#blm! Part-Two.

Stereotyping?

Something that all of humanity has is the impression that if one does one thing terrible, all of that race colour and creed must be the same?

But we who think we are civilised are not, since we are better and not like the rest who is our estimation are not!

This is when we see the ugly side of comfort sin at work in our hearts to judge others, without seeing our own same situation? Jesus told the hypocrites to take the plank out of their own eyes before even attempting to remove the speck from others!

Black people want equality with white society, but this does not mean they are better than us? It just shows that we are all the same and hold very similar points of views one being Anti-Semitism and as much as some Arabs consider black people still to be semi-ape creatures only fir for abuse?

Humanity in its thinking has not changed, many of those black chiefs in West-Africa would still do the same as they did two-hundred years ago! While attitudes are not limited to colour barriers, basically we are all the same, but conditioning has caused more division’s.

Mark 7:3-5, Luke 6:41-42, Numbers 14:24, Philippians 4:5, Titus 3:2, 1 Peter 3:8.

Mark 16! Part-Two.

Great Spiritual powers Displayed?

Many Christians today have grown dismissive of the impossible, of the power of healing and many other areas that seem to be very controversial when related to the work of the Holy Spirit within the believer!

Many are to comfortable in the Bible lesson preaching and not active in evangelism or sharing their faith, some of us have become lazy believing once we are saved we will just hang around in Church until Heaven?

These verses reveal the power of God at work in all believers who are open to serve Him and shows us that we are a protected people!

Yes we will suffer at times and be rejected by a hostile world that ridicules all that challenges its desire for sin and dishonesty, but in these last words in the gospel of Mark we are commissioned to go into community, work, family and share what God, what Jesus has and is and will be doing for us?

Mark 16:9-20, (17-18), Acts 28:3-5, 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28-30, James 3:8, Revelation 22:2.

Terror-ism!

Freedom fighters today, politicians Tomorrow?

King David was described by the society of his day as a baga bond, who was followed by criminals and yet he became Israel’s greatest King, up to the revelation of Jesus the Messiah!

Many world leaders were once terrorist come good, but one has to wonder about the accountability of Yassa Arafat, Martin Mcguiness and many others in relation to their past activities that lead to the murder of civilians?

The concept of this type of war is to frighten the unsuspecting and to maintain that fear into eventual submission, but it does not always work depending on the targeting of military/police or economic assets!

Governments only start to talk when its costing them big time and this was proved by the IRA and their targeting of London’s financial hub, but today we are dealing with religious fanaticism over events in the Middle-East, Libya, Israel, Palestine, Syria and Afghanistan?

Job 18:11, Isaiah 24:17, 31:9, Jeremiah 8:15, Luke 12:5. 1 John 4:18.

Christian Martyrdom!

Being a Christian?

We would never consider that believers in Europe, Australia or N-America could be martyred for their faith in Jesus and that only happens in Africa, Asia or the Middle-East?

That has been the traditional view now for some two hundred years or so, but it is changing and not with the obvious threat of terrorism but more closer to home with the ideals of unbelief and secular humanism?

Nations are now being pressured by image, by feelings and what is expected of us in not offending anybody except those who hold to the Christian faith! The reason being that the Holy Bible always proves true in the falseness of human idealism and it selfishness to oppose the truth?

We do not think that their are many believers today, who live in comfort would consider making a stance for Jesus? But there are equally many inner city believers who suffer more so for faith in Jesus and some may be murdered for a plethora of reasons that either the state and the police refuse to accept as Martyrdom!

Job 2:10, Psalm 43:2, 107:39, Philippians 1:29, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-6, 2 Timothy 1:8, 4:5, Hebrews 13:3, James 5:10, 1 Peter 2:19-20, 2 Peter 2:13, Revelation 18:15.

The old story and new Tech!

EASTER is not Cancelled?

Most Churches now have an internet connection of some kind from those lovely downloads to worship and so on, perhaps not all are that great after all and we need still in leadership and preaching to do our own things?

We will use the net to speak to loved one and friends so why not a link up from home to home to share in this live event?

The Easter story is a key even to our own personal salvation, many believers are now quarantined with family and many great opportunities have arisen to link service, talk, bible study and preaching altogether with worship!

We hope that this Easter will see loved ones and friends saved in light of this unknown plague and the sudden silence on a vaccine or cure being found with much prayer for the old and infirm that is required?

Matthew 18:20, John 3:3, 15-17, Acts 20:7, 11, Romans 3:21-31, 1 Corinthians 5:4, 10:16.

101 Years round Two!

1918 to the Present?

