Author Archive: Jon

FRAGMENTS FROM THE MASTER’S TABLE

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BUILDING FOR ETERNITY

Whilst reading this passage in 1 Corinthians, and deciding whether or not to use it for today’s reading, I hesitated because it is a lot to digest and given that most people prefer a short sharp, to the point boost for the day ahead, I feared that it would be skipped over.

This got me thinking of the speed we live our lives today, where if there isn’t something to do right away, we sense a nagging feeling that we are missing out on something. Nevertheless, I have forged ahead with the hope that during this coming year, with all its problems and ups and downs, we will make every effort to slow down and take stock of our lives.

I firmly believe that today’s message is a lesson for believers who belong to God, and I pray that by answering the questions: How, Where, What and Why, we will be encouraged to, first and foremost, spend more time in our worship and appreciation of our Lord and Saviour and consign the frantic pace of our lives to second place.

1 Corinthians 3:9-19

v9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
v10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon.
But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
v11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
v12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
v13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the Day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
v14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
v15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
v16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you?
v17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is Holy, which temple ye are.
v18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
v19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.”

v10 – We need to take heed HOW we build:

God has given us everything which includes our abilities and our knowledge. So, it is incumbent upon us to use these gifts and to use them wisely and lay a solid foundation of Godly living, prayer, meditation and praise.

v11 – Let us take heed WHERE we build:

Only one foundation is required and once it is laid it does not need a second. In our case our foundation is Jesus Christ and the Bible likens us to a wise man who has built his house on a rock: no matter what the world throws at us, we will stand firm.

v12 – Let us take heed WHAT we build:

The Apostle Paul likened this to teachings that are sound and are of immense and lasting value, such as gold, silver and precious stones, whilst other teachings and works would be considered as passing value, such as wood, hay and straw. We need to ask ourselves whether what we are building for God is of lasting worth.

v13 – Let us take heed WHY we are building:

Are we building for our own sake or for the Lord? Does our service bring Glory to God and blessing for man? If it brings Glory to God, then what we do will not be affected by fire. The action of a fire is used here to portray the value of our works. Works which are not influenced and shaped by the fire are those of value, and works of little value will be burnt up.

v16 – Let us take heed WHO we build:

We are to keep ourselves in the love of God, building ourselves up in the Holy faith and praying always in the Spirit, looking unto Jesus who is our eternal Salvation. Believers are the temple of God and His Spirit dwells in us!

Make much of Him and He will make much of you.

FRAGMENTS FROM THE MASTER’S TABLE

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LOOKING FOR THE BLESSED HOPE

At this time of year, let us all be encouraged to keep Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13

We all need this encouragement. It’s not because our love for the Lord has cooled off; it’s because we get distracted with world events and sadly we find ourselves pulled and pushed, from time-to-time, by news bulletins on TV and Radio describing catastrophic events that may or may not overcome us.

When we consider the history of the church regarding its attitude towards its “blessed hope” through the Rapture, it’s easy to recognize the circumstances that cause apathy and indifference.

As true believers get comfortable and begin to preoccupy themselves with this world, we seem to lose interest in the imminent return of Jesus, failing  to realise that the single most important event the world has ever seen or experienced could happen at any moment!

This loss of interest has serious consequences. We find ourselves involved and entangled with day-to-day issues, that we forget that Jesus could come for us today! As the well-known author Dave Hunt has put it: such an expectation has a purifying effect upon our lives. The apostle John tells us: we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” 1 John 3:2,3.

As this year draws to a close, may I encourage you all to keep your hearts and minds settled on our Saviour as we wait for His imminent return to take us to be with Him forever!

