The Time of The Signs: Israel, The Future. Israel is our God’s Time Clock, this seems evident as we consider the Bible and all that it teaches concerning the future, especially in the light of Israel’s future. Watching Israel is watching the Bible being fulfilled in these last days. But what is it concerning Israel that we need to watch out for with regard to the future? This message gives four key items for our consideration, three of which we may very well be here to witness. But regardless of whether or not we are here, we should still be able to see it all slowly coming to pass. In the first study, when we looked at the Promised Kept to Israel, we had seen all things respecting prophecy fulfilment in the past, and we had seen how perfectly it had been kept, now we look to Israel’s future. I pray this study is a blessing to you as you consider Prophecy and its implications concerning Israel’s future. THE COMING TEMPLE Matt 24:15-21 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. The Place For the man of sin, Antichrist. (Little horn, The Assyrian, The Beast) “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” (Jn 5:43) It is this man “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thess 2:4) Daniel wrote of it as; “the transgression of desolation” in Daniel 8:13“for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate” Dan 9:27and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Dan 11:31And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Dan 12:11 It is all respecting the Time that the Daily Sacrifice shall be taken away and it is the time of the very end. The period of tribulation that will come upon the people of the Earth for 7 years. This is a focused part of Israel’s future. It is the final, 70th week of Daniel 9 The 3rd Temple must therefore be standing for all this to happen. But is there any indication that work is being prepared for the rebuilding of the Temple? Video 1 Introduction to Temple Works Video 2 Golden Manorah Video 3 Temple Plans Pictures 1-6: The Preisthood Video 4: Training the Priests THE COMING HATRED OF THE WORLD So much relating to Israel is found in the book of Zechariah, it is worth considering the survey undertaken to review both the nation and that which was and is to come. 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (Zec 12:2-3) 1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Zec 14:1-2) The L

Israel Time Of The Signs. Reading Matt 24:1-35 The Promise Kept. Good Morning again. We begin a new series and one that I pray will have an everlasting effect upon you as it has done for many millions of people throughout history…but most especially today. Many years ago, well before I was a Christian, it was my brother in law who invited me to see a Christian video that spoke of things to come. Prophecy. – – – Four prophecies that have been fulfilled we will deal with this morning Four prophesies that we should be looking for to be fulfilled we will deal with this evening at 6pm. THE BIBLE IS TREATED AS A CASSANDRA BY MOST PEOPLE TODAY. IT SPEAKS PROPHETICALLY ABOUT MANY THINGS YET FUTURE, BUT VERY FEW BELIEVE IT. Cassandra was the beautiful and fairest princess of the King and Queen of the City of Troy in Greek mythology.  The mythical god Apollo was captivated by her and desired her, and for her love he gave her the gift of prophecy, the ability to see future events. She took the gift but never gave Apollo her love. So Apollo cursed the gift, though her ability to tell of things to come was always accurate, she was cursed by never being believed. It seems this has afflicted many today regarding the Bible. They seem more than willing to consult their horoscopes, but not the Bible. Fortune tellers are making a fortune telling, and those who are told believe the telling, but not the Bible. They are happy to read the stars they know nothing about, the astrologers, stargazers and monthly prognosticators are often consulted for their mixed messages, but not the Bible. The Bible has never been wrong, but these could never be trusted as being right and yet they are consulted…but not the Bible. But the telling of events yet future to their writing makes up more than a quarter of the Bible. 27% is a statistic often employed. So important is this passage of the Bible that it is reflected in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.  There is a verse repeated in these passages that allude to the timing of the end spoken of in general terms, somewhat answering the question of the disciples at the first.  