The Messiah’s Secret - Church of England Today in UK

Christians Together Haslingden.

Salt and Light 

Jesus spoke of his followers being salt and light. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt had lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.” Matthew 5: 13, 14.

Christian Titus Salt reflected his name’s sake Titus the Greek, he was generous and devout, the salt of the earth, an honest principled man with spiritual integrity. He used his wealth not just to build lots of mills, I believe he thought of the needs of his workforce.

Titus Salt built a town ‘Saltaire’ for his 3,500 workforce. The houses had fresh water, gas lighting and heating and every house had its own outside lavatory. It had its own park, church, school, hospital, library and a whole range of different shops, but he never built a pub,. He was not a Methodist, he was a Congregationalist.

Salt –purifies and preserves.

Light – searches the heart and gives direction. 

Titus  (Greek means) ‘Honoured’ or title of honour’ which is very fitting for this disciple. 

We first hear about Titus in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, Titus accompanied Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem  where they gave an account to the Apostles of the Gentiles receiving the Gospel message. Titus no doubt witnessed his conversion to those gathered at Jerusalem. Galatians 2:1-3, 5.   

Titus was one of a number of disciples who Paul chose to be messengers between the churches. Stephanas, Fortunatus, Archicus and Timothy and several more.  

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church

In Paul's letter to the Christians at Corinth we read about the problems: Jewish Christians insisting on Gentiles becoming Jews, also some followed the individual leaders who baptised them. Pagan practices continued: incest and taking each other to court, all kinds of problems. The church in danger of disintegrating, it’s light going out.

Paul sent Timothy with his first letter to Corinth; pouring salt into the wound, his every word seasoned with salt making it clear that their behaviour did not comply with Jesus’ teaching. Paul states that there was no love between them, he goes on to describe the love of God and how it is worked out in practice. However, it made no difference to their situation 1 Corinthians 13:1, 2.   

Eyre and Spottiswoode RSV Bible 

In the concordance it states concerning this situation at Corinth, “Paul made a visit to Corinth hoping to settle the controversy; he met with defeat. Paul sent a another letter in stern and severe terms to Corinth by Titus.”   This letter is not in the New Testament.   2 Corinthians was written after these problems had been resolved.  

Titus’ delivered Paul’s stern and severe letter and stayed with the church at Corinth, he was salt and light by helping them to sort out their problems, subsequently, he reported back to Paul the good news that the church had repented and acknowledged Paul’s teaching. It was very important to the Gentiles that Paul's  teaching was accepted. We understand that they had repented making peace with their fellow Christians, an amazing turn around. We read about it in 2 Corinthians 7: 6-16.  

Paul wrote in response in 2 Corinthians 4: 5, 6. “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ, who is the likeness of God. For it is the God who said, “ Let the light shine out of darkness,” The light Jesus’ presence  shining out of the darkness of the world.    

v 6 Jesus, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

After we heard or read about Jesus and asked him into our heart, his presence was realised, we know the gospels are telling the truth, Jesus did send the Holy Spirit into the world, so all that we can do is to thank the Lord for bringing us from the darkness of this world into his marvellous light. 

Church of England Today in the UK                                                                                   

In Paul’s letter to Titus he gave instructions that the Cretan Christians should submit to authorities both in the church and governments. Many people today like the Cretan church submit to the authority of the church, but underlying that there are Christians who are suffering and need our love and understanding over woman Bishops.

Most of us Anglicans who supported the ordination of women were pleased when 20 years ago the church appointed ‘Flying Bishops’ to help Vicars and lay people work  together to find a way through their problem of accepting women in the vocation of the priesthood by being listened to and the ongoing discussions that took place.

Should the church be complacent now were people are hurting over women being allowed to become Bishops?    

If we choose to say nothing have we lost our saltiness? And how effective are we going to be in the communities that we serve? 

