All posts by Dorothy

Currently, I (Dorothy Newton} am a Street Pastor in Ramsbottom, working alongside Christians who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. Christian, visible unity among the churches.
by association, cut off Malchus' ear, healing through the cross, hour of darkness, numbered with the transgressors, Pentecost remorse, Peter denied knowing Jesus, remorse, superficial kiss

The Messiah’s Secret – Numbered with the Transgressors

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The  Messiah’s Secret – Numbered with the Transgressors

Coming from within the Bible: clock, Garden of Gethsemane, sword, the cross.

Luke 22: 35 – 62.
Faith in Jesus
When we send an email we rely on the connection between our computer and the server Yahoo, BT internet, Gmail, hotmail etc. The server connects us to the persons email address server and they connect the email to their computer.

Faith works by our connection to Jesus in prayer to throne of God’s grace where prayers are answered.

What the computer cannot do is prophecy events that relate to the future, whereas God has planned appointments (prophesies) for people written down in his book the Bible.
Prophecy fulfilled  
“Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
    and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.” 
Isaiah 53: 12.

Jesus quoted from this verse, “And he was reckoned with transgressors;” he went on to say, “For what is written about me has its fulfilment.” Jesus identified himself as being numbered with the sinners and the fulfilment of God’s plan of salvation..

The Clock

Shortly before entering the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus said to his disciples, “When I sent you out with no purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now, let him who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag. And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one. For I tell you this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was reckoned with transgressors; for what is written about me has its fulfilment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”  or “It is sufficient.” 

The clock was ticking a change of attitude coming from the people, instead of welcoming Jesus and his disciples, the opposite: disbelief and aggression coming against them. The hour of darkness approaching and Peter being sifted like wheat.                                 

The Garden of Gethsemane (pop up – the white is a fountain)

Luke continued connecting these words with what followed in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pray, that you may not enter into temptation.” Peter and the others fell asleep we don’t know if they realised what Jesus was saying. Jesus prayed to resist the temptation of not going to the cross. “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”  

The sound of voices coming into the Garden of Gethsemane changed the atmosphere as Judas came up to Jesus and kissed him. 
Jesus said to him, “Would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?”                                                                    
Judas greeted Jesus with a superficial kiss, the hour had begun.  “But this is your hour and the powers of darkness.” Verse 53

The Sword
The rest of the disciples would now have been aware that there was something going on and sensed the danger. Why would Jesus say these words to Judas? The tension grew as the aggression in the voices of the crowd stirred Peter who was carrying a sword, with it he struck the high priest’s slave Malchus cutting off his right ear.  When Jesus saw what Peter had done, he stepped in between them saying “No more of this!” Jesus touched Malchus’ ear and healed him.                       
Jesus filled with remorse for what Peter had done stepped in to heal the wounded Malchus.
The disciple Peter acted in response to the aggression coming from the crowd, but he was wrong in doing what he did. Jesus felt responsible by association for his actions, even though Jesus had done nothing wrong he had not incited Peter to use his sword. When Jesus healed Malchus’ ear, he was full of remorse, sorry for Peter’s actions.

Peters Remorse
After Jesus was arrested, Peter followed them to the high priest’s courtyard, there he stood by the fire, someone asked him did he know Jesus? He said he didn’t know him and left. Outside the courtyard remorse filled his heart. Was it for both his words and actions that he felt remorse as he wept bitterly? Matthew 26: 75. John 18: 26, 27

The Cross

When a person feels a deep sense of remorse for sin against God Jesus steps in between God and the person, bringing healing. Jesus bore sin and the causes of sin on the cross where in his innocence he took the punishment for sin resulting in his death. God raised Jesus from the dead and in his resurrection he has justly disarmed principalities and powers, and restored our broken relationship with God.

The Messiah’s Secret Revealed.
Jesus’ resurrection changed the disciples situation the hour of darkness was past.
In the house at Jerusalem, Jesus breathed on his disciples the Holy Spirit. He opened their minds to understand the scriptures that spoke of his suffering and resurrection.
At Pentecost Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said, “Let all the household of Israel know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ. Jesus, who you crucified.” Acts 2: 36.
God made Jesus the Saviour of the world, after his death, resurrection and ascension. Jesus was born a King and Messiah, to become the Saviour he had to die and be resurrected from the dead. The Centurion speared Jesus’ heart blood and water was reported issuing from his heart.
Continuing verse 37, “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”  

Fifty days later those responding to his words about Jesus were full of remorse, most of them would not have been there at the trial of Jesus shouting for him to be crucified. But by association they responded to Peter in verse 38 “Repent, and be baptised everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” 3,000 people that day came to faith in Christ.

Today the feeling of remorse by association for the actions of others.                       
Maybe we can identify with Peter or with Jesus when we have fallen into temptation and caused other Christians to feel the pain of remorse or we have cared enough like Jesus to stand in the gap and feel remorse to bring forgiveness and healing.. Whatever our situation we are able in prayer to lift the broken hearted, the burden of it, and the remorse on to the cross.

Jesus understands through what he suffered, all our circumstances that we face, having gone through them himself. By his love he goes through our situations with us and through grace in suffering blesses us his children.
faith, fire produces steam and electricity, God is Love, Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, hope and love, the earth a circle, the power of God

The Messiah’s Secret – The Difference Between John and Jesus’ Baptisms

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The  Messiah’s Secret – The difference between John and Jesus’ Baptisms

Isaiah 43: 1-7. Luke 3: 15-17, 21, 22.



Birds in the Bible Quiz  John had ten scriptures each scripture pointing to a bird. The pictures of the birds on  power point.


Luke 3: 22  The Holy Spirit in the form of this bird  alighted on Jesus’ head. – – – – 

British Astronaut Tim Peake stepped outside the Space Station to do some repairs on the Station’s power box along with fellow Astronaut Tim Kopra. The view of the round earth from the cameras on board was awesome. Isaiah wrote, “It is he (God) who sits above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.” Isaiah 40: 22.                                                                      
The writer of Genesis described in Genesis 1: 2. “The Spirit hovered over the waters of the earth,” ‘hovers’ like a bird.  
The 19th Century Jewish philosopher Martin Burber wrote, “The Spirit of God hovering like a bird with outstretched wings manifested in the Spirit of the Messiah who will come.”  

This is what we believe happened when John the Baptist saw heaven open and coming from heaven the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, alighted upon Jesus and filled his whole being with the Spirit of God. 

