to nurse him!
Brought up in the pajace but in his own mother’s care during his formative years, grew,
Despite being educated as an Egyptian prince, he was fully aware of his roots.
Thus when as an adult he saw a Hebrew being ill treated, the Egyptian slave master he slew.
This act committed he thought in secret; became known and to save his life Moses fled from Egypt.
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Exodus{ a summary )part 2
On escaping from Egypt, Moses eventually settled in Midian.
Having rescued the daughters of Jethro from being harassed at the well,
He was welcomed into the family, marrying one of his daughters and becoming a shepherd in Midian
Many years pass, during which Moses has a son; before he has an amazing experience which was to turn his life around.
This happened when he was grazing his sheep on the slopes of mount Sinai,
His attention was drawn to a bush which was burning yet unconsumed!
A voice calling him by name emanating from it informed him he was standing on ‘holy ground’ right there upon Sinai
The inference was plain, he was in the presence of a divine being and Moses hid his face in fear.
The voice went on to say God was aware of the plight of the Hebrews in Egypt.
Moses therefore had been chosen to release the people of God from slavery and take them back to their homeland.
Nonplussed by this, Moses expressed reasons why he was unsuited for the task; no longer being the proud prince who had left Egypt.
These excuses were all dealt with by a gracious God, and finally he left Midian to meet up with Aaron, his brother, to fulfill the will of God.
Assured then, that God was with him, ever present in keeping with the name He identified Himself by….I AM
With miraculous signs, the elders were convinced of his commission to appeal to Pharaoh to let him go.
Needless to say, this was dismissed by Pharaoh who increased their burden, openly defying the great I AM.
Moses an Aaron, however, returned warning him of the consequences of his actions. And so began a series of disasters for Egypt.
Each of these ‘plagues’ affected only the Egyptians and miraculously started and stopped at the word of Moses.
They demonstrated the impotence of the many gods worshipped by the Egyptians
There were nine of these which were stopped and started as Pharaoh agreed and then broke his word to Moses.
Whilst the Hebrews were unaffected by these, the final and tenth plague required obedience to ensure their protection,
What took place came to be known as the passover and resulted in the death of the firstborn
To demonstrate their trust in God, the Hebrews were required to follow detailed instructions including the sacrifice of a perfect young lamb
Some of the blood from this, as a sign of obedience, was then smeared on the doorposts of the houses, averting the death of the firstborn
The ‘angel of death’, seeing this would pass over ; but not so for the unprotected homes, with this the Pharaoh let them go.
Even as they had gathered for a meal of the lamb, protected by the blood they did so prepared to leave,
they did this in a hurry, realising that God was responding to their cries for help and showing them His mercy.
Having started on their way.however, it was not long before the Pharaoh regretted his decision to let the Hebrews leave,
He therefore gathered his soldiers and set off in his chariots in pursuit, intending to punish and then return the Hebrews into slavery.
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Exodus(a summary)part 3
Faced with a stretch of water ahead and the Pharaoh with his army behind them, the people turned on Moses.
After praying to the Lord for guidance, Moses instructed them to stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord.
After saying this, he stretched his rod over the sea which then split apart enabling them to cross, following after Moses.
Their pursuers, in attempting to follow were utterly destroyed by the sea which returned and engulfed them.
Victorious, the Hebrews were led in praise to God by Moses and Miriam, before they moved on into the wilderness.
Led by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night the people began their 'exodus'.
Their journey was to include many experiences, but initially they headed towards Sinai, as they entered into the wilderness,
for there, as foretold when he encountered the Lord at the burning bush, Moses was to serve the Lord.
Even before they reached Sinai, the people began to grumble about their lack of food and drink.
This was to be a feature of the behaviour of the children of Israel throughout their journey.
In response, God showed His power by sweetening a bitter lake and by providing 'manna' as their food and drink.
Indeed the manna was to continue throughout their journey, an adequate amount for each being provided daily.
The arrival at Sinai was to be a watershed moment, not only for the Israelites, but subsequently for the world.