MY CHRISTMAS MESSAGE – 2021

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And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

1 Timothy 3:16

The mystery is great, not because it is so very mysterious but because it is so astounding.
The mystery is amazing in that God was manifest in the flesh.
It means that the eternal One was born into a world of time.
He, who is timeless, lived in a world of calendars and time pieces.
It means the One who is Omnipresent, existing in all places at once and at the same time, confined Himself to a single place. Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernaum or Jerusalem.
It is wonderful to think that our Great God who fills Heaven and earth should compress Himself into a human body.
The Omnipotent One became a helpless Baby. A Baby whom Mary held in her arms.
And yet it was He who held her!
He is the fountain of all wisdom and knowledge. Yet we read of Him, that as a Child, He increased in wisdom and knowledge.
It is incredible to think of the Owner of all arriving unwelcomed on His own premises and  finding there was no place for Him.

  • The world knew Him not.
  • His own received Him not.
  • The Master came into this world as a Servant.
  • He veiled His Glory in a body of flesh.
  • He who was infinitely high became so intimately low.
  • He hungered and thirsted.
  • He became weary and slept in Jacob’s boat.
  • He wandered as a homeless stranger, in a world His hands had formed.
  • He came from the Palace of Heaven to a cattle shed.
  • He came from luxury to poverty where He had no place to lay His head.

To think that all of this was for you and for me!

Oh come let us adore Him, The King of Kings! Worthy, O Lamb of God, that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.

Let us put aside the worries and cares of this world for a moment and bathe in the Salvation and Love offered by God when He gave His only Son for us.
It is our sincere prayer that you all will have a truly blessed Christmas and that the days ahead will bring us closer to the One who gave up everything that we might gain everything!

FRAGMENTS FROM THE MASTER’S TABLE

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SUFFERING AND GLORY

Psalm 22:6

I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men and despised of the people. KJV
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. NIV

Psalm 22 is a Psalm that should be approached with the utmost seriousness and devotion. It is a Psalm that stands on the Holiest of ground.
When reading it, you will find yourself at Golgotha where Jesus Christ gave Himself for all of mankind.

The Psalmist captures the dreadful scene perfectly when he describes the awful truth that Jesus was completely forsaken by God, and that He was despised and rejected by the very people He came to save.

A WORM – Speaks of His HUMILIATION

Jesus was derided and despised by the very people He created.
He came to His own and they received Him not.

In His HUMILIATION, His judgment was taken away.

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, let us reason together,” saith the Lord: “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” KJV

Scarlet or Crimson is a colour that was highly prized as a symbol of wealth and position, but its brilliance symbolized Israel’s glaring sin against God.
The Scarlet Worm is a small insect, the female of which clings to a tree and feeds on it. She dies covering her eggs with her body for protection.
As the mother Crimson worm dies, she oozes a crimson or scarlet red dye which not only stains the wood she is attached to, but also her young, and they keep this colour for the rest of their lives.
Three days after she dies, the carcass of the scarlet worm becomes white and waxen and falls off the wood like a snowflake!

How beautiful this blends in with what Isaiah tells us!
So, let us connect the dots of this amazing truth.
All those who have put their trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are covered by His Body and marked by His precious Blood!

1 Corinthians 11:24

Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you… KJV

By doing this, ALL believers are marked forever with the crimson stain of His Blood and His victory at the Cross.

Even though our sins may be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.

All this and much more are not because of anything we have done, but by what He has done!

How beautiful the Word of God is, from cover to cover and throughout, all points to the Saviour.

  • For Satan and men, the throne is a goal, both wanting to be on top.
  • For Christ, it was a destiny.
  • What they grasped for, He let go.
  • Their behaviour was the opposite of His.
  • Their desires were the opposite of His.
  • Their hatred was the opposite of His love.
  • They hated Him without a cause.
  • And yet, despite all this, Jesus chose to come down so that we might go up.

All praise be to His Holy Name!

TRIBUTES DEDICATED TO VIRGINIA ROSS

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This Book of Tributes to the late Virginia Ross is divided into two distinct parts:

  1. BIRTHDAY WISHES

It begins with a celebration of her centennial year on 20 October 2020 with memories and photographs of her. Sadly, four months later she was called home and is now enjoying the company of her Lord and Saviour.

