THE TRINITY                  2 Corinthians 13 v 14

The Epistle for today comes from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthian Church. This is one of two of Paul’s Letters to that Church which was situated in the heart of Corinth, a major trade centre and seaport where several cultures and religions met.

On Sunday, the Church celebrates Trinity Sunday. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all

Paul has been writing to the Church in Corinth and ends the Letter with the Trinitarian benediction. This verse has ever since has been read at Churches in every country in most services each Sunday at some point.

The doctrine of the Trinity is an important doctrine, although is hard to understand and even harder to explain, which is why a lot of preachers try to avoid doing so. All our services begin with the words, ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and we often end with the same and baptise with those words.

We speak of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, but the Bible states,’ hear O Israel the Lord our God is one God’, who is present in all three. God was fully God when He made the world. God was/is fully God living in the saving grace of Jesus. God is fully God when He lives in the power of the Holy Spirit. These are not three different Gods but one, with three different qualities. Let us look at each.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul wants us to know, when he speaks of the grace of Jesus, you and I achieve salvation because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the Cross, that gracious act of undeserved kindness ,who gave His life willingly so that we are made right with God. Great Riches At Christ’s Expense. We are spared any punishment for our sins. This is why Jesus was sent by God for that purpose; this is the heart of the gospel message.

The love of God the Father.
When people speak of love generally, it is either an emotional feeling, or even more so something sensual. We are plagued with many songs all about love, but the deepest and truest love stories are those which are mysterious and profound.

Paul wanted us to fully appreciate the love of God, which is beyond all understanding, and which cared for the world so much He sent His only Son to suffer such a cruel death on the Cross so we should not perish. God’s love is extended to all His children, just as an earthly father loves his own. But such love is for His own, just as an earthly father loves his own. We are God’s children only, when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Remember the words of the Bible, Jesus said.’ no one comes to the Father except through me’. This is why it is vitally important for us to have those we love come to know the love of God by turning to Jesus; there is no other way.
God is a righteous and just God and as such, demands payment for sin, which has been met by Jesus on the Cross.

Imagine a Judge in a Court of law, who has before him a woman who has stolen food to feed her child, because she has no money to afford it. He imposes a fine, which the woman pleads she cannot pay, so the judge has to impose a penalty, but in pity writes a cheque and pays himself. Such is God’s action to us.

But Jesus stated clearly, when he prayed to the Father that not all people were children of God, only those who turned to follow Jesus. (John 17)

Paul then turns to the third person of the Trinity the Holy Spirit.
Paul is saying there is a fellowship all Christians enjoy and experience through the Holy Spirit, and that that experience is what unites them. We are no longer out of relationship with God, we think of Him as a Father.

You and I as Christians, achieve salvation because of the sacrifice made on the Cross, that gracious act of Jesus enable us to know the love of God through the gift of God the Holy Spirit. This must flow out over the whole Church, and there should never be any difficulty or hindrance in Christians being able to relate to each other, even if we have not previously met.

But the Church is not a social club, where we meet for an hour or so once a week. There has to be the truth of the Bible present in our heart and mind. We can meet as strangers, and part as brothers and sisters.

At one time I lived in Mombasa Kenya, a major port on the East coast of Africa. Regularly ships would bring missionaries from other lands, principally from the United States, and whilst Americans are generally friendly people, we were able to engage with them in a way which we would not with other people, simply because we have the same God, same Father and the same Savior, same Spirit within us. No difference because of nationality, race or color of skin.

The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is just one of the blessings of being in Christ, that we can know a bond which stretches across time and space, to unite us with many we have never met and barriers are broken down in the fellowship of believers

We become Christians through the grace of Jesus; the love of God allows us to walk in that grace and the Holy Spirit brings us to be at one with each other, which can stop all in fighting and the rivalry which sometimes invades and infects a Church.

May we experience that amazing grace in our lives and be true disciples of Jesus. And may God bless His words to the learning of His love for us. And may His Holy Name be ever glorified

 A R  E  Y O U  A  C H R I S T I A N?  (or are just an almost one)

The gospel message in Church in Sunday is one to celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the day the Church was born. On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached a message to the crowds who had gathered at the festival.  Those who accepted the message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day; such was the work of the Holy Spirit.

     It may have been that this was in a distant age, but it is still a model which could serve us well in the present day.

     The essential ingredient is that it was a bible believing one.  This may seem to be obvious, but it is far from being so now,; in too many churches the bible has been cast aside
I The Bible states, ‘they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching’.  It must be remembered the teaching of the Apostles was special, for they were taught by the Lord, and God richly blessed their ministry. To authenticate that, they were able to perform miraculous acts, and obviously made a deep impression, for the people we are told devoted themselves to attend.  There was no coercion or inducements; they were filled with awe and inspiration.  Accompanying the bible teaching, they were singing and praising God. How many services do you attend where you come away inspired and filled with awe?
 Here is there recipe for successful worship; joyful praise and faithful bible teaching. People like to sing, and must have tunes that are pleasing to sing. When we have faithful preaching of the Bible coupled with such praise, we can wait for God to bless us  .A significant sentence ends this passage; and the Lord added to their numbers. It is God who adds to a Church.  He may use a preacher, and work through him, but it is God who turns a heart towards Jesus and gives  at person the choice of responding or rejecting the offer to follow Jesus

I .want to turn to a verse in Acts of the Apostles, ‘almost you persuade me to be a Christian’. (Acts 26 v 28)
During my years of ministry I have interviewed many people regarding baptisms, weddings or funerals, and the most common statement made is ‘we don’t go to church, but we are Christians’; or,’ ‘you don’t have to go to Church to be a Christian as long as you are a good person’. This is always volunteered, sometimes challengingly, indeed even aggressively; I suppose to ease the conscience. For someone who has no religious association or commitment, to speak in such manner to a Pastor, may seem to be arrogant.

A lady who was a stalwart of her local church once said to me ‘ I heard a man say on Songs of Praise last week that he had attended Church for many years, but had only just become a Christian. What did he mean?’
This is a popular reaction. It is just assumed, that if one is not an atheist or member of another faith one is per se a Christian. There is a little more to it than that.

