Author: Penuel Baptist Roch

February 18th 2024: Rhodri Brady

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2 Peter 1:16-21 The Inerrancy of Scripture

The inherent see of scripture means the Bible has no mistakes. It is completely accurate. This is something the apostle Peter emphasises.

  1. Inerrant Light

Peter speaks about the Bible as a prophetic message which is completely reliable, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (v.19). You need to listen to the Bible. It can be relied on. It’s like a light shining in a dark place. In verse 20 Peter elaborates, “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” We need to think of the Bible in the right way; it’s not great ideas from men and women. Peter says, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (v.21). Prophets, though human, spoke from God. God provides light. The Holy Spirit is that light. The biblical writers spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

What are the implications of this?

  • Unblemished Word.

We need to come to the Bible in the right way. The authority of the Bible is speaking to us. We have to listen to it. It is from God. Peter says God wrote the bible, therefore, it is without error. It is true. God is good and does not make mistakes. We need to submit to the word of God because God wrote it. Whenever anyone says the Bible is wrong or contradicts itself, they’re saying God is wrong and they’re better than God. That’s blasphemous. Everything the Bible says is true – not some of it, but all of it! It is an unblemished word.

  • Flawless Revelation.

Remember, the apostle Peter tells us the Bible is completely reliable, it is God speaking. The people wrote as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. The word of God is God -breathed. Listen to what the Holy Spirit says in His word. Anyone who says part of the Bible is true, is not trusting God.

“Every word of God proves true;
    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” 
Proverbs 30:5

David loves the word of God so much he writes the biggest chapter in the Bible about the Bible. The whole of the Bible is true, even every dot on an eye. Matthew writes, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18).

We can open the Bible and say all of the Bible is true. Jesus says to the Pharisees, “Have you not read …” everything we listen to is true. That is why in church the Bible reading is the most important of all. Something happens when we’re all together, listening to God’s word. We look to him.  “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).

The Bible is about the Lord Jesus, His salvation. It is true. Come to Him and He will give us rest. We can all come to Him. If we have an invitation to come, then we are meant to come. Peter preaches in Acts 3 saying, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” (Acts 3:19-21).

No-one will be turned away, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37). Believe the promises of the Bible. When the Lord Jesus speaks, we can be confident. The message of salvation is true. The great hope in the inerrant word of God.

February 11th 2024: Paul Daniel

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Philippians 2:1-11

As you travel, you keep an eye on what is going on. You notice changes. If you examine the difference in Wales between the 80s and now you will see many changes; the population has increased and there are many changes in churches. The number of churches has increased and there are different varieties of worship. There is natural growth. Have you thought about why churches rise and fall? There are different reasons for this. Sometimes, people leave and don’t come back. There is natural movement of people because of age or jobs. There is a difference in church. Sometimes, there’s a health change and you must move to be closer to hospital or family.

There is some rise and fall in churches. Disagreements also arise. There is a lack of unity. Scripture talks about this – our unity. It is such a joy, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” There is a wonderful joy, a unity we share in our Lord Jesus Christ. Consider the alternative – no unity, no joy, because the Lord Jesus Christ didn’t come. Imagine the alternative. It is such a joy Jesus Christ has come, put His body on the cross. Sinners are welcomed into God’s family. The cross stands there as the only solution that can bring permanent peace and reconciliation.

Philippians 2 reminds us of the blessings of being a Christian Church in unity. We read in Acts of the Church in Philippi being born. Here we read of a slave girl, Lydia, and the gaoler, who were converted. Lydia opened her home up. Can you imagine the diversity in that house – a slave girl taken advantage of, Lydia, a businesswoman, and a jailer? Such incredible diversity. We hear in the news of all types of scandals. What might it have been like for a slave girl? It might have been a challenge. In Philippians 4 Paul writes to the church for people to agree with each other. They were tensions, little disagreements.