  1. TRIBUTES

The second part of this book is a celebration of her life and work. It contains an astonishing array of heartfelt accolades and acknowledgements, each one testifying to her amazingly productive lifespan during which so many lives were touched and, by the wonderful grace of God, were irrevocably transformed to focus on Jesus Christ.

Product Details:
Author: Many Contributors
Dimensions: A5 – 207 mm x 145 mm
Weight: approx. 290 gms
Pages: 195

FRAGMENTS FROM THE MASTER’S TABLE

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HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

As far back as 1787, the great historian Edward Gibbon (born 27 April 1737) listed five reasons for the fall of the mighty Roman Empire. I was a little surprised when I read his list because it reminded me of the world we live in today!

It is a remarkable forecast of present-day conditions. Some argue that history does not repeat itself, well I am going to disagree and say it does, and that there is nothing new under the sun.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

Edward Gibbon’s reasons for the fall were:

  1. The undermining of the home, parental guidance and the downgrading of the vital importance of Motherhood which together are the basis of human society.
  2. Ever-increasing taxes and the spending of public monies for free bread and entertainments for the people.
  3. The mad craze for pleasure and sports which, year on year, are becoming more riotous and brutal.
  4. The building of gigantic armed forces and ever more sophisticated armaments, when the real enemy was the decadence of the people.
  5. The decay of religion with real faith fading into mere formalism and rituals, losing touch with life and being impotent to guide the people.

This is a pretty accurate description of the world in which we live today.

  • The sanctity of marriage has all but disappeared.
  • Sadly, man has ignored God’s commands and introduced perversions of his own, with same-sex marriages and even non-religious ceremonies taking place everywhere.
  • Family units breaking up are at an all-time high with children caught up in the middle of relationships that have turned sour because of a lack of spiritual commitment and Godly behaviour.
  • Mothers are forced to go to work to make ends meet and children are left in the care of others during those very important growing up years.

Every day we read of our taxes being wasted on needless projects which end up being scrapped, leaving behind a vacuum of competent leadership qualities and wealthy consultants laughing all the way to the bank.
A recent report showed that £19,000 was spent by Cotswold District Council on hiring a motivational magician to boost staff morale.
If that wasn’t enough, Stoke-on-Trent Council spent £330,000 on redundancy packages, only to re-hire 25 members of staff! I am not sure what we as ‘Joe Public’ are supposed to think when we learn that footballers earn upwards of £150,000 per week!
Most of us don’t even see that amount in 10 years let alone in 1 week!

The amount of money spent on the military and machines to kill other people is staggering, with every country spending enormous sums of tax-payer’s money to protect themselves.

To illustrate this insanity, there was a recent news bulletin which informed us of the refurbishment costs for an aircraft carrier, which ran into many millions, and in the next breath the Government was announcing the closure of five old age homes because there were insufficient funds to keep them open.

The last point made by Mr Edward Gibbon is very sad indeed, because man has seen fit to consign God to the scrap heap. He has taken God’s greatest and most precious gift and trampled all over it, loudly announcing that he will not have ‘That Man’ to rule over him.

Does this ring any bells? It should do because over 2000 years ago man did exactly the same. They took God’s only Son and nailed Him to a Cross and watched Him die!
Today, hardly anyone cares about what Jesus had to endure for us, and to top it all they don’t even want to listen to what He has to say.
Some have said that if Jesus were alive today – He would be crucified all over again!

There is indeed nothing new under the sun.

There is an urgent need to spread the Gospel and to tell others of the sacrifice Jesus made.

  • Have we done so?
  • Have we used the time we have left to spread the good news?
  • Have we given thought to exactly what we use our daily schedule for?

