Sorry We're Full

That was the message that rang in Joseph’s ear as he knocked on the door of the Inn at Bethlehem. I’m sure Joseph tried his hardest to get Mary a warm and comfortable room. I’m sure he explained Mary’s situation, he knew that her baby’s arrival was imminent but the answer was ‘no room’.

’And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.’ Luke 2 v7

I was just reading this passage the other day as I was thinking about the incarnation of the Son of God and I thought it was a very sad verse. The Saviour of the world was placed in an animals feeding trough for a bed, because there was no room for Him in the Inn.

As I got to thinking about this verse, I thought that not much has changed in 2000 years. Society in general still seems to have no time or room for the Son of God, for the Saviour of the world. Even at this time of year, which is supposed to be a celebration of His coming into the world, people have turned it into an excuse to indulge their fleshly desires. People are more interested in the office party, or shopping for presents than they are in the Son of God. Many will not be found in a Church environment singing Christmas Carols and praising God for His coming into the world to be our Saviour. What about you, how much time will you give to the Lord Jesus this Christmas?

Have you any room for Jesus
He who bore your load of sin?
As He knocks and asks admission
Sinner, will you let Him in?

May I take this opportunity to wish my regular readers a very Happy Christmas Season and a blessed New Year.

God is Great

That’s what militant Atheist Christopher Hitchens found out this week when he departed this world and entered Eternity. It gives me no pleasure to say it but if he died as he lived then he will find out how great God is in His Justice.

Mr Hitchens was the author of a number of books the most famous of which is ‘God is NOT Great’. I listened to a clip of a speech he made on the radio this morning in which he mocked God, those who follow Him and God’s plan of redemption. I shudder to think of how he is feeling now, as he becomes aware of how wrong he has been and how settled his destiny is.

May the Lord open the eyes of others of his kind who make a career out of mocking God before it is eternally too late.

‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ Galatians 6 v7

Filth Watch

Another season of the X Factor is almost over. This year’s judging panel was a complete shake up from previous years with only Louis Walsh surviving from last year’s line-up. One judge in particular seems to have gone down very well with the British public and has been taken to the nation’s heart. I refer of course to the American judge Kelly Rowland.

The show has portrayed Miss Rowland as a real sweet and wholesome girl next door kind of character but a quick look at the lyrics of her latest single paint a somewhat different picture. The song itself is entitled ‘I’m down for whatever’. A quick read of some of the lyrics leaves little to the imagination, the song opens with the following…

‘I'm down for whatever, I'm down for whatever. When it comes to you, I could make love on the floor, I'm down for whatever, I'm down for whatever. Baby let's get creative. Cause of you I am down I'm down for whatever.’

Not so sweet and wholesome as you thought, eh? She goes on to sing…

‘There's no place I wouldn't go. Tonight I'm ready to take it anywhere. I'm amazed, by you all. You bring out a side I didn't know. Say the word, and I'll do anything, can't say no to you, It ain't juice, mixed with booze. No baby every word is true.’

The second verse is no better…

‘Let's explore, see what we find. I'm waiting for you to discover me. No restraints, no regrets Just give me your eye, I won't forget. Say the word, and I'll do anything, can't say no to you. It ain't juice, mixed with booze. No baby every word is true.’
‘Tonight, you're making everything feel right Tonight, I wanna get high and touch the sky.’

We should never forget, the X Factor is marketed as a family show and we know that families around the country all sit around the television watching it. Many of the viewers are young children of primary School age and of course the programme is aired before the watershed in order to cater for children of that age.

What happens in homes across Britain is young impressionable girls see this beautiful young woman with her cute American accent and they fall in love with her personality, they want to dress like her, they want her picture on their bedroom walls and of course they want her latest album. Their mums who have been sucked in by the wholesome image buy the album for their children and in so doing only serve to corrupt their children’s minds.

Don’t be sucked in, but rather be informed and be warned. The music of Kelly Rowland is Filth.

‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.’ Philippians 4 v8

Vote With Your Feet

'Tesco has triggered outrage by ending its support for the Cancer Research 'Race for Life' while deciding to sponsor Britian's largest gay festival.' This was the shocking message relayed in the Daily Mail in this past week.

Britian's largest supermarket chain Tesco has had a ten year association with Cancer Research helping them raise millions of pounds to help research a cure for a disease that will effect 3 out of 10 Britons. However, shortly after dropping their support for the cancer charity they announced their decision to support London's Gay Pride Festival. So rather than helping research a disease that will effect millions of people they have decided to support a group that represents less than 1% of Britain's population.

Many Christian groups are calling on Christians to boycott Tescos to send them a message that this decision is unacceptable. I for one agree with this sentiment and will be 'voting with my feet' by allowing them to carry me elsewhere for the weekly shop. I don't mind saying that my annual spend in Tescos, including Groceries and Fuel, would run into the thousands.

Just think, if tens of thousands of Christians went elsewhere with their hard earned money, the impact it would have on Tescos profit margins. You might think, what difference will it make if I boycott them? I would say, 'every little helps'.

The Dale Farm Curse

As I travelled to the office this morning I listened with wrapt attention to BBC 5 Lives radio coverage of the unfolding events at Dale farm in Essex. It was fascinating to listen to the reports of how riot police broke into the illegal travellers site to ensure that the will of the courts was carried out and the travellers evicted.

My blog today is not to make any political commentary on the rights or wrongs of Basildon Councils insistence on carrying out these evictions, I will leave that to those who are more knowledgeable about the situation. Today I just want to pick up on a comment made by one of the female travellers who was interviewed by the BBC correspondent at the Dale Farm site.
While being interviewed about the unfolding situation this female traveller made a Comment about Mr Tony Ball the leader of Basildon Council and public enemy number one as far as the travellers are concerned. She said ‘I hope he doesn’t see Christmas Night, I have put my curse on him’. Not the sort of thing you expect to hear someone saying on your way to work on the BBC. In a later interview ‘5 Lives’ Nicky Campbell played the comment to Mr Balls while interviewing him to get his reaction. Mr Balls very professionally side-stepped the issue of the curse on him but I had a feeling by a change in the tone of his voice that the comment had shocked him.

The travelling community has long been associated with the occult practice of cursing people. I can remember as a child listening to people talking about ‘gypsy curses’. I’m not sure what, if any, involvement this particular lady has with witchcraft but if she does and if this is genuine I would ask that God’s people pray for several things.

1. Pray that God in His mercy would ensure that Tony Balls lives past Christmas Night to prove to this lady that there is a greater power in the world than those that she may be relying upon, open her eyes to His power and that He would save her lost soul.

2. Pray also for Tony Balls. I don’t know anything about this man or the state of his Soul before God. If he is not a man of faith this ladies comments may very well play on his mind in the run up to Christmas. Pray that this will cause Him to turn to the Lord for Salvation.

Thank you

‘There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.’ Deuteronomy Chapter 18 v10-11

Another Side to the Story

I’m sure we have all witnessed pictures like this one on television or in newspapers illustrating the poverty within the Gaza strip. The pictures are normally accompanied by anti Israeli commentary blaming scenes like this on Israel for it’s continued blockade of Gaza. It is of course heart wrenching to see images of children scrabbling about in a dump to assist in their survival and no right thinking persons takes any pleasure in the suffering of others, however, she should be careful not to swallow everything we’re feed by the media. There is always ‘another side to the story’.

The Blame Game

Is Israel justified in her blockade of the Gaza strip? The international media seems intent on pointing the finger of blame at Israel for the poverty within Gaza but who is really to blame. Surely Israel is well within her rights to block the free movement of goods into an area from where thousands of rockets are fired each year at innocent Israeli citizens! If the citizens of Kent started firing rockets across into Calais do you not think the French government would take some action? The reality is the Palestinians are their own worst enemies.

The blockade may cause poverty but what choice does the nation of Israel have? They must attempt to stop the rockets being smuggled into Gaza. The blockage has actually had some great successes not least the capture, in March of the German registered M/V Victoria bound for Gaza with a variety of munitions which had originated in Iran. As long as the militant Islamists within Gaza continue to desire the destruction of Israel then the blockade that impoverishes their own people will be justified to continue.

