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!

Meet the Nativity.

Thank you to David Robertson who introduced me to a series of videos produced by "Speak Life" - an organisation that I have known for many years. The videos are available on YouTube, but I plan to publish them here, on my blog, over the next few days. I just know that you will enjoy watching them - I trust that they will speak to every heart. Ignore the date mentioned at the end!!



For our free book offer, visit http://MeetTheNativity.com

Lessons on the road!

This morning, my wife and I set off to the home of friends, who are dairy farmers. We had been before, but I had failed to "mark the spot" in the sat-nav, so we were following written directions. All did not go as planned!

En route, we were held up by two different sets of roadworks, and then by what looked to be a quite serious RTA (road traffic accident) although, at least, only the one vehicle appeared to be involved. I thought of life and the way in which, however well we plan, there are unexpected obstacles that hold us back.

I remembered Joseph, whose story is recounted in the Old Testament book of Genesis. He certainly had his life all mapped out. Listen: "Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they only hated him the more. He said to them, “Hear this dream which I have dreamed: behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose and stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered round it, and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him yet more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream; and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind." (Gen.37:5-11).

Of course, as many who read this will be aware, that is not what happened - at least, not immediately! Young Joseph was sold into slavery by his elder brothers; he was falsely accused of sexual assault, and thrown into jail. I suspect that anyone would agree that those were big obstacles to his dream! Of course, that is not the end of the story (well worth reading it all: Gen 37-50), and Joseph's dreams did, in fact, come true!

We continued our journey but, at a particular roundabout, roadworks obscured a sign and we went off on the wrong road! We had travelled about two miles before accepting that we had made a mistake but, when we did, we fed some information into the sat-nav and that got us back on to the right route.

That's a bit like life as well, is it not? We make a mistake, but carry on regardless - because we may not have realised that a mistake was made! However, when we do work out that there is a problem - and one of our own making - often, if not always, the best thing to do is to turn around and go back to the place at which the mistake was made. The Biblical word for that, in spiritual terms, is repentance. It's an absolutely necessary pre-requisite to salvation. It was the proclamation of John the Baptiser: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt.3:2). It was the core message of the earliest preaching of the Lord Jesus: "From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It was the message preached by the apostles: " Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, ..." (Acts 3:19). It is the message that is proclaimed by true disciples of Jesus, even today. Have you repented, and turned from your sinful way of life, trusting in the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus for your salvation, and the empowering presence of God the Holy Spirit to help you live your life for Him?

The third lesson from the morning came to me when a small bird - probably a sparrow - flew right across the pathway of the car, only inches above the ground. I hope that I didn't hit it but, if I did, then I would claim that it was to blame! You see, it didn't have to be flying at that level. It was perfectly capable of flying high in the air, well away from the dangers of road traffic.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, concerning those who trust the LORD: "... they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (40:31; emphasis added). The disciple of Jesus need not linger in the lowest places. We may not be able to, physically, fly unaided. However, spiritually, we may soar above the temptations of the enemy - if we are willing to do so!

It was an interesting journey, this morning, with three clear lessons provided. I trust that one, or all, of them may be of help to you as you travel life's journey, and that you may be doing so in the company of the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the best Companion you will ever have!

Grace sufficient.

One of the amazing facts about the written Word of God, the Bible, is that however often one reads a passage, one regularly notices something that was never noticed before! Often, that fresh insight will be because of a particular need in our lives. Sometimes it will be the sudden remembrance of a well-loved verse, or passage, that suddenly takes on a whole new depth of meaning. I was reading an article about Charles H Spurgeon the great 19th century preacher. If anyone knew his Bible, it was Spurgeon. Yet he was able to testify to such an experience in his own life.

"One evening, after a hard day's work, I felt weary and and sorely depressed. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, the verse came to my mind: 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' (II Cor.12:9). Going to my study, I examined the text in the Greek, and was impressed by an emphasis I had never seen before. When I read, 'My grace is sufficient for thee', I said aloud, 'I should think it is, Lord!' The abundance of His supply compared to my need caused my heart to rejoice, and made unbelief absurd. I never fully understood what the holy laughter of Abraham meant, until then. (Gen.17:17). A great God can make good on anything that He promises to men.

"Pondering this blessed truth", Spurgeon continued, "I imagined myself as a tiny mouse in the granaries of Egypt after seven years of plenty (Gen.41:46-49), fearing I would die in the famine. But Joseph would say, 'Cheer up, little one, my granaries are sufficient for thee." Again I pictured in my mind a man standing on a lofty mountain, saying to himself, 'I inhale so much air each year that I fear the supply of oxygen will be exhausted.' But the earth would say, 'Breathe on, O man, and fill your lungs a s long as you live; my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.'" (Scripture references added)

How meagre is our faith when we fail to draw upon the unlimited resources of Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists! Are you weary, and discouraged, by whatever faces you at this time? Then trust the Saviour completely, and remember - His grace is sufficient for you!

