The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus Born in Mary

Christmas Greetings

Christmas Greeting Cards are part of our Advent Season as we send them to our friends and family before Christmas Day.  They were introduced into UK in 1843 by the Public Post Office. 


On the right: Front of the card- Christmas Greetings from the International Space Station.
On the left: Inside the card Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. The greeting 'Peace be with you.' 

Inside every card the seasons sentiments usually a greeting of good will: Happy Christmas, Blessings of the Season’.

Micah 5: 2-5. Luke 1: 39 – 45

St Paul in his letter to the church at Rome gave them 21 greetings from 35 Christians, a greeting-sending their goodwill. Had it been today he would had posted 35 Christmas cards.

In our reading Mary who was cousin to Elizabeth when she arrived at Zechariah and Elizabeth's home when they greeted one another it was amazing. The outpouring of joy as the Holy Spirit spoke through Elizabeth, her remarks confirmed that the word of Archangel Gabriel and the prophets had been fulfilled.

Gabriel said that the child born in Mary was by the power of the Holy Spirit overshadowing her. God himself the Father of Jesus.

The prophet Micah wrote of a person to be born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah, “From you Bethlehem shall come forth for me, one who is to be ruler in Israel whose origin is from of old, from the ancient of days.”  An eternal being, from everlasting, God himself.

Isaiah prophesied, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. Isaiah 7: 14.

Prophesies are inspiring they confirm the everlasting presence of God, in the here and now and for someone seeking God that helps them come to faith.

However for some they struggle to believe in the Virgin Birth, from a human view point it seems an impossibility, but for those who do believe it shows us that all things are possible with God. When we look at scriptures

God is able to create life where humanly speaking it’s impossible like in Abraham and Sarah’s old age they had a son Isaac and Zechariah and Elizabeth they too were past the age of having children, but God blessed them with a son John the Baptist.              

Mary who was full of faith and was willing to bear the Son of God.  I look at the Virgin Birth  it this way: when a person receives healing through prayer, God heals within the body, without touching the flesh.

Jesus born in us.
I was asked recently “What would you say to someone who is asking about becoming a Christian?” One of the many answers to that question is as follows: There is evidence from the findings of Archaeologists in ancient burial sites that man worshipped. He tried to influence the seasons that provided his food, he was aware of a supreme deity  so he worshipped the sun, moon and stars and made idols to them. In Judges 8: 21 After the defeat of the Midianites Gideon removed the crescent moons from the necks of their camels. The Midianites were descended from Abraham and his concubine Keturah.     

We believe that the true God made himself known through the Hebrew people, and that he would send them a saviour who would save all mankind and establish God’s kingdom of peace on the earth.

Christians believe that Jesus is that promised Saviour and through faith in him we too can be saved

In God’s plan of Salvation out of his great love for us, God caused Jesus to be born in a woman, to become one of us. He knew, as we know today that he would lay down his life in order to pay the price of sin that leads to eternal death.

Jesus was upheld by God during his life time on the earth, especially when he came up against the Pharisees and Sadducees, I thought he would have read from Isaiah 43: 4 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name you are mine.” These words would have given him assurance from his Father that he would fulfil his task.

Jesus was innocent of the sin that he bore on the cross I repeat; Jesus was innocent of the sin that he bore on the cross God raised him from the dead and in his resurrection he was the first to be redeemed, to know the love of God his Father’s forgiveness.  Colossians 1 18. “He is the head of the body , the church; he is the beginning the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.”

So through faith in Jesus a person coming to God in prayer recognising their need to get right with God will receive God’s forgiveness and as a result Jesus is born in them.  

Colossians 1: 27. “To them, Israel, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”                 

Visual Aid. 

It is like putting a white cloth into water with a dye in it. 
The cloth absorbs the colour. So we absorb Jesus, the Son of God, the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

Colossians 2: “For in him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily and you have come to the fullness of life in him.”

 The followers at Colossi had come to fullness of life in Jesus. They had recognised their part in being rooted and  built up in their faith, by being taught the scriptures by the holy Spirit and studying the scriptures for themselves and with others and giving thanks as they put into practice what they believed.

It is no different for Christians today as we take hold of his words and promises in scripture and expecting answers to prayer because of our relationship with Jesus, he is born in us.

Prayer  
Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.Father God, we pray for your holy spirit’s ministry to us, making Jesus known to us. empower us your people to equip us for the work you are calling us to do.