On arrival they saw the power of God manifested in the rumbling mountain as He spoke, instructing them in the Law.
whilst Moses was collecting these commandments however, the people doubted and disbelieved, and so it continues in today's world
As they awaited for Moses to return, they created and fashioned a ‘golden calf’ bowing down to it, rather than obeying the Lord.
This was accompanied by depraved behaviour which caused Moses to smash the stone tablets on which God Himself had inscribed His Law
After chastising and punishing them for their iniquity, Moses returned up the mountain where he wrote the Law as dictated by God
The children of Israel were then instructed in what the Lord required of them to worship according to the Law.
This included the Tabernacle a sacred place, where sacrifice and ritual demonstrated the holiness of their God
To ensure this, extremely detailed instructions are Passed on to aeople from the Lord by Moses.
The measurements and construction of the Tabernacle, the altars and utensils as well as the institution of the priesthood are given.
The craftsmen required are also identified by the Lord and consecrated for their tasks by Moses.
With this, the text of the book of Exodus comes to an end, the events of their journey being described in the book of .Numbers.
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Be Holy
We are encouraged in the Scriptures to ‘ be holy as He is holy ‘,
and it is clear that nobody can fully complete this order.
However, we are also promised as we are prepared to yield to the Spirit’s power
that we will be changed from one degree of glory to another,
Knowing the frailty of mankind The Lord has made provision for our failures
therefore as we confess and repent of sin He assures us of His forgiveness.
Nevertheless, He will hold us accountable for willful disobedience
Having given clear directives in His Word of how we are to strive to live in holiness.
A sign of being holy is to be separated from the world in which we live,
,that is ‘ to be in the world but not of it ‘ as such the church should be seen to be different at heart
In doing so, our love for one another should mirror the unconditional love that Christ shows towards us.
It was said therefore of the early believers “ see how they love one another “, and this was noted to be a feature that set them apart.
The situation should be no different in the Church today than it was in the Early Church
Sadly, however, there appears to be a desire to be accepted rather than be separated from the world
Often resulting in the compromising of the standards of holiness required of them by the llLord.
To ‘ be holy as He is holy ‘ remains therefore the standard we as followers of Christ should seek to aim for today
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How ought we to live…?
‘ Do not let the world squeeze you into its own mould ‘, are relevant words for today.
It seems that many in the church wish to be accepted by the world rather than to ‘ be in it not of it ‘ as it states in the Word of God.
Consequently instead of affecting the culture for good as our forebears did in past days,
many today seek to model their beliefs on the cultural changes that have been made by the world.
Thus we find the cultural norm for all to have the right to their own opinion on any issue,
Is adopted by some mainstream churches who are prepared to accept all faiths as of equal worth.
To assert that Jesus is the only Way Truth and Life that leads to God runs contrary to this view.
To state that our faith is unique and provides the only means of salvation for all, is therefore frowned upon.
Similarly, the concept of sinfulness is considered to be outmoded and that our behaviour is a matter of personal choice,
What really matters is to be tolerant, understanding and non condemnationary of all but the most heinous activities.
Even some of these can be excused by an examination of the circumstances which influenced their choice
The love of God is spoken of. without mention of the sin that caused Christ to suffer death on the cross.
Many of our hospitals, schools, orphanages and social institutions owe their origins to the influence of believers,
who, guided by the Word of God, established a moral code with clear parameters which contributed to the well being of our land,
whilst clearly stating the motivation for what they did to be to serve the living God, seeing this as fulfilling their role as believers,
In no way were they allowing the world to squeeze them into its own mould, preferring rather to offer ‘ the world ‘ the opportunity for change.
As those therefore who claim to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ we need to be aware of Satan’s schemes
We must contend against the world the flesh and the devil by living according to the guidance given in the Word of God.
Being unswerving in fellowship, worship and the proclamation of the gospel and all that this means:
The renouncing of sin, leading to repentance,and forgiveness , acknowledging Christ as Lord of all and living accordingly..
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Blessed are....
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Jesus promised blessing to all who display these traits in their lives as His follower’s.
Primarily we are to be aware of our inadequacy and need of salvation, which the Lord,
described as being ‘poor in Spirit' our desires will be met in the kingdom of heaven.
