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“For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind,” Hosea 8:7.

These words were quoted by the Commander of RAF Bomber Command in 1942.

“Arthur Travers Harris, known as “Bomber”Harris, became commander of RAF Bomber Command in early 1942. Until then, Bomber Command hadn’t done much, but the energetic and controversial Harris soon changed all that. He became the architect and chief proponent of night-time “area bombing” of major German cities. He developed tactics, techniques, and training for the task.

In March he struck Lubeck. In April he bombed Rostock. Then, on the night of May 30-31 1942, he launched a devastating, 1,000-bomber attack on Cologne. A few days later, Harris went before RAF film cameras and delivered a chilling, two-minute message, shown on newsreels nationwide. He was unleashing a whirlwind on Germany, he said. ‘They sowed the wind,’ he warned, ‘and now they are going to reap the whirlwind.’ They did.

The verse in Hosea are words directed at the northern kingdom of Israel by the Lord. He has charged them with idolatry and other sins. The first verses of the chapter explain to us what the actual words of our text mean.

“Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces,” Hosea 8:1-6.

The ‘wind’ that Israel sowed consisted of a breaking of God’s Law, acting in defiance of Him, idolatry and a presumptuous assumption of God coming to their aid, all of which kindled God’s anger against them until it was a destroying ‘whirlwind’!

I thought of this verse on a number of occasions of late as I have listened to the reports of Israel’s campaign in Gaza against the murderous terrorism of Hamas. (more…)

This is our final study in response to a request from one of our readers to set down the Bible’s teaching on HOLINESS.

I will attach to this article a PDF file of a wonderful book on ‘Holiness’, written by JC Ryle. I thoroughly commend it to you all.

Holiness, by J. C. Ryle

I have been using the Shorter Catechism’s definition of SANCTIFICATION or holiness. Let me quote the answer to question 35.

“Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.”

In this our final study, I would like to consider how that:

SANCTIFICATION ENTAILS A ‘DYING’!

1. THAT IS WHAT DETERS MANY CHRISTIANS FROM FULLY YIELDING TO THE MIND AND WILL OF GOD IN THIS MATTER.

I recall that in the days following my conversion, our pulpits seemed to all echo with a call to ‘go through with God’. That was a phrase denoting a total surrender and a total yielding unto the Lord and the entering upon that blessing of the infilling of the Holy Spirit which awaited those who did thus yield.

The widow woman in 1 Kings 4:1-7, was supplied of God in her poverty by obeying the instructions of Elisha, which resulted in her meagre supply of oil being wonderfully made to fill many vessels, so that she was able to sell it off and provide for herself and her two sons. But before that could happen she had to gather ‘empty vessels’ that could be miraculously filled with the oil. There must be an emptying before there can be a filling!

Oh how that was preached back in the 60s! How commonly were the words of the old hymn, written by Ulsterman, Noel Grant,  brokenly sung in prayer meetings! (more…)

Here is another milestone on the road to hell that the Church of England has chosen to tread!

Blessing for gay priest couple as Church of England starts new chapter

‘Two reverends will be among the first LGBT couples blessed in a church service on Sunday’

This article from ‘The Times’ newspaper, of 9th December, was sent to me by a friend. It includes a photograph of the two perverts, the caption of which reads: ‘The Reverends Jane Pearse, left, and Catherine Bond will be among the first gay couples to have a priest “ask for God’s blessing” on their relationship’.

They ask in vain, instead God’s curse will rest upon them for their blatant act of defiance of God and His Law.

Part of the article reads: ‘They have asked their colleague, the Rev Andrew Dotchin, the priest-in-charge, to ask for God’s blessing upon them as a couple at the start of the Sunday morning Eucharist tomorrow.

“We’re very excited about it. It’s something we’ve wanted to happen for years,” Bond said.

It marks the first time that the Church of England has formally permitted the acknowledgement of gay relationships in church. No priest will be obliged to offer the blessings, with many traditionalist parishes planning not to opt in.

For many gay rights campaigners, the move does not go far enough as gay people remain barred from marrying in church. Gay couples may only request a blessing if it takes place during a regular service of worship, with standalone ceremonies still forbidden.

For many traditionalists, the move goes too far, and some bishops argue it violates the church’s teaching that sex and marriage should be reserved for heterosexual couples.’

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That these two deluded and evil women, and the many like them, think that God sanctions and will bless what they do shows the gross ignorance of God and His Word they are in. The Church of England has been running round in circles debating this issue and stoutly refusing to acknowledge what the Bible has to say on this matter.

WHAT THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND ONCE BELIEVED!

Article 6 of ‘The Articles of Religion’, states: “Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.” (more…)