Burber continues, “The Holy One, blessed be He! Will spread His wings and bestow His grace ‘upon Israel,’ owing to Israel’s repentance, symbolised by the water in accordance with Lamentations 2: 19 “Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord.” 

This Jewish expectation that Burber wrote about was apparent many centuries before when the Jews asked John if he was the Messiah. It’s quite probable that they were looking for both a water and spirit baptism from John.  John the Baptist in his response indicated that they would only receive from him his baptism of repentance, “I baptise you with water, but he who will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” 
John separated water and spirit baptism. It is recorded in the book of Acts, Apollos and twelve others had only received John‘s baptism.   

“While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 18: 25. 19: 1- 5.  

Lamentations 2: 19 “Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord.”This is Jesus’ water baptism symbolising the pouring out of the heart in repentance, before the presence of the Lord, then entering by faith into his death and resurrection, being raised up into newness of life.                                                                                  

So the difference between John’s baptism of repentance and Jesus’ baptism of repentance after Pentecost was the Spirit of God coming into a person’s life. Acts 2: 38 “Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.                                                                                                                 
Visual Aid- Orange juice and fizzy orange juice. Taste the difference, both have all the goodness of the orange but one has a fizz about it, something extra.

John’s prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus breathed on his disciples the Holy Spirit on the evening of the day of his resurrection. The Holy Spirit stemming from Jesus. At Pentecost the second part of the prophecy was fulfilled, the Holy Spirit manifested himself as tongues of fire sitting on top of the disciples’ heads.                                                                 
A fire produces power – steam, electricity Jesus said, “You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”  The ‘Power of God’ is in our walk in faith, hope and love the greatest being love. God is love, his Spirit is love. Luke 24: 49. 1 John 4: 8, 12, 13.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love. I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.”     
1 Corinthians 13: 1-3, 13. 

A fire gives off comforting heat, the comforting healing power of the Holy Spirit.  
In  Isaiah 43 reading God reminded Israel that they crossed over the Red Sea, the water had overwhelmed their enemies as God was with them. 
And for us Christians in our relationship with God whatever situation might arise where we need God’s help and strength he is there for us, it won’t overwhelm us, especially in sickness. 

Literal fire – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, so he put them into the fiery furnace, to his amazement he saw a fourth man with them, the Lord. The three men were not touched by the flames. Daniel 3: 22-30.         
The Holy Spirit takes the fire out of a situation when a Christian faces opposition of some kind. The Lord will go before us taking the tension, the contentious words and defusing them, bringing in his peace. 

A fire gives light in the darkness, Jesus the light that shines in the darkness. God has shed his light on us to make Christ known to others.


God gave assurance to Israel of his love for them and that he would always be with them, at a distance, but always in his sight.                                               
We have a greater promise as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit come and make their home within us, a permanent presence.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for failings, where we have grieved your Holy Spirit. humbly we ask to be filled afresh today with your life giving comforting presence and the power of your Holy Spirit to witness our love, faith and hope in Jesus. Amen.

                                                
Barry Woodward, Bible truths, God's riches at Christ's expense, Plans and purposes of that God has for us, undeserved giving from God

The Messiah’s Secret – Grace and Truth

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The  Messiah’s Secret – Grace and Truth 

Jeremiah 31: 7 – 14. John 1: 10-18.                                                               
Happy New Year

Below: I made a Bible out of re-cycled cardboard. The board I cover with lining paper. The front cover opens and is kept closed with a small piece of Velcro half way along the front edge. 



From within the Bible we find God’s amazing grace and truths.
John said that Jesus was full of grace and truth.


 I placed inside the Bible various items that relate to God’s grace and truth. 

‘God’s riches at Christ’s expense.’ 

Five  people held the letters G.R.A.C.E and T.R.U.T.H plus symbols.

G. God’s word full of grace and truth.  
R. The Riches of his love for his chosen people Israel. 
A. An Agreement between God and King David that one of his descendants would be the Saviour, the Messiah. 
C.  Christ was born in Bethlehem. 
E. Expense to God, He sent His Son into the world born of a woman to lay down his life for the forgiveness of sin and reconcile us to God the Father. 
Truth 
T. Truth reveals the living word Jesus who is the light of the world. 
R. Jesus’ righteousness transforming a person’s heart by faith. 
U. Personal Understanding and knowledge of the Father, Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit. 
T. The Treasure of the gift of the Holy Spirit with all his gifts given to us. 

H. The household of believers, brothers and sisters in Christ. We look to Jesus’ words in scripture written down in the New Testament. 
St Mary’s Church and a picture representing the congregation. Scripture verses relating to Grace and Truth were given out.

       ——————-
The New Year is the time when we think about what are God’s purposes and plans that he has for us this coming year. 


In our reading Jeremiah prophesied about God’s plan regarding Israel’s future and it is generally thought of by theologians as referring to the second coming where the Messiah restores and leads the nation after the battle of Armageddon has taken place. 

Jeremiah prophesied on several occasions that God would raise up the Branch, the shepherd who would gather the sheep from far and wide bringing them back to their own land. Jeremiah 23: 5, 6. 33: 12,                                                                        
In our reading Chapter 31 verse 7 the church is looking on with great rejoicing, as we will witness the chief shepherd, the Messiah bringing Israel into his grace and truth, Zechariah prophesied that they will recognise the one they had pierced, despite all their failings Israel is saved by grace. 

The Messiah’s Secret Revealed 
Were John wrote that Jesus was not recognised as the Messiah, “He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.” At Pentecost for the first time the disciples proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah that God had by the definite plan and foreknowledge of God had been crucified and raised up by God fulfilling King David’s prophesies, Peter said, “ David foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” After the resurrection and ascension was the time for the nations leaders to receive Jesus as their Messiah, not before his death.   
However,  on his second coming the Israeli and the nations leaders will recognise Jesus as the Messiah, “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they had pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one weeps for the first-born.” Zechariah 12: 10.                                        
Another meaning to the word GRACE – undeserved giving by God. Jeremiah prophesied that the Messiah will turn Israel’s mourning into joy, as he gathers his people from among the nations, comforting them turning their sorrow into gladness, with an abundance of blessings including provision like that of a well watered garden and all by grace which is the reality of faith in Christ that we enjoy today. 
God does not look at our offences, but as a loving Father looks at his child                                                                                          .
Truth  
Truth brings into reality John’s words “But to all who receive him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born not of blood or the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God.” The truth about Jesus having reconciled  us to God out of God’s love for us. 
Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians 2: 7, 8.“In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Jesus Christ. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.  
We enter into God’s grace through faith in Jesus God’s love that is undeserved by us and it is not judgemental.  
On Oct 3rd I attended the Annual Conference of ‘Proclaim Trust’ founded by Barry Woodward, it was held at ‘The Bridge Church Bolton. The worship leader Mark Stevens told us his story he started in the entertainment industry in 1985, playing ‘Nick Page’ in ‘Neighbours’. But Mark’s life went on a downward spiral when he was gripped by drug and alcohol addiction in his late teens. By the age of 26, he had lost everything. Then in 1996, Mark cried to God, and he was completely transformed.  
Mark said that one day he was playing the piano at home and when he stopped playing the music carried on and he heard angels singing all around him. It reminds me of the shepherd’s who saw and heard the angels singing when Christ was born.                              
Jesus by his grace accepts people where they are, when they turn to Jesus in faith. Jesus and the Holy Spirit bring about transformation of a person’s heart, so the  truth about Jesus becomes real, we can’t see God, but we can experience God when we receive Jesus’ Spirit.

