The watering down of the Truth!

Guy Fawkes now anti-Catholic?

Over the years things have been getting worse for Christians on the mainland -GB, with the watering down of the Gospel, witnessing at work and the introduction of denial doctrines to counter act the truth of the Bible!

Many Anglican Church leaders know refuse to acknowledge the reformation of 433 years ago and are sticking to their Roman Catholic or Celtic roots 4th Century foundation? The Protestant reformation is seen as anti-Catholic and yet they are the same to deny that under Queen Mary-1 over fifty-five thousand Christians were martyred in her short reign by the orders of the Papacy!

Another issue is the denial of historical facts and the many freedoms the media has with the press today, come from the Protestant Puritans fight? What we can say today, remains a issue in many Catholic nations as unspoken except in private!

One hope that the Guy, the English traitor is burned this November the 5th and that children are taught some historical facts that need to be reinforced in a right way in our Churches and schools today!

John 3:21,    4:24,    Acts 10:34,   Romans 2:2,    2 Corinthians 13:8,    Galatians 4:16,    2 Timothy 2:25.

Halloween?

Showing that the Light of God always shines through the Darkness!

Many Christians today are quick to dismiss ‘Harry Potter and Halloween as evil and not of any value, yet the Anglican Church maintained this festival since the reformation to show that God is greater than the Devil!

Evil is a ever present reality just as sin is, but we all have choices in relation to our actions and people, children can have the fun, while learning to see the difference?

The means to evangelise over this all hallows, will be a great blessing to us and may change the hearts and minds of many young people in these perilous times of increased knife crime and other criminal activity, such as county lines and prostitution with all the other social media and cyber space related issues!

Genesis 6:5,   Job 4:8,   Psalm 7:14,   119:43,   Proverbs 6:18,   Ecclesiastes 2:13,   Matthew 4:1,   John 8:12,   9:5,   12:46,   16:3,   Acts 13:10,   2 Corinthians 4:2,   11:14,   Ephesians 6:11-12,   James 3:15,   1 John 2:8.

Working with Children n Young People?

Laying Foundations!

Roman Catholicism believes that if you can win them young you have them for life, so the saying goes? But this is not actually true, because all children have to be confirmed into the Church at a certain age wither they profess a faith or not since this is a religious system that is based on traditions and ritualism!

We must not make excuses in our reaching out to children in Sunday school, youth clubs, house groups and other, believing that the new growth comes only this way? One has to wonder where the power of God is in such places, since these are the ideas of the human mind and not that of the inborn Holy Spirit!

The Apostles the Fathers of the Ekklesia did not preach exclusively to one age group and thus this is the way to progress and continue in under the grace of God! It is good to have a working for every-age within the life of the Church and nothing must be side-lines, even the dotty old dears may hear something and the dynamic power of the Spirit will bring them to salvation?

Matthew 3:1,   Mark 1:4,   Acts 6:2,   15:31,   Romans 1:9,   15:4,   1 Corinthians 9:18,   14:3,   Galatians 1:23,   1 Thessalonians 2:16,   1 Timothy 4:13,   Philemon 1:7,   Hebrews 13:22.

Saved by faith ALONE?

German reformer Martin Luther!

Introduced the word alone to emphasise his idea of the doctrine of salvation, which caused the split from the Roman Catholic Church over 400 years ago! But on reflection with modern technology and the easy grasp of Biblical languages today we now know that this is not correct?

Because of two incidents in the New Testament, where people were saved in the moment of belief and no mention of this doctrine exists in the Greeks texts, apart from that of the King James Bible!

The Thief on the cross and the Ethiopian eunuch  made no known confession of faith, but they just believe and were saved?

Today many Christians are not aware of many things and Salvation seems cheap when its a card signed or a short prayer, yet perhaps we should not be quick to Judge since the almighty can do whatever He pleases!

James 2:17,  24,   Greek Kata Strong G2596,   Luke 23:42-43,   Acts 8:27-39.

Effective Ministry?

Many groups and Meetings!

Some fellowships do very little and rely on the community, others act in a silly way bringing golf and the funfair to their buildings in the hope of raising the attendance numbers? While others are full of activity, from house groups to meetings and yet there is no essential results of attendance or growth?

Good leadership is needed from the Pastor to the elders or deacons or what ever way you make that call! Organisation and review is as important, while the prayer meeting is one of the focuses of the believers to pray weekly on the events, the direction of the Ekklesia, the sick, troubles and the surrounding community!

Preaching the Gospel with emphasis on the Cross, the need for personal salvation and that believers share their faith at work, home, school and other without the fear of humans is the key to success!

