Dr. Barclays Bible Study - The Book of Ephesians Part 8

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - SCARLET CORD

 SCARLET CORD*

When we think of purity, we often think of that  in reference to something as being white and something sinful as red or scarlet. Even Christ, who Himself was not Caucasian but of Middle Eastern nature, is described in Revelation as:

 

His head and hair were white as wool, as white as snow… 

(Revelation 1:14) 

In contrast, Satan (or sin) is often represented as being of a red colour, and although nothing is Scripture states this, this is how man has come to think of him. Perhaps this stems in part from the book of Isaiah where it states:

“Come now, and let us reason together,” 

Says the Lord,

Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are as red as crimson, 

They shall be as wool. 

(Isaiah 1:18)

There is apparently, in part of the Talmud, a writing which tells of a scarlet cord that was, in time past, tied to the doors of the Temple. On the Day of Atonement, when that Atonement had been accepted and completed, this cord would evidently turn from red to white. Now this apparently occurred every year from the time of the second temple to a point of time in the midst of the first century when the change no longer took place.

This, of course, corresponds to the time of the death of Jesus and apparently was meant to be a confirmation that Jesus’ death was the final sacrifice and that animal sacrifices were no longer required. Rabbis apparently point to this change as a sign that the final atonement has taken place, that the sins of many have been cleansed, and that the guilty have been made innocent.

Sins which were scarlet have been made white as snow. 

…Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,

But a body you have prepared for Me.

…Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and 

offerings for sin You did not desire, 

nor had pleasure in them.

…Behold, I have come to do your will, O God.

…we have been sanctified through the offering of the 

body of Jesus Christ once for all. 

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

…He adds, “Their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

(Hebrews 10:5, 8-10,14,17)

So, in the middle of the first century, the cord no longer changed colour, an indication that sacrifices were no longer required. The death of Christ satisfied everything. But it goes on to say:

…if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth,

there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 

but a certain fearful expectation of judgement…

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

(Hebrews 10:26-27, 31))

Just something else to think about.

*concept from The Book of Mysteries day 209 by Jonathan Cahn

Pastor Brad Eagles Jan. 26, 2025

Gospel Worship music with Steve McCabe.

 

Living Stones Men’s Ministry is pleased to give you an opportunity to come hear a special afternoon of unique Gospel Worship music with Steve McCabe.

 

I have personally known Steve for several years and having witnessed firsthand the incredible anointing on these songs given to him from inspiration through the spirit being drawn from the Holy Scriptures.

Steve introduces the story behind the song and the anointing of the spirit is evident as he sings. He will have the lyrics on the overhead projection so you can feel free to join in.

Steve’s brother Ron McCabe, an accomplished guitarist will be providing backup.

 

• Please refer to attached poster for further details.

 

• Attendance confirmation is required by email to secure your seat by no later than Sunday Feb. 9^th. Please reply to don@living-stones.ca or by text to (902) 956-0542

Pre-register yourself and or your group providing names and numbers in your group. Seating will be limited.

Doors will be open at 1:30 for a meet and greet with music commencing at 2.00 pm.

 

• There will be no charge for this event however a free offering will be made available to all those who would like to participate.

 

About the Artist;

Steve McCabe, a native of Colchester County Nova Scotia has journeyed into gospel music leading him on a road of satisfaction.

He embraces gospel music at its fullness through the expression of his lyrics, reminding us of the promise made through the gospel of Christ.

His songs lead us into: Hearing the News and enduring the trials of life, having a love like no other, the cry from the cross and our blessed hope.

Steve is married to Shannon and lives in Belmont, N.S.  

 

Dr. Barclays Bible Study - The Book of Ephesians Part 7

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - APOSTASY

APOSTASY

In dictionary.com, the above is defined as: “a total desertion of or departure from one’s religion, principles, party, cause, etc.”

Webster’s Dictionary has a more defined definition: “the public abandoning of a religious faith, esp Christianity, for another”

Although this word per se is not used in the Bible [except occasionally in some newer translations] there are many examples of this activity given in Scripture. In the book of Judges, the nation of Israel is seen to honour God and then fall away time and time again; rejecting God only to become defeated and demoralized and calling on Him again to restore their prosperity. In essence, they became apostate on many occasions.

