What can one person do for God? What can an ordinary person do for God? Not much, you might think…. William Carey – concerned for the cause of the expansion of God’s kingdom, and the salvation of those who had not heard the gospel. He made a map of the world out of leather, and sought information from people who had travelled to other parts of the world, and he was dismayed when he heard of how there was next to nothing happening in terms of spreading the gospel of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone across the world. Like Nehemiah, he was in great sorrow, and sought to do what he could. At an annual church convention, after raising the question about how people around the world could be saved without hearing the gospel, he was even put down by one elderly minister who said something along these lines “If God wants to save the unbelievers in other countries, he will do so without your help or mine”. How wrong that was. Romans 10:13-15 tells us that the advance of the church, the salvation of individuals, cannot happen without people telling others the gospel. “For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”” (Romans 10:13–15, NLT ) If a lowly shoemaker can start the modern missionary movement, anyone can do anything for God. If Nehemiah, an exiled civil servant in the government of a foreign country, can rebuild the walls of the city of God in the Old Testament, Jerusalem, then anyone can do great things for God. Nehemiah: Had a heavy heart for God’s kingdom. Expressed heartfelt and persistent prayer to God. Worked with all his heart for the kingdom of God. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT )

Dawn service at Lady Dixon Park, 6:3am, Easter Sunday 2014, with Christians from a few other churches/fellowships. This is a shorter version of the sermon given later on Easter Sunday morning at Colin Glen Christian Fellowship’s Sunday morning service. The reading is from Romans 6:1-14

What nationality are you? I have dual nationality, and Irish isn’t my primary nationality. I’m not thinking Irish-British – but as a believer and follower of the Lord Jesus, I’m a citizen of heaven, which is my primary nationality. Paul writes in Phil 3:20 : “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.” (Philippians 3:20, NLT ) We have an earthly citizenship, but we also have a heavenly citizenship, if we have trusted in Jesus for forgiveness and eternal salvation. In the Bible, the relationship between the two citizenships is contrasted between being part of God’s people, or being part of the rest of the world. This is shown at a natural level by being part of the people of God who lived in Jerusalem and its surrounding land, in the O.T., and being part of the Church in the N.T. The topic of Jerusalem should be of interest to us, because if you are a believer here today, you are a citizen of Jerusalem, according to the Bible. How is that? How can we be citizens of the City of God? The answer is that the walls of the city of God, Jerusalem, are described as, even represent, God’s protection for his people. The city’s glory is God’s glory – the city’s future is bound up with the wellbeing of God’s people. But as we have seen, Jerusalem was destroyed, the walls were in ruins, the temple was destroyed and the people were scattered. The glory of the earthly city had gone. Yet, Nehemiah wanted to rebuild the city, and bring glory back to God’s people. The second temple period, from the time of the rebuilding of the temple by Ezra/Nehemiah, was from this point on the time when there were no more O.T. prophets – it was a time of silence from God, the time in between the O.T. and the N.T. God would show later that this city was not his ultimate city, but a representation of the true city, the New Jerusalem, one which could never be destroyed, the true city of God, for the true people of God who would ultimately never disobey him. The true city of God, the New Jerusalem, is not for a people who will rebel against God like the Israelites did – instead it is for a people who will obey God, who follow him, who he has put his Spirit into so that they can follow his ways. What is the New Jerusalem? The New Jerusalem is a community, a people, a new people, a new humanity, beginning with the risen Jesus Christ. Referring to Isaiah 28:16 , Peter writes: “As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”” (1 Peter 2:6, NLT ) The New Jerusalem is the eternal dwelling place of God, and of his true followers, his people: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”” (Revelation 21:1–4, NLT ) In Revelation, there are two cities, the city of God, the New Jerusalem, and the city of sin, Babylon. The city of God, the New Jerusalem is where there will be eternal blessing, and the city of sin, represented by Babylon, is where there will be eternal punishment. The city of sin represents all that is wrong in this world – sin, suffering, pain, insecurity, hurt, evil, and so on. The city of God represents all that is right in this world now, and which will be fulfilled in the world to come – joy, peace, love, and so on. Which city do you live in today? The city of sin, or the city of God? Are you a citizen of the world of man, or a citizen of heaven? Have you believed in the Lord Jesus? Have you become a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, the New Jerusalem? Have you accepted God’s grace and mercy, and been forgiven for all your sins, and been given an open door to enter into his presence, by the new and living way of Jesus? Are you walking to the eternal city, the New Jerusalem, knowing that you will be granted entry? If so, praise God for his grace and mercy. If not, call on him now for forgiveness for your sins, in the name of Jesus Christ, and you will be given instant access to that eternal place, the presence of God, the glory to come.

