Search Results

Be sure your sins will find you out When I was a little boy, I sometimes used to think that when I closed my eyes that nobody could see me. Can anyone else identify with that? I was deceiving myself. This reminds me of how the devil seeks to deceive Christians into believing that we can commit sins and keep them hidden from God. For he knows that if we will not confess our sins to God, we are out of fellowship with the Lord and therefore unable to please Him. We will see in this teaching that there is no such thing as ‘hidden’ sin but only ‘deceived’ sinners who have forgotten that the Lord our God is omniscient, all-seeing and all knowing, and longs for men and women to turn in repentance to Him. God knows your heart and my heart tonight, he knows our faults, he knows our sins, and he wants us to surrender afresh to Him tonight by confessing and forsaking our so called ‘hidden’ sins. Key Text: Joshua 7:1-26; Context: Israel had just won a fantastic supernatural victory at Jericho. Their morale could not have been higher. Then Satan incited Achan (means troubler) to commit a sin then hide it. This sin caused Israel to be defeated in the next battle. Here is a prophetic word: Always remember that after your biggest victories in your life, the enemy will move in to tempt you into sin so that you will be defeated in your next battle. Remember to give thanks to God for your victory. In Joshua 6:17-19; God had already placed all goods and life stock under a ban (i.e. forbidden to take them) also all precious metals (treasury). All living things (except Rahab and family) were to die. Why such utter destruction? Could it be that all these things were spiritually contaminated in some way? Metal could be purified in furnace. God held whole nation accountable for sin of one family. What if he did this today because of sin in church? Would the Holy Spirit be unable to move because of serious sin. We know that Holy Spirit will still move up to a point be can we sin beyond that. Joshua 7:2-5; A small village called Ai should have been no problem to Israel army. They sent up a small detachment and got completely defeated. Thirty-six men were killed, the rest lost heart, and fled. Why did this happen? What do you think? 1. To humble them 2. To draw their attention to God`s displeasure Joshua 7:6-9; Joshua tore clothes as sign of grief, realising that God had not gone into the battle with them. Lay face down before God, several hours. Elders did likewise! Dust on heads to show grief and mourning. Joshua prays and begins to reason with God. Surely God didn’t bring them over the Jordan to experience defeat at Ai. Did God the Holy Spirit cause you to be born again so that you could be defeated at the small hurdle in your life? Joshua was concerned about God`s honour in this matter. Are you thinking about the Lord in your battles? Joshua 7:10-12; Joshua complained to God not about God. God tells him ‘get up’ and explains why defeat happened i.e. because Israel had sinned. Sinned in many ways, they sinned by: 1. Breaking His covenant: It had been agreed that God would take all spoil from Jericho and Israel would get spoil from other cities. 2. Someone had taken items ‘devoted’ to destruction. 3. Someone had stolen goods and hidden them. 4. Someone had lied about it and kept goods with own goods. God solemnly warns Israel, these sins prevented Him from going with Israel into the battle at Ai. And further warns them that they are on their own until they put this matter right. We go nowhere with God until we put things right. Joshua 7:13-15; God could easily have named the culprit there and then. Why do you think He didn’t? The Lord gave Joshua an elaborate plan to expose the sinner. Picture this, all Israel to assemble tribe, clan, families, and individual man. Can you imagine if this happened in your church? All congregation assemble house-groups, households, and individual persons. Why did God do it this way? 1. To create zeal in Joshua and Israel to get things sorted out 2. To give the sinner time to repent. At any stage Achan could have come forward, but the sinner was hard-hearted. Did he think that God really couldn’t identify him? A ‘disgraceful’ thing in Israel. Achan's penalty was the utter destruction of him as the culprit, his family, his livestock, and goods. Joshua 7:16-19; According to the oral tradition of Jews:Judah were a very honourable tribe their men drew swords and would not sheath them until justice was done. Achan eventually was taken, although by lot this was no lottery. God exposed the exact man. Achan had put God to the test. Joshua spoke kindly to Achan ‘son’ not ‘fool’. Joshua 7:20-21; Caught red handed. Achan makes a full confession. Consider the mechanism of Achan's sin, He “Saw“ “Convicted” “Took” “Hid” It started with the Lust of eyes Look not upon the wine that is red Look not upon the woman so fair Look not upon the drugs The best way to stop sin is at first sight, don’t look at what might snare you. Resist coveting Don’t take, touch, taste, or handle Don’t hide your sin, God has seen it all! Joshua 7:22-26; Joshua's men checked out Achan`s confession The evidence was then publicly displayed Achan, his family, stolen booty, livestock, and goods to place of execution and destruction. There is a play on words ‘Achan’ means troubler. Sin brings trouble not only on perpetrator but on the family and associates. All were stoned and burned with all Israel in agreement. God`s fierce anger was then turned away. It was a righteous man (Jesus Christ) who turned away God`s anger from us. Conclusion There is no such thing as “hidden” sin from God. Do not be deceived any longer. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) Prayer Let us keep short accounts with God today. Amen

The book of Genesis is the bedrock on which the rest of the Bible stands. The book of Genesis is the bedrock on which the rest of the Bible stands. It is the book of beginnings and tells of how we came to exist, and its silver thread winds its way all through the rest of the Bible. Without Genesis we might as well cry with King David, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”. For there we learn about the first Man when he defied GOD, sin and Death entered His creation. We also learn in the New Testament that Jesus the second Man, came to redeem that self-same creation from the disobedience of the first Man and all its consequences. Now it should not be hard to understand that if the narration of the first man is brought into disrepute that the necessity of the second Man is, to say the least, moot at best and even destroyed. Years ago, when I was in my teens, I visited a youth club in a church hall. There at the time I visited, was a man who was a minister in a popular denomination. This man tried to engage me in discussion concerning Jesus. I was quick to point out to him that the first book of his Bible was not true! His reply was to say that it was a place to start! This, for me, was totally unsatisfactory. I was being asked to believe that Jesus had come to deal with my sin and offer eternal life. Yet the person who was telling me was not prepared to defend the passages in Genesis which gave the reasons for Jesus having to come and die in the first place. This was where the conversation came to an end. Years later, when in my thirty fifth year, I became a Christian. I felt God’s call on me over a period of months and gave my life to his leading on the twentieth of August, Nineteen Ninety-Two. Once this was made known, as every Christian knows, came persecutions. This was expected but what was unexpected to me was another time I met another denominational minister with his wife. Conversation began and in due time the subject of beginnings came up. To my surprise I found myself standing for the validity of the creation account in Genesis. The minister was trying to marry evolution to the Genesis story. I felt different emotions as he told me that he did not have his head in a bag. The obvious implication; as I believed the Genesis