Bible

The “Unquiet Horse”

THE FIRST PALM SUNDAY

 

In 520BC, the prophet Zechariah, under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, made the following prophecy: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your King comes to you; triumphant and victorious is He, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass (Zechariah 9:9).

In the fullness of time, the prophecy was to be fulfilled to the letter in the Lord Jesus Christ, and Christians recall the fulfilment of this prophecy every Sunday before Easter, on the day known as ‘Palm Sunday.’ On this day, we remember how the Lord Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on a colt – a colt being a donkey under four years old. Matthew’s Gospel records of that day how . . . the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him shouted ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ (Matthew 21:8,9).

 

The Last Adam

 

The incident concerning the colt on Palm Sunday reveals Jesus as ‘the last Adam.’ We know from the Bible that before sin entered the world, the first Adam had dominion over the creatures. Genesis 1:26 tells us how God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle . . . Palm Sunday reveals the Lord Jesus’  dominion . . . over the cattle, for the colt on which He rode was one on which no one has ever sat (Mark 11:3). The colt had thus never been broken in. Ordinarily, it should have bolted as soon as Jesus sat on it. But the Lord Jesus is the Last Adam with total dominion over the cattle. The Lord of creation was in complete control of this unbroken colt. Thou hast given Him dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under His feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea (Psalm 8:6-8). Palm Sunday demonstrated Jesus’ dominion over the beasts of the field. Later that week, the cock’s crowing just at the time when  Jesus predicted just after Peter’s denial of His Master, demonstrated His dominion over the birds of the air. Elsewhere in the Gospel records, Jesus’ dominion over the fish of the sea is demonstrated on more than one occasion – witness His being able to bring about a miraculous catch of fish, as well as predicting that if Peter went fishing with a rod and line, the very first fish he caught would have a silver coin in its mouth.

 

An ‘Unquiet Horse’

 

Returning again to ‘Palm Sunday’ and Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on an unbroken colt, consider the following:-

A specialist equestrian term refers to an ‘unquiet horse.’ An unquiet horse is a restless, anxious one. The anxiety in the case of an unquiet horse though is caused not by something intrinsic to the horse, but by the rider on the animal. Horses are very sensitive creatures and know at once if their rider is ill at ease. The spirit of the rider is communicated to the horse, so a troubled rider causes a troubled horse, that is, causes it to be ‘unquiet.’

On the first Palm Sunday there was much commotion. Messianic expectation had reached fever pitch. People behind and in front of the colt were shouting, waving palm branches and throwing garments on the road. Yet in spite of all this, the colt did not bolt or demonstrate any anxiety – unquiet ness – at all. Why? Because the Prince of Peace was riding upon it, and so this most honoured, dumb creature sensed immediately that all was well.

 

Horses are very sensitive creatures and know at once if their rider is ill at ease. The spirit of the rider is communicated to the horse, so a troubled rider causes a troubled horse, that is, causes it to be ‘unquiet.’

 

The Prince of Peace

 

Isaiah 9:6 refers to the Lord Jesus as the Prince of Peace. At this moment, the Prince of Peace was riding into Jerusalem with the sole purpose of making peace between God and humanity – the peace of sins forgiven and the peace of being reconciled to God for time and eternity. Riding a humble colt was certainly an act of humility for the Son of God. But infinitely more so was His crucifixion at the hands of cruel men later that week to procure our salvation. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Colossians 1:20 refers to Jesus making peace be the blood of His cross.  And Romans 5:1 gives the joyful testimony of every Christian since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Peace in a troubled world

 

            The Prince of Peace alone was able to make our peace with God. The Prince of Peace alone will be able to bring universal peace, when He comes again in glory to reign, and destroy finally and for ever all the causes of disharmony in God’s world. And in a world as troubled now as it was in Jesus’ day, Jesus still says to His Own: Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27).

            So thank God for Jesus, the Last Adam, Lord of creation and Prince of Peace. He humbled Himself that we might be exalted. He suffered that we might be saved. He died that we might have eternal life. He, the sinless One, was punished in the place of sinners, that whoever believes in Him may enjoy peace with God, now and for ever.            

TJEC

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The Book of Life

THE BOOK OF LIFE

 

An envelope arrived on my mat recently containing a form for me to sign. Had I not signed this form, my name would not have been on the electoral role, and I would then have been ineligible to vote. So, without further ado, I signed the form and posted it off in its prepaid envelope, along with the cynical thought ‘If you do not vote, you cannot complain.’ I wonder just how many other lists our names get onto which we do not know about . . .

 

Did you know that Almighty God has a list of the names of those who are eternally saved? The evidence for the existence of this list is widespread in the Scriptures:-

The Lord Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 10:20: ‘Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’ In Philippians 4:8 Paul wrote of Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. Hebrews 12:23 mentions the assembly of the first-born whose are enrolled in heaven  and in the book of Revelation there are frequent references to ‘the Lamb’s book of life’. Revelation 20:15, for instance, reads formidably: if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  And Revelation 21:17 says, concerning the glorious city of God, that nothing unclean shall enter it . . . But only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

            What then do these verses mean? Especially, to what do the references to lists of names refer? The Bible, remember, was written in an Eastern setting and culture, somewhat removed from our own. With this in mind, one writer explains that, in the ancient world:-

 

It was customary to have registers of citizenship, in which were entered the names of citizens, both natural and adopted. Heaven is represented as a city, and is inhabitants are registered. Some, who have not yet reached the city, are regarded as citizens on their way home. Their names are registered with the others . . . (Manners and Customs of the Bible, James Freeman).

