Bethesda Shalom

Hebrews 10:23-25 You don’t need a neon sign pointing to the obvious fact that we’re living in what the Bible describes as the last days.  All around us the signs abound!  It is exactly as our Lord said; Spiritual deception on epidemic proportions; wars and rumours of wars; nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom; famines; pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places.  If this be so then it is imperative in the hour in which we live to make sufficient preparation so as to stand in these last days. This sermon is the second part of a two-part sermon series that serves to offer necessary imperatives that the Christian simply cannot afford to be without in this perilous hour.  Having looked in part one at the responsibility we have as believers to maintain our vertical relationship towards God; in this second part, we turn our full attention now to our horizontal relationship towards the Brethren.  In these last days, no man is going to be able to exist as a stand-alone island.  The Church of Je

Romans 13:11-14 You don’t need a neon sign pointing to the obvious fact that we’re living in what the Bible describes as the last days.  All around us the signs abound!  It is exactly as our Lord said; Spiritual deception on epidemic proportions; wars and rumours of wars; nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom; famines; pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places.  If these things be so then it is crucial in the hour in which we live to make sufficient preparation so as to be able to stand. This sermon is the first part of a two-part sermon series that serves to offer necessary imperatives that the Christian simply cannot afford to be without in this perilous hour.  In this sermon, we seek to offer four practical points that relate to our vertical relationship towards God.  Firstly the need to know the Word of God; secondly the need to apply the Word of God; thirdly the need for personal holiness and fourthly the need for spiritual discipline in the area of prayer.  May the Lord see fit to

Part 13 – How do I Interpret the Bible? The claim of Holy Scripture is not that men wrote as it pleased their fancy but rather that “…holy men of God spake as they were moved (carried along) by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet. 1:20).  This fact becomes the key in answering questions that often arise concerning the compilation of the Bible, for example; why 66 books and not 67?  What about so-called missing books - the Gospel of Thomas or Psalm 151?  Who determined what books went into the Bible and what books didn’t?  These questions are easily answerable when one understands that the Bible claims not mere human authorship but divine authorship! Then there is the matter of rightly dividing the Word of God.  All too often, one will encounter Christians who have very little consistency when it comes to reading the Bible and even when they do read it, they do not really have any real method of approach to meaningful study.  Often one will find that rather than studying the Bible, Christians will dabble with the text i.e.

Part 12 – The Doctrine of the Eternal States The doctrine of the eternal states is rightly classed as a sub-division of eschatology - the study of the end times.  Where eschatology has a broader overview of all that is contained in the heading of the last days, the doctrine of eternal states hones in on what will be the final state or eternal existence of man at the end of the world following the Second Coming of Christ and the Millennium.  The Bible is conclusive in what it has to say about the final states of the righteous and the wicked; those whose names are written in the book of life and those whose names are not.  There is a growing movement today amidst the ranks of so-called Evangelicals that denies the conscious eternal suffering of the wicked in a place called hell and instead teaches that the wicked upon being raised from the dead shall be annihilated so as to cease to exist.  As we shall see in this twelfth teaching part, nothing could be further from the truth.  Just as the final state of the ri

Exodus 4:10-16 If we were gathered in certain quarters and I was to mention this sermon title, I’m sure many us would have a good idea what might follow.  “You’ve got a problem with insecurity?  Just take a look in the mirror and realise how great you are!  Your self-esteem needs a face-lift!  Stop doubting yourself and start believing in yourself!  Com’on you’re worth it!”  Such is the rhetoric of popular psychology and sadly even the mentality of many professing Christians.  That said, are we to just write off as erroneous and ignore the fact that there are multitudes of Christians who struggle daily with very real feelings of insecurity which hinder them greatly from moving forward into the call of God for their lives? Brothers and Sisters, it matters not how you feel nor what the world census says.  What does God have to say?  The very opposite of pop psychology!!  Not, develop your self-esteem, but, turn your eyes upon Me!  In Christ it is all flipped on its head!  Our perceived weakness and insecurity i

Colossians 3:1-4 Modern 21st-century man well makes a fitting boast on account of the vast array of his accomplishments; they’re admittedly very impressive! In this century and the last alone, the world has witnessed staggering and unprecedented breakthroughs in every field of expertise, from medicine to engineering. Western civilization has never known such affluence, such protracted periods of peace and prosperity; have never known such high standards of health and living and yet it’s into this period of history and into this geographical locale that each of us finds our present existence, and it’s into this reality that the gospel of Jesus Christ has shone its dazzling light, even into your heart and mine! Undeterred by the leavening influence of a society dripping with riches, the power of Christ is seen in that He has a people though in this world remain untouched by it! This sermon is an exhortation for believers to fix their mind, not on the things of this earth but the things belonging to heaven. The