Unity is crucial. It is being paid for by Jesus with His precious blood. He humbled himself and was obedient, even to death. “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14). We are to strive for peace because Jesus Christ has shed His precious blood for the church. The very expensive price has been paid for by Jesus. There are expensive consequences if you are not in Jesus.

Invest in talking to one another, invest in relationships. Do we still talk to each other or email or text each other? Communication has changed. In one sense, we communicate more but have less deep and meaningful relationships. We need to invest in our relationships. Chapters like this reminders Jesus Christ has paid the ultimate price so we belong to each other.

  1. What is your outlook?

“Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:2). Paul says you need to have the same mind. We’re all different but we need to have the same love and be united in spirit and purpose. There is a diversity in our churches, but in this there is a oneness in attitude, a oneness in affection, a oneness in direction and cooperation. We see it in the Trinity; there is a oneness there.

It is this collective effort, where everyone has a part to play, we are all in a relationship to one another. We are to be of one mind, in unity, for the cause of the gospel. Time is precious. There is a world out there that does not know Jesus. Jesus Christ is coming soon. We are to work together, that we can see others come to know Him too.

  • Where is our humility?

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.“ (Philippians 2:3). Each of us needs to be moved in humility. Others are more important than ourselves. We should have no selfish ambition or vanity. Each of us, no matter what position or role, should examine our own hearts. There should be a positive move to treat one another more importantly than ourselves – not because we’re told to but because we want to. It comes from the heart, from holiness. It is very much about our attitude to others to be humble. Where is our humility? Humility comes from reminding ourselves that every good thing comes from the Lord.

  • Do we consider the interests of others?

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4). Each of us should be concerned about the interests of others. What does that look like in church? The Lord Jesus Christ came, died, brought salvation, equipped us for every good work. We should use our gifts to serve one another. All are valuable. All are useful. We should be interested in what others have to say and do. It might not always be the right thing, but we need to listen.

Look for the interests of others, even if it seems insignificant. What did Jesus see in us? Something wonderful, attractive? No! Yet He loved us, came down, went to the cross and shed His blood for you and me. Be interested in Bethlehem, not just Jerusalem. Why shouldn’t we use the gifts that God has given us, to serve Him? We should have unity on our radar. We should not take unity for granted. I’m not talking about passive unity that we have, but active unity. Don’t take your unity for granted. Engage in relationships. Talk to one another. Remember Jesus Christ considered the interests of others.

What is the Lord asking you to do as an individual, as a corporate body? What does that unity look like? In the new heavens there will be people from every tribe and nation, giving Him praise, glory and honour.

February 4th 2024: Ian Jones

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Matthew 20:1-11

Jesus told this parable towards the end of his ministry. We often hear children say, ‘It’s not fair!’ Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who seems unfair when it comes to paying his workers. We see God’s justice and fairness in relation to the promises He makes.

This parable is about a landowner who needs workers for his vineyard. The landowner goes to the marketplace early in the morning to find workers. When they agree to work for a denarius a day, he sends them to work. Later, he sends other workers into his vineyard, promising to give them what is right. He returns again to the marketplace, and again. When there is only one hour of work to go, when it is so late in the day (v6), he goes back and asks those who are still standing there and invites them into the vineyard.

When paying the labourers, they are paid in an unexpected way – those who were hired last were paid first. This was not the normal practise. Imagine how the workers who had worked all day felt. They expected to be called first. It would have been considered by them as being disrespectful to pay others first. They didn’t say anything, but when they also received a denarius each, they complained. We are drawn into this situation, to see these workers receive their wage and see how they felt.

The disciples were drawn into thinking about the situation. Why shouldn’t the workers be paid more for working longer? Why should they all be paid the same? The landowner responds, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?” (Matthew 20:13). He gives a good reason why he has paid them all the same wage. It might not seem fair, but he has done nothing wrong. He can do what he wants with his own money.

What was the purpose of this parable? Jesus is speaking to His disciples. In the previous chapter they had experienced a rich young ruler who wanted assurance of eternal life (Matthew 19:16). To see this man, who they thought highly of, walk away, had a major effect on the disciples. The man was very rich, seeking to keep the law. Even harder, Jesus then said in verse 24 how hard it is for the rich to be saved. Peter then asked, ‘Who can be saved? ’Jesus’ response is, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26).