May we be your willing friends in serving you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Messiahs Secret – Zechariah and Elizabeth 

Isaiah 40: 1-11. Luke 1: 1-25.

Lord Jesus you are the living word and your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, in Jesus’ name.

Zechariah heard from the Archangel Gabriel that his prayer from years before had been answered Elizabeth would bare him a son. In verse 18 he said, “How can I be sure,” he wanted assurance as they were now both too old to have children. 

We may have prayers that we prayed for years ago that are about to be answered, especially were we have laboured in prayer for members of our family.  


Zechariah questioned Gabriel’s word, as a result he lost his speech which meant that he was not able to express his meeting with Gabriel and further more he could not bless the people and that would have had the effect of being chastening by God.                                         

Israel had been chastened by God in their exile into Babylon, now God was comforting his people on their return to Jerusalem. During the journey they had been looked after by Israel’s shepherd, God himself. “He will feed his flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those who are with young.”                                                                                                          

The prophecy in Isaiah 40 that was not fulfilled at that time. 

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord making his path straight.”  

Hundreds of years afterwards it was fulfilled when Archangel Gabriel announced the good news to Zechariah that his son would be the one preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah.                                   

A preparation for the coming kingdom of God: repentance by immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins and to bear good fruit by sharing clothing and food. Luke 3: 3, 4, 9.

John the Baptist spoke of Jesus being the Lamb of God. The Lamb that bore the sins of the people.   Jesus the ‘Passover Lamb’ that laid down his life for his sheep. When Jesus sent out his disciples with the kingdom message it was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

Naomi our church organist keeps sheep on their smallholding, at our Ladies fellowship meeting she told us that when a sheep strays away from the rest of the sheep it is usually because it is hurting in some way, they don’t normally go off on their own.    

The shepherd Jesus, gathered the injured sheep.

 Isaiah 61: 1-4 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."

Jesus during his ministry brought healing and restoration to the people of Israel and when he died on the cross they did not realise that the Messiah had to suffer and die and be resurrected from the dead.   

The Messiah's Secret Revealed

The chief priest Caiaphas was given a prophecy that one man would die so that the nation would not perish. If only the leaders like Caiaphas had the realisation of these words in the knowledge that Jesus had redeemed and saved Israel through his death and resurrection. John 11: 49 – 53.

Jesus brought healing and reconciliation between God and all humanity: Jew and Gentile. Through faith in him we pass over from sin and death to forgiveness and eternal life.

Jesus gave us a greater promise than just being a shepherd to us, he said, "I and the Father are one and we will come and make our home within you." John 14: 23.                                                                                                                           

 Visual Aid

It is like putting a white cloth into water with dye in it. The white cloth absorbs the colour. So we absorb Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

                                                                                       

Jesus calls us to his ministry of reconciliation with the indwelling ministry of the Trinity. Paul’s prayer in his letter to the Ephesians 3: 14 -21 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with the might, through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that, you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, length, height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Paul’s prayer that embraced this message that 'God indwells his people.' He prayed that we would understand what it means to be rooted and grounded in the love of God. Jesus did a complete work on the cross: 

                                the breath, the length, 

the height and depth of the cross

of his victory over principalities and powers, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, surpassing love that is as vast as the universe, its magnitude contained in our being.  “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations for ever. Amen”   

In our walk in Christ we often go where someone else has prepared the ground, where seeds have already been sown and we take the water and by the action of the Holy Spirit, the seed germinates and starts to grow.

A man came to Chatterton Hey House at Edenfield from Langley House Trust’s ‘Tekoa House’ at Rochdale to join our Alpha Course. Andrew had just recently had a God experience saving him from ending his life. In this man’s life, the seed of faith had just germinated and he needed the water of the word, he was so thirsty for the words about Jesus.          

The Alpha Course enables a person to find out about Jesus from the Bible.  He was taking the first steps of putting his faith in Jesus. Where this man never trusted anyone before, he is learning to trust in the word and promises of the Lord our God to him.

As Isaiah 40: 8 stated; “The word of our God will stand for ever.”

The refreshing water of the word of God that brings forth an abundance of life. 

The Messiah’s Secret – Crooked paths made straight

This morning's service began with prayer for the sad loss of life in the terrorist attach in Paris

Nursery Rhyme ‘The Crooked Man’

There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile.

He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.

