Bethesda Shalom

Part 6 - The Doctrine of Man Opinions abound today as to the purpose of man’s existence. Through evolutionary thought, man has been reduced to nothing more than a process of random mutations over millions of years. For some, man has no purpose except for the furtherance of future progeny; while for others man is making great leaps and bounds in his upward progression toward godhood! In a world where suggested theories as to the purpose and meaning of life abound, what sense if any are we to make of them all? Man finds himself, perhaps like never before, having to wrestle with the many competing voices and the Christian cannot take himself out of this struggle. However, where natural man is left to his own thoughts and devices, the Christian turns to the Word of God to find answers to the great questions of life. We shall in this sixth teaching part seek to address the question of where we came from and who we are and shall conclude by answering the big question; what went wrong! When one looks at the world to

Part 5 - The Doctrine of Demons Demonology, is the theological term given to the biblical study of demons. One generally finds that when dealing with this particular area, one of two extremes tend to surface. On one extreme there are the liberals, which refuse to even acknowledge the existence of the demonic realm in any meaningful way whilst at the other extreme are the hyper-spiritualists who overplay the realm of the demonic to such an extent that the devil gets the blame for everything. All such extremes are to be avoided and highlight the importance of gaining a good solid foundation in this very important topic. Whilst many sound believers would shun such extremes, there are notwithstanding, Christians who are so terrified by the demonic realm that they can’t sleep at night without a light on. In this fifth teaching part in our foundational series, we shall set ourselves the task of trying to gain a biblical understanding of demons; what they are and what their nature, function, and activity is in the w

Genesis 26:17-18 A number of significant occurrences took place in the Bible at wells. At Beersheba (the well of an oath), Abraham entered into a covenant with Abimelech; at Beerlahairoi (the well of Him that liveth and seeth me), the Angel of the LORD visited Hagar in her distress. Who can forget Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, who at well was given a bride by God for his master's son Isaac? Fast forward some 2000 years and we have yet another encounter with a woman at a well, this time Jesus and the woman of Samaria. At this well, Jesus offers living water, that if a man drinks he shall never thirst again, an internal well springing up within him into everlasting life! This sermon is a call for reality in the Christian life!! Just as in the days of Isaac when the Philistine enemies filled his father’s wells, many Christians sadly have allowed their wells to be filled with dirt and on account of this no longer sense and experience the vital reality of God the Holy Spirit within them bringing forth the fruit

Part 4 - The Doctrine of Angels What are we to make when Christians become obsessed with angels? When a leading charismatic figure claims to have personal visitations from a female angel called Emma? Is it biblical to call down healing angels in a Church meeting or any type of angels for that matter? What do angels even look like and what is their function? Typically, in many artistic impressions they are depicted as winged chubby infants with ruddy cheeks floating around in play. One thing is for certain, much superstition surrounds the topic of angels, spurred on not least by the resurgence of interest in the occult via the New Age movement which has come into the mainstream over the last 30 years. The fascination with angels today has led many undiscerning enthusiasts onto dangerous ground as they actively seek to make contact with these spirit beings for spiritual guidance and insight. With biblical illiteracy at a high, sadly, even professing Christians have allowed the influences of Hollywood to inform

John 21:19-22 “Tis so sweet to walk with Jesus, step by step and day by day; stepping in His very footprints, walking with Him all the way. Step by step, step by step, I would walk with Jesus; all the day, all the way, keeping step with Jesus” (A.B Simpson). Oh, how many are caught up with the burden and grief of trying to keep step with Mr and Mrs Jones when we’re called instead to keep step with Jesus! To take our eyes off the Lord and to begin comparing ourselves with others, is breeding ground for all manner of strife and division, contention and envy. This sermon is an exhortation to us all to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and not to allow what the Lord is doing in others’ lives to be a hindrance to what God is wanting to do in our own lives! We’ve each been called by name to the Saviour into a personal relationship. The good Lord deals with each of His children as it so pleases Him. May we resist the temptation to compare ourselves with others and in so doing to become envious. Walking with Jesus must

Part 3 - The Attributes of God When speaking of the attributes of God, what we are really referring to are the characteristics of God, those qualities that describe who God is. The God of the Bible is unique and His characteristics define His very nature. By studying the attributes of God as defined by the Bible, we gain an understanding of who God is and what He is like. Sadly, the tendency of many in our current day towards theology (the study of God) is one of apathy and even scorn. Theology is seen to be too technical and unnecessary for the common Christian who hasn’t the time or care to pursue such academic matters. Instead, what we see generally is that theology has been sacrificed on the altar of experience. However, without the sound foundation provided by sound theology, one cannot truly experience God aright. Thus it is essential that we grasp the character and nature of God which will inform a proper biblical experience! In this important teaching, we shall look at thirteen core attributes of God