 

The ‘Book of Life’ then refers to the roster of believers in all ages. If we truly belong to Jesus, our names are in the book of life, for it is Jesus alone Who bestows on us the gift of eternal life – the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). The most important question of all therefore is: ‘Is your name written in the book of life?’ On this theme, another commentator is most helpful when he elucidates:-

 

This ‘Book of Life’ . . . is the register of the kingdom of heaven, wherein are enrolled the names of all the elect . . . For the Scripture, employing frequently things of earth in order to represent to our minds the things of heaven, compares the list of the people of God, whom He has chosen from eternity, and marked as His elect, to a register, in which the names of all the citizens of a town are enrolled. I confess that to us this book is shut up and sealed. God knows those that are His, but will not manifest them fully until that day when the books shall be opened . . . But meanwhile we may judge . . . With modesty and charity, by the actions of men, and hold as the elect of God, as citizens of the new Jerusalem, truly enrolled in its register, those who display in their lives the marks of Divine adoption, such as faith, obedience, love, holiness, perseverance and other graces (Revelation, G.B. Wilson).

 

The Bible then says that God has a book, and if we are saved, it is because our names have been written in this book in eternity past – written in the book of life from the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8). It is God alone Who decides who is written in this book – salvation is His sole prerogative – and yet, if we believe in Jesus, we can be sure that our names have been written there, for those chosen by God in eternity past, will surely and certainly come to faith in Christ in time, and so spend all eternity in God’s heavenly city, saved by His grace. Acts 13:48 tells us: as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.  That is, all those enrolled for eternal salvation came to faith in Christ in due time:-

 

Loved with everlasting love,

Led by grace that love to know.

 

Notice carefully that Revelation 13:8 describes the book of life as the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.  It shows that the book of life is the list of the redeemed, for the Lamb speaks of redemption. In Old Testament times Israel was redeemed from slavery in Egypt because an innocent lamb was slain and its blood applied. John 1:29 proclaims that the Lord Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.  Calvary could not be more central and integral to the Divine revelation and the saving purposes of God. He has His elect for sure. Yet these elect will only dwell with God in heaven because He sent His Own Son to die for their sins. In the unthwartable purpose of God, He will then irresistibly draw His elect of the foot of the cross, and enable them to put their trust in the Lamb of Calvary – the Lamb slain to take away our sins and render us fit for a place in the eternal city of heaven.

 

The question then, in closing, is begged. Do you belong to Jesus? Are you numbered among those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb? Is your name written in the book of life?

 

Is your name written there

In the Lamb’s book of life?

When you leave this old world

With is sin and its strife?

Will you find your name there

‘Mongst the ransomed of God

In the Lamb’s book of life

Through the Lamb’s precious blood

 

Let me ask you again

Is your name written there?

Will you be in heaven’s bliss?

Or in endless despair?

You have nothing to do

But the Saviour accept

But woe unto you

If His name you reject.

 

Article Copyright Timothy Cross

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The Longest Day

June 21st is the longest day of the year — the day when the sun rises the earliest and sets the latest. Before 21 June, the days get longer. Afterwards they grow shorter, until the dark days of winter are on us once again.

If we believe the Bible, we look beyond these regular events and see the hand of God himself. He states in Genesis 8:22: ‘While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease’.

 

The longest day

 

According to biblical history, the longest day that ever occurred was in the time of Joshua, when God actually lengthened a day to ensure that Israel was victorious in battle.

Joshua 10:12-14 records: ‘Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the men of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon in the valley of Aijalon”.

‘And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. … There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD hearkened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel’.

Here, then, we are dealing with a unique day. The Lord of the universe suspended natural laws for the benefit of his people.

If we believe in God, miracles present no difficulty. Almighty God was more than able to control his creation in Joshua’s day, just as he had previously parted the waters of the Red Sea in the time of Moses.

Just as also, in the fullness of time, he was able to raise his own Son from the dead. Our Father is omnipotent!

 

The longest night

 

In the Bible, all roads lead to Calvary — the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross in the sinner’s place. Calvary was a unique day in every sense of the word.

Here we are dealing with the longest ever night — for when God punished his Son for sins not his own, he sent darkness at midday.

We read: ‘Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:45-46).

Painful days always seem to go slowly. Calvary, therefore, was certainly a long day and a long night for the Lord Jesus. His physical and spiritual sufferings are beyond our comprehension.

Yet the Scripture testifies that this long, dark day, paradoxically, is the brightest day of all. For as the sun was darkened and Christ himself bore the wrath of God, the eternal salvation of all who believe in Jesus was procured.

The death of Christ on the cross in time was an event of eternal significance. The Bible’s explains Christ’s death as follows:

‘Christ … offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins’ and ‘by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified’ (Hebrews 10:12,14).

Christ’s death, then, was an eternal sacrifice. It is sufficient to save us for all eternity. Here we are dealing with God himself and his way of salvation. ‘I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it’ (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

 

The eternal day

 

Finally, we note that Revelation 21:25 says of the eternal city of God — that glorious eternal home of the redeemed — that ‘there shall be no night there’.

Why not? Because ‘the glory of God is its light and its lamp is the Lamb’.

If we are believers we are heading for eternal day! Few of us will miss the night. At night time, worries always seem more complicated, burdens heavier and bodily pain more acute.

But there will be no such experiences in glory! Christians may take heart, therefore, that in heaven they will endure night no more.