Unreported Facts

Since the beginning of the blockage of Gaza the Israeli authorities have sent trucks by the thousands carrying humanitarian aid into the Gaza strip. Goods such as medicine, baby food, building materials and diesel fuel have poured in from Israel on a daily basis but you never hear about this on the mainstream media.

According the International Monetary Fund the economy of Gaza has grown by double-digit proportions in recent years. While the major Western economies stagnate and fear a slide back into recession the economy of Gaza and the West Bank for that matter are literally booming. This economic growth in Gaza manifests itself in new luxury hotels, water parks and shopping malls, below are a few images that show the other side of the story.




Gaza’s New Shopping Mall





The Grand Palace Hotel, Gaza




The Gaza Water Park





I do not begrudge the citizens of Gaza a bit of leisure time and luxury. I just wish there was a bit more honesty on the part of the international media or maybe it’s not a lack of honesty but rather a lack of scrutiny as they swallow the propaganda of Hamas. A good journalist should always look at the other side of the story.

Shame on Them

The onward march or rampant Sodomy reached another milestone in Ireland in recent days with the acknowledgement by a Church or Ireland minister that he has entered into a same-sex civil partnership with his ‘partner’ of two decades.

One would have thought that someone in the hierarchy of the Anglican Church in Ireland would have read scriptures like ‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.’ Leviticus 18 v22 or even ‘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

As clear and unambiguous as these scriptures are, no one seems to be saying, ‘hold on a minute, this is wrong! How can a minister of religion be a practicing homosexual?’ It seems that the established church has adopted the perverted thinking of a godless world and treats as normal, something that in God’s eyes is perverse. Shame on them!

To Evangelical Anglicans

I’m sure news like this weekend’s revelations are unwelcome and unpalatable to many Godly Evangelical Christians within the Anglican Communion. My message to you is stark and uncompromising. It’s time to get out. My message to you is the same as the exhortation the Apostle Paul gave to the believers at Corinth ‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’ 2 Corinthians 6 v 14-16

What have you got in common with a practicing homosexual minister? What have you got in common with a Bishop who at worst supports him or at best tolerates him? If a church is tolerating anti Christian practices can it still be considered a Christian Church?

'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

Faulty Thinking

I came across a great example in recent days of ‘faulty thinking’ brought about by evolutionary bias. I was listening to a ‘scientist’ being interviewed for the BBC about the discovery of a Plesiosaur Fossil in Kansas USA. The interesting thing about this 5m long fossil was the fact that it has the fossil of an unborn infant intact inside. This discovery has rewritten the science books, as it was formerly believed that, like most reptiles, the Plesiosaur laid eggs.

Having had the assumption about how the Plesiosaur had its young ‘blown out of the water’ the gentleman continued to trot out other assumptions based on evolutionary bias. The one that particularly amused me was his assumption that the Plesiosaur was a predator based on the structure of its jaw. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming any great knowledge about large reptiles, the Plesiosaur may well have been a predator but to make that judgement based solely on its jaw structure is ‘faulty thinking’. The man actually said ‘it was obviously a predator based on its jaw structure’. I’m afraid the only thing that is obvious from the fossil is the fact that it ‘obviously had a big mouth’. The Panda is an animal with a jaw structure similar to a Lion, and yet, unlike the Lion it is not a predator unless you count Bamboo shoots as prey. Evolutionary thinking is based upon assumption after assumption. I was always taught that to ASSUME only makes an ASS of U & ME.

Location! Location! Location!

I was kind of hoping that the interviewer was going to ask a question as to where the fossil was found, but sadly he didn’t. The Plesiosaurs fossil was excavated from a Ranch in Kansas, USA. For those of you who are not familiar with US geography the state of Kansas is a land locked state, right in the centre of the USA, half way between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
What was the fossil of a giant sea creature doing in the middle of North America, over 1000 miles from the Ocean?

I just wonder was there some kind of a global catastrophe, involving water, where a massive sea creature got deposited on the land and was covered in layers of mud. You know, like the record in Genesis.

‘17And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. 18And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. 19And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. 20Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. 21And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 22All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 23And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. 24And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.’ Genesis 7 v17-24

London's Burning

What are we to make of the scenes of mayhem on the streets of London over the past few nights? People are watching their television screens in unbelief as hundreds of young people have turned our nations capital into a battlefield. What sort of young people go out and destroy property, loot goods from shops and attack the police?

It would seem there is a generation growing up in our nation who have no respect for any form of authority whether it’s teachers, the police or even their own parents. The Bible describes such a generation in the book of Proverbs.

‘11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. 12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.’

Last night I watched ‘Newsnight’ on BBC 2 and the programme spent most of the time discussing the on-folding situation in London and indeed other British cities where ‘copy-cat’ riots are now taking place. They had a panel of ‘experts’ on to discuss the riots including former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, a Police representative, a former Tory parliamentary candidate and a Minister from a Church in Tottenham North London where the riots began.

As the debate went on I couldn’t help feeling disappointed that no one really understood why this was happening. The closest anyone came to putting their finger on the problem was the former Tory candidate who touched on the breakdown of the family unit. Others were suggesting it was to do with government cuts and the economic climate.

While economics may be a trigger factor in causing this kind of behaviour there is something deeper at the heart of the issue. There is something wrong at a spiritual level within people that causes them to act in this way. I was particularly disappointed in the Churchman on the programme as his contribution focused entirely on social issues and a biblical response to the issue was not even mentioned by him.

We have to ask the question, why are young people acting in such a lawless and immoral way? Destruction of property, stealing from shops and fighting with figures of authority, all of these things fly in the face if Biblical standards which is in essence where good law and morality comes from. Why do these young people act like this? Can I suggest the following.

Atheist Anarchy

We must never forget that belief effects behaviour. If you don’t believe there is a God who will one day judge you then you’re not going to be too concerned about Biblical morality. These kids have had a diet of evolutionary propaganda feed to them through the education system and the media! Not a bit of wonder they are law-less as they don’t believe in an ultimate standard of authority, instead we have atheist anarchy.

Discipline Deficit

A huge problem in our society today is a lack of discipline. The principle of discipline is a Biblical principle. God is a God of justice and judgement. Even in the family situation Proverbs encourages corporal punishment in the home situation. Sadly our modern British society no longer practices these Biblical principles. Smacking is outlawed in the school and frowned upon in the home. Criminals in our so-called justice system are given ‘slaps on the wrist’ rather than meaningful sentences that befit their crime. Criminals no longer fear the judicial system, there is a discipline deficit.

Family Failure

Successive governments in the United Kingdom have presided over the breakdown of the family unit. The family is the building block of a strong society. The ideal family is brought before us in the book of Genesis where God brought together one man and one woman Adam and Eve, mind you it wasn’t Adam and Steve. However, the British government has done nothing to support the family structure as God sees it but they support the dysfunctional and perverted family structures of 21st Century society, with your taxes and with mine. I dare say many of the kids out wrecking the streets of London over the past few nights know very little of a father figure in the home someone to bring a bit of discipline and influence to bear in their formative years. Sadly Britain is reaping the harvest of family failure.

The Answer

So what’s the answer to our nations problem? One word, Revival! Our nation needs a widespread spiritual awakening. We need people once again to respect the Word of God and the Standards of God. However, in order for this to happen they need to have a heart for God. This will only be achieved through the new birth. We need to see masses of people in our land being born again of the Spirit of God. Only God can achieve this miracle. Pray that God on His mercy will be pleased to pour out His Spirit in our day and in our generation, we desperately need it.

‘O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.’ Habakkuk 3 v2

What Comes Around.....

'What comes around, goes around.' That well worn phrase sprang to my mind this week as I have listened to the news coverage of the scandal involving Newspapers from the News International family.

We have had phone hacking, bribing of police officers and impersonations of senior politicians; all in order to get the next big story. The lengths that some journalists seem to have gone to in order to get a 'scoop' has defiantly crossed the line of decency.

The thing that has brought a wry smile to my face is the fact that the media now find themselves in the position that politicians were in a couple of years ago, they are figures of national disgust. Ironically it was the print media in particular who brought to our attention the fact that many politicians were 'on the take'. Those newspapers reported with a superior 'holier than thou' attitude the many sins of our politician and now two years later we are hearing of their sins.