This attitude should lead us to mourn our sinful nature; repentance bringing forgiveness, and the comfort of the grace of God.
The humble are also those who are blessed; not desirous of earthy wealth and fame.
They will be honoured in the future kingdom as those who will rule and inherit the earth in His name.
An evidence of this being to hunger to live according to the righteousness of God.
The promised blessing being that this hunger is to be satisfied through the working of the Spirit within.
Blessings are also promised to those who practice being merciful towards
others in the name of the Lord,
their care and compassion being rewarded by becoming the recipients of
the mercy of God,
demonstrated by living lives characterised by having a pure heart; they
are promised an audiance with the Lord.
Blessings are also come to those who seek for ppeaceful resolutions
to conflict by being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
It is finally stated that to suffer persecution and insults is to be seen as being a blessing from the Lord.
Since in doing so they are emulating the Lord Himself who experienced the same whilst on the earth.
As these blessings are considered, a pattern can be discerned between these traits;
each of them can be seen to lead onto the next as being the characteristics of a true believer in Christ.
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Noah and the flood
The instructions given to Noah were explicit giving details of all that would happen.
The Lord revealed the reason for His action and the means whereby it would happen
All this would have been strange since it had never rained upon the earth
Nevertheless with remarkable faith Noah comp!every obeyed the Lord
His family too showed moral fortitude as they gathered materials and the means for the work,
following Noah's directions as they were given to him by the Lord, they built the ark.
no doubt this was accompanied by ridicule and scorn during these years
from those who had no regard for the God whom Noah serves
In His forbearance the Lord caused two of each creature to join them in the ark
and He instructed Noah to take more of certain creatures with him as they entered the ark.
Then when the time was right, we read, " the Lord shut them in "
The floodgates were opened,the rain fell, and all on the earth perished because of their sin.
The rain continued for forty days but the sojourn in the ark lasted for more than a yearComing to rest on mount Ararat, Noah sought to discover the state of the earth.
Utiiising two birds, a raven, (a scavenger) and a dove
Noah decided that life had returned to earth; as an olive leaf was brought back by the dove.
On leaving the ark, Noah's first act was to acknowledge the Lord in thankfulness.
with the building of an altar and the offering of a sacrifice.
The result is described as being a sweet smelling savour to the Lord,
and there follows what we are informed are the musings of God Himself, the Lord.
These are later shared with Noah and his sons; God acknowledges the evil nature of mankind,
whilst being prepared to establish s covenant promising never again to destroy mankind.
The rainbow, we are told serves as a reminder of this covenant to both God and ourslves
Thus enabling the descendants of Noah and his family to ' go forth and multiply '
Esther
The story of Esther in the Scriptures is unique
At no point In the narrative is God's name invoked,
but it is the theme of Providence that makes the story complete,
It is set during the exile, in the court of an all powerful king.
The story opens with a description of the king's power and the opulence of his court.
His word must be obeyed by all; the queen Vashti being no exemption
When she does not respond to his command to appear in court,
his furious reaction results in her being stripped of her regal status.
We now learn of the beautiful niece of Mordecai, a Jew,
Her parents having died when she was young, he had brought her up.
Noted for her outstanding beauty the king was unaware that she was one of the Jews.
Her name was Esther and she was eventually selected to replace Vashti as queen.
Again in the Providence of God her uncle overheard a plot to kill the king,
whilst he was keeping watch over his charge sitting at the gate of the palace.
Through queen Esther the plot discovered by Mrdecai was conveyed to the king
Having been verified by an investigation, the event was written into the court records.
We are now introduced to an arrogant nobleman who is favoured by the king.
Haman is elevated to high office and revels in the way he is revered
The people bow in his presence but when Mordecai refuses to do so it is reported and he is given leave for revenge by the king
Haman:s fury extends to the nation also, when he learns Mordecai is a Jew, he plots to wipe them out.
