Bethesda Shalom

Luke 22:24-27 The world today would tell us, that it is the lesser who serves the greater.  Jesus takes the economy of the world and flips it on its head by saying, “For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth” (Lk. 22:27).  Have you a servant's heart?  Have you a heart to serve?  Do you count it a privilege to serve others, or is the privilege the other way around, when others serve you?  When there is a need in front of you, what’s your response? Someone else will sort it, or do you count it your responsibility and privilege to try to meet that need?  I see many within the Body of Christ at large clamouring for positions and gifts, but what for, if they have not first learnt the rudimentary ABCs of Christian service?  Position in the Church is NOT for honour, but for SERVICE!!!

  2 Kings 2:1-14 Dr. David Donovan and his wife Shirley head up a medical mission to the Niger Delta called New Foundations.  David shares about the work of New Foundations and intermingles this with a timely message from the Word of God.  I pray that the Lord uses this message to bless your heart!

Mark 12:28-34 Concerning the Old Mosaic Covenant, Jewish tradition puts the total number of commandments at 613. 248 positive commandments to DO, and 365 negative commandments NOT to do.  Although various Rabbinic scholars have sought to compile a list of these commands, there have been slight disagreements on their precise number due to technicalities.  When asked by a Scribe, which is the greatest commandment, our Lord did not begin with "do this and don’t do that", but on the contrary, He proceeded to give the Shema. “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord”. Having established the unity of God, what is to be our reasonable response to the worship of this One, True, Supreme Being?  “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).   

Psalm 127:1 Before the invention of the engine, there were only two ways to power a sea vessel; by human power or by nature’s power.  You could row a boat or sail a boat!!  Without a doubt, rowing involves far more effort on the part of man than does sailing.  Those oars must be pulled through the waters at speed enough to create a drag that propels the boat forward. Stop rowing and the boat stops with it!  On the other hand, a sailing boat is oarless, and the means by which it is propelled is not by hand, but by the wind.  The art of sailing is setting the sail to the wind!!  The Western Church functions today like a rowing boat.  Its source of propulsion is based upon the principle of human power. Rowing strength is the model upon which it is founded.  Oh, how we need a divine interruption into the mundane affairs of Churchianity! How we need so desperately to see the utter futility of our endless Church activities in the absence of the presence of God the Holy Ghost!!!  Oh, how we need the fresh wind of re

Jeremiah 17:5-8 I don’t know if you’ve ever had the pleasurable experience of tracing the path of a river as it meanders through the iconic English countryside.  It is a sight to behold.  The ’S’ curved bends of the river as it winds its way round hill and gully.  The flowing currents, sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce.  The exposed banks of the river with their clayey substrate. All makes for a most tranquil experience amidst the dragonflies and bees!  But with that said, this picturesque scene is not complete without mention of the mighty trees that hug the river's course.  If you know anything about trees, you will know that beneath the surface of the soil there lies an extensive root system.  Oftentimes, the tree’s roots will spread as wide as the tree is tall. It’s through these roots that the tree will absorb the vast majority of its water intake and it’s through these roots that stability is offered to the tree. A tree with no roots is a dead tree!  A tree with shallow roots is a vulnerable tree!  But

Galatians 5:1 Part 1 of 2 Having asked the question last week, “Which Covenant?”, and having answered it conclusively with authority from the Word of God; I want now in this second teaching part, to go on to look at the nature of this New Covenant as it pertains to justification and sanctification. When one understands the true nature of the Old Covenant as contrasted with that of the New, how could anyone ever want to go back?  “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1).    

Rebecca Cranch shares a powerful and moving testimony of God's faithfulness in the birth of her precious son Tobias!

