However, before the Jews could be brought home, the Land itself needed to be made ready. In Exekiel chapters 35 and 36 we see God do two things, remove and bring judgment on Edom (modern-day Jordan) for their hatred toward their brother (Ch35), and for the Land itself to turn from being a baren wilderness, bursting forth into life and becoming an ‘abundant field’.

Pastor Barry takes us verse-by-verse through these hugely signifcant chapters in the days in which we are living.

Further description to follow …

TRANSCRIPT OF THE SERMON

This will be uploaded … soon
There is a “button” labelled “Save Video” (or “Download Video” sometimes). See below (“PS0” for full info)

PS2: ::: The latest development on the “Transcript” section is that the text-file will be subject to far less preparation than before – less editing and correction. It will still be converted to sentence-column form as before, but any trimming and polishing will be left to the user. Any shortcomings in the transcription software should be pretty obvious and so not a problem in getting the meaning (and the audio file will provide the necessary clarification if required )

PS1: ::: {not-so-}NEW FORMAT of the transcript.
To ease the processing and preparation of the transcript, and we hope improve the readability of the text, a new format was been adopted in mid October. This breaks the text into sentences instead of arbitrarily-sized “paragraphs”. When the reader opens the file in a program such as Notepad (in MS Windows), then the appearance can be just like a newspaper column. The format is such that the user has many options available, depending on preferences and what software they like to use.
Any feedback on usefulness, improvement suggestions, or whatever, would be most welcome.

PS0 ::::: TRANSCRIPT OF THE SERMON >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There is a “button” labelled “Save Video” (or “Download Video” sometimes). This actually links to a text-file to download. It is a transcript of the sermon. At present it is at an experimental stage: it is an aid to getting the most out of the sermon audio. There is no substitute for listening to the verbal delivery of a sermon. However, searching through an audio file lasting the best part of an hour can be somewhat difficult. When you approach the search knowing that you’re sure there is something about “redemption”, for example, then a transcript text-search can take you right there and show you the time in the recording where you will find it! The file is simple “text” rather than a more sophisticated form so that you can edit or reformat as you prefer.

WAS== This transcript is in 2 forms (in the one file). One half consists of normal text arrangement. These ‘blocks’ were at purely arbitrary boundaries (boundaries were inserted at about 800 character intervals, purely to avoid having one huge unbroken deluge of text, i.e. no attempt at grammatical accuracy). The format has now been changed as described above in PS1. The other section is short bunches of words (8 to 12 nomally) beneath the TIMES at which they occur (for the whole sermon).
This facility is in development (“experimental” as mentioned above) so any feedback on usefulness, improvement suggestions, or whatever, would be most welcome.

The post Ezekiel Chapters 35 & 36 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

“This is a provocative chapter – one of the worst in the Old Testament” “Difficult and uncomfortable”. It was introduced as “The Tale of Two Sisters”. It deals with Ohola and Oholibah (analogues of Samaria and Jerusalem).

There were also parallels drawn with the behaviour of modern-day politicians in international relationships and policies in the major denominations of churches. There was mention of the correlation between the 7 ages of Israel and the Ages of the Christian Church. It has been said by some that God is cruel, but it was pointed out that sometimes the appalling behaviour of people warrants severe retribution!

A section deals with the goings-on between Zedekiah and Babylon.

A timeline showing the precision of prophecy was examined. In 573BC Cyrus issued his decree, and the idea that Persia is being liberated this year (2026) was put forward. The similarity of time-gaps between events was highlighted. This was another instance showing the extent of God’s control over history.

Ezekiel’s obedience is evident in the description.

To conclude, a passage is highlighted which is “the death-knell of replacement theology”

(and the transcript will follow in due course )

XZXZXZXZXZXZXZXZXZXZXZXZXXZXZXZXZXZXZXZXXZXZXZXZXZXZXZXZXZXZX

PS0: ::: The latest development on the “Transcript” section is that the text-file will be subject to far less preparation than before – less editing and correction. It will still be converted to sentence-column form as before, but any trimming and polishing will be left to the user. Any shortcomings in the transcription software should be pretty obvious and so not a problem in getting the meaning (and the audio file will provide the necessary clarification if required )

PS1: ::: {not-so-}NEW FORMAT of the transcript.
To ease the processing and preparation of the transcript, and we hope improve the readability of the text, a new format was been adopted in mid October. This breaks the text into sentences instead of arbitrarily-sized “paragraphs”. When the reader opens the file in a program such as Notepad (in MS Windows), then the appearance can be just like a newspaper column. The format is such that the user has many options available, depending on preferences and what software they like to use.
Any feedback on usefulness, improvement suggestions, or whatever, would be most welcome.

PS2 ::::: TRANSCRIPT OF THE SERMON
There is a “button” labelled “Save Video” (or “Download Video” sometimes). This actually links to a text-file to download. It is a transcript of the sermon. At present it is at an experimental stage: it is an aid to getting the most out of the sermon audio. There is no substitute for listening to the verbal delivery of a sermon. However, searching through an audio file lasting the best part of an hour can be somewhat difficult. When you approach the search knowing that you’re sure there is something about “redemption”, for example, then a transcript text-search can take you right there and show you the time in the recording where you will find it! The file is simple “text” rather than a more sophisticated form so that you can edit or reformat as you prefer. This transcript is in 2 forms (in the one file). One half consists of normal text arrangement. These ‘blocks’ were at purely arbitrary boundaries (boundaries were inserted at about 800 character intervals, purely to avoid having one huge unbroken deluge of text, i.e. no attempt at grammatical accuracy). The format has now been changed as described above in PS1. The other section is short bunches of words (8 to 12 nomally) beneath the TIMES at which they occur (for the whole sermon).
This facility is in development (“experimental” as mentioned above) so any feedback on usefulness, improvement suggestions, or whatever, would be most welcome.