If one is going to publicly speak about the sins of others then one needs to be careful that there are no skeletons in ones own closet. I think these offending newspapers are learning the reality of the Law of the Harvest.

'Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.' Galatians 6 v7

But what does all this say about society at large? Many politicians are corrupt, many journalists are corrupt and it would seem a good number of police officers are corrupt. Does it stop there? I Doubt it! The problem is humanity is corrupt.

'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;' Romans 3 v23

Sin is the explanation of all society problems and the only solution to the sin problem is the Lord Jesus Christ. Is he your Saviour?

'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' 1 John 1 v9

Humility

Qualifications - Blog.4

In my last blog I discussed the Gifts that God has bestowed upon us at Salvation. These Gifts have been given to us that we might use them for His glory rather than our own. They are tools for us to use in building God’s work, not toys for our pleasure or the entertainment of others. To reinforce this point the Apostle Paul prefaces his teaching on the Gifts, in Both Romans 12 and Ephesians 4, with teaching on humility. I quoted the relevant verse in Romans 12 at the conclusion of my last blog and here is the verse in Ephesians.

‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;’ Ephesians 4 v 1-2

God puts a great emphasis in His Word on the importance of humility. We ought always to remember that we are only sinners saved by His Grace.

‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ James 4 v6

‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:’ 1 Peter 5 v6

A haughty and proud spirit can have a serious effect on our usefulness for God. If we are self reliant and self confident in our own abilities we will fail miserably in God’s service and therefore we should always remember, that in God’s work the success or failure does not depend on us but rather on God, as Paul said in 1st Corinthians 3 v6 ‘I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.’ That’s the right attitude. To think that we can achieve anything without the aid of God is to delude ourselves, as the Psalmist said ‘Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it:’ Psalm 127 v1

In my blog on ‘Physical Maturity’ a few of weeks ago I was discussing the different ages at which people embarked upon a ministry for God. I mentioned that the ministry of Moses did not really get started until he was 80 years of age. I think in part this was due to his lack of humility at 40 years of age. You will recall from the book of Exodus how Moses at the age of 40 decided to try and deliver the Children of Israel by his own hand, killing an Egyptian task master and burying him in the sand. Stephen in the book of Acts, commenting upon this story, relates how Moses ‘supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.’ Acts 7 v25 Moses’ attempt failed miserably and he had to run away and hide.

Forty years later God decided that Moses’ lesson in humility was complete, and He appeared unto Moses at the Burning Bush, to commission him for the task of delivering Israel from bondage. We can see from Moses’ attitude in Exodus chapter 3 that he now had a right view of himself, saying to God ‘Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ Exodus 3 v8

Thankfully Moses’ right view of himself did not stop him from carrying out the task in hand, God promised that He would be with him every step of the way and He surely was. We too have the promise of God’s help as we seek to work for Him, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ Philippians 4 v13

One thing that will foster this attitude within us is an ever-closer relationship with God, as the closer that we get to God, the more sinful and weak we realise that we are. We realise that we can do nothing apart from His enablement. The prophet Isaiah had this experience, in chapter 6 of his prophecy we learn of how God revealed himself to Isaiah in a very powerful way. As Isaiah viewed God that day and then had a look at himself he concluded ‘Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’ Isaiah 6 v5 No pride here!

The Psalmist David, who also knew a close walk with his God, understood the need for humility. In his great Psalm of confession (Psalm 51) David acknowledged that ‘the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.' V17

If we learn these lessons of humility that Moses, David and Isaiah learned in their day, then we are well on our way to being qualified for usefulness for God.

The Gifts

Qualifications – Blog.3

I began this short series of blogs a few weeks ago asking the question ‘what qualifications do we need to serve God?’ Since that introductory blog we have considered the topics of theological training and spiritual maturity, both of which are areas where we can have some input into our own development to be good workmen for God. Today I want to consider an area where God alone does the ‘inputting’. I want to consider the gifts.

Not only do I want to think about what qualifies us to serve God but I want to think about who qualifies us to serve God? The short and simple answer to this question is, God qualifies us and he does so by imparting certain gifts to us at Salvation, ‘But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ’ Ephesians 4 v7. There are a variety of gifts that we could potentially have, some of God’s people may have several of them but all of God’s people have at least one of them. They are given to us by God so that we may function profitably within the local church, for it’s good, for the extension of His kingdom and for the glory of His name, as Paul expanded in Ephesians 4 v 12 ‘For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:’

The gifts can loosely be broken into three categories, the speaking gifts, the serving gifts and the sign gifts, although some of the gifts could belong technically to more than one category. One example of this would be the gift of prophecy which was clearly a speaking gift as the prophet spoke as God led him; however, the gift of prophecy was also a sign gift.

Speaking Gifts

Ephesians 4 v 11 lists some of the speaking gifts ‘And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.’ The first two in this list, Apostles and Prophets, were also sign gifts which have passed away, but the remaining three are all important gifts that need to be exercised within the Church today. We need evangelists to reach out with the gospel message. In fact even if we do not possess this gift we should still do the work of an evangelist anyway (2 Tim 4 v5). We also need Pastors and Teachers to shepherd and edify the flock of God. Do you posses any of these gifts? The only way to find out is to do the work, try to reach the lost, try to shepherd your Christian friends who are going astray and try to teach young Christians coming behind you what God has already taught you. If you do, these things it will soon become apparent if God has given you any of these gifts or not.

Serving Gifts

‘And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.’ Verse 28 of 1st Corinthians bring before us two gifts that fall into the category of serving gifts, these are ‘governments’ and ‘helps’. The gift of government is the ability to administrate and organise within the church. It’s always a good thing to have well organised people to make sure things run well in the church, simple things like paying the electric bills and making sure the heating is turned on. These gifts although less eye catching perhaps than the speaking gifts, are vital in the church and should not be despised. The gift of helps is simply the fact that some people just seem to be very good at getting down and helping out a brother or sister in the Lord who needed help, simple as that, once again it might not be glamorous, it might not attract much attention but it’s vital that people exercise this gift. In this same passage of 1st Corinthians 12 Paul compares the body of Christ to the physical body saying things like ‘If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? V17’ The point is we can’t all be the face of the Church, or the strong arm of the Church. Some people have to be the big toe of the Church, not too pretty but vital for balance.

Sign Gifts

The sign gifts were gifts given to the early church in the time of the Apostles to authenticate God’s servants and His message. This was a time of transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. It was going to be difficult for Jews to accept this new message, so God gave these gifts as signs to the Jewish nation primarily to help them accept the message of the Apostles.

‘Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.’ 2nd Corinthians 12 v12

‘And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.’ Verse 28 of 1st Corinthians is worth quoting again for it lists some of these sign gifts such as Apostles, Prophets, Miracles, Gifts of Healings and Tongues. All of these sign gifts were temporary and have now passed away as Paul said in 1st Corinthians 13 ‘Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease;’ Consider for a moment the gift of prophecy, why did it exist? In the time of the early Church the people did not have a complete Bible like we have today, the scriptures were incomplete, so in order to know God’s will God gave a message to a prophet. However, we now live in a day when the Bible is complete, all the guidance that we need for every decision in life can be found in the pages of a completed Bible, we don’t need a prophet any longer. There are many today who claim to be prophets but oftentimes their counsel goes against the revealed Word of God. The sign gifts are certainly not for today.

So having identified what the gifts are and which ones are relevant for today we need to think about which ones God has imparted to us. Sadly many Christians never seek to find out which gift or gifts they have. Have you? Many young students will graduate from university over the next few weeks with degrees in a particular field, the sad reality is many of them will never pursue a career related to the subject they studied at university. Sadly many Christians don’t know what God has qualified them to do as they have never exercised their gifts. Again, have you? God has qualified you to something for Him and you need to identify what that is.

