L U K E  16 v 1-13

This is a Parable of an unjust manager, which Jesus told His disciples.   

“There was a certain rich man, who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager wasting his employer’s money. The employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’

 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg.  Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’

 “He invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’

 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons. ’

 “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels. ’

 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them, than are the children of the light.

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This is a parable about dishonesty. We should not draw from this passage that it is meant to teach us to act in the way of the manager.  The man who the Lord describes to set before us was a shrew character, but Jesus never meant to sanction dishonesty and unfair dealing between two men.

The manager cheated his Master and the eighth Commandment, and the Master was shocked at the manager’s cunning and his intention when he heard it, but praised him for his shrewd act, but the master showed no sign of being pleased with him.  There is no suggestion that Jesus praised the manager. This is something which no one should copy.

The caution laid down is meaningful. Commercial dishonesty is common sadly,, fair dealing between men is rare. Men do things in the way of business, not the Bible.  In a rush to be rich, many actions are not upright, sharpness and smartness in bargaining and buying, selling and pushing trade are covering over.  The generation of unjust man is still persisting.  Do not forget whenever we do to others what we would not want then to do to us, we can be sure whatever the world may say, we would be wrong in the sight of Christ.  Remember, in the work place. one plain lesson of the parable is to stop acting illegally.

The conduct of the unjust man when he was losing his place, was skilfull and smart. Dishonest as he was in taking money out of the Master, he did not cry poverty, schemed or pleaded, but boldly contrived and carried out his plans. The result was, whilst losing one home he secured another.

We can see the difference between the man’s conduct about his earthly prospects, and the conduct of most men about their souls; he gave example by his forward  looking of things to come.

One day we will all have to move from where we are in our earthly home. We should  try to have a home in heaven.  This parable  in this point of views, tells us something that leads to the searching of the heart. Professing Christians do not always look to the future or face realities.  Compare this with the zeal of the business man who shows how careless are believers  about heaven

gastly, we see the expressions the Lord uses about little things in connection with the parable .  He said, he who is faithful in that which is the least, is faithful also with much and who is unjust with little is unjust with much.

The Lord teaches faithfulness in all things, large and small.  He guards us against supposing that such conduct about money as the unjust manager, should never be considered a light matter among Christians.  He wants us to know little things are the best part of character, and not being truthful about little things a symptom of a bad heart.  He did not mean of course, this only applied to money.  He did mean that dishonesty in money was a sign of a bad heart and not being right in the sight of God.

The one who is not dealing honestly with gold and silver in this world, can never be one who has riches in heaven

The doctrine laid down by the Lord in this place deserves serious consideration in  this place.  An idea prevails in some minds, that true religion may be separated from common honesty, and that soundness about doctrine may cover over cheating  in matters of practice.  The Lord’s words were a plain protest.       

Let us contend earnestly for the glorious doctrine of salvation by grace, and justification by faith,  Never forget that true faith will always be recognized. We may be sure, very sure, that where there is no honesty there is no grace 

 

We praise God for His Holy Gospel. May His Holy Name be Glorified.                 

 

THE FAMILY SERVICE

 

On the day of Pentecost, The Apostle Peter preached to a large crowd of people, and three thousand people committed themselves to repent of sin, be baptized and by the help of the teaching of the Apostles, became Christians. They met regularly, and God blessed their commitment and the Church spread its influence over a wide area.  God wanted people to attend and wanted to see the Church grow.

But God also wanted the people to join in fellowship with each other ;  age. race.  color, gender, no favorites, all one in Christ Jesus.  In other words, God wanted the Church to be a family, a family of God with people of all different kinds to be brothers and sisters; all God’s children.  He created man and woman to marry and have children, and a family is part of making stability in a nation, which is why political activists always want to break up families.

To a great amount this, has been successful in that people can meet with Christians from different in a manner which no other organization can compete.  No special denomination, we can meet either spiritually or socially. To some extent this has failed in a spiritual way, when one Church restricted communion with members of another denomination, but I am sure this will change if it has not done so yet, as Pope Leo xiv is a foreseeing manner with a desire to be in understanding reality and has approved of  uniting Christians.

  It is the most desirable, and God approved for people who worship in the Church, to mix freely, and who will avoid cliques, and avoid causing any unpleasant attitudes.

Every Church should have stewards who have a welcoming attitude to all people. ,new people coming for the first time should be made to feel we welcome them. This does not always happen. I remember, with disgust, attending a Church when on holiday, and two women stewards were commenting to each other about the manner of dress of visiting people, and handing books out with a take it or leave it attitude. Newcomers should always be introduced to the Minister of the Church so he can make them feel their visit was appreciated an welcomed. Again, as a Minister of the Church of England, I was invited to preach at a Methodist Church, and two of the most unpleasant aged women stopped me at the door and said, ‘this is a Methodist Church you know’.  I told them I was able to read the large notice board outside..

When we go to Church, we are going to  meet with our heavenly Father. Some people say I will miss this week, no one will notice, but God will notice. It is like a normal family, I like my sons to visit and would miss them if they did not come. so think before missing a service.

We are also going to meet our brothers and sisters.  There is always some older persons in need of the prayers of the people who know them, and to remember a person who has died.  We also have the pleasure of being with other family members, and to greet new people.  God wants a large family and He will care for them.

