Without Christ, Christmas is nothing!

If there is no Christ - there is no Christmas! Which is why are Christians are so convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Why you might ask, it's an excellent question.

Our belief is laid on a very solid foundation. First of all we believe in divine revelation not just human discovery. In fact to learn about something outside of our sphere of experience we all accept we need information from a trustworthy source. If you are serious about discovering the truth - check the Bible out. It is a trustworthy source. Read it, check it's sources, speak to those who believe it, look at it 's accuracy in every sphere it touches. There can only be one answer to the question of the origin of a book that was written over one thousand five hundred years by forty different authors, many of whom did not even know each other. The Bible is God's message to mankind.

The Story of Christmas - No 11

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

More info on www.seekthetruth.org.uk

The Story of Christmas - No 9

This is the story of an old man who God spoke to. He knew the Messiah was coming and he knew he could only die after he had seen Jesus with his own eyes. 

No one should die without seeing Jesus (by faith). To recognise Jesus as the Son of God and to trust him for salvation is the only way to prepare for death. 

Are you ready to die?

Luke 2:21-35

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

The Story of Christmas - No 8

Wow! 

Amazing! 

Who would have believed it!

The Romans actually did what God wanted them to do and yet they thought they were running the show! The Messiah was meant to be born in Bethlehem (see Micah 5:1,2) but Mary, his mother, lived in Nazareth which was 90 miles north. 

People didn't move house easily in those times but God arranged for everyone to go back to the their ancestral roots. Hey Presto (not a bible term) Mary is now in the right place to give birth to the Messiah. 

Read all about it in the following passage straight out of the Bible. Only God could arrange this!!

Luke 2:1-20

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

For lots of podcasts, blogs and videos please visit: 

www.seekthetruth.org.uk

The Story of Christmas - No 7

Today's Christmas episode deals with the arrival of the wise men from the east. They had probably travelled for around 900 miles. The guidance they had was the star. They knew they had come to see a new King, the King of the Jews. 

Their problem was they were looking in the wrong place. I wonder if you are looking in the right place when it comes to meeting God, finding the meaning of life and knowing the peace of God within your soul. The right place is not church nor religion. You can approach God directly by prayer and know the forgiveness of sins when you turn from your sins (repent) and confess them to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible promises 'the blood of Jesus Christ his Son (God's) cleanses us from all sin,' 1 John 1:7. 

Read this passage to discover how these wise men made their journey and finally discovered Jesus Christ, the Son of God

The Story of Christmas - No 6

This is an interesting story which sits beside the story of Jesus birth. The boy that is born turns out to be the forerunner and announcer of Jesus as Messiah. 

Read the end of the passage to discover what the boy's dad, Zecharias the old priest, thinks of Jesus (he calls him the dayspring from on high i.e. the dawn from heaven. Zecharias is teaching us that Jesus' coming would launch a new day for the world. Listen to his analysis of the outcome of the coming of Christ - 'To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace.' An amazing consequence of the coming of Christ which is based on the death and resurrection of Christ. 

The Story of Christmas - No 5

Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph's Discovery

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

Visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

The Story of Christmas - No 3

Luke 1:26-38 The Angel Gabriel is sent to Nazareth to Mary

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

The Story of Christmas - No 2

Luke 1:1-25 - The Forerunner (John Baptist) of the Messiah (The Lord Jesus Christ)

Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 

Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

The Story of Christmas - No 1

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

How to avoid a guilt trip!

Most of us feel guilty from time to time. We often wish that we could turn the clock back and do things differently!

There are times when it is right to feel guilty. If we have genuinely wronged someone guilt is the God given mechanism that warns us that ‘action needs to be taken’. Sometimes we can rectify the problem and make amends. Other times it is outside of our power to reverse the effect of our actions. It is only right that we should fix the problems that we have caused where possible.

Having said this, many mistakes in life are not really significant in the general scheme of things and will not make a big difference in our lives. Courtesy and true friendship, decency and honesty will however ensure that we behave in ways that are commendable.

A more worrying aspect of life is that of human beings and their relationship with God. In our current society we are in danger of being unaware that we have disobeyed our Creator (and therefore owner) and that he does not tolerate people who break his law. I was aware from childhood of the fact that God had stated his principles (the 10 commandments in the Bible) and that I was incapable of living up to them. The passage in the Bible that explains God’s standards is Exodus 20. The New Testament passage that states that we are not capable of living up to these standards is Romans 3:23 ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’.

Now, contrary to public opinion God gave his Law to make us feel guilty and not to make us feel good. The Bible says ‘Now we know that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God’. The reality is that when you and I hear the Bible preached and become aware that God is holy and has his standards; we then realise that we cannot live up to his standards and get feelings of guilt. I lied, I lusted, I took something that did not belong to me (time, emotions, things etc) and as a result I am guilty and am limited as to what I can do to rectify the situation. My offence is firstly against God (Psalm 51:4) and will also often be against a fellow human being.