narrative,was that I did have my head in a bag. I then asked him the question: “If Genesis doesn’t mean what it says, how do you know what it does say?” To which his wife replied ‘Oh, we haven’t discussed that’. I am not trying to have a go at denominational ministers; these examples happened. Men of the cloth not standing for Genesis. So logically, if that is the position held, that person cannot stand for any of the principles laid down in Genesis and if you cannot stand for Genesis then you cannot stand for any other book in the Bible as the rest of the Bible stands on Genesis. You cannot stand for God as He is first mentioned in the first sentence of Genesis. You cannot stand for traditional marriage as God made woman for a help meet to Man which is found In Genesis. You cannot stand for only two sexes as God made them Male and Female, which is found in Genesis. Well, I could go on. Sufficient to say that the churches which have left the defence of the book of Genesis have compromised on major teachings therein and if you can compromise on one book then the rest are all now up for grabs. Just look at the churches which stood so strong not so long ago. Churches which are now barely recognisable to what they once were. And why? Since the attack on Genesis from Darwin and his dupes, many churches have tried to mix Darwinism and God’s word into alloy; an alloy which has succeeded in weakening the churches. Churches who forgot that our God is the God of... Thus, Sayeth the LORD! Genesis is the foundation of the Scriptures! It is a fool who builds his house foundations on sand! People who deny Genesis, perhaps unwittingly, charge God with foolishness! Stand for the foundation! Amen Personal Prayer

Guest blogger Ian Atkin thinks we could be 2020/21 and the Covid-19 pandemic – What does it mean? Is the pandemic one of ‘the signs of the times’ which points to the ‘end of the age’? Matthew Chapter 24 is a key and significant section of New Testament Scripture which offers us an insight and understanding of the ‘signs of the times’ we are living in today. Not since the deadly Spanish flu of World War 1 has there been a disease related event which has been so life threatening to so many people in the modern era. Within a very short time period from the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, thousands of deaths occurred across the globe due to exposure to the Covid-19, SARS-Cov-2 virus. No-one can deny that the Covid-19, SARS-Cov-2 virus pandemic has manifested as a catastrophic global event which threatens the health and wellbeing of every human being currently alive. So, what might the significance of this pandemic be? An examination of Matthew Chapter 24 in the Holy Bible gives some remarkable revelation and insight into what this pandemic might mean for humankind today. The context for this Biblical chapter is an ongoing discussion between Jesus of Nazareth and His group of disciples. Their discussion is initiated in Jerusalem near the Jewish Temple and continued later on the Mount of Olives which is located just outside Jerusalem’s city walls and overlooks the city. In Matthew Chapter 24:1 – 2, the disciples initiate a dialogue with Jesus about the Temple buildings which are in view. Jesus informs them that the Temple standing before them will at some point be ‘thrown down’ – i.e. levelled to the ground. From the text we see that as Jesus and the disciples walk out of the city to the Mount of Olives the issue of the Temple’s destruction is playing on the minds of the disciples – “As Jesus was sitting on the Mt. of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. Tell us, they said, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” In response to their question Jesus offers a lengthy description of what to look out for in relation to the anticipated ‘destruction of the Temple’ and the ‘end of the age.’ From the narrative, it becomes clear these events will occur at a time future to them and the disciples identify that the signs of the end of the age will precede Jesus coming back again. We know from history that the Jewish Temple was indeed thrown down- it was levelled to the ground when the Roman Army destroyed it in 70AD. It occurred 70 years after Jesus spoke about it. An indication that what Jesus said was reliable. We may deduce therefore that His word can be trusted, because, what He said would happen, did happen! This being so, what can we learn from what Jesus said about the ‘signs of the times’ and ‘the end of the age’ – and a vital question to ask is ‘was He referring to the times we live in today’? The disciples’ questioning of Jesus results in a clear connection being made between the end of the age and the return / coming back of Jesus. It is evident that both events will occur at a time future to them. In John chapter 14:28-31 Jesus had already explained to His followers that He is going away but will be coming back. Matthew Chapter24 describes the signs of the end of the age which will be indicators of His return. Is the Covid-19, SARS-Cov-2 virus pandemic a ‘sign of the end of the age’: Are other current catastrophic world events, as described in Mathew chapter 24 and Luke chapter 21, ‘signs of the end of the age’? The dialogue between Jesus and His disciples in Matthew chapter 24 is also recorded in Luke chapter 21 in which Jesus replies to His disciples saying. “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” In current times, nations and kingdoms around the world are rising against each other. The UK is in dispute with the nations of the EU. The Scottish and Welsh Nationalists are in dispute with England. Ireland is in dispute with Northern Ireland and Britain. China is in dispute with America, the UK and Hong Kong. Russia is in dispute with the western democracies and Ukraine. Iran is in dispute with the west, the Gulf countries and Israel. Along with Iran Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinians have raised themselves perpetually against the nation of Israel. Nations and kingdoms have risen against each other in current times as per Luke chapter 21 v 10! Earthquakes are also a frequent occurrence. Recently Iran, Turkey, Greece, and Italy have experienced deadly earthquakes; even Scotland experienced an earthquake recently. Famines in Africa are currently devastating. The New Testament is translated from its original Greek into English and in the Greek form, the word “pestilence” contains reference to plagues, contagious diseases, and organisms. Significantly, plagues and pestilences recur in The Bible as divine warnings to humanity to return to the ways of The Lord. Their occurrence presents an opportunity for humanity to examine themselves and put right wrong living! Throughout the Bible plagues e.g. the plagues in Egypt, symbolize God’s judgement and are used by God to warn people that their lives are ungodly. Exodus Chapter 8:1 – 2 records a conversation between God and Moses: Then the Lord said to Moses, “go to Pharaoh and say to him” ‘this is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them, go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.’ In Exodus Chapter 32:35 it is written: “And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.” There is a biblical principle which reveals that God uses plagues as a means of warning to and judgement of human beings. This is farther referred to by John in Revelation Chapter 15:1 in which John says: “I saw in heaven another great and marvellous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues – last, because with them God’s wrath (judgement) is completed.” With Luke Chapter 21 and the covid 19 pandemic in mind, the Covid-19, SARS-Cov-2 virus certainly is “a pestilence / plague in various places”! it is everywhere! Throughout the last year we have seen many fearful events throughout the world: The forest and bush fires in Australia and America look like the fires of hell on earth, floods in Britain, Asia, and the Far East look like the flood as in the days of Noah. Anarchy in the USA, near anarchy in Austria, Holland and East Germany and violence in Myanmar and Hong Kong looks like ‘the man of lawlessness’ and human lawlessness are hard at work. TV footage show journalists describing such events as ‘biblical,’ ‘apocalyptic’ and ‘unprecedented’! It is exactly as the Bible says:” unprecedented things will happen in the last days” 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2:1-12 says: v1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him. v3 Do not let anyone deceive you, …, that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed. v7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work. v8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow by the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendour of His coming. 