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We move on to Genesis Chapter 2. We have read of how this universe, and our world, and man, were CREATED. Man was and is so different from the rest of CREATION. God blessed man - and put him in charge to RULE - to be responsible - for every aspect.

We are responsible for the ecology - pollution - the environment - the animals and plants and trees. There is NOTHING pre-historic. Even man's food is different. We do not graze like the animals. Man is to eat fruit - leaves and grass is for the animals. But if we fall far - it is possible for a man to descend…  ( Click for more )

Why does Genesis matter? Creation is foundational for all moral and ethical matters.

We are reading these opening Chapters in the book of Genesis. Animals and man were CREATED to be vegetarian. That changed after the Flood. Death came after Adam sinned.

You cannot have a struggle for millions of years and death, AND believe The Bible.

One day there will be no more death – and no more suffering. And yet - death and bloodshed are the means by which man is redeemed and rescued. All fossils were formed after man sinned - mostly during the…  ( Click for more )

We come now to the Creation of man. Here is God's Masterpiece - three times HE refers to "creating" man. He refers to US creating man - we are the particular Creation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Verse 26 - Man is created to be in charge of every other part of God's Creation. Three times created is mentioned - do you think God is seeking to say something important - three times Paul's testimony was given! We are NOT a biological mistake - we are not part of the evolutionary process - which is still on-going! Am I a cosmic biological orphan - or…  ( Click for more )

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good. From the beginning we learn that everything God created and made was good.

We are reading the opening words of the Bible with that question in mind – if the first verse of the Bible is a lie then how reliable is the rest of the Bible?

Day 1 includes that period when there was darkness - and that period when there was light. Light before the sun? The Bible provides four other examples involving non solar light - Exodus 14verses 19 to 20 when the Israelites…  ( Click for more )

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis Chapter 1 verse 2. What a second verse - formless - empty - darkness - but the Spirit of God - the Holy Spirit - is hovering or fluttering - ready to obey the Word of the Father and the Son. When we become Christians - when we are born again - we receive the same Holy Spirit. When Jesus baptises us in the Holy Spirit, we are immersed or soaked or saturated in, or by, this same fluttering Holy Dove. Remember what…  ( Click for more )

If the first verse of the Bible is a lie - then how reliable is the rest of the Bible? That is basically what it at stake here!

Jesus Christ had no problem whatsoever with Genesis Chapters 1,2 and Jesus quotes from both Chapters.

We are in the early verses of Genesis Chapter 1.

What has CREATION to do with the Economy - the nuclear threat – climate change or global warming - marriage and divorce - immorality, pornography, and abortion - etc? A LOT! When we do not believe the Bible we begin to believe anything - and soon we allow anything! Genesis is…  ( Click for more )

In Genesis Chapter 1, we read that unique, beautiful, and powerful sentence - a sentence which can be found nowhere else in the world. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Only in God's holy word do we read such a truth.

What a sentence - we must never forget it - and never take it for granted.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." In the ancestry of Jesus Christ in Luke Chapter 3, Jesus is traced right back to Adam. Imagine if the ancestry of Jesus Christ, our Saviour Lord and King, had been traced…  ( Click for more )

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, never became weary in the area of service and ministry and HE says, “Follow Me.” He was and is faithful, and that is one of the qualities HE is seeking to cultivate within the lives of his disciples.

It is called ENDURANCE - being faithful to the end. That is the man who will be rescued and saved, and it calls for commitment and dedication. Again, that depends upon the decision which we make – not upon fluctuating emotions and feelings.

Look at verse 17 of Galatians Chapter 6, and you will see what can happen when we…  ( Click for more )

Galatians 6 verses 9,10 - We have seen over these past weeks how this letter goes right to the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - right to the very centre and core of our faith - and deals with topics which are so very relevant to us today.

Paul discerns a very real problem, and he concentrates on Jesus Christ and what happened on the Cross. He takes these dear people back into the Word, because he realises that the Word and only the Word can resolve this issue which had arisen in these Fellowships.

Jesus took our sins that we might be forgiven - our sicknesses…  ( Click for more )

We come to these verses in Galatians Chapter 6 regarding the importance of the Word of God and the sowing of the seed of the Word of God, but turn to that passage in Acts 17. Paul and Silas have travelled to Berea.

They have just been through a period of tremendous trouble as a result of their preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and teaching The Word of God, but that did not put them off.

In Berea, they preached in the synagogue, and the people "received the message with great eagerness" - verse 11. BUT LOOK WHAT THEY DID. They examined the Scriptures…  ( Click for more )

In Galatians Chapter 6 verse 6, we read, “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” This is a verse which most preachers and teachers do not like to mention, but we have to consider the whole Word. We have to embrace every part of it.

Each of us needs teaching.

Each of us needs someone to teach us the Word of God.

We return to complete our reading and study of Paul’s letter to the Galatians following our consideration of what actually happened at that time of the birth of Jesus.

Remember…  ( Click for more )

We are reading, and studying, these opening verses of Luke Chapter 1. Zechariah was a faithful priest in a day when there was not a lot of faithfulness around.

I wonder how many people thought, “Look at that silly old priest going away to conduct a service - and say prayers - and preach something - a message - which no-one really wants to hear.” How many people might say that of us as we meet for Worship and Prayer week by week?

