Category: Services

January 7th 2024: James Allan

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Psalm 85

All was not right in Judah and Jerusalem. The setting for this Psalm is the years after the Lord’s people had returned from exile in Babylon. They set to work on rebuilding the temple, relaying the foundations of the temple. Then work on the temple slowed and gradually ground to a halt. In Haggai we read that people spent money on their own homes, not the temple (Haggai 1:9). The people came under the Lord’s judgement (v.10). The temple was eventually constructed, and people began to work on the city walls (Nehemiah). Yet again, work began and then ground to a halt (Nehemiah 5:10). The poor were suffering. People were guilty of marrying women from pagan nations. Children were growing up in homes not worshipping the Lord, they did not even speak the language of the Lord’s people. (Nehemiah 13:24).

This psalm is written, most likely in the days of Haggai (v.12). It was written to a restored people, who had known the Lord’s salvation. They had been under God’s judgement – the Lord had taken them into captivity into Babylon. But then they had experienced His salvation (v1). They were in exile, but now they had been restored.

However, all is not well. Salvation is needed again. There is sin that needs to be repented of (verses 4-5). ‘Restore’ could be translated as ‘repent.’ The people are living in sin again. The psalmist especially longs for revival so the people may rejoice in God (verses 6-7). The people are a restored people, but now they’re back in the land they need to be once again a people who will delight in Him.

We are, today, people who have received, known and experienced the Lord’s salvation. But do we have a sense of what verses 6 and 7 mean? Are we seeking to find what we need in things other than the Lord himself? In crisis, do I look to other things and not the Lord? I am in Christ, so I have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. If you are truly in Christ, yet living in other things and the Lord is not first in everything, then you are never more happy then you are holy. For the believer, you are safe in Christ. But as a Christian you need the Lord to turn to. Do you know the joy of the Lord?

There is a difference between the doctrine of justification and the doctrine of adoption. Think of justification as loving your children. It is a biological fact which cannot be altered, that they are your children. Nothing can alter than relationship. But relationships can become strained. My relationship with the Lord can become strained. Justification means that when I become a Christian, I am righteous in the sight of God. I am clothed in Christ’s righteousness. I am a child of God. I am not saved on the basis of anything I have done. I am a sinner but clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

Although nothing can alter the fact that I am a child of God, my relationship with the Lord can become strained. The Lord disciplines His people for their good. I am adopted. I am a child of God. But we need to keep in step in the Holy Spirit.

In verse 12 the psalmist has confidence.

“Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.”

Remember, if this was written at the time of Haggai, the Lord was withholding the harvest so the people would return from their sin. The psalmist is confident, saying, ‘Let us turn from our sin and be confident of the Lord’s goodness, that He will provide.’

“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
    but let them not turn back to folly.”         

Psalm 85.8

The psalmist is again confident. If the people turn from their sin the Lord will forgive them. We must turn from our sin and be confident that the Lord is willing and ready to restore. Take encouragement. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). The Lord is willing, and He is able. The greatest blessing of all for a restored people is the Lord Himself,

“Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
    that glory may dwell in our land.”      

Psalm 85:9

What do we want? Surely, the Lord Himself – the knowledge of the Lord’s presence with us to bless us. The ‘gods’ of this world – money, sex, power – promise much, but never satisfy. The Lord is everywhere. We want Him to bless us.

The context of this psalm is a restored people who have fallen into sin, they cry out for mercy,

“Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
    and put away your indignation toward us!”
  Psalm 85:4

The focus of this psalm is verse 7,

“Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.”
  Psalm 85:7

What is the remedy for a people who need to be restored, who needs to repent, who need to be revived? It is to know the love of the Lord. We need to see the love of God for sinners.

In verses 2-3 the psalmist remembers the Lord’s grace to His people,

“You forgave the iniquity of your people;
    you covered all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
    you turned from your hot anger.”

Zechariah 3:1-2 gives a vision of Jerusalem’s High Priest, Joshua. Satan is also there, standing to accuse, in the presence of God. Joshua, the High Priest, who represents the people of Israel, is standing in dirty clothes. The following verses show the gospel, the imputed righteousness of Christ – the great exchange – my sin is given to Christ and He bears the punishment for it on the cross. He gives me His righteousness and I am seen clothed in His perfect righteousness, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If your heart is cold this morning, here is your prayer,

“Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.”
(Psalm 85:7)

In verse 3 we see the anger of God for sin. Here, we have the doctrine of propitiation. He must oppose all that is evil because He is a God of justice. But how can He turn from His anger? Something has to happen. Sin must be punished. The wrath of God is satisfied in Christ as He bore our sins on the cross. On Him every sin was laid.

Is verse 7 your prayer?

“Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.”

In verse 10 we are unpacking the gospel in more depth,
“Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.”

The attributes of God listed here might seem at odds with each other. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet – a love that gives Himself to His people. In faithfulness we see God is being faithful to Himself. He is pure, clean. How then can He be faithful and give steadfast love to His people? At the cross.

“Righteousness and peace kiss each other.” How is this possible? It is at the cross. I can have peace with God because Christ takes that wrath from me.

“Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.”
Psalm 85:11

This reminds us of God’s grace. Faithfulness could be translated as truth. We are given a picture of a crop springing out of the ground. You don’t have to work hard for it. There is truth all around us. If you feel your heart is cold, your priorities are wrong. Like the people of Haggai, you are not building the Lord’s house, you are building your own house. Your life is self-absorbed, building up your own treasures on earth. The antidote is to seek the love of God. How do you do this? Think of what you have: you have God’s Word. Do you read it? You have the local church, the local congregation. Do you come, come with the right mindset? Is the slightest excuse enough to keep you away?

A Christian can say the right words, know the right doctrines, but their priorities can be elsewhere. What can help us? Do you put yourself where the word of God is? You may go to worship with a cold heart, but you can leave with a rejoicing heart.

“And righteousness looks down from the sky.” Without the sun there is no food, no light. We have received everything from the Lord.

“Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.”

Keep gazing at our great salvation. Set your eyes on Christ and know that intimacy with Him.

December 31st 2023: John Scanlon

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Christ’s birth is a very important day in the Christian calendar. Today, is the last day of 2023 A.D.  – A.D. meaning the year of the Lord.  People look forward to tomorrow as an important day, the first day in a new year. New Year’s Day comes around and everyone is greeting each other with Happy New Year. The sincere thought must be for happier times. As Bible believing Christians, what do we hope for in the New Year? Could it be world peace, the healing of loved ones who are sick? The hope we have is nothing like the aspiration of this world, who have hope in such things as the lottery.

In this passage of scripture in Matthew chapter 5 we read about being blessed, being happy. What would make us happy? Some Christians have enough religion to keep them out of the pub on a Saturday night, but not off the golf course on a Sunday morning. Some people will have enough religion to recognise the need for prayer but not enough to take them to the prayer meeting. Many churches have an effigy of Christ still nailed to the cross. They don’t know true happiness. What about us? Are we truly happy?

Can you name eight things that would make you happy, 8 things to start a New Year?

The Beatitudes are eight steps to happiness. Billy Graham referred to them as the ‘Beautiful Attitudes.’ Jesus begins by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3). Jesus speaks of our spiritual neediness and the way of supplying our need. People who are poor in spirit do not boast; they know everything comes from His grace. Humility enables you to be honest about yourself. The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy). If you want to be happy you need to be aware of your spiritual poverty. Poverty in spirit is the beginning of happiness. The moment you commit all you have to Christ, total submission to the will of God, you are compelled to commit your true potential to God. Then ours will be the Kingdom of God.

Jesus goes on to promise, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4). There is grief because of sin. The second beatitudes speaks of something deeper than self-pity. The right kind of mourning is the person who is truly sorry for their sins. A deep sorrow for sin is a trait, an outstanding mark of a Christian. Happy also is the man who is sorrowful for the sins of others. Jesus Christ took the penalty of our sins for Himself. Jesus wept as He stood at the tomb of Lazarus, because sin had brought death into the world.

