The Messiah's Secret - The Prodigal Son

 "For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:17. 
When I was a teenager I had a horse an ex-steeplechaser 'Cherry Brandy', and my friend with her ex-race horse we occasionally had races in a field galloping alongside the buses on the road. There was no prizes for the winner, it was just good fun.

One of my Bible concordances the author has worked out the odds on prophesies fulfilled.  

In Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible page 731 he worked out the odds concerning prophecy:”Each detail of a prophecy doubles the chances of the prediction not coming to pass. For instance, a prophecy with one detail has one chance in two of fulfilment – it will be fulfilled or not fulfilled.  A prediction with two details has one chance in four of coming to pass. This shows how impossible it would be for many of the lengthy prophecies of Scripture to be fulfilled apart from divine power. The following table of progression to determine the chances of fulfilment of each prophecy, comparing the number of details with a like number in the first row of figures.

One prophecy may contain a number of details.

This prophecy below has 9 details one in 512 chances of being fulfilled.

 “For unto us a child is born,(1) a son is given;(2) and the government shall be upon his shoulder,(3) and his name will be called “Wonderful Counsellor,(4) Mighty God, (5)Everlasting Father,(6) Prince of Peace.(7) Of the increase of his government there shall be no end,(8) upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore.(9) The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” Isaiah 9: 6, 7.                                                     

1 . .in . 2  chances of being fulfilled  

2 . .      4                                         

3 . . . . .8  

4 . . . . 16   

5 . . . . 32 

6 . . . . 64 

7 . . . . 128
8 . . . . 256
9 . . . . 512

6 fulfilled by Jesus :  Luke 1: 31. 2:7

    2.  Luke 2: 21

    3.   Matthew 2: 2

    4. John 15: 26. 16: 12-15

    5.  John 5: 19-24

    6. John 20: 21

    7.  Revelation 1: 8            (future) 

    8. Revelation 19: 15, 16.     "

    9. Revelation 11: 15           "

  Gambling for money can be a terrible addiction.

  Slavery to addiction

A Slave - A person who is the property of another.   

A person becomes the property of the addiction – gambling.   

Someone who is addicted to gambling will soon find out that they have lost the ability to stop gambling. When the supply of funds dries up and their debts increase, all their dignity, self worth diminishes also and in most cases their immediate family and friends distance themselves from them.   

In the Bible the parable of the ‘Prodigal Son’  
Jesus put emphasis on the son who gambled away his inheritance of money before his father’s death. He cut himself off from his family to lead a life of loose living, we read he squandered all his money. He probably did what many would do today, spending money on clothes, cars, treating his new friends with gifts and parties and probably would gamble and drink too much. He would frequent the arcade with its slot machines, and gambling at the casino. 

When he had spent all he had, his friends left him, and he had nowhere to go. 
In present day circumstances he ended up broke, he couldn’t afford to rent a room, and he found himself going hungry. His situation grew worse and he was too ashamed to beg on the streets.  

Jesus said that he remembered his father and his brother at home. He came to his senses, he saw his error and so that what united them as a family, the love of the father, he decided to return home. Luke 15: 11-17 

When a person with an addiction decides for themselves to get help, that is when the journey to being set free from addiction begins. Gamblers Anonymous will help people to see a way forward and give them the help that is available: debt counsellors, marriage guidance, group therapy etc.  

Jesus setting a person free from their addiction.   

The Roman soldiers gambled with dice as to who would have Jesus’ garment. This garment was made out of one piece of cloth that was too good and difficult to divide up between them, so they gambled for it. John 19: 23, 24.  