The word Christian, was originally a term of derision against the first followers of Jesus, and it is fast becoming an abusive term in this country by public officials, secularists and the judiciary, who want to eradicate Christianity from public life.

To become a Christian, there must be an encounter with Jesus Christ. People have been urged to declare themselves a Christian, without being told what that entails. Being born in a Christian country, to Christian parents, in a Christian home, does not make one a Christian. You cannot inherit Christianity. It is more than living up to a system of morals or ethics. Even Church attendance, however necessary and how much it is part of Christian life, does not on its own make you one. There has to be a conscious decision made, in which one wants to invite Christ into their life. You realise you have been offending against God, and now want to live a life as laid down by Jesus, and have Him come in to your life to give it new direction.

The Bible says, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and so we need forgiveness, and the only way we can get God’s forgiveness is through Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross to pay the penalty for our misbehaviour. You need saving from your sins, and the only way is through Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made on the Cross. You have to realise that, and decide you need His forgiveness. You then make a positive decision that you will turn to Christ and follow His way of living.

That deliberate decision, and subsequent commitment, may come from hearing a preacher. A lady used to visit my Church very irregularly, and one day she came and after the service said, ‘whenever I come here I feel you are getting at me’. I pointed out that as I was unaware she would be attending, it may be that someone higher than me was getting at her.

It may come reading the Bible; even if you have read something many times, one time God will use that word to speak to you.  It may come from seeing a poster with a religious message. The London City Mission posted many messages on the underground system, which spoke vividly to people. I found that posters with a catchy message on, placed on the Church notice board had an effect too.
People have on many occasions been introduced by a friend, which is why it is so important to let people know of our Churches and what they can offer.   However it comes, you will know it has come. Christianity is not a vague feeling, it is something you can know, and you will know.   In each situation, God will act when He knows you are ready, and you will   have His touch on your heart and will respond.

This will necessitate a change in living. You know there are certain activities which are no longer acceptable; the ways of the world are replaced by the ways of Christ. This will mean you will inevitably declare yourself to be a Christian, which will involve mockery and taunting, and mean you can’t join in any falsehoods, immorality or things unethical anymore.

Of course there will be temptations to face. There will be Sunday mornings when you will not feel like going out to Church and you think, ‘oh they won’t miss me at church this morning’. Never feel you won’t be missed. Whilst I am sure your fellow Church members will miss you, God will certainly miss you. Church should come before the golf club or shopping trip or whatever. It is only one hour per week for most people, and if we can’t give that, then there is certainly something very amiss in our life.

The reason there is so much unhappiness, trouble, and broken homes in the nation, is through the absence of Christian values. Children are facing a deprived life in many homes, as parents do not have the time, inclination, or belief, to teach their children basic bible stories, and so many children haven’t the faintest knowledge of any character or major festivals of the Church. A lot of schools have virtually given up teaching Christianity, often in preference to other faiths.

Be ready to take a full part in Church life, and enjoy the joy of coming to share worship with your fellow Christians. The Church is here to bring people to knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is not a spiritual dispensary to hand out soothing syrup, but to proclaim God’s Message as it is written. We take the bread and wine at the table of our Lord, when we remember His blood shed on the cross for us, and as we eat the bread we remember the broken body given for us. Jesus can become very close.

The Roman Catholic Church, and Anglican High Churches,(Virtually the same)in some of those Churches, add that the bread and wine become the body of Christ which is quite wrong. The two subjects are to remind us, of the sacrifice Jesus made to pay the penalty for sour sinning.  A Christian needs discipline in his/her life, for the Bible says we have to take on those who are out to make us give in.

The Bible likens the relationship of Christ and the Church, to that of a husband wife relationship in marriage. When a man proposes to a woman to marry him, and she agrees, they remain unmarried until they promise their commitment to each other in the marriage service. They then begin their life together facing both difficulties and happiness, together. So, in the Christian life it is when we declare our commitment to Christ, we become a Christian and face life with Him in all that life puts before us.

We all have to ask, ‘am I living the Christian life?’ People like to divide the world into two groups, the good and bad, with ourselves of course in the good category. It is too easy to see people behaving worse than us, and convince ourselves we are all right. The point is, whilst some are offending worse than us, we are all offending in some way. We may not plant bombs like some do, but the tongue can be equally explosive in its own way. So let us consider Christian living.
Jesus said, ‘behold I stand at the door and knock and if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me.’ In the East inviting a person to sit and eat with you, infers you are inviting that person to have a special place in your life.

If there is anyone reading this message who has not yet invited Jesus into their life, then I urge you to consider making that decision, and give Him that special place in your life, He is waiting at the door for your invitation.

But let us have sincerity. Today a cushy Christianity obtains in many places, with the intention to say pleasant words which people want to hear. Rogue traders make goods, and put the stamp of a famous name on them. Rogue Christian teachers are putting God’s stamp on their own brand of Christianity, even supporting behaviour, which at one time would not even be mentioned.

We are witnessing in this country at the present time, a rush of politicians wanting to put their name to Christianity. One leader, how important Christianity is, even professing evangelical zeal for the faith; yet he is the one who had a passion for same sex marriage, without anyone being allowed by law to exercise their right of conscience against it. One Minister stated the importance of the faith, and nobly restored the right of Councils to include prayers in their meetings, following a Court’s ruling against it, but at the same time his Department, which owns public buildings refused to allow Christian organisations to hold meetings, because of their objection to the same sex marriage bill. True profession is matched by action.

There were members of a government with a policy, of waging an attack on the Roman Catholic Churches wonderful adoption agencies, so sacrificing the chances of children from being placed into loving homes, because it properly refused to place children into care of two same sex people. There was also the concern the children would be told of Christianity.  It is total and disgraceful hypocrisy, to loudly proclaim Christianity and advocate and support that which is un-Christian.

Our nation so badly needs Christian men and women who are altogether Christians, not almost ones, especially in Churches and in government. On one occasion a proposal was made in Parliament with a Christian sense, and a prominent member if government replied, we don’t do God.

Now compare a situation which arose, just near the same time in the United States of America. A Senator had been the victim of a shooting, and when he returned after sick leave, he said sitting in Congress, his faith had helped his recovery ; and all the members clapped and applauded him. (They do God)

We pray for those who are almost Christian, that God may touch their hearts.