What is the reward promised for this beatitude? “They shall be comforted.” The Holy Spirit is the source of all comfort to repentant sinners. (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit is the source of all comfort to a repentant Christian. Through Him, we have the comfort of knowing our sins are forgiven. Sorrow for sin leads to repentance. There is comfort in knowing we have been saved by God’s grace and not of our own works. There is also comfort in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5). Too many people confuse meekness with weakness. Meekness can be a person who is under control. His passions and actions have been brought under God’s control. They give a life of service. Christ is at the centre of their life. They realise they are living in the presence of God. When you are like this you are teachable. If you are teachable then you are humble. The meek will inherit the earth, those born again will inherit fellowship with God.

When Christians apply the teachings of Jesus, they are the rudder that guides our path of life. To many, the New Year will be an unknown quantity. They don’t know what the future might hold for them. But we have a signpost. We have a guide, a risen Saviour. If we approach Him in humility, we can be sure of a Happy New Year. When you are born again, you are filled with the Holy Spirit and you will enter a life of true blessing.

December 25th 2023: Jonathan Scott

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I want to welcome you here on this most special of Days, which we remember and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. What do you enjoy about Christmas? Is it receiving gifts, having nice things to eat, being on holiday from school or work with your family? These are special things to look forward to. But I want to tell you this morning of the greatest gift ever given, a gift foretold for centuries and is still the greatest gift 2000 years after it was given to us.

The First Christmas an angel appeared to some shepherds and said ‘I bring you good tidings of great Joy.’ (Luke 2: 10-11). The announcement must have come as a surprise to the shepherds. They were afraid; they did not fully understand all that it meant, that the saviour is born. Here is the most important event in the history of the world so far, and they were the first to know that the Saviour had come. What a privilege.

This is a story of a baby born in the most lowly of stables, despite being the King of Kings . He is the One who can save each and everyone of us in more ways than one. The prophet Isaiah foretold this 700 years before the birth,

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

(Isaiah 9 verse 6-8).

God made lots of promises throughout the Bible about the Saviour coming. For hundreds of years God’s messengers, the prophets, had spoken about the Saviour, whom God would send into the world. Can you guess how many promises there were? 50, 100, 200, 300? The answer is more than 300 promises about the Saviour and what He would do. God had even given 30 specific promises about the events of Jesus’s death on the cross and how He would rescue His people from their sins. The Bible says, “When the fullness of time has come, God sent forth His son.” (Galatians 4:4).

At exactly the right time in History, not a year too soon or too late God, sent His son into the world. He waited for everything to be ready for His promises to be fulfilled. For centuries God had been preparing the hearts of His People for the coming Messiah, Jesus.

Very often we do not prepare to celebrate Christmas as we should; we are in such a hurry there are so many things to be done at the last moment. God was not in a hurry. He chose the century, the year, the month and even the day when the Lord Jesus would be born. He had prepared everything with much care.

It is mentioned even back to Genesis about the promise that the saviour is coming, and here in Isaiah 9 we see this lovely promise of God that His son will be born who is,

‘Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’

Not only is it promised that the babe is to be born, but it is promised of who He is to be born to. Isaiah 7: 14 reads, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” A wonderful miracle was going to happen in the body of a young lady, who had never been together with a man. No other baby was ever born like this one. Joseph was not the father of Lord Jesus Christ, God is His Father. The Son of God, who had always been with the Father in heaven, became Man. The Holy spirit worked in a mighty way, so that Mary would be the mother of this baby, who is God and Man in one person. He is Immanuel, which means God with us. We are not able to understand such a mystery, that the Son of God should live in the womb of Mary, before being born that first Christmas. Yet finally, when everything was ready, the promised Saviour was born. Every one of the promises concerning His birth, life, ministry and death were fulfilled exactly as God had said.

The Birth of Jesus Christ: Luke 2:1-7

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration whenQuirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels: Luke 2:8-20

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

Many People were surprised by the place chosen by God for the birth of the Saviour. The people must have thought that the most important person in the history of the world should be born in a palace and surrounded by rich people. But no, the promised Saviour was born in a dark stable which was used to keep animals. Mary took the little baby, wrapped Him in cloth and laid Him in a manger (which was an animal feeding trough). The stable was a dirty place and didn’t smell nice either. The Lord Jesus was born in complete poverty.  The One who had created the universe, the King of Glory, humbled Himself as a little baby, who was weak and dependent upon His mother. God became Man, for Jesus Christ is fully God and Fully Man. Why was this necessary? Why did he come?

The Bible tells us that He came to save us from our sins (1 Timothy 1:15). We had disobeyed God and the only way that we could be saved from our sin was that the Son of God became Man and that He should die and rise again for us on the cross at calvary.

News spread over the countryside by the angel to the shepherds that the Saviour had been born in Bethlehem. People were so excited to see the Saviour, the shepherds went at once to see the baby. Are we so excited every day to get up and see and worship our saviour? We all go through seasons when we feel closer to God or feel more distant. It is important to note that this is not just a story that is told at Christmas time. It is completely true. It is important to look further than just to Bethlehem and the Saviour being born in a manger.

The Lord Jesus didn’t remain a little baby. He grew up and became a man. He was perfect, the only one who never sinned. He always obeyed His heavenly father. He would be conqueror over death and would conquer God’s enemy Satan.

God kept His promise. One day on the cross He took the punishment for our sins. He paid for us in full, not with gold or silver, but with His own precious blood. His life. We do not deserve such love. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He won the victory over Satan. If you are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you can take this promise for yourself.

Summary

From Isaiah delivering the promise of God, that the Saviour is coming, to Jesus being the fulfilment of this promise in being born in as a baby in Bethlehem, all the way to dying on the cross for our sins, this story we hear every Christmas time is about the greatest gift that we could ever receive: Jesus Christ our Saviour, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This Christmas, if you haven’t come to know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour I would urge you to listen to these words from John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Take the words from Isaiah earlier of God being with us (Immanuel). If you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, the babe that was born in Bethlehem will be your Saviour and He will be with you until the end of this age helping and guiding you through each and every situation. Please let the best gift this Christmas be that you accepted the baby that was born in the manger as your Lord and Saviour, knowing His love that He has for you, and you can share eternity with Him.


For those of us here, who have already accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour and received the greatest gift of all, your salvation, why not take a moment today to remember the goodness of God in that He kept His promises that He would send a Saviour, therefore we can trust Him to keep the other promises He has given to those who have trusted in Him – that He will never leave or forsake you? He truly is Immanuel, God with us, until we are finally home with Him for eternity.

The first Carol we sang this morning was, ‘O come all Ye faithful.’ It is my favourite carol because of the words in the chorus, ‘O come let us adore Him.’ For all that He has done for us, it has got to be our pleasure to do exactly that. Come and adore him for the rest of our days. We have done that throughout this morning, but my challenge is to you and me, Knowing the truth that the greatest gift has been given to us, and that He is with us in every situation, now can we adore Him each and every day of the coming Year ahead? Because He deserves all our adoration.

November 26th 2023: Andrew Bowden

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Matthew 1:18-25, 2:13-23: Looking at the role of Joseph

Joseph is often overlooked, yet he played such a distinctive role in the birth of Jesus and the raising of Jesus. He was quite a remarkable individual. Matthew begins with a list of seemingly unpronounceable names, of broken lives. Then one appears – name above all names – one who will be born like no other. He is the only mediator between God and man.

