His love is constant

With these words we lift our heads above our individual struggles and come in imagination to the Temple. 'All the earth is invited (v 1) You are probably reading this alone at home but imagine yourself coming in a great joyful crowd. You are probably reading silently, but in imagination shout and sing (vs 1,2) This is exuberant joyful worship.

The other nations worshipped gods who were territorial, vengeful, unpredictable, remote and unconcerned with humankind.
 Our God revealed himself to Moses not only as 'just and right', as we noted in Psalm 99 but also as one whose love and faithfulness endure for ever (v 5). The two words, love and faithfulness are often found in the Old Testament in conjunction with the words 'justice' and 'righteousness'.

God loves us! His love is not like the human love that evaporates when the lover finds a more attractive object for his or her affections, or turns its back in anger when the person loved offends.

We do not constantly need to worry about losing God's affection. His love is constant and faithful. It is covenant love. When we sin and repent God forgives. Maybe human relationships have scarred us. Come to your heavenly Father and learn what love can be.

No wonder there is joy. This joy, like the Father's love is not like its human counterpart. It is not dependent on transient blessings. It is based on our covenant relationship with the God who loves us. Nothing can take away this joy from the believer.

Have a blessed Sunday. Yours in Christ. N.

Source: Encounter with God. Scripture union

Did you say Lent course?

As it is Lent, would you be tempted to attend a Lent course? A what? you may say. I never knew there was such a thing as a Lent course. Be reassured, a Lent course gives you the opportunity to meet with other Christian, ask questions, listen to others, express your views, discuss the things that come to your mind during a service but somehow you dare not ask after the service and ultimately figure out where you are in your journey of faith.

This year, we are using the Lent course written by Churches together in Britain and Ireland 

I quote their introduction. Lent is a time when we think about the story of the Israelites escaping from slavery in Egypt, miraculously crossing the Reed Sea, struggling through the wilderness for forty years, and, at last, entering the promised land.

Christians have always told stories: we tell and retell the stories of Jesus and of the early church. These are stories which help us shape our lives, to see ourselves as ‘disciples'. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we talk about all the things that have happened to us. 

Lent is a time, when we say ‘This is our story': the story of the Israelites, the story of Jesus, the story we can tell about our own ‘journey of faith'. We each have a story to tell and every story is different.

So why don't you give it a go? Blessings. N.

A fitness course for Christians. March 27: Breathing

Praying – our hearts beating with God’s; in and for all

Reading Acts 12:1-17

Gospel Matthew 7:7-14

At the end of today's Gospel, Jesus encourages us to enter the narrow gate. Though at times it may be hard to keep on the narrow path, we do not do it on our own, we walk it with Jesus. Our journey can be tough and hard. In Acts 12, things were getting tough as there's been some persecution.Not a very nice context. Steven was stoned, James was beheaded all executed by the local state. The guards are beheaded for dereliction of duty. Today persecution continues. More died for their faith in the twentieth and current centuries than in previous centuries. (1) Herod who was an eccentric put Peter in the slammer, a very secure place, no cost spared, sixteen soldiers to guard him; meanwhile, the church (v.5) was praying. They were concerned, worried and behind locked doors. And God answered their prayers. He sends an angel, the chains fall off, the gate opens. (There is no messing with angels) Peter does not realise he is free until he is out breathing fresh air, then he knocks on their door. While the others are committed to prayers, Rhoda hears the knock and tells them Peter is there. Somehow they do not believe her. So what happened? They got faith and were praying but their eyes won't open.They weren't ready for God to do the unexpected. Jesus has already told them: ask.., seek.., and knock.. (Luke 11:9). Sometimes, God has initiated the answers to prayers even before we have prayed. That brings us into a relationship with Him. God reveals himself and we relate to him. We are not to twist God's arm like a nagging child who goes on until he gets what he wants. Matthew 6:7. God wants us to trust him, to acknowledge that he is Lord. Reading his Word provides our nourishment, we feed on his Word. We are praying in the Spirit to the Father in the name of Jesus. It is a spiritual activity and we need the expectancy. Prayers flow from the word of God.

Note: Just as we cannot live without breathing, we cannot live without prayers. Without this live-giving force, we would shrivel and die spiritually.

Rev. S.A.
(1) Justin D. Long emphasized the startling fact that more people have died for their faith in the Twentieth Century than in all of the previous centuries combined. “During this century, we have documented cases in excess of 26 million martyrs. From AD 33 to 1900, we have documented 14 million martyrs.”

