#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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Book of Revelation! Two.

Israel and the 144.000?

This is proof that God has not given up on the Jewish people or the restoration of them in the land that He gave them!

Anti-Semitism and anti-Israel are rife today in the European Christian scene, because the roots of the Nazi-German Holocaust lives on disguised as pro-Palestinian issues?

We are in great danger of loosing our salvation, when we allow the world to interfere with our faith in God and our claimed walk with Jesus? Some believers claim they are able to balance this out, but this is not true! One cannot be lukewarm with God, we are either with Him or not!

The Kingdom of Israel will be established and filled with the 144,000 chosen of God, this one thousand year reign on the Earth will be followed by the end!

Matthew 25:34, 26:29, John 3:3, 14-18, Acts 17:31, 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, 26-28, 2:12, 3:18-19, Galatians 6:14, Revelation 1:6, 5:10, 7:4, 11:15, 14:1, 3, 16:10, 17:17, 19:6, 22:5,