Bethesda Shalom

Matthew 12:1-8 Misguided zeal is a dangerous thing and nowhere perhaps is this zeal more deadly than when framed within a religious context.  There is no underestimating what man will do for God, and the devil knows this, which is why it is his vehicle of choice so commonly used to insight men to injure his neighbour. What saith our Lord? What is the end of all divine commandments?  “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mt. 22:36-39).

1 Corinthians 15:58 On July 8th, 1741, a man by the name of Jonathan Edwards preached what has been dubbed, the greatest sermon to have ever been preached on American soil.  The sermon was titled, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”.  Nothing was spared the hearers, as Edwards expounded to his sleepy listeners, the certain fiery punishment that awaited the unbelievers and their desperate need to flee to the Saviour for refuge! As believers in Christ, we rejoice in Christ for His saving grace wherewith we have been gloriously saved from such an end.  However, in light of the coming resurrection when Christ shall burst the heavens and come back for His own, we are not to be found idle.  This sermon is an exhortation for us in Christ to be busy in the work of the Lord until He comes.  For those unsure of their call, it’s time to seek the Lord.  For those who know their call and yet are slumbering, it is a wake-up call to arise so as to set the hand to the plough!

Knowing the Bible for Yourself (Pt. 12) It has often been said; “If it’s in the Bible, then I believe it!!”  Whilst I understand the sentiments of what is seeking to expressed by such a statement, the statement is only as good as one’s interpretation of the text.  If one misinterprets a portion of Scripture due to poor exegesis, then what one thinks they understand God to be saying, is not actually what He has said.  To then apply this to one’s life to miss the mark and to end in error. In this second part of a two-part teaching, we look at three unique books that have caused problems for some in their interpretation due to the difficult nature of their composition and structure.  We endeavour by the grace of God to shed some light in these Books, namely Ecclesiastes, Job, and Song of Solomon.  Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/8b_Interpreting_the_Books_of_Wisdom_Pt2.pdf

Luke 7:36-50 When we think of religion, we tend to have this idea in our minds that those who are the most zealous in their efforts to apply religious principles; these are they who love God the most.  I want to say, nothing could be further from the truth!  Some of the meanest and cruelest people down through millennia’s ages are those who were the most fanatical in their cause for religion!  What we need is not more religion, but more love for the Saviour!  May God so help us to love the Lord Jesus Christ with a greater affection. 

Colossians 3:1-15 As Christians, we must never tire of saying “No!”  A decisive “No!” with firm conviction has delivered many a Christian pilgrim from the peril of danger and saved his soul from many a calamity.  We must first and foremost say “No!” to sin!!!  To deny the flesh its fill is never an easy thing.  It has strong desires and burning passions that demand to be satisfied.  It cries out in the daytime and the night seasons; “I’m hungry”!  But the Christian who has walked for any length of time with the Lord knows that to yield to its demands is to play with fire.  We MUST give due diligence here and watch over our souls.  Is sin creeping in? Have we slackened?  Have we loosened the reigns?  It’s one thing to start out of the blocks, but it takes a different kind of athlete to stay the course and finish the race.  God is calling us to finish well!!

Matthew 7:1-5 It’s been well said, that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones (and how true this proverb is).  There’s something about the fallen state of humanity whereby man finds it so easy (almost effortless) to point out the faults in others, and yet; finds it so hard to see those same faults in himself.  No sooner than he points the finger, there are three fingers pointing back at him!  How swift we are to dish out criticism, yet how slow we are to eat from that same plate!  How skilled we are at murmuring and complaining about the hairline cracks we see in others when if the truth be told, we’ve crumbling joints in our own foundation but are too blind to see it because we’re always got our eyes on others people. This sermon is a call and an exhortation for mercy in our judgment of one another in light of the judgment seat of Christ. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 There are some proverbs that remain in our thinking more than others; some that seem to leave a greater lasting impression in our hearts than others.  None perhaps have left their indelible mark upon the hearts of God’s people than Proverbs 3:5-6.  “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”.  In this sermon, we bring these verses to the forefront and endeavour to behold the treasures of this precious jewel.  This world is full of care and trouble, but the child of God has been called to place their trust wholeheartedly in the Lord!  Will we not see what God will do, if we but look to Him?