God made the first family in the Garden of Eden, before any other organization or gathering, showing  the importance He placed on the family. Abraham Lincoln, the

Great early American President spoke of homes with families was the strength of a nation.

The family can come together, and this is when children can be introduced to

Learn and grow into the Church. This will teach them about Easter and Christmas

In which  those two services tell the glorious stories of Jesus, and how God cares for all people, children and adults.

Luke tells how parents took their children to meet Jesus, and He blessed each one. Mark tells of Jesus saying, let the children come to me, don’t stop them from coming to the Kingdom pf God.

You can see whole families singing their heads off in services in the Churches of the Black skinned people.  Children take easy to it. A little boy came to a service

dressed in a lovey suit, and I noticed him taking full part with his mother and Father.  Those people always gave themselves to the service.

This where the Church of England made a huge mistake in the years when there was an influx of people from the Caribbean, they were not welcomed properly,

when they could have enhanced the Church. 

Parts of the family can meet separately, such as mothers meeting in socially or spiritually in midweek, and real friendships have grown.  There are midweek Bible Study evenings, which people usually become more friendly.  There is a surplus of divisions in some Churches, especially as we are seeing now.  The Bishops have created a deep division, by accepting the false doctrine of blessing sane sex unions.

Ministers, Priests, Pastors, (call which, is appropriate), are put in a position when they will have to please some and irritate others, by deciding which view to accept

In some groups, people meet to help and comfort each other, but care needs to be taken.  When people speak about personal matters, it should be recognized that whilst you can speak to a Church Minister you are speaking to someone who is bound to recognize your confidence, ordinary people are not.  It has to be realized there is always someone who will gossip and relate your problem, and invariably will tell in their way, which might have additional account.

Most Churches, do have at least one family service, You can take your children and let them make friends with other children and their parents

Women in the Church particularly, make friends with children.  I had two girls who were about twelve years when they came to my Church with their school, and

Then joined the Church.  I let them read the Lessons and the older ladies particularly were so friendly with them.  They remained with me until they grew up and got married, and I performed the weddings with some people from the Church present. Such develops from being a family Church, which in other terms was known as a happy Church.

God loves all people despite the love not being reciprocated, and wants to see it growing. When we remember God sent His only Son to this earth to die a cruel death on a Cross, so that He could have our sins forgiven, and God could then forgive us and make us fit for heaven. If Jesus could die like that for us, is it too much to ask for His people to attend His Church. At one time, Sunday was Church  day, and most people accepted that, and families would attend. Now we have politicians ignoring and legislating against Christian morality.  The families were much happier than it seems now.

Billy Graham, the great American Preacher, came to the United Kingdom, despite

the Church leaders wanting him not to come, and planned to hold meetings for three weeks in large stadiums in London.  Such was the result, he had to stay a further three weeks as people in their tens of thousands flocked to hear him.

The first time is the hardest for many people. but once they venture in, it becomes inviting.  Come with your family.

In the United States, a great Christian nation, some of the Churches have regular attendances of thousands. The services are often more evangelical than in our lands, and the families are there with their own Bibles and actually look happy. There are times when people cannot attend through work or sickness, or even through illness or age. But in each Sunday there are Church services on one of the many television channels. You can still be part of the service, God will understand your situation if you are disabled or of age problems.  The American pastors make mention of their online services, as a Cathedral in Scotland does.

Remember the family is a gift from God and will be pleased to have you join His family. 

PRAYER

Lord of life, You share us in your image and by your gracious gift the human family has increased, grant to all who seek, the blessing of children,  Fill them with wisdom and love as they care for their family so that they and their children may know and love You.

 

Praise God for His glorious Gospel and pray His Holy Name be glorified    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 1 v18/25.
This morning I want to speak about the Cross.  Sunday is Holy Cross day, when we concentrate our thoughts on the supreme sacrifice made by Jesus.

The Church at Corinth was having problems, which caused Paul to write to them.  Corinth was a cosmopolitan city, which has been described as the Soho of its day, full of corruption and immorality. It was a trading center, and there was much wealth and a style of living, which did not match up to Christian standards. The Church, which had started with much power, was allowing some of the culture to invade the Church, and some members were influenced by the rhetoric of some preachers, who were deviating from gospel, and this caused division and dissension within the Church.

Paul wrote to give advice and admonishment to the people there, because of the way they were acting. He is showing us in this passage, how the Cross is so important for us as Christians, and how it is involved in human affairs and thinking.. We have a similar situation here, where there are men/women, occupying the most prominent position in the Church, openly accepting and even encouraging Christians, to adopt the morality of society, despite the fact that the Bible expressly condemns doing so, and demands the clergy to banish false doctrine.

The passage opens, with Paul stating those who are perishing, the unbelievers ,who do not understand or realize the power of the Cross,  to them it is just  foolishness, for perishing means not being saved and no hope of going to heaven, for they have rejected Jesus, but to those of us who are saved and have accepted Jesus as Savior, the gospel is the power of God.