One of the better examples of apostasy is found in the Old Testament concerning King Josiah. He was the great grandson of Hezekiah, the grandson of Manassah, and the son of Amon. All these kings were increasingly apostate in their relationship to God from the more righteous Hezekiah to the evil Amon. During the reigns of these kings, worship turned more and more away from the worship of God and more toward the worship of Pagan deities - gods which had previously been banned from Judah because of the worship of God. When Josiah came to the throne following his father Amon, there were again articles of worship in the Lord’s temple to Baal, Asherah, and as well as to other gods in other places.

Now when Josiah was about 26 years old, he set about to repair the Temple in Jerusalem and there found a copy of the Book of the Law. Apparently, it was the Book of Deuteronomy, which spelled out the consequences and judgement a falling away from God would trigger. Then the king…

…made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord 

and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes… 

(2 Kings 23:3)

Found in the same book and chapter, Josiah removed the articles of worship to Baal and Asherah and destroyed them. He also tore down the ritual booths, pulverized the alters that were on the roof, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire. After performing these acts, and others, he:

commanded all the people, saying, 

“Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, 

as it is written in this Book of the Covenant." 

(2 Kings 23:21)

Josiah overturned the culture of his day by his actions against the shrines and temples of the gods which had crept back into the lives and actions of the people of Judah. He destroyed the alters of Baal, Ishtar, Chemosh, and Milcom, the gods of foreign lands whose alters were the places of child sacrifice.

Today, the countries which were founded on the principles of the Bible are again falling into apostasy as other influences creep into our culture and even the church. In an attempt to be inclusive, we often end up being assimilated much as the culture and peoples of Judah were doing the reigns of the kings before Josiah. Perhaps this is referring to the time mentioned in Thessalonians because many are left thinking assimilation is only being inclusive.

Let no one receive you by any means; for that Day will not come 

unless the falling away [the apostasy] comes first, 

and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition… 

(2 Thessalonians 2:3)

We seem to be living in a time when apostasy is present, when even many who profess to be Christian live otherwise and when the attempt to include all, results in apparent abandonment of principles and beliefs. It is truly an age of apostasy.

Perhaps we need another Josiah.

And that is something we should all think about.

Rev. John Spicer Jan 19, 2025

Dr. Barclays Bible Study - The Book of Ephesians Part 6

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - LOST

LOST

In the book of Ephesians, it states very clearly that all of us were spiritually dead “in trespasses and sins” (2:1) before we were made alive through faith in Christ. This spiritual death occurred in the very early days when man accepted the work of Satan over the direction of God. But, in addition to what is stated in Ephesians, the Bible uses many other ways to describe man’s separation from God. This in turn shows that God does not often say or do things in the same way.

In the book of 2 Corinthians we are told that carnal man is blind to God.

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

whose minds the god of the age has blinded, who do not believe,

lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, 

who is the image of God, should shine on them. 

(2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

And in the book of Romans man is described this way:

But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, 

yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine 

to which you were delivered. 

(Romans 6:17)

Again in the book of John, those separated from God are referred to on this way:

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, 

and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come into the light, 

lest his deeds should be exposed. 

(John 3:19-20)

In Mark, those separated from God are spoken of in this way:

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, 

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, 

but those who are sick.” 

(Mark 2:17)

And, Luke refers to such people in an entire chapter in his gospel as being lost and gives three parables to illustrate this. The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son all in Luke 15.

Not only are people without God lost, but they are also described as being not truly in the world as they should be.

…at that time you were without Christ, 

being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, 

(Ephesians 2:12)

Paul, in Ephesians, also called the lost…

…children of wrath…fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind… 

having no hope and without God in the world. 

(Ephesians 2:3&12)

And he further describes us as being…

 

…delivered from the power of darkness and 

[conveyed] into the kingdom of the Son of His love… 

(Colossians 1:13) 

Now…you are no longer strangers and foreigners, 

but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. 

(Ephesians 2:19)

From being lost, blinded, sick, slaves of sin, and children of wrath to being made alive and conveyed into the kingdom of the Son of His love all through faith in Christ and God’s mercy is something we should all be thinking about. 

 

Rev. Jacquie Ross Jan. 12, 2025

Dr. Barclays Bible Study - The Book of Ephesians Part 5

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About -- ACCEPTED

ACCEPTED

For most, if not all people, one of the main objectives that one has in life is to be accepted. From our classmates in school to our involvement in clubs, sports or other organizations, people want to be accepted by those with whom they associate. But, in all of these situations, there is a period of trial or time in which one has to, in some way, prove him or herself acceptable.

