Perhaps you might think that it is your health. We tend to take our health for granted but when our health suffers, we suddenly realise how tremendously important it is.
Perhaps you might think that it is your financial well-being. In these days of recession and job losses, many are struggling to make ends meet. And even many who are better off have perhaps also experienced significant loss of revenue, or a declining retirement portfolio.
But are these really your greatest needs?
In the Gospel according to Mark we read of an unfortunate man who was paralysed. Unable to fend for himself, he was nonetheless blessed with caring friends who were willing to go to extreme lengths to help him. They had heard of the miracles of Jesus and thought that if they could bring their friend to Jesus, He would be able to heal his paralysis.
But when they arrived at the house where Jesus was, they couldn’t get near because of the great crowd of people pressing about Him. In their desperation, they decided that drastic measures were called for and climbed the stairs to the flat roof of the house and dug an opening large enough to fit his stretcher through. Then they lowered the paralysed man into the house. More »
I have often thought that selling insurance must be a tough job. I hate to spend money for something that I hope I will never need, but on the other hand you don’t want to be caught without it when you do need it.
I also know from experience that talking to people about death is neither comfortable nor popular but we also know that it is something we will all face, hopefully later rather than sooner. But you and I both know it is an appointment we cannot avoid.
We do not know when our appointment with death will come but we do know that it will come. So doesn’t it make sense to prepare for the unavoidable?
The Bible tells us that not only is death an unavoidable reality but that judgement is also. “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgement,” (Hebrews 9:27).
It is becoming increasingly common for people to tell me that when you die you’re dead and that’s the end of it. This may bring them some personal relief from feelings of guilt but it certainly doesn’t provide much relief from the feelings of grief at the death of a loved one. Regardless, we mustn’t decide truth on issues of our feelings. So how can we know?
The Bible tells us of One who did come back from the dead, the Lord Jesus. He claimed, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live,” John 11:25. Now that is an enormous claim. But He backed up the claim with His own resurrection. He confidently asserted, “I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again,” John 10:17-18. But is there any evidence for this? More »
Imagine arriving at your local Mercedes Benz dealership with an old, beat-up car fit only for the scrap heap and driving away with a brand-new, top-of-the-range Merc in the colour of your choice– without paying a single cent! Wouldn’t that be a great exchange? Somehow I can’t imagine the government approving that kind of scrappage deal!
Well, according to the apostle Paul, an even better scrappage deal was put into place through the work of Christ on the cross. The concept is simple and the implications astounding– and remarkably, very few seem to be interested in taking God up on the offer.
Essentially, what God says is, “Bring me all your sins and in exchange, I’ll give you my righteousness.” More »
The farmer stood on the porch of his fine old home gazing out over his many acres. He had never enjoyed scenery as beautiful to him as his own land seemed that day.
However, he was “not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21) because he had ignored the need of his immortal soul. As he stood gloating over his land, a worker appeared with his horse. Jumping into the saddle he galloped away.
Up the lane a little distance old Hans, the farm hand, was working. Hans had just unpacked his lunch. He removed his hat, and with folded hands, he was returning thanks to the Giver of all good gifts when he heard his employer’s voice: “Hans, how are you today?”
“Oh, is it you, sir?” responded the old man, looking up. “I didn’t hear you coming. I’ve gotten somewhat deaf lately and my sight is failing too.”
“But you look very happy, Hans.”
“Happy? Yes, I’m definitely happy! I have many reasons to be. My heavenly Father gives me clothing and daily bread. I have a roof over my head and a good bed to sleep in. That is more than my precious Saviour had while He lived down here on earth. I was just thanking God for all His mercies when you appeared.”
The landlord glanced at Hans’ meager lunch— a few slices of bread and a piece of fried pork. “And that is the kind of food you are thanking God for! I would feel quite deprived if that were all I had for dinner.” More »
David is one of the great heroes of Jewish history. From humble beginnings as a shepherd boy, he rose to great prominence as the head of the royal dynasty of Israel. The modern state of Israel features the Star of David on its flag as its national symbol, a symbol derived from the ancient prophecy of Balaam: “A star shall come out of Jacob; a scepter shall rise out of Israel,” Numbers 24:17.