Micky Concannon from Derry Donegal Christian Fellowship encouraged us to have confidence from the Lord, a ‘holy boldness’, in witnessing and testifying to the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do.

Is Jesus King of kings and Lord of lords? Were his disciples right to praise him and celebrate his entry into Jerusalem as royalty entering into his home city? Or were some of the Pharisees who were there too correct in telling Jesus to stop his disciples from treating him like he was the King of the Jews? Jesus responded to his opponents by saying: “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” (Luke 19:40, NLT) Jesus' view was that while some people didn't recognise him as King of kings and Lord of lords, the creation itself recognised him as such. Metaphorically speaking, creation would have praised him, if people didn't. (See also Romans 8:19-25) While it is easy to praise Jesus entering Jerusalem, it is possible that some of his disciples were not true believers, and were among those who called for him to be crucified not very long afterwards. Public opinion can be fickle, joining in with celebration Jesus on the one hand, then turning against him later. But true discipleship, true worship, includes obeying Jesus. For example, he two disciples who were given a job to do (to fetch the donkey) and who did it without complaint, without asking why he needed it, and without delay. Another example in this passage is the owners of the donkey, who readily allow the Lord Jesus to have it. They could have asked “which lord”, because the word could have referred to 'master' or 'lord' in a variety of ways. But they knew of only one lord that mattered, Jesus. It is good to sing praises to Jesus, but better to obey him. (See 1 Samuel 15:22) “So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”” (1 Peter 1:14–16, NLT) If we reject him, we will be rejected by him on the last day, just like he told those in Jerusalem that because of their rejection of him, that they would suffer destruction in years to come. “God ... commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30–31, NLT) “Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.” (Isaiah 55:6–7, NLT) If we do not accept Jesus as Saviour and King of kings and Lord of lords in our lives today, we will have to acknowledge him one day in the futureas the Lord over all, when we no longer have a chance to accept him as our Saviour. “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11, NLT) Today, make Jesus King and Lord in your life, if you haven't already done so: Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30, NLT)

Our homes need protection – insurance companies require us to have 5-cylinder locks on our doors to protect against burglars. We use double-glazing and loft insulation to keep the cold out. We keep our roofs in good condition to keep the rain out. Our cars require vehicle security – door locks and alarms/immobilisers We need protection for our computers from viruses, hackers, and malware when using the internet. We’re well familiar with the need to protect ourselves physically, from the cold and rain. Or soldiers going into battle need the proper armour to protect them. But are we as careful with our spiritual protection as our physical protection? If we are believers, are we well prepared spiritually against spiritual attacks that come against us from our spiritual enemy? We may not be able to see our spiritual enemy in the same way that an army can see another army across a battlefield. Spiritual warfare is more like guerrilla warfare than battlefield warfare. You can’t see the enemy – they are lurking around the corner, hiding behind you, combatants disguised as civilians – it’s the same for Christians in spiritual warfare – the Devil and his demons attack Christians in ways that we’re not able to see with our eyes. But we can be protected nevertheless – we must use the spiritual protection that God gives us, to defend ourselves in this battle. As Paul says in Ephesians 6:12; “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12, NLT) We need spiritual protection, from external attacks. These are real. So, put on God’s armour, so that you will not be injured and become ineffective spiritually. God invites us, even commands us, to be strong in his mighty power. “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.” (Ephesians 6:10–20, NLT)