He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse

And they all lived together in a little crooked house. 
The children put the pictures on the board

Jesus’ teachings in the Bible show us how to live our lives. Not to be like:

There was a crooked man – He was not a nice man, he was unkind and always angry.

He walked a crooked mile - He was dishonest, he made up stories that were not true.

He found a crooked sixpence – He took things without asking the person if he could have them

A crooked stile – He pushed people out of the way.

He bought a crooked cat – He encouraged fighting

The cat caught a crooked mouse. It’s wrong to fight: kicking, hitting one another, pulling each other’s hair, and we mustn’t  call each other names.

The little crooked house – He didn’t care about anybody only himself.

The Bible wants us to do what is right and that will make us happy and be kind to one another and the Bible tells us to : let people go before us, not to fight one another, not to take anything without asking.

Jesus’ house is a safe place, where he looks after us.

Hebrews 10: 11 – 14. 19 – 25. Mark 13: 1 – 8.

The origin of the poem the crooked man was in reference to King Charles’ General Sir Alexander Leslie, he was senior commander of both English and Scottish armies: he was referred to as a scoundrel, he walked a crooked mile and the sixpence referred to him  being dishonest.

The cat and mouse represented the conflicts between the two nations. The crooked stile was the border between the two countries. The crooked house this religious covenant between England and Scotland was brought in under duress.

In our New Testament reading Jesus prophesied  the ruin of the temple. It had become a crooked house.

The temple signified the agreement between God and the people of Israel, but the rituals of the temple had become man centred. The Pharisees, Lawyers and scribes were crooked by burdening the people adding more laws to those given by God to Moses.

God left the Temple at Jerusalem When the veil of the temple torn in two from top to the bottom revealing the ’ Most Holy Place’ the dwelling place of God. All those working in the Holy Place could now see beyond the veil which was unthinkable before, no one could see God and live.

John wrote that Jesus’ risen body was now the temple of God. A temple made without hands.  Jesus is the centre of worship in the kingdom of God. John wrote Revelation 22: 22 “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb.” John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God.  John 2: 21. Mark 14: 58.

For the majority of Christians before we came to know Jesus we followed the course of the world, where the influences of a crooked world brought upon us fear, guilt and anxiety, with very little joy.                                     

Jesus heals and restores our broken relationship with God and as we are led by the word and Spirit we begin to walk in a straight path with the Lord.                                                                                         

Proverbs 3: 6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

  

I heard recently a testimony of a young woman who had reached a point in her life were the alcohol and drug addiction had to end, she faced a choice: prison, death or chose life.  Alison chose life and made a decision to follow Jesus. God gave her a word, “I have purposes and plans for you. Jeremiah 49: 11. She said that a pathway opened up and she begged the Lord to heal her and he did and changed her longings she didn’t want drink or drugs instead she hungered and thirsted for the word of God.                                   

Jesus’ prophecy in Mark tells us that the world will continue along a crooked path by following false Christ’s resulting in wars and rumours of wars.

One can not help but feel that the time is coming when the people of the world will be looking for a leader, a false Christ to come up with a plan to solve the world problems: like the Syrian and other conflicts which are causing major disruption in the world, with the people fleeing their country of origin to escape violence and possible death.

One of the many prophesies relating to the second coming of Jesus is the destruction and desolation of Damascus.

Isaiah prophesied the destruction of Damascus and the city left desolate, uninhabited: “Damascus will no longer be a city, but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid.” Isaiah 17: 1, 2.   (Aroer a city near the Dead Sea).            

And Jeremiah’s prophecy

“Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labour. Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of my joy?  Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the Lord of hosts.“I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.” Jeremiah 49 24-27. (Ben-Hadad was the King of Syria.)

Jeremiah 49 24-27.                                         

Both prophesy were fulfilled in part when King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Damascus, but the city was rebuilt. The other part of the prophecy where the city would be left a ruin and uninhabited has yet to happen.

From that time Damascus has remained intact until our present day, in the current crisis in Syria Damascus is being bombed and is in danger of being destroyed and its people fleeing for their lives.

Another sign

Isaiah 59: 8. “ The way of peace they will not know and there is no justice in their paths, they have made their roads crooked, no one who goes in them knows peace."

We have global investment banks using the derivatives debt system buying and selling debt digitally, which was the cause of the 2008 financial problems. Many who work in the financial world are honest, but there are those who use derivatives financial packages with non-existent money, a crooked system.