He persuades the king that the Jews threaten the stability of his kingdom,
and a date is therefore set for their annihilation in all the land to take place
An edict being proclaimed to this effect throughout the Persian kingdom
Mordecai displays his sorrow at the news by tearing his clothing and weeping in contrition
Refusing to be consoled by his niece he pleads with her to petition the king
Reminding her of her heritage and intimating that she may have become queen for a reason
An agreement is reached for a time of prayer and fasting as Esther considers approaching the kng
Again we recognise the Providence of God in the king having a sleepless night
He reads of Mordecai saving his life, and asks Haman how he should honour a deserving subject of the king
the advice of Haman who thinks he is to be the recipient of this honour,
results in Mordecai being rewarded for having saved the life of the king.
Humbly, Haman therefore has to escort Mordecai as he rides the king's horse wearing the king's robe!
Esther puts herself in view of the king and is asked to approach; he notes something is disturbing her
She informs him that she will tell him when he attends a banquet she is going to have for him.
Esther also asks the king to invite his friend Haman to join her.
Unknown to the court, Haman has decided to hang Mordecai, the cause of his perceived humiliation
However he attends Esther's feast.as the day draws near for the annihilation of the Jews
On the second day, the king offers to grant a request for anything to his queen
Esther then pleads for her life and that of her people, revealing herself as one of the Jews
On learning that Haman has instigated this plan the king orders his execution.
Haman who had arranged for a 75 foot scaffold to be built to hang Mordecai then died on it in his place.
The law to kill the Jews could not be repealed but a further decree gave them the right to resist
Thus in the Providence of God Mordecai's words came true; Esther was in the right place.
God's name never appears in the text, but His influence pervades the entire tale.
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The Transfiguration
An eyewitness` presence is often the means by which we
define what is considered to be fiction or fact.
Recorded In the account of the transfiguration this is multiplied by three.
An event in Jesus' life; it is also referred to in Peter's letter to the church.
The account we find in the gospels is expressed in great detail
reading as one would expect if it was given by one who was there,
and It is generally accepted that Mark used Peter as the source for his tale.
The earliest of the accounts, Mark was written around thirty years after these events took place.
In this amazing event, Peter, James and John were privileged to see Jesus' glory.
Having been taken aside to pray with the Lord, they ascended a mountain
whilst there they witnessed Him change and saw a glimpse of His glory
There appeared also, Moses and Elijah speaking of His imminent death,.
As representatives of the Law and the Prophets they symbolised the Word of God
by declaring the plan of salvation about to be realised by His death on Calvary.
however, the Lord must reassume His humanity to fulfill the will of God.
Peter's desire to retain the experience is thwarted as God acknowledges His son. from heaven.
Furthermore as they descend from the mount they are told not to mention this
The time has not yet come for this truth to be revealed, and they must wait.
Jesus instructs them that this is to be revealed only after He rises
Then Jesus continues on the journey to Jerusalem to fulfill His Father's will.
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The Lord's return
Nobody knows when this event will occur
However,it will happen, of this we can be assured
The gospels record the Lord's promise to return when He left
Thus we are sure that He will not leave us to be bereft
This event when it happens will be unexpected,
likened to the time of the flood which left so many dead.
As in the time of Noah, when the ark enabled some to be saved,
so at the end times ' the church ' is also to be saved.
In words which at the time must have seemed unreal,
Jesus tells of those who sleep,grind corn or at work in the fields:
one taken and one left in each case; we now know that this could be.
The hemispheres ensure that such people could leave simultaneously
The parousia, Paul writes, will occur at the Lord's return to earth
In the twinkling of an eye ' the church ' will disappear from the earth.
Described as the rapture this results in the believers joining the Lord
They are taken, as Jesus had predicted, to be always with the Lord
The removal of believers means the Spirit also leaves the land,
'the restraining influence' in the world removed, leaves evil to have a free hand
Many views exist of what may happen as a result of this in the world,
however, until He comes or calls we must be His witness in the world.
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Letters to the Church
We read in Revelation of letters from the Lord: directed to the Churches,
addressed to seven assemblies that were meeting in the first century,
they remain relevant to the condition of today's Churches
containing as they do commendations and warnings.
We do well to take heed of these in the Church today.
Thankfully there are those who faithfully follow the Lord
Like the churches mentioned which are commended without condemnation,
as in Smyrna and Philadelphia whose lives were reflecting their faith in the Lord
Some, we are told endured persecution, others even laying down their lives rather than deny the Truth.