Part 11 – Understanding Eschatology Without question, the foremost claim to the Bible being inspired and thus coming from God is the sheer volume of material contained within its pages given over to prophecy.  In fact, a staggering 27% of the Bible (just over a ¼) is comprised of such.  God goes down on record, declaring the future before it comes into existence so that when it does all will know that the Living God has spoken!  These predictions are not vague random predictions relating to non-connected matter but rather are specific, exact, calculating, precise in nature and content.  They concern themselves with a particular nation and a particular person, namely Israel and her Messiah, after which they then branch out to encompass the nations in immediate proximity to Israel and finally to the whole world.   The subject matter of this eleventh teaching is narrowed down to a specific field of Bible prophecy called eschatology.  Eschatology comes from the Greek word “eschatos” meaning last and “ology” meani

John 1:45-49 Religion has always produced its lion’s share of the world’s hypocrites, those whose devotion to God consists largely of public show!  Seeking the applause and affirmation of men, they do their religious acts before the same and in so doing they receive their reward of the same! Dear Christian, how fare’s your devotional life with the Lord in private? A call goes forth in this sermon for all to do away with the feigned folly of a counterfeit Christianity; away with such insults against Deity; be gone with such mockery! Its time again to seek the Lord in truth and sincerity that we might serve Him in authenticity! This sermon was shared in May at a CMFI fellowship day.

Matthew 13:9 The word to my heart at the start of this New Year of 2018 is “no compromise!” Where you point the finger O Lord and speak; “Thy will be done!!” You have the right to walk the corridors of my heart and to examine the secret recesses. If there are sinful attitudes and thoughts that I’ve been excusing...pride, lust, anger, envy, selfish ambition; “speak to me by name O Master, that I may acknowledge my ways and take heed to Thy word!!” No more excuses, no more compromise! You have the right to speak to me about where my priorities lie; where I relocate; where I work; what I spend my time doing; what I set before my eyes and what I listen to; the places I go and the company I keep; “no more compromise O Lord, no more excuses!!” “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Mt. 13:9).  My dear Brothers and Sister, spiritual sight and hearing is to be most coveted in this our generation and we play deaf to God to our own detriment!!

Matthew 4:1-11 While many deny the supernatural activity of Satan in the earth today, we are exhorted in the Word of God to take to arm us for the fight the whole armour of God so as to stand in the evil day of his attack.  The weaponry of the Christian’s warfare are not of this word but are mighty through God to the pulling down of satanic strongholds.  Do you know of such armament?  Have you taken such daily to arm you in this great battle?  The devil loves no easier prey than a sitting duck Christian!  Unawares, unsuspecting, naive, unskilled in spiritual warfare and undisciplined in spiritual matters!!  Such are easy pickings and prime suspects to terrorize.  This sermon is an exhortation for all engaged in this spiritual war to take the defense and the offense; the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit.  With the shield of faith we are able to counter His lies and falsehoods but with the sword of the Word of God, we are able to fight back!!  When our Lord was assailed upon by the prince of this wor

Part 10 - The Ordinance of Baptism In this tenth teaching part, we delve into the subject matter of water baptism and in so doing discover that baptism has its roots entrenched in the Old Testament. Water has always been viewed in Judaism as a ceremonial means of cleansing and purifying. When God appeared to the children of Israel on Mt. Sinai for instance, Moses was instructed to “sanctify them” and they were instructed to “wash their clothes” (Ex. 19:10). Before entering into the holy place to minister before the Lord on the Day of Atonement, Aaron was to put on his white priestly linen garments. Yet, before he could put on these holy garments he was first commanded to “wash his flesh in water, and so put them on” (Lv. 16:4). Ritual washing was also required by Law for women following menstruation or childbirth and for men, following a discharge (Lev. 15). It is against this historical backdrop that John the Baptist comes onto the scene baptising men and women in the river Jordan for the remission of sins.

Part 9 - The Lord’s Supper An Ordinance properly defined in a Christian context, is a religious ritual i.e. a ceremony or sacred observance. For the Bible believing Christian, there are only two Ordinances which concern us, namely that of the Lord’s Supper (Communion) and Baptism. On the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion, He desired one last time to eat the Passover meal with His disciples. It was at this feast that Jesus instituted what we know and celebrate as the Lord’s Supper; a memorial meal for the purpose of remembering of the events that were to take place on the morrow, namely His crucifixion in which the New Covenant would be established by the shedding of His precious blood. In this teaching part, we explore the meaning of Communion and try to bring clarity surrounding some of the misconceptions held by believers regarding this Holy Ordinance. We particularly focus on the administration of the Lord’s Supper, since it is at this point where many Bible believing Christians part company in their differing cus

Ephesians 4:1-6 Inextricably linked; tied with an inseparable cord is the commandment to Christian love and the exhortation to Christian unity.  Try any which way you will to separate these two giants and for all your strivings your efforts shall prove in vain, for one cannot maintain the unity of the faith without love and without the unity to which Christ hath joined us to His spiritual body via the new birth, the commandment to love would be impossible!! This sermon is an exhortation to practical unity!!  To simply dote upon the theological truths relating to our spiritual union in Christ and by virtue of this our union with His spiritual body is pie in the sky unless we are going to make a purposeful effort on our behalf to strive to ensure that this spiritual unity is brought into the realm of practical experience “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). This sermon was shared at the CMFI 2017 conference   