Just as the message was foolish by the world’s standards, so most of those in Corinth also thought the message was foolish by the world’s standards.  Despite them being unimpressive, their boasting in ancestry and accomplishments, and having an affiliation with one of their chosen  preacher, God had chosen them to be saved.  The hostile opponents of Jesus kept demanding a miraculous sign to prove his claims, but they were just doing this to manipulate, but he had already given them sufficient so there was no excuse for their unbelief.

The Greeks were often classified as being wise, but were then seen as being antiquated, and more cultured people were interested in wisdom. A crucified Messiah was a stumbling stop for a Jew. God’s power to call forth his people, works through a deeper wisdom, that human beings can recognize unless God gives them faith, Paul writes that the gospel is preached to all, but God calls some effectively to salvation from among Jews and Greeks.  Paul is speaking to those in the Church who claimed to be wise and proud of their wisdom, which they were using to divide the Church and to promote themselves by changing the message of the Cross to make it more acceptable. Paul is telling them it is worthless in the sight of God, and will only destroy the Church.

The cultured Greek and the pious Jew could not understand Christianity, but Paul pointed out human wisdom is bound to be of no purpose, and was  to be exposed by God telling of human helplessness.  The Jews demanded miraculous signs and Greeks looked to wisdom. This was a stumbling block, which could not be overcome by Jews or Gentiles, but to those who do believe it is a message of power. The Jews demanded that what Paul was teaching should be proved by some miraculous sign. Jews could not ever accept that the Messiah would be crucified; it was totally contradictory to their belief. The Greeks placed so much influence on human wisdom and intellectual ability to be the means of salvation.

God chose a way which ordinary people could understand. Abraham Lincoln once stated, God must have loved ordinary people because He made so many of them. Paul gave them an ordinary and simple message, believe in Jesus Christ who gave His life to be crucified on the Cross, and you will have eternal life. If we had to be very wise and academic, millions of people would never have come to know the Lord. Heaven would be only for the clever people.

The gospel message is the opposite of worldly wisdom, and is hard for some to believe, but we do believe. But there are still people who want to see some proof for what we preach. The Bible states, by grace you shall be saved through faith’. If you have to see signs or other proof to believe, you don’t need faith. True faith means believing in what you cannot see.  God said, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate’.
The message of the world sees us as self-sufficient beings; there is no need of God. We have the ability to think and reason which will prove sufficient to eventually solve all of our problems.  Obviously, God doesn’t think so much of it.

Paul asks where is the wise man, where is the scholar, where is the philosopher of this age, has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world.  Challenging them who think they can solve life’s problems.   Just where has all the wisdom of the so-called wise brought us? How well have we done in solving the world’s problems? Have we eradicated poverty? Has all our research and expertise in the fields of science and medicine rid our world of disease? Have we found a cure for cancer? There is more suffering now than history records.    With all the highly educated professional educators, how can we still have ignorant people wandering our streets, graduating from our schools and colleges, yet not knowing basic  English?
Look at the enormous amount of hatred in the world, with many of the Arab countries wanting to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Paradoxically, hatred has been introduced into our society by legislation. The (inequitable) Equality and Diversity Bill has caused considerable distress. Consider the hate mail, and persecution experienced by Christians who do not wish to surrender their beliefs to society’s morality. The unfortunate reality is, that for all our so-called sophistication, we have not been able to solve the basic problems of society–– problems that have been around since the beginning. Certainly, we have been able to see great advances technologically. We have great new gadgets. But on the really important issues of life, we don’t even have temporary solutions.
But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Each religious faith has its own symbol. Muslims have the crescent moon; the Jews have the Star of David,  Buddhists have the lotus flower, but for Christians we have the Cross.   The early Christians had the sign of a fish, which they inscribed on walls as indication of faith when the Romans were persecuting Christians.  They would make the cry, ‘Jesus is Lord’, but would not refer so much to the cross as it was a hateful thing.   Some Churches have a Cross outside, and most also display the Cross inside. It is embossed upon our Bibles and prayer books, and ladies particularly wear a gold cross.    Paul said he gloried in the Cross, and focused on the crucifixion of Jesus as the means of salvation. But it was the most horrific death ever devised by mankind. For many years it was never mentioned in polite company , and was only used to show when people were acting contrary to the power of the Cross.    When writing to the Galatian Church, Paul stated ‘God forbid that I should boast about anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’, to indicate how much he prioritized the Cross.

Paul was a clever man, he could have boasted about his own intellect, his mastery of languages; he could have boasted about the unique birth of Christ or the miracles performed, even the resurrection, but he didn’t, only the Cross.

It is not often that a sermon on the Cross is heard in Churches today, if at all; I cannot remember when I last heard one.  Indeed, a lot of sermons have only a tenuous reference to the gospel.  Paul ‘s preaching focused on the crucifixion of Jesus as the means of salvation. A man crucified had nails driven through arms and legs, and left hanging until he died, which could have lasted for days even.

The Cross upon which Jesus died, was not only a place where he bore the sins of humanity and paid the penalty for those sins, it is also a way for our lives by his power. It is saying that God became weak,, in order to save us. It says that when we surrender our lives, we truly find them. It is the very power of God, concealed from the so-called wise and sophisticated and revealed to those who come as a child, in simple faith and trust.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength
Today the cross of Christ is still a cause of offence. The message of the cross of Christ is still foolishness to those who are perishing. To them the cross is the weakest link. In the Cross, we see the power of God displayed. God was powerful enough to become weak.

