Christian despair & Depression!

‘Not a bed of Roses?

The statement, ‘It is hard to be a believer, should not be under estimated, since many of us who are now long in the faith now the pain and costs that are involved as we progress in that race that the Apostle Paul encourages us with!

Ekklesia has much to answer to when it comes to depression, mental-illness and despair amongst believers? What was at one time referred to for missionaries is now widespread in the body, since many of us live in pluralistic societies that are hostile to Christians?

Nothing much has changed from the times of the pagan world of the early followers of the way to modern times, the world has turned back to the worship of nature and abandoned the God of the Holy Bible and many believers are starting to fall away, as we are told is to happen!

But we have a God who loves us and His son Jesus who died for us, we must run to Him and trust to endure and to press on? It is indeed very hard, but the price for us is too great to know give up or let go? Let us encourage one and another and help, pray, financials and a roof?

2 Corinthians 4:8-11, Psalm 56:2-3, Proverbs 8:10, 1 Peter 1:7, 4:12-14.

The Prodigal Son! One.

The Fathers love for Us?

This story that Jesus told is about the young waster and his failure and his redemption being welcomed back into his family!

The illustration is a lovely one of Gods love for this lost world, the meaning of the story could be applied to each one of us, unless we came to know the Lord as a child?

In this series we will start with the last verse since it is the key of the message that we need to rejoice as we see New believers enter into the Ekklesia the family of God!

Luke 15:11-32, Isaiah 35:10, Hosea 14:9.

The Kingdom of Israel?

Anti-Semitism in the Ekklesia!

We here this time are dealing with some serious facts when it comes to the Christian attitude to Israel being restored as a nation and a Kingdom!

Now for over eighteen hundred years the Gentiles have enjoyed keeping Jewish believers in their Messiah down and part from that justifying slavery, and many other ideals that are to suit their own agenda of oppression?

These ideas have crossed over from the Catholic Churches to the Protestant Reformations and today to the many new Churches, from the Apostolic revival to ecumenical ideas, community types and other revivals that have been overrun by false leadership?

Jesus did not give a time for that question asked 2000 years ago, because He said, ‘He said only the Father knew! We may not accept now that the state of Israel is that restoration, but when Israel is to be restored it will have to be in the same place that it exists now?

Acts 1:6-8.

The continued Value of….

Preaching?

We tend in the west today to excuse the need to stand on a soap box and degrade our dignity on a street corner to tell dying society around us of the Good News of Jesus!

Christians have allowed the standards of the world to influence us and so in many places the faith is in decline? Some say it is different now with technology and the Internet, but one did not see much to qualify this during the pandemic in the British Isles so it is not true!

The world cannot see and does not want know, unless someone has the courage to speak and share Jesus and from this point to that of the pulpit, people need quality teaching and the altar call for people to believe that God loves them and gave to us His One and Only son, forgiving us of our pasts and promising to us the Eternal Life!

It is a simple message that needs to be got out and proclaimed by believers who will surrender all, not just the words of a hymn on a Sunday morning, but everyday?

Acts 2:26-31, 8:25, 14:6, 21, Romans 10:14, 1 Corinthians 15:1, 11, Galatians 4:13, Philippians 1:30, Colossians 1:23, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 3:7, 15, 2 Peter 2:5, Revelation 1:9, 20:4.

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.

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.

#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.

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.