May God’s Holy Name be praised and He be Glorified. 

 

 J O H N 20 v19-end

The Gospel passage for this Sunday comes from John’s gospel in Chapter 20, and is the story of Jesus appearance to His Apostles in the Upper Room on the evening of the first Easter Sunday.

The Apostles were in the Upper Room, terrified in fear for their lives. This was because rumours had been spread around Jerusalem that they must have stolen the body of Jesus, and they feared the authorities might take action against them. The doors were firmly shut, yet Jesus appeared in the room to their amazement, but also joy. This suggests that His body was a supernatural body, and so if we are to be like Him in heaven, our future bodies will also be supernatural. Jesus was giving a demonstration in confirmation He was alive. This was no animation of a corpse; it was Jesus in a new form of being which could pass through doors.

You can imagine the reaction of the Apostles who must have thought they were hallucinating, for most people do at some time have visions, especially if you are longing for someone whom you never expected to see. The Apostles were delighted to see the Lord however.

Jesus greeted them with the traditional Jewish greeting Shalom, words which mean not only ‘peace be with you’, but every kind of blessing. He then showed them His hands and side, to prove that it was the same Jesus they had known when they were with Him, but by showing His wounds it verified that this was the Jesus who had been on the Cross and was now an alive person,

The Apostle Thomas was not present, but would not believe when he was told they had seen the Lord, and refused util he could examine the body of the Lord. When Jesus returned the next week, he was challenged to touch on the body of Jesus, but he declined and answered my Lord and my God. Jesus was not impressed, and praised those who believed by faith not by seeing proof.

We have to sympathize with Thomas, who just a natural fellow responding as most people would not accept a dead man was alive.
Then Jesus gave them command saying, just as God had sent Him, He was now sending them out to preach the gospel in His name. This is essentially and fundamentally what the Church should and must be doing, preaching the gospel that He left us. and abandoning all the modern fancy ideas aimed at pleasing society. We don’t go out saying the Bible says…,but, I’ve got a better idea, we go in His name saying what He said.

Jesus then when parting, He again said ‘peace be with you’ as a form of good-bye, and then breathed on them. At His baptism, the Holy Spirit was poured out on Jesus, and He now tells the Apostles, as God had given Him the Holy Spirit, He (Jesus) was giving them the power of the Holy Spirit to go out and tell the world about His offer of eternal salvation for all who accepted and believed in Him. If anyone did not, they were condemned eternally.

Jesus has passed on this mission to the Church all down the ages, to go out and speak for His message, so that when people hear that message from us, they are indirectly hearing the words of our Lord.
Jesus also said He was giving them the Holy Spirit, in which they could forgive people’s sins, or if necessary to refuse to do so. It is from this passage that the Churches of Catholic persuasion, Roman or Anglican, claim authority to pronounce absolution. This is contrary to Scripture, which teaches that only God can give forgiveness, and there is nothing in the Bible that I can find, which supports priestly absolution.

Every Christian can seek forgiveness from God directly, but if we are considering wanting to make a confession of sins, and seeking assurance, then for good order and discipline, one could reasonably state a priest is the person to approach, rather than just any member of the Church. I have known instances, where people have met for

study groups, and during the meeting been invited and encouraged to speak out on personal troubles, which is quite seriously unwise, as there is no moral demands on friends to keep confidentiality. There is no doubt that by talking out a worrying matter, it can ease one’s mind, but a priest (or ordained minister) is the one who should be approached, bound as he is not to reveal any confidence.

What Jesus is meaning, is that when the Apostles were convinced a person had truly repented of their sins and accepted Jesus as Savior, they could be assured God had forgiven them; but if as on a later occasion when Peter was not assured of a person’s sincerity, they could not be given assurance of forgiveness.

The Church has to a large degree lost its purpose for being; we are here to preach the gospel, but there is a greater desire in many places to be more busy in social activities as well as political. Bishops were very active in advising how to vote in the Brexit referendum, and some are now participating with advice how to vote in elections. If they were as active in advising how to fill the Churches, which are emptying at an alarming rate, they would be fulfilling their proper day job.

God wants us to be out into the world doing what Jesus did. At His baptism, God sent the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove on to Jesus, so that He could go in the name of God and make disciples. Now Jesus is sending us out in the power of the Holy Spirit to be His hands and feet and voice.

This chapter will not be fully explained in some Churches today, as there will be a problem, namely that there are clergy who do not believe in the physical resurrection. A man who had challenged the resurrection was some years ago, being consecrated into his Office as a Bishop in York Minster. Later the same night a bolt of lightning struck and blew out the rose window of the Cathedral. When this was suggested to be God venting His anger, that was mocked and ridiculed by the liberal establishment, yet there was no such experience in any other part of the city. People will say about a passage you can’t expect me to believe that, it is now 2026. Yet they will believe many things even harder to understand.

A team of meteorologists, studied weather maps of the whole county area at the time of the incident, and those experts unanimously declared the only answer can be, it was an act of God.. Senior men of the Church did not

accept their verdict, stating God would not do that ‘these days’
If I press 13 buttons on my mobile phone, I will within seconds speak to someone in China, the words flying across thousands of miles, across millions of other messages being transmitted. Explain that. You drink white milk taken from a black cow, which eats green grass without working it out. Why do people limit the power of God? But they do. You hold meetings in your Churches, a function of the Church Council is to promote mission in the parish. Without a fixed spiritual leader this is a difficult task, 

One essential for every Church I have always believed, is to emulate business. Firms spend millions on advertising their product; we are in the Lord’s business, and have what no other business can offer, yet we fail to circulate any message.

I published my Church magazine for 17 years, and so have had an interest in Church magazines. I find articles about past events, articles of much interest to members, but little or nothing for the outsider; never a gospel message. We hold Church fetes to which locals attend, and what a great effort is made to make cakes and collect items all for sale, and work hard in the process. Yet how much effort is made to get people inside the main building; in most events little, if any, effort is made in advertising our Sunday Services. Compare with the publicity political parties use, and little of it is true. We are to be equally vibrant with our unique message, which makes an offer no other party or institution can.

