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

The Messiah’s Secret – The Calling of Nathanael

Visual Aid. A garden with flowers.

When we see a garden in full bloom in summer, it’s hard to think that things lie hidden in the undergrowth.

It’s not until winter comes and the plants die back we can see what lies there.

(Removing the rubbish to reveal wind blown: plastic bottles, bags and other bits of plastic.)

Not all that has blown in the garden is rubbish there might be something there that we have lost. In the picture a silver cross and chain lost in the garden during the summer.

In our reading Nathanael did not think anything good could come out of Nazareth certainly not God’s promised Messiah. He soon was to find Jesus something very precious to him. Later he would learn that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 

Some times we have to stand still and sift through our beliefs and remove some things that we have heard from other people and taken on board. We also may find again something in scripture that we might have lost.                                                                                   

Readings: Revelation 5: 1-10. John 1: 43 end.

The other week I was sifting out old CD’s to throw away when I looked at a CD with a name on it Simon Altaf and date Feb 2007. I thought I’ll check what’s it’s about before I bin it. I was glad I did look at the CD, it was Simon Mohammed Altaf’s testimony, Jesus had called him to follow him. 

He began by sharing his background, he grew up in Pakistan his family were Sony Muslims. and he was a committed Muslim. He said he had prayed every day for ten years that Allah would speak to him, but he heard nothing. He believed that there was a God and he wanted to know him.    

Mohammed said he became disillusioned with his religion and went on a Muslim website and began to talk to other Muslims. One day by accident, he read the heading of a blog, ‘Why I became a Christian,’ by a fundamentalist Muslim. After reading it he got in touch with him asking him all kinds of questions,  he started comparing the Koran with the Bible. He found out that Abraham had two sons, 2 heirs Ishmael and Isaac only Isaac was the son of the promise to Abraham. "But Abram said, O Lord God, what wilt thou give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said,"Behold, thou hast given me no offspring; and a slave born in my house will be my heir." (Ishmael) And behold, the word of the Lord came to him,"This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir." Genesis 15: 2-4.  

"And Abraham said to God, "O that Ishmael might live in thy sight!" God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him." Genesis 17: 18, 19. RSV Bible.  

Simon had not been taught about Isaac, he did not know about him until he read the Bible.                                                              

He studied both the Koran and the Bible for a period of time, but it was while he was at work he heard Jesus’ voice saying to him, ‘Follow me’ immediately in his thoughts he said, what about my family? Again he heard the voice say to him ‘Follow me,’ and so he did. It was at great cost to him, later his marriage was annulled under Muslim law, he lost everything of importance to him, but he could not deny Jesus.  

In our reading Philip after being found by Jesus was asked to ‘Follow him.”  He realised that Jesus was the one who Moses had referred to in scripture, Deut 18: 15 “The Lord will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren him shall you heed.” 

Philip then went and witnessed to Nathanael that Jesus was the one spoken of by Moses. Nathanael was cynical in his response, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Perhaps he thought that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem.  

Philip said to Nathanael, ”Come and see,” so together they went to find Jesus, they found him and as they walked towards him, Jesus said to Nathanael, “An Israelite indeed, in whom there is nothing false.”  Jesus discerned that Nathanael was honest, and open to seek the truth, a Godly man. Mohammed Altaf was open to seek the truth and there are many more people like him who are open to seek the truth. He became known as Simon Altaf.

Nathanael replied, “How do you know me?” Jesus said that he had seen him before Philip called him sitting under the fig tree. Jesus had seen him not in the flesh but in the eye of his Spirit. The Spirit of Jesus searching for the people who would become his disciples. Jesus and the Holy Spirit is searching today for people who are open to hear the good news.    

Jesus looking for the lost in the garden of the world.  

On Tuesday afternoon at open door a young woman came in full of trouble, I tried to help her by giving her what she asked for some food.  I asked if I could pray with her and she was happy for me to do so. My continuing prayer is that she will come to know Jesus and as a result make a fresh start.  

Nathanaels response, he declared that Jesus the Rabbi was the Son of God! and the King of Israel. 

Simon Altaf could identify the three in one God. 