“The Root Cause of the 2008 Financial Meltdown’ investmentwatchblog.com    Forbes 'Big Banks and Derivatives

As a young child, I remember higher purchase being promoted on ITV in the 50’s and my father’s re-action to it at the time, he thought that it was a mistake. The poor families in debt to the rich, who grow richer. 

Will it ever be resolved? To resolve it, many believe that at some point it has to retract and return to a true financial system based on real money.

The Lord’s way is the only way

In the UK Christians Against Poverty have been working for a number of years with amazing success in sorting out people’s debt; by putting in place a structure that gradually pays off a person’s debt with the company or companies that they owed money to.

 Also in the process they make Christ known in what they do - Jesus has paid our debt legally by shedding his blood, his life laid down for the forgiveness of our sin, releasing us into God’s grace, his care and provision.

Hebrews 10: 13 “ Then to wait until his enemies should be a stool for his feet.”  

First Jesus will call out the church and followed soon afterwards by his return to the Mount of Olives where he takes up with the remnant of Israel and defeats the anti-Christ and his armies.

Until Jesus calls out his church, it is important for us to keep looking for the straight pathway that leads to our heavenly home.

The Messiah’s Secret – The Beatitudes

Evening Lectionary: Jeremiah 31: 31-34.  Matthew 5: 1 – 12.

C. S. Lewis wrote, “If you read history you find that Christians who did most in this present world were precisely those who thought the most of the next.” 

We work out our salvation in this life walking in the beatitudes and we have the example of Jesus in his own life where the beatitudes were apparent, especially in the Garden of Gethsemane.                                                                                                          

The Passover had been eaten and Jesus and his disciples where making their way to the Garden of Gethsemane, singing the Hallel the Psalms 113-118.

Jesus was quietly preparing himself for his ‘hour had come.’ Everything that had happened was leading up to this moment, as he surrendered his life to die on a cross.  When he knelt down to pray, he brought his immediate concerns before the Father. Only God could help him, he was poor in spirit, Martyn Lloyd Jones in his Book 'Studies on the Sermon on the Mount' wrote that to be poor in spirit means ‘empty of self.                                                                                   

The way of Jesus is in giving of our self to God, for many of us it happens gradually as we grow in our faith; we learn to trust God to be dependent upon him. The more we put our faith into practice we become ‘poor in spirit’ empty of self.                                                        

In the distance perhaps Jesus heard the sound of others singing and laughing, people enjoying the occasion of the Passover.  On another occasion Jesus had said, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” Luke 6: 24-26  In the garden his  heart was heavy as he mourned over the sins of the people. During his ministry a Pharisee had remarked “You who are not yet 50 years old have seen Abraham.”  Lloyd Jones wrote that Jesus looked older than his 33 years as he mourned over sin.

There in the garden Jesus asked Peter, James and John to pray and comfort him, but I don’t think they were aware of the spiritual stress that he was going through. Jesus in meekness knelt in agony as his physical strength diminished, we believe the Holy Spirit strengthen him.                                             

Visual Aid 

The old calculator was powered by a battery. This was replaced by solar power, that just needs sunlight to give continuous power.                        

Before I became a Christian lots of things went wrong:  horse riding and car accidents took there toll on my health.Through faith in Jesus I was healed of a nervous condition and later I received my life in Christ that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and will continue for ever, beyond my life on earth.

In every Christian meekness is produced by the Holy Spirit.  

Love that has strength of its own: it is not defensive, and does not retaliate.                                                                                                          

Jesus and his disciples were disturbed by the sound of voices; a number of people came into view. The moment where unrighteousness came into direct contact with God’s sacrifice for sin. 

All the attributes of being poor in spirit-empty of self, strength in meekness, and his love for the righteousness of his Father enabled him to say when they asked for Jesus of Nazareth, he said, “I am he.” John 18: 5          

Another aspect of meekness in God’s terms is strength in weakness. 

We see this in the Hebrew Scriptures Gideon going into battle was told by God to reduce the numbers of his fighting men from 22,000 to 10,000 from 10,000 to 300 men. Gideon won the battle, the Midianites fled their camp at the sound of the trumpet and when the light appeared. The Israelites smashed the clay jars the light shone in the darkness.                          

In Genesis 1: 2, 3 the earth was formless and empty and darkness was over the water and the Holy Spirit hovered over the darkness and God said, “Let there be light” and the darkness gave way to the light.  

There is darkness over Syria and so we pray for the light of Christ to shine in the darkness and dispel it, to break it up and clear it away.  