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Christians like Titus who are obedient in response to your call to be peacemakers, help us to listen and discuss your word with each other. In Jesus' name 

Afterwards in the conversations that took place I found out that a number of church study groups are studying 'Titus.'                                                

The Messiah’s Secret – The Lighthouse

      We heard from two children as to why we have lighthouses: to stop ships from going onto rocks and people getting hurt and from an adult his local knowledge of the lighthouses in Sunderland where they were so important to the shipping. The shipping lanes are busy and the lighthouses navigated the ships safely into the harbour.        

Jesus is the light of the world. In the scene at his transfiguration  I saw Jesus like a lighthouse, his light  showing the way to find God, for people to navigate their way into the Kingdom of God.

A lighthouse is a tower or other type of structure that emits light from a system of lamps and lenses used for shipping to navigate dangerous coastlines and safe entries to harbours.

There are 64 working lighthouses in UK

John Smeaton in 1756 designed his lighthouse modelled on an oak tree, using granite stone blocks; he secured the blocks together using dove tail joints with marble dowels and developed lime mortar that set under water.

Picture of dovetail construction:

Years ago every lighthouse had a lighthouse keeper who kept the light operating saving many thousands of lives.

The Church is God’s lighthouse

The light the Good News about Jesus reaches out to save people from their lives being shipwrecked by the darkness.

The stones each one shaped to fit together and the cement that went between each stone reminds me of Jesus body the church. The Holy Spirit’s ministry shaping our lives acting on the word and the blood of Jesus running through the veins of his body the church giving life.

 The reflectors behind the light also had a magnifier which speaks of the light of the Church  being magnified by the number of Christians in the world. 

2 Corinthians 4: 3-6. Mark 9: 2-9

John Smeaton designed the shape of the tower so that it tapered as it grew in height, this allowed the waves to dissipate on impact with the walls. This construction was very strong and could withstand high winds a powerful waves. Christ’s church is so constructed that the principalities and powers can not destroy it.

Every Lighthouse had a lighthouse keeper who kept the light operating. It was an important job and probably a lonely one. Nowadays, solar power is used to keep the light shining. Lighthouses has saved thousands of lives.

In our Gospel reading of the transfiguration Jesus stood with Moses and Elijah his appearance was described as dazzling. Matthew in his account of Transfiguration wrote that Jesus’ face shone. In Luke’s account the three disciples John, James and Peter, described Moses and Elijah as being seen in the glory of the Lord, Jesus’ glory was reflected on them.

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians Chapter 3 verse 13 God’s glory was reflected on Moses, so much so that the people could not look at him so he had to put a veil over his face. Paul used this image of the veil, to get across his message that the law was veiled, the veil was removed by Jesus. Through the law every person could not have a personal relationship with God.                

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4: 5, “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ, who is the likeness of God. For it is the God who said, “ Let the light shine out of darkness,” The light Jesus’ presence  shining out of the darkness of the world. v 6 Jesus, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 

After we heard or read about Jesus and asked him into our heart, his presence was realised, so all that we can do is to thank the Lord for bringing us from the darkness of this world into his marvellous light.

All of us personally are shining in the reflected light of his glory.

The light of God’s love is seen in a Christians eyes, the eye being the window of our soul. Also on rare occasions seeing Christ’s glory shining out from the whole face of a Christian.

Added afterwards (I’ve seen in five people Christ’s glory shining out from them: a young man sitting at a table I asked him what he was reading he said he was reading his Bible his face shone, a lady came to my market stall as soon as she witnessed her faith, her face literally lit up. Across a well lit room I saw a man with a halo around his head and the word love in the halo and Jim Wilkinson preaching at a Holly Bush meeting his face shining.)                                                                                          

2 Corinthians 3: 18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”                                    

The lighthouse conveys a message. 
It’s light gives warning that there are rocks near the surface, a danger to shipping. The beam of light can be seen across the sea for over twenty miles.

There is an old story of a lighthouse keeper who received his new supply of oil once a month to keep the light burning. Not being far from the shore, one night a woman came begged him for some oil to keep her family warm, another needed some oil for his lamp, another to lubricate a wheel. The lighthouse keeper tried to please everyone and gave them the oil. Towards the end of the month his oil was very low, soon it was gone and the light went out. 
That night several ships were wrecked and lives were lost. When the authorities investigated, to his excuses and pleading their reply was, “You were given the oil for one purpose to keep the light burning.”

