Bethesda Shalom

Hebrews 10:24-25 We are living at a time in history where anything that is of long-standing tradition is being called into question.  Renewed calls go forth on every hand, calling for change.  Out with the old and in with the new is the resounding cry of this post-modernist generation.  Whether it’s marriage, the family home, politics or education, that which once served our forefathers for eons is being re-examined in light of new-fangled philosophies offered by the so-called experts of our day.  Sadly, as one looks to the Church, it follows suit, having an insatiable itch for that which is new.  In an age where Church attendance in the West is in decline, and atheism, secularism, and New Age spirituality are on the rise, we are told that unless the Church becomes relevant to this youth-driven generation, then it will disappear from society and die from old age.   In this first part of a series examining the Church (Ekklesia), we seek to answer the question, “What” or “Who” is the Church of Jesus Christ?    

Part 8 When asking a well-versed Christian, “Is there anything forbidden for a Christian to eat?” they will immediately answer with a resounding “no,” then follow up with a few qualifying comments, turning to key passages in the New Testament, such as Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 and 10.  When the same question is asked to a Seventh-day Adventist, they will respond with a resounding “yes” before turning to key passages in the Old Testament, such as Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.  Who is right?  Both appeal to the Bible, yet only one can do so using the Bible as the sole authority for determining the truth.  Adventists are in a very precarious position since whether they admit it or not, in one hand they hold the Old Testament and in the other, the writings of Ellen G. White.  When asked what their source of authority is for determining all matters of faith and doctrine, they will respond by saying the Bible and God’s infallible interpreter, the Spirit of Prophecy.   The purpose of this teaching is to exami

Hebrews 12:1-2   Have you ever heard of an athlete on the field with a sack of potatoes bound to his back?  Why would an athlete be so foolish to do a thing like that?  It’s unheard of, and yet, as I look around the stadium of Christendom, some believers are doing this very thing, and they wonder why they’re out of spiritual breath a few laps into the race!  Brothers and Sisters, could it be that they’re carrying too much weight?  This sermon is an exhortation to lay aside every weight and to run the race set before us!!

John 2:1-11 Some say that being a Christian is complicated.  However, it is we who complicate matters.  Mary the mother of Jesus summed up the secret of following the Lord when in her last recorded words she said, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it" (Jn. 2:5)  

Part 7 As one combs the pages of the New Testament Epistles, one will find that nine of the ten commandments written on tablets of stone are also explicitly prohibited by the New Testament writers except for one, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8).   Ironically, the only commandment of the ten, not brought across into the new, is the commandment which Seventh-day Adventists major on the most. To understand why the Seventh-day Adventist Church places such emphasis on the seventh day, one has to first understand the emphasis placed upon this day by its prophet, Ellen G. White.  In this teaching, we shall take an in-depth look at what Mrs White and the Adventist Church teach regarding the continuing biding nature of the Sabbath and ask ourselves whether it is the same as what the Bible teaches. Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/7_Should_Christians__Keep_the_Sabbath.pdf  

Mark 11:1-9 Brother Stephen from the Lifeboat Fellowship bears the burden of the Lord with a message of challenge, conviction and hope!  Whom the Lord sets free is free indeed!!

Part 6 According to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, love for Jesus Christ is manifested by one’s obedience to the Ten Commandments; without obedience to these commandments, no man shall enter the kingdom of heaven. The goal of this teaching is to establish what commandments Jesus had in mind when He said, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love” (Jn. 15:10). In addition to answering this question, consideration shall be given to arguments raised by Seventh-day Adventists to support their claim for the continuing binding nature of the Ten Commandments.  Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/6_Answering_Adventist_Arguments_for_Law.pdf  

Hebrews 4:14-16 So much of contemporary Christianity is built on hype, but the problem with hype is that it gets you nowhere because hype has no foundation.  God has given us three-quarters of a million words of solid text upon which to base our confidence so that our faith is not found flapping in the wind.  In this sermon, we consider Jesus as our High Priest and the promise that is given us to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find help in times of need.

Exodus 15:11 If ever there was an aspect of God’s character that desperately needs to be rediscovered among the ranks of Evangelicalism in our day, it is the holiness of God!! We’ve lost the fear of God in the house of God because we’ve no comprehension of the holiness of God!  We’ve grown accustomed to the familiar because we’ve lost the sense of reverence and awe in the handling of the things of God.   Can I remind you that the God with whom we have to do is HOLY?  He does not fall into the category of the common — He CAN’T!  He’s totally and utterly removed from every created thing in the universe, including the universe itself, because He’s altogether of a different KIND!!  Humans belong to the humans kind and animals, the animal kind; there is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars — there is the glory of the angelic host, and then there is the glory of God!!!  Tell me, what other “kind” can we place in the category of God?  HE EXISTS IN A CATEGORY ALL OF HIS

Part 4 The question that has plagued the Church of Jesus Christ for the duration of its 2000-year history is the question that shall be answered in this teaching.  The oldest heresy in Christianity was not the denial of the deity of Christ. The oldest heresy can be traced to the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Acts, to a sect of men who came down from Judea to the Gentile congregations of Antioch and the surrounding regions, who began teaching the Christians that Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved (Acts 15:1).  Thank God that this question was not left open for proceeding generations to play guess-work.  The answer to the question; Is the Law of Moses binding upon Christians?, was answered conclusively 2000 years ago in the first council of Jerusalem, and its conclusions have been set out in that 15th chapter of Acts.  One would think that this evidence would be enough to turn any law-seeking believer away from such pursuit and to guide them back to safety.  The fact remai

Psalm 23 There are times when God calls His people to pass through the valley.  Passing through the valley of the shadow of death is never easy but can I say with absolute conviction, that Jesus hasn’t left you to walk alone!!  The final words of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Matthew are these: “… and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Mt. 28:20).  It’s one thing knowing this with the head, but it’s another thing intermingling this truth with faith!!  Many people have a head full of knowledge but a heart void of experience!  This sermon is a challenge to the Body of Christ for vital reality in the realm of faith and to experience the fullness of the grace of God.