In the garden and on the cross 

Jesus fought the battle against unrighteousness’ and won. The world is in conflict with the righteousness of God and we can’t avoid it. There is a constant battle going on to walk in righteousness. Truth demands struggle as it overcomes conflict.                                                                                                                                                         

In my daily prayers, I put on spiritually the breastplate of righteousness. The righteous blood of Jesus covering my heart and I also say ‘I will to do the will of God and not of myself or the will of Satan.’ I look to do the Father’s will guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

Mercy is grace in action 

It is in having a Godly desire to relieve suffering in people’s lives.             

Jesus in his death and resurrection established the new covenant between God and Israel. Jeremiah 31. 31-34   God by his great mercy brought the Gentiles into this covenant through the cross.

The pureness of Jesus’ heart he was single-minded, his face was set like flint to go to Jerusalem, his hour had come, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit.” Jesus broke down the barrier between the Jews and the Gentiles through the cross making one new man, in turn to become single-minded, one body with many members. the church's message is to give the opportunity to all people to know God our creator and Father personally, to have peace with God unified by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  

Jesus fought the battle and won the peace. The allies won the battle over Hitler and we generations that have followed have entered into the peace.                                                                                                                                              

Jesus the ‘Prince of peace’ at his trial he was silent, the peace in him did not allow him to say anything to the detriment of others, nor did he look for the effect that it would have on himself, but he looked to glorify God.

So we are called to be peacemakers in our conversation between each other, watching what we say, so that we don’t stir up trouble by criticism, or false accusations, peace starts with us.

Persecuted for being a Christian Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you.” If we say, but never do, Christ-like things the world will love you. If you become Christ-like the world will hate you.

Jesus was insulted, mocked and ridiculed, he forgave them on the cross he was recorded saying, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” 

When we are treated with contempt for being a Christian, and I am reminded of the time when I had not much time for Christians, I am thankful that Jesus forewarned every Christian that they should forgive and rejoice in suffering for his names sake.                                         

To reflect - We become poor in spirit empty of self, and mourn for our sin before God daily and become meek in nature that is produced in us by Holy Spirit. Walking in righteousness we contend with the world. 

Having mercy is grace in action. Having a pure heart is in being single minded. To be a peacemaker is not to say anything to the detriment of others. To be persecuted for faith in Jesus, the world cannot understand the joy of suffering for Christ.                                                                                                           

The Messiah’s Secret -  God Appointed Positions

C S Lewis wrote, “The work of Beethoven, and the work of a charwoman (a woman who cleans houses)  become spiritual on precisely the same condition, that of being offered to God, of being done humbly “as to the Lord”. This does not of course, mean that it is for anyone a mere toss-up whether he should sweep rooms or compose symphonies. A mole must dig to the glory of God and a cock must crow.”

In our reading this morning: Mark 10: 35 – 45 James and John were looking to be appointed to sit either side of Jesus in his kingdom. James and John were certainly close to Jesus, he had singled them out on three occasions to support him, but Peter was always with them:

When Jairus' daughter died Jesus asked Peter, James and John to go into the room while he prayed for the little girl, his prayer was answered, God raised her up. At the transfiguration all three watched as Jesus was transfigured before them and in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus called on all three to watch and pray with him. His suffering made him shed tears as he cried out in prayer to his Father who was able to save him from death. He fell on the ground and prayed that, if it is possible, the hour might pass from him. Jesus said, “Abba, Father all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.” His Father always heard him and realised his son’s suffering in his Godly fear. Mark 5: 21-43. 9:2. 14: 32-36.

Looking at the other reading in Hebrews 5: 1-10 we realise why Jesus gently let James and John down, as he knew that those appointments to sit on his right and left hand in his kingdom were chosen by God.

I think it’s true to say that the disciples only saw Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah they did not know at that time that he was the High priest of God.  

In the TV series of 'Dad’s Army' in one of the episodes sergeant Wilson kept it to himself that he would inherit his father’s title. When Captain Mainwaring   found out he was most upset; because it lifted Sergeant Wilson above his rank. The disciples were upset with James and John when they heard that James and John were seeking these prominent positions.

Jesus the Son of God was appointed high priest, by God his Father to be the mediator between God and humanity, after the order of Melchizedek.