  1. Joseph is tested by God.

Joseph is severely tested by way of relationships. There are many tests and trials of life. The hardest of all is relationships. For Joseph, there is a close relationship with a beautiful woman who has a depth of beauty of spirit. Mary and Joseph would have been pledged to each other at a very young age. Their relationship would have developed over many years. Then there was the act of betrothal, a legally binding act. Following this, there would have been the anticipation of the wedding day, a time of great joy.

One can well imagine Joseph counting the days to be married to the love of his life. He would have been the happiest carpenter in Nazareth. As children count the sleeps to Christmas, so Joseph may have been counting the sleeps, the days when they would be one. Imagine his devastation when Mary takes him aside, struggling with words. Then out it comes, ‘I’m going to have a baby!’ He would have thought she’d has been unfaithful, betrayed him.

We can easily sweep over these things. Then, wait for it. She says, ’I’m going to give birth to the Son of God.’ What is Joseph going to do? He didn’t act rashly. He agonises in what is the right thing to do. He loves Mary far too much to publicly divorce her. It would have brought endless shame and disgrace for her. So, he doesn’t want any fuss and seeks to put her away secretly. What a severe test for Joseph.

Tests do come when God expects of us. These often what seems so unfair, unexpected, unreasonable, when we say, ‘Lord, why this? Why now?’ Tests come when our dreams are shattered, when our lives are turned upside down. But it is that quiet stillness in Joseph, as he deliberates what is the way forward, that shows his character. He has a spirit of surrender to God, to His unfailing love and care. We have to say, ‘Your will be done.’ When God tests us, He does so to bring out the best in us. When God tests us, it is to reveal and remove the dross, and to reveal the real us. This was a dark time for Joseph.

  • In that stillness and quietness Jospeh was visited by God.

In verse 20 onwards an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph. Joseph is addressed as the Son of David – a high-sounding title. That is all important – how we are seen and known in heaven. Joseph is told not to be fearful for God is working out something wonderful. How often our fears have been totally unfounded. God has everything in control. God says there is no need to fear. For Joseph, God is going to do something wonderful. He is given the task of naming the Son of God. He shall be called Jesus, one who will save the people from their sin. “But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26). This is the wonder of Christmas. The Son of God, man of sorrows. What a name! What a Saviour!

There is also another name here, Immanuel, God with us. He is one who is fully God. God manifest, revealed in the flesh. Here is the true image of the invisible God in Christ. Here is the unveiling of the true heart of God in Jesus, God with us. This is the new covenant in all its glory. A personal saviour. We have a reference to Jesus, to the Lord’s work and what He will do. He is Emmanuel. He will be with us. He will be for us. On the cross, He would be instead of us. Holy angels stood confounded to behold their maker thus. It was all for us.

  • Joseph is directed by God (2:13 onwards).

When the wise men had left, the Lord appears to Joseph again in a dream. The Lord directs his path. Joseph went to Bethlehem because of the census. It was providential. Now he is directed to Egypt. God knows our needs and goes before us,

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.”

                    (Psalm 139:16).

Amazing! Days of trial, days of heartache, days of blessing, God goes before us. Search your Bible and you will never find the word ‘guidance,’ but you will find ‘guide.’ It is personal. God leads us, God directs us, lovingly through all things. Yes, we make our mistakes. Looking back on life we see God graciously rules overall.

Angels come and explain all to Joseph. God knows all our limitations and weaknesses. He will overrule and work out his purposes in our life. All the way my saviour leads me. Not some of the way.

All the way my Saviour leads me
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

Fanny Crosby.

Joseph could look back on this journey and see God protected him. The slaughter of infants is in-keeping with the character of Herod. In the midst of rage, anger and spite of Herod, God protected Joseph, Mary and Jesus. God directs Joseph to Nazareth, a despised region. Yet, this is the place where God will have His Son raised. God is our fortress, our high tower, our refuge. We shelter in God’s awesome tender love and grace. He is always the same. We can count on Him. He is true to Himself, unchanging. We shelter in all the glorious promises in scripture. We shelter in His providential care, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).

We shelter in God. Isn’t it wonderful to be safe, to be secure in God?

A Sovereign Protector I have,
unseen, yet for ever at hand,
unchangeably faithful to save,
almighty to rule and command.
He smiles, and my comforts abound;
his grace as the dew shall descend;
and walls of salvation surround
the soul he delights to defend.

Augustus Toplady

It is a wonderful thing to be at peace in God.

November 19th 2023: Dan King

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1 Peter 1:3-12

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There are many different types of authors in the Bible. Paul is the theologian, the smart one. He will write a bit, make his point, then he’ll lead into a crescendo into an even bigger point. Moses is a great storyteller. I really like Peter’s writing. He is a bit of a working-class man. When you try to read the Bible and unlock a passage, depending on who the author is, there is always a key that opens everything up. Here, it is 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” According to His great mercy – as long as we keep that in mind, reading the rest of the passage will make complete sense.

“To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,” (v4). How does this inheritance come to you? Because of His great mercy. We think of 40, 50, 60, 70 years. We’ve got nothing in terms of what His plan is for us for eons to come. Beautiful. It is all kept in heaven by God’s power. In his great mercy, you are loved! God wants you. He lived, He died, He rose again, went through death for you. My days, you are loved! There is an inheritance for you.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (verse 6-7). We live in a wilderness. As human beings, we were meant for a garden but we live in a wilderness. We are designed for things to go right, that’s why we get annoyed when things go wrong. It hurts. Looking at the big picture, I know of four wars going on in the world right now. In each of these places, what are our Christian brothers and sisters in these countries praying for? What are they hoping for? How are we praying for them and equipping them?

Currently, we live in trying economic times. There are political problems as well as social problems. What about internally? Within our families there is always something that isn’t quite right. There is always something in work, a way of doing things that always annoys you. Maybe it’s having a fall-out with your friends, even your church. We are all internally very sinful folk.

We can look at things in terms of what the world offers and what God offers. The world offers secularism – your identity makes you. The world encourages us to express ourselves, then everything will be joyous. We see that in all types of advertisements and marketing. God has given the world a bit of a shaking: Covid 19, Ukraine, different governments. We can come to church on Sunday and go to work on Monday morning feeling great after the sermon. Then, later in the day it becomes a hard day. As the week goes on it becomes harder. There is a different way to what the world offers. We don’t have to earn the respect of God. True Christianity is a gift given to you because you are loved.

The greatest outpouring of all is the beauty that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. In His great mercy He looked at us and wanted us. He loves you. He came down in human form at Christmas, lived a perfectly sinless life and died for you because he loved you.

Here is a spiritual MOT for you:

  1. When was the last time we said thank you to God in prayer? He has helped us in the past. When a problem comes along we need to look up.
  2. When was the last time we sang when we are on our own? Give thanks for the fact He is God, for all His love for us.
  3. When was the last time we read our Bible? For so many, holding a bible means prison, even death. When was the last time we went actively reading the Bible? Start at Genesis, then move to reading John chapters 1 to 3.

When was the last time you met up with someone for coffee and a Bible study? We so easily go to other things that keep us entertained such as the TV or the Internet. God is high and sovereign over all. He wants you in everything. He loves you. It is amazing what God can offer you. He loves you so.

  • When do we pray? C. H. Spurgeon had an amazing quote, “I never pray for more than 5 minutes at a time, but I am never more than 5 minutes out of prayer.” What a place to get to with the Lord – continuous dialogue! What if, every time we had a problem, we turned to the Lord? If the Lord does not answer immediately, the world says He is not listening. He will answer in His time.

“So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:7). If you are struggling with something today, you are not on your own. God understands, God loves you. Glorify Jesus by coming to Him. Hallelujah, what a saviour!

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,” (1 Peter 1:8). Yes!

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or timethe Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” (1 Peter 1:10-12).

All of the Jewish texts in the Old Testament do not have the same knowledge as we do, the Saviour was coming. They tried to see what Jesus would be for them and what the Lord would provide. Those people are going to bless you. The people who had enough faith a saviour would come were right.

