Matthew Chapter 2 - Helpful Notes

Critics of the Bible sometimes liken it to a fairy tale, with fictional characters; a “once-upon-a-time” story.

From the beginning of Matthew Chapter 2 it should be clear that nothing could be further from the truth. There are enough names, geographical locations and events, to soundly repudiate what John Clifford called “sceptic blows.” God’s interaction with the world, His interruption of the affairs of men, particularly in terms of His Incarnation, take place at a certain time; at a certain place. This is one of the great strengths of the Bible; that you can go to these places that are spoken of; you can walk on the same patch of earth, you can see the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, you can take a boat across the lake of Galilee, just as Jesus did.

If you go to the town of Caesarea, you will see an Amphitheatre there from the time of Herod. It was excavated in the late 1950s to the early 60s and it contains a Latin inscription: “Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea.” These names and places are historical and real. You can even continue your research beyond the Bible, into historians like Flavius Josephus. You will find corroboration of events like the Resurrection and the destruction of Jerusalem; but why would you not look at what is the primary source for the life of Jesus Christ, that source that accurately and faithfully puts these names and places into their correct context; why would you not go to the oldest and most closely connected text, the New Testament.

The Birth of Jesus

Christ’s birth, (here in chapter 2) is described as being in “Bethlehem Judea.” This is to distinguish it from Bethlehem in Galilee. Bethlehem Judea is situated about six miles south of Jerusalem and is also called the city of David, since it was the place of his birth. Go to 1 Samuel 16:1 (Read) this is particularly important for us, since we read in Chapter 1:1 Jesus is called “the son of David.” Remember that Christ being a descendant of David is a sign of His kingship; something that Matthew frequently emphasises, not least in this second Chapter.

But it is a different kind of kingship:

• His crown is to be a crown of thorns.
• His throne is to be a cross.
• He came to serve, rather than be served.
• What was intended as mockery, proclaimed the truth: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. 

In Matthew Chapter 2, we learn of another, very different king, Herod the Great.

Magi

At the time of Herod, “there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem.” It is generally held that “the East,” means Arabia, and is more or less confirmed in Genesis 25:6 and Judges 6:3. Sometimes the wise men are referred to as “the Magi,” the plural of Magus; this where we get our English word “magic” from. The etymology of the word is from the Old Persian; the Magi were kind of pagan Priest-Scholars. But hang on, doesn’t the Bible condemn Magic, and aren’t the wise men supposed to be, for want of a better phrase, the good guys! As John Wesley points out, this name “was anciently given to ALL philosophers, or men of learning; those particularly who were curious in examining the works of nature, and observing the motions of the heavenly bodies.” (John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes on the New Testament.) They were the scientists of their day! But how could the study of such things draw them to the God of the Bible?  Romans 1:20 and Psalm 8:3 give us the answer. In fact serious scientific enquiry, should lead one to a belief in God. In fact Christian apologists like Dr William Lane Craig use their knowledge of science and philosophy to give evidence for the existence of God.

• The Kalam Cosmological argument.
• The Teleological,“fine tuning” argument.
• And the Ontological Argument.

All of these utilise logical and scientific argumentation for the furtherance of the Gospel. Interesting that particularly, the Kalam is of Eastern origin.

 Matthew Henry said, “Good scholars should be good Christians, and then they complete their learning when they learn Christ.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary) Those scholarly men searched the natural world and studied the stars to find the truth, and it is therefore, perhaps fitting, that it was a star that led them to He who was “the way, the truth and the life.” The star also perhaps indicated that the kingdom of this ruler, was to be a heavenly one.

King of the Jews

The wise men give Jesus the title, “King of the Jews.” So we have the contrast; there are, in a manner of speaking, two kings of the Jews. King Herod, violent, self-serving, desperate to preserve his own status and life and the Lord Jesus, gentle, self-sacrificing, the suffering servant, a king who “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant…” as Paul puts it in Philippians 2:7.