The Christian faith and other faiths

Steven and I went to a deanery synod in Doxey church. Our guest speaker was called Rev. Canon George Kovoor .We had an excellent evening.
Here are my notes.
For years, the UK has been the bastion of christianity and you sent the finest young men and women round the world to spread the gospel. They actually believed that Jesus was the Good News. There was something so important in the message of Jesus that they believed it was GOOD NEWS. So it should still be JOY in the Church. Therefore it is difficult to understand why there are too many miserable faces, constipated faces in the Church nowadays! Who wants to hang out with boring people! I train people who want to be equipped and not afraid to share our faith wherever they go.
However, if the Church itself is biblically illiterate and theologically clueless, it will find sharing the Gospel to people of other faiths difficult. Surely it is incumbent on the Church to share the Good News with everybody. If you do not know your bible and start talking to a Muslim for instance who will pick up on many apparent contradictions in the Bible, you will be stung! In the Royal Albert Hall, not long ago, an American apologist was decimated by a Muslim leader.
The Jews have had to live round the nations and they have always been a minority. They know how to engage. They consider themselves as called out people to whom God revealed his name. Abraham an Iraqui, was to be a light to the people. This always was the intention of God to reveal himself to all nations.
What is heaven like? When John is in Patmos he has a revelation, he sees that heaven is multicultural, multi-ethnic but not multifaith. In heaven the worship is super.
I am here in front of you because your grand-parents took trouble to come to our country and share the Gospel of Jesus-Christ. Brothers and sisters in Christ I am not prepared to collude with the system.
Isaiah 56:6-7 And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD 
   to minister to him,
to love the name of the LORD,
   and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
   and who hold fast to my covenant—
⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain
   and give them joy in my house of prayer. Let's think about Jesus'triumphant entry in Jerusalem, He made a beeline to the temple. Mark 11:15-17 Did Jesus have a problem with money? Let's go back to Solomon. We have a blue print of what the temple looked like, notice there was a vast court for the Gentiles. God has made a gracious place for the nations to come. Hospitality and generosity for those who do not know Him. By clearing the temple, Jesus who incarnates God, restores the hospitality and generosity of God so that the nations can behold the splendor of God.
How much more the Church must do to adjust to the world?
What preparation is there for new converts?
To be popular you mustn't compromise your faith. It seems that the Church of England is a plate of jelly, nobody knows what to believe. Engaging with people of other faith require integrity. Dialogue is better than monologue. Dialogue requires listening. Why were we created with two ears and only one mouth?
You must meet people, promote an activity where people are welcome. Take trouble to go where they are.
Dialogue requires mutual respect.
Canon Kovoor's speech was full of humour too. I am afraid that jokes do not do so well on the paper. There is more so watch this space. Blessings in Jesus-Christ. N.

The Servant chosen

The Servant Chosen Isaiah 42:1-4 -
Introduction
During Lent we are going to be looking at four passages from Isaiah known as the Servant songs.
They are always worth looking at but they have a particular importance during Lent. It is during this
period that Jesus reflects upon, amongst other things, the nature of his forthcoming ministry. During that wilderness period, passages like these, as they have a prophetic nature, must have been in his mind.
Towards the end of that period, Satan comes to tempt him suggesting that there is a better and
quicker way to gain followers Luke 4: 6-7. As we know, Jesus resolutely rebuked him, citing other passages that helped him to keep his mind focused as to what he really had to be about Luke 4:8, Luke 4:12.


The question is, how did the Servant songs come to be and how have they been seen?

First, in and around Isaiah's time and that of the Babylonian Exile some couple of centuries later
these passages would have had some kind of fulfillment. Isaiah did not speak into a vacuum;
neither was he trying to predict the future in the commonly accepted sense of that. He saw the
nation and its spiritual state for what it was. He knew God had said that disobedience to him would
result in them being deprived of the land of promise, Joshua 23:16
Alongside that, Isaiah and his fellow prophets were people open to and listening to the Lord and as a result of that, delivered his word in encouragement and judgement.

These songs tie into that whole scenario.