So we all need to go on a guilt trip – but not for long. When the awareness of our wrong living is heightened and guilt is triggered we will be forced do something about it. That is God’s plan.

What can we do? Again God in the Bible tells us what there is no point in doing! God says in Romans 3:20 that no action on our part will satisfy him because our problem is one we were born with (Psalm 51:5). The problem is reflected in our actions and behaviours but it is deeper than that. God says rather bluntly in the Old Testament that all the right things we do are like filthy clothes. We can never be good enough for God, ‘There is none righteous, no not one’.

I say again ‘what can we do’? The answer again comes from God. He says ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved’. The Lord Jesus says ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’. The early Christian preachers preached ‘neither is their salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved’. God’s Son (The Lord Jesus) came to earth, lived and then was put to death on a cross. God was punishing him for sin, sin that he did not commit (for he is God and perfect) but that sin that he was prepared to atone for. He paid the price God demanded to put away sin and to provide forgiveness for us.

Go on a guilt trip? No way - admit your guilt to God and then accept his offer of salvation through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. You will experience inexplicable joy.

For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Off Season Reflections

 

In March 2013, a company called What3Words was incorporated. In April of the same year, it lodged a patent application for technology for e-commerce, deliveries, navigation, emergency services, etc. The company stated that every three-metre square of the world had been given a unique combination of three words. Their purpose was to aid people in discovering where they are and where they are trying to get to. 

The Bible often combines three words to identify a location or a situation in our minds. For instance, if I said ‘Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh’, you would possibly be transported in your mind to a location in the ancient city of David, Bethlehem. It may remind you of the baby Jesus, or as the angel told Mary, ‘the Son of the Highest’ who was born to ‘save his people from their sins’. The three gifts the travellers from ‘the east’ brought were significant and of great value. I think these gifts would have been used by Mary & Joseph to pay for their exile to Egypt with the baby Jesus, but the three gifts are also a unique reminder of who Jesus was and the purpose of his birth. 

Gold has always spoken of wealth, of the best that earth can offer, but the gold in this story also reminds me that the Lord Jesus had a different kind of wealth. It was not the fragile wealth of humanity that could disappear in a moment but the wealth of the creator of the universe. God’s riches are not measured in human currency but are the timeless values of love, truth, justice, peace, kindness and holiness (incidentally, the whole Universe belongs to God as the creator [humans have been entrusted with its management]. So he is also incredibly rich in terms of physical assets). So Jesus, as the Son of God, was immeasurably rich but became poor (through becoming a man, suffering for sin and dying on a cross) so that we, through his poverty, might be rich, 2 Cor. 8:9.

A Christmas Poem - The Meaning of Christmas.

CHRISTMAS POEM

In heaven above 

Before time had begun

The will of the Father 

Concerning the Son

Was to send Him from heaven 

To this world below

So that people from this earth

To heaven might go

Now you might be wondering

The reason and why

We preach about Jesus 

And heaven when you die

It's because we've a problem 

It's common to all 

It started with Adam, his sin and the fall 

For in the beginning

God, Adam did form

The world was quite perfect 

No wrong was the norm

But sadly we know now

This all was to go

In Adam's rebellion

Our death he did sow

But in the word Christmas

Does the name Christ appear

It's something you can't miss

At this time of the year

It's all about Jesus 

And His birth long ago

So that you off to heaven

At some stage might go

But it's not just the birthday

Of Jesus that's good

It's His suffering in death

And His shedding of blood

That purchased salvation 

So that you could be free

And enjoy great salvation 

Like many others and me

So as you reflect on

This message of grace

Will you consider the offer

That God brings to this place 

Your soul is important 

And life is not long 

So turn from your sin

And trust in God's Son

Discover the love of God this Christmas

Used by permission of Unsplash 

Many years ago there was a young German girl whose father was a printer. He was printing the German Bible that had just been translated by Martin Luther. One day his young daughter found a scrap of paper that had fallen to the floor in the cutting room. The paper contained words from John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave…” but the rest of the verse was missing. She was intrigued by this statement. She read it to herself over and over, “God so loved the world that He gave, God so loved the world that He gave.” 

She liked it so much that she kept it close to her heart and read it every day. She was raised to know that God was just, and Holy, that He hates sin and is angry with the sinner, but she had never read that God loved her so much that He gave…although she did not know what exactly He had given. This revelation brought such joy to her heart that she was singing, and her mother noticing the happy little girl asked, “What is the matter with you?” “Oh mother it is wonderful,” she said, pulling out the little sliver of paper. “Read what it says…‘God so loved the world that He gave.’” “Gave what?” her mother asked. “I do not know, but if He loved me enough that He gave anything at all, I will never be afraid of Him again.”

