Paul - Action Man or Prayer Warrior?

Paul is often thought of as a man of action, busy about the Lord’s work - journeying, preaching, discussing, persuading and planting churches. Yes he did all these things and more but he was also a great man of prayer.

You have been redeemed and forgiven of all your sins - Colossians 1:14

The context of redemption

Old Testament times

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word pädäh, meaning "to deliver" or "to sever" is translated as redemption. Throughout the history of the Israelites God reminded them that they belonged to Him because He had redeemed them and had provided them with the land of Canaan.

Identity Theft

You hear a lot in the news about identity theft.

You might think it’s a pretty new phenomena particularly with the rise in the use of the internet.

But for Christians, particularly Christians in the west it’s been going on for some time.

Time Management

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Introduction

The subject of time management is very popular in business training and yet it is something of a misnomer as time itself cannot really be managed in the same way as the other resources that we have at our disposal.

Each one of us has the same time available to us. There are 7 days in a week, 24 hours in a day and 3600 seconds in an hour. What we can do is manage ourselves so that we can achieve the goals we have set within the required time. But most business people want to manage their time not so that they can have more free time but so that they can fit even more activity into their already busy day.

As Christians it’s important to remember that our time is in God’s hands (Psalm 31 v15), that all our days were written in his book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139 v 16) and that as we number our days aright we will gain wisdom (Psalm 90 v12).

What must I do to be saved?

According to the Bible, when the apostle Paul and his friend Silas were imprisoned at Philippi they began to pray and sing hymns.

According to the tradition, this is where Paul and Silas spent the night

Then an earthquake struck and shook the foundations of the prison enough to open the prison doors, open up the stocks, and free the prisoner’s chains from the walls.

The Character of God!

After the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was completed the Israelites got together and praised God. You can read their prayer in Nehemiah chapter 9

It tells us so much about God – Who He is and what He has done.It reveals to us so much about God's character.

You see in almost every verse and often more than once, – they refer to God, the Lord, You, Your!

The Names of God

There's a lot in a name!

ELOHIM	Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1 meaning "God", a reference to God's power and might.
ADONAI	Malachi 1:6 meaning "Lord", a reference to the Lordship of God.
JEHOVAH—YAHWEH	Genesis 2:4 a reference to God's divine salvation.
JEHOVAH-MACCADDESHEM	Exodus 31:13 meaning "The Lord thy sanctifier"
JEHOVAH-ROHI	Psalm 23:1 meaning "The Lord my shepherd"
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH	Ezekiel 48:35 meaning "The Lord who is present"
JEHOVAH-RAPHA	Exodus 15:26 meaning "The Lord our healer"
JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU	Jeremiah 23:6 meaning "The Lord our righteousness"
JEHOVAH-JIREH	Genesis 22:13-14 meaning "The Lord will provide"
JEHOVAH-NISSI	Exodus 17:15 meaning "The Lord our banner"
JEHOVAH-SHALOM	Judges 6:24 meaning "The Lord is peace"
JEHOVAH-SABBAOTH	Isaiah 6:1-3 meaning "The Lord of Hosts"
JEHOVAH-GMOLAH	Jeremiah 51:6 meaning "The God of Recompense"
EL-ELYON	Genesis 14:17-20, Isaiah 14:13-14 meaning "The most high God
EL-ROI	Genesis 16:13 meaning "The strong one who sees"
EL-SHADDAI	Genesis 17:1, Psalm 91:1 meaning "The God of the mountains or God Almighty"
EL-OLAM	Isaiah 40:28-31 meaning "The everlasting God"

Honesty, Honour and Hope

Let’s take a look at Psalm 142 and see how David faced his situation when he was in trouble and hiding in a cave!

I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. 
I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.

There’s three things I want to briefly emphasise from this psalm.

The Bible - Part 2

God has chosen to communicate with us through his Word, the Bible. It is the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. If you study, hear read, memorise and meditate on the scriptures you can get to know God better, understand more of his plan for your life and discover new truths about Him.

Faith in the Fire

Have a read of Daniel Chapter 3.

Although Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were worshiping, working and witnessing in the Babylonian culture they refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar's image of gold and literally got fired!

The king made a decree.

The three friends defied him.

And the Lord delivered them.

No lessons - No test - No fee

As Remembrance Sunday approaches I've been thinking about my Dad. He served in the army during the Second World War as an engineer stationed in Malta, Italy and in Northern Ireland.

He didn’t talk much about those days but he did have a favourite story to tell and he told us about it quite frequently - especially as he got older!

When he was stationed in Northern Ireland he would go out with a driver to the artillery placements to repair the guns and other equipment.

We are family

In Mark chapter 3 Jesus is in a house and He’s teaching a large crowd.

Then along comes His mum Mary and His brothers.

And evidently they can’t get in to see Jesus because of the crowd, so they send in a message.

And Jesus says:

Who are my mother and my brothers?

Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, Here are my mother and my brothers!

Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.

And it might seem that Jesus is being rude.

One Anothering

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you”

I’d like to consider what it means to accept each other.

What does accepting one another look like?

It’s no good just saying that we accept each other – it has to be worked out in our lives together with other Christians – in our common unity.

Accept one another

There’s a little section in Paul’s letter to the Galatians Chapter 2 where he tells us about the time when Peter came to visit him at Antioch.

¹¹But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹²For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. ¹³And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Jesus calms the storm

Matthew 8:23-27

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’
He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’

Some years ago my wife and I went on holiday to France with two of our children. We went camping in Brittany and travelled there by ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff – a six hour sailing across the western end of the English Channel.

The Bible - Part 1

There are a number of reasons why have have chosen to write about the Bible.

1. I've been thinking about writing about the Bible for some time. 

2. I was once at a meeting in a retreat house with a bunch of Christians and we were all asked to bring something important to us and share it with the group. Understandably there was a varied collection of stuff and some amazing stories.

A childhood teddy bear, a treasured family photo, a painting.

I took my Bible. Apparently most of my friends had guessed that that is what I would take.

Christmas Chilli

What do you have to eat on Christmas Day?

Perhaps turkey, or duck or goose, or maybe something less expensive. I wonder if it should be a bowl of Chilli Con Carne!

The madness of St Paul and the uniqueness of Jesus

When St Paul was on trial before King Agrippa and Governor Festus in Caesarea the King said to Paul that he could speak for himself. 

The Bible says that Paul motioned with his hand and began his defence and he began to explain the gospel, how he had experienced the risen Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus and what he had been doing as a result of the encounter.

The power of the Spirit

Luke 24:45-49

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,⁴⁷ and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

The Good News of repentance and forgiveness will be preached to all nations.

Preached - told - proclaimed – in whose name – in the name of Jesus.

You see this is the Good News that Jesus died and rose again.

And that when we repent of our sins we can have forgiveness because of what Jesus has done.

Palm Sunday Quiz

You can read about the events of the first "Palm Sunday" in all four gospels.

Matthew 21:1-11

Mark 11:1-11

Luke 19:28-40

John 12:12-19