Matt 24:3 “3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? THE BIBLE IS TRUE CONCERNING THINGS TO COME Jesus tells them of many things and many signs. Many believe that this specific indicates that the generation that has witnessed Israel’s return to the land as the FIRST SIGN, will also be the generation that will be living in the Times of the Signs. We know that the passages Matt 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 are those that speak of the end times And Jesus responds to them of so many things as we have just read. But it is verse 33 that many believe give an indication of a rapid convergence of eventswithin a generation of Israel being back in the land. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Perhaps there is validity to this: it can’t be talking about the generation that was listening to Jesus speak, because it is clear that that generation has already past.  Certain that I can see a strong potential link, but I could not confirm it with confidence. But what I do see is the greatest convergence of signs for the last days that could EVER HAVE BEEN CLAIMED FOR ANY OTHER PERIOD IN HISTORY. That this seems to coincide within the generational timeframe of a mans life, from Israel formally declaring itself a nation only 72 years ago, might be just a coincidence….or maybe not. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matt 24:14 For almost two thousand years men and wo

To Give The Light of The Knowledge of  The Glory of God I think of the title of the sermon this morning which is found in verse 6, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It’s a passage that gives purpose to our lives as Christians, but it also presumes a few things. That we have that light to give. That all others are in darkness. That darkness is the environment from which the light will shine (v6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. To give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God, that’s our purpose, that’s the reason you and I as Christians are still here.  Seems that many however have forgotten this.   Perhaps I should have added a word to the beginning of the sentence before us that might better reflect the state of the body of Christ today; FORGOTTEN to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, Just before 6am yesterday morning I found myself standing on the driveway with my wife, my candle and my cat.  I don’t know how I got there exactly, “whether in the body or out of the body I can not tell, God knoweth” The Anzac bugle soon began to be heard, that wonderful, sombre and familiar sound that is to trigger the memory of a time long ago when men and women fought and died for the freedoms we have since enjoyed. Anzac Day is the memorial of the Australian and New Zealand Army Core and at the end of the Bugle call there is nothing heard but silence.  It is a silence that all Australians respect when the call is made. It is a silence that should bring to mind the soldier who has taken a bullet for your freedom and fallen. It is a silence that should be brought to mind every time we see and Avenue of Honor where trees commemorate the fallen who fell for our freedom.It is a silence that should be so still to hear our own heartbeat, and bring to mind that another mans heart once stopped that mine might have started. At the end of the silence a single phrase is called out and heard, “Lest we forget”. But we have already forgotten! Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God[1]Then beware lest thou forget the LORD[2]Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day[3] Australia has long forgotten the very foundation of our freedoms, set for us by God and fought for us by the soldiers who died that we might keep it in memory. Who’s fault is that? It is ours beloved.  We have FORGOTTEN to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, We have forgotten that each and every person we see will one day die We have forgotten that it is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgement We have forgotten about hell and eternity and the Good news of the Gospel to all who believe. We have forgotten why we are here, whom we serve and for who’s benefit. There is Light In The Gospel of Christ 1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Cor 4:1-4) My thoughts align themselves with the great psalmist of Israel who wrote ‘Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way’ Ps 119:104 And the false ways are many today and the largest group of people who have turned from the truth to false ways are Christians.