It takes great leadership skills to help people with this new virus and not arrogance or laughing it off as was seen in 1918 with the estimated death’s of over fifty-million people and that apart from World War-I (1914-18).

Ekklesia leadership is greatly required also at this time to get the message of hope in Jesus will lead to salvation and that there is an Eternity for all of wither it is Heaven or Hell!

It is so hard to know what is driving some politicians around the world, since many feel safe and come across as uncaring! We have much to deal with in these last days and being to comfortable may not be such a good option in the work that we have to do?

Many have already turned back to the world and they are ineffective, so we must avoid them and not let their bad influences draw us away from Jesus our Saviour and Redeemer?

Psalm 91:5, Matthew 8:76, Luke 8:24, 2 Corinthians 7:13, James 1:14.

Eros verses Agape Love!

Saint Valentines?

Friendship and charity now have very little to with either the Ekklesia and certainly not Kosmov, that does not mean than some still try to do what is right and to care since many do?

The battle of loves today seem more clear cut than they ever have been in that of sexual love and the pleasures of the flesh seem to dominate over that of Jesus amongst believers and selfishness is ruling the nest!

But we can change things by preaching and sharing the truth with a mixed up society that allows all sins to be permissible and refuses the truth? It is hard work, but the salvation of souls at the end of the day will make well worth our while!

Agape is more than St. Valentines slush, but they were of a kind and loving heart in serving in their day, hopefully as we are today our selves as believers?

Deuteronomy 10:18, Ruth 4:15, Psalm 11:5, 37:28, Ecclesiastes 5:10, Song of Solomon 3:1, Luke 7:47, Ephesians 5:28, 1 John 4:7, Revelation 22:15.

Looming Darkness!

The U.S and Iran?

It was the U.S. President George Bush Jnr that said, ‘Dark forces were looming in the world! This being after the 911 attacks in 2001, and these prophetic words have since become a reality in the world as supposed Christianity battles Islamic inspired terrorism or Jihadism!

Now the world is in a new and extremely dangerous situation with Iranian Shia retaliation not a possibility, but a reality and these attacks coming with lead to at least a one-hundred year war in which the United States and its friends will have daily body bags coming home!

Was it the right decision, probably yes, but it was the wrong timing because of motives in one mans egoism to win another term in office!

We cannot play with God, we cannot abuse power and ultimately when we are in great responsibility we are closer to God in the sense of His power and control rather than our faith in Him as believers.

Psalm 2:9-12, 82:1-8, John 5:23, Romans 9:33, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, Hebrews 4:12.

Believers Baptism?

A tough area of Contention!

Should a Born-Again believer be baptised or not?

Is it important to be baptised and do we have too be?

These and many more complex questions have been debated in Ekklesia over the last two-thousand years, and even today there is no clear understanding that is acceptable to all sides!

Many of the early Churches from three-hundred Ad to the time of the German Reformation of Martin Luther went with child baptism, since it was easier and pleased most? The Church from that time kept an exclusiveness on the Scriptures, through the clergy and the common man had to take the word or control as it was distributed with local superstitions and curses?

The most tremendous fact about baptism is that of the thief on the cross who entered heaven, without being baptised! This perhaps is the best clarification on the matter that are faith is on Jesus and focussed on how we are lead by Him and will follow Him doing, loving, caring and showing concern, while witnessing His truth to the dying world around us!

Luke 23:43. Romans 5:21, 1 Timothy 1:15, Hebrews 7:25, Revelation 2:7.

Remembering!

This year it has been treated with Respect?

In the last Century it is very difficult to comprehend how many people died in mechanised wars, that started with the Boers in 1904 in South-Africa, World War-I (1914-18), World War-II (1939-45), the Japanese conflict, which started in 1931-45!

Then we have all the wars from 1947 to 9/11 Iraq, Middle-East conflicts, Malay, Pakistan and many across the continent of Africa? Well over 100, 000,000 Million people died on our planet and despite the Promises of peace, or ‘Never Again, it has happened again?

Many Christians take the pacifist stance that it is not fit for us to go to war, since the Hebrew priests of the Old Testament did not! But this is not quite true, because in some cases they had no choice and when we come to Israel ancient and modern it has to defend itself from hostile enemies?

The ideas of the illegal occupation of Palestinian land does not corelate with Biblical doctrine, there has to be a Temple in Jerusalem for the Anti-Christ to operate from and for the Lord Jesus to return to at the end of the ages!

Genesis 9:16, Leviticus 25:38, Proverbs 17:9, Luke 21:10, Acts 20:35, 1 Corinthians 15:1, Galatians 2:10, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, Hebrews 13:3, 2 Peter 3:2, Revelation 12:17, 16:15, 19:11.