In the Bible, ‘night’ is often used to symbolise sin, danger and evil. By God’s grace we will be for ever free from sin, and eternally beyond the reach of danger and evil — all because Jesus bore the dark night of Calvary for us.

He delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into his glorious kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). Christians enjoy Christ — both as the Sun of righteousness and the Light of the world — now and eternally.

 

I heard the voice of Jesus say

‘I am this dark world’s light.

Look unto me, thy morn shall rise

And all thy days be bright!’

I looked to Jesus and I found

In him my Star, my Sun

And in that light of life I’ll walk

Till travelling days are done.

 

Copyright, Timothy Cross

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Miracles, Miscellaneous, 0 comments

Tolerance

TOLERANCE: A CHRISTIAN VIRTUE?

 

In 1 John 4:1, the Apostle John – an intimate of the Lord Jesus – gives the following exhortation and warning to Christians: ‘Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.’

In our 21st century, multi-cultural, multi-faith, multi-lifestyle society, ‘toleration’ is definitely one of the spirits of the age. It is enjoined as a good, even a ‘Christian’ virtue. Thus one Nick Pratt (sic) is quoted in the Metro of 19/10/12 as being very angry when his son George was prohibited from joining the Scouts due to his professed atheism. Said Mr Pratt: ‘Christianity is meant to be about being tolerant, forgiving and understanding …’ But is a blanket ‘tolerance’ truly ‘of God’? What happens when we ‘test the spirits’?

 

  1. Consider the Person of God

 

Contrary to common belief, the God of the Bible is actually revealed as an intolerant God. He brooks no rivals for He has no rivals. Idolatry – that is, giving worship and honour to anyone or anything other than the one true God – is condemned in the Bible throughout its pages. The God of the Bible is jealous and zealous for His own glory. Thus in Exodus 34 He commanded His people to break down the altars and pillars of the false gods found in the land of Canaan. His reason for this was Himself. He affirmed ‘you shall worship no god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God’ (Exodus 34:14). The true God therefore is not tolerant but jealous. He demands, requires and is worthy of our exclusive obedience, allegiance and worship. He alone can affirm ‘I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other’ (Isaiah 42:8). And in the very first of the Ten Commandments – the summary of the moral law – God commands: ‘You shall have no other gods before me’ (Exodus 20:3). The Shorter Catechism explains:-

 

The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God and our God, and to worship and glorify Him accordingly.

 

The first commandment forbiddeth the denying or not worshipping and glorifying the true God as God and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other which is due to Him alone.

 

  1. Consider the Law of God

 

The God of the Bible exercises no tolerance at all when it comes to the breaking of His law. As God our great creator, He has the right to lay down His law and demand obedience to it. Breaking His law is serious solely from the fact that it entails a rebellion against Himself – treason against the King of kings.  So in Galatians 3:10 we read ‘it is written ‘Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them.’’ So the God if the Bible is completely intolerant when it comes to punishing law breakers. They are liable to His ‘curse.’ Non Christians who rebel against God can expect His merciless judgement in the life to come. And even Christians who lapse and flout God’s law, can expect His chastisement in this life, for the God of the Bible is inflexible when it comes to the law He has laid down. The slightest infringement brings punishment: ‘For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it’ (James 2:10).

Will God punish all who have broken His law? Yes. But the Good News of the Gospel is that sinners may be pardoned and escape from the punishment they deserve, for in His wisdom and mercy, God devised a way whereby sinners could be justly pardoned. In sending His Son to die in the sinners place, and take their punishment, God was true to both the justice and love which lies at the heart of His nature. Calvary was the supreme demonstration of both God’s love and wrath – wrath in condemning sin, and mercy in pardoning the believing sinner: ‘to prove at the present time that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies those who have faith in Jesus’ (Romans 3:26). Which leads us to:-

 

  1. Consider the Salvation of God.

 

The Bible is intolerant when it comes to salvation, for according to the Bible, the salvation Christ procured at Calvary is an exclusive one – there is no other pardon for sin and there is no other way of salvation apart from the sacrifice of Christ on the cross: ‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under haven, given among men by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12).

There were those in the province of Galatia who preached an alternative way of salvation from the cross of Christ. They ‘did it their way.’ In response, far from enjoining toleration, the Apostle Paul expressed his indignation and wrote one of the most intolerant letters of the New Testament. It is doubtful whether Galatians pass the censors today. Paul was gripped by the necessity of the cross –  its indispensibility for our salvation and the futility of seeking salvation anywhere else. ‘If justification were through the law (that is, our own efforts) then Christ died to no purpose’ (Galatians 2:21), he wrote.

 

So the exclusive nature of the Christian Faith does not sit easily with the current spirit of the age. Christian belief and behaviour are contrary to the current tide and world view which promotes ‘tolerance’ whilst, paradoxically, is increasingly intolerant of the Christian Faith. The words of the Saviour however still remain: ‘I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me’ (John 14:6).

Having considered something of the intolerance of the God of the Bible, along with the intolerance of His law and His salvation, the question is begged as to why He does not intervene straight away in fearful judgement. Isn’t our current world a total affront to Him? The answer is as follows. Paradoxically, again, the Bible reveals that almighty God is long-suffering as well as intolerant. In His great mercy, He tolerates sinners for a while. He exercises His patience with them so that they may come to Christ and be saved. Yes, intolerance is part of His holy nature. But He amazingly has His elect people, destined for eternal glory. So although He will surely intervene one day, He withholds His final judgement so that Christ’s church – the church of the redeemed – may be built. As Peter explained: ‘The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance’ (2 Peter 3:9). So whilst God’s intolerance is to be revered, His forbearance is fuel for our praise. Apart from the latter, we would not have come to saving faith in Christ.