The Value of The Work.  Probably one of the most difficult sermons I have come to preach. It is difficult because I have set myself to try to embolden your faith by you understanding the value of the work the Lord has prepared for you to do. When it comes to all other forms of employment, this is not too difficult. Especially labor or service works such as construction, hospitality, manufacturing, administration etc, on these there is a simple Cost/Profit analysis that is not difficult to work out. But how do I try to place a value on a work whose Cost is Infinite and Value eternal? How do I do justice to the value of saving even a single soul from hell for all eternity?  How do I quantify it that it might inspire you to completely sell out everything you have your focus on, and to follow Christ?  I truly just don’t know. The world places no value in the work at all, to the world the preaching of the Cross is not an Essential Service, that is clear. To the world the Cross of Christ is just ice-cream; Christianity is only your personal flavor of religion preferred.  And this has come about because pastors and Bible colleges around of the world have created doubt, and still create doubt in the Bible.  MOST PASTORS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY HAVE DONE AND ARE DOING. If I can’t quantify the infinite Value of the work to be done, THEY CERTAINLY DON’T evaluate the COST OF CREATING DOUBT in the truth they have denied.  It’s a frightening prospect to stand before God as a Pastor who does not believe the Bible he preaches.  It is HIS FAULT the world treats the cross of Christ as Ice-cream. (I go into detail on that in the Falling Away Series on the Church blog) So many souls in hell for all eternity because this evaluation is not truly and consistently considered. Christians around the world today, lukewarm on the Gospel with multitudes damned. HOW DO I PLACE A VALUE ON THE WORK?  The Cost of the work is infinite, and the value is eternal, HOW DO I HELP YOU SEE IT? Please pray for me as I preach a pitiful attempt at explaining it.   The Cost Of The Work 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.Matthew 16:24 Jesus here gives himself as the example of cost: let him deny himself, and take up his cross.In economic terms there is a basic understanding relating to the value of anything that is to be placed on to the market, and the first is that the cost of the work must be carefully weighed and understood. Entrepreneurs go broke very quickly when the true cost of an item is not given due consideration.  When we are speaking of the COST we are speaking of what is known as the fully loaded cost, not just the cost of the materials and labor, but adding in all the other elements such as rent, utilities, rates, borrowings etc.  What is the TRUE cost beyond what seems self-evident? The Cost of the death of Christ, I believe, was infinitely more than what is self-evident. The Bible itself speaks to the foolishness of undertaking an endeavor and not understanding the cost, and the context of the passage itself is very telling; Turn with me to Luke 14:27 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you

The Greatest Witness of Hope Reading 1 Cor 15:1-26 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:. (1 Cor 15:3-4) The Greatest Witness of Judgement The Greatest Witness of Mercy The Greatest Witness of Love The Greatest Witness of Hope All are found in this text The Greatest Witness of Judgement 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died … Paul brings to the Corinthian Church that which was received willingly by him concerning the truth, the Gospel truth.  He begins, “how that Christ died…” How that Messiah Died How that the Saviour Died Man has long desired to justify himself for the wicked acts he accepts himself to undertake. Man convinces himself time and again that what he does, which he knows is wrong and sinful, was not his fault, or justified.  But the very fact “that Christ died”, that the Saviour Died, is the greatest witness of all that the evil deeds that man do has an eternal cost that must be born. To those who accept the Mercy and Love of the Saviour and believe the Gospel, their evil deeds and sin was born by him. To those who reject the Mercy and Love of the Saviour, and deny the Gospel, their evil deeds and sin will be born by themselves alone. But Unwilling to accept Christ and the testimony of his death for them, but equally unwilling to be cast into hell for all eternity, man has concocted such an array of excuses to either reject accountability for his actions, or to deny the reality of consequence altogether. But “I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died …” The greatest witness against them however, is how that Christ died NEVERTHELESS man pursues his own vain attempt to deny either accountability or consequence. His first attempt is that of what I call ‘Adamic Misdirection’.  Yes beloved, it seems that Adam was the very first man who attempted magic. But God was his audience and was far from impressed. Adam attempted to direct responsibility for his sin, first to his wife and then directly back to God himself; “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Gen 3:12) Such misdirection has continued down through history and is best reflected naturally in Children. Since my children were little I had told them that they do not become adults when they reach a certain age, (even though the world seems to think otherwise), they become adults when they take begin to take responsibility for their actions. Sadly, it’s the teenage years when they are driven by the world that they behave more like children than when they were children. The world is unwilling to take responsibility for its actions.  