The apostle Peter wrote that we grow in grace and knowledge and the writer of Hebrews that our hearts are strengthened by grace, these we find  are linked with serving, working for the kingdom  with Jesus.
Mark 16: 20, 21 “The the disciples went  out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”   
In prayer we have access to the throne of grace because we are God’s children 

Tad Lincoln the son of Abraham Lincoln He used his position as the son of the president to gain instant access to see his father.  
When  a person wanting to see the president entered the White House, they gave their calling card to the valet. The valet would take the cards in order and then put them in a stack on a table. Tad made a regular habit of chatting with those waiting. If the person had a particularly urgent need: grieving widow, an unemployed family man and so forth — then Tad would help matters along, he moved that person’s card to the top of the pile. As we are God’s children we have the ear of Almighty God and we bring people’s needs to him and it can be any time night or day.                                                                                                
Grace and truth becomes a faith reality, in all those answers to prayer and those God co-incidences that have become part of our daily lives.
Our Parochial Church Council are stepping out in faith having booked the Evangelist Barry Woodward to come to St Mary’s ‘A Meal with a Message’ A God co-incidence: back in November in conversation with Laura our Warden we discussed the day and date that this event could take place and Laura suggested April. The following day I spoke to Barry’s Event Manager and he said to me, ‘We can only offer you one date April 14th’ I replied, “That’s just perfect exactly what we hoped for.”

We are expecting God’s grace on the evening as the truth shall release those who respond by setting them free. They shall be free indeed.   
everlasting God and Father of Jesus, Jesus would have been comforted by reading Isaiah 43:4, Virgin birth

The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus Born of Mary

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The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus Born in Mary
Christmas Greetings
Christmas Greeting Cards are part of our Advent Season as we send them to our friends and family before Christmas Day.  They were introduced into UK in 1843 by the Public Post Office. 


On the right: Front of the card- Christmas Greetings from the International Space Station.
On the left: Inside the card Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. The greeting ‘Peace be with you.’ 
Inside every card the seasons sentiments usually a greeting of good will: Happy Christmas, Blessings of the Season’.
Micah 5: 2-5. Luke 1: 39 – 45
St Paul in his letter to the church at Rome gave them 21 greetings from 35 Christians, a greeting-sending their goodwill. Had it been today he would had posted 35 Christmas cards.
In our reading Mary who was cousin to Elizabeth when she arrived at Zechariah and Elizabeth’s home when they greeted one another it was amazing. The outpouring of joy as the Holy Spirit spoke through Elizabeth, her remarks confirmed that the word of Archangel Gabriel and the prophets had been fulfilled.
Gabriel said that the child born in Mary was by the power of the Holy Spirit overshadowing her. God himself the Father of Jesus.
The prophet Micah wrote of a person to be born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah, “From you Bethlehem shall come forth for me, one who is to be ruler in Israel whose origin is from of old, from the ancient of days.”  An eternal being, from everlasting, God himself.
Isaiah prophesied, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. Isaiah 7: 14.
Prophesies are inspiring they confirm the everlasting presence of God, in the here and now and for someone seeking God that helps them come to faith.
However for some they struggle to believe in the Virgin Birth, from a human view point it seems an impossibility, but for those who do believe it shows us that all things are possible with God. When we look at scriptures
God is able to create life where humanly speaking it’s impossible like in Abraham and Sarah’s old age they had a son Isaac and Zechariah and Elizabeth they too were past the age of having children, but God blessed them with a son John the Baptist.              
Mary who was full of faith and was willing to bear the Son of God.  I look at the Virgin Birth  it this way: when a person receives healing through prayer, God heals within the body, without touching the flesh.
Jesus born in us.
I was asked recently “What would you say to someone who is asking about becoming a Christian?” One of the many answers to that question is as follows: There is evidence from the findings of Archaeologists in ancient burial sites that man worshipped. He tried to influence the seasons that provided his food, he was aware of a supreme deity  so he worshipped the sun, moon and stars and made idols to them. In Judges 8: 21 After the defeat of the Midianites Gideon removed the crescent moons from the necks of their camels. The Midianites were descended from Abraham and his concubine Keturah.     
 
We believe that the true God made himself known through the Hebrew people, and that he would send them a saviour who would save all mankind and establish God’s kingdom of peace on the earth.
Christians believe that Jesus is that promised Saviour and through faith in him we too can be saved
In God’s plan of Salvation out of his great love for us, God caused Jesus to be born in a woman, to become one of us. He knew, as we know today that he would lay down his life in order to pay the price of sin that leads to eternal death.
 
Jesus was upheld by God during his life time on the earth, especially when he came up against the Pharisees and Sadducees, I thought he would have read from Isaiah 43: 4 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name you are mine.” These words would have given him assurance from his Father that he would fulfil his task.
 
Jesus was innocent of the sin that he bore on the cross I repeat; Jesus was innocent of the sin that he bore on the cross God raised him from the dead and in his resurrection he was the first to be redeemed, to know the love of God his Father’s forgiveness.  Colossians 1 18. “He is the head of the body , the church; he is the beginning the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.”
 
So through faith in Jesus a person coming to God in prayer recognising their need to get right with God will receive God’s forgiveness and as a result Jesus is born in them.  
Colossians 1: 27. “To them, Israel, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”                 
 
Visual Aid. 