 

Timothy Cross

Posted by Site Developer in Apologetics, Bible, Worship

From Dawn until Dusk

FROM DAWN UNTIL DUSK

 

I recently had the experience of being outside in the morning while it was dark, and seeing the day dawn gradually until it was light. Then, as it happened, that very same day, I was out in the early evening as the sun set and the darkness appeared again. The experience reminded me of Psalm 113:3 which reads ‘From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.’

We are told that in heaven, the praise of God never ceases. Revelation 7:15 informs us that there, the redeemed ‘are … before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night within His temple.’ It is doubtful though if there is any moment here on earth when someone, somewhere is not engaged in the praise of God. ‘From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.’

 

Sunday worship

 

Think for a moment of an average Sunday – the Christian Sabbath. Here in the UK we might be fast asleep in bed early on a Sunday morning – but the sun has already risen in the east. In China and in the former states of the Soviet Union, Christians are already awake, up and meeting together, sometimes illicitly. They have gathered together to hear God’s Word and to unite their hearts and voices in God’s praise. Then, when the day dawns in the UK, Christians here take up God’s praise. My mother’s church meets at 09.30 on a Sunday. My church meets at 11.00. A church I know in Belfast meets at midday. We have our evening service at 18.30 hrs. The church I know in Belfast meets at 19.00 hrs. Eventually though, in both assemblies, the closing benediction is said, we make our way home and the caretaker locks the church door. Our corporate worship has finished for the day. Yet if we could travel west to America, we would find that their evening worship has not yet begun. It will do though. They will be engaged in corporate worship while we are getting ready to retire for the night. ‘From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.’

The question is begged: Why is God always to be praised? The answer of the Bible is ‘Because He alone is worthy.’ Worship depends on worth, and there is no one or nothing more worthy than Almighty God. He alone may be described as truly ‘great.’ Human greatness is relative. Divine greatness is absolute. ‘Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable’ (Psalm 145:3).

There is then no time on earth or in heaven when Christians, either individually or corporately are not praising God. Their praise actually is a response to Him. Specifically, it is a response to i. His Superlative Glory and ii. His Saving Grace.

 

  1. God’s Superlative Glory

 

The ‘name of the LORD’ in our verse refers to the revelation God has given us of Himself – His self disclosure. We learn from the Bible that God is supreme, sovereign and unrivalled. He is the uncreated Creator and sustainer of the universe, unsurpassed and unsurpassable in His power and greatness. In Isaiah 46:9 He makes the assertion ‘I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.’ The Shorter Catechism, in answer to the question ‘What is God?’ states

 

‘God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.’

 

The revelation of God in the Bible incites and demands our praise and awe. Not worshipping Him is the height of disrespect. Worshipping anything created is idolatry. Christians therefore praise God for His superlative glory and greatness. But Christians alone have a special reason for praising God, namely:-

 

  1. God’s Saving Grace

 

The wonder of wonders is that the awesome God of the universe should have mercy on sinners and enter into a relationship with them – but this one truth is the conviction which unites all Christians. Christians are the recipients of God’s saving grace. Whilst He was within His rights to condemn us all to hell for our sins, in His mercy He sent His Son to save us from our sins and restore us to fellowship with Himself. God the Father planned our salvation. God the Son procured our salvation on Calvary’s cross. God the Holy Spirit has applied Christ’s work of redemption to us, reconciling us to God for time and eternity. With this in mind, Christians meet together for the corporate worship of God – to praise Him for His saving grace in Christ. We have a salvation to celebrate, a mercy to extol and a God to glorify. The wonder of God’s saving grace in the gospel is the fuel which ignites our praise. Hear again John’s summary of the gospel in John 3:16,17: ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.’

God’s superlative glory and God’s saving grace. Here is the reason for the praise He receives from His creatures. And here is the reason for obeying the injunction of Psalm 113:3:’ From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.’ The hymn writer captured the sentiment of the verse very well in the following lines:-

 

We thank Thee that Thy church unsleeping

While earth rolls onward into light

Through all the world her watch is keeping

And rests not now by day or night

 

As o’er each continent and island

The dawn leads on another day

The voice of prayer is never silent

Nor dies the strain of praise away

 

The sun that bids us rest is waking

Our brethren neath the western sky

And hour by hour fresh lips are making

Thy wondrous doings heard on high

 

So be it, Lord, Thy throne shall never

Like earth’s proud empires pass away

Thy kingdom stands and grows for ever

Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.

 

Timothy Cross

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Worship

Christianity is No Myth!

Christianity is no myth

 

I suspect that Dan O’Neill’s column concerning the ‘myth of Christ’ was written with his tongue firmly in his cheek (Echo, December 12th). The historical reality of the One born at Christmas  is confirmed every time we write the date. We currently live in the year 2012, or more fully, 2012 AD – that is, the ‘Year of our Lord’, 2012 years after the birth of Christ.

Dan also states that Matthew’s account of Christmas is based on ‘myths predating Christianity.’ This is not so. Matthew himself was one of the twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus. The information for his Gospel was thus gained first-hand, ‘at source.’ As a former tax officer, Matthew was used to the careful handling and presentation of hard facts. Matthew’s account of the first Christmas is complemented by Luke’s Gospel. Luke himself was a medical doctor. He was thus a scientist who only dealt with empirical evidence – and this he wrote down in his Gospel, after careful research.