Having spent the last two teaching sessions surveying two great pillars of what is termed Soteriology (the study of salvation), we come in this eighth teaching part to survey the third and final pillar, namely the doctrine of sanctification. If the doctrine of sin lays the foundation upon which doctrine of the atonement rests, the doctrine of sanctification takes its necessary place in the grand order of things in being the last to be laid. That it is last to be laid is no reflection upon its importance, for all three are of equal importance and if one was to fall they would all fall! Many today would make much of the first two pillars as though the work of salvation is complete without need of the third. However, as we shall see the doctrine of sanctification is of the utmost importance for without it Christianity is confined to the dust of death, without life and without power. In short, it is the heart of God to redeem a holy people set apart unto Himself that as He is holy so we might be also! He has acco

Matthew 12:9-14 There are some that appear in the eyes of many to be a most religious bunch whilst hidden beneath the thin veneer of their religion lies the darkness of evil! Dead religion has always provided the platform for the most wicked of crimes and the cloak under which men might veil their evils in hypocrisy and deceit. For example of this, we need to look no further than the Scribes and Pharisees!! It wasn’t the publicans who plotted His execution nor was it the prostitutes who handed Him over to be crucified, rather it was those belonging to the religious establishment of the day who crucified the Saviour, loving their traditions more than God!! This sermon is a warning to us all and an exhortation to come out from the shadows of dead religion into the light of God’s Word!! God forbid that when truth stares us in the face, we should choose instead of repenting, to hide behind the veil of dead religion. Those who persecuted Christ and those responsible for persecuting the true Church hasn't changed,

2 Timothy 4:5-8 When you’ve only one shot, what do you do? You make it count!! When you’ve only one bullet in the chamber, though you may have fired hundreds before it, that one bullet by reason of it being your last, now becomes priceless and the need for it to find its target, paramount! In the hour of plenty, one is at liberty to fire and miss a few, but when you’re down to the last shot, there are no second chances! My dear Brothers and Sisters, life is very much like this. Oh, I know that in one’s younger years, it appears as though we’ve many more ahead of us and on account of this the years generally of the youngster are passed in foolishness, wasted and squandered in the pursuit of vanity. Ah, but alas, one suddenly finds that the sun which seemed so bright in its day, has come down to set and the years which were deemed to be many prove only to be of few. This sermon brings the listener face to face with the radical life of the Apostle Paul who from the very moment of his conversion dedicated his li

We are living in an age where Christians generally have no stomach for doctrine and consequently the great doctrines of the Christian faith which form the very bedrock of the gospel are being undermined in our day. The doctrine of atonement is one such pillar of the Christian faith towering above the landscape like a giant. As when a gem is held up to light it shines forth its many facets of beauty, so this great doctrine is full of like splendour. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they sought to clothe themselves with the leaves of figs. However, such a covering was not sufficient and it was God who later clothed them aright, not with fig leaves (speaking of human works) but the skins of dead animals!! This if you like, is the first insight into the doctrine of atonement, namely that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. The doctrine of the atonement comes under the theological umbrella of soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) and includes as part of this many other prin

Romans 12:1 There is no middle road in Christianity; no middle ground upon which to stand. Any seeming appearance of such is an illusion and a figment of one’s imagination, a product of Westernised consumer Christianity which on the say so of Jesus Christ Himself is no Christianity at all!! ”I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:15-16). Now I know that such straightforward speaking is not very popular today and won’t win one many friends but Jesus knew of no double talk, and said point-blank, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mk. 8:34). This sermon is a call for wholehearted devotion to the God of the universe. This idea that we can bring our offering to God on Sunday and live as we please rest of the week is blown out of the water as soon as one is confronted with the person of Jesus Christ. My dear frie

Acts 12:1-17 There are seasons in life’s journey where the calamities of this world come to visit the door of the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Sorrow and sickness, death and disease, trials and tribulations, all come at their appointed times and there seems to be no discrimination as to where they fall and come to rest. How does one explain the ‘why’s’ of how some of God’s godly Saints are taken home in the prime of their life and service; why some are left in sickness and are not healed? Is there injustice with God? Can we charge God with evil? The truth of the matter is that we see only through a glass dimly, the reflection is poor and sketchy. Limited to our own fixed time and space dimension, we tend to view things with tunnel vision only ever having in focus our immediate need at a particular moment. Yet, has it ever occurred to you that God is aiming at the bigger picture, that may well not involve your deliverance in this present world for reasons known only to the Almighty “...who worketh all

Numbers 22 Many Christians can make a mental recitation of their standing with God. They can shout and sing of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, His atonement and their adoption as sons and daughters. Yet, for some, this is nothing more than a mental assent to facts that have yet to be fully realised in their Christian experience. Faith is the means and the only means by which the great truths of God are appropriated to our lives so as to become living realities in our experience. There are many Christians who though they name the name of Jesus Christ are still bound by the lies of Satan which would convince them that he still has power and authority over their lives. So we’re told; if your father was a Freemason, then as a Christian you need to be delivered from the curse of Freemasonry; if you unsaved mother is a witch, then you need to be delivered from the curse of witchcraft! David shows from the Word of God that this is not Scriptural and that if we are in Christ then we have been delivered from the p