Christmas Wishes

I would like to wish everyone who reads this blog a Very Happy Christmas. Thank you for you interest in my 'rants' over the past few months. I hope they have been a blessing to you, it was certainly a blessing for me to get things of my chest. May the Lord bless you at this Season of the year and may 2010 be a great year for you.




'For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.' Isaiah 9 v6-7

Pardon Me, could you repeat that?

I couldn't believe my ears today as I was listening to the news on the car radio. A Church of England Vicar from York was being interviewed because he said it was okay for people to shoplift if they were in need as long as they shoplifted from someone that could afford it like a multi national store.

I appreciate the mans sympathy for those who find themselves in poverty and perhaps the church should be doing more to meet the needs of the poorest in society but to encourage people to break one of God's commandments is unbelievable.

Who are we to amend the laws of God, who gives us the right to add circumstances to God's word where it is okay to disobey God. To God obedience is paramount. When Saul took the Amalekite livestock rather than slaying them as God commanded he claimed he did it so as he could make a sacrifice to God. God told him through Samuel the prophet that to obey was better than to sacrifice.

Let us not tinker with God's word!

'Thou shalt not steal.' Exodus 20 v15

HOLINESS

The doctrine of God’s Holiness is a much neglected and misunderstood doctrine. The Bible tells us in Genesis that God made man in His image, but what man has now done is he has made God in his image, that is man has created a God to suit his own sinful lifestyle. This is idolatry and in direct violation of the second commandment.

Man does not want to have to bow to a Holy and Just God who must and will punish sin so man has taken the attributes of God that he likes e.g. his love and mercy and has created a god who winks at sin and brushes it under the carpet. Such a god would never cast a sinner into Hell and of course he couldn’t because he does not exist he is merely an idolatrous invention of wicked human minds.

Sadly this unscriptural notion of God has even permeated the church and has distorted the gospel message from the true message of ‘repent or ye shall all likewise perish’ to ‘trust God because he loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.’

The preaching of God’s law and the consequences of breaking it are the true means to see men saved, the Bible teaches that the law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Man’s motivation for repentance should be a full understanding of how he has violated God’s Holy Law and not some ‘lifestyle enhancement’ reason. If we get converts because they want to improve their life then what are they going to do when they get the tribulation and trials outlined in scripture for those who truly live for God.

I have been struck over the past few mornings by the Holiness of God as I have been reading the book of Numbers. In chapter 15 we see a man who is stoned to death at God’s command for Sabbath breaking and then in chapter 16 we see a group of people lead by Korah swallowed alive into the pit (Hell) for violation of God’s priestly order. I know we are now living in the day of God’s grace but God has not changed. He is still Holy and there will be a day of reckoning for lawbreakers. Let us reach them with the good news of the gospel while it is still day ‘for the night cometh when no man can work,’ and let us live lives that bring glory to His name.

‘Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.’ 1ST Peter 1 v16

Copenhagen Claptrap

There are many people in society today who are getting very worked up about ‘Climate Change’. As I write this blog Presidents and Prime Ministers from around the world are meeting in Copenhagen to discuss the issue of ‘Climate Change’, it’s anticipated impact on our environment and the supposed catastrophic consequences if we don’t act now to reduce carbon emissions.

I must admit at this point that I am not a scientist, nor am I the son of a scientist but I don’t buy it. I would have described myself until recently as a ‘Climate Change Sceptic’. I have now amended that position; I would now describe myself as a ‘Climate Change Denier’.

Now let me clarify, I do not deny that climate changes; we all know it does. The other night when I went to bed it was freezing and the ground was white, however, when I got up the next morning it was actually quite mild. The climate in my locality had changed by several degrees in a matter of hours. Average world temperatures have always fluctuated and always will. We are currently in a period of increase but that is not to say that it won’t start to decrease next year or in the next decade. What I deny is that man has any thing significant to do with it.

Let me tell you what I think is going on. The spirit of the Antichrist influences this world in which we live. Politicians are slowly moving towards one world government as outlined in Bible prophecy. Something has to be found to unite mankind in a common struggle and it has to be something bigger than the selfish interests of individual nations. I believe a satanically inspired ‘bogey man’ has been created to scare the world into one world government, into Babylon.

If the world’s temperature is increasing and I say if because of the recent leaked e-mails where it would appear scientists have been dabbling in the political dark art of ‘spin’ in order to get out the message that they want to get out. Whose to say it has anything to do with man? Is it possible that that huge fireball in the sky that we call the sun has any impact on the earth’s temperature; you know I think it might?

If the Lord Jesus was to break the clouds tomorrow, this earth still has seven years of tribulation and a thousand year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ to go. For that reason alone I know that the scare stories of ‘Climate Change Claptrap’ are nothing more than that.