There are so many people utterly bewildered by what is going on in this world, lurching from one disastrous event to another, living day by day with no real hope and no real peace.
And yet, we have the answer!
We have the solution!
The remedy is Jesus Christ, and we know this!
How do we know this?
We know this because He told us so!
This is what He said:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29

Come to Me! – three little words that mean so much!
He said these words over 2 thousand years ago, and in 2021 He is repeating them!

THE PARABLES OF JESUS

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This book offers a different way of understanding the parables that Jesus taught in the light of the culture of that area. The author, Neville Holmes, was taught by Arab believers in Jesus as he studied Arabic in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He then went on to teach others what they had taught him. Soon, he became known as Parable Holmes and because of this, many doors were opened where congregations wanted to hear the Bible being taught in the light of Bible culture.

 

 

Product Details:
Author: Neville Holmes
Dimensions: A5 – 205 mm x 145 mm
Weight: approx. 136 gms
Pages: 86

FRAGMENTS FROM THE MASTER’S TABLE

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– THINGS TO DO –

  •                  LET THE WORD DWELL RICHLY
  •                  KEEP THE WORD TENACIOUSLY
  •                  CONTINUE IN THE WORD UNTIRINGLY
  •                  LIVE OUT THE WORD FAITHFULLY
  •                  HOLD FORTH THE WORD BOLDLY

Most people have a THINGS TO DO list to remind them to do something.
It could be to buy something, take something or even to visit someone.
Our THINGS TO DO list is glued to our fridge door, and its there to remind me to do things.
It is a reminder to remind me to:

  • Firstly, to look at the list
  • Secondly, to comprehend what is written on the list
  • And thirdly to act – and to do something!

Well the THINGS TO DO list we are looking at today is no different WE ARE TO:

  1. Let the Word of God dwell in us richly. Colossians 3:16.
  2. Keep the Word of God tenaciously. John 17:6.
  3. Continue in the Word of God untiringly. John 8:31-32.
  4. Live out the Word of God faithfully. 2 Corinthians 3:3.
  5. Hold forth the Word of God boldly. Philippians 2:16.
  1. We are to let the Word of God dwell in us richly. Colossians 3:16

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16 (KJV)

Let the Word (spoken by) Christ (the Messiah) have its home (in your hearts and minds) and dwell in you in (all its) richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom (in spiritual things, and as you sing) psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with (His) grace in your hearts. (The Amplified Bible)

Have you noticed that there are 3 sections to this verse?

        1. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly
        2. In all wisdom
        3. Singing with grace
  • As we saturate our hearts and minds with His Holy Word and seek to walk in obedience to it.

Then the Word of Christ is really at home in our hearts.

  • When we do all of this the Word of Christ dwells in us!
  • We cannot know His Word unless we read it! This is such a simple statement, yet its implications are ignored on a daily basis.
  • We cannot really know His Word unless we study it and meditate on it.
  • We need to read and study the Word of God, which means effort on our part.
  • We are to meditate on it and think about what we have been studying.

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.

  • The word ‘LET’ implies choice.
  • You have a choice and it’s your choice.
  • The word DWELL implies a resting place.
  • That resting place is in you.
  • The word RICHLY implies value.
  • It has a value; it has a price and it will reward.
  • The word WISDOM implies knowledge, wise knowledge.
  • There is so much knowledge in the world today, but sadly it is mostly lacking in wisdom.
  • Wisdom and knowledge are TREASURES.
  • They are things of great value!

Look at what the Bible says:

That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3

  1. We are to keep the Word of God tenaciously.  John 17:6

I have manifested Thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept Thy word.

  • The dictionary defines tenaciously as:
  • Holding on, clinging to, firmly, persistently, resolutely and stubbornly.
  • This is a description of how the disciples lived their lives, and so should we.
  • The disciples had been given to the Son out of the world.
  • They were separated from the rest of the unbelieving world and set apart to belong to Christ.
  • God had chosen them to be set apart and to be given to our Saviour.
  • What a wonderful thought!

