Satan and the the Devil. Two

Job and Jesus, knew Suffering!

This comparison between two men and Satan is of great value to all believers who are suffering today, in hostile environments, bad neighbors, difficult Churches and religious persecution that involves violent attacks.

It is hard to be a follower of Jesus, it is hard to love and forgive at time those that seek you both physical and mental harm?

Job was innocent, but his friends did not comfort him but rather find ways to make him believe he had sinned. Jesus was insulted and attempts to trap Him with words was a daily toll, both men suffered pain and rejection but both made it through.

They show to us a way and an understanding more so Jesus of all that we have gone through, He too did for us. Job was rewarded for his faith with prosperity, Jesus with sitting on his Fathers throne and we who press on and win the crown Salvation Eternal!

Job 1:8-12, 20-22, 16:12, Isaiah 53:3, Mark 8:31, Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 11:35-39.

Satan and the Devil. One.

Jesus said, I saw Satan fall from Heaven! Luke 10:18

Sadly today many believers do no longer believe in the Devil, let alone Satan and much is discounted as foolishness?

This comes in light of a massive crime wave, guns, knives and murders, terrorism, honor killings and wars all over the world! People seem to have been sanitized to the reality of what is happening around them and many live in the soap bubble of clever misinformation?

Jesus reveals to us a event that happened pre-creation and so the book of Revelation confirms past events such as a war in Heaven. We learn now the nature of our Lord incarnate and that before even we were made a great conflict was at work to cause the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden!

Satan has already been judged and He is defeated, yet He continues to harass humanity of whom He has control and attack believers hoping to win them back and disgrace the cross!

John 16:11, Genesis 3:1-4, James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:7-9.

Apostle and Disciple Peter.

‘Don’t be Afraid Peter!

Jesus sums up Peter in that he was dominated by fear or himself and of others, from sinking on the water to the rooster crowing to being pulled up by Paul.

We see fear, we see zeal and weakness and we see hypocrisy a bit like us all who claim to be something that when challenged may fail to our own thorn that slows us down and that God will not remove?

It is hard to be a believer Jesus, as it was with Peter a great preacher after Pentecost that lead many to faith, the writer of two fantastic letters in the New Testament, a man that Jesus said Ekklesia would be built on and that does not mean Rome as some like to think.

Matthew 8:28, 16:18, Mark 14:72, John 21:15, Acts 2:38-40, Galatians 2:12, 1 Peter, 2 Peter.

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.

#blm! Part-One.

Do Black lives really Matter?

White society has a recent problem with European slavery from Africa to the Caribbean and the Americas from 1618 to 1880 and its is a subject that even Christians try at their best to avoid or excuse instead of facing up to it and dealing with racism today in both N-America, the U.K., France and Australia!

But when we read and study the Holy Bible slavery was a common practice amongst all nations of the ancient world and God was always looking out for those poor people and their dire situations?

Another thing about slavery is that it remains rife even today within Islamic culture and several other races, we term it domestic servitude, county-lines, prostitution, trafficking and the exploitation of the vulnerable!

Attitude plays the most important part in racism and Christians are not exempt, if more prone to hold such views which seriously contradict John 3:16? This one verse is more controversial because it has become an excuse to deny salvation to some, of white peoples choosing depending where in the world they are?

Matthew 10:22, Romans 11:26, 1 Corinthians 10:33, 2 Thessalonians 2:10, Jude 1:5, Revelation 18:13.

Mark 16! Part-One.

The last twelve Verses?

Most believers do not see these technical sections of the scriptures, most denominational teaching cover them up for the lay Christian and since the Apostle Paul warned us about not getting into these arguments it is perhaps wise!

But as one grows and starts to preach and teach we learn some knowledge that can be troubling or debatable for those who like to question the context of the Holy Scriptures and the languages that they have been written in?

On reading these twelve verses, there is a different style to them from the rest of the Gospel of Mark and early Greek transcripts do not have them but that does not mean that they should not be there!

What they reveal is unbelief amongst the Disciples to Jesus rising from the dead and this is a understood state of mind, since most fled in fear from the garden when Jesus was arrested, even one in his birthday suit!

The others is of events that are related to the forty days that Jesus spent on the Earth in Israel between His resurrection and His Ascension!

Mark 16:8-20, Mark 14:52, John 20:15, 25, Acts 1:1-11, 1 Timothy 6:4, Titus 3:9.

Virtual Church?

Thinking outside the Box!

We take too much for granted in the western world when it comes to Christianity, we believe up to this point that we were safe in our established traditionalism? But a minute bug has ended our ability to fellowship to break bread and to gossip, if not pray together!

Now in quarantine we have the Internet, various mediums of communications through Android and Apple systems and yet no one has come up with a virtual Church app?

We have almost virtual everything else, so why not meeting together and facing the real challenges of daily life?

It is not really known how long these lockdowns and re-lockdowns will continue for? Some unwise people are chancing it and it may be to their hurt and suffering if not death! Hope in God now comes to play and so does that personal relationship that some of us like to talk about, but might not really have?

1 Chronicles 29:15, Job 4:6, 5:16, Psalm 25:5, 42:5, 71:14, 119:114, Matthew 18:20, Acts 24:15, 1 Corinthians 14:27, 29, 2 Corinthians 1:7, Colossians 2:17, Hebrews 10:1.

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.

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.

Coronavirus/COVID-19!

Helping people in fear and Panic?

This is where the Church comes into play in times like this, when one goes to get some soap in the local store only to find it all gone! One has to wonder has soap just been discovered by the masses, and what did they use before?

On a more serious note the media is causing more problems that solving a complex and unknown situation, special coverage but again fed dripped information to what is the truth? We should give thanks for the Holy Bible, since God is loving and merciful to all who trust in Him!

We have the opportunity to share our faith and talk to people, or we should not fear death if it would lead others to faith? Prayer is of great value but it must not be used as a sop to get out of preaching the truths?

Genesis 26:24, 2 Chronicles 20:15, Job 4:6, Psalm 46:2, Jeremiah 26:19, Matthew 10:28, Luke 12:5, Romans 8:15, Hebrews 11:7, 1 Peter 3:14.