Peter then says, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” (Matthew 19:27). Peter is comparing himself with the rich young ruler. His attitude is, ‘What’s in it for us? We’ve left everything to follow you.’ He was thinking of the sacrifices he has made: a fishing business, his family and home. He has spent his time learning from Jesus. He wants to know should he carry on or be like the rich young man and walk away.

Christians today can ask, ‘What can I expect from coming to church? What can I expect from reading my Bible? What can I expect from the pain and suffering I go through for the Lord Jesus Christ?’ Jesus gave an answer to Peter’s question, “28 Jesus said to them,“Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28). Yes! There was something in it for Peter. He and the other disciples would judge along with Christ. Verses 29 shows there is a reward for all of us, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29).

Then Jesus gives a warning in verse 30, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” He is challenging Peter and the disciples about what they thought about the rich young ruler. Jesus tells the parable to explain what he means. We read the same words in chapter 20, “So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:16). This is a reversal of the order that is expected. The Kingdom of heaven is different from what we expect in this world.

Let us consider what God has done in our salvation.

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14). It is very clear that this parable is all about our salvation. The landowner is God, the marketplace is the world, the workers in the vineyard are Christians serving God and the idle in the market place are unbelievers. We see God’s compassion for the lost, His desire that all may enter His kingdom.

We need to be reminded of God’s love for us. He will call all, throughout the day. He promises if they come into His vineyard they will receive a wage – eternal life. He doesn’t speak of an hourly rate, in other words, working for our salvation. He talks of one wage for all, which is not dependent on what they do or how long they work. All who come into God’s kingdom receive eternal life. If you are a child of God and have repented of your sin, you will receive eternal life.

It also reminds us that all who enter the Kingdom have been called by God, who have come through the lord Jesus Christ. There are idlers found in the world, but not in the vineyard. They workers in the vineyard gladly work for the landowner, to serve him. If we are a Christian today, we will serve the Lord in what a way He has called us to do.

The landowner calls people at different times of the day. God calls people at different times in their lives. Some were called as a child, others when they are older, some at the end of their life (think of the thief on the cross). This parable is a picture of salvation.

Which group are you in? Do you grumble or are you full of joy? How do you value your salvation? Do you come to read your Bible with great joy?

January 28th 2024: Jonathan Scott

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Mark 2

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be blind? Could you imagine what it would be like doing ordinary, day-to-day activities, perhaps relying on other people.

There was a lady called Helen Keller who was born in 1880 in Alabama in U.S.A. At 18 months old, following an illness, she lost not just her sight but her hearing as well. Imagine living your whole life with these disabilities. However, despite all of this she became a best-selling author and a great example of courage and achievement in the face of adversity. On one occasion she said these words, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

As an individual or as a church we must take care not to have sight (physical sight) but no vision. You may be saying what does that mean to have vision? To have spiritual vision is different to mission. Mission is the over-arching goal in a church or as an individual which, to me, is simply said by Matthew 28, which is Jesus’ commission to us, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

That is our Mission. However, our spiritual vision is our roadmap of what we are doing as a church or as an individual to reach that Goal. Let me put it this way. If you were on a football team and you all had the goal of winning the game (mission) that would be great. But if the coach didn’t tell you that you had to score any goals or what net you had to kick the ball towards and for all the team to work together to reach that goal then you would never, as a team, get anywhere near winning.

This is what Helen Keller is saying, you can have that mission, and everyone knows what that is. But without that vision and clear roadmap as a church to get there, it is worse than being blind. Otherwise, we will go all in different directions and not end up getting to the end goal which is to spread the gospel to all people. It is also spiritual Vision to have faith and listen to Jesus, to be able to allow Him to guide you in what He wants from you as a church or as an individual.