Sadly, however, as we look at today's Church, we continue to see the sins condemned by the Lord.
As in the first century the need for repentance is clear,
from those in the Church who tolerate apostasy, sexual immorality, and a reliance upon their own wisdom, instead of trusting the Lord.
Such actions, as in the first century, require repentance and a sincere
desire for forgiveness.
Saddest of ali we still see evidence of the sin which receives the strongest condemnation.
As with the church in Laodicea there are those who are neither hot nor cold.
Their apathy also warrants being spewed from the Lord's mouth for their spiritual inaction.
Nevertheless in grace and mercy the Lord continues to knock on the door seeking to renew fellowship
Joseph's tale
“The news from my betrothed Mary, when it came, filled me with dismay,
as a respected carpenter in the village I could not afford a scandal.
I believed her to be a God fearing and honest young virgin maid,
now she was telling me that she was to be with child;..miraculously!
In order to avoid the inevitable disgrace that this would produce,
I was determined to break off our engagement privately,
but a message from the Lord, in a dream confirmed her words as truth,
and so began the wonderful tale of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mary then became my wife, but she remained pure until the birth of her promised son.
As such whilst with child, she visited her elderly, cousin Elizabeth,
amazingly, she too, in her old age, had conceived and was soon to deliver her son John,
She acknowledged the special nature of Mary's child and in response Mary thanked and praised her Lord.
Being of the lineage of David, I went to the town of Bethlehem the call for a census having been made.
Thus it was that prophecy was fulfilled and the incarnation took place whilst we were there,
the angels announced this to the shepherds ,who were led to worship the babe.
Following the birth in the poorest of circumstances I found us a home in which to wean the child.
Some twelve to eighteen months later, Mary and I received a surprise visit.
Arriving at our home in Bethlehem was a caravan bringing a group of Magi with an extraordinary tale!
They had travelled for many miles and addressed Mary's son as a king; worthy of their worship!
presenting him with symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh
They reported how a sign had indicated to them the birth of a king in Israel
which had led them to make the journey; Informed by Herod of a prophecy regarding Bethlehem,
they had been led by the presence of a star to acknowledge him as the promised king of Israel.
Warned by the Lord not to return to Herod who meant to harm the child they returned home by a different route.
On not hearing from the Magi, Herod was still determined to remove his perceived rival.
Basing his decision on the time when the Magi thought the birth had taken place he ordered the death of boys up to two years old.
Once again I received a message via a dream to flee from Bethlehem before the soldiers arrival.
As a family then we stayed in Egypt until learning of Herod's demise we returned to Nazareth.”
The final reference to Joseph by name, is when as a diligent parent he takes the family to Jerusalem..
It is recorded that Jesus was twelve years old causing consternation by remaining in the city.
Having been found as he declared ' about His father's business ' we read that Jesus returns with them as an obedient son.
As an adult, Jesus is referred to as the carpenter’s son but Joseph is not mentioned by name again;...his role having been fulfilled.
Paul in Philippi
Come over and help us,the man in the vision said,
So they left Troas and sailed to Macedonia not knowing why,
Paul and Silas having believd the vision to be Spirit led.
Having landed they travelled to a cosmopolitan city of both Jew and Gentile called Philippi.
On the Sabbath they made contact with a group who prayed by the river
Amongst them was a prominent Greek business woman called Lydia,
On listening to the message of the gospel her heart was opened by the Lord as they spoke to her
After declaring her faith in baptism, she offered hospitality to them and whilst there they resided with her.
During their stay they regularly preached the Word by the river and prayed.
For several days a slave girl who made money for her owners by telling fortunes pestered them.
Eventually Paul released her from the evil spirit that possessed her and her powers were stayed.
Seeing their income curtailed the owners stirred up resentment against Paul and Silas and a mob seized them
Dragged before the magistrates Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison untried
Incarcerated and shackled, their trust in the lord never wavered and at midnight they were praying and singing Gods praise!
As they sang the prisoners listened until a violent earthquake caused shackles to fall and doors to open wide.
Fearing his charges had escaped the jailer came trembling ready to kill himself in disgrace.