Wearing a garment a covering for sin 

In the Book of Genesis Moses inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote of Adam and Eve disobeying God when they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As a result Adam and Eve covered their flesh with fig leaf aprons. In the story God saw what they had done, so he provided clothing to cover Adam and Eve’s naked bodies with the skin of animals. Animals lives were taken by God to cover their sin. 
From that time human beings have been addicted to continue knowingly to sin, and like any addiction, will power alone or keeping a set of rules cannot stop an addiction. 
Paul's words typify addiction in his letter to the Romans. “So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me . . . . . for I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” Romans 7: 17, 19.                                                                                             

The journey to the cross begins, it’s a journey of faith. Reaching out to God the Father through Jesus' teaching, his parable teaches us that God is an understanding Father, very often he has to wait to we come to the end of ourselves and as we do God hears our cry for help. Jesus has borne our addiction on the cross, believe it, have faith in him, many have and as a result received the Father’s love in forgiveness and have been able to turn away from the addiction, as it had no longer the hold over them.

Scriptures that speak of Jesus humanity and divinity

“Jesus emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2: 7.

“If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6: 8-11

The journey of recovery needs the practical help along with caring friends and family. It is a hard road where temptations come and have to be dealt with. A man overcoming gambling at cards took a different look at a pack of cards after he heard this story:

 “A young soldier was in his bunkhouse all alone one Sunday morning in the desert. It was quiet that day; the guns and the land mines for some reason hadn’t made a noise. The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week. As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them across his bunk. 

Just then an army sergeant came in and said, “Why aren’t you with the rest of the platoon?” The soldier replied, “I thought that I would spend some time with the Lord.” The sergeant said, “Looks like you’re going to play cards.” The soldier said, “No sir, you see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country, I’ve decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards.” 

The sergeant asked in disbelief, “How will you do that?” 

                                                       
“You see: “The Ace reminds me that there is only one God. The Two represents the two parts of the Bible: Old and New Testaments. “The Three represents the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. “The Four stands for the four apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. “The Five is the five bridesmaids that had enough oil in their lamps. “The Six is for the six days it took God to create the heavens and the earth. “The Seventh is for the day God rested after working the six days. “The Eight is for the eight day, the day the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples. “The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy but who didn’t say ‘thank you’. “The Ten represents the Ten Commandments. “The Jack is a reminder of Satan – an angel who rebelled and now is the nave of hell. “The Queen stands for the Bride of Christ, the church. “The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of Kings. “When we count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year. “There is a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week, the 52 weeks of the year. “The Four suits represents the four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter, ordained by God. “Each suit has thirteen cards; there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter. 

“So when I want to talk to God, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.”

Overcomers
Christians are not immune to addictions, often when we are venerable, in a moment of weakness temptations come to us, but with the Lord’s help we are overcomers, as we bring it to the cross and leave it there. We are on the victory side of the cross in our resurrection with the risen Lord, so we pray for Christ’s victory over addiction of any sort, we are the redeemed, set free by faith in Jesus that he is able to do above all we ask or think and by his grace which is undeserved giving from God in his love for us will set us free. Also true Christian friends coming alongside praying and giving practical support will make us overcomers.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” John 3: 16,17. 

Garments of Salvation and Praise. 
Isaiah prophesied salvation, deliverance in the form of a robe of righteousness. Isaiah 61: 10
In the parable the lost son after being greeted by his father he was given a robe to wear. How gracious our Lord God is in honouring his returning son. No malice or punishment just pure holy love. Luke 15: 22

Prayer. 

Help me Lord to say sorry to you and the people that I have hurt and the people that I blame for my addiction. I turn to Christ my redeemer and Saviour to set me free from its grip and hold over me. I have no strength of my own to conquer it, so I look to you Jesus who has borne it for me on the cross and in death redeemed me from it. I thank you Jesus with all my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen                                                                                                                               

The Messiah’s Secret – Fulfilment of Prophesies 

The parable of the talents is not so much about money. It’s about Jesus leaving them at his ascension and his disciples being trusted to use their God given ability (talents) to tell people about Jesus and it’s the same for us today

Verse 15, "To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability." Using our ability God’s gifts to tell people about Jesus

 

The Apprentice

Three teams to promote the Bible.

The task: each team takes one of these three Christian items to hand out: Comic strip, Christmas Cards, Book Markers.

Each person in the congregation can only receive one of these three things.

You will have only 3 minutes to complete the task.

The team that distributes the most, when the egg timer fills the lower bottle, is the winner.