In 2012 a Gallup poll ranked countries with the most and least emotions, with one country coming out as least positive people on earth. A BBC correspondent in who lived there wrote about her experiences . Part way through her story she writes: I got pregnant. Ten weeks of morning sickness ensued, turning my daily commute into a 45-minute gauntlet. One morning the nausea finally got the better of me just as I had stepped onto a packed train. Worried I was going to faint, I crouched to the floor, holding my head in my hands. And so I remained, completely ignored, for the full 15 minutes it took to reach my station. Nobody offered me a seat or asked me if I was okay. For the first time [this country] had made me feel unhappy. I had been vulnerable - completely reliant on the kindness of strangers. [These people], I felt, had let me down. As I sat recovering on the platform I wondered if this was part of the story behind those Gallup poll results. By this time a follow-up to the original survey had been published and according to the figures, [This country] had apparently cheered up quite a lot (after a government campaign to make people feel happier). But all I could see was a massive compassion deficit. Or were my fellow passengers that day just unusually uncaring? A friend said later that day “Oh no, I am not surprised at all”. “My sister is seven months pregnant and she fell down a packed escalator the other day and had to crawl to the nearest railing to heave herself up. Nobody helped.” “We are programmed to think only about ourselves,” he exclaimed. While it is easy to point to the dysfunctional way others live in another part of the world, I’m sure that many of us here today can remember situations when we felt unloved, either from a friend, a neighbour, family, from strangers, or from our community or society in general. But thankfully, many of us can point to situations when we have been loved by others. It might be through presents or words of encouragement when there are no disasters in our lives. Or it might be when things go wrong and we experience the love of people coming around us to help us out in different ways – whether practically, or in sympathy, or in encouragement, and so on. But where does love come as a priority in our lives? Love God and others The most important commandment, according to Jesus, is to love God: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36–40, NLT) This week, without taking away from the first of these two commandments, I’d like us to focus on the second, loving our neighbour as ourselves – loving others. What priority does love have in our lives? Love is crucial to life. So much so, that the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that it is far more important than other aspects of Christian living. Haphazard-priority But what has first priority in our lives? God, church, work, family, ambition, plans for the future (our bucket list), others, God? How is our Christianity balanced? What has top priority? Some people are more concerned with doing the right thing, but without a care or thought for how it affects other. For them, they are concerned that their truth or their cause comes first. People are secondary. They don’t care if people are hurt or killed, in their cause of truth. For some, people come first, before God. They don’t just love others, but they do so at the expense of loving God. People are more important to God, instead of people being important because God says that they are and because God says we should love them. Love-priority But for others, love comes first - love of God and love of others. This is how our priority in our Christian lives ought to be balanced. Love ought to come first In 1 Corinthians 13, the passage often read at weddings, Paul shows that no matter what we do, if it is not accompanied by love it does not count. “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1–3, NLT) Love ought to come first, above doctrinal orthodoxy, campaigning for the truth, worship, martyrdom, and whatever otherwise noble things we could do for God or others. If they do not have love as their motivation, they may help others, but they don't count towards our eternal reward from God. All you need is love? The Beatles sang “All you need is love”. While on the one hand that is true, that if there was love abounding in the world, there would be no more war, no more trafficking, no more crime, no more oppression, no more injustice… On the other hand, it isn’t that simple – what the Beatles didn’t realise is that we’re not all capable of loving as we should. In order to love as we should, we need to have Christ in our lives, we need the Holy Spirit to empower us to love, we need to walk in the Spirit. Yes, we need love, but we can’t say that ‘all’ we need is love, because we need more than love on its own, we need to be to be renewed, to be reconciled to God the Father by faith in Jesus’ atoning death on the cross in our place, to receive the Holy Spirit to renew us, to walk in the Spirit in order to produce the fruit of the Spirit, and then and only then will we be able to see true love become a reality that would change lives, that would change the world. We need God’s love and his power working in us, in order for us to be able to love other as we ought to. If we want to see the world changed the way the Beatles envisioned, we shouldn’t buy into their simplistic formula that presupposes that we naturally have the power, the ability, the desire, to love others and to be able to change the world. We should turn to God through faith in Jesus, instead, and then and only then can we have a realistic hope of seeing the world changed, one heart at a time. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23, NLT) “We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?” (1 John 4:19–20, NLT) Yes, all we need is love. But no, we can’t do it on our own – we need to turn to God first, to receive the forgiveness from Jesus death on the cross, as well as the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to live the lives we ought to have lived.

