Information please

There is a delightful story about a special friend a man named Paul made when he was quite young. Paul’s father had one of the first telephones in Seattle. He was too small to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when his mother talked to it.  Then Paul discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person – her name was “Information, Please” and there was nothing she did not know. 

Paul’s first personal experience with this genie-in the-bottle came one day while his mother was out. Amusing himself at the tool bench in the basement, Paul whacked his finger with a hammer. The pain was terrible, but there didn’t seem any reason to cry because there was no one home to give sympathy. He walked around the house sucking his throbbing finger, finally the idea hit him - The telephone!  Dragging the kitchen stool to the phone he climbed up, unhooked the receiver and held it to his ear. “Information, Please,” A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into Paul’s ear.

Why do we need so much #security?

© Christian De Grandmaison | Dreamstime Stock Photos

We live in a highly security-conscious age with security guards, security fences, security lights, security cameras, security alarms, etc. etc. We are increasingly aware of more and more threats to our security and by all means we endeavour to minimise the risks and dangers and eliminate the threats.

However, there is one area where there is an alarming neglect and carelessness on our part; that is in relation to our eternal security. We secure our homes, our cars, our computers but we leave our undying soul exposed to all forms of danger. We are so obsessed with the physical, the temporal, the external that we have failed to protect our most precious asset, our soul. We can replace the car, we can have viruses removed, we can repair damage to our homes but we cannot undo the irreparable damage that will be sustained if we lose our soul. The old hymn says:

To lose your wealth is much,

To lose your health is more;

To lose your soul is such a loss,

That nothing can restore.

I ask you then, my friend, have you ensured the eternal security of your immortal soul; are you saved? Have you, until now, fallen into the same trap as the ‘rich farmer’ of Luke chapter 12? Have your priorities been your career, your finances, your health, your family, etc. so much so that your precious soul has been neglected? Have you been so preoccupied with the years ahead; making provision for retirement and the other contingencies of life that the consideration of your invaluable soul has been buried under all the other encumbrances that have filled your life hitherto?

Thankfully God has made provision for our eternal security. The Lord Jesus said, "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish" John 10.28. He also affirmed, "… those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost …" John 17.12. The life that we receive when we trust Christ is "eternal life" John 3.15; "everlasting life" John 3.16. In Hebrews 7.25 we read, "He is able also to save them to the uttermost [evermore, completely] that come unto God by Him …" Paul wrote, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 8.38,39. These rock-solid, iron-clad, inviolable guarantees ought to reassure us; we need not fear to trust Christ; we should not hesitate for one moment to rely on Him alone for our eternal security.

Dear reader, is all well for eternity? If you died today, are you sure that you would be in heaven? If your answer to these questions is ‘No’, please do not rest until you have guaranteed your eternal security by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ Who died for your sins and rose again, thereby providing an eternal salvation for us. When you trust Christ, He assumes full responsibility for your salvation and it is utterly impossible for a soul trusting Him to perish. You can have that unshakable peace, that unwavering confidence today if you "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" Acts 16.31. Let me quote, in closing, another hymn:

O, what can equal joy divine or what can sweeter be,

Than knowing that the soul is safe for all eternity?

The content of today's blog was provided courtesy of Assembly Testimony

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4 Tests of a real Christian - 1 John 5:1-12

These verses are quite amazing. Read them and think about them. There are proof texts in this chapter so that a person can know if they truly are a Christian.

Test 1 - If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the one sent by God and the one chosen by God then you are in God's family. You will only understand this when God opens your eyes to see and understand the truth about Jesus (verse 1). You cannot accept this truth while holding on to your sin. You need forgiveness which can only come when you repent (turn) and trust Christ for salvation.

Test 2 - Love for our fellow believer is evidenced in the fact that we love God and do his commandments (verse 2)

Test 3 - People who are born of God (i.e. in God's family) overcome the world. This means that they don't love the pleasures of world or fall under it's spell. Believers live to please God and not the world around them (verse 5,6)

Test 4 - The person who believes in the Son of God has an internal witness in themselves. This is as a result of the Holy Spirit of God indwelling them.

The internal witness teaches you that God has given eternal life and that life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he does not have the Son of God does not have life.

How does this match up to your life!

1 John 5King James Version (KJV)

5 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

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.

Does anyone care?

There are a lot of people about who are very private and keep themselves to themselves. They would not trouble anyone with their problems and would not presume that anyone else is interested. Well I have news for anyone who is reading this who thinks like that. I know someone who is interested in you; his name is the Lord Jesus. He is recorded as saying in the Gospel of John - 'I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly'. The Bible also states that God 'is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance'.

The Bible is packed full of statements expressing God's love for the individual - For God so loved the world, Come unto me all who are weary.... The genuine nature of God's love is that it is backed with action. The breath you breath, the sun that shines, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are all proof of that.