We have just come out of Easter, and most Churches had large attendances, responding to glorious hymns and

preaching about Jesus, This proves people do still have a need and desire to worship if they are offered such similar services, Obviously we can’t offer Carols, but Our hymn books are filled with delightful spiritual hymns and music of Charles Wesley.

There is a young man who holds public meetings in the city, an ordinary working class man, who preachers all about J, waving his   Bible, telling that we all should read it, and massive crowds listen to him, supporting him

No shouting him down.  If he can draw so many to hear the gospel (God bless him) why can’t the Church?

Because he speaks their way in clear unmistakeable words, getting to the heart of  the gospel.

When you receive Communion this Sunday, you are part of a tradition which has been passed down from that Upper Room. Many people have tried, and are now trying harder than ever to take Christianity out of public life, but while empires have come and gone, the Christian Church has survived, and millions and millions of people have found their lives enriched by their faith, and the words of Jesus are still relevant, ‘the gates of hell will not prevail against it’. There may be resistance in this and other Western nations, but in Africa, China and beyond there is massive turning to the Lord Jesus; devoted Christians face opposition in countries where Christianity is not the main faith, and yet are leading others to hear of Jesus.

The Church in England has adopted the false doctrine of accepting same sex marriage, and cannot therefore expect God’s blessing, but there are still many Churches who have rejected that doctrine.
When Jesus was first seen after His resurrection by Mary Magdelene, He told her to go and tell His Apostles. Such a challenge is laid on all Churches and Christians, go and tell you have found Jesus.

Praise the Lord Jesus Christ . Give thanks to God for His Holy Gospel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 John17  v1- 16

It is the night before the Crucifixion. Jesus is with His Apostles at the Last Supper and is spending His last hours before going to the Cross.
In a few hours He will be dead, so He is telling them He is going to leave them. and they will be left to face life without Him. He then concludes with a prayer, which makes this one of the outstanding passages in the New Testament, telling His followers then, and by extension to those who follow Him through the ages, what they will have to face as Christians.  For Jesus, life was life with a climax and that was the Cross. When He spoke of the Cross as His glorification, it had a deep significance. It is one of the facts of history again and again, that it was in death that some people’s greatness was recognised. and they would never ever know how they influenced others.

I once took a funeral of a young man who virtually gave up his life by the way he lived, suffering from acute depression and a feeling of achieving nothing. Tributes were paid in the most sincere and outstanding words by men of his profession, who went to considerable effort to do so, and it was sad to realise the young man never knew how much he was valued, how far he could have gone. We see this in the life of religious figures and in the world of music and art .The great name of history,  Abraham Lincoln described as one of the greatest American lives, Joan of Arc, a peasant French girl fighting, until executed by English Army

The Cross was the glory of Jesus. because it was the completion of the work God had sent Him to do. God had given Him authority over every man and woman on earth; He had come to show the love of God, and what He was prepared to suffer for mankind. In His glory, He brings glory to God, and if He had not gone to the Cross, it would have meant His work was not completed; to stop short would have suggested there was a limit to that love. Jesus showed there was nothing the love of God was not prepared to do and suffer for us.   The Bible makes it clear that Jesus could have escaped the Cross by never going near Jerusalem. The Cross was proof that men could do their worst. yet He could rise above their worst, and the Cross would not be the end, for the resurrection was to follow.

In verse 6, Jesus says ‘I have revealed you to those whom you have given me’. Jesus is here thinking of particularly of the Apostles with Him in the Upper Room; those who turned and followed Him in His ministry; those ‘kept the Word’, meaning they were obedient to the faith. But this also equates to all who would one day follow Him.
Then Jesus goes on to say He was not praying for the world, but for those who God had given Him. Jesus is teaching us that we are rescued from the world. The world means all who are opposed to God’s standards and way of life; those who live without reference to God.   This means there are two types of people in the world, which the gospel makes clear over and over again, those who are loyal and obedient to God, and those who are not. Jesus was always quite unequivocal, that we are either for Him or against Him, there is no neutrality or sitting on the fence. Jesus is firmly black or white. in how you respond to Him

It is like being on a mountain top; you can keep to the laid down path and be safe, or make your own way which will likely end in disaster. Jesus spoke of two roads, one leading to eternal life, the other to destruction, so we have to decide our course in life. Sometimes we feel buffeted by the storms of life, the stresses and strains, the problems of work and family, and personal relationships. We ask will I be strong enough to do the work God wants me to do. Jesus is praying here for all who believe in Him, and particularly for the difficulties to be faced.

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

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

There are of course, religious orders that lock themselves away from the outside world. They are truly dedicated men and women who sincerely believe they are serving God. The kind of Christianity however, which shuts itself off in a monastery or convent, would not have seemed to Jesus to be Christianity at all. The kind of Christianity. which finds the essence of the Christian life in prayer and meditation in a life secluded from the world, would have seemed to Jesus to be a sad version of the faith He died to bring to people.   It was Jesus insistence to be in the hurly burly of life that we must live out our faith. Christianity was never meant to withdraw men and women from ordinary people. It does not release us from problems, but equips us to deal with them. It offers not always peace, but triumph.

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

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

Jesus warned us of the hostility we face from a hostile world which hates Christians. If you find that hard to accept, just consider the violence, even murder, of Christians in lands across the world, On a more subtle scale, in Australia and Canada; where Bible preaching is under threat, and proposals have been made to ban parts of Scripture.  In England where a local Council issued an order to curtail evangelical preaching, including the Church Pastor

You may say well this is England it can’t happen here. Consider scientists, intellectuals, to whom the Bible is a form of hate literature, arty types, who have shown their dislike and contempt for the Christian faith. Activists are calling for law to be enacted which would criminalise quoting some Bible verses. Indeed, efforts were made in Scotland this year to have all sermons examined before being preached, and have removed any reference to Biblical teaching which opposed modern morality.(immorality?)

We have people showing quite manic attitude to Christianity. Now we have our faith under threat from politicians and public servants who want to ignore Christian festivals, ban Biblical teaching. ‘Christian Concern’, the organisation which legally represents Christians suffering from secular repression, has undertaken many cases.
The world hates biblical truth, and if you take a stand publicly for the truth of the gospel, you will not be popular and are likely to be called narrow minded at best, and a bigot at worst. If a complaint is not made about the preacher’s sermons, he should be checking what is being said.