2 Samuel 21:15-22 As I look at the spiritual condition of the Church in this country, I’ve no other way to explain it, except to say that we’re in a spiritual crisis. As you turn on the news this evening, the headlines sound loud and clear, there’s a coming global famine, and we must prepare for it!!  Headlines like this, make us sit up and take note, yet what if I was to tell you that we are already in the midst of a famine, right here in Great Britain.  You say what!!  I didn’t know that!!  I ate breakfast this morning, and I have a lovely dinner in the fridge waiting for me when I get home!  Now of course, when I speak of famine, I’m not speaking of famine for bread, I speak of famine of hearing the Word of the LORD!! This sermon is a call and a challenge for leadership to rise up in this hour and be counted for the Lord.  It’s no time for cowardice, God is looking for men of courage.

1 Kings 18:36-39 It’s commonly been said, “God helps those who help themselves”.  Without a doubt, this is one the most oft-quoted phrases that many are fond of repeating, but did you know, it‘s nowhere to be found in the Bible?  All around us, we witness the sobering reality of spiritual dearth across the nation, both in the Church and out.  The Church resolves to pull itself up by their proverbial bootstraps; we’ll be alright she says, but Brethren, it’s too late in the hour for such fanciful thinking, the need is too great!  We need God!!  “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears” (Ps. 18:6).  The question posed in this featured sermon is this: “When Do We Need Revival?”.  The question is answered in three points; the Church of Jesus Christ needs revival when #1. It has lost the fear of God, #2. It has lost the power of God, and #3. It has lost the call of God.  May the Lord graciously minister in each

Galatians 5:1 I stand as a watchman to lift my voice in warning, against a movement that is fast growing in momentum across the evangelical world.  Some call it Hebrew Roots, others call it Torah Observant Christianity — call it what you like, the overriding emphasis is the same.  They tell us that the Gentile Church has been infected with Greek culture and needs desperately to return to its Jewish roots from whence it came!!  When asked what this “returning to its Jewish roots” looks like, one is speedily pointed to Moses and told that in order to be a faithful follower of Yeshua, you must keep Torah! Dietary Laws, Sabbath Laws, the Feasts and Festivals; if we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then we must do so as Torah observing Christians! When everything has been said and done, the golden question that every professing believer in Jesus Messiah must answer is this; “Which Covenant are you Under?”.  To whom will you pledge your allegiance, Moses or Jesus Christ?  Y

Philippians 2:1-11 There are some things in this life that can only be truly understood by divine revelation.  No amount of seeing will ever see, and no matter how many times one might hear a thing proclaimed, it’s not until the penny drops that one really hears for the very first time!!   I do not think that one can begin to comprehend, Calvary’s dying love, without the aid of divine revelation, given them by God.  In this sermon, we attempt by God’s grace to walk through the first eleven verses of Philippians and to behold the humility of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In light of the depth of such humility, an exhortation is given to s, to walk in the same.  

Acts 3:19 Why is it that so many who name the name of Jesus Christ, can’t ever seem to break free from the cycle of “struggle”; never coming to a place of spiritual maturity in their lives, never seeming to be able to overcome the besetting sins that have so easily entangle them for years?  At the heart of the issue lies a life that is un-surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and until one turns in full repentance, one will never know the taste of victory.   

Genesis 21:1-8 Patience is one of those virtues that we all speak about, but none of us really like to experience it.  It’s a bit like “saving”, who likes to save when you can spend! Well similarly, who likes to have to endure the pain of waiting when you can have it now!!  The whole of Western consumerism is built on this model— if you want it now, you can have it now!! Solomon wrote, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life” (Prov. 13:12).  Why does God then delay?  Does He not want His children happy?  Our Heavenly Father is of greater substance than that! He cares for more than our mere happiness, it is character that God’s after!!  He wants to work in us the precious virtue of patience so that we might stand complete in Him by faith! 

Genesis 3:1-7 Faith is to undergird our whole Christian experience, without it, we cannot function!!  There is an enemy of our souls who well knows this fact.  You don’t need me to tell you that we are in a spiritual battle — we feel its effects hourly!!  As believers in Christ, we are not to be ignorant of Satan’s devices, lest he should gain an advantage over us (2 Cor. 2:11).  One of Satan’s modes of attack is to sow seeds of doubt into the mind of the Christian so as to take from under our feet, our ground of confidence in God.  By looking at three examples in the Bible, we learn more about this scheme of assault and how we are to overcome it!