It is like putting a white cloth into water with a dye in it. 
The cloth absorbs the colour. So we absorb Jesus, the Son of God, the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

 

Colossians 2: “For in him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily and you have come to the fullness of life in him.”
 The followers at Colossi had come to fullness of life in Jesus. They had recognised their part in being rooted and  built up in their faith, by being taught the scriptures by the holy Spirit and studying the scriptures for themselves and with others and giving thanks as they put into practice what they believed.
It is no different for Christians today as we take hold of his words and promises in scripture and expecting answers to prayer because of our relationship with Jesus, he is born in us.
Prayer  
Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.Father God, we pray for your holy spirit’s ministry to us, making Jesus known to us. empower us your people to equip us for the work you are calling us to do.
May we be your willing friends in serving you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Archangel Gabriel, others have prepared the ground, rooted and grounded, the shepherd

The Messiah’s Secret – Zechariah and Elizabeth

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The Messiahs Secret – Zechariah and Elizabeth 

Isaiah 40: 1-11. Luke 1: 1-25.
Lord Jesus you are the living word and your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, in Jesus’ name.

Zechariah heard from the Archangel Gabriel that his prayer from years before had been answered Elizabeth would bare him a son. In verse 18 he said, “How can I be sure,” he wanted assurance as they were now both too old to have children. 
We may have prayers that we prayed for years ago that are about to be answered, especially were we have laboured in prayer for members of our family.  


Zechariah questioned Gabriel’s word, as a result he lost his speech which meant that he was not able to express his meeting with Gabriel and further more he could not bless the people and that would have had the effect of being chastening by God.                                         
Israel had been chastened by God in their exile into Babylon, now God was comforting his people on their return to Jerusalem. During the journey they had been looked after by Israel’s shepherd, God himself. “He will feed his flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those who are with young.”                                                                                                          
The prophecy in Isaiah 40 that was not fulfilled at that time. 
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord making his path straight.”  
Hundreds of years afterwards it was fulfilled when Archangel Gabriel announced the good news to Zechariah that his son would be the one preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah.                                   
A preparation for the coming kingdom of God: repentance by immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins and to bear good fruit by sharing clothing and food. Luke 3: 3, 4, 9.
John the Baptist spoke of Jesus being the Lamb of God. The Lamb that bore the sins of the people.   Jesus the ‘Passover Lamb’ that laid down his life for his sheep. When Jesus sent out his disciples with the kingdom message it was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

Naomi our church organist keeps sheep on their smallholding, at our Ladies fellowship meeting she told us that when a sheep strays away from the rest of the sheep it is usually because it is hurting in some way, they don’t normally go off on their own.    
The shepherd Jesus, gathered the injured sheep.
 Isaiah 61: 1-4 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”
Jesus during his ministry brought healing and restoration to the people of Israel and when he died on the cross they did not realise that the Messiah had to suffer and die and be resurrected from the dead.   

The Messiah’s Secret Revealed
The chief priest Caiaphas was given a prophecy that one man would die so that the nation would not perish. If only the leaders like Caiaphas had the realisation of these words in the knowledge that Jesus had redeemed and saved Israel through his death and resurrection. John 11: 49 – 53.
Jesus brought healing and reconciliation between God and all humanity: Jew and Gentile. Through faith in him we pass over from sin and death to forgiveness and eternal life.
Jesus gave us a greater promise than just being a shepherd to us, he said, “I and the Father are one and we will come and make our home within you.” John 14: 23.                                                                                                                           
 Visual Aid

It is like putting a white cloth into water with dye in it. The white cloth absorbs the colour. So we absorb Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

                                                                                       

Jesus calls us to his ministry of reconciliation with the indwelling ministry of the Trinity. Paul’s prayer in his letter to the Ephesians 3: 14 -21 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with the might, through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that, you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, length, height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Paul’s prayer that embraced this message that ‘God indwells his people.’ He prayed that we would understand what it means to be rooted and grounded in the love of God. Jesus did a complete work on the cross: 
                                the breath, the length, 
the height and depth of the cross

of his victory over principalities and powers, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, surpassing love that is as vast as the universe, its magnitude contained in our being.  “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations for ever. Amen”   
In our walk in Christ we often go where someone else has prepared the ground, where seeds have already been sown and we take the water and by the action of the Holy Spirit, the seed germinates and starts to grow.
A man came to Chatterton Hey House at Edenfield from Langley House Trust’s ‘Tekoa House’ at Rochdale to join our Alpha Course. Andrew had just recently had a God experience saving him from ending his life. In this man’s life, the seed of faith had just germinated and he needed the water of the word, he was so thirsty for the words about Jesus.          
The Alpha Course enables a person to find out about Jesus from the Bible.  He was taking the first steps of putting his faith in Jesus. Where this man never trusted anyone before, he is learning to trust in the word and promises of the Lord our God to him.
As Isaiah 40: 8 stated; “The word of our God will stand for ever.”

The refreshing water of the word of God that brings forth an abundance of life. 
banking derivatives, Bible Sunday, crooked world, Damascus prophecy, Debt, real money, Straight pathway, The Crooked Man

The Messiah’s Secret – Crooked Paths Made Straight

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The Messiah’s Secret – Crooked paths made straight

This morning’s service began with prayer for the sad loss of life in the terrorist attach in Paris

Nursery Rhyme ‘The Crooked Man’

There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse
And they all lived together in a little crooked house. 
The children put the pictures on the board

Jesus’ teachings in the Bible show us how to live our lives. Not to be like:

There was a crooked man – He was not a nice man, he was unkind and always angry.crooked man
 

He walked a crooked mile – He was dishonest, he made up stories that were not true.dscf4151

He found a crooked sixpence – He took things without asking the person if he could have them
 
A crooked stile – He pushed people out of the way.1-dscf4148
 
 
 

He bought a crooked cat – He 1-dscf4150encouraged fighting
The cat caught a crooked mouse. It’s wrong to fight: kicking, hitting one another, pulling each other’s hair, and we mustn’t  call each other names.dscf4155
 
 

The little crooked house – He didn’t care about anybody only himself.
 