An Important part of the passage is the explanation of  eternal life..  This refers to the Kingdom of God, a kind of splendor. majesty, joy, and holiness.  To know God. Which is so more meaningful, well above words  People can tell you of someone but until you meet the person. you do not appreciate fully what is being said

 

 

We thank God for His Holy Gospel and Praise the Lord Jesus Christ

 ALDERSGATE SUNDAY

 

Each year at this time, I have at this date, or the Sunday closest to 24May.. preached to remember the two brothers John and Charles Wesley. In view of the date being the same as Pentecost Sunday, I am writing about Aldersgate Sunday for the coming Sunday 17^th may.
On 21 May, 1738, Charles was being spiritually encouraged by his sister, when he read Martin Luther’s commentary on Galatians, when he had a profound spiritual awakening. He wrote the first of his 6,000 hymns, ‘where shall my wandering soul begin’.

Three days later on 24 May 1738, John attended a service in a Chapel at Aldersgate, London, and heard a discourse of Martin Luther on Romans, when his spirit was strangely moved. He then learned that forgiveness of sin and acceptance by God, was a free gift from God, and there is nothing we can contribute on our own, as God accomplished through the death of Jesus on the Cross.

From this point onward, John at the age of 35 viewed his mission in life, as one of proclaiming the good news of salvation by faith. The congregations of the Church of England however, closed its doors to him because of his enthusiasm for the Bible

Charles wrote a hymn, which has been treasured through the ages after John’s experience, which has been the favorite of so many people, including Billy Graham, ‘And Can it be’. This described the feelings of Charles with the words, ‘my chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose got up and followed thee’. Exactly a year later. he wrote the hymn which for many years until 1938, was always the first hymn in the Methodist Hymn book, ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing’. The life of Charles was transformed. and he became a Curate in the Church of England at St. Mary’s Church in London, but his style of preaching upset the wardens, who persuaded the Vicar to make him leave.

The two brothers, together with George Whitfield, who had been a priest in the Church of England but was expelled, began open air preaching, which attracted large crowds. This offended clergy, who wouldn’t let them preach in their churches.

In 1745, when he was at the age of 40, Charles went to Wales to preach, and there he met the daughter of the local Squire, Sally Gwynne, with whom he had a happy marriage.
In 1756, he gave up itinerant ministry and settled in Bristol, with the Methodist Societies, and fifteen years later resumed preaching in London.

John was persuaded by Oxford friends, John Burton and James Oglethorpe, the governor of Georgia, in North America, to go to America. There he met Moravian emigrants, who he thought had spiritual peace, and he served them faithfully. He was not the sort of man who appealed to the natives.

He took to, and attached to the niece of the chief magistrate, Sophia Hopkey, but she married another man, which upset John, so he barred her from Holy Communion. He fled from Georgia as persecution faced him, and returned to England.

In London, John met a Moravian named Peter Bohler, who told him he simply needed faith, and he also after reading Galatians, discovered the scriptural doctrine of justification by grace, through faith, He followed this by visiting Aldersgate.

Whilst they were close to each other, differences occurred, and Charles was the stronger character. When John stated he was going to marry Grace Murray,   Charles thought that too bad an idea and rode out to York from London, to prevent the marriage taking place. 

Charles displayed his mind and showed dislike, when he wrote about a preacher John appointed. ‘such a preacher I have never heard, and hope I shall never again. It was beyond description, I cannot say he preached false doctrine, or any doctrine at all’. (What would Charles say now?)  On another occasion, he said John has made a preacher out of a tailor, but I shall make him a tailor again.

Charles and John were still Anglican priests, and wanted to remain so, but there was too much opposition, and few sided with them for fear of consequences from the Church. More lay preachers were made, and Charles felt they offered little depth.

Charles did not like the Methodist movement proposing to have an ordained ministry outside of the Anglican structure, which was opposite to John’s views. They differed over fees, Charles felt he should be paid for preaching, but John disagreed.   Soon after his death, something he always feared happened, when Methodists separated from the Church of England.

Charles died on 29 March 1788, but before his death, he sent for the Rector of the Church of Marylebone John Harley, and said, ‘’sir, whatever the world may say of me, I have lived and I die a members of the Church of England. I pray you bury me in your Churchyard’’. He was buried there against his brothers wishes, with eight clergymen of the Church of England as pallbearers. A memorial stone stands close by in Marylebone High Street.

John died on 2 March 1791

Whenever people talk about Methodism, they invariably refer to John as leader, but facts show Charles was the leader of a group at Oxford, who used to go into the community to minister to people there, and such was their methodical ways, were called Methodists. John joined and led the group later as it grew.   John has been seen as the natural leader by virtue of his sound biblical preaching,  Charles has been viewed more as a hymn writer, and wrote the most beloved  great hymns we have been able to enjoy, and to be inspired

People need to research to find John’s sermons, but the hymns of Charles still inspire and delight all who hear them. I have seen Ministers insist on choosing only Chares hymns. They shared the spread of Christianity together, and led the only revival in England. Indeed, Methodism has spread across the world, especially in the United States of America.

No one can deny that the Wesley’s, and the Methodist Movement, had an effect on Britain at this time. Historians generally agree, that the evangelical revival had a profound effect on stemming a revolutionary tide in the country. Conditions were improved by changing the hearts of the people; many of the wealthy became more caring towards the workers, and the artisan working classes acted more respectful and civilised. On one occasion in Wales, a group of theatrical people protested that Methodist preaching was proving too much of an attraction and was threatening their business.

As we look at Methodism to-day, we see a marked decline in attendances. This applies to all Churches in the Western Hemisphere, but the decision to allow same sex marriage in Churches has added unnecessary depletion. This is distinctly contrary to the Word of God, it is false doctrine. What two or one people do is a personal issue, and should not be interfered with, but the Church is disobeying God, Jesus and the Apostles by giving it approval. I can only think John and Charles would be heart-broken if they knew how modern Methodism has been the subject of unworthy action.