2 Timothy 3:1-7 says: v1 But mark this. There will be terrible times in the last days……………… And Matthew Chapter 24:38-44 explains: v38 No-one knows about that day or hour……. only The Father. v39 As it was in the days of Noah so it will be at the coming of The Son of Man. v44 So you must be ready because The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him. And so, we might ask: “As all these events are happening in the current time, the times we are living in today, are they collectively the - ‘signs of the end of the age’!? Are they the signs leading up to? the coming back again / the return of The Lord Jesus Christ!?” Many may respond saying “past generations have said the end is coming and the Lord is returning BUT it has never happened.” This also fulfils the word of the Lord as is written in 2 Peter 3: 1-13: Verse 3ff …. You must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing, and following their own evil desires. They will say “Where is this ‘coming’ He promised?” They ask (scoffingly?) “Why should it be different in relation to today’s circumstances?” Very importantly, Matthew Chapter 24:32-34 reveals a key event which has not happened in past generations BUT is happening in this one: v32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. v33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, right at the door. v34 I tell you the truth, this race will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened”. The key factor in identifying that the times we live in today are indeed the biblical “end times” or “end of the age is to learn the lesson from “the fig tree”! Throughout the Bible ‘the fig tree’ symbolizes the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Historically, we know that since the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70AD the Jewish people have been dispersed out from the land of Israel – they have travelled out to all parts of the world leaving only a remnant in ‘the land’ (i.e. Israel). For the last 2000 years, the Jews have been victimised and hated in the places they settled in – historical attempts to systematically eradicate the Jewish race are known to us all. During this time ‘the figtree’ – i.e. the Jewish people and the land of Israel looked dead! And indeed, many throughout the world had written the Jews off as a people and a nation. However, the times we live in today are hugely significant because for the first time in the last 2000 years, the Jewish people are returning from all the places they have settled in throughout the world to the Land of Israel, their ancestral homeland. The preservation of Israel as a nation; her return to the promised land, albeit in much opposition, is amazing. The revival of the Hebrew language as good as dead; the victories in conflicts with nations much larger and numerous are miraculous. Israel as a nation is thriving and prospering. With reference to Matthew Chapter 24 verses 32-34 the return of the Jews to Israel and the prosperity of the nation of Israel equates to ‘the leaves of the fig tree coming out’ – the fig tree is blossoming – i.e. the Jews are returning to their land and Israel is established. As verses 32-33 poetically describe it – “Summer is near”! The chapter in verse 34 goes on to say: When you see all these things – He is near – right at the door! We are seeing all these things in the days we live in today and so He, the Lord Jesus is near, He is at the door – He is ready to come back! He is returning! AND, despite opposition to the very existence of the Jewish race and horrendous attempts to destroy them “this race has not passed away.” This chapter and these verses in the Book of Matthew describe events occurring in the times we now live in and so we must seriously weigh up these things and consider the fact that we are indeed approaching ‘the end of the age’ and the time of ‘Jesus coming back.’ Bearing in mind the Covid-19, SARS-Cov-2 virus pandemic and recent world events, together with these Scriptural verses, perhaps it is true to say: Normal is not returning – BUT Jesus is!!? What do you think? Ian Atkin. 19.12.2021 Next time: Why is Messiah Jesus coming back? What will happen when He, The Lord, returns? Should I do anything about it?

What things has God still planned for your life When we consider the meaning and purpose of our life, it is important to put our lives in the context of eternity. The Preacher (aka King Solomon) says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God ‘has set eternity in our hearts’, which I take to mean that, God has given we humans an awareness/consciousness that there is something beyond our natural lives. An awareness that there is someone and something that is beyond our understanding of time. Eternity represents a fork in the road, when we are trying to fathom out, just exactly what is the meaning or purpose of our life. Are you living for time, or for eternity? If we have taken the Jesus fork on the road, then perhaps today might be a fitting time to revise our bucket lists but this time in the light of eternity. So what is on your personal bucket list today? A bucket list, as you know, is a list of all the main things we want to do before we die i.e. before we kick the bucket! Here are the most popular types of items on most peoples' bucket list To go somewhere they have never been To do something they have never done To do something exciting/dangerous/extravagant perhaps just one time in your life. This raises the question what can we take from this life into the next? Here is what Jesus said in Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. So, what does this mean? So, what treasure we can store up in heaven? Here is what the Apostle Paul said in the key passage about the judgement of believers works. 1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God, which is given unto me, as a wise Master Builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. Paul likened the Christian life to constructing a building and tells us we must build carefully. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. For every one of us 12 Now if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. Our works not our salvation. In your life are you building a palace or a mud hut? [1] 13 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. Gold,Silver and Precious Stones are fireproof but not Wood,Hay and Stubble. We will all bring our big bag of works to the bema (platform) judgement. 14 If any man's work abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. The various crowns to cast at Jesus’ feet. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Clearly this is talking about loss of reward not loss of salvation. The fire will differentiate between work we have done in the flesh (our own ideas, our own power) and work we have done by the Spirit (God’s ideas and God’s power). So, in closing here are some things to consider for our spiritual bucket lists in the light of eternity. Here are some ideas of the type of thing that might bring you gold, silver, and precious stones in heaven. At this stage I believe this could be an opportunity in which God wants to communicate with each one of us personally today, so be open to what the Lord might be saying to you personally. 1] Go somewhere for God you have never been, maybe a short-term mission Testimony-Brazil, Tanzania-made many friends who still are today! 