Second - this team come back next week

and the third team will be fired. This team give their item to the winning team.

The parable of the Talents informs us that Jesus expects us

 to be actively contributing to the work of making Him known

in expectation of his return to the earth.

Readings: Matthew 25: 14-30. 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11

The Apprentice game was about working as a team everybody having apart to play whether in producing the handouts or in offering it to people as a gift. The gift is the message in our readings this morning it speaks of Jesus at some point in the future returning to the earth.

In the Bible we find prophesies that indicate that Jesus’ return is nearer than we think and one of those prophesies is in the process of being fulfilled .

In Luke’s gospel Jesus pointed to a time when he said, “Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21. 24 

Many Christians believe that this prophecy was fulfilled in 1967 after the 6 Day War when after Israel took over Jordan’s eastern half of the city. Israel controlling Jerusalem after a gap of 2,000 years.    

However, today many more Christians believe that this prophecy was fulfilled only in part in 1967. The times of the Gentiles continues until Jesus returns.  

Romans 11: 25, 26. “Hardening has come upon part of Israel until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, and so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, The Deliverer shall come from Zion and he shall banish ungodliness from Jacob.”                                                                                                                                       

This hardening of Israel’s heart, is their rejection of Jesus as the Christ that will persist until Jesus returns, so this is the period of time we are in now, it is linked with other prophesies that lead us to understand that Israel has to control Jerusalem until Jesus returns.

According to Zechariah Israel’s present day defence of Jerusalem is described as a great stone like the heavy stone that grinds the corn. 
 Zech 12: 2, 3. “On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it shall grievously hurt themselves.” Meaning that Israel is using a strong hand against their enemies, as we have seen over the last few years in the contention between Israel and the Palestinians.                                                                                                                                                 

Since the 1970’s there have been numerous attempts to bring a peaceful settlement between Arab, Jew and Palestinian. On Wikipedia which is an on line encyclopaedia The website ’Israeli – Palestinian peace process’  summarises the peace initiatives and treaties up to the present day: like the UN resolution 242 November 22^nd 1967, The Oslo Accords, Camp David year 2,000 and the ‘Road Map’ for peace.

During this time some agreements have been made making process towards peace. The website concludes on a positive note there are people on both sides involved in Joint economic effort and development.

But prophesies indicate that Israel will find no true peace until Jesus returns

Zechariah 14: 2-4 “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the mount of Olives.”

We are living now in the time that is leading up to where Jerusalem will be surrounded by the armies of nations and Israelis will flee to the mountains and only a remnant will remain. 

Jesus calls the church to watch, be ready for when this sign is being fulfilled.

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know that its desolation is near.“ Luke 21: 20  

As Paul wrote we who are in the light and are awake to this prophecy. Paul assured the Christians at Thessalonica, we are not destined to be involved in this battle at Jerusalem

Paul had informed the Thessalonians that Jesus will call out his body of believers to meet with him in the air, before he returns to the Mount of Olives. This meeting is were both those who have died in faith are awakened and those who are alive, in the light, all will come together at this awesome event and meet Jesus face to face.

After this takes place when Christians are taken out from the earth, people who come to faith they will go through  the tribulation, this period of time when the tension will build up  between the nations against Jerusalem and those who come to faith during this time will suffer.

So, this is when the times of Gentiles are fulfilled, when the full number have come to faith. Jesus will return and take up the fight with the remnant of Israel and Jesus the Christ defeats the nations that will be lead by the antichrist against Jerusalem.                       

To conclude: At God's timing Jesus will call out his church before this battle takes place and he will call when we least expect, so we must be ready, the sign of Jerusalem no longer being trodden down by the Gentiles is quite significant and so we can be sure that God will bring this prophecy to its full conclusion.

34 prophesies were fulfilled in one day, on the day of Jesus crucifixion, so we can rejoice with the angels as they watch with great anticipation as these events unfold, looking and expecting Jesus to call out his church.

The Messiah's Secret - Jesus Reigns                                        

Evening Lectionary - Daniel 7: 1-18. Luke 6: 17-31.