Jesus lived for you! He got to Easter. He died. Can you imagine the smell, the heat, the sounds, the jeers of watching our saviour die? Horrible! Yet, He went through that, He went through death, He created new life. All the sins we have done, He knows. He says, ‘come. There is room at my cross.’ There is room for His love. His grace is lavished upon you because He loves you so (Ephesians 1-2). In His great mercy. Hallelujah!

There was a time, when we first became a Christian, we couldn’t go five minutes without praying. The love of the Lord was real. Through baptisms we see how the Lord has worked. Stunning! You may wish you could go back to that point. But now you are further along. You have membership of a church. He is still looking after you, even before you were born. He knew you when you were saved. He knew you when you experienced love at your baptism. Think how many times the Lord has brought you through a situation, how He has loved you in the past, the present and the future. Just because we are going through times of despair, His love is still exactly the same – all-encompassing and all amazing.

We need a child-like joy. We need to remember all the beautiful things the Lord has done when we face those challenges.

November 12th 2023: Alan Davison

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“For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”
Romans 9:3

The Israel-Gaza conflict has opened up divisions across the UK. There are pro-Palestinian protests and anti-Israel graffiti on church walls. There is anger and angst that we did not see in the Ukraine and Russia conflict. We have become a divided nation. How do we react as Christians? We spend a lot of time thinking about individual responses, church responses, but what about our nation? How does the current state of our nation grieve us?

In verses 1-5 of this chapter Paul is clearly grieved for his nation. There are positives here to motivate us. Let us consider the following:

1. Should Paul be grieved?
2. Why was Paul grieved?
3. Should we be grieved?

  1. Should Paul be grieved?

Yes! Paul covers this in chapters 9 to 11. In verse one Paul wants to show this is of such importance. In earlier parts of Romans, Paul draws attention to Jews who have done many wrong things. Paul was viewed as being anti-Jewish. He had every right to hate the Jews (2 Corinthians 11:24). They we’re trying to kill him. They hated him and must have assumed that he hated them back, but he didn’t. Paul is simply saying here he speaks as a Christian, not bound by earthly things.

Paul states, “My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 9:1b). Our consciences tell us when we do something wrong. Our consciences leave us without excuse. Paul testifies of his great sorrow over his people and nation. He has continual grief. He has this feeling because he is a Christian who wants people to follow after our Lord Jesus Christ.

  • Why was Paul grieved?

Paul was grieved because he had seen what his countrymen, for the most part, had not (verse 3). Some might suggest Paul is simply being nationalistic. But he could simply be patriotic – someone who loves and serves his country. But Paul’s love for his countrymen is so great, that he could wish “that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers.” Paul recognises that the singular problem here is his countryman are accursed from Christ, separated from Christ. Paul cannot be separated from the love of Christ. He knows he is beloved of Jesus Christ, who will not let him go (Romans 8:38). He will keep you.

Paul expresses his deep concern for his countryman. He cannot save them. There will be a separation of sheep and goats which will have eternal consequences. Spiritual sheep and goats do not understand each other. To be a Christian is to be in Christ, to be different, to follow after the word of God.

We see in the rest of the chapter Paul acknowledges that he has two types of brothers: he has his fellow countrymen, then there are those who are in Christ. Paul frequently refers to those he is writing to as his brethren. He specifies that the brethren he is speaking of here are his brethren according to the flesh.

Salvation is not dependent on nationality. Paul clearly prayed for his homeland, so shouldn’t we be motivated to pray for our own countries?

As Romans 9 goes on you can almost hear the exasperation in Paul’s voice. He lists the great privileges showered upon the Jews: they were Israelites, a term of honour given by God. But they were also God’s adopted people. More than that, they had the glory – God’s presence among his people (2 Chronicles 5). The Jews also had the covenants of God (Jeremiah 31:31). God’s law was initially given to Israel. They also had the promises of God. The greatest promise of all was that he would send the Messiah. This would lead to the Messiah coming. Even from the cross, whilst dying, he offered salvation.

  • Should we be grieved?

Yes. We live in a culture that has turned its back on the things of God, yet our nation has been blessed. We are adopted children of God who bear the name of Christ (9:6b). We are known as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have access to God by adoption because He has chosen us. God has always drawn Gentiles into His family, even in Old Testament times. Paul’s appointment as apostle to the Gentiles has shown that this adoption is openly offered to all nations. Nationality is no barrier to the salvation of God.

 As Christians, we now have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts (2 Corinthians 4:6-7). We have this treasure in earthen vessels. The comments that God made both to literal Israel hold true for spiritual Israel because God will never break a covenant He has made God’s law was initially given to Israel. They were to follow it, and thus be an example to the whole world of God’s perfect and just law. It was God’s guidance to them how to live their lives.

Our nation has a legal system which was founded on God’s law, even though, in recent times, many laws have been passed that contravene God’s law. There are groups who campaign to shut churches down, to remove all references to God, for example, removing prayer before council meetings. Having said that, the promises of God remain open to us. Most importantly, whilst the Jews were promised the Messiah, we know the Messiah has come. Therefore, we can embrace the promise that He will come again.

We too are spiritually descended from the founding fathers and continue to have their lives as examples and lessons for us in the Holy scriptures. The Bible is still there for those who truly want it and seek it. As a nation we have been truly blessed by God. His word has been freely available here for a long time. The Bible is available to us.

We can see something of great privileges being disregarded. It is one thing for an individual to reject salvation, but then to go further to seek to deny access to others!

What can we do? We can challenge this in the courts. We can support the Christian institute and Christian Concern. Individually, we can appreciate the great privileges that we are afforded by our great God. We can get on our knees, literally or metaphorically. We can pray for God’s mercy to be poured out on our country men and women, that we would know once again the movement of God’s Holy Spirit upon our land and our nations. God calls us to live holy lives in the power that He provides, that we may be witnesses to those around us, that we may be salt and light within the nation that God has placed us. May our grieving motivate us to pray for our nation, to pray for the salvation of God to break out once again, to pray that God’s name would once again be upheld in the honour and the glory that is due Him. May this be our experience because God chooses to bless us again in that way.

November 5th 2023: James Allan

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Psalm 113
Mark 14:26, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

This is a very short verse, which might seem incidental. The Lord Jesus Christ, on the Thursday afternoon and evening, before the Friday on which He was crucified, said many things to His disciples. If you want to get the fullest description in the gospels of what He said, the best chapters to go to are John chapters 14-17. Jesus was there in that upper room with His disciples. In Mark’s gospel we have the record of the institution of the Lord’s supper. After that, we have this little verse, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” The gospel writer Mark is known for being brief. He has been described as ‘the gospel writer in a hurry.’ He doesn’t give us long details but he gives us this detail – after the Passover meal had been eaten, they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

The Lord Jesus Christ had been with His disciples and then He goes out into the night. We look at the familiar events that follow. Jesus speaks about Peter’s denial, they go to Gethsemane and we know about the agony of Gethsemane. Then comes His betrayal, His arrest, His trail before the Jerusalem council, His delivery to Pilate, being beaten before Pilate delivers Him to be crucified. He is mocked and then crucified. Though all that was ahead of Jesus, and before they left that place, what did they do? They sang a hymn.

What was the hymn in Jesus’ mind as He faced all of that? We don’t know what this hymn would have sounded like that the 12 men sang (Judas had departed). But we can think about what they sang. There are two Jewish sources from the second century, both of which set out the proceedings of the Passover meal. They tell us that before the meal was eaten, a family would sit down and sing Psalms 113 and 114. Then after the meal they would sing psalms 115-118 and they would sing Psalm 118 twice.

