Joel part 1

Today I started a short seris in Joel. Joel chapter 1 is a pretty depressing chapter which starts with the message of the 4 swarms of locuts coming one after another after another after another. What a hard message to bring. Joel was faithul in bringing it.
The mesage was to be pased through generations. This is an encouragement and instruction to us.
We looked at  some of the verbs awake , lament, be ashamed, and sanctiy a fast, and considered how they applied today.
For all the depression of the of the message there was still hope. God says it is my land, my fig tree, my vine. God still took took responsabilty for them as his. This points forward to the encouraging message of this book.

God blesses but does that mean he approves?

I ask this question because I have been studying Jacob this week in preparation for Sundays ministry.
The situation is this Jacob deceives his father - that's right he lies to him, in order to obtain the family blessing. He then subsequently has to flee from home, and as he spends the night with the stone for his pillar, he has that tremendous dream of the ladder from earth, to heaven. In that dream the LORD blesses him. This is no ordinary blessing but is the blessing of Abraham.
So do we take it that Jacobs actions in deceit, in sin, were approved of by God. We must not. As Paul will later write "shall we abide in sin that Grace may abound?"
The answer he gives is an emphatic no.
Abraham's sin is not to be excused because God blesses him, neither Joseph's brethren because that is the way they were naturally saved from the famine. We can think of those wicked hands that crucified Jesus. Some of them later believed.
It is not the sin but the grace of God. God blessing in spite of our wickedness and unworthiness.
I have heard this being used to justify all sorts of anti biblical and extra biblical practices in services of worship and church life.
So to answer the question. We can not take the blessing of God as an approval of our actions, especially when they go against his revealed holy standards. All we can do is be amazed at the grace of God towards us, upon which we depend.

whoso findeth me...

This Sunday morning I preached from Proverbs 8 v 35 Whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. Alas, not for the first time I didn't feel I managed to proclaim what I had got out of the text myself.
The me is wisdom and understand.. shown later to be the eternal son of God.
John Wesley in his notes says this supposes diligent seeking, so we thought of what might bring a fallen person to seek for something better. Surely it is as the person hears the cry of wisdom and the voice of understanding. Folowing his we looked at some New Testament verses showing Jesus to be life. Peter says "Thou hast the words of Eternal life".
I pray the Holy Spirit will apply this to some lost soul.

Preparing a Place

Rather inevitably at the end of one year and the beginning of another we think of the second coming. With that in mind preached Sunday afternoon on John 14:3 - I will come again.
On New Years eve we had a prayer meeting and I looked at I go to prepare a place for you.
We noted that this is what God did from Eden.. through the promised land and finished in Revelation 12 - where a place was prepared for the woman for 3 1/2 years.
We remembered that this place is in Jesus Fathers house .. not a connected village or in the same town, or even an out building  - but in our Father House.
A place is prepared for us .. but are we ready to be there?

A happy new year to you each .... maybe I will blog more often..

New Year - Same message

I know its been months since I blogged. But here I am again. Who knows I may change the look soon.

Preached this morning about preaching - in particular from Galatians 1 - where Paul warns against the false gospel - which is not another gospel. Quite challenging when you are the only preacher there.
True preaching is to bring Gods message. I sent the boundaries from which the message could come as being the word of God. We thought about how the message should be prepared and received, the importance of a prepared and studied message that is delivered in an understandable way. How important it was to mix faith with our hearing. (Hebrews 4),
I emphasized the responsibility of the hearer to discern the true message - that which speaks of Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.

Condemnation?

Last Sunday I preached to a small congregation, but a listening congregation .
My subject in the morning was "Who is he that condementh?", from Romans 8. We look at the condemners - the law, Satan the accuser of the believers, other people, and our own consciences. We found that all these truly condemn us.
But we also noted the answer - It is Christ that died - yea rather is risen again. Jesus took our condemnation, suffering what we deserved - so we go free.

Behold I Come Quickly

As it was the last Sunday of the year I spoke from the concluding words of the Bible. (rev 22 v 6 - end).
In this passage we are reminded that Jesus is one day coming again. The word quick refers to the manner rather than the timing. But in between the 3 reminders we are comforted about the faithful and true sayings, we are exhorted to faithfulness and evangelism, we are warned not to add or take away from scripture.
The Bible finishes with Johns desire that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ might be with us. Surely this is what we need while we await his second coming.

Giaus - 3 John

I preached this evening from 3 John. The greater part of the sermon was about Giaus. he was clearly a man who knew difficulties with health and wealth, and in the church with Diotrophes.  His main characteristic is his relationship to the truth. The truth is in him and he walks in the truth. We remembered that Jesus said he is the truth.
This produced 4 fruits - spiritual prosperity, a good testimony, faithfulness, and charity.
May we learn from his example.