Who are you going to believe, a God who never lies or our Politicians? In the past week Tony Blair has admitted that he would have found other reasons to go to war in Iraq if he was not able to use the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ reason. We now know with hindsight that WMD was a big fat lie. What other lies are we being told by the politicians. I ask again who are you going to believe?

‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ Numbers 23 v19

TOLERANCE

I noticed a quote today on a calendar hanging in the office where I work. It was by G K Chesterton an English author from around the turn of the 20th century. He said ‘Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions’. I believe he may have been having a swipe at liberals when he said this.

I have been thinking a lot about tolerance recently. I have been provoked to do so by a blog posted by my friend David. He was blogging about the intolerance of some Christians towards another Christian who had changed denominations. It’s good you should check it out. www.john1v1blogspot.com

However, in general I am concerned about the sort of tolerance society expects us to show in these days. As a Christian I have a message for the world that goes against the grain. For example the PC people tell us that all religions are equally valid and are all different paths to Heaven, but Jesus Said ‘I am, the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’

The Gospel message can come across to modern man as intolerant because it is exclusive. The message of the Bible is exclusive and in many ways it can be offensive to people. The Bible teaches that we are all guilty sinners deserving only the wrath of God. To some this is offensive but we should not cease to preach just because people are offended nor should we water the message down as some have done.

The apostle Paul acknowledged the offensive nature of the Gospel when dealing with the issue of legalism in the Galatian Epistle. There were those in the Galatian church who wanted to add to the gospel. They wanted to add the works of keeping the law. Paul told them that by adding their own works to the gospel then the Gospels offence was gone saying ‘then is the offence of the cross ceased.’ Gal 5 v11

We should not be afraid to preach the whole counsel of God no matter who it offends. Those who are offended or those that G K Chesterton referred to as ‘the man without convictions’. We live in a society without convictions; let us not fall into it’s mould.

Taking Christ out of Christmas

There has been a subtle creep in recent years to stop referring to Christmas as Christmas. I noticed an article on the BBC website where a shop-worker in the town of Portishead in England had been chosen by his town’s people to turn on the Christmas lights. The article was entitled ‘Can you judge a town by who turns in its festive lights?’ Did you notice how the word Christmas was quietly slipped out?

Budweiser the American brewer has for a long time in their Christmas advert wished their customers ‘Happy Holidays’ rather than ‘Happy Christmas’. Another example can be seen in Christmas Cards that simply state ‘Seasons Greetings’.

This should be no surprise to the Christian. This world that we live in is deeply antagonist to Christ and to His true followers. For years the world system has tried to divert the attention of Children away from the true meaning of Christmas by getting them all excited about Santa. Santa of course is an anagram for Satan and his surname of Claus in an anagram of Lucas, which is a derivation of Lucifer.

As we approach another Christmas let us not forget the true reason for the season and give the Saviour the worship that he deserves. OH COME, LET US ADORE HIM.

‘And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.’ Matthew 1 v21

Watchmen

There was a guy from the United States America at my Church last week speaking about the dangers of Christian Television. He was focusing on the exponents of the ‘Health & Wealth movement’ and exposing the grave dangers of being sucked in by their lethal doctrines. This was a message close to my own heart and in fact it was something I blogged about during the summer entitled ‘Charlatans’. The speaker was a Mr Justin Peters from Mississippi, check out his website www.justinpeters.org

Justin was in Northern Ireland as the guest of Mr Cecil Andrews of ‘Take Heed Ministries’. Cecil is a ‘watchman’ indeed and has an excellent ministry exposing the cults and false doctrines that are flooding the church. Check out Cecil’s website also www.takeheed.net

Thank God for watchmen! Pray for them in these days.

BBC Bias

I was looking at the BBC website at lunch time today to see what the News headlines were and was once again confronted with the image of Charles Darwin on their homepage. It seems to be that they can dream up whatever excuse they can find to make a programme about Mr Darwin. The reason given today is the 150 anniversary of the publishing of the ‘Origin of the Species’. A few months ago they had a programme to mark either his birth or death (not sure which it was). I suppose we will have a programme about him to mark his wedding anniversary next.

It is a pity someone at the BBC would not commission a programme to mark that other significant event in 1859, the religious awakening in Ulster.

The BBC continually pumps evolutionary propaganda down the throats of the British viewing and listening public. Every Science article is preceded with the words ‘so many millions of years ago such and such happened’. Hold on a minute, were you there Mr BBC editor? Let us not forget that evolution is only a theory and a very weak one at that. They should be more honest and say ‘some scientist believe that so many millions of years ago…etc’.

Sad to say the bosses at the BBC have sucked in the lie that there is no God and we are all here by accident. Does creation itself not teach the opposite. They should remember the words of the Psalmist.

