Two Bethlehems.

A couple of weeks ago I, and all who were present at the Pathway Fellowship in Wishaw, received a little booklet on the story of Ruth, found in the First Testament in the Bible. The booklet is entitled "Finding Hope under Bethlehem Skies" and is a brief devotional commentary on the story of Ruth, and how it relates to this Christmas season (which, some will know, ought really to be celebrated in September - but that's another story!).

The connection with Christmas is not just the town of Bethlehem, but the amazing fact that Ruth, a member of the Moabite people, sworn enemies of the Children of Israel, had a descendant Who was named "Jesus" because, as an angel revealed to Joseph of Nazareth, "... He will save His people from their sins." (Matt.1:21). Yes, a Moabite - themselves the result of the incestuous sexual act of a drunken Lot and one of his own daughters (Gen.19) - is an ancestor, after the flesh, of the One Who is the Saviour of all who come to Him in faith. Actually, Matthew tells us more. Boaz, who took Ruth to be his wife, was the son of Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho. Indeed, his ancestry goes right back to Judah's sexual act with his daughter-in-law, disguised as a common prostitute! (Gen.38).  But both of these women placed their trust in YHWH, the God of Israel - and that is what matters! It is also a reminder - even to our Jewish friends - that YHWH (HaShem) is God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews, and that He can take the most unlikely material, and use it to bring about His will and purposes! 

The birth of Jesus, the Christ was, as far as we know, perfectly normal! What was miraculous was His conception! It was unlike any other in the whole history of humankind. It was, indeed, an "other world" conception. The angel, Gabriel, told Mary: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;" (Lk.1:35). The Child conceived in her womb was from outwith our world. And this had to be so because the Boy born to Mary was Immanuel - "God with us" (Is.7:14; Matt.1:23).

I've just finished reading a book that seeks to relate Biblical theology to Quantum Physics! I understood about 10%!!! But one thing about which I agreed fully with the author is that eternity is not, as some suggest, "endless time", but a state of "timelessness", and the "distance" between time and eternity is but a small fraction of a nanosecond! The Baby born in Bethlehem was of heavenly origin. Almighty God, the Creator, had entered this physical world in the form, and with the nature, of a human Infant. He came into this world from eternity, and His incarnation made possible our redemption - but that, too is another story!

Now, if we consider this more deeply, and if we are His disciples, then we must realise that our own new birth - our regeneration - comes from outwith this world! Jesus said the we are "born from above" (Jn.3:3, 7-8; alternative translation). Our salvation is not from any earthly source, but from Almighty God Himself, through Jesus, Who is God the Son, by means of of God the Holy Spirit. In a sense, then, my heart becomes a "Bethlehem stable", a place where Jesus comes into the world! I open the door to Him, by faith, and He is born in me bu the Holy Spirit. And that is the case for all who have accepted Him as Saviour, and Lord, and King.

We make Him known to others by His power working within us. He affects every aspect of our lives. We are, in a sense (I almost typed "quantum sense"!) a "Bethlehem" - His place of entrance in the world in which we live today. Someone has noted that the Christ was born here below, that we might be born from above! Of course, if the stable door is closed after He enters, then we will never be able to share Him with others!

The booklet I mentioned at the beginning suggests a song to which the reader might listen each day. So here is a song for you. Listen carefully to the last verse: "O Holy Child of Bethlehem, ... ... be born in us today"! May that be the sincere prayer of each one of us as we move through this Advent season - and anticipate the Second Advent, when He comes again, not as a helpless infant, but as the mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords. I trust that you are prepared for that tumultuous event!

Please pray for me.

It's been too long since I last published a post on my blog! In fact, I haven't done so since last year!! So, safely back home, and having caught up on a lot of other essentials, it's time to do some serious work. The subject of this post is the very important one of prayer.

The apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, asked his Christian friends in the great Roman metropolis to pray for him: "I appeal to you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company." (Rom 15:30-32).