What next of the aspersions Dan casts on Christ’s ‘virgin birth’?  The virgin conception of Christ is revealed in the Bible as a matter of fact, and  contained in all the historic creeds of Christendom. Whether this is believed or not depends on our presuppositions. If we believe in God, miracles such as the virgin birth of Christ present no difficulty, as the Almighty is not subject to our human limitations – ‘For with God nothing will be impossible’ (Luke 1:37). Interestingly, the fullest account of Christ’s virgin conception is contained in Luke’s Gospel. Dr Luke was not incredulous. The likelihood is that he gained the intimate details from Mary herself when he gained her confidence and, as it were, ‘took her into the surgery.’

All the above, of course, is of no concern to many, as the recent census reveals a decline in religious affiliation. A significant Christian minority however is still with us. These alone know the joyful reality behind Christmas –  the ‘Good News of a great joy … a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:10,11). A cursory scan of the Echo shows that we all need a Saviour. The Christian Gospel proclaims that the Christ Who was born at Christmas is God’s own gracious provision for our deepest need.

 

Dr Timothy Cross

18 Virgil Court

Grangetown

CARDIFF CF11 6PE

 

Tel. 02920224856

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Apologetics, Bible

Dealing with Hurt and Offence

DEALING WITH HURT AND OFFENCE – WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

 

A hazard of the boxing ring is the distinct possibility of getting physically hurt. Every boxer, professional or amateur, knows the risk of, for instance, a broken nose, a cut eyebrow, being winded by a body punch or even being knocked out cold, risking long-term brain damage.

A hazard of life generally though is also the distinct possibility of getting hurt it some way. Here, I am not referring to something as unsubtle as a black eye, but to the more insidious pain  of inner hurt, and that crushing feeling of  inward offence. To be human is to be sensitive. Being on the receiving end of a deliberate or accidental offence and consequently feeling hurt inside can be a great problem for us all at sometime. What do we do at such times? Does the Bible – God’s Word – address this issue? Yes it does. Consider the following:-

 

  1. First of all, it is not wrong for us to feel hurt. Mark 3:5 describes an occasion when the Lord Jesus Himself looked around at them with anger, grieved by their hardness of heart. Then in 2 Timothy 4:14 Paul relates how Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm … If both the sinless Son of God and the great Apostle Paul winced with inward hurt then, we will too. We are only human and we are part of a fallen world. So whilst we do not welcome getting hurt, it is unrealistic not to expect it at some time. How though are we meant to react?

 

  1. The Bible teaches non-retaliation. By this it warns us not to add fuel to the fire and make a bad situation worse. Jesus said in Matthew 6:39 But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And Paul wrote in Romans 12:17 and 19: Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all … Beloved, never avenge yourselves but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ Vengeance then is God’s prerogative, not ours. It is natural, of course, to want to retaliate and ‘get even.’ But the Christian Faith is not natural – it is a supernatural Faith. God’s Holy Spirit, living within us, enables us to live and empowers us to live, think, act and not act, in a way and manner altogether differently from the normal.

 

  1. The Bible often reminds us that we have a Father in heaven to Whom we can turn when we get hurt – or in fact at any time. Call upon Me in the day of trouble (Psalm 50:15). Cast your burden on the LORD and He will sustain you (Psalm 55:22).

In this, we have the positive example of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. How did He deal with personal offence? 1 Peter 2:23 tells us: When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered He did not threaten; but He trusted to Him Who judges justly. In leaving the personal abuse He received in God’s hand, Jesus has given us, His followers, an example to emulate.

 

  1. In praying to God about those who have wounded us, is it wrong to pray that He will take vengeance upon them? Putting my head on the block, I would suggest that it is not necessarily wrong, not that I can ever recall doing this. Many of the Psalms are what are known as ‘imprecatory’ Psalms. In these, the Psalmist prays that God would avenge his enemies. It is certainly infinitely better to ask God for vengeance on our enemies than to take revenge ourselves, for we can be sure that God will never punish unjustly, or too much or too little, or be handicapped by wounded pride and personal prejudice as we are. Remember too that in God’s dealings with us – including the harsher people and providences He sends our way – Psalm 145:17 holds true: The LORD is just in all His ways, and kind in all His doings. Even our pain then will turn out ultimately for our blessing, for Romans 8:28 says that without exception We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

 

  1. Finally, no matter what internal scars we carry, if we are Christians, we must always remind ourselves and rejoice that our Gospel is a Gospel of the forgiveness of sins. Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Your sins are forgiven for His sake (1 John 2:12).

Our sin offends almighty God, but in Christ He had mercy upon us. Every Christian is a recipient of the mercy of God – a full and free forgiveness, gained by Christ’s undergoing the punishment for our sins, in our place, on Calvary’s cross. Surely, if we know that God, in Christ, has forgiven us all our sins, our attitude towards others will be that much more merciful. Hence Paul exhorted in Ephesians 4:32: Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

So, in this wonderful, but at times painful world, it pays to fix our eyes on Jesus and His redeeming love. The cross of Christ  keeps everything that happens to us in its right perspective:-

 

Give me a sight O Saviour

Of Thy wondrous love to me

Of the love that brought Thee down to earth

To die on Calvary

 

O wonder of all wonders

That through Thy death for me

My open sins, my secret sins

Can all forgiven be

 

O make me understand it

Help me to take it in

What it meant for Thee, the Holy One

To bear away my sin.