Part 3 Ellen G. White had over 2000 visions during her lifetime and the content of those visions resulted in over 100,000 pages of writings which the Seventh-day Adventist Church consider to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and a continuing and authoritative source of truth. Ellen White claimed that her visions and writings were not simply expressions of her ideas, but originated from God. What do you call a prophet who prophesies things that don’t come to pass?  What do you call someone who steals from others' works while trying to pass them off as writings inspired by God?  In this teaching, further investigation is given to Mrs White’s prophecies and writings to determine whether or not she was a prophet called by God.    Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/3_Was_Ellen_G_White_a_Prophet.pdf  

Part 2 The Seventh-day Adventist Church arose out of the Great Millerite Disappointment of 1844.  The nineteenth century saw a literal explosion in the number of cults and religious groups springing up in the United States. Early on in Adventist history, Ellen G. White stamped her mark as a prophet, claiming to receive visions from God which guided and shaped the movement. Without Ellen G. White, there is no Seventh-day Adventism.  In this teaching we take a look at the early beginnings of Seventh-day Adventism and in particular, the nature of Mrs White’s visions and the substance of her writings.  What does make of someone who teaches others one thing regarding the eating of meat, while at the same time eating meat herself?  I shall allow the evidence to speak for itself. Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/2_Ellen_G_White_and_Adventist_History.pdf  

Philippians 2:19-24 This sermon is an urgent call to Christian love!   The clip following the sermon is from a message called "Something is wrong" by itinerate preacher Richard Owen Roberts of International Awakening Ministries.

Part 1 In 2023, the Seventh-day Adventist Church saw more additions to its membership than any year since its founding in 1863.  In 1961 the Seventh-day Adventist Church had a global membership of about a million.  Today they have a membership of more than 22.7 million, meeting in more than 100,000 Churches, spanning some 215 countries worldwide.  Without question, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the fastest-growing organisations in the world vastly outnumbering the global membership of Jehovah’s Witnesses. When one goes to the official website of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to look at their statement of ‘Fundamental Beliefs’; upon first glance, one finds nothing of real concern.  They believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures, the doctrine of the Trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, substitutionary atonement and salvation by faith as a gift of God’s grace.  However, Seventh-day Adventists are adept at saying one thing out of one side of their mouth while taking it back out of the other.  In

1 Peter 1:13-16 J. C. Ryle was the 1st Anglican Bishop of Liverpool.  In his classic book titled, “Holiness”, he wrote the words.  “He who supposes that Jesus Christ only lived and died and rose again in order to provide justification and forgiveness of sins for His people, has yet much to learn. Whether he knows it or not, he is dishonouring our blessed Lord, and making Him only a half Saviour. The Lord Jesus has undertaken everything that His people’s souls require; not only to deliver them from the guilt of their sins by His atoning death, but from the dominion of their sins, by placing in their hearts the Holy Spirit; not only to justify them, but also to sanctify them”.  In this second and final sermon part, we examine the command to holiness and the means to holiness.  As we move from the classroom of theory onto the field of experience, may the Lord bless you!

Exodus 39:30-31   Whenever the topic of holiness is brought up in the company of Christians, it is guaranteed to provoke one of two responses, either uneasiness or delight!  Now granted, those feelings of uneasiness may be down to the fact that a professing believer is not living as they ought; maybe they are living in secret sin and know that by preaching such a topic as holiness, they will be disturbed.  Then, there are those who love Jesus dearly, but have been scarred by those who preached to them a form of holiness “so-called” which was nothing more than evangelical legalism!  As we approach this sacred subject, rather than jump straight into the practical, I want to begin with the concept!  So many err in their understanding of holiness because they fail to comprehend what holiness even is. Let us then first understand what holiness is. 

Luke 15:1-2 If one was to stop you and to ask, “What is God like?”, I wonder what answer you’d give?  What attribute would come first to mind?  Would it be God’s holiness or omnipotence?  His omniscience or His omnipresence?  You ask me, “What is God like?”. What attribute comes first to mind when thinking about His person?  I return my answer at once; GOD IS LOVE!   Without question, this is His crowning attribute without which we would all be damned forever. In this sermon, we look at the heart of God our heavenly Father.  May the Lord bless and encourage you.

Romans 8:14 There’s one feature of the Holy Spirit’s leading that I’ve learned from experience, one that is widely attested to in the Sacred record, and that is the spontaneity of His leading!!! When the Holy Spirit speaks to His people and desires to lead them, it will always require faith to respond!!   In the moment of suddenness, we are given a window of time to obey.  #1. We must recognise the voice of the Holy Spirit, #2. We must be willing to sacrifice, #3. We must step out in faith!!