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