Secondly, before the time of Jesus, and since from those who do not accept him as Messiah, attempts
are made to see other people or even the nation of Israel itself as being the object of these passages.
In Jesus though they have a supreme fulfillment and Matthew applies today's passage to Jesus and says
it is fulfilled in him (Matthew 12:17) However it is fair to say that through him there are aspects in which they
are also applicable to his people as his servants. We can therefore be challenged, encouraged and stimulated
regarding the nature and mind of ourselves as servants of the Lord.
Serving the Lord - vv 1a & 6a
Servants in bible times:
– equalled slave
– were essentially the 'goods' of their owner
– the owner could treat them as he saw fit, but often they were seen as an important part of the household
– had no choice about being obedient and disobedience could lead to death
But as we look at the Lord's servant we see it is theserving of a partnership:
– there is a balance between 'servant' and 'uphold'
– the Lord has delight in him
– walks hand in hand with him - 6a
– he also enables him with the Spirit - v 1
Serving People - vv 2-3
Here we have a small context of the servants operation:
– does not shout to be heard - v 2
– always leaves room for hope and so change and growth - v 3a
Serving Nations - vv 1b, 4 & 6b-7
The 'work' of this servant is also far reaching:
– nations - vv 1b & 3b
– islands (continents?) - v 4b
– whole earth and with specific mention of the Gentiles (none Jews) - vv 4a & 6b
The 'work' of the servant is specific:
– to bring justice - v 1b
– hope through his law - v 4c
– releasing people from various kinds of bondage - v 7
Jesus the Servant
Filled with the spirit - cp his conception and baptism
Always concerned to do the father's will but much reflects partnership and relationship cp John 10:30

He was gentle yet straight in his dealings with those to whom he ministered.
His work is universal
– justice flows from the cross for all
– hope is through salvation - new life, freedom and resurrection
– he saw it through despite the cost
– reaches right round the globe
'Me' the Servant
Consider from the above where and how we can fit into this.
Rev. S. A.

Advent Sunday

Malachi 4:1-6
and Mark 1:1-6
Who can remember and tell me what is deemed to be the greatest cliffhanger for any continuing TV series ?
The shooting of JR which was shown on the 21/03/1980. There were T-shirts and mugs and all sorts over the summer with 'who shot JR?' or 'I shot JR.. Do you remember? There was lots of speculation too..Larry Hagman says that even the Queen Mother tried to find out from him who it was only to be politely declined the answer. Everyone had to wait because of an actor's strike..So do you remember who did it?
Somebody said: Kristin. Correct, it was revealed on the 21/11 that Kristin Shepard shot him.
It was the greatest TV cliffhanger but guess what, it wasn't the greatest cliffhanger, we can beat that!

Malachi is the last of the Old Testament prophets and he says : Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel, Malachi 4:4. Israel struggled to remember and keep God's laws, God's word and they had prophets after prophets remind them and call them back to the Lord as they strayed and increasingly went after 'other gods'. In the 6th century they lost their land and were exiled to Babylon. The Lord God warned them this would happen if they weren't true to Him and it did happen because they didn't follow his Word. After the exile, as people trickled back in dribs and drabs, the city and the temple were rebuilt. Malachi didn't just encourage them to remember God's word, he said:
'See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes'. Over the years of silence that followed people started more and more to take hold of these and similar prophetic words and increasingly Israel became true to the word of the Lord and expecting an Elijah figure to come and announce the imminent arrival of the day of the Lord. They expected the Lord to do something mighty and so a great cliffhanger of speculation and expectation started.
 Malachi could have written this anytime from 568-433 B.C so speculation went on until a guy who looked like and sounded like a prophet appeared in the Judaean desert. Mark the first gospel writer pick up almost where Malachi left off - no birth of Jesus account, straight in with a huge announcement, Mark:1-1 Then just before Jesus goes back to heaven, read Matthew 28:18-20. To put it another way, remember the Word and share it with others till the day of the Lord. We sit within the greatest cliffhanger ever and Advent Sunday underlines and reminds us of this.
In conclusion, to remember God's word, it is necessary to read it, to share God's word, we have to live it and to teach God's word, we have to speak it, till he comes again!
Rev. S. Abram

But as for you, continue in what you have learned...

2 Timothy 3:10-17
First, I have a question for you! Apart from Scriptures, what do we know about God? O.k. by the window, it's a beautiful day, we can see  beauty, design and order, coming from a loving creator, God. How do we know that he loves us? We need a revelation, i.e. lift the curtain. God has chosen to lift the curtain. Do we need to guess about God? God has spoken to lots of generations and inspire them to write that down for our benefit.
Unlike Paul whom I suppose was a formidable character, Timothy, Paul's adopted son, was a young man rather timid. In his letters, Paul encourages Timothy.
Today, my headings are P for purpose, U for usefulness and N for nature.