It would be wrong to conclude a study on the gifts without emphasising some areas that the Holy Spirit has emphasised in the major Bible passages relating to the gifts and they are humility and love. As he introduces the topic of gifts in Romans 12 the Apostle Paul prefaces his remarks by stating ‘For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (v3) After discussing the gifts he concludes by admonishing us to love our brothers and sisters in Christ ‘Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;’ v9-10 We see the same pattern in 1st Corinthians for after teaching on gifts in chapter 12 Paul goes on to give that famous 13th Chapter on love. Paul well knew the danger that lies in the human heart for someone to look at their gifts and think very highly of themselves and then look down their nose at others less gifted than they. This lack of humility can be a dangerous disqualifier for the service of God and it is to this subject that we will turn in the final blog of this series.

The Sewer Keeps Pumping

The multi-billion dollar music industry continues to pump out filth from the pit of Hell to rob the innocence of Children. The latest thing to catch my attention was Nicole Scherzinger’s latest single ‘Right There’.

I came across this song for the first time when I was in the home of a friend recently and the ‘Britains Got Talent’ grand final happened to be on the television. I thought when I saw the song being performed that I should blog about it but not being familiar with the artist I was unable to find out who had performed it until a couple of weeks later when I saw her on TV again. This time I took a note of her name and googled the lyrics of ther latest single.

At the time I was quite shocked that such an overtly sexual performance should be tranmistted as part of a ‘family show’. I know the regulators will probably argue that the performance was after the 9 O’Clock water shed but you can be sure thousands of young kids around the nation were allowed to sit up late to see who won. This show normally transmits in the early part of the evening over a period of weeks building up an army of young fans, do you not think that many of these kids pleaded with their parents to be allowed to stay up late to see who won, after all it wasn’t a school night.

The performance itself was extremely sensual with Ms Scherzinger leaving little to the imagination in terms of her clothing and dancing about in a provocative manner. Her performance teaches little girls all over the nation how to tease little red blooded males and in the process robs them both of their childhood and purity.

The lyrics of the song were little more than a veiled lists of sexual inuendos.
It is to the lyrics now that I want to turn. I do this very reluctantly in one sense as I am reproducing filth but I feel that people need to be warned about what is going on. Your children may be listening to this garbage and you don’t even realise what they are listening to! I have blogged on this type of thing in the past with blogs called ‘More Filth from Rihanna’ Nov 2010 and ‘Eating Rubbish’ June 2010. They are worth a read if you want to be more informed about the filth that’s influencing your kids.

Ms Scherzingers song as I have already said is called ‘Right There’ just have a look at some of these lyrics, very little comment is needed as they speak for themselves.

Opening Refrain:

Come here baby and be my baby
And be my baby oh oh oh
Come here baby put your hands on my body
Hands on my body oh oh oh
Right there keep it right there
I love when you put it right there yeah yeah yeah
oh oh oh yeah yeah yeah oh oh oh Yeah

It’s already clear that the songs about sex, if your not convinced read the first verse.

Me like the way that you hold my body
Me like the way that you touch my body
Me like the way that you kiss my yeah yeah yeah yeah me like it
Me like the way that he put it on me
Me like the way that he push up on me
Me like the way that he goin' down down down down down

The three lines emboldened above should convince any doubters as to the subject matter of the song. If your still not convinced what about verse 2.

I like the way that you talk dirty
Don't wash your mouth out I like it dirty
You like to please yeah I like that yeah yeah yeah yeah me like it
I like the way that you keep me coming
That yeah you so good you had me running
Me like the way that he goin' down down down down down

I rest my case. Filth from the pit of Hell performed on national TV to an audience including many thousands of Children. Never mind ‘Britain’s got Talent’, ’Britain’s ripe for Judgement’.

‘Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.’ 1 John 2 v15

Physical Maturity

Qualifications – Blog.2

I have been thinking recently about what qualifies someone to serve God. I introduced the topic a couple of weeks ago discussing the obvious qualification of ones salvation, and then last week had a look at the subject of formal theological training. This week I want to ask the question, does physical maturity bear any relation to spiritual maturity?

Logically you might think it does, if someone is constantly walking with the Lord then they should develop spiritually as they do physically, however, this is not always the case. Spiritual maturity in many cases can be stunted or even regress, due to the believer’s lack of prayer and Bible study. I think this was the case with the Christians to whom Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians when he said, ‘And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.’ In this letter Paul is highlighting to the believers at Corinth their lack of spiritual development; they were saved for quite some time and should have developed ‘an adult spiritual diet’. However, they were still on the ‘baby food’, they still needed to be fed milk like un-weaned children. What a sad state of affairs!

I’m sure we have all seen examples of this in the Church that we attend. There are believers who have been saved for many years but they have never really developed very much, they still get on like babies. On the other hand there are young people that I have met in my own sphere of ministry who demonstrate tremendous spiritual maturity and show evidence of a close walk with God. So does age factor into when someone is qualified to serve God?

In the Old Testament economy, the priests who served in the Tabernacle and then the Temple were not to commence their ministry until they were 30 years of age.

‘Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:’ Numbers Chp 4 v 2 - 4

Interestingly both the Lord Jesus Christ and John the Baptist commenced their public ministry at the age of 30. However, there are many examples that fall outside of that pattern. Moses did not really get going in his ministry until he was 80 years of age whereas Samuel was in the service of the Lord from his childhood.

In Paul’s Pastoral Epistle to young (yes young) Timothy he gave him some instruction on the selection of Elders for the Church. As part of the various pieces of advice he said that the one to be chosen ought not to be ‘a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.’ It is interesting that it does not say that it should not be someone young but that it should not be a novice.
νεόφυτος = neophytes = novice. The Greek word, here translated novice, has the idea of ‘newly planted’, it’s really speaking of a new convert. Timothy of course, despite being a young pastor was not a brand new convert. Timothy proves the point that one can be spiritually mature at a young age and find oneself in a position of responsibility and leadership.

Church history has many examples of men who served the Lord from a very early age. Examples include CH Spurgeon who was called to be the Pastor of New Park Street Baptist Chapel when only 19 years of age and the Scottish Presbyterian Robert Murray McCheyne who died at the early age of 29 totally ‘burnt out’ in his service for the Lord having only begun his ministry at the age of 21. Mr McCheyne was attributed to have said 'I know Jesus Christ better than any earthly man.' I think this is the key to where we find the true qualification. He knew his God.

‘the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.’ Daniel 11 v32

It does not matter whether we are 20, 40 or 60 the question is, how well do we know God? An honest answer to this question will tell us a whole lot about our level of spiritual maturity. It is possible to know a lot about God and yet not have a close personal walk with Him day by day.

Sadly in the Church there are some who look down their noses at younger brothers and sisters in Christ. They somehow think that their lack of physical maturity equates to a lack of spiritual maturity. This is wrong thinking and could result in gifted and spiritual people being overlooked or worse still, discouraged from any service for the Master.

‘I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.' 1 John 2 v 12-14

Theological Training

Qualifications – Blog.1

I have been thinking about what qualifies God’s servants and considering the role of Theological Training. Within some Christian circles a great deal of emphasis is put on people receiving formal theological training. Many churches will not allow a person to preach unless they have been through a theological seminary and in fact in some churches you could not be a preacher unless you had been through their own theological halls. Is this position Scriptural? I don’t believe it is.

Before I go any further in this blog, I want to state that I am not opposed in principle to the existence of theological seminaries. Such schooling has been of great benefit to many of God’s people before embarking on a life of service for God. However, we should not overstate their importance in helping make the man or woman of God. After all, the gifts to serve God are gifts that God imparts to believers. If God has not given a man one of the speaking gifts then four years in Bible College will not make him a preacher. God makes preachers not Bible Colleges. However, I will say more about gifts in a future blog.

If we look at the early Church in the book of Acts we see that the Apostles who pioneered God’s work were not ‘college men’. This truth is illustrated in Acts 4 where Annas the High Priest and his family challenge the Apostles for healing an impotent man. As part of the exchange Peter boldly preaches to them about Jesus stating ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ After listening to this bold preaching the Jewish religious leaders marvelled that these men were such bold preachers despite the fact that they were ‘unlearned and ignorant men.’ This phrase ‘unlearned and ignorant’ does not mean that Peter and John were stupid people who had never learned to read or write, rather it meant that they had not been through the rabbinical schools of theology. They were not ‘college men’.