Having looked at the message of this passage, let us consider the implications for us to-day.

Paul always taught there are two distinct points of view, two black or white absolutes that can never be reconciled, because they produce two different responses to the gospel. We all have to decide now which we believe. We have a choice to make for our future when this life is over. Many people don’t want to think of that and dismiss it from their minds.  Many more believe there is no need to worry, as long as one leads a ‘good’ life we are all going to heaven.  Apart from the fact‘ good’ has not been defined, how would we know when he had done enough?  I have taken hundreds of funeral services in the past years, and irrespective that the deceased never read a bible, attended church, and being totally unaware of belief, it was always thought the relatives of the deceased, the person was heaven bound.   Unless you accept the Cross and its meaning, you are not able to make an assessment of the future. The Cross is the pivotal point of Christianity.  If you tell people that all their efforts and achievements will not put them right with God, and the only way is to believe the death of Christ on the Cross, and we can do nothing to earn our salvation, they will think it ridiculous.

The Cross strikes at the heart of human pride. Just as the Jews could never accept that a man hanging on a Cross could save the world, so today people mock the idea. Those who are blind to the truth of the gospel are said to be ‘perishing’, which means unsaved and are eternally lost. To them however, it is absurd, and they refuse to believe the Biblical teaching that states to achieve eternal salvation you have to believe that a man died on a Cross 2000 years ago, in a little country on the far side of the world, and did so that our sins may be forgiven.

The other reaction is that the Cross is the power of God to those of us who have accepted Christ’s death on the Cross as our means of salvation.   Why take a risk on your eternal future? If you were due to fly to America, and as you were boarding the plane you were told there was a 1% chance the plane would not make it across the Atlantic, would you still fly?    Paul said he understood how foolish it sounds to those who are lost when they heard that Jesus died to save them, but God had said He would destroy all human plans of salvation no matter how wise they seem to be to men, even the most brilliant of them. He said ‘you come to me my way, or you do not come at all’. If you wear a Cross you should ask yourself, why you are wearing it, what does it mean to you?   Most people just see it as an item of jewellery, such an idea would have been horrifying, bearing in mind the tortuous death it carried; it would be like wearing a model of the gallows around the neck. It was so crude a death it was never mentioned in polite company.
There is one underlying message running right through this passage. ‘There is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ’. God gave His only ,Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. We do not earn our right to heaven by all the good things we do, being saved is a gift from God, if we could earn it would not be free. God accepts us when we believe in Christ.
We need to humble ourselves in complete surrender to God. The good news is that God has given us his power.

The world doesn’t like the Cross, even though it can be the answer to all divisions pointing out the difference between truth and error. The crucifixion of  Jesus is a fact of history. He is the only means of salvation, and  we need a Savior, meaning we follow God’s way or none.   When Jesus died on that Cross there were two men alongside him. One cried out to Jesus to save him and the other mocked. One of those men was saved, and the other died. We have to make a decision and do so whilst we are able, leaving it to a death bed may be too late.

The Bible states there are two alternatives in life, two roads, goats and sheep, tares and wheat, heaven and hell.  Jesus spoke about heaven many times, but he also warned of the alternative, which many people try to  forget.

.May the Cross always remind you of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for the salvation that can be yours. It is now the duty and responsibility of the Church to boldly proclaim this.

Paul ended the passage with a quotation from Jeremiah. It was only when we realize we can do nothing, and God can  and will do everything ,that real religion begins  . It is a fact of life that when people realize their own weakness, their own lack of wisdom, their helplessness and powerlessness, they become wise and strong.  It is a fact of experience that the man who thinks he can take on life all by himself, will in the end make a mess of his life.

We have four things which Paul points out and insists that Christ is for us.  He is wisdom, It is only by  following Christ that we walk aright, and only by listening to him we hear the truth. He is the expert in life

He is righteousness. He has right relationship with God, we can never on our own have that. This comes through Jesus when we realize it comes not from what we can do for God, but what God can do for us.

He is consecration., It is only in the presence of Christ that life can be what it should be.  He is deliverance. Men go to see the optician and the dentist, but never to the one who can cure their souls  Jesus Christ can deliver a man from past sin, from present helplessness and from future fear.

 

We praise God for His Holy Gospel    May God bless these words to our heart and may He be glorified.

 

Luke9 v23

Jesus said to all. If anyone would follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself. For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father.

Jesus tells His disciples He is on His way to the Cross, and Peter expresses his shock and regret, and Jesus bukes him. Jesus then promises He and His Father, will repay for all that has been done.,

To take up the cross, means that you take your stand for the Lord Jesus, no matter what it costs. It means crucifixion of self–all of your desire for popularity, recognition, or success.  It may mean that you become rather less popular amongst friends, even within family. It may mean that you become foolishness to the world.

Early in the ministry of the greatest and most successful preacher in Christian history, Billy Graham, he realized the importance of the Cross, and in every sermon across the world, before 210 million people, he always emphasized the meaning of the Cross, and God richly blessed and rewarded him.

