Clive’s Blog

The Cross comes before the Resurrection!

The greatest fear of humanity was conquered on that wonderful Easter Sunday over 2000 years ago when Jesus was raised from the dead.

Compare that to the fear that has driven humanity to the extent and expense of freezing their bodies (Cryonics) in the hope that they can be defrosted when a cure is found for their fatal illness. Cryonics is getting more popular as fear of death increases and new techniques are found to quick-freeze and preserve the human body. One way of cutting costs is that instead of freezing the whole body, you just freeze the head! (called neuro -suspension).

Thank goodness that through the miracle of Easter Sunday we can be reassured that death has lost its power and its sting, and that there is no longer any need for humanity to fear death and go to the expense of being frozen.

When God broke the sting of death by raising Jesus on the third day, He was clearly telling us that He has the power to raise the dead. The resurrection of Jesus clearly proves this and there is so much evidence to substantiate this historical fact. Professor Thomas Arnold, who revolutionised the concept of English education, was certainly acquainted with the value of evidence in determining historical facts, and he said: “I have been used for many years to studying the histories of other times and in examining and weighing the evidence of those who have written them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind, which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which God has given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead”.

Sadly, many people have deconstructed the Word of God revealed in the Holy Bible, and have made up their own belief system. They have taken the bits they feel are right for them and have either ignored their content or altered the meaning to suit them. Unfortunately, this has led to many people believing in a false and counterfeit teaching which in the end will deny them access to the resurrection promises.

I can remember someone buying a ticket costing hundreds of pounds on the black market for a popular music concert (although he was strongly advised not to), and even though he paid hundreds of pounds for it, unfortunately when he got to the entrance he was turned away because the ticket was false. The ticket looked very authentic, but it was a counterfeit.

Jesus clearly tells us that for us to inherit the resurrection and eternity we must come through the Cross.

The cross is the only doorway to the resurrection and eternity. It is through the cross that our sins are cleansed and removed to make us fit to enter eternity. You see my friends, there is no sin in heaven and sadly we have all sinned to one degree or another. The Bible clearly tells us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

CS Lewis writes about sin: Each and all sins have crowds of unhappy prisoners bound in foot and chain – there is no slavery like this. Sin is the hardest of all task-masters. Misery and disappointment by the way, despair and hell in the end – these are the wages that sin pays to its servants.

Good Friday is the day that Jesus took our sins away by dying on the cross

The wages of sin - which is death - was now paid for on the cross by the death of Jesus. Through His death we now have access back to heaven, which is a sin-free zone. This is why it is only through coming to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord and truly repenting of our sins that we can be made clean and prepared for Him.

So, please don’t freeze your heads; please don’t be fooled by counterfeit beliefs (there is much more to lose than access to the music concert). Instead, pray, come to the Cross of Christ, proclaim Him as Lord and Saviour of your life, lay your sins there and ask Him to forgive you and through that receive your inheritance.

If you have said this prayer, your new life in Jesus has just begun and it is important for you to find out what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Visit our website or contact me.

God bless you this Easter.

Are Promises Important?

Have you seen the ads claiming we can borrow extra money this Christmas and then be able to afford all the wonderful gifts for our friends and family — and that we will have the happiest Christmas ever? Another advert features a deodorant for men, that will attract the most beautiful girls (some men really believe this promise). You may also remember the many promises made by the political parties: If you vote for us and we get into power we will promise to ... !!!

I have always understood a promise to be a contract (covenant), an agreement made between different parties and should not be broken. Saying that, if a promise is made and that promise is associated with evil, then it is only right to break that promise when you find out the truth, such as if you have promised to follow the ways of an organisation which is intrinsically evil, then it is only right to break away from evil.

In reality a promise is only as good as the people making that promise.

How many promises have we broken? How many promises made to us have others broken? So how can we trust a promise? I believe we have to look at the source, where the promise originates, before we can trust the promise. There was a man of God named Isaiah who was very close to God and God spoke through him. Isaiah prophesied and promised that God would send us a Saviour to save the world. (Isaiah 61.1) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

This and over 300 promises ware fulfilled when Jesus came to this earth.

Another man of God, a doctor called Luke, wrote the book of Luke in the Bible. In Luke 2.8 to 11, he wrote about an angel of the Lord appearing to the shepherds: "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord”.

With the birth of Jesus the promise of a Saviour for humanity had now been fulfilled. When God makes a promise He does not break it – it is guaranteed! That is why we can trust in the Lord and His promises. Jesus came to bring the Good News to the poor. By this He did not mean the financially poor, although this may be the case; He meant those who are not aware of His love - those who are in captivity to various life circumstances and live in darkness and addiction; those who are broken hearted…

Through the death of Christ on the cross Christ made a new promise (covenant) with humanity, that all those who accept Him as Lord and Saviour of their lives will be set free and have life and a joy and confidence that they have never had before. This does not mean that all problems will go away and that life will be without trials – of course not. What it means is that you have crossed from darkness to eternal life and that whatever obstacles you have to face, God is with you. That’s a promise! So the answer to my question is YES! Promises are important and the source of that promise is equally as important, because a promise is not worth anything unless it is fulfilled.

God has already and will continue to fulfil His promise. In God a promise is true and the source is trustworthy. My friends, why not make this Christmas a special one – why not invite Jesus into your life and have His promises fulfilled in you. I pray that God’s hopes and dreams for you may be fulfilled this Christmas and in the coming year.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

God bless you.

Last update: September 2009

Freedom in Christ... So often I meet people whose present lives have been dramatically affected by their past negative experiences. Negative experiences can really have a grip on people’s lives and so often this will have a great affect on the person’s personality. Aggressive, fearful, jealous, negative and controlling personalities are so often linked to incorrect childhood upbringing and harmful adult experiences.

Society is full of broken people. Sometime the individual recognises they have a problem and some don’t. Sadly, as a result of these negative experiences many people try and deal with these issues either consciously or subconsciously in different ways. They may turn to drugs or alcohol to try and hide the pain of their experiences – unfortunately when the effect of drugs and alcohol wear off the pain is still there. Regrettably, we have generations of broken people, imprisoned by their negative experiences, living lives which, from the outside look normal, but on the inside they are in captivity to a great deal of pain and turmoil.

One of the most ridiculous sayings I have ever heard is “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me”. I have spoken to so many people whose personalities have severely affected because they have been continually belittled and called all sorts of derogatory names by their parents. They have also had their confidence destroyed by a lack of genuine love and care. Once again these negatives of life will passed on from generation to generation - that is unless you want to put a stop to it.

My friends, those prison bars of negative experiences may be around you, but they can be removed. Yes, you can, for the first time, be released from being in captivity from past hurts and you can be set free!

There is a wonderful passage in chapter four of Luke’s Gospel, in Bible, where Jesus reveals to the audience in a synagogue in Nazareth the purpose of His mission. Jesus said "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." Jesus came to set people free from their hurts, past negative experiences, and to bring a new hope and freedom to humanity.

Jesus came to give freedom to those who live life day after day in fear and pain. He came to set those imprisoned by aggressive, fearful, jealous negative and controlling personalities free! But the choice is yours - you can either continue to live surrounded by the prison bars of the past hurts or you can make a definite decision to move on. Jesus said: “Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”

Matthew11:28. Some of the words of that wonderful hymn And can it be, written by Charles Wesley “My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose , went forth, and followed thee”. Today your chains to the past can be broken and you can be set free. We have a very skilled pastoral team and if we can help you in any way please contact us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you for all you have done for me. Please come into my life and be my Lord and Saviour and please help me to release my past hurts so that I can be set free. Amen.

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