There are many ways in which that vision can be enacted in a church or as an individual. We need God’s help and guidance to know what the vision is through prayer and the Holy Spirit. By listening to this we can find out what this vision is for all of us.

In the passage we just read from Mark 8, Jesus talks to His Disciples and warns them to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Leaven is not merely yeast but a small amount of dough left over from a previous batch of bread which can be added to make new bread. Today, many people still use this way of baking bread, called sourdough starters. This is how bread was leavened in the ancient world, a small lump from the old batch could make a new lump of dough rise and puff up. The work of the leaven in the bread was considered as an illustration of pride and ultimately sin. The presence of a little of the old can corrupt the larger amount of the new.

Take heed, we are in the world but not of the world. A little amount of corruption can affect much, Jesus is warning against this in this passage. These verses are implying that Jesus’ disciples, as well as us, are at risk of the same defiling attitudes that have led the Pharisees and Herod astray. Jesus warns the disciples of this, but they are so caught up on other things they ignore Jesus’ warning.

Mark Chapter 8 verse 17 speaks of the blindness of the Disciples. Jesus asks why they are concentrating on the physical bread and tells them that they have ‘eyes but fail to see and ears but fail to hear’. They were beside Him when He fed the 4,000 and had all that food left over. However, they forgot so quickly and didn’t think to put their trust in the Lord Jesus for all their needs, which He can supply in abundance. Are we sometimes like the disciples, so caught up in day to day things that we don’t take notice of Jesus and what He says?

Jesus says to his disciples in verse 17 ‘Do you not yet perceive or understand?’ He rebukes them as He knew they had the capacity to understand but they hadn’t applied themselves. They were following but not growing. We need to make sure that we are growing in Jesus, not just merely attending on a Sunday. We need to fix our eyes on Him and apply ourselves to grow in grace.

2 Peter 3:18 says, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” The disciples couldn’t apply what Jesus was saying spiritually; they only thought about their stomachs. We have all been there. They thought about bread for the stomach not bread for the soul.

But if we did listen and see what He wants us to do, then we can fulfil that. It’s an attitude that we must learn to master. If we listen to Jesus, we can find out exactly what He wants from us as individuals and as a church.

The second verse of the hymn Be Thou My Vision, reads:
‘I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord;
thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.’

If we have God with us and dwelling within us, God will guide us on the path He has set out for us for now and evermore.

In Mark Chapter 2, where Jesus heals the Paralytic, I wonder if you noticed the 4 characters? They all had different reactions to Jesus and this miracle.

These Characters were:

  1. Teachers of the Law – thinking Jesus is blaspheming. How can he do that? Forgive Sins? He’s not God! (6-7)
  2. Crowd – Amazed! Never seen anything like this! Praised God (12b)
  3. 4 Friends – Had a huge faith – They Stopped at nothing to get their friend to Jesus. (4)
  4. Paralysed Man – Got up and walked! (12a)

As we look deeper into this passage, let me ask 2 questions:

  1. How did each character respond to Jesus?
  2. Did they have true spiritual vision like we spoke about earlier?

Teachers of the Law— How did they respond to Jesus?

Firstly, they didn’t respond well to Jesus at all. They rejected him and hurled insults at Him. They accused him of ‘blaspheming’. But the major thing to remember here is that these teachers of the law were eyewitnesses of this account. Not that they heard about it and didn’t believe, they were right there in the house. Rhey were firsthand eyewitnesses and yet they still rejected what happened. Were they Blind? Well, the answer to that is simply Yes. They looked but didn’t see! Or didn’t want to see for that matter.

Someone once said to me, ‘The mind is like an umbrella they both work best when they’re ope.’ These teachers had their minds shut to everything other than what they deemed as important.

So did the teachers of the law display true spiritual vision. Well, the answer is no to this question. They followed traditions and they had put these in the way of their relationship with God.

I think that we have to be careful that tradition doesn’t get in the way of our relationship with God. We should be guided by the Holy Spirit and open our eyes to what the Lord is guiding us to do. We also need to be very careful to not end up in the same trap as the teachers of the law – that we have done things in church for so long, we carry on doing it just because we have always done it. Then we close our eyes to what is actually happening in front of us or to God’s guidance and miss an opportunity to be blessed by God or to spread the gospel.