Leviticus 19:15,   Psalm 91:5,   Isaiah 8:12,   Acts 8:25,   1 John 4:18,   5:9-11,   Revelation 22:20.

The Value of Preaching? Two.

The Altar Call?

At one time this was the essential of leading those who were ready to repent to faith in Jesus, despite the terminology it remained an effective tool in Evangelism to lead to the lost to Jesus!

The preaching of Jesus death and resurrection remains essential today in ever increasing hostile and anti-Christian world! Our societies are in a state of moral collapse and the world is justifying sin, since it sees the Church doing the same!

An active Church is one that is preaching and reaching, while also comforting and helping the needy of the believers conscience rather than some far flung government scheme! Prayer must not be used as an excuse not to talk to people and share our faith with them?

Colossians 2:12,   1 Timothy 2:1-7,  2 Peter 1:8,    Revelation 1:4,   11,  20.

Sunday evening Services! Two.

Ekklesia is not like the Kosmon?

What is being lost in not having an Sunday evening service is that of fellowship of believers ahead of the working week! The world is very hostile most of the time to believers, we are attacked for what disagrees with their standards and ours are dismissed as archaic?

A two hour slot of praise, prayer and preaching with an after fellowship of just meeting and talking with folk is the varied ways of helping and leading others to God! When you have worked prior to going into ministry, you are more likely to see the needs in particular loneliness and despair!

God came to save sinners and the Ekklesia is a place for believers to meet together and be built up, its not a club or some unneeded tradition of religious observance! We need to help those who are seeking God and keep our flocks well watered and fed?

Acts 2:42,    Romans 16:8,    Philippians 2:1,    Philemon 1:6,    1 John 1:6.

Sunday Evening Services! One.

No longer Popular?

Many fellowships today only have Sunday morning services and have ended their evenings for the pleasures of the television and other?

They see no value in pressuring their congregations into attending Church twice on a Sunday! But one has to say I think this is wrong, the opportunity to share the Gospel is slowly being eradicated and we will have to give God an account for missed souls?

Many in ministry have it easy, compared to normal 9-5 work and so it seems another chip off the block can be sacrificed? Many people today work in the gig economy and would like to break bread before or after work, to be fed spiritually and have the opportunity to bring a friend?

Isaiah 40:11,    56:11,    Ezekiel 34:2,    Luke 2:20,    1 Peter 5:2. 

HELL?

Who will be There?

The Holy Bible says all who have refused to believe and wicked cruel people! But that definition of sinners has changed today, because not all sin is sin, like loving children and same sex relationships?

Society and some elements of the Church have accepted sin on this one level, which does now justify the right to kill, steal, lie, be dishonest and disobey God! But this is not Gods way and we will have to give an account of our actions in this life!

Hope in God being fair is not good enough, because He has no favorites and what He says remains because we are believers we know that He does not change. There is a separation from God and it is well listed wither some leaders believe it or not in the Bible that not everyone is going to be in heaven!

Darkness, fires, unquenchable pain and all mentioned along with the bottomless pit and the torment of the Devil for Eternity! We cannot afford as leaders, evangelists and Pastors to ignore these facts and lead others in to a false sense of security when this is the reality of all who will be lost!

Deuteronomy 32:22,   Psalm 55:15,   Proverbs 27:20,   Isaiah 28:15,   Ezekiel 31:16,  Matthew 23:33,   Mark 9:43-48,   Luke 16:22-23,   1 Corinthians 6:9-10,   Ephesians 6:16,   2 Peter 2:4,   Revelation 1:18,    21:8,   22:15.

Transgender Issues?

Testosterone!

What makes men and woman different is now the challenge that woman have to face with men who think or feel feminine and want to share the toilet, and also the sports field despite having more energy than females?

We are living in disturbing times, wither we call it apostate or something other it is not good for believers to accept sin and excuse it as something other?

In times past the Church and its institutions did cover up serious financial fraud and use other methods to hide its dishonesty!

But now we are living in an age were many people are vulnerable to sexual assault and rape and latest police figures suggest that much crime is either not being recorded or reported!

If we claim a faith in Jesus then we only have the Bible to live by and the conditions set by God, He who will have the last word at the end to the accountability for sin and our failures! We cannot excuse ourselves as many do today, believing that ‘Once they are saved they can live as they wish?

Romans 1:18-28,   Psalm 81:12,   Hosea 4:18,   Ephesians 4:18,   2 Thessalonians 2:10-12,   Revelation 22:14-15.