‘One Foot in the Grave’ character Victor Meldrew said: Well, that’s that over for another year. The joyous ritual of our annual pilgrimage to see great-aunt Joyce. Gets more like entering a mummy’s tomb every time we go there. … Still, these’ll be a real godsend, won’t they! A pair of gloves with six fingers in each hand. Trying to tell me I’d grow into them. What’s she going to knit for me next time, a balaclava with two heads? (Only a Story, #5.2, 1995) On another occasion, after complaining and moaning about being stuck in a traffic jam for a long time, be concludes: I wish I was dead! To which his wife in the car beside him replied: I wish you were dead. Then we might get some peace. (The Beast in the Cage, #3.4, 1992) No-one likes a grump-old-man, or a grump-old-woman, or a grumpy teenager or child for that matter. How can Christians avoid being grumpy? It’s simple, just be thankful! How can we be thankful when situations are not great? And why should we be thankful when circumstances do not naturally make us happy? Firstly, God commands that we be thankful: Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NLT) And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20, NLT) That might be easy when the going is good. But what about when it is difficult? We are told that all things work together for the good of God’s people, even if we don’t know how (Romans 8:28). We can give thanks to God for how he will use every circumstance. We ought to be thankful. Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one was thankful (Luke 17:11-19). A courageous man once rescued seventeen people from a sinking ship in Lake Michigan. When asked years later what particularly stood out in his mind, he replied that not one person thanked him for saving them. Corrie ten Boom in The Hiding Place relates an incident that taught her always to be thankful. She and her sister, Betsy, had just been transferred to the worst German prison camp they had seen yet, Ravensbruck. On entering the barracks, they found them extremely overcrowded and flea-infested. That morning, their Scripture reading in 1 Thessalonians had reminded them to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances. Betsy told Corrie to stop and thank the Lord for every detail of their new living quarters. Corrie at first flatly refused to give thanks for the fleas, but Betsy persisted, and Corrie finally succumbed to her pleadings. During the months spent at that camp, they were surprised to find how openly they could hold Bible study and prayer meetings without guard interference. It was not until several months later that they learned the reason the guards would not enter the barracks was because of the fleas. Even after personal tragedy, godly Job in the Old Testament was able to say, after losing his wealth, his house and his children: “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” (Job 1:21, NLT) Centuries later, a businessman who lost his livelihood in a fire, after which his four daughters drowned at sea, was able to write the hymn ‘It is will with my soul’ which as the chorus: “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll—Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well with my soul.” Christians should also be thankful to God by giving to those in need. The Apostle Paul commended the believers at Corinth for their generousity gift of money to help the church at Jerusalem which was suffering famine: “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:12, NIV-84) But also, Christians are blessed themselves when they thank God. Scientists have noted the benefits of being thankful, or having and attitude of gratitude: Stronger immune systems Less bothered by aches and pains Lower blood pressure Exercise more and take better care of their health Sleep longer and feel more refreshed upon waking It lessens worry It strengthens memory for older people Higher levels of positive emotions More alert, alive, and awake More joy and pleasure More optimism and happiness (reduces depression) More helpful, generous, and compassionate More forgiving More outgoing Feel less lonely and isolated isolated While people in general can be grateful, when they have much to be grateful for, although atheists aren’t grateful to God, the benefits of being grateful apply most when there is much to be depressed about, at face value. At such times, unbelievers don’t have much reason to be grateful. Yet, Christians can be grateful even during the most difficult of circumstances. They therefore benefit the most, when such benefit is needed. Being grateful to God helps our mental health, as well as our physical and and emotional health. We can become better at thanking God practically in different ways: Thank God by counting your blessings instead of your problems. Thank God by reviewing past blessings (keeping a personal spiritual journal is very helpful for this). Thank God for your relationship with him, if you have trusted in Jesus. Thank God for your glorious future, even if your present situation is difficult. Thank God that he is bringing more people to know him over time, that he is a saving God. Thank God that he is a good God. Start each day with a prayer of thanksgiving. Instead of moaning at something, like Victor Mildrew, find something to be thankful for. If you are blessed by others, focus on the giver rather than the gift – focus on them instead of how yourself and how you have benefited. Be grateful, and you will soon feel grateful and more joyful. But we must always remember that we can only expect God to hear our prayers (Isaiah 1:15-20), and answer our prayers (Matthew 7:7-11), if we have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ beforehand (John 1:12), by which we are reconciled to God the Father (Romans 5:11), and have open access to him in prayer (Hebrews 4:16), and can thank him as we look forward to when there will be no more pain, suffering or sin (Revelation 21:1-4).

Alistair Campbell encouraged us towards compassion, especially through evangelism, reading from Mark 1:29-45, especially Mark 1:40-42. “A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.” (Mark 1:40–42, NLT)

From New Guinea to New York, within Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism (the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur), Islam (Ramadan), and Christianity, fasting is an activity carried out among religions all over the world. But, what is the difference between Christian fasting and fasting in other religions? And what exactly is Christian fasting all about – why should we fast, how should we fast? Firstly, fasting is not to be feared. It can be a real blessing in disguise, if we approach it the right way. We should not focus on the absence of food (or whatever else we are fasting from), but focus instead on God. Fasting is to remove distractions, often good distractions, to focus ourselves on the Lord God. Jesus expects us to fast, with the point being that we will draw closer to him (Matthew 9:14-15). Fasting is not to become righteous before God, as a form of good works that merit God’s acceptance (Eph. 2:8-9). But for those who have trusted in the only mediator between God and people, Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:5-6), and who have known the blessing of a new relationship with God the Father (Romans 8:15-16), fasting is a way of drawing closer to God, as we temporarily find less pleasure in the good things that come from God, as we look forward to going to be with him. Fast forward!