Knowing the Bible for Yourself (Pt. 11) When one thinks of wisdom, what thoughts come to mind?  What images fill the head?   The response of the Christian to such questions will inevitably differ from those outside the faith.  The most up-to-date entry in the Cambridge online dictionary defines wisdom as: “The ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments”.  The Biblical definition of wisdom whilst not contradicting this, begins from an entirely different premise from where the world begins.  The world begins from a worldview that excludes the God of Holy Scripture; whereas the Biblical definition of wisdom begins and ends with God (Prov. 9:10). There are five books in the Bible that have been rightly identified as belonging to the Wisdom Literature.  These include Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.  In this first teaching part of two, we begin exploring this wisdom and endeavour to offer practical helps to enable one to better interpret the Book of P

Matthew 13:1-9 J.C Ryle said of this parable; “The four kinds of hearts it describes are to be found in every assembly which hears the word.  These circumstances should make us always read the parable with a deep sense of its importance.  We should say to ourselves as we read it: “This concerns me. My heart is to be seen this parable. I, too, am here”.  Well said, Brother Ryle!! The child of God ever runs the dangerous possibility of becoming overfamiliar with those texts which he hears the most.  The Parable of the Sower is perhaps at the forefront of this list.  May we listen to this sermon with ears and eyes afresh and in so doing, may God grant us to see the soil condition of our hearts.

Jeremiah 8:20 What woeful words greet us; what mournful landscape is hung before our eyes, sketched by the son of Hilkiah, otherwise known as the weeping prophet!  “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.  It’s one thing to pronounce judgment and it’s another thing to do so with streaming eyes.  Jeremiah didn't earn his epithet without warrant; as goes the name, as goes the man!  “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Jer. 9:1).  The false prophets spoke words of flattering ease and comfort, but the true prophets called God’s people to repentance and foretold of coming judgment.  As we look across our nation and to the Church that is within it, will there not a voice arise to cry out to Living God if perhaps He might mercy and stand on God’s Word?  “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then wi

Psalm 23 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” — coming from the pen of shepherd!!  It is no coincidence that the latter words “...I shall not want” should follow fast on the heels of the former “The LORD is my shepherd”.  The two are intrinsically linked together and the latter proceeds out of the former.  It is because the LORD is a shepherd, that the sheep under His watchful care shall lack for nothing!!  While the shepherd is near, the sheep have nothing to worry about!!  You see, the shepherds of the middle east were different from those we’re perhaps accustomed to in the West.  Here in England, we frequently see sheep grazing freely on the rolling hills with no shepherd in sight and without a seeming care in the world!  But in Biblical times, in ancient Israel, this would have proven fatal!  It was the shepherd’s chief duty to watch over his flock in order to protect them from predators. In his sermon, we look at the Good Shepherd and take comfort from that 23rd Psalm which down through the ages h

James 1:22-25 Which specialist army unit deploys an inconsistent marksman to take out an enemy target?  Which coach puts forward an inconsistent striker to take the deciding penalty?  Yet, if we’re honest with ourselves (and I’m speaking of things pertaining to our Christian walk), we leave far too much margin for error in our lives.  Inconsistencies which ought to be consistencies, variables which ought to be constants; and yet, when I open the Word of God, I don’t see these margins of error being left us for waver.  Instead, I see imperatives (instructional commands) where the expectation is for full compliance! This sermon is an exhortation for believers to lay hold on God and to press through into a life of consistency.

Knowing the Bible for Yourself (Pt. 10) The first recorded song sung in the Bible was the Song of Moses and the last recorded song that will one day be sung is also the song of Moses (Rev. 15:3).  Did you know that there are some 185 songs recorded in Holy Scripture, most of which are found in the Book of Psalms?  If you were God, would you choose to include in your collection of books, a book solely consisting of songs?  Would you choose to make this book the largest book in your collection of books and would you have it contain the longest chapter?  What does all of this tell us?  It clearly sends a message, telling us that songs are important to God!  It has been calculated that there are 283 direct quotations from the Tanakh (Old Testament) found in the New Testament.  Did you know that the greatest number of quotes coming from any one book is the Book of Psalms! One cannot overestimate the role that David played in bringing structured praise into the House of God.  In the days of the Tabernacle of Moses,

2 Samuel 23:8-39 As one surveys the annals of history, down through the corridors of time, one will find that history polluted and stained by war.  Bloodshed has left its indelible mark upon the human race, the horrors of battle recorded by those who never lived to tell their story in person.  If there’s one thing that history bears witness to, it’s this, war is not a thing to be desired!!  However, having said that, there is something about the environment of war that is able to accomplish something that a pre-war environment simply cannot do.  Brothers and Sisters, it is in the climate of war where heroes are born!!  A pre-war generation of peace is known by its cowards, and the generation of war, by its heroes!  This sermon is a heart cry for men to rise up in this critical hour and to give themselves to the fight!!  A Church in retreat will never do.  Is there one who would say with the shepherd boy David “Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (1 Sam.