The center of the Christian faith is Calvary, the place of the Cross. The Cross was at the heart of the Apostles teaching, each of Paul’s Letters emphasized the redemptive message of the faith. In one passage he wrote, Jesus is Lord. and if you confess this with your mouth and believe in your heart, you will be saved, and the absence of such teaching is the reason for the Church not making an  effective influence on society, It is like a river without any water.

The message of Christianity is, that Jesus Christ came among us so we can achieve salvation, but the one and only way is because he gave  his life on the Cross in a horrifically cruel way. The sole purpose for him doing so, is that all who turn to him and accept he died for their past and present sins, personally, paying the price  in order that God can receive them. God hates sin and anyone not cleansed is not accepted by him.

God will not tolerate sin. He condemns it and demands payment for it. God could not remain a righteous God and compromise with sin. His holiness and His justice demand the death penalty.

I know personally, as many of you will know, lovely people we value as friends; we know too they would be welcomed and appreciated into the Church where they could offer much, if we could only convince them of our message, but they cling to the belief of so many others that as long as you believe in God, are honest and help people, you are per se a Christian.

The Church is the main perpetrator of such nonsense, and false belief. If you look at a baptism service, it is stated a child of tender years is born again,  and parents have gladly recited words prepared for them to say they repent of all sin, when they are actively living sinful lives without any intention of changing.

Similarly with a funeral service, the Minister assures people that the deceased, who in most cases he had never met, was going to heaven, no matter what kind of life they had led. 

In both cases, there is total contradiction of Scripture. There can be compassion and kindness without complete misguiding. We are in fact,  the cause of all our trouble, we have given up in too many places the clear teaching of the bible and ignored God’s commands. We as a Church have become terrified of being out of tune with society.

Here is religion without a cross … a testimony that the nations of the world are deeply religious, but have not yet come to the point where they are willing to accept Christ and Him crucified. Thus, the people of the world stumble on blindly toward eventual judgment and destruction, not realizing that they are rejecting Christ, who is the only hope for salvation.

The Gospel of Christ and Him crucified, is still foolishness to millions who are perishing all over the world today. How few people recognize that the answer to all the world’s problems can be found at the foot of the cross.  A major problem is, we have exchanged the glory of the Cross for trendy social issues.

Jesus and the Cross are not just something you turn to when you are in trouble or have an illness, and you want help and comfort. A Cross is not something you should wear as a fashion accessory, a Cross is a symbol of man’s cruellest form of death on one view, but it is also a sign of the greatest story of love, sacrifice and devotion.  Whenever you wear a Cross, you should think why am I wearing it, is it because it is a  form of dressing, and if it is, you then ask yourself if you would wear a set of gallows around your neck.

There is only one acceptable reason for wearing a  Cross, to  remember the One who shed his blood there to cleanse  you of sin.

In the cross, we see the clearest evidence of the world’s guilt. At the cross of Christ, sin reached its climax. The most terrible display took place at Calvary; it was never blacker nor more hideous. We see the human heart laid bare, and its corruption fully exposed. The Scripture teaches that man’s heart is desperately wicked.

In the cross we see God’s love.. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The Church needs to stop prevaricating. Whilst there is a Cross on almost every Church, we must face facts some are more like dens of iniquity by preaching against the gospel. Scripture is brazenly twisted and misrepresented to justify modern forms of behavior, which are rejected by the Word of God.  How each person leads their lives is a personal one for each to freely do, for God gave free will and if he is offended is  fully able to deal with. But the Church should not give its approval to anything Scripture condemns.

We have arrived at a point, where the supreme authority of the Church, the Holy Bible, has been challenged, and men now joined by women, in equally misguided appointments, are leading people astray.

Jesus said, ‘I will build my Church’, and it was built on the solid rock of his commitment on the Cross, and every Word of God laid down with the pages of the Bible are to be obeyed.  If God wants to add, change or amend he will do it himself, he does not want errant men and women holding high Office within the Church trying to meet the requirements of society.  The authority of Jesus was never ever meant to be challenged.

We are in danger of wandering from the vision Jesus created. He came at God’s calling to show the world how to become acceptable to God, how to achieve salvation by his cruel death. A simple enough message for the Church to tell, and people to understand. 

Christ does come to us every day still, in the form of Bibles that we do not read, in the form of churches that we do not attend, in the form of human need that we pass by.

From Genesis to Revelation the Bible teaches that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin, which is why Jesus shed his for us.  I wonder how many within the Church realise this; and it is only when we accept Jesus died in our place on the Cross that God accepts us, so we then born  spiritually.  Our mothers went through much pain to give us physical birth, Jesus went through severe pain and even death to give us spiritual birth, so that we may be born anew.  Then we are bound to live our lives as Jesus commanded and intended.

Christianity is not an emotional journey. Millions listened at the Billy Graham Crusades to the world’s finest preacher, were captivated by glorious crowd, praising God in song, and went home full of joy and hope.  They were met by dreary chants, cold atmosphere, and a preacher laboring through the set (ten minutes at the most) sermon, and wondered in which world they were in.