Luke 18:1-8 That men ought always to pray is instruction worthy of the utmost honour and regard. What air is to the human lungs and water to the gills of fish, so prayer is to the spiritual life of the Christian. A prayerless Christian is a dead Christian at worst and a carnal one at best, without prayer we’re not going very far!! This sermon is not only an exhortation that men ought always to pray, but in continuing the verse “…and not faint”, an exhortation is given to preserve in prayer. Oh, dear Soul, unanswered prayer by no means is an indicator that God is not willing to answer prayer. The parable before us in this sermon is a firm declaration that this is not the case at all. Be of good courage and continue in prayer labouring in the same in earnest for it’s not over until it’s over!

Luke 22:31-32 We ought to be under no illusion as believers as to the sobering reality that we each have a common foe, an arch-enemy of our soul; one who hates us with a perfect hatred; one who in his very essence is the epitome of pure evil. When going out to war, it is the fool who proceeds into battle, ignorant of the enemy he’s facing. The wise man first studies his opponent and knows ahead of time his strategies of battle that he might prepare himself for victory! In this sermon, you will learn of four chief ways in which Satan seeks to attack the believer in Christ. In each and every one of these modes of assaults, Satan is out to destroy one thing, our faith!! As believers, not only must be aware of his stratagems, but we must also know how to overcome in each attack. Behold…Satan the deceiver, Satan the accuser, Satan the tempter and Satan the persecutor. The one thing that he seeks most of all is the one thing by which we overcome. “…This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1

Part 2 - The Doctrine Of The Trinity The doctrine of the Trinity lies at the foundation of our understanding of God as Christians. To deny this truth is to put one thoroughly outside the confines of true orthodoxy of what has been held and accepted as true by those professing Christianity down through the centuries. However, because something has been held as true by many Christians for lengthy periods of time, does not mean that it is true. As Christians, the question that we come back to each and every time is, what does the Bible say? Is such a teaching clearly taught in the Bible? If it is, then having agreed with Scripture, we are happy to agree with those coming before us of like faith. Yet if it is not, then we have to reject such teachings on the grounds that they cannot be substantiated in Holy Scripture. In this second part of the Firm Foundations series, we explore the doctrine of the Trinity providing many proofs from the whole of Scripture to define and articulate this great and fundamental doctr

Hebrews 4:14-16 Consider with me the awesomeness of our Great High Priest, who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God!  Oh! What confidence we have to draw nigh to Him in times of need.  When the storm clouds gather overhead and light gives way to darkness, what comfort of joy to know that the Saviour is near.  When at times it appears as though darkness has veiled His face from view, dear Brothers and Sisters, we must be firmly convinced and persuaded that hour, that our Great High Priest is for us still!!  When darkness seems to veil His face, I rest in His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil!  Tell me dear soul, is this your testimony?  Is this your experience?  May the truth of God’s Word form the ground on which we stand; theology informing experience!  May His divine attributes, be the very catalyst of our faith to draw nigh!“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted li

Part 1 - The Bible It seems only right and proper that as we begin this teaching series dealing with the fundamental basics of the Christian Faith, we do so by looking first at the Bible.  After all, in answering the question what we believe and why we believe it, as a Christian, our only source of full reliability is the Bible.  Most certainly there are other credible sources from which to draw our knowledge, but all must be run through the litmus filter of God’s Word!   Since we are going to be building this teaching series upon the foundation of the Holy Bible, it seems only right therefore that in starting, we begin by answering the question, what is the Bible?   In this first part of this teaching series, we take a look at the character and nature of this precious book.  We take a whistle stop tour through the Old and New Testaments before going on to look at the claims of Divine authorship.  We then conclude by looking briefly at the manuscript evidence to support the reliability of the Bible. Download

1 Corinthians 10:1-14 There exists a single verse in that pages of Holy Writ that men ought always to have at the forefront of their minds. The proud man thinks that it could never apply to him and the naive pass over it without a thought, yet its truth remains fixed and constant for all men without exception and the innumerable testimonies of those who now lie in the gutters and the side walks cry out in one accord to take heed; ”Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 12:10). Dear Brethren, it is incumbent upon all who name the name of Christ to watch diligently over their souls with much prayer, for no Christian ever falls in a day! Rather, through neglect and pride, a man tells himself I’m alright and have no need to watch; through much business, a man takes his eye off the mark and begins to drift into danger. This sermon is a warning and an encouragement for believers to remain vigilant when it comes to watching over their souls in regards to sin. Failure to watch her