A survey was carried out to all members of the Church seeking opinion as to whether such marriages be approved, and there was a clear answer—NO. It had to be accepted, but it was stated by the leadership to hold a second vote after two years. This time the members were not asked, it was passed at Conference, supporters knew it would never have been passed by members.  They dishonoured John and Charles, and themselves When God speaks, we obey Him.

In May 1738 John preached a sermons on Romans Chapter 1. Here are some words from that sermon They are all the words of John Wesley, not mine.

Verse 23to Adam in a vision, when he was asleep, that this lovely creature, is now bone of my bones - Probably it was revealed to him, was a piece of himself and was to be his companion, and the wife of his covenant - In token of his acceptance of her, he gave her a name, not peculiar to her, but common to her sex; she shall be called woman, Isha, a She- man, differing from man in sex only, not in nature; made of man, and joined to man. Verse 24. The sabbath and marriage were two ordinances instituted in innocence, the former for the preservation of the church, the latter for the preservation of mankind. It appears by Matt. xix, 4, 5, that it was God himself who said here, a man must leave all his relations to cleave to his wife; It should seem they are the words of Adam in God's name, laying down this law to all his posterity. All John Wesley’s words

In the Methodist Worship Book, the introduction to the Marriage service, it is stated;
A marriage ceremony is a formal occasion when a solemn, legal contract is made between a man and a woman. In a Christian context, it is also an act of worship in which marriage is celebrated as a gift from God and the joy of the couple is shared and their commitment to each other, witnessed by family and friends. The Marriage Service’s themes of love, hope, faithfulness, sacrifice and trust are the heart of the Christian gospel.

When people join an organisation, they are agreeing to observe all the ruling and policies of that body, and if they feel unable to do so they should leave.  I cannot understand how any man or woman, who has the privilege of preaching in a Church, can so flagrantly disobey the teaching of the Bible. It is gross hypocrisy.

It had been my original intention to be a Methodist Minister, when my first start in ministry was at a small Methodist Church in Cheshire, but circumstances directed otherwise, and I was invited to join the Church of England.

For eleven years, being in an a Anglican/Methodist partnership, I took services in Methodist Churches. I found the people most friendly, and indeed made friends, it was some of the happiest years in my Ministry, and the loss when the partnership broke up was a sad one. It was obvious then, that the older people were totally against the leadership giving priority to society, rather than to God.  Methodism was a great evangelical Church, now it is sadly looked upon as a Church which has lot its way, and its people.
I close with words of John WesIey.

 I want to know one thing, the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God Himself has condescended to teach the way; for this end He came down from heaven. He hath written down in a book. Give me that book. At any price give me the Book of God.

 

Give thanks to God for His Holy Gospel.  May He be praised and glorified.

  A C T S 2.  V 42-47

 

 Some years ago , a prominent journalist of his time, wrote a piece about the Church in which he pictured it as ‘a dying bourgeois cult’, where few gather as Church bells ring out, mainly elderly middle class females led by a dispirited Vicar.

     That is a view I suspect many people hold, and if we are brutally honest, will have to agree is fairly typical of the scene in many places.  Congregations are largely middle-class, elderly and female, which however just goes to show the wisdom of elderly middle-class ladies.  Yet there are numerous Churches across the country, which attract large congregations of mixed ages, sex and class. We have to consider why this is so.  

     In the Western countries, it is true that we are living in a post Christian age where the majority of people have little or no time for God and His Church, unless they want a baptism or wedding and then they find God and His Church can be useful.  In addition, we have biased judges, politicians and public officials taking the opportunity of trying to wipe it out of public life. 

     The majority of people however do claim to be Christians, yet do not want to attend Church.  There is a fundamental difference between being religious and being a Christian.    Over 90% would claim to be Christians, and whist they could be classified as Christian sympathisers or supporters, Christians they are not.  A Christian is one who has committed their life to serve and worship the Lord, and is present at Church.

     There are of course the usual excuses, such as,    ‘Can’t we read the Bible at home and listen to services on television, which they never consider doing. .People say ‘I can be a Christian without going to Church’.  That is like saying a fish is still a fish without being in water, but just as water is essential for the fish’s survival, so is Church for a Christian’s survival.

     There are very few people who would seriously deny there is a God, indeed the majority own up to believing in our God, but that is as far as they go.      

     Today the Church is often seen as a sort of social organisation with a spiritual flavour.  There are parts of the Church which encourage this image as more attention is paid to that side than the spiritual.  So we should remember when the disciples sought out Jesus to attend to people’s needs, He replied that what He came for was to preach the gospel.  Whilst He did perform many acts of mercy, His main purpose of preaching was made clear.  That, I suggest should be the attitude the Church takes, namely that we will engage in social activity, but never at the neglect or reduction of our main purpose.

     The Bible sees the Church as much more than just another social organisation.  Paul gave instructions in several of his New Testament Letters, as to how we should conduct ourselves in relation to the Church.  He called the Church a pillar and support of the truth, the household of God.  This means the Church has a special importance in God’s plan.  It also means we ought to know how we are to live and function within that plan.

So let us look at the model of a Christian Church, as seen in Scripture in that first Christian Church, and perhaps find a reason for the falling off by so many people today. 

     First it was a Bible based Church. 

They were devoted to the Apostles teaching, it captivated them.  Those early Christians listened to the Apostles, who in turn had been taught by our Lord.  They heard all that the Lord had given and laid down, as the faith should be lived out.  It was about Jesus, who He was, what He came to do,  how to obey Him and about His second coming  to judge the world. 

In other words, the whole Christian faith. 

Notice it says ‘devoted’ themselves, this means they were committed, no half heartedness. The wonderful thing is that we too can follow the Apostles teaching, it is written down for us in the New Testament, and it is God’s way of providing for His people to be trained. 

     A Church which is spiritually healthy will make the teaching of the Bible its primary task.  And indeed, it is those evangelical Churches which are biblically based, and doctrinally sound, which are thriving.

 The reading of Scripture in Church is the only Biblical teaching most people receive.  This is necessary to increase our faith, and enable us to properly determine the various moral issues which are so prevalent in today’s society. 

 Sadly there is much preaching these days which is not biblically based.  There is a tendency to re-write the Bible in order to conform with society’s morals. and to fall in with the general air of political correctness.