Some of you might be wondering if these sources are from the second century, this event in Mark was two centuries before, so how do we know Jesus sang these psalms? The rabbis of the second century were writing down the oldest traditions, what had been the tradition for many, many years. So, we can be quite certain that the songs Jesus sang, the Psalms Jesus sang before He went out into the darkness of that night, were psalms 113-118. They are known as the Egyptian Hallel, or the Egyptian Hallelujah. They remember the account of Israel leaving Egypt, making their way as the Lord brought them out. That makes perfect sense. It’s the Passover meal, these are the Passover psalms.

With this background, I want us to look at Psalm 113 and the Lord Jesus Christ singing this psalm. Here was a psalm prepared for Him. Luke 22:22 says, “For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” Everything about these events is determined. Richard Dawkins described the Bible as ‘a complete hotch-potch of books.’ In other words, it’s incoherent. The longer I’ve been a Christian, the longer I’ve been a pastor, the longer I’ve had the privilege of every day being able to study God’s Word in order to preach it, my breath is taken away by this book, which is one coherent whole – from beginning to end. From the very beginning God says, ‘Let there be light,’ and yet there is no sun until day 4. The light is the glory of God. The book begins with creation, light yet there is no sun. How does the book end? With no need for any sun because the glory of God is the light. The Bible begins with a wedding and ends with the marriage supper of the Lamb. There are so many themes, but sometimes there are things like this as well, that takes your breath away.

As we go through this psalm, think of the Lord Jesus Christ singing this psalm. Think about the significance of Him singing it. This psalm was written for a specific occasion. It is a psalm sung for generations by Jewish families, yet one night came, 2000 or so years ago, when it was sung by the Lord Jesus Christ. At that moment, this psalm was prepared for Him. For hundreds and hundreds of years it had been sung, but it was prepared for this moment. “And when they had sung a hymn.” Think of this through that lens. The psalm begins,

“Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
    praise the name of the Lord!”
Psalm 113:1

If you consider yourself to be on the Lord’s side, to be His servant, here is a call for you. Praise Him! Praise the name of the Lord. There is significance in a name. The name of God reveals who He is. A name tells you something of what a person does. In Hebrew Bibles, there are names of God. The one where you see Lord in capital letters in the Old Testament, it’s the name YAHWEH, the name the Lord reveals to Moses at the burning bush. It shows the self-existence of God. He is the God who is with us. It’s the covenant name of God, the God who promises to be with Israel. To praise the name of God is to praise Him for everything you know to be true about him. You know that He is holy, praise Him for that. You know that he is eternal, praise Him for that. You know that He is faithful, praise Him for that. Praise Him for His love. Praise Him for His grace. Praise Him for everything you know to be true Him.

Blessed be the name of the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore!
Psalm 113:2

It is a call to worship but you were called to worship in a great congregation. Think of the congregation who sit in Penuel. Think of congregations who have sat here before. Go back to before there was ever a church in Roch. You are part of a congregation that is ‘from this time forth and forever more.’ You are joining a congregation where the praise will never cease.

From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised!
Psalm 113:3

Praise God everywhere. Wherever the sun rises, there the Lord is to be praised. That is our glorious future. You might be despondent today when you see the state of this world, but the Bible tells us this is not how things will always be. A day will come when the Lord Jesus Christ will return for judgement, and for His people. He will return and those believers who have died will rise to be with Him. Those who belong to Him will go to Him. He will set up a Kingdom which will be forever, where the name of the Lord will be praised everywhere. In the new heavens and the new earth, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

What is the significance of the Lord Jesus Christ singing these words?

The Lord is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens!
Psalm 113:4

That’s who God is. He is above everything. We are the pinnacle of God’s creation, we are made in the image of God, made to know Him, to be in a relationship with Him. Yet we are in the category of created things. God is above all things. He is high above all nations. The heavens declare His glory, but His glory is above the heavens. In Romans chapter 1 we see His eternal power and divine nature.

Who is like the Lord our God,
    who is seated on high,
Psalm 113:5

Are you still looking through the lens of Jesus Christ singing these words on the night in which He went out, would be arrested and the next day crucified? Generations had sung this psalm at a Passover meal. “Who is like the Lord our God?” He is! For the first time ever, a real man is singing this psalm who really is like God. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Hebrews 1:3). He is the exact imprint of His nature. Whatever is true of God is true of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Son of God isn’t like God – He is God.

What does this God who is above all things do?

who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth
Psalm 113:6

That is a comfort. The God of scripture is involved in creation. He looks far down on the heavens and on the earth. How low does he go? Here is the answer. As far as Mark chapter 14. He took to Himself human flesh, human nature. He became like us. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, at the Incarnation, remained what He always was. He did not cease to be the Son of God. He continued to do what Hebrews 1:3 says, to “uphold the universe by the word of his power.” He retains His divine nature, yet He took to Himself something He did not have before – human nature. He retains that human nature now, in heaven.

When the Lord Jesus Christ took to Himself human nature, in His ministry He did all things according to His human nature. That is why we read of Him being tired, being hungry, being thirsty. He was made like us in every way, yet without sin. How low would He go? He went that low. He took to Himself human nature. He would go all the way of Philippians 2. In Philippians chapter 4 we are told of two women who are not agreeing with each other, they are arguing with the church. Paul encourages them to agree in the Lord. Is there a problem with unity in the church in Philippi? It seems perhaps there was some disunity. So, Paul encourages them, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:3-8). He humbles Himself to the point of death.

Is your mind blown by the scriptures here? Here is Psalm 113, sung for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years. And we read in Mark 14 of Jesus singing a hymn. What hymn was it? Here is the beginning of it.

“Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
    praise the name of the Lord!”
Psalm 113:1

He sings it. It describes Him. It describes the God who looks far down on the heavens and the earth. We see how low He goes – to the Incarnation. He goes to Philippians chapter 2. He goes to the cross. What does it all bring about?

He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
Psalm 113:7

The poor from the dust. That’s where we’re all going. You’ve been to funerals and heard those words, ‘Dust to dust.’ What does Jesus do? He raises people from the dust. What else does He do? He raises people from the ash heap, from the rubbish dump. Your life is rubbish. God is clean. He knows all about me. I know the real me, how I can assassinate a person with my words. Maybe your life is rubbish? Jesus died on a rubbish dump. But God looks down to take people from that rubbish dump. Where does he put them?

to make them sit with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
Psalm 113:8

Isn’t that remarkable? You come to the conclusion that you are a sinner. Under the conviction of sin, under a miracle of grace, you see you need Him. Jesus makes them sit with princes. One day we will reign with Him. We are heirs with Christ. What an incredible thought! This God has sent His son, the Son of God has come (Colossians 2), gone to the cross to take all the wrath you and I deserve. At the end of two Corinthians chapter 5 Paul says Christ became our sin bearer. We became the righteousness of God for stop He sees us dressed in His righteousness.

He brings blessing to the sorrowful people.

He gives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 113:9

The barren woman was under a double curse. Not only was she heading to the grave herself, back to the dust, she doesn’t know the joy of bringing new life into the world. What will life be like for her? For those who follow Christ, they will lack nothing. They may lack things in this world, but nothing can take their inheritance away. Nothing can strip from them the blessing that they have in eternity.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:2-3). In the old Authorised version it says ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions.’ I used to like that. ‘Mansion’ came from a Latin word ‘mansio’ which simply meant a dwelling place. It also means the same in Greek. It’s a room in the Father’s house. Jesus has a building project going on, enough rooms for all His people. You are going to live with Him. That’s the joy of eternal life. God will dwell with His people. You could lose everything in this life and have nothing in the life to come, or you could have nothing in this life and God in the life to come. You could be a millionaire in this life, but money doesn’t help you when there’s a bereavement or a terminal illness. Do you know the blessing of life with God forever more?