Anglican Nun Sister Irene Mary would say to me, “Dorothy pray for God’s kingdom to come,” referring to an actual kingdom on the earth.  (picture taken 1995 at lake Windermere after Sister's group visit to Rydal Hall in the Lake District)

The link between the two readings: Daniel 7: 18 “The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever and ever.”  And in Luke 6 Jesus was preparing his disciples for the coming in of God’s Kingdom, which had been prophesied by most of the prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Zechariah.                                                                                         

Therefore the news of the kingdom being established was not unexpected. John the Baptist and Jesus preached a baptism of repentance in preparation of the coming in of God’s kingdom. “The time is fulfilled," he said. "Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news!" Mark 1: 15.

In our reading the prophetic word was directed at his disciples Jesus spoke of the changes that his teaching would bring:

They would be blessed for coming to him in their poverty, poverty of spirit, under law they did not know God in a personal way, but through having faith in Jesus they would know Jesus as Lord and be with him in his kingdom.

They would be blessed for coming to him being fed from his expounding of the Hebrew Scriptures and they would become rich in spiritual riches taking out the Kingdom message, as they brought people to faith in him, with signs following his word.

Jesus prophesied that the message would fall on deaf ears; many of the Pharisees were sceptical. An example when Jesus healed the man who had been born blind, the Pharisee disputed that the man had been blind at all. John 9: 2.

(God had allowed this man to be born blind. God allowed Job to be tempted by Satan)

The other week I heard of a lady who was healed of her blindness by prayer. Her optician who later examined her eyes confirmed her healing, but he was amazed as he saw behind the eye the scarring of glaucoma that should have still prevented her seeing anything at all, but she could see perfectly.

The Pharisee wanted evidence from the man’s parents. In the interaction that followed, in verse 22, “His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be the Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.”                          

So we learn from this that those who followed Jesus believing that he was the Christ were excluded from the synagogue as Jesus had predicted.

Luke records that Jesus said to love your enemies; this was contrary to Jewish rules then, as it still is today. The Law “an eye for an eye” to mean to replicate what has been dealt out to them as a punishment.  Whereas, under the New Covenant. Luke 6: 31 “As you would wish that men would do to you, do so to them.” 

God knew that the only way for this to happen to treat others as you would want them to treat you was through the renewing of the heart. Through a person repenting in accepting Jesus dying for their sin and all that stands between us and God on the cross, as a result knowing Jesus as Lord and Saviour.                                                    

We have the assurance of the Biblical prophesies concerning the kingdom of God coming true, without them being dependant on us.

One day all will recognise Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. 
Daniel, Zechariah and Apostle John’s Revelation prophesied that the Messiah would establish the kingdom of God. 

3 Views on the Reign of the Messiah. Revelation 20: 
Eyre & Spottiswoode Bible page 1884  1-15

Post Millennium

Holds that the millennium is a period of world history in which the reign of Christ has been established through His church which is destined to conquer the world with the gospel, and at the end of this golden age Christ will personally return to earth and inaugurate a new heaven and a new earth.

A – Millennium

A – Millennialist denies that there will ever be a literal earth-rule of a thousand years, either before or after Christ’s return. By some the thousand years are taken to be simply symbolic of eternity (although verse 5 poses a serious problem for this view), and the only reign spoken in this passage is an eternal heavenly reign. Christ’s return to earth will simply usher in the “new heaven and the new earth” and His only eschatological rule will be celestial, not in this world. By others the one thousand years of Christ’s reign are taken to be the period between the first and second comings of Christ.

Pre-Millennium

Looks for the return of Christ to earth at the beginning of a literal, thousand year reign upon the earth when “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea” and all the nations of mankind will be completely subservient to the Lord Jesus. At the end of this period Satan will be released again in order to stir up the secretly rebellious portion of mankind to a final open revolt against God (verses 7 – 9). After a second “Armageddon” the new heavens and the new earth will be ushered in.

I take the Pre-Millennium View 

Jesus reigns on the earth Revelation 11:15-19. "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ." 