Paul’s cry that all had remained and were safe provoked the utterance what must I do to be saved?
Having been told to believe in Jesus and then being instructed in what this involved he became a believer in the Lord
Taking them into his home he tended their wounds and fed and watered them,.
Having done so he and members of his family were filled with joy having been baptised after confessing their faith in the Lord
The next day orders came for their release but Paul having indicated that he was a Roman citizen refused to leave
Fearing the wrath of the Romans, the magistrates themselves came to apologise in person and escorted them from the prison.
Returning to Lydia’s home, Paul and Silas encouraged the new believers before taking their leave
The young church established in Philippi grew and prospered and in writing to them later Paul speaks fondly of all they have done.
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As Elijah prepared to leave his follower Elisha accompanied him to the Jordan
After causing the river to part miraculously he remained close to his master as they passed over.
Acknowledging the boys determination Elijah asked what he desired from him.
His request for a double portion of the Spirit is granted conditionally on his witnessing the departure.
The condition is met as they are separated by the chariot of fire that takes Elijah to meet his Lord God Jehovah
On leaving the scene Elisha took with him Elijah’s cloak which had fallen at his side
Using it as his master had done Elisha struck the Jordan in the name of the Lord God Jehovah
The waters split enabling him to rejoin those who awaited his return having seen the waters divide.
With this evidence of the presence of God, they recognised Elisha now possessed God's Spirit
As a result this ompany of prophets vowed their allegiance to Elisha and accepted him as their leader.
Having been invited to stay in Jericho, Elisha was soon required to demonstrate his power to them,
Cleansing polluted water by the addition of salt to the spring; declaring that the Lord had purified it.
In contrast to Eelijah who was active in the court speaking the truth to the Kings of the Israelites
Elisha had fleeting dealings with Kings and leaders declaring to them the will of God in a given situation
he met the needs of the populace in general performing miracles to foreigners as well as Israelites
A shummanite woman and the Syrian general Naaman amongst them.
As we read of the exploits of Elisha, we are told of many more manifestations of the Spirit
Indeed we are told of Elisha performing twice as many miracles as his mentor Elijah
↽A factor possibly explained by Elisha’s request for double the portion of the Spirit
However the life of Elisha is primarily one of a life dedicated to the service of the Lord God Jehovah,
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I AM……..
The term ...I AM , speaks of the eternal nature of God,the ever present One
First given to Moses as the name by which He could be known
it is taken up by Jesus as he describes attributes which are evidence of his too being the holy One.
He speaks of himself as being the door, the vine, the good shepherd,and the resurrection and the life.
In explaining the means of entry into the kingdom, the expression I AM the door he used to describe Himself.
Stating that none shall enter except through faith in Him as the Son of God.
Describing himself as IAM the vine he reminds those who trust in Him that they must remain in Him.
It is only when we do so, that we can develop as believers and bear fruit in His service.
I AM the good shepherd, describes the Lord as the One who seeks us in the helplessness of our lives
showing the incomparable love and sacrifice he is prepared to endure for our salvation.
Finally we read of him saying ; I AM the resurrection and the life
a statement reminding us of the promise of an eternity to be enjoyed in His presence.
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Restoration
Their apostacy had resulted in the exile of the nation
Having been settled in Babylon for several generations
They were now permitted by the Lord to return to Jerusalem
However the city remained in a state of ruin,
Nehemiah, a Jew born in exile, was a high official in the court of the king.
When news of the state of the city reached him, he was greatly distressed,
and following a prolonged period of prayer this was noted even by the king
Boldly,trusting in the Lord, Nehemiah explained the reason for his being distressed.
As a result, he was not only given permission to travel to the city,
but also the authority and the provision of all the materials needed for its repair
This situation does not honour the Lord he announced, determined to restore the walls of the city
Moved to tears by how dishonouring to the Lord he found things to be,when he got there
With the authority of the King and the materials he had brought with him, Nehemiah began the task of restoration by rebuilding the walls
Despite the opposition hey encountered, Nehemiah encouraged the people by reminding them to trust in the Lord
Even though it needed them to build with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other,within a matter of fifty two days they had rebuilt the walls !