Herod had been made king of Judea by the Roman senate in about 40 BC at quite a young age and had increased the glory of Jerusalem by building the second temple “Herod’s Temple,” or “The Herodian Temple.” King Jesus on the other hand talks about the significance of a different temple; he calls it “this temple” meaning His own body. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. As the Theologian Louis Berkhof puts it:

“In the Incarnation the Son of God became flesh by assuming human nature…This wonderful birth was due to the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit.” (A Summary of Christian Doctrine – Louis Berkhof)

God had had found a temple that was free from the pollution of sin. God had entered into His own creation, in a most remarkable way.

We have the fulfilment of prophecy in verse 6, remember, Matthew is very much on the theme of OT prophecy fulfilled.

In verses 7 and 8 we see the deceptiveness of Herod, the malice and determination. All this is hidden under a mask of religion “that I may come and worship him also.” Those who have an appearance of religion, sadly even the Christian religion, are often the most vehement and vociferous opponents of Christ and His Gospel. In Acts 4:25-27 (Read) a quote from Psalm 2. Even as Jesus was still an infant “thy holy child Jesus,” the devil sought to destroy Him through evil men.

The Coming of the Magi

In verse 11 the wise men finally meet the king they have been seeking. One can only imagine their thoughts as they enter into an environment very different from Herod’s palace, not quite what they expected as they came to pay tribute to this young monarch. No sweeping long corridors, no marble pillars, no guards, or fanfares to greet them! Yet, nevertheless they bow to Him who is worthy and offer their gifts.

So we have three gifts. “Footnote,” we do not necessarily have three givers! We don’t know for sure how many wise men there were.

The gifts are:

 

• Gold.
• Frankincense.
• Myrrh.

Gold is associated with kingship and Divinity in the Bible. The Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold (Exodus 25:10-17).

 Frankincense, also called Olibanum, is an aromatic resin or gum. It comes from a tree by making incisions in the bark and allowing the gum to flow out. When the gum is burned, it lets off a fragrance, a sweet smell and was therefore was used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God (Exodus 30:34).  As indeed the life of Jesus was to be to the Father.

 Myrrh was obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. It was a spice and was used in embalming. Perhaps this is pointing ahead to the death and burial of the Lord Jesus and as a symbol that there was to be no substitute in death; despite what the Qur’an teaches; no last minute reprieve, as in the case of Isaac and the ram caught in the thicket; but that Jesus Himself would be “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”

These were the most expensive and valuable treasures that the East had to offer, worthy of a king and yet how extraordinary that the recipients were just a simple carpenter and his wife. We know that Mary and Joseph were not wealthy individuals; how do we know? Because in Luke 2:24 we read that they offered in thanks for the birth of Jesus “according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Why is that significant? Because in Leviticus 12:8 we read that if the mother “be not able to bring a lamb,” that is if she cannot afford to bring a lamb as an offering to God, “then she shall bring…two young pigeons.”

When such a poor family receive some of the most valuable gifts in Arabia, deposited on their doorstep, did you ever wonder, what did they do with them?

Read verse 13… How were such a poor family supposed to finance a prolonged stay in Egypt? Those gifts were not just prophetic, they were providential.

Read verse 15… This is a quote from the Old Testament, specifically from Hosea 11:1. Let’s read it. (Read) We see how God’s dealings with His people Israel, can also be prophetic and can have New Testament fulfilments, particularly Messianic fulfilments.

 

In other words, a passage of Scripture, whether it is openly prophetic, or historical, or poetic can be said to be fulfilled, when it is accommodated with what we might call the greatest propriety. That is the most fitting and perfect fulfilment. Israel, figuratively God’s son in Hosea 11:1, is literally God’s Son, in Matthew 2:15.

Again we see another prophetic fulfilment in verse 18, “In Rama…Rachel weeping for her children.” The people in Rama were Benjamites, the descendants of Rachel and in fact she was buried near that place. It is as if she has risen out of her grave and is weeping for her descendants, her children.