It is John in his Gospel who says that "God so loved the world that He gave...." But what was His gift? A diamond? A kingdom? A planet? A universe? No! It is so much more! Something priceless and beyond imagination. He gave His Son. And not one of many, but the Only One  that He had. 

Each year we are reminded that Christmas should not be just about giving and receiving presents. But, if we truly think about Christmas, it is, indeed, all about gift giving! At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the greatest gift ever given, by the greatest gift-giver of all, our wonderful God and Father! This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift - the Christ."

Used by permission of Your542Day - Written by Peter Francis for Messages with Meaning (10/12/20)

Christmas Carols - O Come All ye Faithful

The text to the Carol 'O Come All Ye Faithful' was originally written in Latin. It's Latin name is 'Adeste Fideles'. The intention was for it to be a hymn. This carol is attributed to John Wade, an Englishman. The music to the carol was composed by fellow Englishman John Reading in the early 1700s. The tune was first published in a collection known as "Cantus Diversi" in 1751. In 1841 Rev. Frederick Oakley is reputed to have worked on the familiar translation of O Come All Ye Faithful which replaced the older Latin lyrics "Adeste Fideles" which is why we now have these familiar and well known lines:

O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye,
O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens
Of heaven above;
Glory to God,
Glory in the highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.t

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, the
Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be
All glory given;
Son of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,c
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.

Most of these old carols are packed full of facts and truth concerning Jesus and His coming into the world. This carol is no different and so we are not to be disappointed. 

Please consider one of the lines with me!

'Joyful and triumphant'

I can understand the joy that comes along with the birth of a new child. Everyone knows that a new baby should be a happy occasion but it can be a time of sorrow again if illness on the part of either the mother or the child is involved. When Jesus was born the angels announced to the shepherds 'good tidings of great joy'. The explanation that they gave was that a 'Saviour' had been born. Jesus would one day die on a cross and as a result provide salvation for all who will believe.

My question is - what is the word 'triumphant' doing here in this carol? What is triumphant about a new born. I can only assume that the writer had a full understanding of who Jesus is and what His coming into the world would achieve! 

An angel announced before the birth of Jesus that 'He shall be great'. Never was a truer word spoken! The secret of His greatness started long before His birth. Jesus is uniquely great because of who He is! All the rest of us have to do something to make us great. The Bible teaches that He is the Son of the Highest, the Son of God. The Bible records that the angelic armies of heaven worshipped Him and stood with bated breath waiting to do whatever he requested. His greatness was not like any greatness we have. We are dependent on strength of character aligned to opportunities but Jesus is great, full stop, end of story. 

I don't think that anyone would deny that Jesus was great in His life. Even if you are a total unbeliever, indeed a cynic, you would be hard pushed to find any flaws in the character Jesus from the records we have of His life. Records that include statements from His enemies as well as His friends. Records that are written by men who had no reason to paint Jesus in a good light. Jesus stands unique among men. His character is flawless and his teaching and miracles blessed all manner of people. 

The greatest feature of Jesus' life was His death. This is a paradox in terms but nevertheless it's true. His death was uncalled for in so many ways. 

1, As far as the laws of Judaism were concerned, if they had checked out His claims to be God in flesh, they would have found sufficient evidence to support the claim. Instead they rejected His claim to deity and sentenced Him to death.

2. In respect of the laws of Rome - the conclusion of the judge, Pilate, was 'I find no cause of death in Him'. 

3, Morally Jesus didn't qualify to die. The bible states 'the wages of sin is death'. The Bible states that Jesus never sinned nor could He. Death had no power over Him. He stated one day 'I have power to lay down my life, I have power to take it again'. His death was a sacrifice, He 'died for our sins', 'He suffered the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God'.

The triumph is for those who believe in Him. We are delivered from our sins, freed from the fear of death and saved from the judgement of God.

The questions remains - Are you joyful and triumphant! You could be if you have Christ as your Lord and  Saviour.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

Christmas Carols - Hark the Herald Angels Sing (Part 2)

This is the second post on Hark the Herald Angels Sing. If you want to get the background to the Carol read yesterday's post - Part 1. 

Today I want to draw your attention to the lines - Veiled in flesh, the Godhead seen, Hail the incarnate deity, Pleased, as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. These words are so full of meaning to anyone who has read the Bible. 