The city had begun to be restored although far from being as it had formerly been in all its glory.
Then in the presence of all the people Ezra the scribe read the book of the Law once delivered to Moses for their guidance by the Lord
As they listened, the assembly was moved to tears of repentance, realising how far they had strayed from the faith of their forefathers.
Crying out for His mercy they sought to reinstate the sacrifices and practices described in the Law dedicating themselves anew to their Lord
The city now being secure there was great rejoicing as the people gave thanks !
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I know it in my heart
Mary had waited in the garden
"Where have you laid him?" she asked the man
His answer, one word, "Mary",she knew it right away
"Rabboni", master cried out Mary,no doubt that it was true
He had risen, as He promised.She knew it in her heart
He is risen Mary said
How do you know? they asked
He is alive for I have seen Him
I know it in my heart
Peter left the tomb baffled; what had happened to his Lord?
his meeting, it was private, but it left him in no doubt
he returned to the disciples , one message to declare
He is alive for I have seen Him
I know it in my heart.
He is risen Peter said
How do you know? they asked
He is alive for I have seen Him
I know it in my heart
Thomas was not with them; and he doubted
I need to see the wounds for myself , he said
Jesus came again: " reach out and touch me" the offer came
he did not do so; " My Lord" he cried and bowed the knee.
He is alive for I have seen Him
I know it in my heart
He is risen Thomas said
How do you know? They ask
He is alive for I have seen Him
I know it in my heart
Like those at the first Easter time
We too may be asked how we know
By faith we can echo their reply,
the Spirit bears witness that He is alive.
He is risen, we all say:
how do you know they ask?
He is risen, and without seeing Him
we know it in our heart.
The Call Moses
It had been many years since he had felt compelled to flee Egypt
Having settled in Midian he was now a shepherd with a wife and family.
content to tend his father in laws sheep he had moved on from his time in Egypt.
As he approached mount Horeb he therefore had no idea of the encounter he would have,
Pasturing his sheep at the edge of the Sinai desert he saw an unusual sight on the side of the mound,
a bush was on fire but was not being consumed by the flames
As he neared it, he was addressed by name and instructed that he was standing on holy ground.
The voice went on to say he had been chosen to bring his people the Israelites out of Egypt
On enquiry he was told that this was the God of his forefathers ;the patriarchs by name.
This God was to be henceforth known as I AM , Yahweh, the ever present One.
Moses' reluctance was met by two miraculous signs first his rod being turned into a snake then back again.
Followed by his hand becoming leprosy before being restored to normal.
His final claim, to be slow of speech and incapable of doing this task,
resulted in the Lord reminding Mosees that with Him, nothing was too hard.
Moses was then told that the Lord had arranged for his brother Aaron to meet him to assist in the task.
However he would be the one whom God had chosen for this purpose.
Miracles
John described the miracles of Jesus as signs of who He is.
Mark writes of a series of incidents which clearly demonstrate this power
over nature, evil spirits, sickness and even death itself.
His power over nature is seen as He stilled a storm on the sea of Galilee.
Even as experienced fishermen the disciples were terrified by a sudden storm.
A word of command causes the waves to abate and the winds to cease.
Having landed after this storm, Jesus is confronted by a naked wild man.
Possessed by evil spirits he lived among the tombs.
A word from Jesus results in the man being described as 'clothed and in his right mind'
As He is making his way to give aid to a distraught father.
Mark tells us of an elderly sick lady’s faith
She is healed by touching His cloak receiving His power to cure her sickness
Continuing on his way word comes that the father’s daughter has died.
Encouraging the parents to believe, Jesus addressed the dead child.
'Little child get up'.... she immediately stood up responding to His voice of power.
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What's in a Name?
Our name may or may not be to our liking,
our parents on our behalf usually choose our name.
In biblical times we often read of God's involvement
in either choosing or changing a person's name.
When Abram enters into a covenant with God,
As a reminder of His promise to grant him a son,
God states that henceforth he is to be called Abraham,
meaning ' father of nations '. for this was what he would become.
His descendant Jacob who was seen to be holding on to the ankle of his twin.