1-dscf4149
 
 
 
 
The Bible wants us to do what is right and that will make us happy and be kind to one another and the Bible tells us to : let people go before us, not to fight one another, not to take anything without asking.
Jesus’ house is a safe place, where he looks after us.
Hebrews 10: 11 – 14. 19 – 25. Mark 13: 1 – 8.
The origin of the poem the crooked man was in reference to King Charles’ General Sir Alexander Leslie, he was senior commander of both English and Scottish armies: he was referred to as a scoundrel, he walked a crooked mile and the sixpence referred to him  being dishonest.
The cat and mouse represented the conflicts between the two nations. The crooked stile was the border between the two countries. The crooked house this religious covenant between England and Scotland was brought in under duress.
In our New Testament reading Jesus prophesied  the ruin of the temple. It had become a crooked house.
The temple signified the agreement between God and the people of Israel, but the rituals of the temple had become man centred. The Pharisees, Lawyers and scribes were crooked by burdening the people adding more laws to those given by God to Moses.
God left the Temple at Jerusalem When the veil of the temple torn in two from top to the bottom revealing the ’ Most Holy Place’ the dwelling place of God. All those working in the Holy Place could now see beyond the veil which was unthinkable before, no one could see God and live.
John wrote that Jesus’ risen body was now the temple of God. A temple made without hands.  Jesus is the centre of worship in the kingdom of God. John wrote Revelation 22: 22 “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb.” John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God.  John 2: 21. Mark 14: 58.
For the majority of Christiansbefore we came to know Jesus we followed the course of the world, where the influences of a crooked world brought upon us fear, guilt and anxiety, with very little joy.                                     
Jesus heals and restores our broken relationship with God and as we are led by the word and Spirit we begin to walk in a straight path with the Lord.                                                                                         
Proverbs 3: 6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
  
I heard recently a testimony of a young woman who had reached a point in her life were the alcohol and drug addiction had to end, she faced a choice: prison, death or chose life.  Alison chose life and made a decision to follow Jesus. God gave her a word, “I have purposes and plans for you. Jeremiah 49: 11. She said that a pathway opened up and she begged the Lord to heal her and he did and changed her longings she didn’t want drink or drugs instead she hungered and thirsted for the word of God.                                   
Jesus’ prophecy in Mark tells us that the world will continue along a crooked path by following false Christ’s resulting in wars and rumours of wars.
One can not help but feel that the time is coming when the people of the world will be looking for a leader, a false Christ to come up with a plan to solve the world problems: like the Syrian and other conflicts which are causing major disruption in the world, with the people fleeing their country of origin to escape violence and possible death.
 
One of the many prophesies relatingto the second coming of Jesus is the destruction and desolation of Damascus.
Isaiah prophesied the destruction of Damascus and the city left desolate, uninhabited: “Damascus will no longer be a city, but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid.” Isaiah 17: 1, 2.   (Aroer a city near the Dead Sea).            
And Jeremiah’s prophecy
“Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her;anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labour. Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of my joy?  Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets,and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the Lord of hosts.“I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.”Jeremiah 49 24-27. (Ben-Hadad was the King of Syria.)
Jeremiah 49 24-27.                                         
Both prophesy were fulfilled in part when King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Damascus, but the city was rebuilt. The other part of the prophecy where the city would be left a ruin and uninhabited has yet to happen.
From that time Damascus has remained intact until our present day, in the current crisis in Syria Damascus is being bombed and is in danger of being destroyed and its people fleeing for their lives.
Another sign
Isaiah 59: 8. “ The way of peace they will not know and there is no justice in their paths, they have made their roads crooked, no one who goes in them knows peace.”
We have global investment banks using the derivatives debt system buying and selling debt digitally, which was the cause of the 2008 financial problems. Many who work in the financial world are honest, but there are those who use derivatives financial packages with non-existent money, a crooked system.
“The Root Cause of the 2008 Financial Meltdown’ investmentwatchblog.com    Forbes ‘Big Banks and Derivatives
As a young child, I remember higher purchase being promoted on ITV in the 50’s and my father’s re-action to it at the time, he thought that it was a mistake. The poor families in debt to the rich, who grow richer. 
Will it ever be resolved? To resolve it, many believe that at some point it has to retract and return to a true financial system based on real money.
The Lord’s way is the only way
In the UK Christians Against Poverty have been working for a number of years with amazing success in sorting out people’s debt; by putting in place a structure that gradually pays off a person’s debt with the company or companies that they owed money to.
 Also in the process they make Christ known in what they do – Jesus has paid our debt legally by shedding his blood, his life laid down for the forgiveness of our sin, releasing us into God’s grace, his care and provision.
 
Hebrews 10: 13 “ Then to wait until his enemies should be a stool for his feet.”  
First Jesus will call out the church and followed soon afterwards by his return to the Mount of Olives where he takes up with the remnant of Israel and defeats the anti-Christ and his armies.

 

Until Jesus calls out his church, it is important for us to keep looking for the straight pathway that leads to our heavenly home.
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The Messiah’s Secret – The Beatitudes

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The Messiah’s Secret – The Beatitudes

Evening Lectionary: Jeremiah 31: 31-34.  Matthew 5: 1 – 12.

C. S. Lewis wrote, “If you read history you find that Christians who did most in this present world were precisely those who thought the most of the next.” 

We work out our salvation in this life walking in the beatitudes and we have the example of Jesus in his own life where the beatitudes were apparent, especially in the Garden of Gethsemane.                                                                                                          
The Passover had been eaten and Jesus and his disciples where making their way to the Garden of Gethsemane, singing the Hallel the Psalms 113-118.
Jesus was quietly preparing himself for his ‘hour had come.’ Everything that had happened was leading up to this moment, as he surrendered his life to die on a cross.  When he knelt down to pray, he brought his immediate concerns before the Father. Only God could help him, he was poor in spirit, Martyn Lloyd Jones in his Book ‘Studies on the Sermon on the Mount’ wrote that to be poor in spirit means ‘empty of self.                                                                                   
The way of Jesus is in giving of our self to God, for many of us it happens gradually as we grow in our faith; we learn to trust God to be dependent upon him. The more we put our faith into practice we become ‘poor in spirit’ empty of self.                                                        

In the distance perhaps Jesus heard the sound of others singing and laughing, people enjoying the occasion of the Passover.  On another occasion Jesus had said, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” Luke 6: 24-26  In the garden his  heart was heavy as he mourned over the sins of the people. During his ministry a Pharisee had remarked “You who are not yet 50 years old have seen Abraham.”  Lloyd Jones wrote that Jesus looked older than his 33 years as he mourned over sin.

There in the garden Jesus asked Peter, James and John to pray and comfort him, but I don’t think they were aware of the spiritual stress that he was going through. Jesus in meekness knelt in agony as his physical strength diminished, we believe the Holy Spirit strengthen him.                                             
Visual Aid 
The old calculator was powered by a battery. This was replaced by solar power, that just needs sunlight to give continuous power.                        
Before I became a Christian lots of things went wrong:  horse riding and car accidents took there toll on my health.Through faith in Jesus I was healed of a nervous condition and later I received my life in Christ that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and will continue for ever, beyond my life on earth.