October 29th 2023: Jonathan Scott

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Mark 1: Everyone’s Talking

There are moments in history that stand out in our lives that last for a lifetime. Can you name any that stand out for you? Whether that could be the birth of a family member, the death of a monarch, a tragedy or disaster? I’m sure we can all remember a time like this.

There are significant moments in history, like the death of Queen Elizabeth 11, that are remembered for generations to come.

Today we will be looking at an event in the bible which had been talked about and was foretold for centuries. This had everyone talking about something so amazing and significant they couldn’t stop talking about it until it actually happened. They lived in the hope and trusted in the promises given by God that one day He would send the Messiah, the ultimate sacrifice for each and every one of us.

The first questions you may ask are ‘Who is talking and what are they talking about? This account found in Mark chapter 1 has many people talking about the arrival of the Messiah, including the Old Testament prophets, Malachi and Isaiah, as well as New Testament followers and disciples, the four gospel writers, everyone in between The Testaments, those in heaven, those in hell, people today. Jesus is a historical fact, even included in secular history. Time 100 magazine did a list of the most influential historical figures and Jesus Christ came number 1. Even the secular world is talking about this event.

So, if there were so many people talking about this, what was this amazing event that everyone was talking about?

  • Isaiah is talking about The Messiah coming, the messenger that is preparing the way for the Messiah and extraordinary things are going to happen that we don’t expect.
  • Salvation – talked about by the 4 gospels and John the Baptist
  • Hope, One is coming who is Yahweh, Jehovah the Son of God the Messiah.

Malachi is talking about a messenger being sent ahead of one who is the Messiah, who will prepare the way for Him. This messenger mentioned in Malachi and Isaiah is John the Baptist, the most famous prophet and the one who was noted to be the greatest amongst people, Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:11).

Jesus Himself said no one would rise up greater than John the Baptist. This is high praise, but he is only here to pave the way for the one who is the Messiah and redeemer, Jesus.

“As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”
Mark 1:2

John the Baptist’s ministry represents a fulfilment of the promise of a new exodus in which Israel is delivered and finally enters into the Jordan river to receive God’s promise of salvation. He was pointing the people to the true Messiah, one who was much greater than him. He was the messenger, preparing Judea for Jesus’ life-changing ministry. Freedom that they had never known – baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. Confessing their sins, the people were baptised by him in the Jordan River (Mark 1:5).

John the Baptist was calling people to repentance, turning away from their sins and turning to God for forgiveness of sins. The act of repentance had to precede baptism, and therefore baptism was not the means by which sins were forgiven but rather a sign showing that a person has truly repented. John the Baptist’s ministry in the wilderness was once again a fulfilment of prophesy found in Isaiah 40:3, “A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare    the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

This is John the Baptists message: ‘After me comes the one who is more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.’ (Mark 1:8). The unfastening of someone’s sandals in Jewish times was seen as a task reserved for the lowest of slaves, and certainly wasn’t meant to be done by a Jew. Jewish instructions said that a disciple should do everything for his teacher that a slave would do. However, Jesus is so great, John the Baptist, who was considered the greatest of the prophets, is not worthy to do the most menial of tasks of a servant for Jesus.

John the Baptist Continues: ‘I baptise with water, but He will baptise you with the holy spirit. (Mark 1:8). This is the true reason behind why Jesus came into this world – to die so that our sins can be forgiven on the cross at Calvary, the innocent lamb of God dying for us when we don’t deserve it. John the Baptist’s baptism could wash sins clean temporarily, but Jesus Christ can wash away sins for eternity, including the forgiveness of sins in the past, present, and future. He does this for us because He loves us unconditionally.

Colossians 1:13-16 tell us that:

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

Who is this special person that everyone is talking about? Mark 1:1 gives us this answer,

“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah the son of God.” What a way to start a gospel! Who is Jesus? The meaning of the name Jesus is ‘to deliver, to rescue.’ 

When we talk about Deliver, we are used to that from the Old Testament in the likes of Exodus when God delivers the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians. However, the idea of complete rescue is a new concept which Jesus brings to completion in His new age of ministry. Romans 10:13 says, “For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Not just a few, but everyone! This is a gospel truth not to the elite, but to the many.

Jesus’ humility and love for others is unparalleled, flowing from the infinite love of God for His people. The ‘ransom’ of Christ’s life was paid to God the Father, who accepted it in full, as a just payment for the sins of the world, past, present and future. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rmans 5:8).

Has there ever been a time when they have not been talking about the Lord Jesus, the Messiah? Isaiah had been talking about the Lord Jesus the Messiah at least 700 years before Jesus or John the Baptist came on the scene. Malachi had been talking about this 400 years before this account in Mark 1.  Then after Malachi there was 400 years of silence. This is the period between the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. There was nothing shared in the Bible of what happened during this period. The people had to live in Hope that the Messiah was coming soon. There was suspense of when the Messiah might come. Not knowing when His arrival will be and with this silence of 400 years between the old and new testaments the expectation grew with time, generation after generation.

They were looking forward to the physical coming of the Messiah, but Jesus has been present from the beginning. There has never been a time when Jesus has not been there. In Genesis 1:1-2 reads, ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.’

At first glance the account of creation found in Genesis 1 v 1 seems to focus on God the Father and the Holy Spirit. However, the opening words of John’s gospel adds clarity to show that the Lord Jesus, the Son of the God was present as an integral part of the Trinity,

‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’ (John 1:1-5).

This tells of the Word being there in the beginning. The Word is Jesus Christ. He wasn’t just there at Creation; He was part of every aspect of it, working in total unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This is amazing that the One who died for our sins on the cross and who came to earth to walk amongst us, was the same One who created all things with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is the thread which runs throughout the Bible. He was there through it all, at the beginning, middle and end of the Bible. From Genesis every story points to Him and whispers His name. ‘Jesus says I AM the alpha and omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13)’. He is there from beginning to the end of time. Jesus is this thread which leads to a roadmap in the Bible going from the Old Testament in Genesis to Revelation in the New Testament.

When we talk about this roadmap, we see Isaiah pointing to Jesus. However, the Israelites and Isaiah were in a completely different place spiritually than the Jews we find in Mark chapter 1. Isaiah was in agony with all the oppression going on around him. However, he writes in Isaiah 64 and in other chapters about a hope. Firstly, that a messenger is coming to point to the long-awaited Messiah, which is John the Baptist. Secondly, and more importantly, there will be one coming who is greater than John the Baptist. Isaiah is not looking to someone who is merely a human but is looking further to Heaven – to God and Jesus, who is fully God in human form. Isaiah 64:1-3 reads,

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake before you!
3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

This is a plea from Isaiah to God, Why? Well, he is in agony. He pleads that God will ‘rend the heavens and come down.’ This is fulfilled with Jesus coming to earth. The mountains were the most solid thing of their time; Isaiah believes that the power of God can make even the most solid thing tremble and he is pleading for it to happen.

There is hope! Someone is coming that will do all this. Isaiah isn’t pleading for John the Baptist, he is pleading for Jesus. He is not settling for the greatest in human form but looking to God.

But then looking at this roadmap it points directly to this account in Mark 1, to the baptism of Jesus, and all the way to Jesus on the Cross. As he died this all came true. The mountains tremble, nations quake and the enemies knew your name on that cross. The things in Isaiah also are reiterated in Malachi about a messenger preparing the way for Jesus, “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the LORD you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.”” (Malachi 3:1).

In the Old Testament the LORD is in capitals in this section. This is interesting to look into to see the context of who Isaiah and Malachi are describing. The LORD, when in capitals in the Old Testament refers to the Hebrew name Yahweh which describes God in the most sacred of ways. The name suggests that God simply is. He possesses an underived existence; He is the eternal “I AM”.