1) Purpose.
The purpose of the Bible is to equip the man of God for 'every good work'.The Bible brings you salvation through faith in Jesus-Christ (2 Timothy 3:15) Thus as early as in Genesis 3:15, some see a prophecy of Jesus' crucifixion,' he will crush your head' is alluding that Jesus'sacrifice has got rid of Satan, also, Noah's event shows us God dealing differently with the human race, then the call of Abram..eventually Christ comes and fullfills all these prophecies.
In the last book of the bible, in Revelation, we have the picture of a new Heaven and a new Earth.

2) Usefulness
v16 The bible is useful to keep us on the right path (psalm 191). As somebody once said, to prevent truth decay. In v 13 Paul mentions 'evil men and impostors'. Lots of people twist the Gospel, the latest being the Da Vinci code that picked up on late legends or Erich Von Daniken who is laughing all the way to the bank with  his book, "Chariots of the Gods"  . he Reformation led by Luther happened because people wandered away from the truth of the Gospel. Luther knew that they had to go back to what God had said.

3) Nature
The bible is 'God-breathed', says Paul, this is such an important piece of information. The bible is good, whole and accurate. Those scribes copied the manuscript year after year with great care and therefore, God's word has been preserved by the Holy Spirit.  If you want to know someone, it is not good to guess, you must not pidgeon hole people, it is the same with the Lord, He is revealing himself in the bible so we have to open the book, we have got to explore it!
In the Old testament, there are lots of examples where we see God going after his people. Then Jesus says I'm here now, come to me. He wants us to know him. Amen
Rev. S. A

A cycle in discipleship.

Being Christ's disciples can be tough. If you want other people to know about Christ, there will be problems, attacks, crisis, worries of all sorts along the way. Matthew 11:28-30.
1 Invitation for refreshment. Jesus invites us for refreshment and reloading. He knows about the pressures of life. We can get weary. He is inviting us to be renewed. He does not want us to be broken down. He wants us to be refreshed : the living water, (John 4:10) the true vine (John 15:1). Note that the word for gentle in Greek is 'tamed', a friend but watch out, Jesus is not a push over, he is quite firm when he has to be, when he dealing with the Pharisees for instance. Also note the importance of reading the Scriptures, Jesus invites us to get some nourishment, to feed on the Word. Let's dwell on the word 'yoke', here we understand 'well-fitting' so the yoke will not hurt the animals. Think about custom-made shoes! Jesus doesn't say that everything will be easy. He invites us to be worried about the priorities of the Kingdom, the right concerns.
2 Invitation into a work-out : ask, seek, knock: Matthew 7:1
Jesus invites us into a journey, into a relationship. Working with God, with our brothers and sisters. Come and explore. That journey can be tough as we mentioned it before.
3 Reminder that our God is a loving God. You, as parents give good things to your children so will our Father in heaven. Matthew 7:9-12
4 Reminder about the journey. We can choose between two paths, the broad easy one leading us away from our Father or the narrow one. Imagine a mountain path, not easy. If we do what Jesus says, if we trust him and obey him, (Hebrews 12: 1-3) we will be more efficient during our journey.Still in our moments of despair let us think of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, God won't test you beyond your forces.
Rev. Steven Abram
I hope you enjoyed reading those personal notes I jotted down at Milwich tonight.

Rejoice!

Philippians 4 4-5
'Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice. Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon'.
As I was reading this passage again and again, I suddenly realised that this message is so relevant to us. If we were not Christians, we could easily be torn by depression as we are living in such a world where gentleness is dominated by violence, peaceful people are devoured by angry people, even our friends seem to get angry quickly for no reason. We could easily fall into depression. Paul was in jail when he wrote this letter and he could have been extremely depressed too. Imagine being in jail when you are completely innocent, the unfairness of it all.
Now if you are not a Christian and you have just opened your Bible on those lines, you may be wondering what is going on!
Who is the Lord ?
Here is a very simple version of an amazing truth .
Paul's message is that you will find Joy forever in believing that The Lord (who created every human beings and animals on the earth ) sent Jesus-Christ his son on earth, Jesus obeyed his Father in everything and accepted to die on the cross for our sins.
Sins, what on earth does it mean ? We sin when we are forgetting The Lord and not obeying his 10 commandments. Adam and Eve committed the first sin, disobeying the Lord.
Jesus' sacrifice allows us to be forgiven by the Lord and when He comes back, we will join him for eternity in the new world.
Exodus 20
The Ten Commandments 1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before [a] me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."