He was one who sought to grasp all he desired at any cost,
until having encountered and been blessed by the Lord,
he became known as Israel having placed his trust in Him.
For others the name was revealed by God before birth.
This was so with the one later to be known as the baptist; John.
His aged father having been struck dumb after being told this in a visitation from an angel.
Declared following its fulfilment,when the name was to be given "he shall be called John".
Supremely, this was true of the Son of God Himself.
His attributes had been declared by Isaiah years before his birth.
It was to Joseph and Mary that the name we know was revealed before His birth."You shall call his name 'Jesus '’
for he will save us from our sins", as such He grants us 'new birth’,
We are assured therefore that our Lord knows us, each, by name,
and that our status may be changed in the will of the Lord.
We can become citizens of heaven and joint heirs with Christ in His kingdom.
Therefore by His grace, having responded to His call, we ought to live as such as we serve our Lord.
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On Fire for Christ
Fire seemed to feature in the key events of Peter's life.
He thought back to that fateful night in Jerusalem beside the 'fire'.
Remembering how having expressed undying allegiance in the upper room to the Lord,
at the arrest he even spontaneously attacked the mob with his sword.
Then in the confusion he had abandoned Him and all the disciples had fled.
Later, in fear, he had denied any knowledge of his friend Jesus, emphasising it with an oath.
Following at a distance in the courtyard of the high priest, he had denied Him thrice,
The resurrection had changed his sorrow for these actions into joy.
As he thought fondly of his private conversation with his risen Lord,
he recalled how forgiveness had been granted to him by the grace of God.
Then later beside another 'fire' on the lakeside shore with his friends.
As they had tried to return to ' normal ' life, fishing, the risen Lord had appeared.
There had followed a threefold declaration of love reminding him of his earlier denials
as he was charged by Christ to feed His 'flock' and be the spiritual leader of His 'sheep'.
The ' fire ' of the Spirit that came at Pentecost changed his life forever
He had witnessed his Lord's ascension receiving His promise of power.
Having obediently waited, the promise had been fulfilled, and with boldness he spoke out.
The crucified one had risen , proving himself to be the promised Messiah he announced,
and now He commanded everyone to repent and believe,
to trust in Him and be baptised in His name.The Church in its infancy was thus born.
Peter the rock had become and would remain on fire for his Lord.
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Jacob becomes Israel
We learn of Jacob even before his birth,
as twins tussle for supremacy within the womb.
At his birth it is recorded that he grasped his brother's leg
seemingly desiring to be the firstborn.
A sallow child when compared to his brother Esau,
he spent much of his time in the tents favouring his mother
Esau by contrast, a swarthy individual and was a hunter,
clearly the stronger and the firstborn son ; he was favoured by his father.
Showing little concern for his birthright lived for each day
hungry after a day of hunting, he thought only of what he wanted to do
therefore Jacob easily manipulated his brother into a rash decision,
as Esau gave up his birthright for the provision of a tasty stew
In practice, Jacob also needed his father's blessing as the firstborn
Here his mother encouraged him to fool his aged half blind father
Using the skins of a goat on his arms and body, he presented himself as Esau.
The coveted blessing was received by Jacob, only later was it realised how he had deceived his father.
Despite now having obtained the blessing due to the firstborn son, Esau vows to kill him.
So Jacob has to flee for his life and makes his way to his uncle Laban.
His journey is punctuated by an encounter with the Lord as he slept at a place he then named Bethel.
Here he responds to the patriarchal covenant by dedicating himself to God before proceeding to the home of Laban.
Settling in Haran with his uncle’s family, he labours for fourteen years for the woman he loves.
Ironically, he too is deceived by his uncle into marrying both of Laban's daughters.
Eventually returning to Canaan, a wealthy and changed man resolved to reconcile himself with his brother.
Sending his family along with gifts to appease Esau, ahead of him Jacob again has an encounter with God as he sleeps.
He ' wrestles ' with an adversary throughout the night refusing to release his grip
The contest only ceases towards dawn when Jacob requests that he should be blessed
It is apparent that the one whom he is wrestling with is the Lord Himself
and it concludes with a blessing that is sealed by a change of
his name from Jacob to Israel.
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