Whilst I have always admired Charles and John Wesley, I have recently had to study the life of Charles extensively, in order to conduct a service in his honour, and that admiration has grown.  If he were alive today, he would have much to say at the way the Church has failed to proclaim the message he left, that salvation was through Christ alone, the value of a person’s life was measured by their faith,   and the doctrine of heaven and hell.  How often have you heard sermon on these subjects.

They were a fellowship Church.

 We share a relationship to God and to each other, based on a common spiritual life. God put us with a variety of people we may not ordinarily like, but God expects us to grow together.   We are to care for one another, and when others need encouragement and support, we are to give it. 

The Bible uses several names to describe God’s people, and the most powerful is that of a family.  In families, we are related to one another, a bond based on allegiance and fidelity.  A family consist of  different ages,  different gender, different experiences and background  and it is God’s way of providing for His people to grow together.  This is why we need to come to learn the Bible, from readings and sermons, praying together for our needs, and the world  praising God as we sing together; sharing the bread and wine in Holy Communion, as we remember what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. 

We can go to another country, a mixture of ages, gender

Language and colour, all one in Christ Jesus

     Thirdly, they were a committed Church. 

They met regularly.  There are those for whom the Church is a second choice.  There are times in all our lives when personal situations arise which call for our attention, but for some Church will take second place in their list of priorities, something which Jesus Himself condemned.         

     It can be so easy to go with the flow and give up, which is why the Bible urges Christians to be together. Each year hundreds of people give up worship.  There many reasons, pressures of the world,  ridicule from friends,  family trouble,   a bad experience at a church,

 all of which are expressly good reasons for going to church.

 I have asked two young people. one man and one woman, both in the 20/30 age group, intelligent people, who do not got attend a Church, and asked why nor?

The answer I got they did not learn anything as the sermons were of little spiritual meaning.

 I know people have busy lives, but there are many men and women who do attend Church, who have equally busy lives, and yet manage to arrange their lives to enable them to come. Time can be found for other things, so it is all down to priority. Those first Christians were ordinary people just like you and me, with the same demands on their time, but their actions reflected their priorities. You need only stand outside a mosque, and see how many men and women come out of their meetings.  How can their lives be so different from Christians?  Jesus fiercely denounces complacency, and He appeals for wholeheartedness, or true commitment.   

  So what about you and me today? There is always the temptation on a Sunday morning, to think ‘they will not miss me if I don’t go to Church.’  I am sure your fellow members will miss you, but more so, God will miss you.  Don’t fall prey to the devil.    

  As we examine ourselves today, as we prepare to receive communion, let us ask ourselves, ‘are we half hearted or wholehearted in our commitment to Christ?’  A tepid commitment is no commitment at all. Jesus said that way the church is behaving in a way which serves no useful purpose.  No-one is farther from the truth in Christ than the one who makes an idle profession without real faith. It is largely a case of priority, and Jesus expected to be given priority. 

 If we can find time for all the other things in life but not for Church, we must ask ourselves how important is our faith, God, and Jesus to us. If you consider yourself a Christian and a believer, then failing to attend church is not an option.  Many older people would love to attend

Church, but for health reason are not able,  They can be online followers on Sundays; the number of services are limited in the United Kingdom, but the United States of America  have some real evangelical services.

 The Bible repeatedly tells us that Church attendance is an essential for a Christian. It is necessary for your spiritual well- being, it pleases God as you obey the 4^th Commandment.  

 It shows our love and worship toward God. It demonstrates our faith and trust in God.

The great American evangelist D L Moody told the story of a young man, who had fallen away, and as they sat round a coal fire, Moody knocked one of the coals into the hearth and it died out.  He picked it up and put it back on the fire, and it glowed.  He pointed out to the man that this is what happens when a Christian falls away from Church, they burn out

     Fourthly they were a growing Church

their numbers increased rapidly.  We must remember Christianity spread throughout the ancient world without any radio, television, or any means of mass communication.  If we expect great things from God great things will happen.    If we today want to see the Church grow we have to be devoted to the task. When life gets hard for people they are more inclined to think of the Church, and for a lot of people life has become very hard. 

  A great fault in the Church today is apathy.  There is too ready an attitude to accept the situation as it exists.  We don’t let people know exactly what the Church truly stands for.  There is an image as mentioned earlier of indifference, ancient language and solemn music.  It need not be any of that.  We have wonderful music to choose from, and the most vibrant message that can be offered.  We just need to proclaim it.  

We are having an election, in which the parties have posted through our doors letters telling us all the wonderful things they can offer. I believe  the Church should be telling what we are doing as we have more to offer, and more truthful also  In simple terms let people know we care, have good music, tell Bible stories in plain words and would really like to see them.  

     Business spends millions of pounds advertising and they wouldn’t advertise unless it paid off.  We are in the Lord’s business, and should not be reluctant to advertise.    In spite of living in a world of opposition, we must hold fast to the faith in which we believe and draw near to God with a sincere heart. 

The Bible states, ‘I urge you to strongly contend for the truth once given to the saints.’  That truth, was that which is now written down in Scripture, which so many people want to amend, and indeed ignore when not compatible with their way of living.

We are under so much pressure by press, television to turn away from fundamentals, and government legislation works against us. The messengers of secularism and multiculturalism are given so much attention.

  The messengers of Islam and other faiths, are not ashamed or reluctant to boldly proclaim their message, nor will they allow their faiths to be abused, neither should we.          

  Let us take inspiration from those Christians who daily face terrible persecution of their faith in other nations, and many other countries, having their Churches and homes burned down, assaulted and imprisoned, and even murdered, but never give in or lose faith.        

Believe God’s promise. Read the Scriptures, keep coming. Never give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, and let us always give each other encouragement

Thank God for His Holy Gospel. Praise the Lord Jesus

 

 

1THESSALONIANS 4 V 13 TO 5/V11

 

I want you to turn with me to Paul’s 1^st Letter to the Thessalonian Church,  In this 4^th Chapter, Paul answers a question most people have asked at some time of their life, more so as they get older.  What happens to me when I die?  Here, Paul is responding to that problem which is disturbing this young Church. 

