Teaching

SEVEN ‘I AMs’ OF CHRIST

(May 28, 2024) Richard Winter shares…

When God told Moses that he was the one chosen to bring Israel out of their darkness in Egypt, the astounded and uncertain shepherd had said, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is His name?” Then what shall I tell them?’

God’s reply was ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you”’ (Exodus 3:9-10).

No doubt you can image Moses thinking ‘“I AM” has sent me? They’ll probably say, “And who’s this I AM?”’ But…  dear reader, do you know who the ‘I AM’ of scripture is?

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ZONING IN ON ZEPHANIAH

(May 18, 2024) Brian Bell challenges…

I am sharing some thoughts here from the Old Testament prophecy of Zephaniah, a book of only three short chapters.

But firstly… who was Zephaniah?

Rebuking Prophet
Zephaniah was a prophet in Judah in the years before the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians. At the time of Zephaniah’s prophecy Josiah was king of Judah.

Zephaniah’s messages bring a stern rebuke to what we would describe as a spiritually cold or backslidden people. Sadly, at that time, while the people of Judah were materially prosperous, they were spiritually slack, having forsaken their obedience to the Lord for the worship of many ‘gods.’

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THE POWER OF PENTECOST

(May 17, 2024) Dr Jim McClure shares …

Pentecost has often been described as the ‘Birthday of the Church.’  Why? Because Pentecost was the day when the mission of the church was born.

The first Christian Pentecost was a hugely dramatic occasion. ‘Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance’ (Acts 2:2-4).

Pentecost was not just a random, revival-type experience for those first Christians – it was a fulfilling of Christ’s promise to His disciples, ‘When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of me’ (John 15:26 NJKV). The Greek word translated here as ‘Helper’ literally means ‘one called alongside.’  The Holy Spirit walks alongside us in our journey through life.

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DYING IS EVEN BETTER!

(May 04, 2024) Brian Bell shares encouragingly …

If you’re thinking, ‘How can such a title bring me encouragement?,’ please keep reading!

Recently I have shared several lessons we can learn from Paul’s letters. Here I plan to share some thoughts about Paul… who was originally known as ‘Saul’ (Saulus or Shaul, the Jewish name of Paul, Paulus).

Pre-conversion
Luke tells us in Acts 7:58NLT about the stoning of Stephen: ‘The official witnesses took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul’ (possibly around 30ish then). And in Acts 8:1NLT that ‘Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.’

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THE HOLY ROAD

(April 24, 2024) Dr Jim McClure shares and explains an important truth…

When touring in Southern Ireland many years ago, Jean and I saw a signpost pointing to the place we wanted to visit.  We turned onto that road and drove, drove, and drove… The road’s condition gradually deteriorated until it ceased to exist in the middle of nowhere! Driving back to where we had seen the signpost, we discovered that someone had deliberately pointed it in the wrong direction! 

The lesson is obvious – you won’t arrive at the right destination if you travel on the wrong road! So I’m sharing about a road specifically named in the Old Testament – ‘Way of Holiness’, or the ‘Holy Road.’ 

It’s graphically described in Isaiah 35:8-10, ‘A highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there,  and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.’

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RED ALERTS!

(April 12, 2024) Richard Winter reflects on dangers and challenges …

See the sun come up this morning, or any signs in the sky? For example… sunshine means warmer weather – that’s a good sign.

Did you know that Jesus has an important teaching about looking for signs?

Matthew 16:1-4NKJV records: ‘Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.’ 

Red Alerts
We all know that a Red Alert –
(i)  Signifies a warning.
(ii) Indicates eminent impending danger.
(iii) Gets our attention by its very colour.
(iv) Means alarm bells will be ringing danger!

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SING! SING! SING!

(April 09, 2024) Brian Bell encourages joyful praise of God with our Christian music…

In his letter to the Ephesians, chapter 5:18-19 (NLT), Paul gives us some advice about living in the Spirit – ‘…let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord.’

And in Colossians 3:16NLT, Paul also encourages our worship along the same lines – ‘Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use His words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.’

Singing – a Heritage
From my earliest childhood, I was brought under the sound of Christian music. I sang in the children’s choir and later in the church choir. This influence grew when I became a Christian in my mid-teens and began to take a keen interest in the Christian music of my generation.

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REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION

(March 25, 2024) Dr Jim McClure shares Easter truths…

There is a major difference between fantasy and reality.  Fantasy is based on fiction while reality is based on truth! One of our major problems today is that fiction and deception has replaced reality in many areas and truth is being discarded in favour of falsehood.

This is not new. Throughout history evil has sought to overcome good as moral social values have been reversed and lies have replaced truth.  About 2700 years ago the prophet Isaiah’s description of his own nation at that time strongly resembles much of what is happening in our world today – ‘Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight’ (Isaiah 5:20-21).

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THE LORD’S SUPPER

(March 10, 2024) Dr Jim McClure shares some important truths…

Some years ago my wife Jean and I attended a church where the service went on longer than intended. The Lord’s Supper was to celebrated at the end of the service, but the significance and the solemnity of the ceremony had been removed. However, as the communion table had already been prepared, people were invited to serve themselves with the bread and wine… if they wished.

The result was that some did, some didn’t. I confess that Jean and I were among those who didn’t.

This significant celebration has been given different names by different churches – The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist, the Mass. The important thing about this sacrament is not what we call it or how often we celebrate it, but what it signifies and what our attitude to it should be!

1. The Context
(i) Passover remembrance
1Corinthians 5:7 states, ‘Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.’  What does that mean? What has the Lord’s Supper got to do with to the Passover?

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PROFIT FROM PHILEMON

March 09, 2024) Brian Bell shares…

It was while Paul was imprisoned in Rome that he wrote his short letter to Philemon, who it would seem was a wealthy man but also a well-respected believer among the Christians who made up the church in Colossae.

During his imprisonment, Paul had met a slave called Onesimus, a native of Colossae who had run away from Philemon. While in prison Onesimus came to faith in the Lord Jesus and the intention of Paul’s letter was asking Philemon to receive Onesimus back into his home.

From what is likely a very well-known story I share five encouraging thoughts…

1. Philemon’s Principle
While Paul writes specifically to Philemon he says he is ‘also writing to the church that meets in your house’ verse 2 (NLT). The church of course refers to the collective body of Christian believers.

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