Ignore it - forget it - overlook it. Let people say what they want. If you know you are right in the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ,…  ( Click for more )

There is a new battle for the truth, the authority and authenticity of the Word of God. There always has been, but it is undoubtedly going to become fiercer as we move into 2018.

We have been recalling the significance of The Reformation and one major rediscovery was the importance of The Word of God – the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

The situation has changed dramatically over these past few years, in Europe, in the United Kingdom, and in the United States of America – but the Word of God is unchanging, and the Word of God is relevant, no matter…  ( Click for more )

As we move out into the days and weeks of 2018, may there be that dedication and commitment in your heart and mind to serve our living God, faithfully and loyally and obediently and graciously. It is going to be needed as the spiritual battle becomes fiercer.

Soldiers prepare in times of peace for times of war. That applies to solders of the Cross too.

We are in Luke Chapter 2 and at verse 25, we read of an old man named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and godly. He was waiting to see the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Mary and Joseph had taken…  ( Click for more )

We move on to Luke Chapter 2 and verses 21 to 40. Amazing circumstances surrounded John the Baptist when he was 8 days old.

Amazing and wonderful things happened, when Jesus was 8 days old, and significant things were said.

Many are unaware of the importance of what happened on this occasion.

When Jesus is 8 days old, it is time to circumcise Him, and name Him JESUS. Joseph and Mary take Him to The Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to The Lord.

These verses might appear quite unfamiliar to many.

This scene is almost totally overlooked and ignored,…  ( Click for more )

Many will be considering preaching on, and teaching, and speaking about, the birth of Jesus Christ over these next few days.

We turn from Galatians, for a few weeks to Luke Chapter 2.

There is so much nonsense spoken at this December time of the year - that it is good and right to recall the biblical scriptural account of what took place – and we all need to know what took place, when God the Father sent Jesus into our world.

We do need to remember too that Jesus was not born in December, but more likely during the Feast of Tabernacles, in September or…  ( Click for more )

Here is one mark of the man or woman who is spiritually mature. You go and seek to bring that person back into line - and you do it gently. If someone does get caught in a sin - if someone stumbles and gets out of step - you who are spiritual should restore him gently.

Also, you are careful that you do not fall into the same trap as they fell into.

We come to the beginning of Galatians Chapter 6.

The safety in life is - keep in step with the Holy Spirit - and walk with those who are walking in step with the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we will win, and sometimes we…  ( Click for more )

We come to Galatians 5 verse 24 – “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

That is strong writing - what some people would classify as heavy duty. There is no room here for wondering what he is meaning. Some weeks ago we took time to go through the fruit of the Spirit - what God Himself desires to grow within us and produce from our lives - from these earthen vessels. We are vulnerable frail and fragile - similar to a light bulb - but when carefully placed into its right place it is full of light…  ( Click for more )

You hear people say - He has always been like that - His father was like that - His grandfather was like that.

Even after we are born again something somehow keeps rising within our lives. That may be something from which a man may need to be delivered - and have that thing rooted out.

You cannot crucify what needs to be delivered - and there is no use praying for deliverance for a person who needs to crucify the flesh, and die to that thing - that connection - that affiliation - that friendship - that membership. Having been reading our way through part of Galatians…  ( Click for more )

We are reading and studying the letter to the Galatians and we are in the heart of Chapter 5.

One of the things we have read in Chapter 5 is how Paul refers to "love". Now, there was not much mention of this in the early passages where Paul has some strong things to say these brothers in Christ.

We remind ourselves of what he has been writing remembering that recapitulation is an important part of teaching.

Verse 6 – Paul writes that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. It is difficult to move away from that sentence.…  ( Click for more )

We are reading and studying this challenging and profound and inspiring letter to the Galatians.

Serve one another in LOVE.

He says it in a different way in verse 6, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." That is the only thing that really matters.

Faith working through love is the only faith that is acceptable to God. God is looking for Faith - Obedience - Service - which is motivated by LOVE.

In I Timothy Chapter 1 and verse 5 - "The goal of this command is LOVE."

There is no use running all over the…  ( Click for more )

We have to be so very careful as to whom we allow to influence our lives - on important matters - and particularly on spiritual matters.

Can you imagine if one of the Senior Officers at R.A.F. Lossiemouth said - "Och, you don't need to bother too much when you are out flying that sortie - you don't need to bother too much about the flight manual - just fly as you want to, if you want to. You went out flying yesterday, or was it last week - you don't need to bother going out today! You don't need to pay too much attention to these flight checks, and we are not all that sure…  ( Click for more )

As we come to Galatians Chapter 5 and verse 13, we learn so much about Christian Leadership in this letter.

Paul has the courage to be bold and confrontational where necessary – and compassionate and so deeply concerned for the spiritual welfare of these people – when he saw the danger.

He had listened and learned about what was going on in the church there.

He risked speaking these challenging words in the confusing situation, and it was, of course, all so necessary, and so true, that Almighty God has it all written down and incorporated into His Holy Word. …  ( Click for more )

We come to Galatians Chapter 5 verse 7 – “You were running good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?”

Many start the race fast - they run well for a time - the first year - two years or even longer - and then other influences come along - other demands place a claim upon your life and time and commitment - and these can trip you up as you run for Christ Jesus. Paul is quite explicit - such people who trip you up and cut in on you - do NOT come from GOD.

Well there is only one other source when it comes to spiritual matters -…  ( Click for more )