Paul had established this Church and most of the members had come from worshipping idols, but had become committed and devoted Christians.  Paul had only three weeks with them before he was driven out of the city by opposing Jews, so had not had time to fully explain as much as he would have liked.  They had been told about the death of Jesus and His resurrection, and how He would one day return and claim all His believers, but they were afraid that some of their members would die before Jesus returned and so miss being with Him in heaven. 

In this passage before us, Paul deals with this important doctrine of the Church, one which is mentioned 300 times in the New Testament.  Whilst it is a vitally important message which non believers should hear, it is also very desirable that Christians should hear and be reminded of, and reassured what the gospel states concerning our eternal future.

Paul begins by saying he does not wish us to be unaware of what happens to those who have fallen asleep.  Here he is referring to Christians as asleep to make the point that they will awake from the grave when Christ returns.  Paul states whilst we may grieve when we lose someone dear, which is in fact what Jesus did when His friend Lazarus died, we are not like unbelievers who have no future hope. 

When the Bible speaks of ‘hope’, it is not the vague meaning we might have when we say I hope you have a good day; it is something more positive. Christians do have the belief and expectation that whilst there is parting, there will be reunion with those we have lost for a while.

 

We have been considering our future so far as believers; what can we say to unbelievers.

I have been using the word ‘Christians’ in the biblical sense.  Most people would like to call themselves Christians if they are not atheists or members of another faith; that is not how the Bible sees it.  A Christian in the truest sense is someone who believes Jesus died on the Cross, and rose again. His death was the price He paid that our sins may be forgiven so that our relationship with God can be restored.  His risen state is to assure us that we too will rise with Him, provided we accept Him as Lord and Saviour, and commit ourselves to live as God has shown us how, that is to be in the words of the Bible.

So if unbelievers have no hope, what is the consequence?  People scoff at talk of the return of Christ and of a Day of Judgement. Such talk becomes the butt of their jokes and is dismissed out of hand. Later in our passage Paul states they will suffer wrath because they will have rejected the only means of escape for any of us, and that is Jesus. This is a sombre warning for us all and should make us concerned for those members of our families who have rejected Christ. It should make us want to do all we can to persuade them to turn with us to a Saving Lord.

The Bible is very clear that there will be a Day of Judgement, a day of accountability, a day when all the books will be opened, a day when all the wrongs will be righted, a day when justice will be done.

Jesus always made two distinctions.  He spoke of tares and wheat; of sheep and goats in today’s gospel reading; of two roads, one leading to eternal life and the other to destruction.  He spoke of heaven and hell in equal measure.  

For many people today hell is a forbidden word in the religious sense.  I was at a clergy meeting and at the Church there was a mural which had faded and when I asked why it had not been restored I was told by a fellow Minister that it depicted sinners being consigned to hell and he added, but we don’t preach about hell now do we.  I answered that I did and he looked at me with complete horror.  But Jesus did too; you can read His words in this book. 

Jesus used different terms in which to describe hell, but simply it means just being separated eternally from God.  It is strange that whilst people dispute any notion of hell as ridiculous they use the word constantly for all kinds of things and in all situations.

One of the great questions that people have to the Christian faith is, how can a loving God send people to hell.  It is not that God does or wants to send anyone to hell; it is rather people choose that course by ignoring God and all He stands for.   It may be something you have felt, you can’t understand how the Bible can teach that there is such a place.

The Bible teaches quite clearly that there will be a final Day of Judgement, a final day when we will be held accountable, and Jesus left us with a clear message of the alternatives.

In verse 15, Paul mentions having had a word from the Lord, something which the Lord revealed to him personally, so we may be assured that what Paul is telling us can be relied upon. Those who die are in conscious fellowship with Christ in the first stage, and will rise with Christ with new bodies when He returns.

I have never been to Hong Kong, but my son can tell me about it, because he has lived there. There is only one person who has died, experienced life after death, and is able to tell us about it, and that is Jesus. What he says we can rely on. He speaks the truth. Paul is one of the chosen spokesmen for the risen and ascended Christ.

After a funeral service people offer words of comfort to the bereaved; Paul is saying here we should do so, but as Christians, not in the same way, we can comfort one another with the assurance of a further meeting with the deceased. Of course we will grieve when those we love die and were separated from them, for now. But the nature of our grieving can and should be rather different from the hopeless grief of unbelieving people.   

Having set out the future Paul then answers the question of when this will happen by pointing out that God in His wisdom does not reveal this. Therefore there will be no time for preparation .He says it will be like a thief who comes in the night unannounced, or like a woman delivering a baby; both events come on suddenly and can be painful.

When Jesus returns it will be just the same, His coming will be sudden and painful for those not having believed in Him. It will be like the householder who gets burgled and has no insurance; he was intending to get cover but just didn’t get around to doing so. Families will be divided with one taken and one left, some destined to be with Him others not.  Paul is not trying to frighten or threaten, he is actually reassuring believers who may be feeling insecure Paul talks about light and darkness with believers being children of light; we don’t live recklessly as unbelievers do, but we stay sober and awake.  He uses the metaphor of being drunk and fallen asleep referring to unbelievers living in a dark world.

Drawing upon the Old Testament where the Lord is portrayed as a warrior wearing armour, so the Christian puts on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation.

I realise this passage is one which can be a message which disturbs, and even distresses, but the doctrine

of judgement is one of the basic and fundamental doctrines of the Church and is put in the Bible to help and save us; it helps to explain some of the seeming unfairness in the world.  

If there was no doctrine of judgement, it would mean that we live in an unfair world, one in which the evil and guilty would have prospered, where there would be no distinction between goodness by the countless millions who served the Lord faithfully, often in much hardship, and the barbarism of men like Hitler and others like him.  Heaven and hell are clear demonstrations that God is a just God.

The passage ends with words of encouragement.  The Christian Church is a community of mutual comfort and Paul is urging them to give one another help in their anxieties with the fundamental truths of the gospel, that the Jesus who is coming again is the very same person who died and rose again. 

The supreme result of the death and resurrection of Jesus is to bring us into a personal union with Him, one which neither death, nor bereavement, nor judgement can ever destroy. 

So let us be comforted by these words; and let us try to bring to know Christ those nearest and dearest to us who have yet to find Him.  We must let it be known no one is beyond redemption, and God will receive all who turn to Him who accept that Jesus died for them and their forgiveness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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