‘The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.’ Psalm 53 v1

Mr Darwin did say something of intelligence once, he said 'to suppose that the eye could have been formed by natural selection seems I freely confess absurd to the highest degree'. Having said that how could he go on to extract God from creation? For the same reason they all do, they don't want a God to be accountable to. Richard Dawkins admitted that he 'cannot allow a divine foot in the door'.

They should read again the opening verse of Genesis!

‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ Genesis 1 v1

I did'nt know you there!!

I was talking to a friend the other day who had been at a high school reunion. He told me that he had bumped into people that night that he had not set eyes on for over 20 years. He said that he was shocked how he didn't even recognise some of them anymore.

This got me thinking. As a Christian I have the greatest friend imaginable in the Lord Jesus Christ. I talk to Him every day in prayer and He talks to me through His Word the Bible.

Sad to say there are many Christians who never talk to the Lord and never read His Word. I wonder if they bumped into Him on the road of life would they recognise Him. Sometimes even Christians who are talking to the Lord don't recognise Him because they are too busy looking at the difficult circumstances of life. Mary was a bit like that in the garden on the morning of the Resurrection, she mistook her Saviour for the gardener until he called her by name. Praise God, if we are saved He knows our names.

'I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.' John 10 v14

PREACHING STILL WORKS!!!

'For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.' 1st Corinthians Chap 1 v 18


The 21st Century Contemporary Church would do well to rediscover the truth of the above text. What might seem foolish to man is God's ordained method of reaching the lost.


I was at a youth meeting in my own assembly last night where a young woman trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation after listening to clear and faithful Biblical preaching. Glory to God, preaching Still Works! Praise His wonderful name.


You can keep you seeker sensitive programmes, you can keep your topical talks, you can keep your repetitive 'so called' worship. Give me the Preaching of the Cross any day.


'The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.' Psalm 126 v 3

Thank you Lord!

A Blow for Political Correctness

'When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.' Proverbs 29 verse 2

We can certainly appreciate the sentiments of the above Proverb when we look at the people who are runiing our country (UK) at the present time. We are often vexed by the promotion of sin in our society under the banner of so called 'tolerance' and 'political correctness'.

I was encouraged to read recently of a Mayor in Doncaster who is embarking on a programme to roll back the tides of top-heavy local government bureaucracy and political correctness. His earlier actions included:-

> The council withdrawing funding from so called 'Gay Pride' marches
> Cutting his own salary from £73,000 to £30,000
> Getting rid of the mayoral limousine
> Slashing councillor numbers from 63 to 21

The Mayor Mr Davies is a member of the English Democratic Party and has called for the restoration of traditional teaching methods, harsher punishments for young thugs and the withdrawal of the UK from the EU. If I lived in Doncaster I know who I would be voting for.

Where are you Planted?

Any gardener knows the importance of placing plants in the right place to ensure they grow to be fruitful. The Bible has quite a bit to say to the spiritual gardener. One example is found in Psalm number 1.

1 'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.'

I see in this portion of Scripture God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility.

Notice the tree is planted, this is a deliberate act, nothing random here. We must plant ourselves in God's will away from the stony ground of the world. Then we see there are rivers of water, that's God's part and what is the combined result? Fruitfulness!

Where are you planting yourself?

CHARLATANS

I was on holiday recently and had the opportunity (which I don't normally do) to watch some of the religious television channels that broadcast around the world.

There is a lot of good ministries using this particular medium to get the message of God's word across and I found this very encouraging.

However, I must sound a note of warning to God's people to be very discerning about what they watch even on 'Christian TV'. Sadly there are many Charlatans operating in this area whose primary message is send us your money. Of course they refer to it as your sowing a seed rather than sending money. They claim that you will prosper if you send gifts to them but there is no scriptural basis for these outlandish claims.

Others send bizarre gifts in return for your money like holy handkerchiefs that will cure your ailments and I even saw one crowd selling Manna, where they got the recipe I'll never know. Don't be conned by these false prophets and their health and wealth gospel. They only want to make themselves rich at your expense.

Deuteronomy 24 v7 warns against making merchandise of God's people, these Charlatans should take note of how God views their wicked practice.

GLOBAL WARMING

We hear alot in the media in these days about 'Global Warming'. A great proportion of our population are very vexed about the subject and sincerely believe that we need to act now to save our planet from certain destruction.

I must admit, I don't buy it. Call me a sceptic but I think it is a scam by the political classes to control our lives and extract more taxes from us.

One of the main reasons for my scepticism is because of my biblical mindset.

The greens our telling us we need to help save our planet. Hold on a minute, it's not ours, it's God's. He made it. 'In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth' Genesis 1 v1

Also, not only did God make it, but God is in control of it. 'He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.' Colossians 1 v7. How arrogant of man to think that his actions can effect the temperature in the atmosphere, man thinks he knows it all and yet he knows so very little about this vast universe we exist in.