 

TC.

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Miscellaneous, Prayer

Keeping Body and Soul Together

KEEPING BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER: PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL NECESSITITES

 

When the Apostle Paul found himself both in a Roman prison cell and approaching the end of his earthly life, he wrote the following request to my namesake Timothy: ‘When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments’ (2 Timothy 4:13). The request divides neatly into two. i. Paul requested his ‘cloak’ for his physical well-being and ii. Paul requested ‘the books and … the parchments’ for study – for his mental and spiritual well-being.

 

  1. The Cloak

 

‘When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas …’ The cloak referred to here was a heavy, outer garment, made of Cicilian goats’ hair. Simple in design, it would have been sleeveless and circular in shape when laid flat, the only notable feature being a hole for the head. 2 Timothy 4:21 suggests that winter was approaching. Paul’s prison cell would have lacked our central heating! His thick cloak would have helped maintain a degree of bodily warmth and comfort.

According to the Bible, we are ‘bi-partite’ beings. That is, we are constituted of body and soul. Almighty God made us this way. ‘The LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being’ (Genesis 2:7). We should take care of our bodies, as they are the vehicle in which we glorify God our maker. This will always be so, for the ultimate Christian hope – that is, our confident expectation based on the sure promises of God – is not the salvation of the soul, but the resurrection of the body. Even now though, we should be good stewards of the bodies God has given us. They are actually – if we belong to Jesus – the temple of God Himself. ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? … (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Food and clothing are basic requirements for our body well-being. The Lord Jesus – God’s own Son – assures us that God our Father will ensure that His adopted children will never lack  either whilst their earthly life lasts. Jesus said ‘Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? … Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?’ (Matthew 6:26,28-30).

 

  1. The Books and the Parchments

 

‘When you come, bring … the books and above all the parchments …’ The consensus is that Paul was here requesting the Holy Scriptures that were extant in his day – our Old Testament which foretold the coming of Christ, and perhaps the sayings of the Saviour which had been written down, similar to the kind utilised by Luke when he researched and compiled his Gospel (Luke 1:1-4). ‘The books’ refer to papyrus scrolls. ‘The parchments’ refer to the more expensive animal skins on which the scribes carefully and reverently copied the sacred Scriptures.

It is evident from our verse and its context that the Apostle Paul prized the Scriptures very highly. He knew that they were no ordinary writings but the very Word of God written. He had stated to Timothy a little earlier ‘All Scripture is inspired by God (that is ‘God-breathed’) and profitable …’ (2 Timothy 3:16). Paul was aware that his remaining time on earth was short. Nevertheless, he wished to use the time had had left profitably – and nothing was more profitable to Paul than the Scriptures. He was a life-long disciple of Christ – and the name ‘disciple’ means ‘learner.’ Thus Paul, vastly experienced in the ways of God though he was, never lost the desire to learn in the school of Christ.  Paul loved the Saviour. Paul longed to know the Saviour better and make Him better known. The means by which he did this were the Scriptures – ‘the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 3:15). The inspired Word and the incarnate Word are, of course, distinct. Yet in our Christian experience they co-alesce and are less distinguishable. Jesus Himself said that ‘the Scriptures (are) they that bear witness to Me’ (John 5:39).

So one of Paul’s final requests on earth was for i. A cloak for his bodily warmth and ii. The Scriptures for the warmth of his soul. His desire for the Word of God surely finds an echo in every believer. A desire for and love for the Bible is one evidence that we have been truly born again. A new life has to be fed and sustained. Hence Peter – Paul’s colleague in the Faith – could write to believers ‘As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby’ (1 Peter 2:2, KJV). If we love the Saviour, we will love the Book which draws us closer to Him. As clothing is essential for our physical well-being, so the Bible is indispensable for our spiritual well-being. It will be so until we see the Saviour fact to face, and the Word in Person renders the Word in print obsolete. It is only when we see Jesus that we will need our Bibles no more.

 

Timothy Cross

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Miscellaneous

Look at the Birds of the Air!

‘LOOK AT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR …’ (Matthew 6:26).

 

My parents have recently acquired a bird feeder for their back garden. These are full of seed, and hang from their apple tree. Now that they no longer have a cat, it is fascinating to notice the increase in feathered friend visitors to their back garden, which can be viewed through the kitchen window. Did you know that birds feature right through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation?

 

Divine Creation

 

On the fifth day of creation, Genesis 1:20 records that ‘God said … let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.’ And God’s word brought about His will. He created the birds of the sky, designing them in such a way that they could fly. Creation is one of the foundation stones of the biblical revelation. The Bible teaches intelligent design, that is, Almighty God’s infinite intelligence is the only ultimate explanation behind the intricacy of the created order, of both animate and inanimate objects.

 

The Divine Flood

 

In Genesis 8:11 we read of the dove. This dove was sent forth from Noah’s ark after the flood, and returned to it with ‘a freshly plucked olive leaf’ in its mouth. Ever since then, the dove and olive leaf have been viewed as a symbol of peace.

God judged the world with a universal flood. But now His judgement was over. The olive leaf showed that a new beginning had begun. Romans 5:1 says that ‘Therefore since we are justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ On the cross, Jesus was judged by God in the place of sinners. He exhausted the divine wrath against sin which was their due. Hence when we put our faith in Jesus, we are delivered from judgement and have peace with God. Colossians 1:20 tells of Christ’s ‘making peace by the blood of His cross.’