Misdirection and Denial of Consequence are the fundamental tools employed. The more you are in the world, the more evident will those tools manifest themselves, the more you are in the Word, the more responsibility you are willing to accept. One will conform you into its image,  the other will transform you and renew your mind (Rom 12:2) MISDIRECTION and DENIAL OF CONSEQUANCE But the death of Christ is the GREATEST WITNESS THAT dismisses them both. We are all intuitively aware of misdirection, but what of Denial of Consequence? Many years ago, I witnessed a young lady having the Gospel shared with her, the proposal of Mercy or Penalty was put before her. Her mind-numbing response was simply; “That’s ok, I don’t believe in hell”. It is like a tight rope walker saying, “I don’t believe in gravity”.  This is a perfect example of the Denial of Consequence. The Bible says   “as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” Hebrews 9:27 Reality will prevail against personal preferenc

Come Unto Me The Reading Matthew 11:25-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Mat 11:28-30) Come Unto Me; A Place of Rest. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Life was quite normal growing up in the Netherlands for this little girl. Not yet ten years old, she still enjoyed playing with dolls and playing outside with her friends. She lived a middle-class lifestyle, her father had a small business and they could afford some of the better things in life. But when she was ten years old something occurred in a foreign land that would eventually change everything she was familiar with. The news that Germany invaded Poland would not have any practical effect on her or her family, at least not yet. As a twelve-year-old she faced the usual issues growing up that many young girls even today could relate to. The problem of unwanted attention from boys in school, issues relating to friends etc.  On her thirteenth birthday she was presented with a gift that would have an effect upon the entire world in years to come.  ‘Kitty’, she called her new friend “Kitty”, it would be how Anne Frank referred to the diary she received on her birthday that would eventually be translated into 67 languages around the world. One day a letter arrived at her home, and for the second time in a decade, the life of the Frank family would be changed forever. Anne and her family would go into hiding from the outside world.  No noise, no use of the toilet during certain times of the day, no walking on the steps of the annex in which they were hidden.  And most disturbingly of all, no knowledge whatsoever how long it would be before they would be safe to leave the annex. There was a bookshelf that hid the secret entry way was only ever opened to receive supplies from the very small group of people who knew they were there. The annex was small and dark. They painted the windows to avoid anyone seeing shadows pass through the curtains or faces in the windows.  But this was not the first time their lives were so disrupted. You see Anne and her family were German born Jews. Her father and mother had seen evil on the doorstep, and they left Germany for Holland the moment the Nazi’s gained power.  Sadly, the evil followed them to Amsterdam. Anne Frank wrote continually to “dear kitty”, their self-imposed isolation lasted for two long years until it was tragically discovered by the Gestapo (The German Secret Police) in 1944, and their little family was disrupted again, for the last time. Anne was 15 years old when she and her sister were taken to Auschwitz.  She died a year later. I relate that story because we all naturally like things to stay as they are, we don’t like disruptions in our lives. Our desire is for continence of normality through which our plans for tomorrow can go unhindered.  Our natural tendency toward the positive has us always planning for things to be better than today. Isaiah noted those desires perfectly when he wrote “and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.” (Isa 56:12) But it’s when normality and predictability in life is altered, when it is shifted to the unpredictable, that we might find ourselves with anxieties that are sometimes difficult to shake.  Even though we like occasional adventures in life, there is always longing for the constant, for the unchanging, in summary, for A PLACE OF REST we can call HOME. We long to be happy and to have peace, the feelings of fear and sadness are antithetical to everything we truly desire. In her diary entry on Tuesday 7th March 1944, Anne Frank, at the tender age of 14 years, wrote;  “He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery!” It is that Faith

LOOK UP 1st Sermon from Home 29-03-2020 If you have not yet heard the first in the series, click here where you might learn that you are here For Such A Time As This Look Up For The Answer Beyond You Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. 2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. 3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. (Psalm 5:1-3) How wonderfully David believed and trusted in the Lord.  Of all the men noted in the Bible, he would have been identified as the most equipped to handle every trial. He was by far the greatest military leader, the most just King and ruler, the most Godly and every other king in the Bible was compared to David respecting his faithfulness to the Lord;  YET even he LOOKED UP to the Lord for the many answers that were beyond him. David had a heart for God from his youth, he had a yearning for the Lord and to do all his will, his relationship to the Lord was perhaps nurtured and built up in the days he tended the sheep for his fathers house.  