This is the product of the rage of Herod and his desire for vengeance. His murder of the infants, “from two years old and under…” echoes the murderous persecution of Pharaoh, and just as Moses was hidden and kept safe, small and vulnerable though he was, so are this poor family and especially, the infant Jesus, preserved and saved from destruction.

A Remnant

God has always preserved and protected His people in times of persecution; now this doesn’t mean there are no martyrs, but what it means is that a remnant is always kept. “I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.” Romans 11:4. During times of great persecution, God has always kept a faithful remnant: The Waldensians in France, the Hussites in Bohemia, the Lollards in England. In fact God stopped the expansion of Islam at the borders of North-Western Europe; I believe the remnant of the church became squeezed into that geographical space; that’s why we have the first attempts at Bible translation into the common tongue, the concentration of theological study and things like the Reformation taking place where they did. The church had fled persecution to “where she hath a place prepared of God. “ That is mainly why we find Christianity, a Middle-Eastern religion, flourishing in Europe; appearing almost indigenous.

So we read that when Joseph heard that Herod the Great was dead, they planned to return to Bethlehem. But the Bible tells us that Herod’s son, Archelaus was now the ruler. He is also known as Herod Archelaus, the son of Herod the Great and Malthace the Samaritan. He was the brother of Herod Antipas, and the half-brother of Herod Philip I.  I guess judging that it would be a case of “like-Father-like-son,” he decided not to return there, but to settle in Galilee, in the north; specifically, Nazareth.

And so, no doubt unknowingly, it was fulfilled “which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Prophetic Fulfilment

So we have the fulfilment of three, seemingly contradictory, prophesies concerning the coming of the Messiah:

• That He was to be born in Bethlehem.
• That He was to be come out of Egypt.
• That He would be called a Nazarene.

Yet in this, as with all things concerning the coming of our Saviour, we see the astounding wisdom, providence and faithfulness of God and His word.

Copyright © Paul Jennings.

 

 

Matthew Chapter 1 - Helpful Notes.

Matthew is the first of the gospels. There are four gospels in all; why four gospels? Why not just one? Some have suggested that the number four has to do with the fact that the gospel was to be brought to the four corners of the world, others have imagined that just as the Ark of the covenant was carried through the wilderness by four people, so the Ark of Christ’s gospel is to be carried through the wilderness of this world. I don’t know that I am convinced by either of those views, but there is something appealing about them. Nevertheless, whatever the reason in the mind of God, it is four gospels that present Christ to us from four different perspectives.

When I first became a Christian and started to read the NT I read through Matthew and began the Gospel of Mark and thought, hang on, I’ve just read this story! There certainly are areas of the narrative that are revisited in all four Gospels.

•          The ministry of John the Baptist.

•          The feeding of the five thousand.

•          The betrayal by Judas.

•          And the trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But there are also differences. One writer may miss out, what another has included. That would not mean the accounts were contradictory. 

Also, what we do not have is four biographies. We don’t have every detail of the life of Jesus. John says, ”And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written everyone; I suppose that even the world could not contain the books that should be written.” (John 21:25) In fact, after his birth, we have virtually 29 years of silence (apart from a few verses in Luke.) Neither do the writers of the Gospel give their personal opinions, or reflections on Jesus, rather his actions and his words are allowed to speak for themselves.

We have four different viewpoints, yet there is a coming together of the narratives, like four pieces of a jigsaw, we have what is known as the harmonization of the gospels; no contradictions, but some similarities, some differences:

• John deals largely with the deity of Christ.
• Luke deals with the historical Christ.
• Mark’s gospel is far shorter and deals more often with the ministry of Christ.
• Matthew, the gospel we will be looking at tonight, deals more with the fulfilling of prophecies concerning the Messiah and has what we might call a Jewish feel to it.

Beginning

The Gospel according to Matthew was written somewhere between 37-65AD approximately. Which is actually quite amazing, When you think that the writings of Confucius, were not written down until about 600 years after his death!