Another compelling reason to reject the 'Global Warming' theory is God's great promise found in Genesis Chp 8 v22 'While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.' There it is my friend, there is no need to build your house on stilts, the normal cycles of nature shall not cease and that includes the atmosphere heating and cooling as it has always done.

Don't panic. Trust God!

Sodomite Minister Installed

The Church of Scotland's General Assembly narrowly voted recently to allow the appointment of openly gay minister Scott Rennie to the Queen's (how ironic) Cross Church in Aberdeen. The vote was carried despite strong opposition from the conservative wing of the Church and Mr Rennie was installed as the minister in early July 2009.

Can a Christian Minister be a practicing homosexual? This is an important question that every child of God must consider particularly in a day when instances like this are becoming more common place. So what does God think of homosexuality?

‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.’ Leviticus 18 v22

That sounds pretty clear to me, God does not permit such practices. What is that I hear you say? That's the Old Testament, that's not relevant! Has God changed his mind, I think not.

‘Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.’ Jude v7

It would appear in Jude's letter above that God was just in his treatment of the sinful city of Sodom. Peter in his second letter gives a similar view 2nd Peter 2 v4-6. Quite Clearly God has not changed his view on this wicked practice.

Paul when writing to the Corinthian believers said these words regarding people who at one time practised sodomy but had now repented.

‘Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.’ 1st Cor 6 v 9-11

Homosexuality is a sin that must be repented of and no servant of God can be openly living in rebellion to God's word and expect God to use his service. One would even have to question if Mr Rennie has a personal knowledge of God's Salvation.

Finally can I conclude with a word to those conservative minded people within the Church of Scotland.

'Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.' Revelation 18 v4

THE PERSECUTED

James Chapter 5 v13 Asks the question, 'Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.'

The sad truth is that many Christians around the world are afflicted because of their faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ.

In recent days a Pastor in the Punjab province of Pakistan had his home attacked by a Muslim mob and a 12 year old Christian girl was forced to marry a 37 year old Muslim man, the girl's mother is currently trying to get her daughter back through the courts.

It is not only Muslims who are persecuting God's people, in Communist China a Christian book shop owner was sentenced to 3 years in prison and fined 150,000 yuan (£13,000) for 'illegal business operation', i.e. selling Christian Literature.

As God's people we need to pray for our afflicted brethren across the world, remember, 'The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.' James 5 v16

Eternity Where?

Where will you be in Eternity?

This is the most important question that you will ever consider in your life. The Scripture shown in the banner gives the advice, 'Prepare to meet thy God'. This was the message of the prophet Amos 2700 years ago.

That message is just a relevant today as it was in the day Amos uttered it.

If you are concerned about your eternal welfare then visit eternitywhere.com today.

Confused Gospel Singers

The Baptist Church that I attend, like many others, invites 'Gospel Singers' to the Sunday evening service in an effort to stir the soul of the unsaved through the singing of the Gospel message. It is of course acknowledged that an unsaved soul will never be stirred apart from the workings of God's Holy Spirit. However, the idea is, that if the gospel message including the sinners need of salvation and the Saviours provision of the same not to mention the need for the sinner to repent and trust Christ, then God's spirit can take these truths and cause conviction in the heart of the sinner.

Sad to say many so called 'Gospel Singers' are confused about their role in this matter. This is not only in my own church but I have come across this problem in many assemblies up and down the country.

'Gospel Singers' in many cases are not 'grapsing the nettle' and dealing with the themes of sin, God's wrath, Christ's atonement, faith and repentance. In evangelical circles we often cry out for a preacher who will take us to the cross and as Paul said in 1st Corinthians 1 v18 'For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.' There is power in the preaching of the cross and there is power in singing about the cross.

'Gospel Singer', sing about the cross. We don't want nice little dittys about heaven or about prayer, these songs might be alright for our own edification but they are not for the Gospel meeting. Sing the message that will be of use to a perishing sinner. What would you think of a doctor who when consulting with a patient who was gravely ill spent the time rambling about secondary issues instead of dealing with the root cause of their patients problem and discussing the cure. Let us ask the sinner in our songs:-

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power, are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour, are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

I trust this will help clarify the confused.

Why Blog

I suppose like alot of people I have been by passed by the speed with which technology has moved on in recent years. This is my opportunity to catch up and get 21st Century.

Sadly many people in a rush to move on with the times trample over sacred things in their mad rush forward. As a Bible believing Christian (is there any other kind really) I am often dismayed at how our society has abandoned many standards that were once the foundations of our nation. This careless trend of progress at any cost is also found in the Church of Jesus Christ.

It is my intention through this blog to stand as a watchman and sound an alarm when I see things that are unscriptural and dishonouring to God.

I have no intention of blogging daily but only when I feel I have something worthwhile to say.

May the Lord my Saviour be glorified through this blog, in Jesus name I ask it. Amen

'For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.' Isaiah 21 v6