The post Ezekiel Chapters 23 & 24 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

Ezekiel doesn’t just talk, he acts, he demonstrates, he graphically portrays. With great persistence!

Three major events were prophesied: Seige of Jerusalem; acting out many small details; about Israel being scattered among the nations (The Gentiles).

Pastor Barry made the following points as he went along:
– Israel was to be scattered (across the world)
– Lots of laws about eating
– Cooking with dung as heat source (Ezekiel given the choice between two types!) – designed to provoke horror in the people who saw it!
– Activities were designed to attract attention and provoke strong reactions
– Rationing of food & water made obvious
-The various conditional rulings are also given (“if this then that, otherwise …!.!)

A large section is devoted to the arithmetic of the lengths of sections of the history of Israel and the detailed prophecies defining them. Pastor Barry even describes a computer program that is provided by astronomers for examining planetary and stellar movements and which he used for examining times between specified dates, or dates that arise after a specified number of days.
Several examples are presented and the correspondence between prophecies and the dates of recent events is “staggering”.
Ezekiel’s hair plays a prominent part in the next section. The prophetic significance of cutting it (the shock-value) is detailed. Other defilements and their consequences are outlined. The modern-day situation of the Jews around the world is mentioned.
By the end of chapter 5 the pile of many punishments has grown!

In chapter 6 the land itself is being prophesied against!
The comparison with today – the idols that people set up for themselves – is touched on next.
A working out of prophecies which began in 1867 is described in some detail next (right up to the 1948 climax).
The Lord’s lament over the behaviour of the Israelites is highlighted and then God’s motives in the events that He is going to bring about are noted (“God wants to bring Israel back to him”). The progress along the way to that goal is noted (i.e. “Still in progress”)
Pastor Barry finished with the current trend of history and the likely worsening of Israel’s problems (as foretold by Jeremiah “The time of Jacob’s trouble”) but with the hope of a good outcome.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

PS1 ::::: TRANSCRIPT OF THE SERMON
There is a “button” labelled “Save Video” (or “Download Video” sometimes). This is actually a text-file. It is a transcript of the sermon. At present it is at an experimental stage: it is an aid to getting the most out of the sermon audio. There is no substitute for listening to the verbal delivery of a sermon. However, searching through an audio file lasting the best part of an hour can be somewhat difficult. When you approach the search knowing that you’re sure you heard something about “redemption”, for example, then a transcript text-search can take you right there and show you the time in the recording where you will find it! The file is simple “text” rather than a more sophisticated form so that you can edit or reformat as you prefer. This transcript is in 2 forms (in the one file). One half consists of normal text arrangement of paragraph-blocks. These blocks have purely arbitrary boundaries (i.e. no attempt at grammatical accuracy). The boundaries are inserted at about 800 character intervals, purely to avoid having one huge unbroken deluge of text. The other section is short bunches of words (8 to 12 normally) beneath the TIMES at which they occur (for the whole sermon).
This facility is in development (“experimental” as mentioned above) so any feedback on usefulness, improvement suggestions, or whatever, would be most welcome.

The post Ezekiel Chapters 4-6 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

To put it another way, the Word of God causes us to hear, to perceive, to understand. It gives us an understanding of who God is, of what He’s done, of His faithfulness to the saints of old. By so-doing it produces faith. The more we read and study God’s Word, the more our faith grows.

But what is faith? It is not a blind leap in the dark. Dr George Eldon Ladd said:

“Faith does not mean a leap in the dark, an irrational credulity, a believing against evidences and against reason. It means believing in the light of historical facts consistent with the evidences, on the basis of witnesses”    

In this study pastor Barry looks at a number of examples to show us we really can trust God’s Word. We can have a faith that is certain and unshakable.

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

The post Romans 10:18-21 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

In these verses Paul begins to lay out the fact that Israel had every opportunity to respond in obedience to the Word of God, but instead they ‘would not’, and so their ‘house was left unto them desolate’. (see Matt 23:37-39)

Paul drives home the simple fact, using Abraham and Moses as his witnesses, that righteousness does not come through our works – however well intentioned – but by God grace alone. The Law was given to reveal to us God’s perfect standard, and to show that we can never attain to that standard. But Christ came and fulfilled the Law, offering to exchange our sin for His righteousness, so that we can be declared ‘not guilty’ before a Holy God.

As has been said; He paid a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a price we couldn’t pay.

We conclude by considering just how important the Word of God is to our faith.

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

The post Romans 10:1-17 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

It is a topic we cannot ignore! From Genesis 12 to Acts 2, the Nation of Israel is the major theme of the Bible; and we cannot escape the fact that Jesus was Jewish, as was all the early Christian church.

In chapters 9 to 11 of the book of Romans the apostle Paul asks the question, if God is so faithful and his promises sure, why have Israel as a nation been ‘cast off’? and what is to be the future for them? Have they really forfeited the blessings God promised them? Is it true that these blessings, (promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their biological descendants), now somehow fall on the church, as many in today’s church claim?

In this first part of our study on the opening five verses of Romans chapter 9, we look at some of the promises God made to Israel and consider the history of this nation, a nation unlike any other in the history of the world, and look at the staggering prophecies that foretold their future in advance.

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study given by pastor Barry on 5th January 2025.

If you want to support this ministry you can donante here: https://www.calvaryportsmouth.co.uk/product/make-a-donation/

The post Romans 9 1-5 Pt1 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

The audio and full PowerPoint slides are available for free download.

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

The post Reasons We Believe first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.