The people in the story had problems : the woman needed oil to keep her family warm etc The Corinthian Church had problems and its light was in danger of going out.

Christian Jews were trying to enforce Judaism on to Gentile believers. Paul’s had taught that the wall or veil of division between Jew and Gentile had been removed. Paul's teaching created opposition against him.                                                                                                    

And in our reading verse 4 the gospel was also veiled due to some of its members compromising the word of God by continuing to follow the god of this world, Regardless of Paul’s letter some were continuing to practice their former pagan lifestyles and taking each other to court

Jesus spoke of his followers being salt and light. 
Salt disinfects, purifies - light  searches the heart.

 Paul’s first letter his words were seasoned with salt and light. 1 Corinthians 13: 1, 2. Paul told them that they had shown no love. Paul’s first letter was taken by Timothy to the Corinthian church, but it was to no avail, even after Paul had been to Corinth to sort out the church he had failed. In my Bible concordance it reads: “Paul made a visit to Corinth hoping to settle the controversy; he met with defeat. Paul sent a third letter in stern and severe terms to Corinth by Titus.”( this third letter must have been written before 2 Corinthians)                                                                     

In our recent study of Titus on Tuesday, we found that Titus’ delivered Paul’s letter and stayed with the church at Corinth, he was salt and light by helping them to sort out their problems subsequently he reported back to Paul the good news that the church had repented and acknowledged Paul’s teaching. 2 Corinthians 7: 6-16. 8: 23.

Today we are called to be salt and light in the world: to think before we speak and to coin a phrase that Duncan uses, “What would Jesus say?” We are to walk in the light of the gospel, the gospel having the power to illuminate the darkest of places and the grace to restore, to bring Christ’s healing touch.  

Jesus the lighthouse has saved millions of peoples lives from the death of eternal darkness, navigating them into the kingdom of God.

God our Father and all heaven rejoices is to see Jesus' glory, his light dwelling in our hearts through faith in him and for us to see Jesus in each other, his reflected glory. Amen.

Book Markers given out

The Messiah's Secret - The Refining Fire

Evening  Lectionary Luke 2: 22-40. Malachi 3: 1-5. RSV Bible     

Nowadays, many messages are sent by text, I have put three examples on the sheet with the code to interpret the message. The phone is used as the means to communicate the message. 

Example: 'Repent, 4 the KOH is at hnd.'

John Baptist was fulfilling Malachi’s prophecy 
John the Baptist is recognised by the church as being the messenger who communicated the message from God in preparation for the coming of the Christ "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3: 2. 
John Baptist pointed to the Christ who would baptise them with the Holy Spirit and the unquenchable fire. Luke 3: 16, 17.

 Malachi used the term, ‘the refiner’s fire.

The processes that purifies precious metals: The smelting process separates gold from the rock. The refining process vaporises other metals that has clung to the gold particles they are burnt off as gases to produce pure gold. 

Malachi is using the ‘Refiners Fire’ in connection with judgement. He writes, "But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?” judgement begins at the house of God. He spoke of the refining of the Levites, in the previous chapters we read of the offerings that were brought had blemishes, they should have not been accepted by the Levites as offerings only the best from their flocks would be acceptable to God.  

I am sure Jesus alluded to Malachi’s prophecy when he said, “I came to cast a fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptised with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!” Luke 12: 49, 50. 

’The fire that had not yet been kindled,’ the fire of judgement that both John the Baptist and Malachi prophesied.  In the verse he said that he was constrained, so what held back before he would bring in the unquenchable, refiners fire?

Two things:

1. When he saw the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of his day. In his parable of the ‘Good Samaritan it reflects what he thought of the Levite who turned away instead of helping the injured man on the road to Jericho. Luke 10: 32. 

2. When he said that he was constrained because of fulfilling the baptism of his death, resurrection and ascension.

Jesus like pure gold was separated from the sin that he bore on the cross in his death by his resurrection. The sin that caused him to cry out, “My God , my God why have you forsaken me? It’s the only time in conversation with God were he did not call God his Father. We know he was sinless, therefore a fire of judgement could not touch him, but he had to die laying down his life to bear the sins of the world.  