 

Divine Providence

 

Moving to the time of Elijah the prophet, we notice that when Elijah was away from civilisation with no physical means of support, some ‘ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening’ (1 Kings 17:6). God had said ‘I have commanded the ravens to feed you’ (1 Kings 17:4) and the ravens obeyed His word. Elijah was therefore provided for miraculously – the ravens fed him. This is remarkable as Leviticus 17:15 tells us that the raven was an unclean bird …

Elijah’s being provided for through the instrumentality of ravens reminds us that God provides for His own children. He provides for us through natural means, or, if He sees fit, He can provide through supernatural means, as He did for Elijah. He is in charge of the great planets, and He is in charge of the birds of the air. He can use any means He wishes to accomplish His will. The Shorter Catechism states ‘God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions’ (Q. 11). Hence, in Elijah’s day, the ravens did His bidding.

 

Divine Care

 

When we turn to the New Testament, we see that the Lord Jesus used sparrows to illustrate God’s care for His children. In Mathew 10:29 ff. He said ‘Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.’

God’s eye is on the sparrow. All His creatures are the object of His care and concern. But Jesus said of us ‘You are of more value than many sparrows.’ He was reasoning from the lesser to the greater. If the birds of the air are objects of God’s providential care, what of God’s own children? Unlike the animal kingdom, they are made in His image, able to know and love God. And unlike the animal kingdom, God sent His own Son to redeem them. Christ’s redeeming work has adopted His redeemed into the family of God. They are able to call God ‘Abba, Father.’ This Father cares for His children and loves them with an everlasting love. It is unthinkable that He will not undertake for their earthly and eternal well-being. ‘He cares about you’ (1 Peter 5:7). A tongue in cheek ditty brings this out well:-

 

Said the robin to the sparrow

‘I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so.’

 

Said the sparrow to the robin

‘Friend, I think that it must be

They have no heavenly Father

Such as cares for you and me.’

 

Finally

 

Finally and formidably, when we turn to the last book of the Bible, Revelation 19 takes us to the final battle at the end of time. Here, God will overthrow all His enemies and all that is contrary to His kingdom of righteousness and peace. His enemies will be slain by the sword, and Revelation 19:21 tells us that the birds of the air will gorge on their dead flesh. It is horrific reading, and makes Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds seem quite tame. The biblical reality is though that God’s patience has a time limit. One day, He will right all wrongs. One day, He will condemn all unrepentant sinners to eternal judgment. It is this which gives the Gospel its imperative. How vital it is that we know Christ as our Saviour. He alone can deliver us from the condemnation we deserve. Scripture assures us ‘There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1).

 

Timothy Cross

 

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Prayer

O Timothy (1 Timothy 6:20)

O TIMOTHY … (1 Timothy 6:20).

 

The Apostle Paul addressed two of his New Testament letters To Timothy, my true child in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2). The Timothy in question was a young, Christian Pastor. The New Testament letters to Timothy and Titus are known as ‘The Pastoral Epistles.’ They deal primarily with matters pertaining to the ‘nitty gritties’ of local church life  – I am writing these instructions to you so that … you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth (1 Timothy 3:14,15).

The differences in age and Christian maturity notwithstanding, Paul obviously valued young Timothy’s friendship a great deal. 2 Timothy is the last letter Paul ever wrote. At the time of writing, he was incarcerated in a Roman prison, aware that his death – his promotion to glory – was imminent. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:6,7). But Paul’s love for Timothy was such that he was adamant that he see Timothy again before he died – I long day and night to see you, that I may be filled with joy (2 Timothy 1:4). And so he pleaded Do your best to come to me soon … Do your best to come before winter … (2 Timothy 4:9,21).

 

i. Timothy’s Faith : His Conversion

 

We first encounter Timothy during Paul’s second missionary journey. He was from Lystra (Acts 16:1) in the province of Galatia – modern day Turkey. He was the product of a ‘mixed marriage’, as Luke relates A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek (Acts 16:1).

It is difficult to ascertain the exact moment when Timothy came to conscious, saving faith in Christ. That he belonged to Jesus there is no doubt, but it is possible that even he himself did not know the precise time of his conversion:-

In the providence of God, Timothy was blessed with a Christian mother and grandmother who surrounded him with their prayers and Christian example. In 2 Timothy 1:5 Paul wrote I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you. It would seem that Timothy’s mother and grandmother nurtured Timothy in the Christian Faith, and taught him the Scriptures from his earliest days, for in 2 Timothy 3:15 Paul wrote how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15).

In 1 Timothy 1:2 however, Paul refers to Timothy as my true child in the faith. This suggests that, under God, it was Paul’s own influence which was instrumental in bringing Timothy to the new birth. Timothy’s conversion then was perhaps similar to many who have been brought up in a Christian family: Acquainted with Christian matters since early childhood, perhaps sometime in our teens, ‘the penny drops’ and we trust in Christ as our own personal Saviour. It is as though we have gone over in ink what has already been written in pencil.

Timothy then was a true Christian convert. He belonged to Jesus. He had entrusted his eternal welfare to the crucified, risen and reigning Saviour. His conversion though is a reminder that whilst Christ is the only Saviour, there is more than one road which leads to the Saviour. Timothy’s conversion was different from Paul’s, but no less authentic. That we are ‘in Christ’ now is more important than being able to give a dramatic Christian testimony of how we came to Christ in the first place.