In unforgiveable apathy, we have left the liberalists and modernists take over.  Now it behoves all who love the Lord to take the Church back. We need to get the message out, that Jesus came into the world to make us be in the presence of God.  The way to do that is to clear of all sin in our lives past and present, and be cleansed by his blood on the Cross.  Many people are anxious to receive God’s grace, and at Pentecost, Peter preached an inspiring sermon, to such extent that 3,000 people committed themselves to follow Christ,  They were filled with inspiration and  awe as they met regularly without coercion, and devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles.

In 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther began a Reformation, when he tired of seeing the way the Roman Church was failing the people.  How we need a similar renewal now.  Gone has that early enthusiasm in the Church, as it was led by men like John and Charles Wesley, until liberal minded people betrayed the legacy they were left with, and also betrayed the Word of God by introducing services,  the content of which were directly contravened by the content of the Bible, and broke Church unity.

As time moved on, additions in some Churches were made to the liturgy, men became proud in holding Church Office, and found the need to glorify themselves with decorative robes.  Much still happens. We have multiple versions for the same prayer.  We even create special liturgies to enable ceremonies to be performed, which were once beyond man’s comprehension.  Is it therefore any wonder God must be ready to show his wrath, when in his and Jesus’ names, used,   his Church creates services to welcome and bless people who have rejected the gender he created them, and are celebrating having the opposite created by mankind.

The clergy are now invaded by men and women who teach in the name of the bible, totally false doctrines. Our Lord came in the most basic of circumstances, born in a stable, taking the role of a servant . Now his Church is filled with people more concerned in being served, status conscious, full of ambition. The desire to preach the Word  stressed as an urgent need by Paul, is not the number one issue on many minds.

In the 21^st century we find the majority of Churches closed, with little urgency in opening them. Importantly there are dedicated men who have shown much initiative and been entrepreneurial in response. One Church near me, has a Vicar who erected a Marquee extension to his Church, so as to be able to welcome more people to services, which were also relayed on  to television.  A machine was acquired to ensure the air in church was made safe before the  service, and all seating sanitized in order to protect the members from the effect of the pandemic.

 To avoid personal handling at that time, an independent means for people taking the bread of communion was offered, and every possible effort to continue to all satisfaction.

It was religious people who killed Jesus, and it is the religious people of no true conviction, who are killing his Church now. True Christians will believe God will not let them succeed, and will deal with them. Our faith began 2025 years ago, men have been trying to destroy it ever since, but it still stands and is stronger than ever in some places.

Jesus asks what does it profit a person to gain the whole world and lose their own soul.?  How you respond to the gospel, makes a vast difference as to how you will live your eternal life, and with those you love. For so many people saying goodbye at a funeral is goodbye for ever.

My wife and I met as teenagers many years ago at a Church in Liverpool, and were together ever since. At our age we knew God could take one of us at any time, but we also knew that it won’t be long before  we are joined again in heavenly place.   Someone will say what makes you so sure?. The answer of course the Holy Bible tells me so, and when God tells, we both believe him.  God never breaks his Word.          If  you are to make that sacrifice of Jesus worthy for you,, believe it in your heart, and try to influence your friends and especially within your family. Tell them what a friend we have in Jesus. You will find opposition,  but God will be there to help you.

May God bless all who have either heard or read this sermon, and may it help you to draw closer to Jesus.

Remember the words of Paul; if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved.

Many of my readers live in the United States of America; to them I say I hope you have found help, belief or comfort,   I join you in saying God bless America.

 

Give Praise to God for His Holy Gospel

 

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THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO TMOTHY CHAPTER 3 – 4 V1-4

 

I was talking with a Minister colleague about the future of the Church in this country, and we both felt it was not a hopeful one. The congregations are generally, small, and consist of older people who are not being replaced.  This must be a matter of much concern to those still engaged in full time ministry.

Churches were in villages, places where the Church was once the center of life.  People living in such places have nice homes, some in idyllic surroundings, with good jobs, and every kind of luxury, with none of the anti-social behavior suffered by town and city dwellers.  One would think they had much to be thankful for, but most are just self-concerned, and take it all for granted and the Church does not enter their line of thought, except of course when a baptism or fancy wedding scene is wanted, or a personal problem arises. In fact, God becomes their servant rather than the proper way round.

Some years ago, I was appointed to suburban Church, witch my predecessor had let it slide down. I, with kind parish helpers, circulated notices that the Church would soon be given consideration to  closing down.  The following Sunday saw a rise in the congregation.

Can you imagine the outcry, if villagers were told that their lovely quintessential scene would be deprived of its Church?

Turn with me now, to Paul’s 2nd Letter to Timothy in Chapters ¾.  Paul is in a Roman prison, and this is the last Letter he will write.  He has addressed it to Timothy, a young man whom he wants to continue the ministry Paul is ending, and is giving advice in the earnest plea, that Timothy will persist in preaching the true gospel. For not only does Timothy face much opposition from society, he also faces false teachers within the Church, and we know all about that.

In the first five verses of Chapter 3 he talks of godlessness, describing the very conditions we find today; lovers of selves and money, unholy, children having no respect and disobedient. This is what happens when a nation turns its back on God. We live in an age of relativism in, which there are no absolutes, no basic morals, a case of if it feels right it is. They become lovers of themselves and there is a moral collapse as the pursuit of money becomes so important. .  Have you noticed that much of what is offered for entertainment, are programmes in which people try to win vast sums of money?