So Jesus in himself was free from sin, he was innocent, and therefore, God raised him from the dead, the offering of himself which was acceptable to God.  

If God did not spare his Son, then no one is spared from refining fire. 

St Paul  in his letter to the Corinthians wrote, when Jesus calls out the church, the body of Christ, all Christians come before the judgement seat of Christ, not for punishment but for rewards. 1 Corinthians 3: 11-15.  2 Corinthians 5: 10 Romans 14: 8-12.  

Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life." John 5: 24 

Christians born into the kingdom of God are purified from original sin and all past sin up to accepting Jesus as Saviour. 
Afterwards when we fall into sin and repent Jesus forgives us. Before we became a Christian sin and guilt had kept a continuous hold on our heart, weighing us down and oppressing the soul. Through faith and grace in Christ our ongoing repentance and receiving forgiveness for sin, sin has no dominion over us, no longer a slave to sin. Paul in letter to Titus 2: 14 wrote, “For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own, who are zealous for good deeds.” 

Every Christian goes through the refining fire 
Jesus’ refining fire will separate our oneness with Christ from where we have lapsed into working out our faith by doing things for Christ in our own strength, depicted as: wood, stubble and hay these are burnt up.                                                                                       

Malachi spoke of the Messiah coming suddenly to the temple

The Messiah will come without warning. However, the church has been given warning of his coming, like Simeon and Anna in Jesus’ day who were watching out for the Messiah, Luke 3: 15. 
They both in turn recognised that the baby Jesus was the promised Saviour                                                                                                            

Jesus spoke of his unannounced return to his disciples they should be found watching and ready to receive him. “Lest he come suddenly, and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all; Watch."  Mark 13: 32-37 Whereas the world will not be ready to receive him.  

Last September we had a Bible Study Day at Scargill House Kettlewell, Yorkshire we watched a clip from a Christian film were it portrait  Malachi, Jesus, Joel and Zechariah’s prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled,  the sun and the moon not giving any light, and the turmoil that followed. This takes place after the church has been called out 1(Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1 Thess 1: 10)and after the period of the tribulation then the Lord comes.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory;”  Matthew 24: 29, 30.

The church and all the armies of heaven return with Jesus.                

Zechariah prophesied, “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley; so that half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and half southward. And the valley of my mountains shall be stopped up, for the valley of the mountains shall touch the side of it and you shall flee as you fled from Uzziah K Judah. Then the Lord your God will come, and all the holy ones with him.” Zechariah 14: 4, 5.

Christian message for today Repent for the Kingdom of God is coming soon, these Biblical prophesies will be fulfilled.

One of the hymns we sang from Mission Praise 587 
"Search me, O God and know my heart today; try me, O Lord, and know my thoughts I pray see if there be some wicked way in me, cleanse me from every sin and set me free. 
I praise thee Lord, for cleansing me from sin; fulfil thy word, and make me pure within; fill me with fire, where I once burned with shame, grant my desire to magnify thy name.
Lord, take my life, and make it wholly thine; fill my pure heart with thy great love divine; take all my will, my passion, self and pride; I now surrender - Lord, in me abide.
O Holy Ghost, revival comes from thee; send a revival - start the work in me: Thy word declares thou wilt supply our need; for blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead." 
J Ewin Orr.

After the service a discussion took place. 
"Dorothy, it says in the Creed, 'He shall come to judge both the quick and the dead' so we all come before Christ for judgement." Matthew 25: 31 - 46.

My response, "There are those who become Christians during the tribulation and die (Revelation 7: 14) and there are Christians who are alive after Jesus returns with all the company of heaven. Both the living and the dead coming before the throne of Christ for judgement.Matthew 25: 31-46
Jesus reigns on the earth for a 1,000 years after that time John records that the devil will be released again into the world for a period of time. It is followed by where the dead are judged before the white throne as the books are opened. Revelation 20: 1-15.  

Go to: The Messiah's Secret - Fire of God