The essence of the Christmas story is contained in this fact - God became Man. The last word of our selected lines provides us with a clue; the name Emmanuel. This name means 'God with us,' Matthew 1.23. In this account of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph (Mary's betrothed husband) in a dream. The angel confirms to Joseph what is happening to Mary and tells him not to fear to take Mary as his wife. Joseph is told that when the boy is born he should be called Jesus 'for he will save his people from their sins'. At this stage we get a little commentary on what is going on. The biblical writer states that all of these events had been predicted and were the fulfilment of ancient prophecies. One of them is a direct quote from the Book of Isaiah which had been written hundreds of years before. In chapter seven verse fourteen it was stated 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel'. There it is again - Emmanuel - God with us.

I, for one, am so glad that He came. The scripture states that He came into the world to save sinners. I was a sinner but Jesus died for me. When I was young I realised this, I turned to God from my sin. I accepted that I was a sinner and that I needed my sins forgiven. It was wonderful to discover that Jesus had died for me and had risen from the dead on the third day. I was saved through believing - What about you?

Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
Peace on earth, and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold him come
Offspring of the favoured one
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead seen
Hail the incarnate deity
Pleased, as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
Hail the heaven born prince of peace
Hail the son of righteousness
Light and life to all he brings
Risen with healing in his wings
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king

Christmas Carols - Hark the Herald Angels Sing (Part 1)

“Hark the herald angels sing” is a Christmas Carol that first appeared in 1739 in the collection Hymns and Sacred Poems  1 written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. A sombre man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus “Hark the herald angels sing” was sung to a different tune initially with Wesley's original opening couplet as "Hark! how all the welkin rings / Glory to the King of Kings 1

Over a hundred years later Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of “Hark the herald angels sing” already written by Wesley.

Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
Peace on earth, and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold him come
Offspring of the favoured one
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead seen
Hail the incarnate deity
Pleased, as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
Hail the heaven born prince of peace
Hail the son of righteousness
Light and life to all he brings
Risen with healing in his wings
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king

What present will you be content with this Christmas?

I think I am quite a contented person. My Christmas present list is usually non - existent, and when asked, I struggle to think of things I really need. Maybe this is because I am so well looked after that I have very little need for anything.

If you were given the choice of any gift I wonder what it would be? The ancient king of Israel, Solomon, when given the choice asked for wisdom. Most of us would like to be wiser, to live well and to make less mistakes.

Giving and receiving this Christmas

Giving and receiving this Christmas

Do you appreciate your children and grandchildren? Do the stories of disadvantaged and ill children that you see when the various charitable appeals run pull at your heartstrings? Do you think - ‘that could be me or my child’? Do you wonder how you would cope? We should be truly grateful for how well off we are! It’s another reason why we all need to play our part in giving to charity this festive season. 

Recent political debates are in danger of encouraging a view that says we need to be selfish and look after ourselves. The great tradition in this country has been to be generous and look after the needy, the poor and the disadvantaged.

Have you ever wondered why there is consistently such a need? Why is there cruelty? Why are there disadvantaged children? Why does the problem never go away? What is the cause of the problem? It's one thing to give money to change people's lives it’s another to consider why the situation exists in the first place? That’s just life I hear you say! These things happen!

The Bible tells us why. It is because of sin. Our Forefather, Adam, brought 'sin into the world and death by sin'. If we are honest we are all in the habit of sinning. Sin is dressed up in many guises; pride, selfishness, lust, coveting things and people and so on. Sin rarely only affects me, it affects others as well and sadly it often affects people who have no power to do anything about it i.e. the young, the weak and vulnerable. 

But the good news is things can be different! I do not believe that society can enjoy permanent reform as a result of a political solution. The Bible promises a reformed world when Jesus returns to earth but until then change is made on a ‘case by case’ basis! This is the essence of why Jesus came. He came to bring hope in despair, joy in sorrow and life where there was death. This life is of a different quality. It is the life of God as opposed to human life. It is described in the Bible as ‘eternal life’. Jesus talked about it in terms of knowing God – ‘and this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent’, John 17. 3. It describes the quality of life now and well as the length of existence in the next life. This life is available to everyone because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus but it only becomes effective in a person’s life when they repent and receive salvation as a gift from God.

Please, don't stop giving to good charities this Christmas but also give some thought to your need of forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Thanks for reading this.

Stephen    

No room for Jesus

I wonder if you have ever thought about how unpopular Jesus was in his day. The impression we get at times is that he was loved by everyone right up until his rejection by the Jewish authorities, his prosecution by the Roman authorities and his ultimate death of crucifixion.

From the early days of his time on earth the Lord Jesus was excluded and rejected. 

There is quite a considerable period (from age 12-30) where we have very little information about the behaviour and activities of the Lord Jesus but we do have the commentary of God, the Father, when he publicly spoke from heaven (which was a very unusual thing to do) and said the he was delighted with His Son.