David was chosen by God to shepherd God’s people Israel (Psalm 78:70-72) because he was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). His skill as a harpist gave him entrance to the royal court to sooth Saul’s distressed spirit (1 Samuel 16:14-23) and as the author of nearly half of the Psalms, he was recognised at his death as the sweet psalmist of Israel (2 Samuel 23:1). More »
We can only know God as He has chosen to reveal Himself. And ultimately God has chosen to reveal Himself primarily through the pages of Holy Scripture.
So what is God like? Well, most people today would happily declare that God is love, and this is indeed a biblical description of God (1 John 4:8, 16) and one that we can rejoice in.
But that is not the whole story. The Bible tells us that God is holy, holy, holy (Isaiah 6:3). Holiness is not a concept we understand well, because we are unholy. The basic meaning of the word holy is separate or set apart. It usually has the idea of purity associated with it, which is what makes us uncomfortable, and well it should.
When Isaiah was given his vision of the throne room of heaven and heard the angels crying “Holy, holy, holy”, he responded by saying, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips,” Isaiah 6:5.
The Bible also tells us that God is just. This means that He is righteous and that He judges according to a righteous standard (Psalm 9:8). We have an innate longing for justice in this world. We complain when we are the recipients of injustice, or when we see injustice perpetrated against others. The Law of Moses insisted that the Israelites appoint judges who would judge with righteous judgement (Deuteronomy 16:18), and prohibited them from taking bribes to pervert justice (v. 19). More »
In Luke 4, we have the record of the start of Jesus’ public ministry in Nazareth, the place where He grew up. He had already begun to perform miracles and gather disciples after Him, but now He has come to the place where He was best known.
It is a remarkable encounter. His ability to teach the Scriptures has become well known, even though they also knew that He had never studied under any of the recognised rabbinical teachers. He is given the scroll of Isaiah to read from.
He opens the scroll intentionally to the place where it says:
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
This passage would have been well known to devout Jews as a prophecy of the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus closes the scroll, hands it back to the attendant, and sits down. This is not to indicate that He is done, but that His teaching is about to begin. This is the position of the rabbi, the teacher.
It seems as though the words are left hanging in the air. Finally, Jesus says, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” More »
by David Dunlap
The last Passover feast that God ever recognized was that celebrated by Jesus Himself, with His disciples, in the guest chamber at Jerusalem. On that same evening, He instituted the great central ordinance of Christianity, the Lord’s supper, the memorial of His mighty love and infinite sacrifice. Directions for the keeping of this feast are clearly given in the New Testament. Believers, who have gone on in the ways of Christ, should always be able to give a scriptural reason for everything connected with the observance of the breaking of the bread in remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is my desire, as simply as possible, to attempt to answer some of the questions regarding the Lord’s supper, having in mind older, but also new, believers in Christ who desire to walk in obedience to His Word.
The Frequency of the Lord’s Supper
Perhaps one of the first questions that will be asked is, “Why observe this feast so frequently when, in many places, it is only at rare intervals that what is commonly called ‘the communion’ is celebrated?” For answer we reply that we have, in Scripture, no distinct commandment as regarding the particular times it is to be celebrated. The Passover was celebrated once per year, but, when the Lord instituted the Supper, He implied much more frequent observance when He said, “As often as you do this, do it in remembrance of Me.” It is the Lord’s desire that His people often show His death in this way, calling to mind frequently His love and sacrifice for them. In the earliest days of the Church’s history, the Christians broke bread daily; but, when the first days of transition passed, and the new dispensation was fully established, we get the Scriptural example in Acts 20:7, “Upon the first day of the week the disciples came together to break bread and Paul preached unto them.” More »
In the movie Braveheart, William Wallace stirs the hearts of the Scottish people and challenges them to stand together against the tyranny of the English monarchy. As he rides his horse up and down the ranks of the assembled warriors and peasants, he rallies them with the cry, “Freedom!”
There is a longing in the human heart for freedom and independence. But like most other human desires, this can be twisted and become destructive. Freedom from tyranny is good, but freedom from law is anarchy, which is evil. We celebrate those who led rebellions against oppressive regimes and call them heroes, but those who rebel against legitimate rule are called criminals or terrorists.
God’s rule in the universe is a legitimate rule. The sun, moon, and stars all submit to His rule and stay in their proper places. But God gave to mankind the privilege of free will, and ever since Adam and Eve, mankind has been in rebellion against God. More »