The writer of Hebrews wrote of Melchizedek, “He is without father or mother or genealogy and has neither beginning nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he continues a priest forever.” Hebrews 7: 3 Melchizedek part of the eternal priesthood. Jesus is the high priest of the eternal priesthood

We know that Jesus laid down his life which was the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. Jesus as high priest brought his sacrificial offering of his life down to God, God accepted his offering. From the depths of the grave, God raised Jesus up.

As high priest of God he intercedes on behalf of a person’s faith for both sins forgiven and as intercessor for every Christian, he presents our prayers to God the Father.

Prayer

Husband and wife were in car discussing prayer. The husband said, “I do my best praying while I’m driving.” His wife replied, “I too, do my best praying, while you’re driving.”

As far back as the Book of Genesis we find the prayer of a man like James and John, his name was Jabez in his prayer he wanted God to bless him.

This was the word that the Lord gave last week,  “If we humble ourselves and pray, the Lord will enlarge our boundaries”. I couldn’t remember where it fell in the Bible and as I was leading the service I hadn’t time to look it up.

It’s in 1 Chronicles 4: 10 in the middle of Judah’s genealogy list ^“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my border!  And that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not hurt me.” And God granted his request.”  RSV Bible.

Like James and John Jabez asked God to bless him and enlarge his border.

Jabez had a relationship with God in humility, His prayer, “O that you would bless me.” He sought God’s face and favour. He was dependent on his blessing, he didn’t look to bless himself, he couldn’t, and his heart was turned towards the heart of God. Jesus says to us, “Look to me, I love you, my heart yearns for you to pray, so I can bless you.”

Jabez asked God to enlarge his border – to be lifted up from a lower place to a higher place.  

Jesus gave the example in a parable of going to a wedding, don’t go and sit at the top table where the special guests of the bride and groom are appointed to sit. Go and sit elsewhere, so that you might be asked to go and sit at the top table and therefore be honoured before all the guests. (humility in action)  

“For everyone who exalts himself will be  humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14: 7-11.                                                                                                                                                                      

To extend our boundaries  

To  pray, not looking to what we can do, in our own strength, but what the Lord wants to do in our lives, in our church.  

Jesus entered a world through a door marked no entry and left through a door marked ‘No exit.” We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Philippians 4: 13                                                                                                                                                                       

Jabez said, “That your hand might be with me,” he didn’t assume it was his right because he was a descendant of Judah; he sought God’s love for him to help him and lead him, and to support him.

We look for the Holy Spirit’s leading; he separated Saul and Barnabas to go on their first missionary tour. 
For us to pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance  to reach out in our community to make Christ known.

A Disciples' CV. Supporting all that we do in prayer it’s the role of the servant; we are all servants of the Lord. In verses 42-44 James and John found out what the appointment of a disciple required: it was to be a servant: To serve having a gentle, tolerant, and humble disposition, not ambitious, to be prepared to suffer and die for Jesus.

And Jesus said to be the leader among the disciples: it was to be like a slave: a slave in Christ is completely owned by the Lord. In practise to be poor in Spirit: empty of self, obedient in serving God and others as Jesus has done and to be prepared to suffer and die for him. As many are doing in the world today.                                                                                                             

Jabez ended his prayer, “Keep me from harm so that it might not hurt me.” trouble and sickness and grief, he was aware of his own frailty.

Jabez was totally dependent on God and we read that God answered his prayer.  He prospered with God; he put his hand in his and kept close to him.

God blessed him, in that the people named a city after him ‘Jabez.’ 1 Chronicles 2:55.                                                                                                                             

And so to end with a prayer. 
Heavenly Father, forgive us when we assume our divine right for our prayers to be answered, and help us to stay close to you when our life in the world demands our attention. May we be blessed as we seek your hand to guide us in order to bring people to faith in Jesus and keep us by grace in your loving care. 
In Jesus' name, Amen                                                                                             

(This week we have interviews for Priest-in-Charge of St Mary's and St Paul's) 

The Messiah’s Secret -  Time and Seasons

 Evening  Lectionary: Joshua 3: 7-17. Matthew 10: 1-22

What  excitement there must of been among the people knowing that they were about to enter the Promised Land.

Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who witnessed the fulfilment of God’s promise when they crossed over the Jordan after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.                              

In order to enter the Promised Land. 
Joshua was guided by God to keep the laws that he had given to Moses and not to move to the left or to the right away from them.                                                                       

We read that Moses did not enter because of his disobedience.