And they obeyed and kept His word!

Someone has put it like this:

  • The Disciples held tight, held fast and clung to with Spiritual grit!
  1. We are to continue in the Word of God untiringly. John 8:31-32

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (KJV)

So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, if you abide in My Word (hold fast to my teachings and live in accordance with them), you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free. (Amplified Bible)

  • We are not to tire, we MUST continue in His Word.
  • In V31 Jesus makes a distinction between those who are disciples and those who are not.
  • Those who are genuine and those who pay lip service only.
  • The word abide has many meanings and the ones which fit this verse are:

To wait patiently, to remain, to continue, to endure, to dwell, to stay put and to rest satisfied.

  • Abiding in the Word is the only thing that will sustain us.
  • The things of earth grow strangely dim as we bask in His Glory and Grace.
  • We are to continue in the Word of God untiringly.
  1. We are to live out the Word of God faithfully. 2 Corinthians 3:3

Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. (KJV)

You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (Amplified Bible)

  • It was common in those days for travelling preachers and teachers to have letters of commendation to hand to other churches.
  • These customs allowed believers to be certain that the clergymen were of an acceptable standing and to receive them without concern.

In V2: Paul is saying: Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men.

  • In other words, they were known as his converts by general knowledge, far and wide, by all men, and that they were known more particularly by reflecting the Word of God in their very lives and daily actions.
  • They were living out the Word faithfully and so should we!
  • We must never forget that the ONLY religious books the world reads are the lives of born again Christians!
  • Our lives should be open books for all to see and read.

          Why? I hear you ask.

  • Because we as believers, are being employed by God and that our lives form the language in which He addresses the unsaved!
  • That’s why!
  • Jesus is the writer and we are the bearers of what is written, and what is written is not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on our hearts.
  • In other words – US!
  • We are to live out the Word of God faithfully.
  1. We are to hold forth the Word of God boldly. Philippians 2:16

Holding forth the Word of Life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. (KJV)

Holding out to it and offering to all men the Word of Life, so that in the day of Christ I may have something of which exultantly to rejoice and glory in that I did not run my race in vain or spend my labour to no purpose. (Amplified Bible)

  • Holding ‘forth’ means ‘holding fast’.
  • We are to HOLD FAST and hold it BOLDLY.
  • Can we say we do this?
  • Because of what Christ did on the Cross of Calvary – we can now BOLDLY enter into the presence of God.
  • Not only are we to shine as lights, but we are to witness to those not saved.

And because of this we have a twofold testimony:

  1. A testimony of Life
  2. A testimony of the Lips

The work of God in a man – is the man!
The work of God in a woman – is the woman!

There is a bridge to cross if we are to enjoy The Word of God.
It takes discipline and patience and a determined effort on the part of the believer to prayerfully study and meditate on the Holy Scriptures.
There is much joy in the lives of those who spend time getting to know the Saviour.
Make much of Him and He will make much of you.

FRAGMENTS FROM THE MASTER’S TABLE

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SO CLOSE YET SO FAR

Deuteronomy 1:2 There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.

It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.
Kadeshbarnea was an oasis along the Egyptian-Israeli border where Moses and the Israelites probably spent much of their 40 years wandering in the wilderness waiting for God to allow them into the Promised Land.
Their wanderings were God’s punishment for their sin of disobedience, and instead of 11 days of walking, they had 40 years of wandering.

Israel was in a state of constant questioning and complaining. They looked back on their days of slavery, forgetting how harshly they were treated, and concentrated on the fact that although they had to work as slaves, they at least had food and shelter.
Nevertheless, they are an example to us of what we should not be, instead of what we should be.

  • Daily they saw the power of God but not the God of power.
  • They ignored the great store of God’s abounding blessings and daily miracles together with the eternal truths and inward satisfaction from walking and communing with their Creator.
  • There was no trust in God, therefore there was no triumph either.
  • No matter how much God did for them they grumbled and complained.
  • They fell in the wilderness.
  • They died in the wilderness and failed to inherit the promises of God.
  • They were so close and yet so far.