On the other hand the Apostle Paul was one who had been through the rabbinical schools. He had sat at the feet of one of the greatest Jewish teachers, Gamaliel. No doubt this teaching was of great benefit to Paul in his ministry, and in particular I’m sure God used this background of Paul to great advantage for the Church, in that much of the theology of the Church was written by the hand of Paul inspired, of course, by the Holy Spirit.

So, I think we can conclude from the Biblical example that theological training can be useful but it is by no means essential. In my opinion the model where Paul mentored Timothy should be better applied in our Churches where older, wiser men take young believers under their wings. It’s called discipleship, and is that not what the Saviour did with Peter, John and the other disciples?

A Greater Concern

However, I have a deeper concern about theological seminaries, which goes beyond any concerns about people’s over emphasis of their importance. I am concerned that theological halls can be structurally dangerous for the Church. Allow me to explain.

As I read church history I see a sad pattern, theological seminaries are often the seedbed for doctrinal error. For example, the error of Higher Criticism, which was developed in Holland and Germany in the 17th & 18th Centuries was born in theological halls like the Tubingen School and has spread to such an extent that most theological seminaries now approach Biblical interpretation from the Higher Critical position. Most of the well-known Ivy League universities that we can think of, started their lives as excellent theological schools but over the years have embraced many other disciplines. If you look now at their theological departments you will find that they are theologically corrupt in their interpretation and understanding of God’s word.
For some reason there seems to be a tendency for those with great intelligence to lose the run of themselves, and in their desire to probe the things where God’s words is silent, to speculate and philosophise to a dangerous level. Paul warns in 1st Corinthians 8 that ‘Knowledge puffeth up’ and perhaps too much learning has made some people mad.

A similar trend was evident in the inter-testamental period. At that time the Jewish religious system largely separated into to schools of thought. There was the sect of the Sadducees and the sect of the Pharisees. The Sadducees were the ‘higher critics and the modernists’ of their day, they denied life after death, resurrection and the existence of angelic beings. The Pharisees on the other hand were the Biblical purists. They took God’s word literally and were, more often than not, theologically correct. However, in their zeal for purity they moved onto the ground of legalism and introduced an array of extra biblical commandments. The point is that both of these erroneous systems were born in what we might call theological schools.

My concern essentially is this, if Satan wants to corrupt the Church then one easy way to do it is to corrupt the place where the Churches leaders are trained. If he can poison the fountainhead then he can poison the whole watercourse. As we survey Church history we can see how he has done this time after time. We could broaden the discussion into church government. Church denominations that have abandoned the Biblical model of local Church independence are also easy pickings for Satan, the same model applies, corrupt the leadership to corrupt the denomination. That is one reason why local Church independence is so important. If Satan wants to corrupt the church he has to do it one assembly at a time.

This is one reason why I believe there needs to be a greater emphasis within the local church for developing gifts. In many cases the local church totally abdicates this responsibility, saying ‘that’s not our remit, that’s the Bible Colleges department.’ This is wrong thinking! We need to develop those within our midst, rather than sending them of to some Bible school or other, which might not even teach the same doctrinal position that the local Church espouses.

So should we close Bible Schools? Certainly not! As I have already stated, they are useful and helpful for the edification of God’s people for service. However, we need to have a more realistic view of what they can achieve, to use on old phrase ‘they cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.’ Bible Schools don’t make preachers, God does. We also need to have a watchful eye on Theological Seminaries, knowing how Satan has corrupted so many in the past, let’s not imagine that he is going to abandon a winning formula now.

‘Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain,’ Revelation 3 v2

Qualifications

Introduction

It’s that time of year again, exam season. Students all over the country, whether in secondary or higher education, are doing last minute cramming ahead of the dreaded exams. In these days of course projects and work based learning, exams still have a vital role in determining who has made the grade and who has grasped their subject. That’s why the diligent student has been and is working so hard, they recognise the importance of passing their exams, they understand the importance of ‘qualifications’. The quantity and standard of their qualifications will be important in their search for employment or the furthering of their studies.

I have been thinking recently about qualifications, not GCSE’s, A-Levels or University Degrees but rather the qualifications of the Christian. What qualifications do we need to serve God?

Before discussing the subject any further it would be important to mention the obvious qualification, Salvation. We cannot serve God unless we have a relationship with Him. When we entered this world we were all born in sin and as such we had no relationship with God. We were in fact His enemies, as Romans says ‘the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.’ Our carnal or fleshly mind was not subject to God. However, through the blessing of Salvation we can have a living relationship with God. Our Saviour taught us to address him as ‘Father’ and so through Salvation we move from a situation where we have no relationship with God to one where we are His children. If you do not have that saving relationship with God then you cannot serve God. My own local assembly recognises the importance of this fact and has included the following qualification for a Church Pastor in the church constitution where it states ‘he must be a born again believer.’

‘Ye must be born again.’ John 3 v7

As I have already said the qualification of Salvation should be an obvious one, however, once we are saved we are all in a position to serve God in one capacity or another. That’s not to say that we all will, or indeed can fulfil the same roles within the Lord’s work. As members of the Body of Christ, we all have different functions to perform. To use the body analogy some of us are eyes watching out, some of us are mouths speaking out, some of us are hands reaching out and some of us are feet going out. Not everyone can be a Preacher, not everyone can be a Missionary, not everyone can be an Elder, a Deacon, a Sunday-School teacher etc but we all should be doing something. So what qualifies us to do the thing that we are doing or that we aspire to do?

I want to consider this question in a series of blogs. I want to look at two from a negative point of view and two from a positive point of view. I want to consider the misunderstandings that place an over emphasis on formal theological training and on physical maturity. I then intend to consider the gifts given to the Church and then finally the importance of humility.

Spectator or Participant

Last Wednesday night I watched with interest the performance of my fellow countryman Jim Eastwood in the ‘bear-pit’, which is Lord Sugar’s boardroom on the BBC television programme ‘The Apprentice’. The tide appeared to be going against Jim as his fellow competitors seemed to be prepared to make him the scapegoat for the their collective failure in the task of developing and marketing a mobile telephone application or ‘App’.

He made two excellent contributions as part of his defence, in the first instance he highlighted to everyone that was there that one of the competitors in the boardroom was a mere passenger in the process and then when selected by his team leader to be amongst the final three to be selected for dismissal, he refused to accept the injustice and authoritatively demanded that the team leader change his mind, which to my astonishment he did.

It is to the first contribution that I want to turn our thoughts. In highlighting the fact that one of the competitors was a mere passenger he outlined to Lord Sugar that his competitor was a ‘Spectator’ while he on the other hand was a ‘Participant’. Brilliant! However, this was not to be the last time I heard this analogy being used for the very next night at my Church prayer meeting I was confronted with the very same principle.

The speaker at our prayer meeting brought before us the story of David and Goliath as we find it in 1st Samuel Chapter 17. Of the many different thoughts he brought to us from this incident he asked us to think about how all of the Children of Israel watched each day as Goliath of Gath came down to challenge them to a one on one fight, your champion against me, whoever wins that fight wins the war. Each day he came down saying the same words and each day no-one from the armies of Israel volunteered to take on the giant. That was of course until David arrived on the scene, he was outraged at the giants words and said ‘who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?…Is there not a cause?’ David decided at that moment to do something, he was going to kill Goliath.

As David surveyed the trembling Israelite army all he saw was a bunch of ‘spectators’ but he determined that he was going to be a ‘participant’. The men of Israel were dressed like soldiers, they were on the battlefield but they weren’t taking part in the fight. So often in the Christian life we can be like that.

For the Child of God the place of prayer is the real battlefield in our war with evil. We do not fight with physical weapons, we are in a spiritual battle as Paul said ‘though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 2nd Corinthians 10 v 3-4. However, so many of God’s people get all dressed up and come to the battlefield, the place of prayer, but they do not participate. They are mere spectators in this great battle, they listen as others pour out their hearts in prayer but never take part themselves.

Are you a Spectator or a Participant?

‘Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.’ 1st Timothy 6 v12

Friday the 13th

On Friday the 13th of May I spoke to the young people in our Church about the subject of ‘Superstition’ and all that nonsense. I was asked by a friend to share my notes on this subject through this ‘blog’, so here’s the general thrust of what was said.