In sports, it is necessary to train and practise in order to be accepted as a team member and then only if one is considered good enough to make the team. In education, one has to study and become proficient enough to pass the exams and then be accepted to graduate and progress on to the next level. At a job or profession, one has to work to maintain their skills and abilities to retain their job or to climb the ladder to the next level and, at present, it is often more and more of a struggle to do. Almost everything requires a degree of endurance, effort, time, and struggle to obtain acceptance in whatever one is involved in.

For the most part religion is no different. In times past, it was often necessary to make sacrifice to a god and to make payment to a temple to be accepted by the deity involved. Even at present many religions require one to do tasks and deeds so that the apparent way to God is also determined by works and activities. It might be duties of memberships in churches or temples, or ritualistic prayers, activities, or givings as requested by the leader of the organization involved.

Being accepted, then, involves some sort of work or activity on one’s part in order to satisfy the requirement of whatever body or organization one is attempting to join. It seems to be a universal necessity for one to be accepted anywhere.

But there is at least one exception. In Christianity acceptance is based upon a relationship and not on your works or deeds. And that relationship is based on both love and faith; faith that Christ put Himself in your place and paid for your past, present and future sins and the love that ensues from being aware of that fact.

But God demonstrates His own love towards us, 

in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

(Romans 5:8)

Therefore, our relationship is based on our faith that He did this for us because our own activities are woefully inadequate in making us acceptable to God.

There is none righteous, no, not one… 

(Romans 3:10)

But we are all like an unclean thing,

And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

We all fade like a leaf,

And our iniquities…

Have taken us away. 

(Isaiah 64:6)

And for that reason our relationship with God cannot be achieved by our works

For by grace you have been saved through faith,

 and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God 

(Ephesians 2:8)

It is not by works that we have a relationship with God but it is because we have a relationship with God that we undertake works. There is a vast difference between the two. Not everyone can do the same as another but we can all have faith, true faith, which enables us to do what we can.

For we are His workmanship, created…for good works… 

(Ephesians 2:10)

…faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 

(James 2:17)

…a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 

(James 2:24)

So a person’s relationship with God really extends from his faith in what Christ did for us, true faith and acceptance of His sacrifice on our behalf, and not on anything we ourselves do. What we do comes about because of that relationship and all of this makes us truly accepted by God.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 

(Romans 8:14)

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

(Galatians 3:26)

Being accepted by God is something we should all look forward to and the hope of being accepted by God is something we should always be thinking about.  

Prayers Please

 

Please hold Rev. Vincent and Mary Hanley and the MacKay family in your thoughts and prayers, due to a death in the family.

Thank you .

Rev. Steve Webb Jan 5, 2025

We’ve Lost Another Dear Friend

 

Obituary of Mr. Ken Hayden

https://pkmacdonald.ca/tribute/details/3955/Kenneth-Hayden/obituary.html

New Year's Message

 

Happy new year to all of you reading this message. Wherever you are locally or all over the world I pray this year ahead will be “your best year yet”.

As you reflect on the years past may you find “precious memories” in all your thoughts. The memories that were troubling, (and there will be those); may you release those thoughts to the Lord thanking Him for the forgiveness He gives you, and; asks you to give others. Let’s all choose to leave the past in the past, open our hearts for this day and all it brings; and look forward expecting good and perfect gifts from our Heavenly Father
James 1:17 (NIV) reads:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Wow, what a powerful declaration this is and we can and should hold onto this.
God is constant, we can count on Him. Praise be to the Lord!!

For every person who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour may you be given many opportunities to witness His love, mercy, grace and foremost, His forgiveness, to those you meet.

Remember when you first fell in love with Jesus and how it changed you? Now let that love bring change to someone else, someone you have an opportunity to speak with. May your words renew the life of someone else. Share the love of Jesus and the reason He gave His life, to forgive us our sins, so that we too can forgive those who sin against us. For every time we forgive someone we are reminded Jesus “did not die in vain”.

May this year be a wonderful time of sharing the Gospel and showing others how to live in great expectation of what is yet to come when Jesus returns. Until then remember:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

May this year ahead be filled with the gifts from God that allow you to minister and reflect Jesus in your life. This is my prayer for each and everyone of you.

Happy New Year and God’s richest blessings be yours.

Pastor Caroline