To David, that work must have been a precious. Even the day he was anointed by Samuel to be the future King, he was still a lad, and yet returned immediately to tend to the work ordered by his father. David’s brothers however thought the work of David as a shepherd boy to be a lowly and mean task, a work that had little to no external benefit but to care for “those few sheep in the wilderness” (1 Sam 17:28). But David saw his tending of sheep as preparatory. Perhaps your own work and your own life in your eyes, you also see as having limited value. Yet if you are trusting in the Lord at this time, trust also that this work you are doing is also preparatory. Preparing you for work yet to be done. David utilized his work to glorify God, and God threw a few challenges to him to also foster a greater reliance upon him. Keep a finger in this Psalm, but Turn to 1 Sam 17 as we consider this passage for just a minute; God had prepared David for one of the greatest accounts ever told through history, but on the surface you would never know what the purpose of those challenges where….until the time came to rely on them. A giant of a man came up in the land to defy the nation of Israel and the God of Israel, Goliath of Gath was his name, one of five sons of a man known simply as The Giant. Goliath was numbered with the Philistines, and when he stood requiring any single man to come out and to fight with him, all the men of Israel “fled from him, and were sore affraid” (1 Sam 17:24).  Not even King Saul, who stood head and shoulders above all the people of Israel, would fight with him. (v33) When David presented himself to the King wanting to face Goliath, the King said, “Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth” (1 Sam 17:33) But consider how David looked back on the work God had done in his life as perfect preparation for this event:  34 “David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.(1 Sam 17:34-37) There are experiences that you have had in your own life that have prepared you for Such a time as this or even a time still future, don’t underestimate that work that has been done in you already, but take great care that you are n

For Such A Time As This Reading: Esther 4 Introduction There is a parallel in Esther for today’s encouragement All that was written aforetime was written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. A Unique Period in History Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of King Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring. 13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenthday of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. 14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day. 15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city Shushan was perplexed. Est 3:12-15 This is a UNIQUE PERIOD IN HISTORY, For the first time ever, the nation of Israel was legally and purposefully appointed for complete destruction. There was an enemy, unknown to the nation, that had set himself against the people, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. SUCH A TIME AS THIS had NEVER come upon all the people of the nation of Israel, who themselves were scattered about all the “hundred and seven and twenty provinces” (Est 1:1). King Solomon had many centuries earlier written a prophecy concerning what would occur to the nation of Israel if they continued to stray away from the Lord. He wrote God’s words many years before the time came that they would be taken away, and taken into captivity (1 Kings 8:46-50). Well the day came, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon entered into Jerusalem on several occasions, and did all that the Lord had required of him, to take away the people of the Lord and to place them into captivity.  Jeremiah also tried to warn the people of it, you can read of that in Jeremiah 29, but the people again would not listen, they preferred to believe lies.  It feels like there are many people today just like this. Even in churches, it seems its only the good things people like to here. But Paul spoke of a time when Churches will be filled with Pollyanna’s, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim 4:3-4) Yet the Lord has a good end, he did then, and he does now. 10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  (Jer 29:8-11). Well the time came and Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet (Dan 9:2), and he sought the Lord by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes (Dan 9:3), that they would return to their land, to “restore and to build Jerusalem”, the temple, the street “and the wall, even in troublous times” (Dan 9:25). Cyrus was the appointed ruler, spoken of by the prophet Isai