Zechariah 14: 4 Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives., verse 5 "And the Lord shall come with his saints" verse 9 "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth, in that day there shall be one Lord and one name."                                            

Daniel 7: 13. ”I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the son of man and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.” And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.

In Revelation 19: 13-16. When Jesus returns with his heavenly armies, he will rule the nations with a rod of iron.

Psalm 2: 4- 11 says this: He who sits in heaven laughs; the Lord has them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,” I have set on my king on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash to pieces like a potter’s vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling kiss his feet, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

According to John in Revelation all the people living on the earth will serve him he reigns for a thousand years and then Satan is let loose for a period of time, before the final judgement at the White throne by God the Ancient of days.                                 

Jesus will Return
We have the assurance of the Biblical prophesies coming true, without them being dependant on us to bring them about. 

                        -----------------------------

Continuing with more evidence in scripture of the ruling rod of iron.

The Messiah's Secret Revealed.

In 1996 I was having my afternoon cup of tea when I was rocked in the chair. My thoughts were on the pottery orders that I was preparing. I put transfers of flowers, Biblical texts on china beakers and then fired them in my kiln. The words that came to mind, ‘The disciples were setting up the kingdom of God at the beginning of Acts.” Two weeks later I woke up with the words, ‘Jesus could only be received as the Messiah after his death, resurrection and Ascension.’ The two words came together The disciples were setting up the kingdom of God in anticipation of Jesus’ return with the angels of God. The calling of the Messiah was a national calling. I had never heard of this before, I had been brought up to believe that the time for the Jewish people to receive Jesus as their Messiah was before he was crucified. 

The Ruling Rod of Iron of the kingdom of God 

On the evening of the Day of Jesus’ resurrection Jesus came into the house, the room where his disciples were gathered and he breathed on them the Holy Spirit and gave them his authority to forgive or retain the sins of people, this was the ruling rod of iron in association with setting up the kingdom in preparation for Jesus’ return, and was fulfilled in Acts 5 Annanias and Sapphira lied over the proceeds from the sale of their land to Peter and both in turn fell down dead at Peter’s feet.

Jesus had told them in several parables that he was about to leave them and they were left to be about their master’s business until he returned. Parable of the talents.Matthew 25. 15. The nobleman who went away. Luke 19:11-27

The disciples were expecting Jesus to return soon after Pentecost. 

Peter spoke to the crowd at Solomon’s Gate, ” I know that you acted in ignorance as did your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. Moses said, “’The Lord will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people. And all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days.”Acts 3: 17 end

The Jewish leaders and people had acted in ignorance when they handed Jesus over to the Romans with the charge of blasphemy and making himself a king. The prophets had prophesied the suffering and death of the Messiah. If they would repent and turn to Jesus accepting him as their Messiah he would return and bring in the times of refreshing the restoration of the throne and land of King David and Abraham.   Moses had prophesied the Messiah would be a prophet who had the ruling authority to lead and make judgements over the nation. Jesus himself hoped to return soon after his ascension when he said, “There are some standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom  of God has come with power.” Mark 9: 1. 

Jesus will return and establish his kingdom on the earth.

We have the assurance of the Biblical prophesies coming true, without them being dependant on us to bring them about. 

                                                                                                    

 The Messiah's Secret - The Great Commission

“Remembering before God and Father your  work  of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1: 3

Thessalonians 1: 3  is linked with this verse Chapter 5: 8 Breastplate of faith and love. The Helmet of the hope of salvation

Visual Aid – Breastplate of faith and love

In the Old Testament the chief priest wore on his chest a breastplate. 

On it were 12 precious stones each stone represented one of the tribes of Israel. This meant that the people belonging to the tribes the 12 sons of Jacob were close to the heart of the chief priest.                           

Breastplate of faith and love covering our heart, it speaks of our close relationship with God.(A child came forward and we put on the breast plate firstly the heart shape and other children put on the other words and pictures) 

Our faith in Jesus and of the Lord’s love for us. We are so precious to God that nothing can separate us from God’s love for us. 