Love came down at Christmas.

Human beings have many different ways of indicating their love for one another and, every now and then, someone comes up with a really original idea. I recall reading, many years ago, a newspaper report that told of a young lady who, on her birthday anniversary, received the largest parcel she had ever seen. The delivery men carried it, very carefully, into the house and, with mounting excitement, she began to open it. To her utter amazement - and great delight - the parcel suddenly burst open, and out jumped her boyfriend! He had decided that the best possible gift he could give her, in order to express his love for her, was himself.

For so many, the Christmas season has been wrapped up with ever-increasing commercialisation; with food, and fun, and festivities. However, if we remove the wrapping, we discover that is is, basically, Almighty God - the Creator and Sustainer of all that is - giving Himself in order to show His love for mankind. The angel's message to Joseph was that the Child to Whom Mary would give birth, would be called "Immanuel" - "God with us" (Mt.1:23); while my personal favourite "Christmas text" is found, not in the familiar birth narratives, but in that best-known of New Covenant verses, Jn.3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  And that "eternal life, by the way, is not some "pie in the sky when you die", but something you receive here and now!

"God is Love", John assures us in one of his letters (I Jn.4:16) and, in the Incarnation, He expressed Himself in Jesus, "His indescribable Gift" (II Cor.9:15). Christmas is the beginning of a love story that goes on to Resurrection Day, when the Babe in the manger becomes the Christ on the Cross, suffering and dying for our salvation - and rising from the dead, victorious over death, and hell, and the grave!

Most of those who read this blog will receive a number of gifts tomorrow, each of them an indication of the love of the giver. Be sure that, if you have never received it before, you accept the greatest Gift of all - Jesus, and the salvation He offers.

... and a Christmas thought: Wise men sought Jesus; they still do!

The Name of the Lord Jesus

As we have been reminded over recent days, when Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth was informed by his betrothed, Mary, that she was already pregnant, he was prepared to quietly divorce her (betrothal was not marriage, but it was much more serious than our modern "engagement").  However, before he could do so, he had a dream in which an angel appeared to him, and said: "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Matt 1:20-21).  

In Biblical times, a person's name expressed the character or attributes desired for a child by his or her parents. Thus the angel's explanation of the name "JESUS," which means "YHWH saves" or simply "salvation": "He shall save His people from their sins."

 

There is only one Saviour! As Peter informed the crowd at the first Pentecost of the Christian era: "... there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12); but His name does save!  John states, quite unequivocally, that: "... to all who received Him, who believed in His Name, He gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13).

 

Those who do receive Christ are thenceforth associated with His name - and therefore with His Person and work. First they are to be baptised "... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matt 28:19). They are then to order their lives in a way that honours His name. "Let every one who names the Name of the Lord depart from iniquity." (II Tim 2:19).

He has given many gracious promises of answered prayer if we pray in His Name: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name, He may give it to you." (John 15:16-17).

The final use of "name" in the Bible stresses our eternal identification with His name.  In the glorious revelation given to John, he sees the new Jerusalem, and can write: "There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall worship Him; they shall see His face, and His Name shall be on their foreheads." (Rev 22:3-4)  as we are united with Him in the age to come. 

Of course, Matthew also makes reference to another Name of the Lord Jesus -  "Emmanuel" which means "God with us".  If He is not with you, then you are not His; if you are not His, then you will not be in that new Jerusalem.   He has come that He might save you from your sins but, like the gifts you may have been offered just a couple pf days ago, His gift of eternal salvation may be accepted - or rejected.  It is a gift of inestimable worth.  Receive it now - and know His presence with you for the remainder of your mortal life; and then throughout eternity.

One week to go!

Yes!  This time, next week, will be Christmas day.   Only six more shopping days - if one uses Sunday!  For some, it is a time of  unwanted pressure and anxiety: frantic last-minute shopping when a gift arrives from a relative who had been forgotten!  For others, it’s sweet sentimentality: a time for the children; Mary, and Joseph, and the infant in a manger.   For yet others, it’s no more than a mid-winter festival that brings an opportunity for an extra party, or two.

Oddly enough, the verse from the Bible that best sums up Christmas – from a Christian perspective – is one of the best-known in the New Testament.  It’s John 3:16 – “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  That verse speaks to me of three simple things.

There’s a fact – “God loved the world ...”  Not just the nice people; the good people; the charming people; but the world – the unlovable and the unlovely; those who are loved by no-one else; those who never give Him a thought; those who rebel against Him, and use His name as nothing other than a profanity.  Love, according to the Christian Gospel, is the very mainspring of the Being of God.  “God is love”, writes the early apostle, John. (I Jn.4:8,16).  And part of the wonder of this is that it’s not a scientific theory to be changed in the light of fresh evidence or experimentation; it’s not a legal speculation to be argued over in a judicial court; it’s not some popular idea to be maintained only while it’s fashionable.  It’s a Biblical fact - “God so loved the world”.   And it’s the basic message behind this Christmas season.        