Introduction

Friday the 13th is supposed to be the unluckiest day. If something bad is going to happen to you then Friday the 13th will probably be the day. Historians are not quite agreed as to where this notion came from but it seems to be the double whammy of the number 13 being supposedly unlucky and Friday being the unluckiest day of the week. Superstitions like this are commonly believed amongst the population and other examples include: -

It's bad luck to
Ø Break a mirror
Ø Walk under a ladder
Ø Cross the path of a black cat
Ø Move house on a Saturday
Ø Put your new shoes on a table before wearing them

To bring a bit of balance the superstitious person believes good luck will come as a result of
Ø Having an itchy palm (money to come your way)
Ø Throwing salt over your shoulder
Ø Knocking twice on wood
Ø Finding a horse shoe
Ø Having a chimney sweep at your wedding

What a lot of nonsense, to think that doing any of these things effects what will or will not happen to us is totally ‘pie in the sky’. Believe it or not the Bible has something to say about superstition in the book of Acts chapter 17.

‘22Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.’

The Problem Relayed

‘ye are too superstitious’

The apostle Paul as he walked around Mars Hill in Athens saw altars and idols to every god you could imagine, from Ares to Zeus they were all there. In their fear of leaving someone out and the risk of offence they even had an altar to what was described as the ‘UNKOWN GOD’. This was a wee insurance policy Altar. If some god turned up saying why have you not worshiped me they could say we did when we worshipped the unknown god. Paul concluded as he looked at this altar that these people were ‘too superstitious’ and he told them so.

In his rebuke to these men of Athens he told them that they did what they did because of their ignorance, ‘Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship’. Sometimes we think that an ignorant person is a person with no manners but this is to misunderstand the word. Ignorance is really a lack of Knowledge. The rude person is rude because they have never been taught how to behave in polite company, they behave in the way they do due to a lack of knowledge, therefore to call them ignorant is more a diagnosis as to why they behave rudely rather than a description of what they are, rude. Lack ok knowledge has an effect on our behaviour and it makes people superstitious.

The Practical Result

‘Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship’

So Superstition is the result of mans lack of knowledge about God. This lack of knowledge manifests itself in fear. Fear in fact is part of the definition of superstition. The dictionary defines superstition as ‘an irrational fear of the unknown’. When people do not fully understand what is going on in the spiritual world, what lies beyond the grave and what is the meaning of life then they fill this vacuum of knowledge with irrational superstitious beliefs.

In an effort to get in touch with spiritual things and knowledge about their own future people often dabble with the occult. They read their horoscopes, visit fortune-tellers and read tarot cards. All of this contact with the occult is prohibited in God’s word.

In the Old Testament we read ‘There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.’ Deuteronomy 18 v10-12.
In the New Testament we read of people saved out of this sort of thing and they completely repented from it as Acts 19 v 18-20 records ‘many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.’

So how do we combat this problem?

The Problem Resolved

‘Him declare I unto you.’

It’s simple really. The problem of superstition is as a result of a lack of knowledge so therefore we must fill the void with ‘the knowledge of the truth’.
This was what Paul did on this occasion he declared unto those ignorant Athenians the truth about the God of the Bible. Paul’s audience that day was unsaved people but before I speak to the unsaved let me say a quick word to the Child of God.

The Saved

As a Christian we should never entertain superstitious notions. We have the knowledge of the truth. Let me remind you of the truth about our God’s plan for our lives.

‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ Romans 8 v28

WE KNOW - CONCLUSIVE – There is no doubt about it.
ALL THINGS – COMPLETE – This truth covers everything that happens in our lives whether pleasant or unpleasant.
FOR GOOD - CHOICE – The things that happen to us are God’s ‘choice cuts’ for us. Some of them may appear unpleasant to us in the present but we have God’s assurance that they are for our good.

God’s plans for our lives are not going to be altered because a black cat looks sideways at us.

The Unsaved

With regard to the unsaved person, you need to learn about who God is and how He is to be understood and that is what Paul sought to do with these men of Athens. He informs them about.

The Sovereign

24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

This Sovereign was the one who created them

26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.

However he is a righteous God who will judge sin.

31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness.

The Sinner

That leaves us with a problem, as we are sinners.

30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

If we were not sinful then there would be no need for us to repent. If we do repent then God can forgive us based on the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross.

The Saviour

Thankfully our sins can be forgiven because of what was accomplished at Calvary. Paul also refers to this saying.

31 ‘that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.’

The death and resurrection of Christ is the only basis on which we can find acceptance with God. Are you trusting in the God of the Bible or are you living with irrational fears?

Who's in Charge?

Well it’s all over! The votes have been cast, the ballot papers have been counted and the citizens of the different regions of the United Kingdom now know who will have their hands on the levers of power for the next few years.

Election results for some bring delight and for others they bring despondency but how should the Child of God view these things? I have always had an interest in what’s going on in the world of politics whether regional, national or indeed international politics. There have been issues that I have felt very passionately about and as a result there has never been an election since I turned 18 years of age where I have not made the trip to the polling station.

The Lord Jesus has taught us that as God’s Children we are ‘the salt of the earth’ (Matt 5 v13) and as such we are to have a preserving influence. I believe that one way in which we can use this preserving influence is by supporting candidates who will make the right legislative calls on the ‘Big Moral Issues’. However, we should never delude ourselves into thinking that God’s Kingdom or indeed the Church of Jesus Christ will ever be advanced by politics.

While my interest in politics is as strong as ever it was I have to say that in recent years I have become less and less exercised about it. I think of myself more as an interested observer these days and don’t shout at the TV anymore. You may conclude that this is the mellowing of maturing years but I don’t think that’s the case. I put the change down to a deeper appreciation of the truth of God’s Sovereignty.

If anyone ever grasped the truth that God is in control it was King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian Empire, the first ever World Empire. Due to his pride God had struck him down with a mental illness where he thought that he was an animal. When God allowed his reason to return Nebuchadnezzar said these words.

‘And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?’ Daniel 4 v 34-35

As I have already mentioned many people can become despondent at the results of elections. They don’t particularly like some or indeed any of those who have been elected. However, as Christians we have to acknowledge that although we may not like some of those who have the rule over us that God in His permissive will has allowed those people to be in positions of authority. In the early days of the Church it was living in a world dominated by Imperial Rome. The Caesars who sat on the throne in those days were despots who thought nothing of feeding Christians to the lions or imprisoning them in penal colonies. These despots make our modern political leaders (even the worst among them) look like reasonable people and yet despite the harsh reality of life for a 1st Century Christian Peter wrote.

‘Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.’ 1 Peter 2 v17

The Apostle Paul for his part said.

‘Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates,’ Titus 3 v1

The Apostles make clear that as God’s people we ought to honour and obey those whom God has put into positions of government. We of course must qualify this obedience to state that if the government should ever seek to force us to do something that is against God’s will then ‘we ought to obey God rather than men.’ Acts 5 v29

Over the centuries there have been many different forms of government from Autocratic where one man ruled the roost to Democratic where the people decide who rules. All of these systems have failed and will continue to do so because of man’s wicked nature. I look forward to the day when the government will be Christocratic, government by Jesus Christ. In that day ‘the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.’ Habakkuk 2 v14

‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’ Revelation 22 v20

OSAMA BIN LADEN

One thing about 'the news' is it's ability to surprise you. I was not expecting, when I woke this morning, to hear that US Special Forces had killed Osama Bin Laden. But it has happened, the biggest man hunt in history is over.

As I have listened to commentary on news programmes today and indeed read posts on social networking sites there seems to be a view that justice has been served on Osama Bin Laden. Now while I understand where people are coming from and would agree that the world is a better place without the likes of Osama Bin Laden, it is wrong to come to the conclusion that justice has been served.

What has happened over night simply shows the truth of the Biblical principle that 'all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.' Matt 26 v52 For Mr Bin Laden justice will be served in a day yet to come. On that day he will stand with the dead small and great before the Great White Judgement throne of our Lord Jesus Christ. On that day the books will be opened and he will be judged according to the things written in those books. A God who knows and sees everything knows about every wicked plot and plan to have ever come out of the heart of that evil man and has recorded it to demonstrate how perfect His judgements are. On that day God will ensure that righteous justice is served.