Paul asked these fellow-believers in the capital city of the Roman Empire to join with him in prayer as he anticipated his visit to Jerusalem with the contributions he had gathered from Gentile (non-Jewish) believers. He not only needed deliverance from hostile opponents, but desired also that his service among the saints of God (i.e. every one who has come to Father God in repentance, and faith, accepting the salvation so graciously offered through the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus at Calvary) would be acceptable. He fully believed that the Lord works when His people spend time in earnest intercession for others. He then expected that he would be able to joyfully travel to Rome and find further refreshment in the company of the disciples of Jesus who dwelt there.

The whole story is recorded in Acts 21:17 - 28:16, but you must look that up, and read it in a Bible, as it is too much for me to put into a post! Things didn't work out quite as Paul had expected! However, what we must emphasise is that he submits himself, with his whole being, to the sovereign will of Almighty God for life, and death, and eternity. That is why he writes "... by God's will ..."!

One day, a humble labourer was on his knees smashing stones on an anvil, when his pastor came by. Impressed by the man's untiring effort, the pastor exclaimed, "John, how I wish that that I could break hard hearts the way you break those stones!" John immediately responded: "You can, pastor - but you must do it on your knees."! Every disciple of Jesus who longs to be truly effective in touching lives for the Master, must learn this lesson - a lesson that is not easy to learn!

Intercessory prayer is a wonderful source of strength and encouragement to those who are brought to the Throne of Grace. One minister of the Gospel records that one of the greatest blessings he ever received came at the bedside of an elderly, and infirm, woman whom he had visited. After he had prayed with her, she placed her hand on his and said: "Now, pastor, let me pray for you." She did so and, then informed him that she had been faithfully praying for him for the past ten years! He left that home greatly renewed in his own spirit.

A Scandinavian pastor preached before a congregation to which my wife and I belonged, many many years ago. I regret to have to confess that I remember little of his message. However, what I do recall is of great importance, as he encouraged us to specifically inform brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus when we were praying for them! What we might term "the other side of that coin" is that, like Paul, we should not be hesitant in asking fellow-believers to pray for us!

A final thought for this post. In his commentary on the great Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus, Raymond Brown makes this heart-searching statement: "To be prayerless is to be guilty of the worst form of practical atheism." Someone else has written, conversely, that the best way of influencing others for God, is to uphold them, in prayer, before God!

Please pray for me!

More on apartheid in the modern State of Israel.

Although this blog is, primarily, a Christian ministry blog, I do publish posts on a variety of other topics. One of those concerns the negative press given to the State of Israel and to the Jewish people, by those who are too blind - or too bigoted - to see the truth! I often see material that claims that Israel is an "apartheid" state, just like the pre-Mandela South Africa. This is, of course, totally untrue, and an insult to those who suffered under the apartheid regime in South Africa.

These two pictures, sent by a friend, speak volumes. Look; consider; and realise that, while the State of Israel is not perfect (there are a number of the government's policies with which I, personally, totally disagree), it is most definitely NOT operating any policy of apartheid!

National Holocaust Day

Today, the anniversary of the liberation, by Soviet troops, of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp, is recognised as National Holocaust Day. In pursuit of Hitler's "final solution", some 6 million Jews were exterminated - as well as thousands from other groups.

To commemorate this day, I am simply sharing a couple of videos of Jewish singing. I hope that they will be enjoyed, and appreciated, by all.  Finally, I have added "Hatikvah" - the Israeli national anthem.

Four Gospel records.

It was quite recently that I saw the question: "Why are there four Gospels?" My first response to that question is that there are not "four Gospels", but four accounts of the one Gospel - the Good News about Jesus, the Christ. However, the question is still a valid one: "Why are there four Gospel records?"

The simplest answer comes from the world of policing, where officers will endeavour to obtain as many witnesses as possible to any crime, or incident. Doing so ensures that they have as complete a picture as possible of what happened. Each witness will provide evidence that comes from a slightly different perspective than that of other witnesses.