Generally speaking, it is reported that we are the most godless nation after Japan. It is like a car parked on a hill and someone takes the handbrake off.

Then Paul contrasts all that with the way Timothy has been brought up with a love of Scripture, something children of several generations have been deprived of in the present ages.  The Ten Commandments have become Ten Suggestions, or pick any four from ten.  We have raised a generation, who are unaware of even the most basic beliefs.

We are in a cultural war, and we are losing badly. Immorality is rampant;  same sex marriages- children born  of unmarried parents- abortion on request-sexual attacks on women- women abused-young teenagers running wild with knives-Bishops wanting to change God’s definition of marriage-divorce by demand-Bishops advising people not to attend the meetings of a world

 famous evangelist  from America- the list goes on.  

Added to this are the LGBT lobby who have created a successful campaign, 

which even some Churches have given support to them.

Why is it that the Church is losing?  It is simply because we do nothing and all opposition doing something.  There is apathy in the Church, older people have no inclination to take things seriously as time is running on. and some genuinely think they are too old to help. That is wrong.   Moses became too old to fight but when the Israelites were in battle, he and Aaron prayed for their army and when they did so their prayers were answered.  How badly the Church needs all its members to pray for its recovery.  Our children are denied religious teaching of Christianity, not knowing the true meaning of Easter and Christmas. They know too much about sex at a young age because they are taught it in schools,

A lady in my parish collected her grandchild from school, and the child was crying, so the lady asked if she had been bullied, and had difficulty in finding out the reason for crying; eventually the child said, the teacher said my daddy is going to become a mummy.  This is transitioning at a child’s age. Such is cruel madness to tell children something that just cannot happen.

Turn now if you can, to Paul’s 2nd Letter to Timothy in Chapter 3.  This Letter is Paul at his natural best. The Letter is as relevant now as when written. He tells Timothy who is starting his new post, that things will be difficult because people only love themselves. Nothing is sacred.  They will be proud, mocking God, and children will be disobedient,  Paul lists unpleasant facts which you can read, and then he speaks of the persecution he has suffered, and warns Timothy Christians will suffer some persecution too, with evil impostors roaming around.

Paul then speaks of the teaching Timothy has had of the Scriptures by his mother and grandmother, once a common practice in the home until television pushed it away. Timothy had also teaching from Paul and Peter who together  virtually wrote the New Testament.

Foreseeing into the future, Paul spoke of people not wanting sound doctrine, but wanting preachers who would tell what they wanted to hear. (Imagine Paul saw the 20^th and 21^st centuries) But he told that should be ignored, and keep to the Bible.

v16, Paul makes a doctrinal statement that ALL Scripture comes from God.  It may have been written by men, but these men were inspired by God to give us the message that God wished us to have.  We are therefore enabled to live according to God’s teaching, and be kept from going the wrong way in life.

The important word is all.  Once you start discounting parts, you challenge the whole credibility and authority of the Bible itself.

The Bible is essentially a book of salvation, and there has never been any doubt that the only way to be saved is through Jesus Christ.  He is the focus and climax of the Bible from start to finish.       The whole Bible focuses on the coming of Christ.

In the Old Testament Jesus is predicted, in the Gospels He is revealed, in the Acts He is preached, in the Epistles He is explained, and in Revelation Jesus in anticipated.

I don’t think even Church members give the Bible the attention one would expect.  I know there are many whose sole connection with it is in the Sunday service. But even then, is mainly a case of listening to it being read.  In evangelical Churches it has been the practice of having Bibles in the pews, or at least available, so that members can follow the readings and I always found it helped to follow the sermon, (when the sermon is Bible based that is.)  I went to take a service at one Church where there wasn’t even a Bible to read the lessons from and someone had to go out and borrow one.

(Contrast the United States. In the Churches the pastor announces the reading of the Bible, and All stand up. They all have their own Bibles which they hold up to read, and quite a number of the congregation make notes as the Bible is preached.)

Today the Church is plagued by disputes over issues and the image it gives is that it does not have any clear or authoritative belief,

There can be no doubt that all the problems facing the Church are due to a departure from Scripture, to an attitude of let us make Scripture relevant to modern thinking.  We all have to decide do we accept the Bible as the Word of God, the sole authority in matters of faith and practice, or not.  You cannot have a pick/n mix way,  We are called on in this passage to turn to the Bible for guidance in all spiritual matters, and use it to correct wrong thinking; rebuke those who abuse; and encourage the depressed.

There is nothing more important than for us to be well grounded in what we believe about the Bible. It’s more than just a statement of faith. What we believe about the Bible is fundamental and foundational to everything else we are trying to do as a church.

In Chapter 4, Paul having told Timothy of the importance of Scripture then tells him to go out and ‘preach the Word’.   That Word, is that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins; that after three days He rose from the dead and later ascended to heaven to sit at God’s right hand; that one day He will return and bring in His Kingdom, and all will face the judgement.

We are here to preach and proclaim the Gospel, as it is written without any additions or submissions.  The Bible ends in Revelation, with a warning to those who try to alter anything written.

