Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Fact or Fiction



Every year about 10 million people visit the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. Some climb one or more of the 90 mountain peaks, and many climb or walk up Mount Snowdon itself, whose peak is the highest point in England and Wales at 1,085m (3,560 feet). However, many visitors just enjoy a leisurely stroll in the beautiful surroundings. One place many visitors end up in is the village of Beddgelert. Here they probably walk from the middle of the village to see the grave of the brave dog called Gelert. Reading the inscription at the grave they find the sad story of the dog that bravely killed a wolf attacking the baby of Llywelyn the Great (1172 –1240), the local prince. However, when the prince returned home, he found the baby missing, and thought that the dog – now with a blood-stained mouth - had killed the baby: he quickly drew his sword and killed the dog. Of course he eventually found the baby safe and well, and also discovered the dead body of the wolf. He buried the dog with great ceremony.

The visitor might be stirred by the story, as were many poets who later told the story in verse, and it even moved Joseph Haydn to set the story to music. However, the fine story turns out to have no real historical basis. The burial mound was constructed in the 1790s by a local enterprising hotel manager, David Prichard, to attract tourists, and even the name of the village – Beddgelert – which could mean ‘Gelert’s grave’, was actually named after a Christian missionary in Wales in the 8th century called Celert. Further investigation shows that this kind of story is found in various forms in many countries around the world, including India and Malaysia.

On the other hand, the historical evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ is very strong, with plenty of contemporary evidence apart from the four gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Writers in the first century such as the famous Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and the Roman writer Tacitus include references to Jesus in their writings. Few serious historians today doubt that such a person lived, even if they do not believe in Him.

We have a very good summary of the life of Jesus from the apostle Peter, who is reported in the Acts of the Apostles as saying: ‘God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we [apostles] are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they [the Jewish leaders] slew and hanged on a tree [i.e., a cross]: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead’, Acts 10. 38 – 42.

Peter then also pointed out, v. 43, that: ‘To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins’. So all the Old Testament prophets predicted Jesus would come and, even very importantly, the consequence of people believing in Him is that they receive the forgiveness of their sins. 

Knowing that there was an historic person called Jesus Christ is not an end in itself. Even if a person is given indisputable evidence that He existed, it doesn’t mean that that person will automatically believe in Him. However, none of us can say that Jesus has nothing to do with us, for the Bible says that ‘the man Christ Jesus . . . gave himself a ransom for all’, 1 Tim. 2. 5 & 6. 

There is hymn verse that sums it all up very well:

He died that we might be forgiven,
He died to make us good,
That we might go at last to heaven,
Saved by his precious blood.

Written by a Guest Blogger for Seek the Truth Bible Media. For more blogs, podcast, videos etc visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk




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Friday, August 14, 2015

Saturday morning radio show



Why not listen to the Living Hope Show this Saturday at 8.30 a.m. If you have an extra hour of sleep on Saturdays it's repeated again at 3.30 p.m. Stephen presents various items about the Bible and Faith mixed with Christian songs. You'll can listen to the Living Hope Show through internet radio station,Vintage Radio 

www.vintageradio.org.uk

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Is your name Hugh Williams? - You are not welcome on my cruise!


The story has often been told that a ship sank in the Menai Straits off the coast of north Wales on December 5, 1664, and all 81 passengers were drowned, except one man and he was called Hugh Williams. Then on December 5th, 1785, another ship with 60 people aboard sank in the Menai Straits. Again the only survivor then was also a man named Hugh Williams. Lastly in 1820 – again on December 5th - a third vessel sank in the Menai Straits. All 25 aboard were drowned except; yes you’ve guessed it, a man named Hugh Williams! This extraordinary coincidence could only be explained by the fact that the name Hugh Williams was very common in those parts, and that in December the tides in the Mania Straits can be quite treacherous.

This story has been called the 'strangest coincidence ever recorded', and seems a story worth telling. However, the story then gets complicated, because another version has the first wreck in the Mania Straits, but the second disaster as a pleasure schooner wrecked off the Isle of Man. Then the third was a picnicking party on a boat on the Thames run down by a coal barge, or was it a Leeds coal barge with nine men aboard floundered – all but two were drowned and both were named Hugh Williams! To make things even more interesting, there is also an account of a British trawler sunk by a German mine in the Mania Straits on 10th July 1940 and only two men survived, one man and his nephew - they were both called Hugh Williams! So apart from the coincidence of the name Hugh Williams, the story has a number of variations. Is it true or is it only an urban myth? Who knows? Someone was quite confused by the variation in these stories, and the only thing he could conclude that if he were ever to go sailing on the Mania Straits, he would make sure that there wasn’t someone called Hugh Williams on board!

Whichever way you take these stories, the gospel of the Lord Jesus is of course very believable. It has many descriptions in the New Testament. For instance when the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Colossae, he spoke about ‘the word of the truth of the gospel’, Colossians chapter 1 verse 5, by which they ‘knew the grace of God in truth’, v. 6.

At the trial of the Lord Jesus, Pontius Pilate cynically asked the question, ‘What is truth?’, John 18. 38. In fact it turns out that the truth is not ‘what’ but ‘who’, since Jesus had said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me’, John 14. 6. Jesus is the one-and-only way to God, and His death on the cross made it possible that individuals could come to God though Him.

The apostle Paul looked back with the Christians at Ephesus to the time of their conversion and reminded them about ‘[Jesus] in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation’, Ephesians 1. 13.  The gospel – the good news – was about their salvation, when they were rescued from the penalty of their sins.   

God wants you to know the truth: in fact in the New Testament we read that He is the God who wants ‘all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth’, 1 Timothy 2. 4. Why not get saved and come to know this truth for yourself?

For more information about the Bible and Salvation visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk
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Monday, August 10, 2015

Interesting Lives - Titanic Series No 4 - Titanic's last Song


Interesting Tales - #Titanic Series.      
No 4 - Titanic’s last song
Presented by Seek the Truth Bible Media

http://youtu.be/4fewymphbdE


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Friday, August 07, 2015

The Living Hope Show - WW1 Bible


Why not listen to the Living Hope Show this Saturday at 8.30 a.m. If that's too early it's repeated again at 3.30 p.m. Stephen Baker presents various items about the Bible and Faith mixed with Christian songs. This week we are talking about the story of a bible which was lost in WW2 being returned home after 70 years - quite a fascinating story! Listen to the Living Hope Show on internet radio station,Vintage Radio (www.vintageradio.org.uk).
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Monday, August 03, 2015

Night Away

   

 

  

My wife (Carole) and I have enjoyed a night away in Manchester. We stayed in the Hilton for one night. This was a gift kindly given to us by friends. We really enjoyed it. The Hilton stands high above the Manchester skyline. Our room was on the 10th floor as Carole didn't want to go too high up. After we enjoyed the pool and the spa in the morning we 'risked' going to the 23rd floor to the Cloud 23 Lounge & Restaurant. The views were amazing; we could see Runcorn, Manchester Airport etc. 

Anyway back to business tomorrow. Three days and then we head to Ireland for a wedding. The change of routine in the summer is so refreshing. 

After Ireland I'm off to Leicester to give a series of talks at a girls camp. Variety is the spice of life. Watch this space for further updates, bible talks, video talks and info about the bible. 

To get regular updates visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk. 

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