Ezekiel 24:15-27 Brother Ryan comes with a very strong and timely word to the Body of Christ.  Drawing from the life and example of Ezekiel, Ryan brings a practical application to believers in relation to the value we place on our lives and this world.  Who will pick up their cross in this critical hour and live wholeheartedly for Jesus Christ?

John 2:13-17 The question being asked in this sermon is a question that every Christian must answer honestly before God; Where lies the treasure of your heart?  In just three words, our Lord would have us remember; “Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk. 17:32).  Her heart was still at home in Sodom, and though her feet were going through the motions of exiting the confines of that wicked city, she brought Sodom out with her!  Let me ask you, do you feel at home in this world or are you just passing through? This sermon is a call for a people to rise up in this day of great evil, wherein it appears, the glory of God is departing from these shores. Is there a soul who of whom it could be said; the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up?  Who will give themselves to the Father’s business in order that we might see the Kingdom of God advancing in our day? Even so, Lord may it be!

Revelation 3:7-8 Here before us in the third chapter of the Book of Revelation, is a Church, to whom our Lord had nothing by way of rebuke to bring.  That was of course, not the case for the vast majority of the Churches that He addressed in Revelation chapters 2 and 3.  In my reckoning, there were only two out of the seven Churches addressed, for which our Lord had nothing bad to say and both these Churches shared something precious in common that I believe was key in contributing to this.  You say, Brother, what was it?  Both found themselves in the midst of persecution and tribulation, amidst great difficulty and affliction for representing the name of Jesus Christ.  Both were WEAK in their own natural strength. Whatever we may think of persecution, and whatever discomfort we may feel at the thought of having to go through afflictions and trials —one thing is for sure...IT DOES US GOOD!!  Maybe you’re going through a particular trial of incredible difficulty and you feel as though you can’t go on.  Be enco

Knowing the Bible for Yourself (Pt. 9) The last two decades have seen a steady stream of teaching into the Christian Church with a major emphasis on the need for the return to the Jewish roots of the Christian faith.  The argument goes as follows:  the first Church was Jewish in culture and practice and so what went wrong?  What went wrong (they’ll say) is that the Church veered from its Hebrew roots and allowed the influence of Greek philosophy to Hellenise a faith that was once deeply Jewish and what we have been left with a paganised Christianity that is need of desperate reformation!  Thus, the general consensus of those belonging to the Hebrew Roots Movement will be an insistence on a return back to Torah observance as a way of life, since this was (they’ll argue) the life that Jesus, the disciples, and the early Church practiced.  This includes Sabbath observance (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset), abstaining from the consumption of unclean animals (pork, prawns, etc.), observance of the Jewish Feasts,

1 Corinthians 10:1-14 Exhortation abound in the Word of God, calling believers to stand!  “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).  “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1).  “…my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord…” (Phil. 4:1), and so we could go on! In this sermon, a great warning is given for the believers to stand guard against a mind inflated with pride.  By looking at the example of Israel’s disobedience and the subsequent judgment that came as a result of this, the believer in Christ I warned so as not to follow suit.  May the Lord speak to each one of us.

Matthew 4:1-11 The saying goes; “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”, and to this, the Word of God agrees. What saith the Apostle Paul when instructing the Corinthian Church to forgive a brother who had once been caught in a grievous sin but had now been brought to true repentance and remorse over the same?  “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11).  Ah, such a statement presupposes many things.  In the first, it presupposes that there is such a being as Satan, and in the second, it presupposes the possibility that Satan can gain an advantage over us, though we name the name of Jesus Christ!  Brothers and Sisters, there’s no two ways about it, we must be on guard and stand ready to overcome in the day of Satan’s special assault. In this sermon, we take a look at the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, and in so doing, we learn valuable lessons that serve as aids to help us to overcome when we too shall be tempted by the devil.