Chronologically, Mark was the first to write the Gospel record, followed by Matthew, and then Luke. In these three records, known as the Synoptics, the emphasis is on the human nature of the Lord Jesus; in John, the last to be written, the emphasis is on His deity. However, we then discover that each was written for a different "audience"! Matthew wrote especially for Jews; Mark for Romans; Luke for Greeks; and John for disciples of Jesus. All four wrote for the whole world.

In Mark, the Lord Jesus is depicted as the Servant of God; in John as the Son of God (God the Son). In Matthew, He is portrayed as the Ruler of men; in Luke, as unique among men. Matthew and Mark provide the record of His official glories; Luke and John show His personal glories, as Son of Man and Son of God. The 19th century French philospher, historian, and writer, Ernest Rénan, described Matthew's account of the Gospel as "the most important boook ever written", and Luke's account as "the most beautiful book ever written." (although I would certainly not subscribe to many of Rénan's other views!)

Marks record may well be described as "the most concise book ever written"; while John's record surely deserves the description of "the most heavenly book ever written."!

I came across this, anonymous, poetic piece in one of my reference books:

"Matthew - Messiah, Israel's King, sets forth, by Israel slain;

but God decreed that Israel's loss should be the Gentiles' gain.

Mark tells us how, in patient love, this earth has once been trod

by one Who, in a Servant's form, wasyet the Son of God.

Luke, the  physician, writes of a more skilled Physician still, 

Who gave Himself, as Son of Man, to save us from all ill.

John, the beloved of Jesus, sees in Him the Father's Son,

the everlasting Word, made flesh, yet with the Father One."

Why are there four Gospel records? So that the fullest possible picture might be provided of the One Who came that you and I might have - if we choose to accept it - eternal life. Not "pie in the sky when you die", but the very life of the Creator of all that is, in you, here and now!

So the really important question is: "With all of that information, have you accepted His wonderful gift of salvation from sin, and a life so new that it is described as being "born again"? 

And, if not, why not?!

Propaganda!

Once again, the world is being urged to act on a lie! Someone named Mohammed Mahmoud has posted the following on Facebook:  

Mohammed Mahmoud: appealing to the world for funds for Gaza· 

Help make it happen for Gaza's children in need of clothes for Warm Winter.  FreeGaza

This is the accompanying picture - which would surely touch any but the hardest heart.

The only problem is that this picture was 'lifted' from The Los Angeles Times - and shows a boy in the Philippines, with the caption:

"A Filipino boy stands behind a vehicle to keep out the cold wind in a heavy downpour. Tropical Storm Meari will make its presence known as it strengthens into a Category 1 typhoon sometime between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. It will continue on its northwesterly course to the northeast of the Philippines."

The picture was taken on June 23rd, 2011 - more than six years ago!

It is yet another example of the blatant, and false, propaganda that is pushed out by those who wish only to see the nation State of Israel condemned and, eventually, destroyed. I am reminded of another "damning photograph" from a few years ago. It was captioned as being of a "Palestinian" home that, allegedly, had been targeted by Israeli troops who slaughtered the family of innocent "Palestinians"! However, closer inspection of the photograph showed a mezuzah on one of the doorposts of the home. For those who do not know, a mezuzah is a small container - made of wood, metal, or some other suitable material - that contains the words of the Shema written on a small piece of parchment. The Shema is the text of Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and is recited on a daily basis by every orthodox Jew (and even many who would not class themselves as Orthodox). It is certainly not something that would be found in, or on, any "Palestinian" Arab Muslim home! The picture was later shown to have been of an Israeli home, targeted by Muslim militia, and in which a whole family of Jews had been slaughtered! Of course, the MSM didn't see any need to publish that information!

It is also worth pointing out that the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, and the dismantling of all Israeli settlements in the "Strip" had been completed by September 12, 2005. So much for Mr Mahmoud's tag of "FreeGaza"! More than twelve years out of date!