In every Christian meekness is produced by the Holy Spirit.  
Love that has strength of its own: it is not defensive, and does not retaliate.                                                                                                          
Jesus and his disciples were disturbed by the sound of voices; a number of people came into view. The moment where unrighteousness came into direct contact with God’s sacrifice for sin. 
All the attributes of being poor in spirit-empty of self, strength in meekness, and his love for the righteousness of his Father enabled him to say when they asked for Jesus of Nazareth, he said, “I am he.” John 18: 5          

Another aspect of meekness in God’s terms is strength in weakness. 
We see this in the Hebrew Scriptures Gideon going into battle was told by God to reduce the numbers of his fighting men from 22,000 to 10,000 from 10,000 to 300 men. Gideon won the battle, the Midianites fled their camp at the sound of the trumpet and when the light appeared. The Israelites smashed the clay jars the light shone in the darkness.                          
In Genesis 1: 2, 3 the earth was formless and empty and darkness was over the water and the Holy Spirit hovered over the darkness and God said, “Let there be light” and the darkness gave way to the light.  
There is darkness over Syria and so we pray for the light of Christ to shine in the darkness and dispel it, to break it up and clear it away.  

In the garden and on the cross 
Jesus fought the battle against unrighteousness’ and won. The world is in conflict with the righteousness of God and we can’t avoid it. There is a constant battle going on to walk in righteousness. Truth demands struggle as it overcomes conflict.                                                                                                                                                         
In my daily prayers, I put on spiritually the breastplate of righteousness. The righteous blood of Jesus covering my heart and I also say ‘I will to do the will of God and not of myself or the will of Satan.’ I look to do the Father’s will guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

Mercy is grace in action 
It is in having a Godly desire to relieve suffering in people’s lives.             

Jesus in his death and resurrection established the new covenant between God and Israel. Jeremiah 31. 31-34   God by his great mercy brought the Gentiles into this covenant through the cross.

The pureness of Jesus’ heart he was single-minded, his face was set like flint to go to Jerusalem, his hour had come, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit.” Jesus broke down the barrier between the Jews and the Gentiles through the cross making one new man, in turn to become single-minded, one body with many members. the church’s message is to give the opportunity to all people to know God our creator and Father personally, to have peace with God unified by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  
Jesus fought the battle and won the peace. The allies won the battle over Hitler and we generations that have followed have entered into the peace.                                                                                                                                              
Jesus the ‘Prince of peace’ at his trial he was silent, the peace in him did not allow him to say anything to the detriment of others, nor did he look for the effect that it would have on himself, but he looked to glorify God.
So we are called to be peacemakers in our conversation between each other, watching what we say, so that we don’t stir up trouble by criticism, or false accusations, peace starts with us.
Persecuted for being a Christian Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you.” If we say, but never do, Christ-like things the world will love you. If you become Christ-like the world will hate you.

Jesus was insulted, mocked and ridiculed, he forgave them on the cross he was recorded saying, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” 
When we are treated with contempt for being a Christian, and I am reminded of the time when I had not much time for Christians, I am thankful that Jesus forewarned every Christian that they should forgive and rejoice in suffering for his names sake.                                         
To reflect – We become poor in spirit empty of self, and mourn for our sin before God daily and become meek in nature that is produced in us by Holy Spirit. Walking in righteousness we contend with the world. 
Having mercy is grace in action. Having a pure heart is in being single minded. To be a peacemaker is not to say anything to the detriment of others. To be persecuted for faith in Jesus, the world cannot understand the joy of suffering for Christ.                                                                                                           
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The Messiah’s Secret – God Appointed Positions

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The Messiah’s Secret –  God Appointed Positions

C S Lewis wrote, “The work of Beethoven, and the work of a charwoman (a woman who cleans houses)  become spiritual on precisely the same condition, that of being offered to God, of being done humbly “as to the Lord”. This does not of course, mean that it is for anyone a mere toss-up whether he should sweep rooms or compose symphonies. A mole must dig to the glory of God and a cock must crow.”
In our reading this morning: Mark 10: 35 – 45 James and John were looking to be appointed to sit either side of Jesus in his kingdom. James and John were certainly close to Jesus, he had singled them out on three occasions to support him, but Peter was always with them:
When Jairus’ daughter died Jesus asked Peter, James and John to go into the room while he prayed for the little girl, his prayer was answered, God raised her up. At the transfiguration all three watched as Jesus was transfigured before them and in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus called on all three to watch and pray with him. His suffering made him shed tears as he cried out in prayer to his Father who was able to save him from death. He fell on the ground and prayed that, if it is possible, the hour might pass from him. Jesus said, “Abba, Father all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.” His Father always heard him and realised his son’s suffering in his Godly fear. Mark 5: 21-43. 9:2. 14: 32-36.

Looking at the other reading in Hebrews 5: 1-10 we realise why Jesus gently let James and John down, as he knew that those appointments to sit on his right and left hand in his kingdom were chosen by God.

I think it’s true to say that the disciples only saw Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah they did not know at that time that he was the High priest of God.  
In the TV series of ‘Dad’s Army’ in one of the episodes sergeant Wilson kept it to himself that he would inherit his father’s title. When Captain Mainwaring   found out he was most upset; because it lifted Sergeant Wilson above his rank. The disciples were upset with James and John when they heard that James and John were seeking these prominent positions.
Jesus the Son of God was appointed high priest, by God his Father to be the mediator between God and humanity, after the order of Melchizedek.
The writer of Hebrews wrote of Melchizedek, “He is without father or mother or genealogy and has neither beginning nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he continues a priest forever.” Hebrews 7: 3 Melchizedek part of the eternal priesthood. Jesus is the high priest of the eternal priesthood
We know that Jesus laid down his life which was the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. Jesus as high priest brought his sacrificial offering of his life down to God, God accepted his offering. From the depths of the grave, God raised Jesus up.
As high priest of God he intercedes on behalf of a person’s faith for both sins forgiven and as intercessor for every Christian, he presents our prayers to God the Father.
Prayer
Husband and wife were in car discussing prayer. The husband said, “I do my best praying while I’m driving.” His wife replied, “I too, do my best praying, while you’re driving.”
As far back as the Book of Genesis we find the prayer of a man like James and John, his name was Jabez in his prayer he wanted God to bless him.
This was the word that the Lord gave last week,  “If we humble ourselves and pray, the Lord will enlarge our boundaries”. I couldn’t remember where it fell in the Bible and as I was leading the service I hadn’t time to look it up.
It’s in 1 Chronicles 4: 10 in the middle of Judah’s genealogy list “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my border!  And that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not hurt me.” And God granted his request.”  RSV Bible.
Like James and John Jabez asked God to bless him and enlarge his border.