At the same time, Paul is warning all preachers of the serious responsibility to be faithful to Scripture as one day they will be called upon to give answer.

Today there is a tendency for the Church to become worldly and to compromise on doctrine.  The Church has been given exemption from the same sex marriage act, yet bishops and senior clergy were campaigning to be allowed to conduct such false ceremonies which directly contradict Scripture.  What Paul wrote all those years ago, can be clearly seen coming true today, people turning away from truth to suit their own desires.  Once you depart from the Word of God you are in a spiritual wilderness.

We live in a world of itching ears.  One clergyman told me we have to make people feel happy; that doctrine is boring and makes people feel guilty. But preachers are not here to tell people what they want to hear so much as what they need to hear.

In the gospel passage, Jesus said ‘I will build my Church and the gate of hell shall not prevail against it’.  It seems at time as there are those within the Church who want to open the gates.

There is a basic question we should all ponder.  Why do we come to Church?  There are many answers, but the real purpose should be to worship God with reverence and awe; to learn about God and how He would want us to live. In order to do this, we need to know our Bibles and be prepared to accept what is taught there.  I know this will not be acceptable to some people within the Church, for it may condemn the way they are conducting their lives. 

The Bible has to be the supreme authority of the Church. I heard a Vicar state in her sermon that we should not take the Bible literally, and there are other Ministers who will say the same.  You should question them as to why not.

We have been saturated by a world that is committed to falsehood. That is why, as Paul sets forth here, we must increasingly proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus. The apostle reminds us that the most effective thing is, preach the word, announce the truth, tell of reality, make it clear, spread the word. and declare that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

You and I are called to advance that work. Like Timothy we are a tiny minority amidst an overwhelming majority committed to unbelief.  We face hostility on every side. Do not let anybody tell you that your life as a Christian does not count. It counts tremendously. Glory in what God has called you to do, and be faithful to his command: Preach the Gospel

 

Let us Praise God for His Holy Gospel, Met His Name be Glorified.

 

LUK E 14   v 7-14

Jesus was at  the house of a member of the Jewish Council. When he noticed that all who came to dinner were trying to sit near the head of the table, he gave them advice. If you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t always head for the best seat. For if someone  more respected than you shows up, the host shall bring  someone and will ask you to get up, and say let this man sits here instead, and you will be embarrassed and you will have to find a better place and take whatever is left at the foot of the table.

Do this instead, start at the foot, and when the host sees you he will say, friend I have a better place than this, and you will feel honored in front of all the guests. For whoever tries to honor himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be honored

In this passage, humility is stated to be a valuable gift.  This is a lesson which our Lord takes in two ways.  Firstly, he advises those invited to a wedding, to sit in the lowest seat.  Secondly, He backs this up with advice, by telling a principle which he offers and uses, to ‘whosoever exalted himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.

Humility is a highly valued grace. We all know how our sinfulness and weakness, and rely on Jesus to be at the beginning of saving faith,  It is a grace which has always been a distinguishable characteristic of our nature.  The great Saints of every age, Abraham, Moses, Job. Daniel. David and Paul were very humble men. Above all, it is a grace which every Christian should reach.  All have not money to give away; all do not have the time or opportunity for working directly. for Christ.

All did not have the gifts of speech or knowledge in order too good in the world. But all converted, labor to know the doctrine they profess by humility..  All should be humble.

The key for humility is knowledge,  The number who know their own hearts, who know God and His  majesty and holiness. Who know Christ and the price at which he was redeemed, will never be a proud man/woman.  Themselves, like Jacob.

Who said, I am vile, or Paul who said he was the greatest sinner.  In lowliness of mind, they will esteem everyone to better than oneself.   These verses speak of caring of the poor, the maimed and the lame.      We have to take limitation.  We can show hospitality to our families, and friends.

Jesus did not mean to encourage excess to the poor, that would conflict with other Scriptures. Indeed, care is needed when deciding what action to take. There are fraudulent claims made when it is known people may be generous, and some will plead a need when it clearly is not. 

Whilst Jesus would not have us neglecting the poor  or not helping those in distress, neither would Christians fail to give help when truly needed.

Lastly, we learn the importance of looking forward in a striking manner when Jesus speaks on resurrection.  There is a resurrection after the first death. which should not be forgotten; just living in the flesh is not all.  The visible world around is not the only world.  All is not over when the last breath is drawn; and men/women go to the  grave.  The trumpet will sound, and the dead shall be raised to improbable.   Those who have confessed Jesus as Savior, and  accept He was raised from death, will be resurrected for heaven and those who have forsaken Christ and His Church will beL resurrected for damnation,  This is a foundational truth of Christian .religion.

Let us live like men and women who believe n the resurrection, and a life foe the life to come ad have a desire to be ready for the new world.  We shall feel there remains something better for us beyond the grave. So living we shall calmly take all we have to bear in this world, the trials ,disappointments,  ingratitude’s, We shall be rectified one day when the Judge of the earth will do good. Having faith in Christ and believing in Him, we have nothing to fear,  Our sins will not appear against us, the demands of God’s law will be satisfied, We shall stand firm on the great day and no one shall lay anything against us.  Like the Apostle Paul we may rejoice.

 

Praise God for His Holy Gospel and may He ever be Glorified