In 1 Corinthians 10 – we read of warnings from Israel’s past
v6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
Yes, they were our examples of how not to live, walk and talk!
Christ is our example and we should follow in His footsteps.
He is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls and no desert can keep Him from leading us in green pastures and beside still waters, for He loves us and is the Creator and upholder of all things.

Our entry into His love and care requires a walk of faith not a walk of sight.
If your faith is weak you may tremble while you trust, BUT don’t stop trusting or you will turn.
Remember the best cure for trembling knees is to kneel on them.

FRAGMENTS FROM THE MASTER’S TABLE

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ASSUMPTIONS – THAT’S ALL IT IS!

Listening in on other people’s conversations can be very interesting, but it can also bring with it a host of problems and raise many questions such as:

  • Did I hear correctly?
  • Have I listened to the conversation from the beginning?
  • Did I miss anything?
  • Did I understand the context?
  • Should I have been listening in the first place?

Our story begins with a man called Bob Brown who is on his deathbed and knows that he does not have long to go on this earth.

He is lying in a hospital bed surrounded by his nurse, his wife, his two daughters and his son and he asks for two additional people to be present as witnesses.

He specifically requests that one of them have a video recorder to enable him to place on record his final wishes.

Once all have assembled and the recorder is functioning, he begins to speak:

To my son Robert, I want you to take the Mayfair houses. To my first daughter, I want you to take the apartments over in the East End. To my second daughter, I want you to take over the office blocks near the city centre. And finally, to my dear wife, I want you to take over all the residential buildings on the banks of the river.

The nurse and witnesses are astounded as they did not realise that Bob had such extensive holdings and as Bob slipped away into eternity, the nurse says:

Mrs Brown, your husband must have been such a hard-working man to have accumulated all this property.

To which his wife replied: Property? There’s no property, he had a paper round!

I have chosen the heading of today’s article deliberately because there are a great many people who assume that there is no place called Hell, and if there was such a place, it would be the final resting place of mass murderers, rapists, and child abusers and definitely NOT a place for ordinary people who do not harm others, who give to charities and try their level best to live decently. 

I know of one man who states quite categorically that he has always been a Christian.

That he has never got drunk, that he has never stolen anything or deliberately harmed anyone, and he is quite adamant that his life and the way he has lived it, will be looked upon favourably by God.

Does this ring any bells? I’m sure it does.

The fact that there has never. ever been anyone who has ‘always’ been a Christian, does not seem to worry him in the slightest, when it should!

In fact, alarm bells should be ringing loud and clear!

The assumption that God would look approvingly on our efforts to live a clean life without an acknowledgement of sin and true repentance is the height of folly, because it completely ignores what Jesus did for us on the Cross of Calvary!

The assumption that God, (if there is one!) would send people to Hell is mocked and ridiculed the world over.

When asked how it is that they have reached this conclusion, the answers and suppositions are ridiculous in the extreme, simply because they do not accept the Scriptures as the final authority in these matters.

They have no solid evidence other than their own opinions and emotions, which as we all know, can and do, change like the wind.

Sadly, though what they fail to recognise is that if they do not wish to have God around them in life, they will certainly not have Him around in eternity, because by then it will be too late.

One of the world’s greatest scientists Michael Faraday, on his deathbed, said:

Assumptions! I know nothing of assumptions, I am resting on certainties. I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. 2 Timothy 1:12

Jesus said: Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15

May this coming week be one of stark realisation that we are surrounded by friends and colleagues who have no certainty of where they will spend eternity.

Let us purpose in our hearts to do something about it.

FRAGMENTS FROM THE MASTER’S TABLE

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HE HAD TO ENDURE THE WORST TO GIVE HIS ALL

But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

The value of a thing depends on its:      •        Desirability   •          Dependability.        •        Durability.