Matthew begins his gospel with a genealogy. Why? A genealogy is perhaps not the most exciting, or engaging way of beginning the first book of the NT. But the genealogy, that many of us pass over, is vitally important, particularly for Jews.

When we look at the list of names, Boaz, Jesse, David, Solomon, Abraham, Isaac, we see that the New Testament, is inextricably linked to the Old Testament. And that in fact, they make up, not two books, but one book. It is this one book that we call the Holy Bible.

The beginning of Matthew’s gospel is a peculiarly Hebrew one. I remember hearing the testimony of Helen Shapiro, a successful 1960s pop-singer. She was Jewish and yet she came to faith in Christ. She was astounded when she read (initially with great trepidation) the opening verses of the New Testament and discovered all those Jewish names! It came as a huge surprise (and relief) to her!

The genealogy begins in a straightforward and matter of fact way and yet I wonder if you have considered, just how theologically explosive that first verse is for a Jew. Let’s read verse 1 (Read)

The first thing we realise is that Matthew is using an ancient Hebrew idiom of genealogy here. It is clear that Jesus is not the literal son of David, they are separated by some 870 years! Neither is he, or David the son of Abraham; rather the writer is drawing attention to both of them in order to present Jesus’s credentials as the promised Messiah.

In 2 Samuel 7:12 and 13 “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee…He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom forever.” Being the son, or descendant of David, is indication of Christ’s kingship.

Again, in Genesis 12:3 a seed was promised to Abraham, a child through whom “shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Being the son, or descendant of Abraham, is indication of Christ’s obedience to death as what we call, the Isaac-type.

And so begins this long and notable list of all those whom are in Christ’s genealogy, the purpose of which is to bring conviction on the Jews, that Jesus really is the Messiah that they have been waiting for. Now what is interesting is that this genealogy follows the male line, that is, it is tracing the ancestry through Joseph; and Matthew does something very interesting in verse 16 (Read) Matthew is very careful to avoid calling Joseph, Jesus Father. Because, as John puts it in John 3:16 Jesus is God’s “only begotten son.” Suddenly the focus shifts, deliberately from Joseph to Mary. He is Jesus “who is called Christ.”

Christ means Messiah, or Anointed one. It refers to the Jewish practice of pouring anointing oil, to signify the office of Prophet, Priest, or King. Jesus is unique, in that he fulfils all three offices.

• Prophetic, in the sense that he teaches the will of God. (See Deut 18:15-19)
• Priestly, in the sense that he alone is our Mediator and Advocate. (See Psalm 110:4)
• Kingly, in the sense that He is Lord and “behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” As Luke puts it. (See also 2 Samuel 7:7-10)

Just as they were anointed with oil, so Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit, as we will read in Matthew Chapter 3.

So we have 3 sets of fourteen generations. Wesley comments, “When we survey such a series of generations, it is a natural and obvious reflection, How Like the leaves of a tree one passeth away, and another cometh! Yet the earth still abideth. And with it the goodness of the Lord, which runs from generation to generation, the common hope of parents and children.” (John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the New Testament.)

Birth.

Read verse 18 (Read). This is called “The Incarnation.”

Matthew Henry says this of the matter, “If we know not the way of the Spirit in the formation of common persons, nor how the bones are formed in the womb of anyone that is with child, much less do we know how the blessed Jesus was formed in the womb of the blessed virgin.” (Matthew Henry's Commentary.)

The thing that is really important to note about the Incarnation is that Mary was “found with child of the Holy Ghost.” Philippians 2:7 puts it like this (He)”made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” In other words, the Son of God took on humanity, He took on a human nature.

The Scriptures talk about 4 different types of humanity.

• Prefallen humanity.
• Postfallen, unregenerate humanity.
• Postfallen, regenerate humanity.
• Glorified humanity.

