William Barclay's book of the classic film.  The film was fantastic back in the 1970s.  I always find films set in the Holy Land very, very special.  The book is well illustrated and such a wonderfull read.  

I would like to recommend a classic.  Hal Lindsay's, "The Late Great Planet Earth."  I was most excited when I read it back about the 70s.  Its about Bible prophecy and, what a read.  Recently I saw Hal on the God channel.

MARK C12 v 40 reference to long prayers by scribes being wrong.  This is about a certain amount of pretence in prayer leading to dishonesty to God.  The scribes wanted to appear to be very devout and holy but they were being too extreme.  They did not appear to be keeping properly to the scriptures or perhaps taking the wrong meaning out of some bits of the Bible.  Here’s what Chuck says – “the Bible seems to point out that prayers should not be too long but not to be too short.  Luke 18 says to pray constantly and then repetitive prayer.  Luke 18 also says persist until you get an answer and some advice in Daniel with prayer going on for 21 days.  Finally God answers Daniel’s prayer.  Pray until we feel God has heard us and receive an answer.  What God was against was a public display of long prayer.”  (this is what I explained earlier)  Chuck has been known to pray for 6 hours.  Written prayers are prayers where as it is written down more people are in agreement and the more agreement the stronger the prayer.”
From Commentary of Barnes Notes
“Pray regular and don’t get weary from un-answered prayer.”
From Jamison Fet
“Don’t loose heart or slacken”

An article I put in the “Chatters World” October 2001

Important Questions Answered

These last few years I have been searching for the answer to a very important question.  Some people cvan spend a lifetime trying to figure it out.  On Sunday 20th of May I found the answer.  I seems right to share it with you.  It’s the answer to why God allows suffering.  My mother and I have been troubled with bad health for many years and now we have new hope.  The answer came when I read an article in our Church magazine, by a former clergyman in my Church.  Strangely I had the answer all the time but I wasen’t sure.

We suffer because our Lord suffered on the cross.  He suffered for our sins.  “He made himself a slave to do The Father’s will.  How could I refuse to give my all, my best.”  Now do you see what I mean?  He gave a quote from a missionary called C.T. Studd.  He said,”If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.”

Let’s just turn to another type of suffering.  The suffering of the starving in Africa.  It’s different and I learned the answer to their dilemma a few years ago.  These unfortunate people simply suffer because of man’s inhumanity to man.  It’s common sense really, when you think about it.  Man causes their suffering in different ways.  A lot of these poor countries have a war going on all the time.  We hear regular news on our televisions of food aid to these starving people, being taken to the soldiers or even people who are supposed to be distributing it.  The greed of man.  Then there are countless stories of people afraid to donate to charity because of this problem, worried that their donation will get into the wrong hands.

Some people will argue thatr most wealthy people help keep children starving by their greed for spoiling themselves, living it uop with designer clothes and expensive holidays etc.  Sadly only a minority of wealthy people donate to charity.

Let’s hope I have helped you all as you read this, to realise the answer to some questions is more simple than we think.  We can have the answer but we are not sure, and then…..


 


       

Here is an article I wrote in June 4 1999:

The Law and taking the Bible Literally

The first problem in taking the Bible literally is the commandment of THOU SHALL NOT  KILL.  If we take this literally obviously there will never be ANY CIRCUMSTANCES where we would KILL OR ALLOW OTHERS TO KILL.  When we consider how soldiers kill people we know that MANY CHRISTIANS support them and would point out that they WERE FIGHTING A JUST WAR.      War where the majority of the people support it is a just War.  World Wars 1 and 2 were just Wars.  The majority of the people of Britain fealt that Hitler and his Army WAS WRONG AND MUST BE DESTROYED.

Even in the Bible our Lord WENT TO WAR.  Our Lord only went to WAR AS A LAST RESORT WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE FAILED.  Idle worship on a grand scale, tribe after tribe worshipping false Gods.  This is blasphemy as they WERE FAILING TO WORSHIP THE ONE AND TRUE GOD WHO CREATED THEM.  Obviously then God had no choice but to punish them.

Let us consider the controversial subject of the death penalty.  Many Christians are prepared to believe that if a man kills somebody then that man must be killed as punishment.  I will repeat that last bit – THEN THAT MAN MUST BE KILLED AS PUNISHMENT.  The question is SHOULD GOD TAKE THAT LIFE OR MAN?  It is obviously impossible to take the Bible literally.  Some Christians think they are taking it literally but as closer study clearly shows its not as simple as it seems.

The legal system given by Moses was temporary.  No one today lives under an obligation to keep the rules and regulations in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy.  The legal system of Moses ended with the death of Christ on the cross.  Christs death brought temple observances commanded by Moses to an end.  Galatians chapter 3 and verse 19 shows the temporary nature of the law of Moses –
     Wherefore then serveth the law?
     It was added because of
     transgressions, till the seed
     should come to whom the promise
     was made; and it was ordained
     by angels in the hand of a
     mediator.

Then when we move on to verse 24 we have mention of the “law as our schoolmaster.”  By keeping to the law we were brought unto Christ that our faith, “might be justified.”  Verse 25 explains “that after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”  No longer under the law, we are free.  Obviously when we are Christians WE AUTOMATICALLY WANT TO LIVE AS RESPECTABLE A LIFE AS POSSIBLE.  WE DO IT NOT BY FORCE BUT OUT OF LOVE FOR OUR SAVIOUR.  He did so much for us so we in turn then want to do as best we can for him.  The clear message is that there is no bullying.