2] Do something for God you have never done before, do something creative write something, sing something, paint something, give something, pray something, bless someone Use all your God-given creative talents to full effect. 3] Do something exciting/dangerous/extravagant for God, perhaps just this one time in your life, share the Gospel message, tell a friend or neighbour about your faith, be a good Samaritan to someone in need. Or what about the wonderful woman who poured the alabaster box of costly perfume on Jesus’ feet? She did not store up her treasure on earth. Here is her story, in Luke 7:37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Those present had doubts and concerns about the woman, but Jesus praised her, whoever has much forgiven , loves much. What about you? Prayer Father God, we ask you in Jesus’ name, to teach us how to live and to love in the light of eternity. Show us all the tasks and opportunities of that are from you which will produce treasure in heaven. Show us what is on your list for me specifically and help me to live out and complete your plan (bucket list) for my life. Amen [1] Roger Price CCF Tapes BBS 023

You are good and what you do is good; teach me your decrees Psalm 119:68 My plane touched down in Scotland on a dull, grey, January day and I felt miserable. I had just spent what, at that time, had been the happiest month of my life in the USA. Now, back in Scotland, everything I cared about was thousands of miles away. It had all begun more than a year earlier when I started university. I was going to St Andrews to study and one of the first people I met was an American girl who was in Scotland to study for the year. What happened was that we started seeing one another regularly and fell in love. Most of that year we were together. At the end of the summer she had to return to the States to complete her studies, but, by this time, we were very serious and wanted to spend our lives together and so we were confident that we would be seeing one another again come Christmas. As it turned out, instead of her coming back to Scotland, her father offered to pay for me to spend Christmas in their home. I accepted and it was wonderful. Now, back in Scotland, the thought of being apart until the summer was painful and I felt very alone. I tried to do some studying in the university library, but my mind was on the other side of the Atlantic. So I packed up my books and went back to the residence where I was staying. I wanted company, so I went to the common room where some guys were together, chatting. I found it interesting when the conversation became about people's views of what heaven is like. Some people have unorthodox ideas! Anyway, I didn't think too much about it until the next day when one of these students knocked on my room door. When I answered, he reminded me of the conversation and gave me a card inviting me to a meeting of the university Christian Union where there was to be a talk entitled, “What is a Christian?” I took the card, but had no intention of going along. I was feeling low and lonely and most certainly did not want to be pursued by people I considered to be “religious fanatics”. Nevertheless, when the day came, I found myself making my way to the meeting with a couple of Christians. I didn't want to be there and felt very uncomfortable. When the speaker started his talk, for the first time in my life I heard the gospel of Jesus Christ presented in a way which really challenged me. The fact was that I had been in church on Sundays most of my life. I believed there was a God and so I concluded that I was a Christian. However the speaker made it clear he believed a Christian is someone who has a personal relationship with Jesus. Now I was in a really awkward position. I was already feeling low and now I was faced with the possibility that I might be on my way to hell. There was a battle going on inside of me. One voice was saying that I tried to be a good, moral person and that I was ok. Another voice was saying, “But what if what the speaker said is correct?” I knew for sure that I did not have a personal relationship with God. I was really challenged by this and wrestled with the issue internally. Then I had an idea. I had always had a respect for the bible, so I decided I would try to find out what it said about a relationship with Jesus. I knew someone who had a bible and actually read it regularly, so I went to ask if I could borrow it. He agreed and I went back to my room where I read all of Matthew's gospel. I still hadn't found the answer to my dilemma. I thought maybe Mark's gospel would tell me, so I kept on reading. Shortly after this, the student who had lent me his bible came to see how I was getting on. I tried to explain the battle that was going on inside me. He listened and something he said caused me to break down in tears. Sensitively, he made no attempt to push me into making a decision, but rather got up and withdrew from the room. However, by this time I knew I had to make a decision. I felt as if I was being torn apart. The speaker at the meeting had given me a gospel tract and, at the end, there was a prayer for anyone who wanted to have a relationship with Jesus. I got down on my knees and surrendered my life to God. I didn't hear angels singing or feel anything special. However that night I slept soundly for the first time since my return from the States. And so began my relationship with Jesus who came to earth to be the Saviour of the world. My Christian life had begun, but there was so much I did not yet know or understand. Now, many years later, knowing the love of God and his nature which is good, kind and forgiving, it seems strange that I should have been so hesitant to get to know him --- his love, his forgiveness. The amazing thing is that Jesus didn't come for “religious people”, or “good people”, or “special people”. He came for anyone who is willing to accept his gracious offer of love, forgiveness, and eternal life. And when we begin that relationship with him, our heart changes and our desires change as we live our lives following the one who truly loves us and wants to be our best friend. DJM

Powerful Prayers to help develop the real you Who is the real you? Will the real you step forward? Is the truest part of your being the one that is best or the one that is worst? I will now describe my recent life experience. The battle between the inner man and the flesh (Romans chapters 6-8) Let us read these two key passages in Romans Romans 7:17 As it is, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do— this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God— through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 8:2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. So how do we decide who has the ‘say’ in each situation, the inner man, or the flesh? The inner being is our deepest person. The inner man is our true selves. The inner man delights in God’s laws. The inner man does not need to be crucified unlike our flesh. How to get power into our inner man We saw that Romans chapters 6-8 cover the battle between our inner man and the flesh nature in our lives (detailed commentary on these chapters can be found at the bottom of this article). It is clear from these chapters that victory is available to our inner man through Jesus Christ. In that split second, when we are tempted we need to remember our true identity, which says 'this is not the inner me; this is not what I really want'. We can also use the Word of God as a sword against the temptation. Walking in the Spirit; we need to know how to put Jesus’ victory into practice in our lives and how to walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh (see the series called How to walk in the Spirit) . Something that helps give the victory to the inner man is when there is specific prayer that we might be strengthened in our inner man. This prayer can be made by yourself and by others. The Apostle Paul gives four model prayers to equip the church in the inner man that we can rise above the temptations and circumstances in life and be fully fit and equipped for God’s purposes on a daily basis. Ephesians 1:17-19a [I ask] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what the hope of His is calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Ephesians 3:16-19 [May the Father] grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God (NB Trinitarian nature of prayer) Philippians 1:9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Colossians 1:9b-12 [I ask] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. These are not puny prayers but mighty life changing prayers that will help the real you (the inner man) step forward for God. Conclusion 1. Would you dare to pray these prayers for yourself and others? 2. Do we need to be strengthened in the inner man this year? 3. These are the prayers that Paul prayed for the church from his heart knowing what they really needed. Amen Personal Prayer