Jabez had a relationship with God in humility, His prayer, “O that you would bless me.” He sought God’s face and favour. He was dependent on his blessing, he didn’t look to bless himself, he couldn’t, and his heart was turned towards the heart of God. Jesus says to us, “Look to me, I love you, my heart yearns for you to pray, so I can bless you.”

Jabez asked God to enlarge his border – to be lifted up from a lower place to a higher place.  
Jesus gave the example in a parable of going to a wedding, don’t go and sit at the top table where the special guests of the bride and groom are appointed to sit. Go and sit elsewhere, so that you might be asked to go and sit at the top table and therefore be honoured before all the guests. (humility in action)  
“For everyone who exalts himself will be  humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14: 7-11.                                                                                                                                                                      
To extend our boundaries  
To  pray, not looking to what we can do, in our own strength, but what the Lord wants to do in our lives, in our church.  
Jesus entered a world through a door marked no entry and left through a door marked ‘No exit.” We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Philippians 4: 13                                                                                                                                                                       
Jabez said, “That your hand might be with me,” he didn’t assume it was his right because he was a descendant of Judah; he sought God’s love for him to help him and lead him, and to support him.
We look for the Holy Spirit’s leading; he separated Saul and Barnabas to go on their first missionary tour. 
For us to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance  to reach out in our community to make Christ known.

A Disciples’ CV. Supporting all that we do in prayer it’s the role of the servant; we are all servants of the Lord. In verses 42-44 James and John found out what the appointment of a disciple required: it was to be a servant: To serve having a gentle, tolerant, and humble disposition, not ambitious, to be prepared to suffer and die for Jesus.

And Jesus said to be the leader among the disciples: it was to be like a slave: a slave in Christ is completely owned by the Lord. In practise to be poor in Spirit: empty of self, obedient in serving God and others as Jesus has done and to be prepared to suffer and die for him. As many are doing in the world today.                                                                                                             
Jabez ended his prayer, “Keep me from harm so that it might not hurt me.” trouble and sickness and grief, he was aware of his own frailty.

Jabez was totally dependent on God and we read that God answered his prayer.  He prospered with God; he put his hand in his and kept close to him.
God blessed him, in that the people named a city after him ‘Jabez.’ 1 Chronicles 2:55.                                                                                                                             
And so to end with a prayer. 
Heavenly Father, forgive us when we assume our divine right for our prayers to be answered, and help us to stay close to you when our life in the world demands our attention. May we be blessed as we seek your hand to guide us in order to bring people to faith in Jesus and keep us by grace in your loving care. 
In Jesus’ name, Amen                                                                                             

(This week we have interviews for Priest-in-Charge of St Mary’s and St Paul’s) 
crossing the Jordan, Expectation of the coming in of Kingdom of Heaven, Something new, theocratic nation

The Messiah’s Secret – Time and Seasons

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The Messiah’s Secret –  Time and Seasons
 Evening  Lectionary: Joshua 3: 7-17. Matthew 10: 1-22

What  excitement there must of been among the people knowing that they were about to enter the Promised Land.

Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who witnessed the fulfilment of God’s promise when they crossed over the Jordan after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.                              
In order to enter the Promised Land. 
Joshua was guided by God to keep the laws that he had given to Moses and not to move to the left or to the right away from them.                                                                       
We read that Moses did not enter because of his disobedience.
 “ But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”Numbers 20: 12
The people were in expectation of the coming of the Messiah. Luke 3: 15
There must have been great excitement when the people heard the proclaimation that the ‘kingdom of Heaven’ was near. Jesus was fulfilling the law and embracing those lost to the law. God loved his people, they were precious to him.
Jesus fulfilled three types of laws in himself:
The ceremonial law Jesus fulfilled all the elements of the temple including the temple itself: He was the perpetual light, the vine, the living bread, the living water, the first fruits of the harvest, he was the high priest after the order of Melchizedek and he was the final offering for sin it was accepted by God.

The moral law: Jesus said to the people “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5. 20 Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. The proof: His body was not corrupted by death.
The judicial law: Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in his book ‘Studies in the Sermon on the Mount’ Page 195. “ Israel is no longer the theocratic nation.” (a theocratic nation, under the divine sole sovereignty of God, and the laws of the realm as divine commands rather than human ordinances.)
Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues, “Jesus in his conversation with the Pharisees at the end of his ministry said “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to another nation to produce the fruit of it.” This is one of the most crucial and important statements in the whole of scripture with regard to prophecy. And the Apostle Peter wrote in his letter making it abundantly clear that the new nation is the church. There is no longer a theocratic nation, so the judicial law has likewise been fulfilled.” Matthew 21: 43. 1 Peter 2: 9, 10.
This is what Peter wrote, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 10 Once you were no people, but now you are God’s people.”  1 Peter 2: 9, 10.
The other nation the Gentiles, the church has for a long time been thought of as a Gentile church. 
Embraced through faith.
All people across the world, are able to enter the kingdom of God to bear the fruit of it, A Christ-like life, eternal life to all who believe in Jesus.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, a disciples asked Jesus would he be restoring the kingdom to Israel? Jesus replied that it was not up to him, the times and the seasons of his return.
This indicates that the disciple had remembered what Jesus had said regarding another nation bearing the fruit of the Kingdom of God.
(Messiahs-secret-revealed. Part 7 Chapter 3)

The Messiah’s Secret Revealed
The Apostles expected Jesus to return very soon after Pentecost after they publicly proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah for the first time. The Messiah’s ministry was a national calling. Jesus had earlier said to the crowd, that there were some standing listening to him that would see his return with power and the holy angels. Mark 8: 38. 9: 1. Acts 3: 17-21. They expected him to bring in the ‘Day of the Lord’ the fire not yet kindled until he had accomplished his death and resurrection. Luke 12: 49, 50. God in his foreknowledge had prepared his disciples for their leaders rejection at and after Pentecost. 
When Jesus returns he will take up with the remnant of Israel.

