TRUTH :

Sometimes a tiny seed of truth can appear in a most unexpected place, as occurred for me recently when reading a crime novel. Whether the quotation was the novelist’s own or from some other place, I have no idea but it was this. ‘Woman is the stronger sex, because man’s weakness is the weaker sex’. Sadly, as things seem to stand, it is true. Man’s need of woman is very real and natural, after all - she was created for him by Almighty God to be as one flesh with him, but surely man’s weakness and his strength should be Our Lord and the woman, as his Helper, should love him for it , support him in it and worship with and through her man.. If she sees the beauty of Christ in the character of her husband, she will find ’submission’ is no longer an appropriate word, because the union becomes Joyful sharing, not just a question of sticking it out and ‘putting up with it‘ for sixty odd years.

~ Thursday 2nd September 2010 ~

Compiled by David Soakell Tel: 01642 469663 E-mail david@cfi.org.uk Website: www.cfi.org.uk

The Word: I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. (Psalm 121)

Yesterday Monica and I spent a day at the Greenbelt Christian Arts festival, our first visit for some 20 years. It was interesting and challenging, but all for the wrong reasons. For me it vindicated my choice of subjects to write about, but for the 20,000 or so Christians - particularly the young and vulnerable - I fear for them, for the teaching and propaganda they received over the 4 day event. Firstly, propaganda. Greenbelt has decided to target Israel, a decision made around 3 years ago, and to highlight the plight of the Palestinians living in Gaza. That's fair enough, if a balanced view is given and their views are presented sensitively in Christian love. They decided instead to go all-out, all-guns-blazing, with a sustained attack on Israel through every way possible - talks, exhibition displays, visual aids even drama. The following little drama greeted everyone entering the field on Sunday morning for a communion service ...



The person protesting was Monica. We saw no evidence of any other protests during our time there. Incidently, the communion service itself featured a short film - without any spiritual content - of testimonies inside Gaza. Politics in a communion service!

For those of you who followed the story, there has been a fantastic testimony that has come out of our adventure in Jerusalem last May.

Louie was offered a job teaching in a small Christian-run school in East Jerusalem, as a result of a single meeting during our short visit and despite the fact that he's never been a teacher, in the traditional sense! So, last Monday he flew out to Jerusalem (and actually got through the customs without mishap!), for the start of the school year.

~ Thursday 26th August 2010 ~

Compiled by David Soakell Tel: 01642 469663 E-mail david@cfi.org.uk Website: www.cfi.org.uk

The Word: Wisdom cries aloud in the street; in the markets she raises her voice; on the top of the walls she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? Give heed to my reproof; behold, I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, and you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you, when panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and be sated with their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacence of fools destroys them; but he who listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of evil." (Proverbs 1:20-33)

It's not often that I'm swept away by the genorosity of a Christian ministry but I'm amazed and delighted by what Ariel Ministries are offerering - a comprehensive online discipleship training course that is FREE with printable notes, audio material and even regular quizzes.

Just go to http://www.ariel.org/amds.htm

The material is by Arnold Fruchenbaum, one of my heroes! Although not everything he teaches is to everyone's taste, he is so thorough and this course covers EVERYTHING.

If you are setting out in this new wonderful journey of faith and require some Hebraic meat, then check it out!

New book back from the printers and review copies have been sent out. Got following response from David Pawson (one of my heroes), a lot better than his response from my first draft, sent many moons ago.

This time he said: “I really enjoyed reading it. You are the master of epigrams, full of Jewish wit and humour, which I love. These keep you reading and make the whole interesting. It’s so important to add gravy to the meat and you are a good chef. I hope this book will reach those who need it most though I fear they will be irritated, if not infuriated, by your dismissal of so many of their heroes!”

Epigrams eh? Now where's my dictionary??!!!

THE WORD

Since making response to Nancy in her statement that there is ‘nothing wrong with the church’, I have downloaded and listened to Pastor Mark from Worthing Tabernacle (worthingtab.org.uk), whose Sermon yesterday dealt with seeking to understand the Hebrew mindset in going much deeper into The Word than is usually done on Sunday mornings in our churches. A truly helpful message for anyone who is genuine about getting serious with Almighty God. Just in case any guest to the site might imagine that somehow there has been a kind of ‘fix’ between Saltshakers website, Worthing Tabernacle (which I have referred to before) and myself - let me assure you - absolutely not. It has been quite an extraordinary, and in my mind totally God-given set of circumstances that has created the link which I hope will continue to grow in mutual understanding. I do not have their intellect or capability, for one thing I totally believe in the leadership of men and want to see far more men of all ages really moving in obedience to Our Father God now, but I do share with them a desire to bring Our Lord alive in the hearts and minds of us all - we have slept long enough.

Download, listen, Praise God for the teaching which is available to all, and enjoy the wonder of this amazing world and Our Almighty and Wondrous God.
God Bless

Mustard seed

A new sermon brought to you every week from the Tree of Life Messianic fellowship, East London, UK.

THIS WEEK Tony Pearce speaking on End Times (53 minutes)

Are we living in the End of Days?

Listen now | Download | VISIT TONY'S WEBSITE

At last I'm now free to wrap my mind around the next book - How The Church Lost The Life ... and how it can find it again. This is the book I've always wanted to write, but I'm having trouble getting started. The general theme is this:

"To understand the Hebraic mindset of Jesus and the first Apostles and to live your Christian life accordingly"

In this book, one thing I want to address is a list of things that, I think, are wrong with the modern church e.g. why so many denominations? Then I'm going to try and systematise them and pass them through a "Hebraic" filter. That's the general idea, anyway ... how I'm going to do this is going to have to be the result of much prayer!

Feedback would be apprecaited here ... what are your bugbears about today's Church? What are the main problems, do you think? Could do with some help here ...