Find God's total security in the pandemic Lord Most High, we thank You that we live under Your Shelter and that we are under Your shadow We declare about You Lord, that You alone, are our refuge, our place of safety You are our God and we will trust You For You will rescue us from every trap and protect us from all deadly disease Your faithful promises are like armour to us and protect us We will not be afraid of the terrors at night, nor the arrow that flies by day We will not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at noon Though a thousand fall at our side, and ten thousand are dying around us, These evils will not touch us Because we have made the Lord our refuge, and because we have made the Most High our shelter No evil will conquer us, no plague will come near our homes For You will command your angels to protect us wherever we go Lord we reverently remind you of your promises by which you said that, You will rescue those who love You You will protect those who trust in your Name When we call on you, You will answer You will be with us in trouble You will rescue us and honour us You will reward us with long life And give us your salvation Lord we receive all Your precious promises in Jesus’ name. Amen Further study of Psalm 91 at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/the-presence-of-god-part-4

Part 1 The blood is a weapon of our warfare The bible is a book dripping with blood! It almost seems that if we squeezed our bible that blood would drip from it. There is something special about the blood of Jesus Christ When we begin to talk about the blood of Jesus Christ, something dynamic happens in the spiritual realm, it is as though angels bow and demons tremble at the very thought of it. When we speak of the blood of Jesus Christ, we are walking on holy ground! Even as I begin today, something is happening. It is hard to say what exactly, but it is something good, something holy and true. The life is in the blood, and we when bring the blood tonight, so we bring life. Blood is a subject close to my heart in that in my past career as a biomedical scientist I specialized in immunohaematology i.e. the study of human blood groups from a medical perspective. Interestingly, I think I know what blood group Adam was (AB) and if you want to know the theological and scientific reasons I have for my theory. Please get in touch sometime. Having studied the blood scientifically for many years I read something in the bible, which no textbook had taught me, which was that blood can talk! The blood of Jesus speaks better things than the blood of Abel. What does Jesus’ blood say… it says, ' forgive them’! The relationship between the life and the blood Leviticus 17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. I find it interesting that where most people would describe the location of their spirit (i.e. the abdomen or belly) it is in the area with the most blood in it. Our physical blood is multi-functional and contains various cells and proteins that combat infectious microorganisms (another vital function is to permit our blood to clot to prevent excess bleeding). Likewise the blood of Jesus Christ covers and removes the infections of sin and guilt from our hearts and minds. What was blood used for in the Old Testament? In the Old Testament there were at least 6 major applications of blood. 1 Daily sacrifice found in Leviticus chapters 1-6, four of these sacrifices involve blood peace, burnt, sin, and trespass 2 Consecration of priests Leviticus 8:22 applied to ear, thumb, big toe Aaron's sons 3 Cleansing of defilement (red heifer) Numbers 19 4 Calendar sacrifices Passover, Tabernacles etc. 5. Cutting a covenant 6. Victory celebration sacrifices The New Testament sacrifice of blood and its applications 1. The Blood of Jesus is a weapon of our warfare! 2 Corinthians 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. God has given his church mighty weapons to war against the world, the flesh, and the devil. We need to be trained and ready to use the weapons that God has provided. Laser-guided weapons that defeat all our guilt, shame, and disgrace. Our mighty weapons include. i. Authority in the name of Jesus when we put our hand up and say stop in the name of Jesus, Satan’s juggernaut must come to a halt! ii. The sword of the spirit (and the whole armour of God). The sword of the spirit is the rhema word i.e. the living word energised by the Holy Spirit. iii. The cross to crucify our flesh, living sacrifice or even martyrdom! iv. The blood of Jesus Christ takes away all our sin, guilt, and shame which things Satan uses to paralyse us in our spiritual warfare against him and his demons. 2. The Blood of Jesus, what does it do? There are several scriptures in the new testament that clearly describe the various wonderful things that Jesus’ blood achieved for us. These will give you an appreciation of why we call Jesus blood precious. Purchased our salvation. Faith in Jesus’ blood turns away the wrath of God. We are justified by the blood. We are redeemed by his blood and have forgiveness of our sins. The blood brings us who were far away, near to God. Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. The sacrifice of Jesus’ blood purchased his church, there was no other price that could have secured the church! Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God … faith in his blood turns away the wrath of God. We only escape the wrath of God for our sins because Jesus gave every drop of his blood to turn away God’s wrath (which we fully deserved) from us. Romans 5:8b But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! We are justified by Jesus’ blood i.e. we are made legally righteous before our Holy God, and God’s wrath is no longer directed towards us. Ephesians 1:7 in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. His blood brings us forgiveness of our sins i.e. this is called our redemption. Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Jesus’ blood brings us (who were nowhere spiritually speaking) near to our Holy God. Wow! In conclusion the sacrifice of Jesus’ blood brings our salvation, turns away God’s wrath, justifies us (makes us righteous), redeems us by forgiving our sins, and brings us near to God. In Part 2 we find out how to declare the blood of Jesus, we also find out how to apply the blood in various situations by following the trail of Jesus’ blood from Gethsemane to Calvary. NB We need to apply the blood (see Part 2) Amen Prayer