How Much More Their Fullness The Fullness of Israel Designed to Bless The World 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? That Israel had fallen, and that Israel had been diminished assumes that they had first been set on high, they were elevated before their fall, and just as naturally as they had fallen comes the question that Paul answers in the very first verse of the passage; I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. (Rom 11:1) These are the people of God, they were a chosen people and set apart for the Lord and for his purpose, set apart to indeed be a light unto the gentiles, to be a witness of the Lord and of his Christ to all the world. We often forget that.  The nation of Israel was not set apart solely for themselves; their very lives, their land, their laws and their preservation by God, was to be a witness of God and his faithfulness to all the world. They were SET ON HIGH, even Chosen from the beginning for a blessing to ALL the families of the Earth! Turn in your Bibles to Genesis 12:1-3 1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. The very first time the Lord speaks to Abram, he lays out his plan for them and their purpose to all the earth. THE FULLNESS OF ISRAEL is designed from the beginning to be a blessing to ALL THE EARTH! It was not a mean or lowly purpose, it was not something insignificant, Israel were set on high, and they were set on high for a divine calling that would have its impact upon all the families of the earth. Our failure in understanding this, is always a failure in not taking Gods word seriously enough. When we fail to do this, we fail to see how the Lord works in the world. Now we know that Abram had two sons, one was the Son of the Promise, that is, the Son that would come from his loins through his wife Sarai who was long time barren and both in their very old age. But the other son, the first son that came through Hagar the handmaid given to by Sarai, is known as ‘the son of the flesh’. The name of this son was Ishmael. God made a promise to Abraham that “in Isaac shall thy seed be called” and not in Ishmael (Gen 21:12, Rom 9:7), Nevertheless God also promised that a great nation would come ASLO from Ishmael; Go forward in your Bibles to Genesis 17:17-22 God had just confirmed to Abraham the original promise, and Abraham responds; Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! 19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. 22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. Ishmael became the man through whom a part of the Arab world came, twelve kings or princes came from Ishmael. But the Lord had not stopped building up the FULLNESS OF ISRAEL specifically, for Isaac himself would have two sons. His two sons were born twins in the womb of Rebecca their mother, and even in the womb they strov

Proving the Will of God “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  Romans 12:1-2 Introduction: [Pray] In chapter 12 of Romans we move from the expounding of the gospel and several important doctrinal considerations to the practical applications of our faith. The first 2 verses deal specifically with obedience and holy living and especially in considering the will of God.  The whole idea of “God’s will” has become something of a mystery and regarded as almost unknowable in certain areas of Christendom [or at least that has been my experience for the past 24 years].  Given the wholesale departure from sound doctrine, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Given the level of biblical illiteracy this also shouldn’t be a surprise. Given the fact that the word of God is no longer the final authority in the majority of believers, it shouldn’t be a surprise.  [Having spent too many years in liberal churches] I remember one pastor claiming that he prayed to be in the centre of God’s will and his whole world turned upside down. We were cautiously advised that we might do the same; I fail to see how this would encourage a congregation. Needless to say the congregation was less than enlightened by the distinct lack of sound teaching on such an important  subject.  It doesn’t help when you hear  preachers boasting from the pulpit that “God told me this and God told me that”; it leaves you with the impression that knowing the will of God is only accessible to an esoteric few. When I hear the words “God told me” it turns my stomach and I don’t know whether to pull my hair out or rend my garments and cry blasphemy.  More frightening still, is that people are encouraged to listen for a “still quiet voice”; I say frightening because nowhere in the bible are we instructed to seek God in this way. The reference is of course to Elijah and his experience after running from Jezebel. This was a one-time event and to build a doctrine on this account is insane. In many ways this is in effect saying “listen to your heart”; we know that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. We know that it was Solomon who, having his heart turned away from the Lord, communed it’s his own heart in his quest for answers to the meaning of life.  This is why if if someone asks the question, “do we listen to the heart or the head”, the answer must be neither. Every decision we make in life MUST be filtered through the word of God. Worse still is the twisting of Proverbs 3:5 The biblical exhortation of “leaning not on your own understanding” has become a licence for accepting the bizarre. In other words if something out of the ordinary  happens [especially if I don’t understand it] MUST be the will of God because I couldn’t possibly think this up myself.  The combined effect of all these examples of poor teaching, leaves the ignorant believer at the mercy of his own vain imaginations. Sadly this is where the church is headed; embracing New Age practices and replacing religious piety and true devotion to God with mysticism. In turning away from the word of God [and in particular the authority of the word of God], they must seek an alternative; and this to embrace signs, wonders and miracles [especially so-called prophetic words]. And this is not to mention the WORD of Faith Movement which has done much damage to professing believers. Jesus is the light of the world and promises that those who have believed on him should never walk in darkness, yet there are so many Christians stumbling around in the dark.  Despite this we are blessed to attend a biblical church and to know more of the scriptures than the so-called scholars