The ultimate proof is that the Lord Jesus is interested in our lives as individuals. If you doubt that then read one of the four Gospels in the New Testament part of the Bible. The record says about Jesus that 'he went about doing good'. He spend his energy for three years bringing the blessing and forgiveness of God to the people he met. He healed them both physically and spiritually. By doing this he was proving that the God who can heal the body can save the soul. And by the way all of the works, blessings and miracles of Jesus were to individuals. He is interested in you!

You can come to him, quietly, where you are, by praying to him. We have all sinned against God and need his forgiveness. When we agree with God that we have disobeyed his commandments and ask for his forgiveness then He will save us.

Why and how you may ask? He can save us from his future punishment in Hell because his Son, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. The Bible says 'Christ died for the ungodly'. He died for you and I and can forgive us because he took the punishment for sin.

When you believe you will receive salvation - why not believe today? It works - he saved me and has been with me for nearly fifty years now.

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

#HolocaustMemorialDay

Holocaust Memorial Day

As we soberly reflect on the sufferings of the Jewish people let me draw your attention to the words of Jesus Christ, the most famous Jew who ever lived. I know some will disagree with the statement and point to Abraham, Moses or some famous Jew of modern times but please bear with me for a moment or two!

In this passage of scripture today (see below) the Lord Jesus is answering and replying to his disciples. They were passing what we now call Temple Mount and were awe struck by the majesty and splendour of the architecture and the quality of stone masonry.

Jesus moves their thinking from the wonder of the present to consider the future. Initially he is saying the temple will not last, it is doomed for a day of destruction. Sadly it was to be destroyed in AD70 when Titus ransacked and destroyed the temple leaving very little standing.

Peter, James, John and Andrew are inquisitive and keen to know more. As they sit on the temple side of the mount of Olives, no doubting continuing to gaze at the Temple structure, they ask Jesus - when will it happen and will there be any warning signs that it is about to happen? A good question! Before I summarise Jesus' answer it would be worth reading the reply recorded in verses 5 - 37! I've added it at the end of this blog for your convenience.

If you have just read these verses you will hopefully notice that the Lord Jesus bridges the times in which he lived with end times. He starts with the temple as it was in his day but infers that the biggest issue they need to think about will not be the destruction of the temple in AD70 but the desolation and defiling of a future temple (v14). 

This is a big topic and we would need to refer to many passages in the Bible to get a real grasp of it. However Jesus points us to one passage indicating that Daniel the prophet also spoke about the same event (see Daniel 9). When you read Daniel and other relevant scriptures, 2 Thess 2, Matt 24, Luke 21, you could only come to one conclusion: A new Temple will be built in Jerusalem before Jesus comes again (v36) and the long stopped practice of animal sacrifice will be reintroduced. Then a non-Jewish world leader will rise on the world stage (Rev 13). He will stop the animal sacrifices and break a seven year deal that he has negotiated with Israel. At this stage he will place some form of image of himself (2 Thess 2, Rev 13) in the 'holiest of all', the most holy place of Jewish worship, and sacrilegiously defile their temple once again. This has already happened once in their history in the period following Alexander the Great but this future event will usher in another period of 'holocaust' treatment of God's chosen people! 

There are many predictions made in Mark 13. As with all bible prophecy they usually have two points of fulfilment (see one example above). The predictions about wars, earthquakes, famines and troubled times have happened to some extent but will also reoccur as we approach end times. The predictions about persecution and the spread of the gospel equally have an application to the start of Christianity, as was very relevant to the disciples, and will see fulfilment as Jewish evangelists (see Revelation 7, Matthew 24. 14) preach about the coming Messiah and His coming kingdom after the church has been raptured to heaven. The heart of man never changes. What drives man to hate has always been the the same. Whether in the holocaust of WW2 or the current day! The hatred of the world for the Jews has always been the same. The origin of the hated comes from another source, the arch enemy of God, the Devil.

God chose the nation of Israel to be the means by which he will bless the world and despite the horrific treatment of this nation by most civilisations God will see to it that this comes true in His own time. The future return of Jesus to rescue the nation of Israel from future anti-semitism is assured in the bible, Zechariah 14, Matthew 24. 29,30, Luke 21. 25-28. He will also come to judge the nations of the world in respect of their treatment of Israel at that stage, Matthew 25. This is a separate issue from the day when God will judge all of mankind, Revelation 20. 11-15.

Today, God is blessing people in the world today through a Jew - his name is Jesus. He is the Son of God and the scripture states 'when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a women, made under the law,' Gal. 4. 4. Jesus was born when the time was exactly right, he was born in a human family by the miracle of the virgin conception, a Jewish family to be precise. All this being the fulfilment of the ancient predictions of scripture.

As we reflect today on National Holocaust Day and mourn the wicked treatment of a race do not suppose for a moment that it couldn't happen again. Indeed it will happen again! Your choice should be to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Psalm 122. 6, and to trust their greatest Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Saviour, Acts 16.31. 

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

Mark 13King James Version (KJV)

13 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:

16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

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