Crowd — How Did they Respond to Jesus?

They saw this miracle happen right in front of them and rejoiced. They seem to have responded correctly to Jesus and this miracle. They rejoiced and said ’We have never seen anything like this!’

However, under the surface the question still, is whether they actually followed Jesus or if they just liked watching miracles and went along to see it but didn’t go any further. Are we sometimes like this, where we go to Jesus, maybe on a Sunday and say all the right things and worship God, but then don’t do anything else. I know I certainly get this way at times.

So Did the crowd have true spiritual vision? Well, that is questionable. As they praised God, did they have any vision to then go out and spread the gospel amongst all nations. They realised it was something they had never seen before, but I don’t think it went any further than that.

The paralysed Man — How Did He Respond to Jesus?

There is how he responded before the miracle. He responded with faith to Jesus and did everything that was asked. He didn’t question anything, he just did it. Do we do all that Jesus says or asks? What would we do in that situation? What was the reward for doing everything Jesus asked? He was blessed and healed, and I imagine overjoyed. He is no longer paralysed and His sins were forgiven.

Did he display true spiritual vision? Yes, I think when Jesus says In verse 5, ‘When Jesus saw their faith’ He meant all of them. They all persevered and headed towards the goal to get to Jesus.

The Fourth Characters are the Four Friends of the paralysed man. Without his 4 friends having faith, he would have got nowhere close to Jesus.

The 4 friends had loving faith, practising faith, undeniable willingness to go any lengths for the sake of their friend and that their belief was that Jesus was worth every effort. How did they react to Jesus? They reacted to Jesus before the event. Their faith was so strong they let nothing get in their way. Not even a huge crowd that blocked every entrance to where Jesus was in the house. Not even a roof got in the way of getting to Jesus.

So did these friends display true spiritual vision? Definitely. They had a goal (mission) to bring this man to Jesus to be healed. They believed wholeheartedly that Jesus was the only one who could do so. Their vision was to try every way to get to Jesus to get the man healed. However, there was a difference between these friends and the teachers of the Law. They didn’t even need to see the miracle. They believed as they reacted before everything took place. However, the leaders didn’t believe, or didn’t want to believe, even when they saw the miracle. The friends were open-minded and let their faith in God guide them to who can help, the only one who can help – Jesus.

The other thing to say is that there is a cost to following Jesus. The first cost we see is to the person who opened their house to Jesus. We don’t know who this person was. There is one thing for sure, he ended up getting a roof repair after opening his home to Jesus! Do we think of what the cost is opening our home to Jesus?

But is Jesus really worth all that effort that these friends went to? Should we put as much effort in? It does seem like a lot of work. Jesus performed a miracle in front of their eyes and healed their friend. I think that would be well worth it, don’t you?

Jesus Talks about the cost of following Him. He says, ‘Take up your cross and follow me.

Follow me and become fishers of men.” Following Jesus, is not without consequence and certainly requires a lot of effort on our behalf.But think of it this way:Is it worth a man to inherit the world but lose his soul?

So, what to do next? Well first you need to think who are you going to act like? Which one of the 4 characters? Are you going to act like the crowd, where we are rejoicing with seeing the miracle but once it’s over they didn’t go much further, they actually just liked watching miracles.

Are you going to act like the teachers of the law? Reject Jesus, be so caught up with your own agendas that you miss the miracle happening before your very eyes and be completely blind to Jesus.

Or are you going to be more like the 4 friends and the Paralysed Man who broke down every barrier and jumped over every hurdle to get to Jesus.