As we look around the world we see all sorts of injustice and it is possible to get very vexed about it, however, I do not allow apparent injustice annoy me; I simply remember that there is a God in Heaven who will see to it that true justice is served. In my own region of the UK a lot of people get very exercised about former terrorist in positions of authority and influence. As repugnant as these former terrorists are to me I do not get vexed about the situation. A Sovereign God has permitted these things to be. I don't know why God has permitted this to be but I do know this, if these former terrorist do not repent they 'shall all likewise perish.' Luke 13 v3

That is a wonderful verse in Luke 13, for it gives hope to the terrorist or any other sinner for that matter. The Lord Jesus Christ said 'except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.' That means there is a place of forgiveness for sinners including murderers if they repent. Was the apostle Paul not a man who terrorised the Church before his conversion? If he can be saved so can Gerry or Marty.

Have you ever prayed for the Salvation of these people? Have you ever asked God to open their eyes to the wickedness of their past deeds and to draw them by His Spirit in repentance towards God and in saving faith to our Lord Jesus Christ? Perhaps you think they deserve to be punished for their evil deeds and aren't worthy of God's mercy! Were You?

Illiberal Liberals

We live in a day and age when people claim to be very 'Liberal' in their outlook. They tend to say 'live and let live' when it comes to the differences between religions. 'You believe what you want to believe and I'll believe what I want to believe and we will leave it at that.' It all sounds very tolerant and, well, 'liberal'.

The dictionary definition of a 'liberal' is one who is 'open-minded and not prejudiced'. That's is all well and good but I have a real problem with 'Liberals' and it is not because of their claimed tolerance. My problem with 'Liberals' stems from their being very 'Illiberal', I'm afraid many 'Liberals' do not do what it says on the tin.

There is within society today a great number of so called 'liberal' pressure groups. These groups want to liberalise laws on gambling, Sunday opening, gay marriage and divorce to name a few. As these folks push their point of view they are actually pushing against the point of view of Bible believing Christians and as a result they come into conflict with Christians. They actually accuse God's people of being 'intolerant and illiberal'.

What I can't understand is this, if these people are so open-minded and unprejudiced then why can they not be a bit more tolerant of the views of Christians? Why can they not extend to us some of their supposed 'liberality'?

The truth of the matter is they are not 'liberal' at all, they are just as much fundamentalists as the Christians, it's just they have a fundamentally different world view. I wish they would be a bit more honest and find a new name for themselves, a name that would be a bit more realistic.

Among their ranks there are those who have been honest enough to admit that Christians are being persecuted by 'Liberals'. Former Tory MP Michael Portillo, when referring to the fines imposed on the Bull family who refused to allow gays in their guest house, said 'they should not have been penalised....Changes to equality law are not the result of public consensus, rather, laws are changed by small lobby groups who then use the changes in a bid to shift public opinion.' Homosexual TV Presenter and Historian David Starkey said recently that 'penalising Christians for their beliefs about homosexual behaviour is intolerant, oppressive and tyrannical.'

At least Mr Starkey is consistent with the principles of being a 'Liberal' but as for the militant homosexual lobby they would be better describing themselves as what they are 'Fundamentalist homosexuals'!

'Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' Matthew 5 v10

The reality is

The Contractions are Getting Closer

I'm no expert on childbirth, having never experienced it myself, but i do know this, as the contractions experienced by an expectant mother get closer together it's a sure sign that the arrival of the baby is getting closer. God often uses the metaphor of childbirth to describe the events of the of 'Day of Jacob's trouble' or as it is more often called the 'Great Tribulation'. Speaking about the days of suffering that precede the Millennium Kingdom the prophet Micah predicts. 'Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.' Micah 4 v 9-10 Notice the language in this passage where Micah describes the nation of Israel as a 'woman in travail.' This metaphor is a fitting one indeed because one of the purposes of the tribulation period is to purify Israel in order that the nation will be spiritually born again. The prophet Isaiah speaks of this rebirth in the 66th Chapter of his book. 'Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.' Isaiah 66 v 8-9 Some understand this prophecy to have been fulfilled when Israel was reborn as a nation in May 1948. I would agree that that significant event is certainly a partial fulfilment of a precursor to a greater fulfilment but not the end of the matter. The event referred to by Isaiah, Micah and other prophets has a deeper spiritual significance. Israel, although back in the promised-land today is there essentially in unbelief, that is, they have not recognised the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah. The day that the prophets speak of is a day when the nation will be not merely nationally reborn but spiritually reborn. Speaking of the spiritual regeneration Zechariah says. 'And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.' Zec 12 v10 You may well be wondering why I am talking about this, you may say 'it is not relevant to me as I'm not Jewish'. Well I believe this is very relevant to every person on this planet because these events that we are thinking about are events relating to the age in which we live, an age which is fast drawing to a close. I will come back to the theme of childbirth in a moment as it ties in with what I want to say about current events. Unless you have been in hibernation for the past few months you could not have failed to notice that both New Zealand and Japan have been rocked this year by massive earthquakes and in fact the nation of Japan is experiencing massive aftershocks on almost a daily basis. What has this got to do with the end of the age you may ask? Well did not the Lord Jesus say regarding the closing days of this age that:- 'nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: ‘and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.' Mark 13 v8 Earthquakes in divers or different places, well we are certainly seeing that. But there have always been earthquakes around the world! Well that is true but consider the following statistics courtesy of the 'World-Earthquakes.com' website. Looking at earthquakes over the magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale over the past few centuries. 18th Century - 1 over 8.0 19th Century - 3 over 8.0 20th Century - 18 over 8.0 21st Century - 8 over 8.0 Considering we are just over one decade into the 21st century I think we can conclude that sever earthquakes are becoming increasingly common, or we could say they are getting closer together, hang that thought in the back of your mind for a moment. Going back to the Biblical revelation do you remember that we compared the rebirth of the nation of Israel spiritually with childbirth? Well there is a parallel with natural childbirth and the rebirth of Israel that we need to consider. Quite a time before the birth of a child the expectant mother will begin to experience 'birth pangs' or more properly 'contractions'. As the final delivery draws closer these contractions become more frequent and more severe. Could it be that the earthquakes currently shaking our world are the birth pangs of a spiritually reborn nation of Israel? The earthquakes as we have seen are certainly more frequent than ever before. If you think I'm nuts consider the final phrase of Mark 13 v8 that we have already quoted, 'these are the beginning or sorrows.' The word translated 'sorrows' in the KJV is from the Greek word 'odin'. This word actually refers to the pain of childbirth, travail pain or birth pangs. Now that is interesting, God the Holy Spirit is comparing the sorrows that will come upon this earth at the close of this age as the sorrows associated with childbirth. Interesting. Over in the book of Revelation 12 v 2 we have a derivation of the word 'odin'. The word used on this occasion is the word 'odino' and is translated as 'travailing in birth'. I show you this to reinforce the point and show you that I'm not stretching the meaning of Mark 13. To conclude I would say, 'the coming of the Lord draweth nigh'. We can see the evidence as we watch the six o'clock news. Unsaved reader are you ready lest His appearing overtakes you like a thief in the night. Child of God, our day of opportunity for witness is fast running out, be busy for the Master in these closing days of time. 'I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.' John 9 v4

Murder Made Easy

I heard on the BBC news this morning that Pharmacies in Wales will now be able to distribute the 'morning after pill' free of charge, that means fully funded by the British Tax Payer. You can read about it at the following link.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12926180

The article on the BBC website describes the 'morning after pill' as 'Emergency Contraception'. I have a real problem with this description of the 'morning after pill'. The oxford English Dictionary defines contraception as 'the deliberate use of artificial methods or other techniques to prevent pregnancy as a consequence of sexual intercourse'. The Etymology of the word is the joining of the word 'contra' meaning 'against' with the end of the word 'conception' which means to conceive. In other words it is a means to stop a woman from conceiving.

Now one can think of many forms of contraception that can be employed to stop a woman becoming pregnant but the 'morning after pill' is not one of those methods. In reality the 'morning after pill' is a drug which attacks the recently fertilised egg within the woman's body, it attacks the embryo and destroys it. The drug actually prevents the embryo from travelling into the womb where it needs to be to develop.