We ar not under the law, we ar under grace as Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 14 says.
     For sin shall not have dominion
     over you:  for we an no under  
     the law, but under grace.  

Earlier in Galatians chaptrer 3 and verse 19 we read similar things about the law.  The entire third chapter is well worth reading because the Galatian Jews were taught to keep strictly to the law.  They were like prisoners in a state of confinement.  They were persuaded to accept the faith.  By accepting the faith they were promised freedom from bondage and servitude and to be brought into a state of greater light and liberty.

In conclusion  we can see that God is a loving caring Saviour.  He reaches out to us all to live in a more practical, workable and real way.  Our Lord dosent want us to live in a devout strict way.  Sad people with long faces, no smiles.  Its just not on is it?  Our Lord’s love flows like a river from his instruction book, the Bible.  How lucky we are to have a real loving Saviour who reaches out to us day by day, hour by hour.  He is only a prayer away.

Now let me draw another conclusion.  Listening to “Sunday Sequence” in the spring of 2002 I heard a very good explanation of the limits of Bible study.   It was from another Davidson (no relation), Andrew Davidson who was a Church of Ireland clergyman.  He is now a politician and lawyer.  “Religion is not an exact science.  It is not something to which you can give exact answers.  I think the whole beauty of the alogorical stories that are in the Bible is that they are open to all sorts of interpretation.  The following of that path helps to bring us nearer to what Christianity
actually means.”




 


       

It is good to be with you.  I am from Northern Ireland.  We are famous for our horrible, nasty sectarianism.  Not as much trouble now but people being beaten up and robbed.  Old people especially get attcked 2 or 3 times a week.  On the plus side we have a good job situation, tourism increasing and a general feeling of improvement in the quality of life.  I get bored here and long to travel.  Circumstances dont allow me to yet.  Being a Christian is everything to me.  I go to Carland Presbyterian Church.  Sermons are a little boring but the choice of hymns and gospel music is good.  Only problem here is that we would need a few new gospel songs.  I love lively gospel music.  On my computer here I have a wonderfull Bible Study software that allows me to study the Bible in great depth.  Only problem now is that my username is in capitals and everybody else is in ordinary.  Sorry about this, just a silly mistake.  Any ideas in correcting it?

1 KINGS C3 v13 why does God give Solomon riches and honour?  In most parts of the Bible riches are frowned upon.  Not that rich people are bigger sinners but that they have a great responsibility to use their money wisely.  The obvious problem is that the majority of rich people seem to spend their money foolishly.  Too many get carried away, swept into a continous spending spree where money becomes their God.  As time goes on they slowly become bankrupt, bringing disgrace to the family.  The rich are abviously obliged to help those less fortunate than themselves.  Helping charities, the poor and the unemployed gives them a new purpose to their lives.  A sence of fulfillment and therby fulfill the real message of the Bible.  Wealth brings great responsibility especially when we consider low paid workers.  Their wages need to be raised and obviously high wages reduced.  Trying to equalise society would reduce greed so obviously crime would reduced and God would be praised.  In other words as the rich help their fellow man they are helping God.

GENESIS chapter 9 verse 6
This verse seems to possibly support hanging but as this is the first book of the Old Testament it may not be addressed to our present age.  Then we ask is it God who is to take life or man?  It’s so very serious and its so hard to know what to really take out of this verse.  What is obvious is that serious crimes are not punished properly in this world.  They will certainly be punished in the next.  If a criminal repents and asks for God’s forgiveness then he will escape punishment.  This needs to lead to salvation as it is there he escapes.
Reading a Catholic newspaper I came across some facinating and quite revealing information.  I am not surprised at these findings except in the severity.  It’s about the endless problems in imposing the death penalty.  From,”Alive,” Septrember 2000 a study reveals errors in this system of punishment.  Between 1973 and 1995 there were 5,760 death sentences.  Less than 5.5% of these resulted in executions.  On average the appeals lasted 9 years.  Is this proof then that capitalpunishment is wrong, it certainly looks like it.
Taking life is what the sixth commandment is all ablut: Thou shall not kill.  Here is what a young Bible scholar friend of mine, Martyn McGeown says.  “This is literally from the Hebrew, Thou shalt commit no murder.  To define murder you must examine the Old Testament Law: God gives three occasions where killing is lawful (and therefore not murder).  These are killing in self-defence, or in defence of the weak, one’s family etc. (indeed that is a duty), the just punishment of execution of the ungodly by the state (many crimes were capital in the Law of Moses, murder, blasphemy, adultery, idolatry etc., although only murder is punishable by death today) and just war (for example, in the O T, God commanded Israel to war against the Philistines, Amalekites etc., and because God so commanded it was a just war.  Today it is more difficult to decide whether a war is just, but defence of one’s country against an enemy such as Hitler is a just reason to kill – that is not murder).”
Next from the Commentry of JAMISON, FAUCETT and BROWN
Genesis 9 verse 6 – To take a persons life is a daring outrage against the Creator.  High value is attached to the life of every person.
From Commentry of KEIL DELITZSCH
It explains that murder is destroying the image of God in all of us.  Punishment belonged, “to those alone who represent the authority and majesty of God, i.e., the divinely appointed rulers, who for that very reason are called Elohium in Psalm 82 v6,”  This command then laid the foundation for all civil Government.