Because Jesus Father was not human and because Christ came as “the last Adam,” as Paul puts it, his humanity was in essence a prefallen humanity. It was not corrupted by sin, Christ was without sin; he also maintained a free will that was not influenced by a sinful nature, in the way that we are influenced by our fallen lusts, as in James 1:14. He could choose to sin, as Adam did; he “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

We see that Joseph was convinced by the angel of the Lord that Mary had not been unfaithful to him, (thus removing the Biblical exception for divorce that Jesus gives in Matthew 5:32) but was in fact carrying the Son of God.

Verse 21 says, (Read)

“Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Jesus means saviour, or he saves. What is interesting to me is contextually, “his people” are the ethnic Jews and yet Matthew, a Jew, does not revert to the Hebrew “Yeshua,” but rather records it in Greek. I think part of the reason may have been that the Holy Spirit saw that a Hebrew roots movement was coming along that was going to insist that all Christians should refer to Jesus as Yeshua and not as Jesus! If one is going to be extraordinarily pedantic, then we should be saying Iesus Christos!

Matthew is a Gospel of prophetic fulfilment. Go to Isaiah 7:14 (Read)

One of the titles that must surely reveal the Deity of Christ is the title here in Matthew 1:23, “Emmanuel which being interpreted is, God with us.”

In Hebrew, a person’s name reflects their character and in this manner of speaking, to be called Emmanuel, means that Jesus would be effectually and actually God with us, or as Paul calls him, “God…manifest in the flesh.” (1 Tim 3:16)

 

Verse 25 says (Read)

What is the significance for us, as Gentiles, non-Jews? Well, there are a number of foundational observations:

• Through the genealogy, we see that Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham and David and as such is a blessing to all nations.
• The birth of Christ is important for all men and women, since it is the revelation that God came down and entered into His own creation for the purpose of redeeming that fallen creation.
• The significance of Christ’s Incarnation is in the fulfilment of a number of Old Testament prophecies, particularly Isaiah 7, and has the effect of connecting both Old and New Testaments and making them important for all Believers.

Timothy Dudley-Smith wrote a hymn based on what we call the Magnificat, that is Mary’s response to being told that her child was the Son of the Holy Ghost :

 
"Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!

 Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;

 Tender to me the promise of his word;

 In God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.

 

 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his Name!

 Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;

 His mercy sure, from age to age to same;

 His holy Name--the Lord, the Mighty One.

 

 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!

 Powers and dominions lay their glory by.

 Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,

 the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

 

 Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!

 Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.

 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord

 to children's children and for evermore!"

 

 Copyright © Paul Jennings.

Hester Ann Rogers: A Woman Above Rubies.

If it is difficult for Christian men to find godly role models in the church today, surely it is even more difficult for women; Paula White? Victoria Osteen? Hardly the epitome of Christian modesty and meekness! Just like the men, ladies find themselves looking to godly women of the past, who knew what it was to serve the Lord with holiness and personal sacrifice. One such woman was Hester Ann Rogers.



"Hetty" was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire on January 31, 1756. She said that even as a child, she "was early drawn out to secret prayer: I believed God was the author of all good, of all happiness; and sin the cause of all misery and pain. If therefore I wished for anything I had not, I asked God in secret to grant it to me."

After the death of her Father, she was troubled with grief and she tells of how her Mother sought to "raise my spirits" by encouraging her to dance and to engage with non-Christian friends and relations. This produced within her a lighter mood, however she began to grieve the loss of the presence of God."It paved the way to lightness, trifling, love of pleasure, and various evils," she writes. "I now aimed to excel my companions, not in piety, but in fashionable dress" and "what the world calls innocent amusement. I also obtained all the novels and romances I possibly could...in short I fell into all the vain customs and pleasures of a delusive world...Thus was my precious time misspent and my foolish heart wandering far from happiness and God." Convicted of sin, she vowed to get right with God, yet it was not long after that she was gripped by "a malignant fever." Gradually, the Lord brought a growing conviction on Hester and she found herself under the preaching of one Mr Simpson. She began to cry out, as if in agony at the thought of her own sinfulness and "made a solemn vow to renounce and forsake all my sinful pleasures and trifling companions." She must have took the vow seriously, because in the morning, she took all her "finery, high dressed caps etc. etc. and ripped them all up, so that I could wear them no more..."