“For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8: 27-29                                                        

God created us and he also in his love gives to us his joy, love and peace. (put on breastplate love, joy and peace)

The Lord our God surrounds us with all that we need to live: water, air ( the wind blowing trees) and food.

Visual Aid - The helmet the hope of our salvation

The high priest wore a helmet made of linen cloth on it was a few words ‘Holy to the Lord’ his life was dedicated to serving God.              

The Christians crown– Greek word stephanos which translates, the crown given to a victor, like an athlete who has won a race, the Christian who faithfully serves the Lord our God. (place on the head of the child the crown)                                        

 ‘Salvation’ means that we have received the gift of Jesus into our heart.          

Our hope is that we will continue always have Jesus in our heart until the day we die. (place on the crown the rosette)

The breastplate means that nothing can separate us from God’s love.

The helmet of hope looking towards our heavenly home that God has provided for us. 

1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10. Mark 16: 15-20   RSV Bible                   

Paul wrote this letter from Corinth after he had been updated by Timothy on the progress of the Thessalonica church.  

On Paul’s second ministry tour he teamed up with Silas they went from Philippi to Thessalonica.  In Acts 17 we read that on arrival they went to the synagogue where following the custom of visiting Jews they were invited to speak. Paul told those present: the Jews and the God fearing Greeks the message of the suffering and resurrection of Jesus. Paul argued with them for three weeks from the scriptures proving that Jesus was the Christ. 
The Messiahs Secret Revealed 
The Messiahs calling was a call to the nation to repent and the Messiah would return. Peter explained that they had acted in ignorance, not realising that the Messiah had to suffer and die and be raised from the dead and ascend into heaven before the nation could receive Jesus as the Messiah. Acts 3: 17 - 21
I was taught by the church that the time for the Jewish people to accept Jesus as the nations' Messiah was before Jesus' death. 

Many of the Greeks and leading women believed and this caused jealousy among the Jews.  

Paul sent Timothy to build up their faith and to encourage them so that they were not moved away by the controversy coming from the unbelieving Jews. Thessalonians 3: 2, 6.                                                                                        

Paul pointed out to the church that they would encounter opposition. 3: 4. “For when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction; just as it has come to pass.”

When we look at the Gospel reading Jesus prepared his disciples before he commissioned them by reminding them of their unbelief and hardness of heart when they first heard of Jesus’ resurrection from the women.

“Afterwards he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he had risen.” Mark 16: 14. 

Rejection and suffering part of the commission

Paul through his unbelief caused suffering to Christians, he had arrested many Christians and put them in prison, before he became a follower of Jesus.                                 

Between 16 and 27 years old I did not appreciate the gospel message from Christians. After my first child was baptised I took up my faith again and on many occasions I witnessed to my relations and they ignored me and at work some people distanced themselves from me after I had shared my faith with them. My sister eventually responded and she was filled with the Holy Spirit at her children's baptism.         

‘Living Waters’ by Chinese Pastor Brother Yun. The Chinese house church confirmed this view, the Henan Province Church sent 17 Christians to Sen Province.

 Time and time again they returned beaten and bruised and on numerous occasions arrested and put in jail, but Brother Yun wrote that eventually the people began to respond until the whole of the province became Christian. 

In many situations rejection and suffering go before conversion.                                                                  

In Thessalonians Chapter 1: 3 Paul was encouraged by their work of faith, labour of love and their steadfastness of the hope in Jesus. 

These three things had inspired Paul: faith, hope and love. 

The Thessalonians were steadfast in faith against the opposition.They had faith to move the mountains of discouragement, they rejoiced  in their suffering and nothing could separate them from the love of God. And they hoped for Jesus’ return.                                                                                                                                 

Paul wrote in verse 10 about the hope of Jesus return it will happen when we least expect and it’s before the day of wrath, when Jesus will defeat the Antichrist. John recorded in Revelation 3: 10,11. “Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. Those who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God;”

Jesus said he could come at any time, don’t allow anyone to discourage or persuade you to turn away from your faith in Jesus.