But the love, even of Almighty God, if it were merely passive and un-communicated, would not be sufficient.  And so, after directing our thoughts towards the fact, this well-known verse goes on to speak of an act.  “God loved the world so much – that He gave His only-begotten Son…”    And here is the love of God being put into action.  God so loved, that He gave.   And He gave sacrificially – even giving Himself in the Person of the only-begotten Son.

Christmas is traditionally the time for giving.  And isn’t it wonderful to remember that, at the very first Christmas, the greatest and best Gift that could ever be, was given?  God gave His own Son; putting His love into action; giving the very best that He had; giving all that He had.

A fact; an act; and a pact.  That’s the third thing of which that well-known verse speaks.  “... that everyone who has faith in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” God’s love; God’s Gift; are not mere handouts.   Free they may be – but the Christian faith teaches that they are only so to those who are willing to enter into a living relationship with that same God through the Son; only to those who have faith in Him; who put their trust in Him; who receive Him with humble and thankful hearts. 

And that’s the true heart of CHRISTmas!

                                                     

                                                       

Emmanuel

Only four more sleeps, as we used to say to twin boys whom we fostered for about four years.  Four more sleeps, and when we awake, it will be Christmas Day!  On Sunday, in Wishaw Baptist Church, we were reminded of those words from Matthew's account of the Gospel - words spoken to Joseph in a dream, as he considered quietly breaking his betrothal with Mary, who was now pregnant: "... an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.'  All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 'Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His Name shall be called Emmanuel' (which means, God with us)." (Matt 1:20-24).  We looked, specifically, at the Name "Emmanuel", and its given meaning of "God with us".

The clip below shares some words from the great Baptist preacher of an earlier era, Charles Haddon Spurgeon - but in a manner which Spurgeon would not even have imagined!

The unfairness of life!

I don't normally 'crib' on my blog - unless to publicise a particular situation in which disciple of Jesus are being persecuted for their faith, or to quote an excerpt from some other publication. However, given our current situation, I have decided to publish in full this wek's Friday Night Theology from The Evangelical Alliance, that has just arrived in my Inbox. Anyone may sign up to receive their own regular mailing at

http://www.eauk.org/fnt

It may be that it will speak to others as well as it speaks to me!

www.eauk.org/fnt

Life isn't fair. We all know that.

“Sometimes you step off the kerb, and get knocked down by a bus”.[1] These were the parting words of the former BP chief executive Tony Hayward as he left the company where he had spent his entire career. Commenting on this unfortunate departure, his successor Bob Dudley added, “Whether it is fair or not is not the point. The fact is that life isn’t fair. We all know that”. The grieving families, the local tradesmen, the environmentalists and creation itself know that. They have all been hit by a bus.

There is indeed something very random about life. While we would love to discover a sense of orderliness and coherence, life seems pretty incoherent and chaotic at times. The connection between our actions and the results appear to be missing. At times, we may conclude, like the author of Ecclesiastes, that everything has lost meaning (1:2). This is not a blunt, cynical, response to the crisis created when he recognised life’s vanity and inequity. Rather, it is a valuable contemplation of a mature thinker.

Life isn’t fair. This is a bitter reality in the human experience. The apostle Paul portrays the struggle in this world and in the Christian community in Romans 8. Creation is groaning and so are the people of God. Life is tough. We all know that. But Paul also knows something beyond this common knowledge. Following his reflections on life’s suffering, groaning, and inherent weakness, he adds a subsequent “we know that…”.

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (8:28). And here is where the Christian experience and knowledge become distinctive. Like the BP executives we know that life is not fair. But the Christian carries a conviction that such common knowledge of life is superseded by a greater truth of heaven.

In his letters, Paul uses the phrase “we know that” to introduce commonly recognised truth. The idea that “all things work for good” has parallels in philosophical and Jewish literature. Joseph’s story is a classic example that God uses suffering for His overruling purposes. Joseph stepped off the proverbial kerb and was knocked down by his brothers who sold him to merchants on their way to Egypt. Life takes us on surprising trajectories. While Joseph knows that life isn’t fair, he also knows the transformative capacity of a just and purposeful God. While his brothers intended to harm him, God intended it for good: “to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen. 50:20).

“All things work together for good” literally refers to “all things”. When life is neither good nor fair, we have a Person to turn to. We have a rich body of literature that resonates with, and gives expression to, our laments. We have an Advocate Who appeals for us and we can make our own appeal to the One Who can restore and redeem. And so we know that the painful contractions in life are placed within God’s overarching purpose.

Marijke Hoek, Coordinator Forum for Change