New Pastor at Ramsey

 It was a pleasure to be present at the induction service of Jonathan Chell at Salem Baptist Ramsey, yesterday 

Over 150 people attended. After the formalities and laying on of hands Pastor Nigel Graham form Warboys, spoke from Isaiah 6 verses one to eight.
Pastor Graham reminded us of the need for the church to have a big vision of God, his Glory and his Greatness. He stressed the need for pastors and churches to be God centred, and said that churches primary function was to be God worshipers.The vision lead to guilt, grace and gratitude. This sermon is well worth listening to. I will try to get a copy of it or link as soon as possible.

The tea afterwards was the typical high standard grace baptist fayre. It was good to catch up with old friends, and to meet new people.
May our great God work mightly in Ramsey.

looking for redemption

This Sunday was a trip to London. I preached in the morning, rather unseasonably from Luke 2 about Anna speaking of him (Jesus) to all that were looking for redemption in Jerusalem (v38).
We considered the character of Anna – devoted to God, before thinking of the nature of redemption, which is the act of buying back something that has been lost through the paying of a ransom.

We considered this redemption from the historical point of view in the passover lamb, and were reminded that Jesus gave his life a ransom for many.

It was important to stress the need to be looking for this redemption , and seeking we will find– else we will be eternal lost.

Anna spoke of him – and when it comes to redemption Jesus is the only redeemer. Hence she pointed those looking and expecting to Jesus.

There was no other good enough

to pay the price of sin

He only could unlock the gate

Of heaven and let us in

Your Fathers good pleasure

On Sunday Morning I preached from Luke 12 v 32. Fear Not little Flock-it is the fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
This verse comes in an exhortation not to be anxious about the supply of our earthly needs. - your father knoweth you have need of these things (v30). Rather we are encouraged to get our priority right and seek the kingdom of God. It is to encourage in our seeking further that Jesus reassures us that God will give us the kingdom.More than this it is our heavenly fathers pleasure to do so.There is no grudging no necessity just his holy pleasure - a good pleasure. As an aged preacher commented recently God wants you in heaven infinitely more than you want to be there And if he gives us this ultimate gift so willingly and lovingly so he will do with lesser gifts. What a wounderful God we have.

Psalm  115:3  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased

Occupy -till I come

This Sunday saw a trip to the delightful Shropshire hills, and an opportunity to preach at a small baptist church. In the afternoon I took the text from Luke 19 "Occupy till I come". I set out the context of the parable of the "Ten pounds and Ten servants". It comes just after the conversion of Zacchaeus and during Jesus continuing journey to Jerusalem, which his followers assumed was to set up his Kingdom in Jerusalem. In trying to prepare them for his going away he told this parable which foreshadowed the great commission.

The background to this instruction to be engaged in our Christian occupation is 1. The resources given to believers as set out by the ten pounds, 2. The citizens of that country hated the Lord and did not want him to rule over them. and 3. The Lord will return.
The servants were called to account, and so will all his servants be.

The house of the LORD God

Last Sunday I preached from Davids sin in numbering the people (1 Chr 22). This was followed by the judgement of God upon the people. God in his mercy repented of the evil (not morally evil - but the awful consequence of sin) but David was shown the place of sacrifice, which was "accepted" by fire from heaven.The Oxen were the substitute for the people.
This surly points to Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of all the Temple stood for, and our substitute, whom the wrath of God fell on, and which sacrifice was accepted. This is where God meets his people.

Esther - part 2 - God works his purposes out

 Sunday morning we looked at Esther 4,5,6 & 7. In this section we find that Haman who had hoped by hanging Mordecai what would happen to people who wouldn't honour him by hanging him from a 20 metre high gallows,ends up leading him through the city wearing the kings clothes riding the kings horse declaring that this is what happens to the man whom the king delights to honour! what a God we have. What encouragement for these times of Christianophobia! Haman is eventually hung on his own gallows.

Esther - part 1 - God prepares

Preached Sunday Morning on Esther ( the first of two or three sermons). Esther is only one of two books where the Gods name is not mentioned. Yet his finger is clearly seen.
I titled the Sermon - "Now it came to pass..." which are the first words of the book.Probably not the most interesting sermon ever. I tried to set the scene by looking at the four main characters, - the Wicked King, The Beautiful girl, The faithful servant, and the self important Agigite. Then we looked at a few side issues like the the place of feasts and fasts, and respected cival government and what it means to submit to it.
I am looking forward to preaching next time on the exciting chapters 5,6 & 7.