Malachi is saying that John the Baptist is preparing the way for Yahweh, Jehovah, God in His most sacred form. Although it hasn’t been revealed as to what form this will take at this time, we know with hindsight this to be the divine Messiah, Son of God, Jesus, and in this most miraculous and beautiful act of baptism in Mark 1 we see the fullness of the holy Trinity displayed.

We find the Baptism of Jesus in Mark 1 vs 9-11.

Jesus, is the perfect lamb of God, the Messiah, who is free from sin, yet He identifies with the sins of His people. Even though He Himself was free from sin, He was still baptised (Mark 1:9-11). This is to fulfil the prophesy in Isaiah 40.

Mark is known as the whistle stop gospel. He attacks it at full speed, but he doesn’t miss the important details. Anything that is mentioned due to Mark’s brief nature must be taken into consideration as the fact that it is mentioned means the details given are hugely important.

In verse 10 as Jesus came up out of the water, this is the unexpected event that was prophesied in Isaiah 64. “Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.” (Mark 1:10). This is the moment we see the trinity in its entirety. The Holy Spirit was there at the beginning of creation, hovering over the waters, and also the Holy Spirit is described in the gospel of Mark descended like a dove and hovering over the waters. This account in Mark’s gospel links straight back to creation, the roadmap as mentioned earlier pointing to Jesus.

Jesus is commissioned for a unique purpose and to finally complete God’s rescue plan for humanity. God the Spirit anoints Jesus as Israel’s long-awaited King and Messiah and commissions Him as God’s righteous servant. (Isaiah 42:1)

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will bring justice to the nations.

At Jesus’ baptism the heavens were ripped open and the heavenly voice of father comes down, confirming the eternal, loving Sonship of Jesus and the eternally existing relationship of divine love that the Son and Father share, as well as Jesus’ identity as the messianic Son of God, “And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11). The heavens ripping open is a violent picture of the awesome power of God the Trinity. Imagine actually being there. This foreshadows to the events at the cross. When Jesus died the curtain was torn top to bottom in the temple.

This beloved Son is the triumphant King, yet He is also the humble servant into whose hands the Father is well pleased to place the mission to bring Salvation to the nations

Then, in Verses 12-13 of Mark 1 Jesus is sent by the spirit into the wilderness for 40 Days where Jesus is tempted and equipped for the start of His ministry. In verses 14-15 we read, “

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

This is the final fulfilment of the prophesy in Isaiah 40; Jesus announcing to the world, the wait is over. Finally, the time has now come, I am here. But there is one small clause, life-changing clause, “Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15b).

All you have to do is repent and believe to receive the gift of salvation and be a part of the kingdom of God, His chosen family. However, when you look into it a bit more in depth, it isn’t as easy as just saying sorry and believing in God and be done with it to get a free ticket to heaven. Repenting is not just saying sorry. It is a complete change in character, in nature and a clear transformation in your life. It is a full 180-degree spin to acknowledge that we are all born with sinful natures, (Romans 3:23). All the things we have done wrong is not just against others or ourselves, but deeply hurts our Heavenly Father and Jesus. We need to completely turn from our sinful ways and not do these things, but I know that this is not an easy task. This is where God in His goodness to us, left the Holy Spirit as a helper and comforter to all who believe in Him. You can ask for forgiveness from Jesus and He will give you the Holy Spirit’s help to change you from the inside and help you fight against our human nature, living for a far greater purpose. When you accept Jesus, it is a wonderful day, especially knowing that the best is always yet to come. Jesus promises to take your sins away, as far as the east is from the west, and we know that He always keeps His promises.

Summary

We have gone on a road trip through the bible, from Genesis to Revelation, including Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Malachi, to New Testament scholars in Hebrews and Romans, from Old Testament through the silence to the New Testament, eventually crash landing looking at the events in Mark 1 about, John the Baptist and Jesus.

I would like to summarise with 3 points and a challenge.

  1. Declaration of Isaiah and Malachi saying that a ‘messenger is coming’. Also looking forward with expectation and suspense to the Messiah Jesus is coming. John the Baptist paving the way for the Messiah.
  2. Confirmation – God ‘This is my Son’. Everyone who has gone before calling for repentance and the sacrifices that have been offered to Himself will one day be finished and completed in Jesus.
  3. Proclamation – ‘The time has come. Repent and believe the Good News.’

    Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6

I encourage you to turn your eyes upon Jesus, and in His strength we can move mountains.

So, everyone is talking. What should everyone be talking about? The good news – Jesus died for us and rose again to a glorious ascension to heaven, to be at the right hand of the Father. Mission complete. He has WON. Victory Assured. Death defeated, sins forgiven. IT IS FINISHED!!!

Then, as stated in Matthew 28:18-20, we are called to make disciples of all nations, knowing that the Lord is with us always even to the very end of the age. Put our trust in Him, repent and believe. Share the good news that ‘He Has Risen’ each and every day and in His strength, we can do immeasurably more through our Saviour the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ.

October 22nd 2023: Dylan Brady

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Acts 4:32-36: The Family of God

Families are complicated. No families in this broken world are perfect. The church’s family is something we see throughout scripture. The Church is God’s family. It sheds a new light on our relationship with God. It brings us closer to other believers. Yet some of the church are not easy to love. Society is becoming more and more individualised. In our secularised society, breaking away from the confines of family and community are encouraged. This moves us away from life together. We are doing more and more things alone. Headphones are used to watch t.v. and movies alone. Decisions are made independently. The Biblical challenge of loving family and church seems radical. Christians we meet in the New Testament are varied in ages, backgrounds and temperament. Each one has a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. But that doesn’t mean we can be a lone ranger.

We can sometimes treat church as a social club, stopping if we don’t like it. A church is the family of God and needs sacrifice. You may move away but must always be part of a church family. A church family is of one heart and one soul, a family united around the Lord. In Act 4 we see the people were to serve others. Throughout the pages of the New Testament, we see striving together for God’s people. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10).

How can I spot a Christian? John tells us you can tell who is another Christian by how they treat other brothers and sisters in Christ, “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10). A personal, private faith without interacting with other believers is unbiblical.

How do we become part of this family? Are those born to Christian parents, Christians? It is a privilege to be born into a Christian family, but it doesn’t automatically make you part of the family of God. To belong to it, you must be born again. There are two ways of joining a family; you can be born or you can be adopted. Can you imagine Nicodemus’ face when Jesus told him he needed to be born again? Why does Jesus use the picture of new birth? When we become Christians we start afresh. We are born into new circumstances. We have a new heavenly father. Birth isn’t something you can claim credit for. We don’t boast in our birth, it just happens to us. In the same way, we don’t earn our salvation. We are saved by grace and grace alone. It is through Jesus that God becomes our Father.

The process of God becoming our Father is described as adoption. Adoption is a process when someone is helpless, alone, so often in need, is graciously made part of a new family. they are treated as flesh and blood. You may not look like your parents physically, but as you spend more and more time with them, you pick up traits and habits, and act more like them. That’s an incredible picture of what God does to the Christian. God is kind and merciful. We’ve been given this wonderful privilege of adoption – not because of anything we have done, not because we’ve earned it, or there’s anything special about us.

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12). It is all submissive language. The Spirit tells us that we are God’s children (Romans 8). The spirit works within our hearts. When we become Christians we trust in Jesus and realise how sinful we are, and that He covers our sin. God sees us as He sees Jesus. God the father is our father.

When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He started with those amazing words, “Our Father.” What does that make Jesus? “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:50). He’s a wonderful big brother. We share the gifts He has been given by the Father. A Christian shares a family resemblance. As time goes on you will look more like the heavenly Father and look more and more like your older brother Jesus. We are part of the same family, all over the world. There is a wonderful privilege – how quickly we get on, despite cultural differences. Brothers and sisters. Wonderful!