These three things for us today Faith, hope and love

The most wonderful gracious gift is to bring a person to faith in Jesus. For them to receive our words as from God and turn to Christ and walk with him in their heart, and as a result signs will follow.

The signs from the Thessalonians they turned away from pagan worship to worship Jesus and this news went through Macedonia and Greece.

Today, changes that take place for some can be dramatic or for some it’s a gradual thing being inwardly convicted to get right with God. 
Last week on Friday and Saturday I heard at CAPs Christians Against Poverty Training days  many people are coming to faith as they respond to the help they receive in becoming free from debt by the expert free guidance from CAPs  and finding a job through CAPs Jobs Clubs. Lives are being transformed by the love of God and the excellent service and kindness of Christians giving up their time in serving the needs of others in their communities.  

Do not lose hope? What causes us to lose hope it maybe through Anxiety, exhaustion, failure and suffering of some kind?

I heard last Thursday evening at the Bury Bible Society Action Group with Rossendale Annual Conference Canon Noel Proctor in his address mentioned his own suffering: after the Strangeways Prison riots combined with the death of his wife he was completely devastated and shattered. He felt that he had lost hope in everything: his Chaplaincy work had taken a beating and his grief for his wife left him a broken man, something he had ever experienced before.  

In his despair he brought it all to the cross and prayed for the Lord forgiveness and healing and the Lord heard his prayer, he was renewed in receiving a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit, he said that his faith had grown he was stronger now than it was before.                                                                    

In Noel's testimony we can see those three things: love, hope and faith. 

The love of God that would not let him go and the hope that was rekindled through his faith in Jesus’ cross. He clung to the old rugged cross knowing that some day he will exchange it for a crown.                        

Finally Paul wrote that the greatest of the three is love.  
God’s Love that reaches out through the message that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and to everyone who believes he will give eternal life.  Even though at first it may be rejected through unbelief. The Lord will still stand and wait knocking on the door of a person’s heart to let him in.                                                   
The love that would not let Noel go in his state of hopelessness, the bonding between the Lord our God and ourselves it's like super glue. When super glue first came out people had to have items surgically removed from their hands etc. 
How Paul understood that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
 “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

The  Messiah’s Secret  - The Crimson Worm.

 

(picture taken from our hay field overlooking town of Haslingden, Rossendale )

This year our summer in the North of England has been the warmest that we have had for a long time. It has been so warm that I had to sit in the shade especially hay making in June, however, we didn't erect a shelter).

In the Middle East the temperature reaches over a hundred degrees especially in the region where the city Nineveh was located on the eastern bank of the Tigris river opposite the modern city of Mosul in Iraq.

Young people's talk.  
Jonah the prophet was called by God twice  to take a message to the people of Nineveh. In our reading we find that this is the second calling and this time Jonah responded. He went through the streets proclaiming,“Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.” Afterwards he found a place to sit and watch over the city, where he built himself a shelter.(A child came and sat on a chair in front of the picture of a shelter.)

It was very hot: the sun shone (hold up the sun) and the wind blew.(hold up the picture of the wind)

Overnight a plant appeared and it protected him from the heat of the sun’s rays, and the sultery wind blew 

God sent a worm, which was not like the worms we find in the soil.It was round and scarlet in colour and about the size of a small pea. The worm ate the root of the plant. 
(Tolaath - from the same root, refer to the cochineal insect. Unger's Bible Dictionary. Coccus ilicus. Scarlet worm. Biblehub.com)

When it is time for the female to lay her eggs, which is only the once in a life time, she climbs onto a tree and lays her eggs under her body. 

The eggs are  protected by her crimson shell . When the eggs hatch the mother dies and the  young worms feed on their mother. 

She gives her life to create new life which speaks of Jesus dying for us so we might live for ever.

Jonah liked the plant and was angry that it had died.

God was teaching Jonah that just as he liked the plant and felt sorry for it. God loved the people of Nineveh and took pity on them.

God says to us, I love all the people in the world even those who don’t know me yet and God wants us to tell people about His love for them.