Remove your lusts to get your real desires In the book ‘The Great Divorce’ by C. S. Lewis, a scene is described in which a ghostly person (who is an unbeliever) has a red lizard siting on his shoulder. This red lizard appears to negatively influence all his decisions and actions. Finally, the man cries out, ‘God help me’. Instantaneously, a bright angel rips the lizard off the ghostly man’s shoulder, and he screams with pain. The angel then strangles the lizard and throws it to the ground. The man begins to become a believer in God and progressively becomes more solid and real and less ghost-like. However, a further strange thing begins to happen, the red lizard whom we thought to be dead begins to change shape and colour and becomes a beautiful and powerful stallion. The man then jumps onto the stallion’s back and taking full control of the reins, gallops off into the everlasting hills of heaven. As I was reading this story, the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘Give up your petty desires and I will give you something much, much better’. Something changed within me, and I was able to see my petty temporal desires and ambitions for what they really were. I knew instinctively that if I said ‘God help me’ like the man in the story, that he would not only remove these red lizards from me but also turn them into something much, much better. God is no respecter of persons, and earnestly desires that each one of his children be set free from the red lizards (lusts) in our lives. I believe that the Lord is speaking to us today, saying, ‘Give up your old ways, your small dreams, ambitions and attitudes and I will give you something far, far better’. The very thing that holds you back (the red lizard) is what God wants us to hand over, so that he can kill it and then resurrect it into the wonderful real thing (the beautiful stallion) that will serve you instead of being your master and will cause you to gallop into heavenly places (achieve the things that God wants you to achieve). This is an interesting proposition, but does it line up with the teaching of the Bible? Does God desire to change the existing things in our lives into something far, far better? In fact, there are numerous examples in the bible where God desired to change new and better things for old. e.g. A new covenant for an old covenant. Hebrews 8:6-10 All their comparisons favour the new covenant. One of the best blessings of the new covenant is that the Holy Spirit comes and indwells the believer whereas in the old, he merely came upon people for times and seasons. Even when God asks you to give up something good, it is the same, he can give you something much, much better! When Jesus saw the widow giving her last two mites, it would not surprise me if he sent someone out after her to bless her financially (her needs would be met one way or another by God!). Each one of us can testify that on the day we were born again our old lives were exchanged for far better lives in every way! We were spiritually dead in our sins and trespasses, blind and lost, without hope. But now we are spiritually alive to God, wonderfully cleansed and forgiven, children of the living God. In Luke 5:37-38, we find that God cannot pour the new wine of His Spirit into the old wineskin (unbelieving heart) but rubs in the oil of the Holy Spirit into our new hearts at the new birth. Then we can hold the new wine and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. The world, the flesh and the devil cry out in unison ‘cling to your old life, the old familiar ways, better the devil you know …’ But the Lord says to us today that we should cry out ‘God help me’ that he might remove and transform our red lizards. Can you trust Him? Here are some examples of red lizards and the beautiful stallions that can be transformed if we will face the pain of having them removed. Lusts Godly desires Worldly ambitions Heavenly ambitions Materialism Spirituality Desire for recognition of man Desire for recognition of God Wrong relationships Blessed relationships Unforgiveness Forgiveness Jealousy and envy Admiration and appreciation Addictions Freedom and liberty Bad memories wonderful future God help me with this ………. God release me into ……… May he grant your heart cry and fill you with a deeper sense of his love. How much more will he give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him… Amen Personal Prayer

An academic short study : the life (nephesh) is in the blood The nephesh is probably our life-breath Leviticus 17:11 and the nephesh of the flesh is in the blood. Here the Type 2 symbolic resonance is specifically found in the way that the blood transports oxygen via the haemoglobin in the red blood cells. This could relate symbolically to the ‘soul’ in the sense of ‘breath’. Genesis 2:7 describes the nephesh as ‘living breath’ being breathed into man, almost like mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, except mouth-to-nose, and man becomes a ‘living soul’, as opposed to an inanimate soul. The Genesis 2:7 use of נֶפֶשׂשׁ nephesh illustrates this root meaning of breath. [1] Breathing is the most obvious aspect of man which departs at his death and returns during resurrection from the dead (1 Kings 21:22). There has been a long-standing historical connection between the nephesh and the blood which was known as vitalism. In its simplest form, vitalism holds that living entities contain some fluid, or a distinctive ‘spirit’. The now discredited theory of the vitalism (see Bechtel and Richardson 1998) in its more sophisticated forms holds that the origin and phenomena of life are dependent on a force or principle distinct from purely chemical or physical forces often referred to as the ‘vital spark’ or élan vital. Some equate this with the soul. The second major tenet of vitalism was that organic compounds could only be produced by living things (Berzelius 1836). [2] The distinguished English physician William Harvey (1578-1657) famous for his elucidation of the human circulatory system, was a vitalist who believed in the above ‘vital spark’. Harvey wrote a whole book chapter based on Leviticus 17:11 with the title ‘Blood as the seat of the soul’ (see Curtis 1915:108-116). Harvey’s view of the blood as the ‘seat of soul’ was widely held by physicians up to and including Louis Pasteur (Bechtel, and Richardson 1998). The fact that ‘nephesh’ has a broad semantic range is problematic to our study.[3] The concept of ‘nephesh’ (Strong’s Concordance 5315) will now be further investigated in terms of its Hebraic meanings to assess how well the broad Hebraic meanings including ‘a soul’, ‘living being’, ‘life’, ‘self’ or ‘person’ fit with its use in Leviticus 17:11. We will now look at some of these alternative meanings. It may be that this resonance may help us explore the best fit of nephesh for our context. In his book Israel: Its Life and Culture, Semitic philologist Johannes Pedersen (1883-1977) asserts that in Genesis, a soul (nephesh) is always a person, not some invisible component inside a person. Pederson (1926:99) claims that in Genesis, this is consistently shown to be the case (see also McKim 2007:805). Pedersen summarizes as follows: ‘the soul [is] not part of man, but man as a totality with a peculiar stamp. A man [soul] is stamped by the special conditions under which he lives. Pedersen concludes, ‘the soul is thus an entirety with a definite stamp, and this stamp is transmuted into a definite will’ and a person’s ‘will is the whole tendency of the soul [the person]’.[4] Pedersen understands the Hebrew concept of the ‘soul’ namely nephesh to refer to ‘man as a totality’ and this idea has become highly influential in modern theology/philosophy. Philosopher Anthony Phillips (2015:244) believes that the Hebrew concept of nephesh offers the best model for what it means to be human namely, nephesh can be translated as ‘personality’. In this way, the nephesh controls both thoughts and actions and is unique to each individual person. However, our lives are lived in continual interaction with our families and communities thus integrating our single nephesh into a corporate or communal personality or society. Phillips (2015:244) also points out that for the Hebrews another life force, that of blood, is required for the expression of the nephesh and further that the Hebrews understood losses of either breath or blood could end in death. Breath and blood are thus both essential to being. Furthermore for Phillips, Leviticus 17:11 the phrase ‘the nephesh of the flesh is in the blood’ is saying the blood makes us what we are namely our being or personality or put in another way our identity. If we lose our blood, then we lose our whole being. For Phillips it would, therefore, be misleading to translate Leviticus 17:11 as ‘the soul of the flesh is in the blood’.