James 1:26 Man has concocted many tests by which to gauge his spirituality; self-made indicators by which he presumes to ascertain the height to which he has ascended in his religious service and devotion to God. Church attendance, financial giving, prayers and fasting, the study of God’s Word and the sharing of ones faith. Yet, admittedly, all these disciplines can be done out of a self-seeking heart of pride as a means to add notches to ones spiritual belt and to get one up over our neighbour. Brethren, there is one litmus test that is sure to never fail in giving an accurate reading of where we really are in our Christian experience; one member in our human body that is sure to give us away, that of the tongue! This sermon is a challenge to the Christian to set guard over the words of their mouth. Gossip and slander, strife and division, lies and deception, ought not to be found in the life of a Christian. God is calling His body to a standard and the challenge is laid down by the Word of God!

Acts 4:13-22 Over the last three decades, we are witnessing at an unprecedented rate, the speed and rapidity at which the Judaeo-Christian foundations of the West are been ripped up before our very eyes. Those in the seat of power and governance who have the power to change and effect laws are passing laws that are forcing Christians to have choose between Christ and a law that is at odds with God’s. In the mid-19th century as the British Empire was moving towards its height, Queen Victoria was asked by an African prince, “What is the secret of England’s greatness and Britain’s glory?” Our Queen did not speak of the number of her fleet, nor the strength of her armies. She did not mention her abundance of merchandise, nor of her inexhaustible wealth. Instead, she handed the prince a beautifully bound copy of the Bible and said…”this is the secret of England’s greatness”. Sadly, this is no longer the case as righteousness has made way for ungodliness and iniquity of every filthy kind. This sermon is a great enc

Isaiah 40:25-31 Upon what are you basing your faith; upon what your hope and confidence? "The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever..." (1 Pet 1:24-25). Oh! dearly beloved let the Word of God furnish for you a firm foundation upon which to stand, such that, when upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, you might have an anchor of grounding!! "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). This sermon is an exhortation to the weak and an admonition to the strong, to anchor ones confidence in the promises of a faithful God. "...they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Is. 40:31)

Philippians 2:1-11 Oh that the Body of Christ might lay firmly hold on the most blessed doctrine of regeneration!! “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). “...if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17). Oh! the glories of this precious truth, what grace has become ours in Christ, what change has been wrought in our hearts the hour we first believed!! In light of this great truth, the burden of responsibility is now placed on the Church of Jesus Christ to preserve and maintain, at all costs, the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace!! Most assuredly, in Christ, we have been brought into spiritual fellowship and unity with one another by selfsame Spirit of God that dwells in each of us. However, great caution is given in this sermon about allowing strife and envy to fester in our hearts which destroys the unity and injures the Church for which Christ died.

Ezekiel 34:11-12 All across the landscape of Christendom, lie the scattered wounded and the spiritually hurt. Apparently, some would have us believe that soldiers of Christ are not supposed to be counted among the wounded, but in all my observations, I find this not to be the case at all! On every side I see the casualties of this spiritual war… This sermon is an encouragement to the spiritually wounded; the Good Shepherd well knows your wounds and hears your cries. Indeed, He cares for you more than you could ever know and will in due season restore you again to spiritual vigour. Hold fast dearly beloved, come aside and rest a while in Christ!!

Have you a burden for God’s Word? Keith provokes the hearts of the Body of Christ to probe for an answer to this question...Many Christians do not have a consistent devotional life with the Lord whereby they spend time in the study and meditation of God’s Word. This message will be sure to stir you hearts to reignite a passion again for the Word of God!!

This third part of three teachings dubbed “The Holy War” is titled “Waging Holy War”. It is the strong conviction of David that the end-time Church of Jesus Christ will be glorious!! Yet, when one looks at the current state of the Western Church, one struggles to see how this will be. Out of a burdened heart, David provokes and challenges the Church to inspect their spiritual armour and in light of this to establish spiritual authority to stand in this holy war!!

This second part of three teachings dubbed “The Holy War” is titled “Basic Training”. Once again, David passionately shares his heart on the need for Christians to be equipped for holy war. A soldier cannot just go out onto the battle field without basic training. First he must know his enemy and choose his side, but then secondly, he must be trained to go out to battle!! David shares his personal experiences being trained as a soldier in the South African Defence Force and parallels this with the spiritual training undertaken in God’s army!!