As a Christian I believe firmly that human life begins at the moment of conception. When God called Jeremiah he explained to him that He knew him before he was born 'Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.' Jeremiah 1 v5 The Psalmist David said in Psalm 51 'Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.' With God life begins at conception!

If life begins at conception, and it does, then to take away life after conception is murder. To take a pill and to destroy a tiny little embryo in the body of a woman is just like taking a gun and blowing someones head off. What a sad state our nation is in when taxpayers money is being spent to murder babies. God help us.

'Thou shalt not kill.' Exodus 20 v 13

The Graciousness of God!

I have been spending some time in my study recently preparing messages for some Gospel meetings that I hope to conduct very shortly, in God's will. One of the messages that I am working on is entitled 'Where did it all go wrong?' and as the title would suggest I will be taking a look at the fall of Adam into sin.

As I have studied for this message I have, once again, been struck by the Graciousness of God. As I'm sure you well know God gave Adam only one law to obey when he placed him in the garden of Eden. 'But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.' This was a very clear and simple command. Adam could eat apples from the apple tree, he could eat plums from the plum tree, he could the eat pears from the pear tree, but he must not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Of course, you know the story, the serpent beguiled Eve and she took the forbidden fruit and then Adam, who was not deceived like Eve, knowingly disobeyed God's one simple rule. At this point the whole human family and indeed the whole earth was plunged into sin, death and destruction.

At this point God would have been well within His rights to bring swift and terrible judgement upon Adam. Adam knew the consequences of his disobedience, DEATH. That's what God had said would be the consequence. In one sense that consequence did begin because Adams' hitherto perfect body would have begun to break down and die. But death in God's eyes is much more than mere physical death, there is a spiritual dimension, there is a broken relationship with God which ultimately means eternal separation for the sinner in the Lake of Fire, which is the second death.

This is where I was struck by the Graciousness of God. Even though God could have brought immediate sentence He didn't. He came looking for His estranged creature calling to him 'Where art thou?' God never asks a question to get information, He know everything perfectly, what He wanted was a confession, an admission of guilt.
God next asks 'Hast thou eaten of the tree?' How Gracious of God to come seeking a confession from His fallen creature.

But that's not the end of God's Gracious dealing with Adam for once He gets the confession of sin He provides a promise of a child that would one day be born to deal with the deceitful devil and make a way back to Himself for sinners. To paint a picture of what this promised child would do God killed an Innocent animal and skined it to provide a covering for Adam and Eve's nakedness. What a picture of the work of the Lord Jesus God's Son, He was Innocent and yet He died on the cross to provide a covering for our sin.

How gracious is God? How merciful is God? How longsuffering is God? He could have carried out immediate justice on Adam but he didn't, He could have carried out immediate justice on me but he didn't, He could have carried out immediate justice on you but He hasn't. What a Gracious God!

'The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,' Exodus 34 v 6

A Strange Symbol

Why I use the Authorised Version, Reason .12

A Strange Symbol

As a result of the ‘supposed’ conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine a vast amount of Pagan Culture infiltrated the Church. Up to that point Christianity was generally persecuted and despised in Roman Culture. However, when the Emperor claimed to embrace this ‘New Religion’ Christianity suddenly became the ‘coolest’ new thing. If the Emperor was a Christian then everyone wanted to be a Christian. Sadly this growth in Church membership was not of the Holy Ghost and these pagan people brought their pagan beliefs and practices into the Church.

Examples of this can be found in Christian Festivals like Christmas and Easter. Easter is only a few weeks away and many will exchange Easter Eggs. I remember as a child in School being told that Easter Eggs were a symbol of the stone that was rolled away from the tomb in which Jesus was temporarily buried. This of course in nonsense, the egg symbol is right out of Babylonian Pagan religion and represents the Birth of the Pagan Deity Tammuz. Even the word Easter is right of Paganism for it is a reference to the pagan Deity Ishtar.

Another Pagan Deity who made an entrance into Christendom was Semiramis the mother of the aforementioned Tammuz. Semiramis and Tammuz are represented in the symbol of a mother and child and there are historical records from throughout the world of this mother and child religion being carried on for thousands of years. When this was Christianised Semiramis became Mary the Mother of Jesus and Tammuz became the infant Jesus. The ancient followers of Tammuz paid homage to their god by wearing a 'letter T' on a chain around their necks. This too was Christianised and became the Cross symbol which so many Christians wear today. If you want to find out more about this ‘Pagan Invasion’ I would recommend Hislop’s book ‘Two Babylons’. As I am aware of this Pagan influence I personally choose not to represent my Christianity in symbolism but I am not going to fall out with someone who does. Rather than focusing on symbols we ought to focus on God’s Word. That is God’s way of communicating to His people, through words not symbols.

There is one symbol in particular that I want to mention that has a common history with those mentioned above. This symbol predates the birth of Christ and was and remains a pagan religious symbol. In fact it would seem to be a symbol that the New Age Movement has adopted for itself and appears to be using as a Message Symbol. This symbol too was brought into Christendom along with all the other pagan garbage and is now said to represent the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You may be familiar with it as it is found on the spine or cover of many copies of the New King James Version of the Bible.

Inside the front cover to the NKJV the publishers say that the Logo is ‘The triquetra (from a Latin word meaning “three-cornered”) is an ancient symbol for the Trinity. It comprises three interwoven arcs, distinct yet equal and inseparable, symbolising that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three distinct yet equal persons and indivisibly One God.’ As I have mentioned already God communicates to us by Words, He does not communicate to us through symbolism or images, or pictures, or icons, or art of any kind. The Apostle Paul when preaching to pagans in Athens taught them this truth saying. ‘Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device’ Acts 17 v 29. Therefore we ought not, as God’s people, use symbols like crosses, fish or even the triquetra to represent our God.

On the other hand Pagan religion and the occult is loaded with images and symbolism. We could mention pentagrams, goats heads, serpents, lightning bolts and even the triquetra as images associated with Paganism and the Occult. The Bible of the modern New Age Movement is Marilyn Ferguson’s ‘The Aquarian Conspiracy’ and the front coverof that book displays the triquetra.

Other uses of this symbol in the occult are to be found on our television screens. A US Television series about three sisters who are witches called ‘Charmed’ uses the triquetra. The following image is of the sisters’ spell-book; notice the triquetra on the front cover.

It seems everywhere I look in the modern world this symbol is to be found. I feel this is significant because occultists use imagery to communicate and as it were to ‘mark their stuff’. The Northern Ireland Political Party the SDLP use this symbol as their party logo.

In the UK we all received forms through our letter boxes in the past few weeks from the government who are carrying out a Census of the whole population. To my mind the symbol at the bottom of the envelope is a derivation of the triquetra.

Another derivation of the triquetra is the symbol used by the South African white supremacy party the AWB.

Christian author Constance Cumbey certainly associated the triquetra with the Occult New Age Movement. On the front cover of his excellent book ‘The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow’ a number of Occult symbols are illustrated, among them the triquetra.

So what am I saying? I’m I saying the NKJV of the Bible is an Occult Bible? Certainly not! However, as I have contended in my recent blogs Satan is interested in Bible translation. I think Satan will try and influence whenever and wherever he can. Could it be that the inclusion of the triquetra on the spine of the NKJV is Satan’s way of letting his minions know that he has had some influence here? To be frank I don’t know. I cannot judge and I do not have perfect knowledge as to why this pagan symbol is on the spine or cover of the NKJV. I cannot judge the intentions of motives of the publisher. All I Know is it worries me greatly.

With regard to this series of blogs, I feel after a dozen blogs the time has come to draw to a close. I have enjoyed preparing the blogs and I trust you have found them thought provoking and interesting even if you have not always agreed with my point of view. Praise God for our hard won freedoms of liberty and free speech. There are so many topics and issues, which are important and relevant to the 21st Century Church that I will now focus my attention on other matters. That is not to say that I will never return to this topic, I very well may, but for the moment I have other things on my mind that I desire to share with the readers of this blog.

May God bless those readers who are His and save those who know Him not!