Simon said that Jesus is God and as the Son of God he had the nature of God, and the Holy Spirit. Simon said that the Hebrew word for God is Yahweh. The Muslim’s name for God is Allah and they are not the same God. Allah is an impersonal god, transcendent meaning: superior and beyond reach, whereas Israel’s and the Christian’s God is a personal God, Yahweh, the true God. 

Nathanael had discerned for himself that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah from the scripture ‘Sitting under the fig tree’ which was the expectation of the peace and security with the coming of the Messiah and his kingdom. Zechariah 3: 10 “In that day, says the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbour under his vine and under his fig tree.”  

The day speaks of Jesus return, bringing in his kingdom, a place that is described as full of peace and tranquillity, hence the term 'sitting with your neighbour under the fig tree.'

On the evening of the day of his resurrection when he appeared to his disciples in the house at Jerusalem, Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you!” The kingdom in their midst, the peace of the Kingdom of God. John 20: 19.

But what spoke to me in Revelation 5  Jesus was being lifted up into a place of honour in his meekness and majesty receiving blessings from God. And we can relate it to his parable of the wedding feast, were he made the point on arrival not to sit down on the top table, in case someone more important came, but instead to seek the lowest place and so you might be lifted up and asked to sit on the top table. Luke 14: 7-11    

All heaven was rejoicing as Jesus was the one who would open the scroll., “Worthy is the lamb who had been slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing.”Rev 5: 12. The scroll that contains the information of the events leading up to his return to the earth and being identified by his suffering bearing the marks in his resurrected body of the lamb that was slain for forgiveness of all that stands between us and our Father God. All the rubbish that has separated us from our creator God is completely removed, all is forgiven.

We in our humanity saw no beauty before we knew him as our Saviour and Lord, but in knowing him, we see the beauty of his holiness, the greatness of his victory over the devil and his minions and his eternal reign over all things in heaven and on the earth. 

No other is worthy of our praise, in awe with reverence, we see the lamb in great humility being adored, revered, worshipped and glorified.                                                                                                                                                                

The Messiah’s Secret – Showers of Blessings

In  this morning’s service a short poem before we said sorry to the Lord our God for our wrongdoings. Two members of congregation involved: one saying slowly the poem while the other mimed it with the boxes.

Two Boxes

I have in my hands two boxes which God gave me to hold.

He said, “Put all your sorrows in the black and all your joys in the gold.”

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes both my joys and my sorrows I store.

But though the gold became heavier each day, the black was as light as before. With curiosity, I opened the black I wanted to find out why and I saw

 in the base of the box, a hole which my sorrows had fallen out by,

 I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud, “I wonder where my sorrows could be.”

God smiled a gentle smile at me. “My child, they’re all hear with me.”

I asked, “God, why give me the boxes, why the gold, and the black with the hole?” 

“My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings and the black is for you to let go.” 

Readings: Jeremiah 31: 7-14. John 1: 10 - 18.                                                                  

After the readings a Christmas Quiz followed by my short talk

The adverts on TV before Christmas do not tell us why we give gifts to each other. As Christians we recognise that the giving of gifts is to bless one another, it is in recognition of God giving his Son as a precious gift to the world and it is Jesus' birthday.                                         
Mary and Joseph had been blessed by the visit of the shepherds bringing the message from the angels “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.”  
Jesus as we know was the shepherd that Jeremiah had spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures reading. Jeremiah prophesied great joy and peace as the Lord, the shepherd, came to redeem his people, gathering them from far and wide. Blessing them like a well watered garden, flourishing in the presence of their Saviour.

When Jesus grew up he declared God's message of peace and a new beginning, he showered blessings on all the people who came to him from far and wide they received healing and miracles took place.
Even though these signs were evidence of Jesus being the Messiah, however, John records that the leaders of Israel did not recognise him.

But John wrote in verse 12 "Yet to all who receive him. To those who believe on his name he gave the right to become children of God."

Yet all who receive Jesus become children of God,

That means for anyone today, who is seeking God will find him in Jesus. In faith we simply ask him into our heart, and he will come in. Jesus has promised that those who ask in faith and love, he and his Father will come and make their home within them. John 14: 23.