If anyone had the right to teach on relative values between this life and the next, it was the Lord Jesus Christ.

  • He had everything Heaven could offer, and He LEFT it.
  • He could have had everything Earth could offer, but He REFUSED it.
  • He, to save enemies, sinners and weaklings, had to endure the worst that Hell could offer, and He ACCEPTED it!

That He was willing to:

  • Come so far, tells me of the Love of Christ.
  • Pay such a price, tells me of the Compassion of Christ.
  • Give His life to save my soul, tells me of the Values and Estimates of Christ.

He gave His all that we might be bound back to the Father.
We must now give our all and worship Him as He deserves to be worshipped.
We were of such high value that God gave His most precious gift, His only Son, to die for us.
What He thought of us determined His destiny, and what we think of Him will determine our destiny.

RADICAL CHANGE – by Neville Holmes

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Genesis 28:13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.
God recognised that Abraham “adopted” Jacob by calling him his father and taught him about his relationship with the God who called him to follow Him and live in an area his descendants would inhabit.
His grandson Jacob was ignored by his son Isaac, so for the last fifteen years of his life, Abraham replaced Isaac as the father of Jacob.
So many of Jacob’s actions imitated that of the man who taught him like his son. He in turn passed on his relationship with God to Joseph which accounts for him being different to his brothers.
A series of lessons learned in a God ordered life.

Product Details:
Author: Neville Holmes
Dimensions: A5 – 205 mm x 145 mm
Weight: approx. 105 gms
Pages: 68

A LOVE STORY – by Colin Tomlinson

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LOVE – what is love? A great and aching heart;
Wrung hands; and silence; and a long despair.
LIFE – what is life? Upon a moor-land bare
To see love coming and see love depart.
Robert Louis Stephenson

 I’ve looked at love from both sides now,
From give and take and still somehow 
It’s love’s illusions I recall;
 I really don’t know love at all.
 Joni Mitchell

Two writers, a hundred years apart, telling of the mystery of love.

Product Details:
Author: Colin Tomlinson
Dimensions: A5 – 205 mm x 145 mm
Weight: approx. 38 gms
Pages: 15

THE POTTER’S PRODUCT – by Neville Holmes

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A potter uses clay to form useful items. God needed clay in the form of JNAH to serve Him in Lebanon in 1968. The clay needed training. He needed a wife and children.

On arrival in Lebanon the training continued with Arabic studies and the learning of the culture of the people which is so similar to that of the people in the Bible.

Two children were adopted, which is unusual as locals did not do that. After the family narrowly escaped death in 1984, they returned to South Africa and served for a further 12 years, preaching the message of the Bible through that culture.

The Potter is still at work. The clay remains clay as the Potter continues to mould it for further use. Eventually the daughter and her husband served in Lebanon for 14 years.

This is the record of a lifetime of working with the Lord.

Product Details:
Author: Neville Holmes
Dimensions: A5 – 205 mm x 145 mm
Weight: approx. 150 gms
Pages: 100

AN IMPERFECT WOMAN – by Noreen Holmes

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Noreen Holmes was born in Cape Town, South Africa just before the beginning of the Second World War.
This is the story of her life, written some years ago at the request of her son, but now adapted and updated for publication.
It spans the eighty-two years plus of her life, of which nearly thirty-five were spent in missionary service – at home and abroad – with a Middle Eastern Christian fellowship.
She served with her husband, Neville Holmes, and they adopted their daughter and son in Beirut.
Basically, it is the story of grace.
An imperfect woman and her personal relationship with the amazing, gracious and wonderful Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who is at the heart of the ordinary, the extraordinary, and the adventurous parts of this story.

Product Details:
Author: Noreen Holmes
Dimensions: A5 – 205 mm x 145 mm
Weight: approx. 435 gms
Pages: 301