 

ii. Timothy’s Fidelity : His Commitment

 

When Paul first encountered Timothy, he immediately perceived in him enormous Christian potential as regards the service of God and the spread of the Gospel. Luke relates that Timothy was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium and Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him on his missionary travels (Acts 16:1,2). The great apostle thus chose Timothy to help and accompany him on his missionary endeavours. He saw him as both useable and useful material for Christ in relation to God’s eternal purposes of grace. And his assessment proved to be absolutely right. A little later on , when Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, he praised Timothy to the hilt saying how I have no one like him, who will be genuinely anxious for your welfare. They all look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But Timothy’s worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the Gospel (Philippians 2:20-22).

The overriding and overarching concern of Timothy’s life then was the interests … of Jesus Christ. If he had had a motto, it surely would have been:-

 

Only one life, ‘twill soon be past

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

Timothy’s chief concern was not his own personal glory or career, but that the Lord Jesus Christ should be glorified in the salvation of souls and the building of His church. When it came to actual practice, the welfare of Christians and the glory of Christ were somewhat blurred in his thinking and action. Serving Christ and serving His people were one and the same for him. He loved above all else to see sinners saved, and Christians better grounded, founded and established in Christian truth. Whilst initially, we could perhaps think of Timothy as Paul’s apprentice in mission, it was not long before Timothy graduated, and Paul had full confidence that he could undertake Christian work on his own. Hence Paul sent Timothy from Athens to the persecuted church at Thessalonica – we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the gospel of Christ, to establish you in your faith and to exhort you (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Hence Paul sent Timothy from Ephesus to the church at Corinth – I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church (1 Corinthians 4:17).

Eventually, Timothy settled down as a permanent Pastor in Ephesus. Paul’s letters to him are an exhortation and encouragement to press on in the work of being a pastor and preacher there – attend to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching to teaching … Practise these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress (1 Timothy 4:13,15) and Preach the Word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching … As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry (2 Timothy 4:2,5).

 

iii. Timothy’s Frailty : His Condition

 

Timothy was a walking sermon illustration on the text of 2 Corinthians 4:7: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.

                We tend to look up to our Christian leaders. We tend to think of them as being in a higher league from ourselves. It is as though they are made of ‘stronger stuff’ than we are. Timothy was a Christian leader and was ordained by God to be such. Yet the Bible reveals that Timothy was made out of the same frail flesh and spirit of which we are made. Scripture reveals that Timothy was no ‘muscular Christian.’ Yet Scripture also reveals that God used Timothy for His glory and the building of Christ’s church.

Paul addressed Timothy with the high compliment But as for you, man of God … (1 Timothy 6:11). Timothy was a man of God! Yet although this was true, Timothy was also, like Elijah – another man of God – a man of like nature with ourselves (James 5:17). Scripture reveals that Timothy battled against both physical and mental handicaps. Until he reached glory, he had to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12) against enemies both without and within.

 

Timothy’s Physical Constitution

 

Timothy was not endowed with a robust physical constitution. In 1 Timothy 5:23 Paul advises him concerning your stomach and your frequent ailments. This is a reminder that every Christian is not yet fully saved! The final Christian hope is the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). This will occur when Christ comes again in glory – we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will change our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power which enables Him even to subject all things to Himself (Philippians 3:20,21). Until that day, every Christian, no matter how godly, will be subject to sickness and pain to a greater or lesser degree, and will eventually suffer physical death. Timothy then was physically handicapped. Yet he still worked for the kingdom of heaven within the physical limitations imposed on Him by God – and the blessing of God was upon his labours in spite of his physical limitations.

 

Timothy’s Psychological Condition

 

It would seem that young Timothy was less than robust psychologically as well as physically. Paul’s letters to him betray the fact that he sometimes lacked confidence and was prone to discouragement. Timothy by name and timid by nature! Paul’s letters to Timothy were letters of needed encouragement exhorting him to ‘keep on keeping on’ in the Christian ministry – looking to God Who is greater than all the opposition without and discouragement within, and can accomplish His will and purpose through us in spite of our physical and psychological handicaps. Hence the many exhortations in the ‘Pastoral epistles’ which were applicable to Timothy personally and relevant to Christians and Christian leaders in all ages:-

Do not neglect the gift you have … (1 Timothy 4:14).

Rekindle the gift of God that is within you … for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self control (2 Timothy 1:6,7).

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1).

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3).

As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5).

Paul thus urged Timothy simply to be faithful to God in his particular and peculiar circumstances. We are to be the same. We are to do what we can, where we are, with what we have, and to leave the results to God. God calls us to be faithful, not necessarily successful.

 

O Timothy!

 

 

No doubt, if you saw Timothy, and were aware of his physical ailments and nervous disposition, he would not strike you immediately as a great Christian leader. It goes to show that God’s ways are not always our ways and that the laws of the kingdom of heaven can differ from the laws of this world (see Isaiah 55:8,9). God often sees fit to use frail, redeemed sinners to accomplish His almighty purposes. In this way, His work cannot be explained rationally, or explained away with a human explanation. In this way, He Himself gets all the glory. And the goal of the universe is, after all, the overriding and overarching, unsurpassed and unsurpassable glory of the one true God – To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).

A medical missionary of many years experience once wrote:-

 

God delights in using weak people, because it shows how big He is … the Lord gave me wisdom far beyond my own resource to help people medically. Whatever aspect of the Lord’s service it be, I have found that my weakness is but an opportunity for the Lord to display His power. ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9b).

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Bible Characters