Understanding the Greek?

More than one Translation!

I think it is very important as a preacher teacher to have some grasp of the Greek, so that we can understand the many words from the various versions that are available for reading and study today?

Even if we are still limited to the King James or Revised Bibles, the Greek context is of great value, where as the Hebrew is quiet fixed even to the modern Israeli and so when comparing verses we will have a frame work built on a strong basis!

What Ekklesia faces today is deception and sensuality, the excuse to undermine the laws of God and to have truth expressed with love, rather one without the other!

2 Peter 2:1-3, Romans 16:18, 1 Corinthians 6;20, Galatians 2:4.

Modern Translations!

Missing the definitions of the text?

Many of the new translations of the Holy Bible, that have sought to move away from the King James version have done an injustice to the Greek, if not also the Hebrew languages and lumped words together into one, when missing the real context of what is being said!

It remains hard to know if this has been done deliberately or it is just being lazy in the work, hoping that only a few would take any notice?

We need to be clear and understand what God is saying to us in the scriptures so that we can preach the Gospel message and see souls saved!

Matthew 22:29, John 4:23-24, Romans 15:4, Hebrews 4:12-13, Revelation 3:20.

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.

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! 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.

Jesus Circumcision?

Fulfilling the Law and set us Free!

The Law is what the world lives under and to set us free from rules and regulations was the work of Jesus, who we as believers in Him will be celebrating this Christmas?

Many have taken away the emphasis of this part of the story of the birth of Jesus, their reasons may be more to do with anti-Semitism rather than it being just a minor issue!

Jesus came for Israel first and so He had to fulfil the Jewish Law by doing everything that it required, because He was both perfect and sinless a second Adam. If we see this and point it our to others, it will make understanding more of the New Testament teachings in a better way.

Limiting it because its not relevant now, is no excuse in explaining the role of the law which will come up again and again in the scriptures! One is concerned that much racism amongst believers is both a block and short coming to mission, outreach and preaching the Gospel today?

Let us this season stand back knowing the fulness of this season and our own salvation in God, hoping that by our witness others will to come to faith in Jesus the King of Israel and the Saviour of the world!

Luke 2:21, Genesis 17:12, Leviticus 12:3, Galatians 4:4-5.

How we do outreach/reach out?

Lack of Witness!

There is a serious decline today in preaching and teaching the biblical message to the lost in society, their seems to have been a change were the Church is now more aligned with the world than it is with God and the Holy Bible?

Perhaps the main cause for this change is the fear of persecution or having to give up the panelled homes of the clergy who life the life of Riley at the cost of their faith!

But many believers continue to share their faith with others, even not compromising on homosexuality but warning of the consequences of unrepentance and change that is required by God when entering into the New Life!

Out-reach-out remains one of the most important forms of witness for believers and Gods Ekklesia, it reveals to the community who and what we are and how we should care for the people around us instead of ourselves and hoping that God-Jesus will do the hard work for us?

Matthew 3:3, 7:2, 18:14, Luke 7:22, John 14:6, Acts 9:31, Romans 1:17, 1 Corinthians 12:2, Ephesians 2:20, Colossians 4:5.