If we inherit this new, global family of Christians, how do we treat our own family? We have a duty to care and respect for our parents – as we live in their home and as we care for them as they get older. Paul says these strong words, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8). The example of the care we have for our families is seen in Jesus on the cross, as He tells John to take care of His mother Mary as if she was his own mother. In marriage we are to love and honour each other in the same way as Christ loves the church.

Our commitment to truth may lead to division in our families. When a Muslim converts to Christianity he is cut off from his family. Sometimes, the gospel will come between families, but the Lord Jesus must always come first.

10 ways to show love to our Christian family:

  1. Come to church.
    A family that never sees each other is still a family, but in name only. They become distant. We need to spend time with each other. Come to bless others, come to encourage fellow believers.
  2. Pray for each other.
    Commit people around you to God. If you don’t know how to pray for them, ask them. They may say they need prayer for a doctor’s appointment. Pray for this and then the following week ask them how the appointment went.
  3. Eat together.
    Jesus ate and drank with people with such frequency, people called Him a drunkard and a glutton. We need to bless others with food and good conversation, and be blessed by others.

4. Share.
Whether it be lifts, food, time or in other ways. See that everything you have as a gift from God and you are merely passing on that gift.

5. Bear one another’s burdens.
Celebrate and cry with one another. In family life we will see births and deaths. We will see weddings and funerals, heartbreaks and happiness, people joining the church and people leaving. There will be disappointments and joyful surprises. Jesus was there for the hard times and the good times. He wept with Mary and Martha as they mourned their brother’s death. He celebrated with a new couple in Cana as He turned water into wine. He was filled with joy as He received the children, as He saw faith in the life of the centurion. Be there for the hard times and the good times. Share one another’s burdens as believers.

6. Serve alongside one another.
When we serve in church, when we welcome on the door, share refreshments, do the children’s work, cut the grass, whatever it might be, we grow closer as a church. When we do so, this strengthens and unifies us. We do it because we serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

7. Be competitive.
The Bible encourages this. Show kindness (Romans 12). Jesus says, in the Sermon on the Mount, to go the extra mile. Go and out-do each other in being loving.

8. Encourage one another.
When we fail and when we fall, we need to encourage each other. Do not go and give people empty flattery, point them to Christ. Remind them that they are sons and daughters of the living God.

9. Forgive one another.
In times of hurt and sadness, don’t harbour grudges. Be quick to forgive.

10. Be honest with one another.
True and authentic Christianity requires us to be true authentic, to be willing to be vulnerable with others when things are difficult for ourselves. Also, be willing to ask those uncomfortable questions if it is done in love.

Here are 10 things we can do, there will be many others. Let us be clear, that removed from Jesus there is no point to any of those things. We can only do these things effectively through the work of the Spirit. The Christian faith is extremely practical. The transformation that goes on within the Christian heart will result in outward action. There are 59 specific ‘one anothers’ in the New Testament, which gives us great insight into how the Lord sees us living with each other.

The people sitting next to us must be more than strangers that you share a pew with an hour a week. They are your brothers and sisters. It is a great challenge. Through Christ’s death and resurrection we have been born again. We have been adopted and now have a heavenly Father and a new family. It is all through Christ, not through anything else. Not through church attendance or who our parents are, it’s all through Christ. In Christ alone.

October 15th 2023: Alun Johnson

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John 14:4-7

I wonder if any of you can remember your school days? I remember being in class and didn’t have a clue what the teacher was on about but was too afraid to ask, too afraid to raise my hand, hoping someone else would ask. We have a similar situation here, “And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:4-5). Jesus makes this great statement, but the disciples having mental gymnastics, they are confused, not knowing what Jesus is referring to. Only Thomas is brave enough to ask.

The disorientated nature of the disciples. This is part of a farewell discourse. Jesus had predicted his death as a sacrifice for sin, Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial. It is a tough time for the disciples. For Jesus himself, it is a particularly dark time. He is soon to be sacrificed, yet He is ministering to the needs of His disciples. What a saviour we have! Here Jesus gives His disciples grounds for comfort, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3). Here we have the encouragement of the hope of heaven. In verses 4 to 11 we have a second encouragement – in Christ we have a certain way to heaven.

“And you know the way to where I am going.” (verse 4). Jesus is trying to provoke a reaction. Thomas doesn’t hold back. He turns Jesus’ statement on its head, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” He has a refreshing honesty.  God respects an honest, seeking heart, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

Thomas’ statement, “Lord, we do not know,” was the state of the disciples and of our world today.  “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” (John 1:10). Ignorance is a killer. There is so much ignorance of Christianity in our world today. People are being fed a never-ending atheistic diet. Part of the problem of ignorance is it comes in many forms: some have never been to church and never had a Christian explain the gospel to them. Others know of claims of Christianity and choose to go no further, sitting on the fence. All of us have an inkling we’ve been made for another world, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

There is another form of subtle ignorance. There is a part of Pilgrims Progress where Christian and Hopeful walk along and meet Ignorance, from a town called Conceit. Christian asks him how he will enter the celestial city. Christian warns Ignorance he has come the wrong way. Ignorance probably knows his Bible well, does many commendable things, but he’s lost his way and is ignorant that in Christ alone is salvation. He has turned a blind eye to eternal life. But Jesus says in John 10:1, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.” We can see ignorance on many levels around us, yet ignorance is very hard to see in our lives. It takes time to remove it. If you are like that, ask the Lord to show you your ignorance and remove it.

When Thomas asks, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”He gets an answer. And what an answer he gets! Thomas was imagining a physical way but in verse six he got far more than he bargained for, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus says He is the way, the truth, the life – not a way, a truth, a life. He is the real deal – the meaning of life.

This grant statement wasn’t watered-down after His resurrection, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36). “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among me] by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

In helping Thomas to find the destination, Jesus provides Thomas with the road and the way, Jesus says he is the way, he is the truth – the whole substance of true religion. Christ meets and satisfies every desire of the human mind. In the Old Testament the priests had to give daily sacrifices. They were not enough to atone for sins. Then, in Hebrews we read, “Such a high priest truly meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”  (Hebrews 7:26-27).

In our natural state we are under judgement. We desperately need our sins forgiven. Jesus is the one answer to sin. Believing and trusting in Jesus saves you forever. We need this truth because we believed a lie – we could save ourselves and there are many ways to heaven.

Jesus is also the life, showing we do not have life outside of Christ, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1). What is wonderful in Ephesians 2 is that it doesn’t stop at verse one! “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Whether you believe in Christ or not our souls will live beyond the grave. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:36). It is not just about living forever, it is knowing God. That is the essence of eternal life, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3).

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).

The Christian life is the best life there is. We are resurrection people. Our cup overflows with blessing upon blessing. Are you truly alive? Jesus is the way. Jesus paid for our sin once and for all. The curtain is torn into two and sinful man can enter into Shekinah glory. Not only is Jesus the way to eternal life, but for all who travel on not road He is our constant companion, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b).

The great privilege of having the Holy Spirit is Jesus is with you throughout eternity. You have the Holy Spirit with you forever. If you are outside of Christ, you are 1,000,000 miles away from Christ.

Jesus also tells His disciple about the destination. He tells them the destination of which He is the way, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus’ Father, God the Father, is the destination. Here is another blessing of the Christian life, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2). We are going somewhere for eternity. Our God is the end of the journey. We are going to someone! To God! There is no better person to spend eternity with. That is what makes heaven, heaven. God is there. Jesus is there. “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” (Revelation 21:22). Mind-blowing! Wow!

Are you looking forward to going to God? Is that what you were living for? There is a seriousness – no one goes to the Father except through Jesus. Without Jesus you cannot be saved, you cannot get to heaven. Today, if you are not yet saved, you need to be saved, you need Him to be the truth. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among me by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).