 ^“ But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” Numbers 20: 12

The people were in expectation of the coming of the Messiah. Luke 3: 15

There must have been great excitement when the people heard the proclaimation that the ‘kingdom of Heaven’ was near. Jesus was fulfilling the law and embracing those lost to the law. God loved his people, they were precious to him.

Jesus fulfilled three types of laws in himself:

The ceremonial law Jesus fulfilled all the elements of the temple including the temple itself: He was the perpetual light, the vine, the living bread, the living water, the first fruits of the harvest, he was the high priest after the order of Melchizedek and he was the final offering for sin it was accepted by God.

The moral law: Jesus said to the people “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5. 20 Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. The proof: His body was not corrupted by death.

The judicial law: Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in his book ‘Studies in the Sermon on the Mount’ Page 195. “ Israel is no longer the theocratic nation.” (a theocratic nation, under the divine sole sovereignty of God, and the laws of the realm as divine commands rather than human ordinances.)

Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues, “Jesus in his conversation with the Pharisees at the end of his ministry said “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to another nation to produce the fruit of it.” This is one of the most crucial and important statements in the whole of scripture with regard to prophecy. And the Apostle Peter wrote in his letter making it abundantly clear that the new nation is the church. There is no longer a theocratic nation, so the judicial law has likewise been fulfilled.” Matthew 21: 43. 1 Peter 2: 9, 10.

This is what Peter wrote, ^“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. ¹⁰ Once you were no people, but now you are God’s people.”  1 Peter 2: 9, 10.

The other nation the Gentiles, the church has for a long time been thought of as a Gentile church. 

Embraced through faith.
All people across the world, are able to enter the kingdom of God to bear the fruit of it, A Christ-like life, eternal life to all who believe in Jesus.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, a disciples asked Jesus would he be restoring the kingdom to Israel? Jesus replied that it was not up to him, the times and the seasons of his return.

This indicates that the disciple had remembered what Jesus had said regarding another nation bearing the fruit of the Kingdom of God.
(Messiahs-secret-revealed. Part 7 Chapter 3)

The Messiah's Secret Revealed
The Apostles expected Jesus to return very soon after Pentecost after they publicly proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah for the first time. The Messiah's ministry was a national calling. Jesus had earlier said to the crowd, that there were some standing listening to him that would see his return with power and the holy angels. Mark 8: 38. 9: 1. Acts 3: 17-21. They expected him to bring in the 'Day of the Lord' the fire not yet kindled until he had accomplished his death and resurrection. Luke 12: 49, 50. God in his foreknowledge had prepared his disciples for their leaders rejection at and after Pentecost. 
When Jesus returns he will take up with the remnant of Israel.

The nation of Israel, the old season, followed by a new season, the church, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled and Jesus returns. Luke 21: 24

Are we looking for a new season in our lives for the lord to do something new?

Joshua and Caleb were not young men, and they were looking forward to this incredible journey of discovery going into the promised land.

In verses 16-22 Jesus prophesied that as a result of being his disciple persecution would arise.

Jesus went on to prophecy that after the coming of the Holy Spirit verse 20 his followers would suffer persecution for his names sake ‘Sheep in the midst of wolves.’

Two kinds of persecution: religious persecution and persecution for righteousness sake. Both are for bearing his name.

Religious Persecution. In recent years Christians across the world have been persecuted: churches burnt and ‘political correctness’  for example a Christian wearing a tiny cross on a fine chain at work.

Persecution for righteousness sake 1 Peter 2: 21-24. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

Peter based his teaching on his personal witness of the sufferings of Jesus,  “Do not return evil for evil, reviling for reviling, but on the contrary bless,” not to speak evil of anyone.                                                                                                          

 “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed,”

 “But rejoice in so far that you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”  1 Peter 2: 1. 3: 9, 16, 17. 4. 1, 13. 14                                                                         

Would Peter see this as part of bearing the fruit of the kingdom?

Chinese Christian Brother Yun, sent Christians into Sena Province, time and time again they were beaten and on numerous occasions arrested and put in jail, but Brother Yun wrote that after a year the people began to respond until the whole of the province became Christian. In many situations rejection and suffering go before conversion.

By the grace of God, we are lifted up, so that we can rejoice in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves in, as we have entered into the kingdom of God.


My Journey Times and Seasons: Autumn leaves below: woodcarving in the 1980's & 90's followed by pottery with Bible texts 1990's & 2000.  The Messiah's Secret 1996 to present day, church ministry.