The nation of Israel, the old season, followed by a new season, the church, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled and Jesus returns. Luke 21: 24
Are we looking for a new season in our lives for the lord to do something new?
Joshua and Caleb were not young men, and they were looking forward to this incredible journey of discovery going into the promised land.
In verses 16-22 Jesus prophesied that as a result of being his disciple persecution would arise.
Jesus went on to prophecy that after the coming of the Holy Spirit verse 20 his followers would suffer persecution for his names sake ‘Sheep in the midst of wolves.’
Two kinds of persecution: religious persecution and persecution for righteousness sake. Both are for bearing his name.
Religious Persecution.In recent years Christians across the world have been persecuted: churches burnt and ‘political correctness’  for example a Christian wearing a tiny cross on a fine chain at work.
Persecution for righteousness sake 1 Peter 2: 21-24. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”
Peter based his teaching on his personal witness of the sufferings of Jesus,  “Do not return evil for evil, reviling for reviling, but on the contrary bless,” not to speak evil of anyone.                                                                                                          
 “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed,”
 “But rejoice in so far that you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”  1 Peter 2: 1. 3: 9, 16, 17. 4. 1, 13. 14                                                                         
Would Peter see this as part of bearing the fruit of the kingdom?
Chinese Christian Brother Yun, sent Christians into Sena Province, time and time again they were beaten and on numerous occasions arrested and put in jail, but Brother Yun wrote that after a year the people began to respond until the whole of the province became Christian. In many situations rejection and suffering go before conversion.

By the grace of God, we are lifted up, so that we can rejoice in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves in, as we have entered into the kingdom of God.


My Journey Times and Seasons: Autumn leaves below: woodcarving in the 1980’s & 90’s followed by pottery with Bible texts 1990’s & 2000.  The Messiah’s Secret 1996 to present day, church ministry.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Jesus the Rabbi, little children, yoke

The Messiah’s Secret – A Child-like Faith

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The Messiah’s Secret – A Child-like Faith.
Under  five’s –  Mary had a Little Lamb. This nursery rhyme was written from a true story. Mary Sawyer when she was a little girl looked after an orphan lamb. Mary loved the lamb and the lamb grew to love Mary.


Mary had a little lamb
its’ fleece was as white as snow 

 And every where that Mary went
the lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day
and that was against the rule.


It made the children laugh and play
to see a lamb at school.

We followed the story, the children putting the sheep and the school on the board.
We come to church to learn about Jesus and as we grow in knowledge we love Jesus and we find that Jesus loves us and takes care of us.
James 3: 13-4: 3, 7,8. Mark 9: 30 – 37.
In our reading verse 31 Jesus was having a teaching session with his disciples.
Jesus was known as being a Rabbi – his interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures caused the people to marvel at his words. 
A Rabbi chose his disciples, Jesus said “You did not choose me, I chose you.” he called them to follow him and accept his ‘yoke’ meaning – his walk, his teachings and imitate the Rabbi and literally became part of his household, his follow for life. John 15: 16. Matthew 4: 19.10: 1, 25. 11: 29.
The Messiah’s Secret
Jesus told the disciples that he was going to be killed and would rise after three days. 
If Jesus had elaborated on it nothing has been written down.
We read that they did not understand they could not grasp it so they kept quiet, and they did not dare ask him about it.
The disciples had been taught like all the people from the teachers of the law, the scribes and the Pharisees, that when the Christ came he would remain for ever. John wrote that the crowd said, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains for ever.” How can you say that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?” John 12: 32-34
The teachers of the law enforced this view at Calvary when they said, “He saved others;  he cannot save himself. Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Mark 15. 31, 32.
Therefore when Jesus said that he was going to die at the hands of men, it was contrary to what they had been taught about Messiah. Luke 9 43 -45. 18: 31-34.John 12: 34.
If the disciples had understood about Jesus’ death and resurrection may be their attitudes would have been different: when Jesus was arrested they would not have all run away, fleeing the garden.
Peter maybe would not have denied his association with Jesus in the chief priest’s courtyard.
After his death and burial the disciples would have believed the women who came to the house telling them that they had seen the resurrected Jesus.
But we know that God had deliberately hidden Jesus ‘death from the disciples understanding until the evening of the day of Jesus’ resurrection, when he opened their minds to understand the scriptures concerning his suffering, death and resurrection. Luke 24: 44 – 48.
And later Peter said in his address at Pentecost Acts 2: 23 that it was in the definite plan and foreknowledge of God that Jesus was crucified and died.
The relevance of knowing this today
People who come from religions who’s teachings do not believe that Jesus died on the cross, also deny the resurrection as well.
When the Centurion speared Jesus’ side we read that blood and water poured out. Science proves when a person dies the blood and water separate. This proves that Jesus did die on the cross. The evidence of his resurrection was recorded by eye witnesses. The truth of these things is acted upon by the Holy Spirit revealing Jesus to us in a personal way. John 19: 34.
In our Gospel reading when they reached Capernaum Jesus asked them what had they been discussing on the way.
The disciples were arguing who would be the greatest among them. James wrote that ambition causes disorder and leads to breaking up of the fellowship of the church.
Archbishop Justin Welby in his recent address at the General Synod in his final words said, “So, the good news. The Communion exists and is doing wonderful things. The bad news.  There are great divisions and threats.
The challenge. There is a prize of being able to develop unity in diversity and also with deeper and deeper ecumenical relations demonstrating the power of Christ to break down barriers and to provide hope for a broken world.
We must grasp that challenge, it is the prize of a world seeing Christ loved and obeyed in His church, a world hearing the news of his salvation.
So let us here, in the Church of England and above all in its General Synod, be amongst those who take a lead in our sacrificial, truthful and committed love for the sake of Christ for His mission in His world.”
In order for us to attain ‘sacrificial, truthful and committed love for the sake of Christ’s mission in his world,’ Jesus tells us to have the disposition of a child.
Mark 9: 36, 37. Jesus took a child and placed him in their midst and taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever, receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
Children take people at face value they are unaware of a person’s position in society and they believe what they are taught and have a thirst for knowledge, they are teachable. Romans 2: 11. Matthew 22: 16.
Children are quick to learn– The children were lined up in the cafeteria for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted it on the apple tray, “Take only one. God is watching.” Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. One child whispered to another, “Take all you want, God is watching the apples.”
Children today are taught by mum, dad, grandparents and their nursery, church and school teachers.
Jesus looked to his teacher, his Father God. He had learnt from his Father and imitated him; he only did what he saw his Father doing.
Jesus said that his disciples are not to be called Rabbi; for you have one teacher and you are all brethren. Matthew 23: 8. 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13

The one teacher is Jesus and his disciples recorded his words so that we learn from Jesus, taking his words into our heart and his commandment to love one another, having the disposition of a child.