[5] In this way in Genesis 4:8-11 where Cain slays Abel, he does not capture his ‘soul’, but he gets possession of Abel himself namely his being and his personality. For, Phillips the nephesh is the personality. This, of course, makes Cain’s defence to God even more trenchant-- ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ He was indeed, as he ‘possessed his blood’ (Phillips 2016:1). Only God as the Creator can be considered to have the ownership of the blood as judged by God demanding an account of Abel’s blood from Cain (Genesis 4:10). The nature of the relationship of the nephesh and the blood (Leviticus 17:11) will now be further discussed in the hope that the relationship may help us with our developing definition of nephesh. Numerous scholars have attempted to determine the relationship between the blood and the life to which Leviticus 17:11 alludes. Hartley (1983:244-245) suggests the power to purify comes not from the blood per se, but from the life within the blood. In this way, the blood simply ‘serves as the tangible centre of an animal’s life force.’ Similarly, Budd (1996:249) also recognizes that blood serves as an effective ‘purifying or ransoming agent’ because of its ‘life-embodying power’. The concept of atonement being achieved through the presence of the nephesh (life-force) supports the view that atonement might be visualised as a process in which the nephesh of God is reconciled to the human nephesh through an intermediary nephesh. Old Testament scholar John H. Hayes (1998:6) has helpfully suggested the atonement rituals of Leviticus can be viewed as ‘rituals of restoration and reintegration which participate in and mirror the return to established order and normalcy’. Coming from a different angle, Needham (2000:38) notes that the semantics of atonement have changed from a meaning of ‘at one-ment’ to that of ‘reconciliation, meaning the making of unity and harmony’. It seems feasible that atonement can be viewed as a process and the case made that atonement can be described as ‘reconciliation both in the human/God relationship and in human/human relationships’ Bair (2007:68). It should also be remembered, that in Leviticus 5:11 atonement could also be made through an offering of fine flour, and so such atonement may not require blood and its nephesh. Bair (p.62) believes that this would mean a more intimate role for God in the atonement process since it would be necessary that he directly provide the necessary nephesh. This is in accord with Genesis 2:7 where the Lord God breathes the breath of life into the man who becomes a nephesh-filled being. In this way, in the case of the poor person making an offering of flour, the Lord would provide the divine nephesh needed to make the atonement successful. Here the divine nephesh is most likely understood as something imparted by God. In this way, the reconciliation between the human nephesh and the divine nephesh is initiated by the author of all nephesh. According to Levine (1989:99-100) in the context of the Day of Atonement, atonement also encompasses reconciliation between human and human. Levine puts it this way ‘we observe a dynamic interaction between the priesthood/community, on the one hand, and the omnipresence of God, on the other’. In the same way, that a victim/offender relationship can exist between God and humans, it can also exist within human relationships, and thus, it requires the same act of atonement through reconciliation (and the restoration of shalom) that is required in the relationship between the human and the divine. Rooke (2005:353) wisely sums up the importance of atonement in the context of human relationships as follows ‘the continuing well-being of the community is dependent on the successful performance of the [atonement] ceremony’. If the power of the atonement is present in the nephesh rather than blood itself, then this has implications for a post-resurrection theory of atonement. McHugh (1991:164) writes ‘the slaughtering of an animal was not of the essence of sacrifice even in the Old Testament (such as the bird in Leviticus 14:52-3 and the scapegoat in 16:6-10, 20-22) only the offering of the sacrifice to God’. In this way, blood was only necessary for containing the nephesh, the true requirement for the atonement. [6] Bair (p.70) rightly concludes that the focus of atonement is on the ‘God-breathed nephesh’ and not in the creature’s death’. Bair (p.70) further suggests that we should view the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus ‘to serve the purpose of the intermediary nephesh that is able to create reconciliation between the human nephesh and the divine nephesh’. Support for this idea comes from Hartley (1992:244-245) who explains that since Jesus fulfils the role of ‘the boundary between the holy and the sinful, here humans may find forgiveness of all their sins and reconciliation with God’. Further support comes from Gunton (1989:138) who recognises that the nephesh is the vehicle of atonement and comes from God: ‘The life that is given is the life of God himself, the incarnate Son dying for the life of the world’. Jesus himself says as much in Matthew 20:28 ‘the Son of Man came…to give his life a ransom for many’ confirming that his atoning ability is in his life-force, his nephesh. The nephesh, best understood in this study as life or life-breath, accords well with the concept of the blood being the nephesh-carrier. This concept may give some light into the processes of blood atonement by moving the focus from the sacrificial blood itself onto the nephesh (life-breath) being carried by it. This is insufficient per se to refute the claims of God being bloodthirsty but helps us refocus our theodicy. [1] Available at: https://www.studylight.org/language-studies/hebrew-thoughts/?a=601 [Accessed 30th May 2016]. [2]Chemical vitalism was refuted by Friedrich Wöhler (1800-1882) when in 1828 he accidentally synthesized the organic compound urea (found in blood and urine) from mainly though not exclusively inorganic reactants. [3]It could be argued that this is due to the linguistic problem between the Greek/Latin and the Hebrew with the latter being so metaphorical and polyvalent and the former tending towards a more limited semantic range. [4] Pedersen, J. (1926) Israel vol. 1:100, 103, and 111 as quoted in Phillips (2015:244). [5]Phillips (2016:1) does concede however, it is not always easy to translate Hebrew words/concepts into English and gives hesed as another example. [6]The slaughter of the animal however was still necessary as a means of releasing the blood, which carries the nephesh. This short extract is from Charles Green- dissertation for the Master's degree , School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh (2016). Full references can be obtained on request