Remember what Helen Keller said at the beginning?“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

In this case the 4 friends, they had a mission to get this man to Jesus. Although their roadmap (vision) changed, they couldn’t get through the crowd, they thought, ‘So let’s go through the roof.’ They didn’t let things like that get in the way or deter their faith to be guided to Jesus – unlike the teachers of the law who let things get in the way and were spiritually blind. Or the disciples who

were concentrating so hard on the menial day to day things that they were blind and forget what Jesus had done for them. He can do immeasurably more than what we can ask for and provide abundantly for all of our needs.

Let us take the example of the 4 friends and the paralysed man into our lives. Let us trust in the Lord Jesus and have faith in Him that He will lead and guide us in the right ways. Let us not have our own agendas or traditions which get in the way of listening or seeing Gods vision for us as individuals and as a church. There may be speed bumps in the way (just as the 4 friends had), but If we are true to our faith, despite any speed bumps or blockers that are put in the way, and if we have true spiritual vision, the Lord will Guide us in the path ahead and towards the goal of making disciples of all nations and having more people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. He will be with us always until the very end of the age.

January 21st 2024: Phil Meiring

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Acts 16:11-40

Acts 16:30 – the ultimate question – “What must I do to be saved?”

At least forty times in the New Testament, being saved is used to describe someone becoming a Christian. There are other words and phrases used in the Bible which describe other important aspects of someone becoming a Christian, e.g. ‘born again,’ ‘adopted.’ But the word ‘saved’ is particularly fundamental to a right understanding of the message of the cross.

1.      Who can get saved?

This account clearly demonstrates that anyone can get saved. Anyone who recognises they are
a rebel before God. Lost. Come with me to a Roman colony in northern Greece and
let’s meet the three characters in our reading. They lived in a town called Philippi
situated on the chariot way between the Adriatic sea and the Aegean sea. It is
a thriving business centre.

You couldn’t get three more different characters than the three we meet here. Lydia
(Acts 16:14-15). Everything is packed into two verses. A woman, a
businesswoman, a worshipper of God. A non-dramatic conversion, “The Lord opened
her heart.”

A clairvoyant slave girl (Acts 16:16-18). A young slave girl. She knew exactly what the message
was all about, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling
you the way to be saved.” On the street, the girl with the dark powers was
dramatically saved.

The jailor (Acts 16:19 onwards). This man would have looked quite at home outside a nightclub in
Haverfordwest. Arguably, his is the most dramatic conversion story of the
passage. Pagan to believer in a night! We are going to follow this guy’s story
more closely. Let’s climb in through his bedroom window.

v.27. The jailor is fast asleep. The moonlight illuminates the courtyard. It’s been a mad day
with some very odd customers to contend with – banged up but singing out loud
to God and praying – and no booze insight! Suddenly, his bed is shaking
violently. There’s a loud bang. He sits bolt upright in great fear. He rushes
over to the window and looks out across the yard toward the prison block. A
great cloud of dust is settling in the moonlight. He notices the prison door
hanging off its hinges and a heap of masonry.

Suddenly, his blood runs cold. The prisoners – they’ll all be gone. His heart begins
pounding as he leaps out to bed. He stumbles across the courtyard, over the
rubble and enters the prison building. It’s all deathly quiet and dark inside.
They must be gone. He draws his sword . . .

v.28. Some sweet words echo along the corridor, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all here!”

v.29. The jailer calls his servant for a light. Shaking like a leaf, he stumbles into the cell
of Paul and Silas and falls at their feet. We don’t know, but he must have had
Paul and Silas with tears streaming down his face, thanking them.

v.30. Then, they all emerge into the moonlight. Does the jailer say, “Guys, I owe my life
to you! Tell me guys, what can I do for you?” No! He says, “Sir, what must I do
to be saved?”

Now, that is odd. This man has been saved from a beheading, suicide and an earthquake. What
more could he a man want to be saved from? But something else was surfacing in
his heart. It was deeply troubling him and it had been bothering him ever since
these two religious guys had first hit the town.

The jailer’s question is almost certainly a response to the message that Paul and Silas had
been declaring on the street, and to the unusual events of the night – guys singing
instead of cursing and guys who didn’t even ‘leg-it’ when the earthquake blew
off the jail door!

