He is a Saviour. ( Luke 4 v 16 -19 )

 I was out walking and I met Sunny,this the second time I met him,he is a Muslim, I sought to witness to him.He spoke of Jesus the prophet,he made light of the differences as to whom Jesus really was,saying that he was not the Son of God,but  he believed Jesus was coming back again. I just said one thing,that mankind needs is a Saviour and that Jesus was that Saviour. Do pray for Sunny,that he mind find the real Jesus the Saviour of the world.It appears to me more and more that many ministers don't believe that Jesus is a Saviour. Albert Einstein, a secular Jew,deeply admired Jesus as a historical figure calling Him a 'Luminous figure'' whose personality'' pulsates in every word'' of the Gospels,seeing Him as a profound teacher, distinct from mythical heroes'.Likewise Mahatma Gandhi deeply respected Jesus,calling Him ,''one of the greatest Teachers of mankind,'' and that was all..Our dear Saviour was the Son of man,truly human,and the Son of God,truly Devine, but He was more ,on the cross He died that we may be saved.

                                                        'Mankinds deepest need is a Saviour

                                                         and that Saviour is Jesus'

So thats that ? ( 1 Corinthians 15 )

 I recently visited a friend, he is 90 and is bedridden,he has  carers who attend to him everyday.I have known him a long time,he was very musical,he and his wife used to minister in song,he would also preach God's word,he also was a elder in a local church.He also was a fellow Irish man ,he played football when he was young and still had an interest in his team back home.But now he cannot do very much for himself.So thats that? no by no means, One day I hope soon,the Lord will take him home to be with himself, that will be wonderful, what a day that will be for him,and indeed for every believer.On that day he will have a heavenly body a body that will know no change,no sickness, instead of a perishable body he will have a imperishable body, instead of a mortal body ,he will have an immortal body.

                                                    'The sands of time are sinking,

                                                     The dawn of heaven breaks;

                                                     The summer morn I've sighed for,

                                                     The fair sweet morn awakes;

                                                     Dark,dark hath been the midnight,

                                                      But dayspring is at hand,

                                                      And glory,glory dwelleth

                                                      In Immanuel's land'.

                                                      

                                                     

Why did He come? ( John 3 v 36)

 Just an afterthought as regards Christmas ,as I watched the carol service on TV,and listened to the Bishop of Westminster giving an address,I asked myself a question,why did he not tell those present,and those watching on TV ,the real reason why Jesus came into the world.millions of people were watching. Possible he didn't think it appropriate, with the royal family there,so very sad,so terrible.Let me explain the reason why Jesus came, on the platform of the church building I attend ,there was a nativity scene ,and above it there was a large cross,to me it appeared very symbolic.When Jesus came into this world He lived under the shadow of the cross,in John 12  v32-33 , we read,'And I,when I am lifted up from the earth,I will draw all men to myself,He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die'. The question is why?1 Peter 2 v24 tells us,'He himself bore our sins in His own body on the cross' ,this means He bore the punishment for our sins Isaiah 53 v10.He bore the wrath that we  who believe in Him would not experience the wrath of God. John 3 v36 reads,'Whoever believes in the Son of God has eternal life,but whoever rejects the Son  will not see life,for God's wrath remains on them'.That is why He came,he came into the world to save sinners.

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Not by chance (Hebrews 1 v1ff) Christmas

Nothing concerning Jesus happened by chance,that includes His birth ,let us consider the prophecy of  Micah 5 v 2 which reads ;But you,Bethlehem Ephrathah though you are small among the clans of  Judah ,out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,whose origins are from old, from ancient time'. Micah prophesied this ,approximately 740-698 BC,this is the verse the priest and teachers told Herod when he asked them where would the Messiah would be born. ( Matthew 2 v 1ff.)Just another of the prophecies concerning Messiah Jesus.His birth coincided with Caesar Augustus ordering a census to be made,in which everyone had to go their home town.( Luke 2 v1-3). When the child Jesus was in grave danger, Joseph and Mary escaped into Egypt with Him,again that fulfilled what Hosea foretold ( Hosea 11 v1),this was God's plan,and as we go through the scriptures as regards His  death we are told in 1Peter  1 v20 and Revelation 13 v 8  it was planned  in eternity,one commentator  writes the following, 'God's plan for salvation was established before time began, making Jesus sacrifice eternally significant and always  present in His mind'.

Miracle 4

 We considered how in spite of the miracles that Jesus did and the scripture that clearly pointed to Him as being the Messiah, they rejected Him ,not only rejected Him ,but they crucified Him,why did God not do something about it?.Let us consider the miracle of the cross,yes it was a miracle,for through His death on the cross in His mercy and love God was achieving for humanity a way of escape from us going to Hell.John 3 v16 spells it out for us,'For God so loved the world,yes He does love the world ,amazing,yes it is true.Out of a heart of love He thought of a plan,a way in which we  undeserving sinners could be saved, His blessed son Jesus would take the sinners place and take the punishment for their sins.He the just one would die for the unjust,He the sinless one would die for the sinner.So if they would believe in Him they will not perish but have everlasting life. Humanity cannot perform the miracle of salvation,sad to say that many do try to save themselves,but it's futile ,but they will keep trying.

                                              'My Father is all powerful and that you can't deny

                                               A  God of might and miracles it's written in the sky

                                               It took a miracle to put the stars in place

                                                It took a miracle to hang the world in space

                                                But when He saved my soul cleansed  and made me whole

                                                 It took a miracle of love and grace.

                                                                Words  Eddy  Arnold

                                              

Miracle 3

 Miracles didn't stop at the birth of Christ ,when Christ began His ministry,He performed many miracles, turning water into wine,and many more would follow,not all were recorded ,for John tells us this in CP Chap 20 v 30.Yet in spite of all these miracles He was rejected and despised as the prophet Isaiah foretold chap 53v3,we need not be surprised at this, the question is why?.Consider  the words of John in chap 1 v10-11,'He was in the world ,and though the world was made through Him,the world did not recognise Him/  He came to that which was His own,but His own did not receive Him'.Is their an answer as to why He was the in world and it did not recognise Him,and His own people did not receive Him.In  John 3 v 19 we read,'This is the verdict: light has come into the world,but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil'.That is the answer, and that is why,we must  never underestimate the darkness of the human soul.,and next time we will consider this further.

                                                          'This dark world of sin'

A miracle ( Isaiah 9 v 6 -7) 2

 I mentioned last time that two miracles took place when Jesus was born,for the child that was born,was different , how was he different?,well the answer is ,he was truly human and truly God.How was it possible ?,it was a miracle.Again let us travel back over 700yrs to the promise that Isaiah made in chapter 7 v 14 , in this verse we are told of a virgin conceiving giving birth to a son, and that he will be called Immanuel,which means God with us.Then we move forward to Isa 9 v6  when we are told of a child being born,and His name would be,'Wonderful Counsellor,Mighty God, everlasting father,Prince of Peace.I remember speaking to some Jws,when I said He was mighty God,one them replied ,yes but He was not almighty God.That was a nonsensical answer for the adjective does not change the object, that He was God.For other OT scriptures as regards Christs deity CP Isa42 v8   / Psalm 45 v6-7/ 110 v1/ Daniel 7 v 13-14/.It is Leupold who comments that Isaiah's use in 9 v6  is the same title unequivocally for God in  10v21  It was the  Collingsworth family who wrote a hymn which starts.Who is He in yonder stall, at whose feet the shepherds fall? and the answer is,'Tis the Lord!O wondrous story,Tis the Lord,the king of glory! Yes it truly was a miracle.