An academic study of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus garment Mark 5:24b-34 and the Haemorrhoissa This story of the woman with the issue of blood (Haemorrhoissa) who was instantly healed by touching (the hem of) Jesus’ garment is found in all three synoptic gospels. [1] Although a modern medical diagnosis is tentative, it is widely accepted that this woman was almost certainly suffering from prolonged menorrhagia namely prolonged menstrual bleeding (Marcus 2000: 357). Amongst the most common causes known today to cause prolonged menorrhagia are uterine fibroids (non-cancerous growth of the uterine wall), endometrial hyperplasia (thickening of the endometrial wall), bleeding disorders such von Willebrand’s disease [2] and blood clotting problems such as platelet function disorder. [3] The latter two of these conditions fall within the aegis of modern haematology and as such, this would constitute a Type 1 resonance between the above scriptures. However if one argues that the woman’s condition was instead due to uterine fibroids or endometrial hyperplasia, the haematological aspect of the cure was nevertheless instantaneous implying that the ‘virtue’ proceeding from Jesus’ garment circumvented in some way the latter stages of blood coagulation. This, of course, could be in addition to healing other underlying conditions (as above). The woman's life was gradually ebbing away. Her prolonged haemorrhage symbolized this since her blood represented life. Her nephesh or life (as defined in Chapter 4.2.1) was leaking with her blood. Jesus stopped her dying and restored her life. The story of the Haemorrhoissa has a wonderful ending where Jesus tells the woman ‘Go in peace and be healed of your affliction’ (Mark 5:34) thus not only healing her physically but also psychologically and emotionally by removing her unclean status and publicly restoring her to full society again including her life roles/relationships. This potential resonance has additional interesting implications in terms of gender issues. The Haemorrhoissa was aware that she had a uterine blood flow which rendered her ritually unclean according to the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 15:25-27) almost certainly making her a religious and social outcast considered by society as unclean and untouchable. In some societies, even normal menstruation is considered as taboo and is perceived as unclean or embarrassing, extending even to the mention of menstruation both in the public domain and in private. Other traditional religions such as Islam also consider menstruation to be ritually unclean. [4] Therefore, it is interesting and perhaps surprising that Jesus did not condemn the Haemorrhoissa for touching the hem of his garment. As a righteous Jew, Jesus would understand a menstruating woman would be considered ritually unclean as stipulated in Leviticus 15:19-30 ‘anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening’ (NIV). The Haemorrhoissa would almost certainly have been considered as a niddah (Leviticus 15:19) or more correctly as being a zavah (Leviticus 15:1-15; 25-33) according to the Hebrew Bible’s definition; the term niddah refers to normal menstruation where there is a blood emission within a period of seven days. The term zavah refers to prolonged haemorrhage beyond seven days and considered abnormal. The Haemorrhoissa was prohibited, in either case, from a mikveh (ritual bath) and must remain ritually unclean until she stopped bleeding. Prolonged menstrual haemorrhage would almost certainly indicate that the Haemorrhoissa was also infertile. In modern times, menstruation is an issue where a clear gender division arises in the ways in which men and women might think about, and relate to, blood. Menstrual activism has become a movement committed to the removal of menstrual taboos, which are highly unacceptable to feminists since they allow for mistreatment of women. Had menstrual activism prevailed at the time of the Haemorrhoissa perhaps this unfortunate woman would not have suffered so much rejection for being ritually unclean. The primary argument here is that if menstruation is a normal physiological process, this topic ought not to be shunned. Karen Houppert (1999:99) puts it like this concerning menstrual taboos ‘After a while it becomes psychologically disorienting for women to look out at a world where their reality doesn't exist’. Johnston-Robledo and Chrisler (2011:9-18) have suggested that menstruation can be construed as ‘a stigmatized condition that both reflects and reinforces women’s perceived lower status in relation to men’. Such a theory can be extended to include explanations of negative attitudes concerning women’s bodily functions. Stigmatization of this occurs when menstrual blood is viewed as one of the ‘abominations’ of the body and reflects ‘a gendered identity among women, which leads to consequences for women's psychological and sexual well-being’ which can lead to a further adverse effect on a woman’s psychological and sexual health. Menstrual activists have adopted various strategies to counteract menstrual taboos including speaking against the use of shame in advertising feminine hygiene products (Quint 2012) and publishing books such as My Little Red Book (Nalebuff 2009). [1] Versions of this narrative are also found in Matthew 9:19-22and Luke 8:42-48. [2] The usual cause of von Willebrand disease is an inherited defect in the gene that controls von Willebrand factor, a protein that plays a key role in the blood-clotting process. [3] Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menorrhagia/basics/causes/con-20021959 [Accessed 6th June 2016]. [4] In Judaism, contact with a menstruation woman by touching her, touching an object she had sat or lain on, or having intercourse with her also makes a person ritually unclean. In Islam, a menstruating woman is exempted from prayer and certain other religious obligations like fasting. The powerful faith aspects of the woman touching the hem of Jesus' garment are dealt with below in 'Faith Cameos' Part 1.

Searching for Father's love As a child, I had several difficulties: I was a sensitive child who was afraid of the dark, I wet the bed till I was 12, which caused me a great deal of shame and mental trauma, I was introvert, not wanting to have relationships and had no confidence to speak. Another factor was that my dad worked long hours and wasn’t home much. He had been traumatised by the war and had difficulties in showing me love, he didn’t talk to me or cuddle me. I hid my problems in a box and pretended that they didn’t exist, and focussed instead on schoolwork. These problems continued into adulthood. In later life, several relationships went sour, as I still hadn’t resolved my underlying problems. How God healed me Eventually I reached a point where I didn’t want to hide my problems anymore. I was getting desperate and realised that I needed help, so I started searching for answers and I reached out to God. I’d read the Bible years before, and knew that I had made many mistakes during my life and that had separated me from God. I needed to accept Jesus as my Lord, since He had died to pay for my mistakes and bring me back into a relationship with God. Not only that, Jesus was raised to life after 3 days, and I knew that this gives me the assurance that I have an everlasting life. As I reached out to God, He responded by giving me what I needed at every stage because He knows me intimately: I met the right person at the right time eg with my lack of confidence God brought me someone with enormous patience, kindness, encouragement and gentleness so that I could slowly begin to have the confidence to speak and to open up to others. God encouraged me to trust in him. In his perfect timing, He decided what to take out of the box as only God knows how much we can bear at any one time I had several miracles during my healing: a DVD of a film I had failed to play the film. Placing the DVD in a computer to see what files were on it, I discovered that the 2 video files were removed, and replaced with a message which pointed to a book that I needed to read to deal with the issue of forgiveness, which was necessary for my healing from the bad relationships that I had. There was a miracle of healing of tooth pain which I’d had for 2 days, and at church my pastor prophesied that God wanted to heal someone with a jaw pain. He prayed with me and within a short time the pain disappeared. The last miracle I’ll mention was that God enabled me to resolve the issues I had with my deceased dad My life now is very different. I’m blessed with a lovely wife, 3 step-children, and a real sense of joy and peace, and an assurance of my eternal life with a God who has never left me, but has walked with me through every problem and healed me. That’s my God. Amen Andrew is a member of Edinburgh Elim Church, a house group leader, and takes part in various evangelism projects including the Turning and the John 3:7 outreach. God can do for you what He did for Andrew- try praying and let us know how we can help you.