Readings Jonah 3: 10. 4: 11. Matthew 20: 1-16.                                                                 

The prophet Jonah was called by God twice to go to the city of Nineveh with a message

The two calls are quite different in their content. The difference lies in the change of one single word. The word ’against’ in the first call was to 'preach against' the city, in the second to 'preach to it' the message. The first of Judgement, the second a message of grace and mercy which resulted in repentance and salvation for the Gentiles.

On the first occasion, Jonah disobeyed; on the second he fulfilled. Between the two calls, Jonah had a most gruesome experience, dying in the stomach of the whale, and then being miraculously resurrected and deposited on dry land.                                                                            

In our reading after Jonah’s second call he was given a message that he clearly believed that God would bring judgement on the city, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.” But the King and people of Nineveh believed him and they repented.                                                       

Jonah was displeased, and being a prophet of Israel, he was worried about his reputation.

Even though he knew that God was merciful and not easily angered. The outcome was not how he had discerned it, Jonah wanted to die, his pride had been injured, he had not expected the city to repent.

We read in verse 10. God had changed his mind about destroying the city of Nineveh. “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it.”

God had pity on the people of Nineveh even though they were enemies of Israel, God saved them from destruction as they repented from their heart. “All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.” John 6: 37

The visual aid revealed that God was showing Jonah his love for all the people who he had created. And he was showing future generations the way of faith and grace, illustrated through the plant and the worm.

Many Biblical scholars see this as depicting Law and Grace

The plant that sprang up was the law and the worm that ate the root of the plant represents the new covenant by faith and grace in Jesus.

The plant represents Jonah’s reliance upon himself: when he built his shelter and his pity for the plant which really was in fact his self pity at being left without the plants shade .And his pride, his self esteem had been injured, having discerned the message as a word of condemnation that was punishable under law.

Jesus’ parable. The labourers were under law who had worked all day had expected more than what was agreed with the vineyard owner. The denarius represents Salvation and a day represents a life time.  Those who Jesus described as ‘the last first and the first last were under grace. Jesus is both the last and the first. When John saw Jesus, “I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18. And the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore.” Revelation 1:17, 18. This as I understand it,( in verse 12) makes us all equal in Christ as Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians,  "And have put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Sythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all." Colossians 3: 10,11.

The crimson worm under grace was a prophecy relating to the Christ,.  Psalm 22: 6-8.  “But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people. All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads; He committed his cause to the Lord; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him.”                                                                                         

The Psalmist prophecy was fulfilled when the passers by along with the chief priest and scribes mocked and wagged their heads at Jesus on the cross saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.” In Mark 15: 29-32.                                                                                                                   

In Paul’s letter to the Romans he  wrote, “ the wages of sin is death”

Jesus bore all sin upon the tree and died and God delivered Jesus from sin that leads to death. Three days later God raised Jesus up from the grave.

The scarlet worm that God used to illustrate his grace.

The female worm firmly attaches herself to the tree and dies, so that her young feed on her and take up their new life from their mother.

Three days later the worm changes colour from scarlet to white, it speaks of death, resurrection and ‘Christ in us.’ 

             

 In Paul’s letter to the Galatians,  “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in my flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.” Galatians 2: 20.  God calls us to die to sin and self. We feel how God feels about sin and were we once relied entirely on ourselves in every aspect of daily life, we now look to Jesus.

The scarlet worm continues to bless us after her death:The dead worm’s  white wax was scraped off the tree to used for polishing wood, it’s called shellac

The crushed worm was once used to make medicine to regulate the heart beat and its’ colour was used as dye.

Prophesies for the end time in John’s Book ‘Revelation.  

Jesus blesses us in many ways: we  have fellowship with the Trinity Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and other Christians. Now as we pray we find that Jesus is guiding us, watching over us. Jesus relies on us to serve him through the things he calls us to do like telling people about the prophesies that are leading up to the 'Great Tribulation' great in the sense of being a great catastrophe. This ia a warning to the world that John wrote about in Revelation 7: 14. 18:9. Matthew 24. 

 It’s part of the churches ministry to make this prophecy known in order to bring nations to repentance.