Mark 4:23 Four pastors were discussing the merits of the various translations of the Bible. One liked a particular version best because of its simple, beautiful English. Another preferred a more scholarly edition because it was closer to the original Hebrew and Greek. Still another liked a contemporary version because of its up-to-date vocabulary. The fourth minister was silent for a moment, then said, “I like my mother’s translation best.” Surprised, the other three men said they didn’t know his mother had translated the Bible. “Yes,” he replied. “She translated it into life, and it was the most convincing translation I ever saw. Let him that has an ear to hear, hear.

Numbers 13:26-33 How many know that the God of history, is the same God of the present?  God is known by His attributes - those characteristics and qualities which define His person and nature.  For some, studying these divine attributes is nothing more than an academic exercise. Instead of the knowledge of the Holy impacting the life, for many, it merely impacts the head.  Friends, God reveals Himself to us, not because He has an inferiority complex, but in order that we might know Him and in so doing draw near to Him in full assurance of faith. In this featured sermon, we look at two of God’s attributes, namely, His omnipotence and His faithfulness.  Please rest assured, this shall be no dull exercise.  As we turn to look at the account of the twelve spies and the bringing up of their report to the people, we shall see that while the overwhelming majority saw only danger; two were able by faith to see past the danger unto the promised blessing because they were fully persuaded in the nature of the God who h

2 Chronicles 36:14-20 One of the fundamental ways by which we can know the nature and the character of God is by the attributes which He has chosen to reveal about Himself in Holy Scripture.  These attributes define His person —His eternality, his sovereignty, his omnipotence and omniscience, and His spiritual and triune nature. These very attributes define His character —His love, His grace, His holiness; His justice and righteousness; His faithfulness and mercy. In this sermon, we look at two cardinal attributes of God, namely His mercy and His wrath.  May the Lord be pleased to open the understanding of our eyes to see Him in His true glory and majesty.      

Hebrews 3:12-13 The little phrase, “take heed”, appears more than 50 times in the Word of God.  It may only be a tiny phrase consisting of two words but boy does it pack a punch and fire a shot across the bows. It is a phrase of warning; a sound of alarm; like a bell ringing or the town crier heralding FIRE!!, so the words “take heed” call immediately to arrest one’s attention. When one sees the words BEWARE, DANGER AHEAD, it is only a fool who chooses to ignore them to his own destruction. In this sermon, a strong warning goes forth to those who name the name of Jesus Christ.  Play with sin to your ruin! God is calling, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts!   

Revelation 2:1-7 The Church in Ephesus was a Church that was in declension in regards to love.  They had departed from that they once knew in glowing fervour and had grown cold in that most vital of areas.  The heat of the battle had done something to them.  All that contention against the false had jaded their glow of love.  Simply put, their love had grown cold in Jesus because they had lost that vital love relation with Him!!  Oh, Brethren, if this can happen in a marriage, it can happen with the Lord.  We grow estranged.  Other things come in, we stop spending devotional time with Him and before we know it, we’re going through the religious motions.  What effect do you think it will have on other relationships?  Cold here...cold everywhere!!!!  Brethren, it is our God-given responsibility to love others, but we can’t love as we ought without the Lord!!   

Matthew 26:17-25 Imagine being seated around the table on the night of the Last Supper with the twelve.  As you’re enjoying some last and final moments together with the Lord, Jesus suddenly turns and interjects these words, “...Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me”. You try to compose yourself — who’s He talking to?  Has an unwanted guest snuck in among us?  Looking around, you realise, no, it’s only us—the twelve.  We who have been His companions for the last 3½ years.  We ate together, drank together, and slept together under the same canopy of night.  We seldom ever left his side, how could it be that one of us should now betray him? Having no idea or suspicion as to who the Lord could possibly be pointing to, they began each of them to point the finger at themselves!  Oh, Brethren, we have a great need in this deceitful and perilous hour, to put the spotlight on ourselves and to ask the Lord this question in earnest. “Lord, is it I?”