In John 1 verse 14 ‘The word made flesh,’ Jesus the living word, established Jeremiah’s new covenant in himself. Jesus had the very nature of God, grace and truth. 
Further on in Jeremiah chapter 31 verses 33, 34. The New Covenant.

 ^“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all. know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

The law was written in Jesus’ heart, we recognise this when he healed people on the Sabbath Day. The Pharisees and Sadducees suggested he was engaging in sin by healing on the Sabbath Day. But Jesus said that it was right to do good on the Sabbath Day. Matthew 12: 12.

Love has no boundaries in doing good, and feels how God feels about sin. 

We have entered into new covenant where God has written his law into our heart so we can discern what God would have us do in a situation. When we get things wrong, we say sorry to God and he remembers our sin no more.

Having received Jesus we are being blessed by him.

John 1:16 “ From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.”

Personal blessings that follow coming into the Lord’s family, we receive kindness, helping one another and sharing God’s love.

Ezekiel prophesied “And I will make them and the places about my holy hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.”

Expounded in a well known hymn by Daniel W Whittle

1.       “There shall be showers of blessing: 

           This is the promise of love; 

           There shall be seasons refreshing, 

           Sent from the Saviour above. 

Chorus:

           Showers of blessing,

           Showers of blessing we need;

           Mercy-drops round us are falling,
           But for the showers we plead. 
Every Christian experiences mercy drops personal blessings from God in both living out our lives in the world and in the church. The showers in the hymn are a prayer in song in order to bring revival. Our prayer is for the Lord to send prolonged showers to bring many people to faith.                 

 Visual Aid             Weather Report for week. 

In our region of Lancashire we have a high rainfall. 

The 5 day weather forecast for 4^th – 9^th January 2015.

 ‘Each day there will be showers especially in the North West of England, the showers will be prolonged later on in the week. 

We have had showers of blessing from the Lord in the 1800’s there was a mini revival at Stacksteads and over the last twelve years there has been a mini revival among the Church youth in bringing young people to Christ.  

2. There shall be showers of blessing . 
    Precious reviving again; 
over the hills and valleys, the sound of abundant rain.
                

How we long for people in our community to seek God like the shepherds and the wise men went to find the Christ-child, for them to know that God really does exist and has shown us his love for us all in Jesus. 

3.    There shall be showers of blessing; 

       Send them upon us, O Lord;   

       Grant to us now a refreshing,  

       Come, and now honour Thy Word.  

We have a Saviour who is able to do exceedingly more abundantly than we ask or think, through his very great and precious promises”  

4.   There shall be showers of blessing:
      This is the promise of love; 
      There shall be seasons refreshing, 
      Sent from the Saviour above.
Paul in his second  letter to the Corinthians 1: 20 “For all promises find their “Yes,” in Jesus.”    And in his letter to the church at Ephesus 1:3 “Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places.” The Lord Jesus keeps his word to us and will fulfil his promises to us.                                                                                               

5       There shall be showers of blessing:

         Oh, that today they might fall, 

         Now as to God we’re confessing,  

         Now as on Jesus we call! 

As we confess our faith to those who don’t know God, we call on Jesus to confirm his promise to them that all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Romans 10: 9.10.                                                                                                                                                                            

6.    There shall be showers of blessing,

       If we but trust and obey;

      There shall be seasons refreshing, 

       If we let God have His way.   

The response to this verse is personal to each of us. 

Prayer   

Heavenly Father, thank you for the New Covenant in Jesus and for the gift of Jesus and your Holy Spirit dwelling within us. The shepherds went to Bethlehem to find the babe and as the wise men sought to find Jesus by following a star. Our earnest desire is for your blessings showered upon our community as you put on people’s hearts to seek you. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Following talk we sang Daniel W Whittle's Hymn 'Showers of Blessings.' and the service continued with Creed and prayers. Invitation offered for prayer at conclusion of service.        

Peom taken rom ‘A Barrel of Fun’ by J John and Mark Stibbe, Monarch Books.
(For a more expounding of the word go to: my blog www.messiahs-secret-revealed.co.uk)