Please take the anti-Israel reports that you hear so constantly with a very large pinch of the proverbial salt. 50% of them are lies - and the other 50% are not true!

L'chaim Ysrael!

Sh’alu shalom yerushalayim.

Baruch Haba B'Shem Adonai.  

Gadol Adonai mehulal me’od.

"History", I recall having been informed, "repeats itself."  However, there are certain historical events that I would not wish to see repeated.  This clip refers to one of them.  Yet, in order to avoid the repetition of some of history, we need to be ever vigilant.  Do watch, and share.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/B084EmNeNDk?feature=player_embedded

Watch this space!

As has often been pointed out, one of the wonderful things about the written Word of God - the Bible - is that however often one reads it, there is always something new to notice or discover.  This was, once more, my personal experience during my private devotions this morning.  One of the passages that I was reading was Joshua 1:1-9.  As I read those familiar words - words that I have read countless times before - I was suddenly struck by v.4.  "From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphra'tes, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory." (RSV)

In those words, YHWH is stating the boundaries of the land which He had promised to His chosen people to be their possession for ever!  The southern boundary was to be the Negev; the northern boundary was to be Lebanon; the western boundary was to be the Mediterranean Sea.  So far, so good.  However, it was that eastern boundary that had me reaching for my Bible Atlas.  Then I reached for a modern atlas.  I compared the two.  There could be no doubt about it.  The eastern boundary -  the River Euphrates - was a long way from the border of the modern State of Israel!  Indeed, if one were to draw those Biblical boundaries on to a modern map, then the land promised to the Children of Israel encompasses a large swathe of modern Syria, and a large swathe of modern Iraq!  This is an area that has not been possessed by the Israelites since the time of King Solomon - and I will have to do some further research to discover if, even during his reign, all of it was under Israel's control!

Of course, given the situation in both Syria and Iraq today, it is unthinkable that Israel, under such conditions, should ever control such a vast area!  However, it was unthinkable that the Berlin Wall would be torn down; it was unthinkable that Saddam Hussein would be toppled; it was unthinkable that Hosni Mubarak would be overthrown!

There is an old adage that reminds us that "Man proposes, but God disposes".  What that is saying is that men (and women, of course) may make their plans - but it is God's will that prevails.  As the hymn-writer states; "God is working His purpose out, as year succeedeth year"! (Basil Harwood).

Will Israel again control the whole of the promised land?  Watch this space?!

PA Leader: All Muslims are Obligated to Kill Jews

A top Palestinian Authority religious leader claimed in a sermon at a major Fatah event that Muslims are obligated to kill the Jews.  The Mufti Muhammad Hussein presented the murder of Jews by Muslims as a religious Islamic goal while celebrating the 47th anniversary of the Palestinian Authority’s Fatah faction.

An appointee of Palestinian Authority Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, the Mufti made the claim at an official Fatah event marking the founding of the largest faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), also led by Abbas, as well.

Citing what he said was the Hadith (the Islamic tradition attributed to Muslim prophet Muhammad), the Mufti claimed “The Hour [of Resurrection] will not come until you fight the Jews. The Jew will hide behind stone or trees. Then the stones or trees will call: ‘O Muslim, servant of Allah (God), there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.’ ”

Although a video of the speech was previously available on YouTube, it has been removed because it violated the site’s Terms of Service for violence.

A poll sponsored by the Israel Project found that 73 percent of Palestinian Arabs “believe” this Hadith, according to the findings of a July 2011 study by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner.  The moderator who introduced the Mufti also reiterated another “Islamic belief” — that the Jews are descendants of apes and pigs,” according to a broadcast on PA TV translated by the media watchdog agency Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).  “Our war with the descendants of the apes and pigs (ie: the Jews) is a war of religion and faith,” the moderator said.

The Mufti added to the moderator’s statement, saying that Islam’s goal is to kill the Jews. The same cleric preached in a sermon at Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque in 2010 that the Jews are “enemies of Allah.”