Methodism

Hester was drawn to the preaching of the new "Methodists." She reports, "Mr Wesley's sermon on Justification was a great encouragement to me, on those words, To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is imputed to him for righteousness."
After much inner turmoil and wrestling, Hester Ann Rogers gave her heart to the Lord and was wonderfully born again. She writes, "In that moment my fetters were broken, my bands were loosed, and my soul set at liberty. The love of God was shed abroad in my heart; and I rejoiced with joy unspeakable."


Marriage

When itinerant Methodist Preacher James Rogers came to Macclesfield in 1782, after the death of his first wife, Hester married him. The two of them embarked as Missionaries to Ireland, ministering in Cork and Dublin. Hester ended up being John Wesley's housekeeper and one of the few people at his bedside when he died in 1791. Thomas Coke wrote of her:


"her maternal care and affection shone equally bright. Though she devoted much of her time to religious duties in public and private, yet nothing seemed to be left undone which could maker her children comfortable and happy. She even prevented all their wants; and was equally, nay, if it were possible, more attentive to Mr. Roger’s children by his former wife, than to her own."


In a letter to a friend, simply called "Miss D." she writes, "Go on, my dear sister: it is a blessed path: the goodly land is before-the land of sacred liberty, and glorious rest from all sin. Oh that that you may soon prove, by happy experience, "perfect love casteth out all (slavish) fear!"


Death

On the 10th October 1794, after giving birth to a son, at the age of 39, she went to be with the Lord. She remains one of the great women of evangelical Methodism.

"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." (Proverbs 31:10)

(Quotations taken primarily from "Life and Correspondence of Mrs Hester Ann Rogers.")

An appeal to ex-JW’s who are now atheists or agnostics by Jason Wright

A great article by ex-JW, turned Pastor, Jason Wright. Click on following link: http://watchtowerinvestigated.co.uk/2015/03/21/an-appeal-to-ex-jws-who-are-now-atheists-or-agnostics-by-jason-wright/

We Are The People Of The Cross

I felt moved to write these few words after the beheading of 21 Christians by the terrorist group ISIS.

We are the people of the cross

We do not fear to count the cost

Our eye is single, fixed on Him

Who died to pay the price for sin. 

To live is Christ, to die is gain

By grace through faith we own His name

We suffer all indignities

And yet we love our enemies. 

We do not doubt the power of Christ

In Him we have eternal life

Yet you who kill, what do you gain?

Blood on your hands

Your guilt remains. 

We are free and with the LORD

You are slaves of sin and sword

Angels minister to our needs

The Son has set us free indeed.

We are the people of the cross

We rejoice to suffer loss

If that loss is all for Christ

Truly we “confound the wise!” 

“Vengeance is mine,” saith the LORD

Heed the warnings of His word

Repent, believe and follow Him

And Christ will heal you of your sin.

(Paul Jennings)



Is Dawkins Losing It?



After building a following of devoted disciples (who for some reason seem to be largely white and male) it appears that the once revered Scientist is beginning to drift off into some rather odd orbits! In fact, not to put too finer point on it, some are starting to whisper the nom humiliante the "Nutty Professor" with regard to his latest strange ideas.
Oh dear, where did it all go wrong? Well, I guess it could have been with a rather thoughtless and embarrassing "tweet," rushed off in an attempt to be amusing/clever.
On January 1, 2015, The Telegraph reported:

"Richard Dawkins’ insanity has now become an English institution – like warm beer and rain. On Saturday morning, a tweet from his account asked why we don’t send lots of "erotic videos" to theocracies, adding that it should be “loving, gentle, woman-respecting...” If we’re going down this road, I also hear that Islamists aren’t very keen on bacon, so perhaps we should bombard the Iranian countryside with pig carcasses?"  The tweet was deleted after a few minutes, perhaps on the advice of concerned followers. But herein lies the problem of surrounding oneself with sycophants. One starts to believe one's own publicity! In some ways Christians should be thankful to the New Atheists. They may have had a winnowing effect on pulpit preaching. There is something of a renaissance taking place in many evangelical churches. The anecdotal, "funny story" preachers are having to shape up, or ship out. Congregations (some at least) are starting to look for a more robust and apologetic style of delivery, in order to have answers for "that annoying atheist at work!" How beautifully logical, articulate and oozing with wisdom, do the Epistles of Paul, Peter and John appear; how timeless and insightful are the words of the Lord Jesus, when contrasted with the self aggrandizing dogma of Richard Dawkins and his ilk.   Here are our top five "Nuttitudes" earning the prof his title, "The Nutty Professor" [in no particular order]! Saying "I'm busy" when challenged to a debate on the existence of God by one of the world's most eminent Christian Apologists, Dr William Lane Craig. Pretending to have never heard of Dr William Lane Craig. Introducing the world to "the Flying Spaghetti Monster!" Claiming that couples that have Downs Syndrome babies are "immoral." Urging people to call atheists "Brights!"

Review 2014

 2014 has in many ways been quite a difficult year for us as a church. We have had people leave and faced  unexpected challenges. But the Lord has been faithful through it all.

One of the great success stories of this last year has been our monthly Teaching and Apologetics sessions. Matthew and I have taught on subjects as diverse as Understanding Atheism, and Reaching Out to JWs. But we have also enjoyed the ministry of some wonderful teachers.

Our old friend Pastor Ian Moulton taught on the errors of the Word of Faith movement...



 

Bobby Gilpin of UK Partnerships for Christ covered Mormonism...

 

 

 And Vincent McCann gave a fascinating talk on Occultism in the media.

 

Attacked

 

My injuries a day or so after the attack.

 This was a difficult year for me, as in February I was assaulted for preaching the Gospel in our local town centre. I have been open air preaching for quite a few years now and whilst threats are common, this was the first time I had been violently attacked. But the Lord's a great healer and I am please to say I am back on the streets again!

 

 In March we stood outside the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall Memorial celebration. We wanted to be a witness of the true gospel of Jesus Christ...

 

 

   ...not everyone was delighted to have us there!

 

Get Right



 

In summer we held a leafleting campaign called "Get Right with God in 2014." I produced a free give-away DVD with a short gospel message on it and we finished off by preaching the gospel in Stockport Town Centre.

 

We continued with our monthly Bring-and-Share meals, enjoying a good time of fellowship with others. 

 

 

Summertime

In July we had a stall at Stockport Carnival giving away free Bibles, tracts, DVDs etc.

 

 

The weather has been great, which has given us an opportunity to really get out on the streets and talk to people about their salvation.

 

 

 

In October we held our Reformation Sunday celebration. It was great fun getting the children involved and teaching them about the sacrifices made by Christians during the Reformation. 

 

 

Our ladies have built good relationships with one another and have provided support, both practical and spiritual.

 

This year saw the start of Sunday Club, our new children's work. The children learn to pray, listen to a Bible story and sing songs of praise. They also play a fun game and have a Bible memory verse to learn each Sunday. 

 

 

 

Christmas

We finished off the year with a combined Carole Service and Nativity drama. It was well attended and the children loved being involved. It is a great way of bringing mums and dads and grandparents into the church to hear the truth. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone that has helped, attended, worked, preached, taught and cooked this year. We couldn't do it without you!

 In some ways I think this year has been a "wintertime" for us as a church. It has been a year of labouring, without much increase and yet it has also been a time in which some have returned to the church, for which we are thankful to God.

We have seen our Open Air Team has grown in number and in zeal. It has also been a year in which we have started our HelpBank; giving food, nappies and such like to families in need. It was a blessing to be able to send out food hampers this Christmas as an expression of basic Christian kindness.

 

May I remind you all of the verse the Lord gave to us as a church:

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9)

Let's hold fast to God's word until we reap!

Paul.