2.      What are we saved from?

From this chapter alone we cannot provide the answer. Clearly, the slave girl knew there
was something to be saved from and a ‘way to be saved’ (v.27). So, what was it?

A strap line for Paul’s message found in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “Jesus who rescues us from
the coming wrath.” That’s what it is, “The coming wrath.”

God is not some philosophical concept simply to plug a gap in our consciousness. He is one
who made us, keeps our hearts beating this very minute, and has genuine
emotions toward us. God has feelings too. I put it to you, we need to be saved
from the consequences of the one emotion, wrath, and saved as a consequence of
the other emotion bound in love of God expressed in the Lord Jesus.

The jailor how to become aware that he was a condemned man, even though he had the key to
every cell in the block. The wrath of God was heading his way and God was on
his case. In that moment, the jailor felt his need to be saved.

I have deliberately introduced the idea that God has feelings and so it is important
that I clarify this understanding. Already you might be asking, God, got
emotions? Yes, because He is a person, but it is critical to the glory of God’s
Being that we recognise that His emotions are of an entirely different order to
those that we experience. There is some correspondence, but His responses out
of one who, unlike us, is perfect, holy and just in His character. The one who
is eternally unchangeable in attitude. God doesn’t have ‘mood swings’ like us. Emotions
with Him are not involuntary. He doesn’t ‘fall in love.’ He is love. His
feelings and actions towards His creation are consistent, predictable and
steadfast.

You might be wondering whether God ought to be angry. We sociate anger with someone who is
irritable or flies off the handle. This is not how it is with God. His anger is
a controlled consistent opposition of His holy nature to rebel mankind. It is a
must with God to express His divine justice. He has every right to be angry. Remember
this, there are times when human anger is a just and acceptable emotion to
express e.g. when a marriage relationship is violated or when a war crime is
committed.

The word ‘wrath’ is used 16 times in Paul’s letters and in the accounts of his ministry.
It was a word that galvanised his gospel preaching along with that of ‘love.’ Paul
sensed that not only is the anger of God something awaiting in the future but
it is very much how God feels toward all rebels right now. In his letter to the
Romans Paul says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all
the godliness and wickedness of men.” (Romans 1:18). This is how God feels this
very morning about each and every rebel.

3.      How are we saved?

v.31. Paul gave the jailor the answer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus …” In verse 32 he
explains his answer not only to the jailor but to his wife and kids. Then, shortly
after midnight, not only is the jailor saved but all his family. Eternally
safe, never to have to suffer the wrath of God. But what’s more, totally
overjoyed at the experience of believing!

Simple. Turning away from my former life, resting in all that Jesus did at the cross.
Surely, you can’t get saved just like that. Yes, you can! It is simply resting
in what Jesus has done.

“For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). Jesus and what He did was the
consequences of the extreme love of God. Love of immeasurable dimensions
(Ephesians 3:18).

Do you want to know how extreme the love of God was toward you and I? I’ll tell you.

i). When the eternal Son of God, Jesus, left home and joined us for 33 years. It wasn’t a
state visit. No red carpet. He came as a suffering servant. (Philippians
2:6-8).

ii). The minute He stepped out of heaven, the incarnation arrangement would become
permanent. The second person of the Trinity would take on our humanity and
become wedded to it forever. (1 Corinthians 15:28, 49).

iii). At the cross itself, the Son would face, on behalf of you and I, the fierce anger of
His dearly loved Father. This would be an awful and uniquely distressing event
within the Being of God, as Jesus was counted a sinner on our behalf. (Matthew
26:36, 27, 46).

Our rebellion could not be forgiven (washed away) simply on account of the enormous
and overwhelming love of God. Justice had to be done. His wrath had to be
satisfied. His love put His Son there at the cross and His wrath was poured out
on Him as He was counted the sinner, the rebel in our place. This is how your
penalty was paid. His wrath towards the rebel, rightly arising out of His holy
nature, was satisfied. The wrath and love of God collided at the cross.

Seeker:
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” This means turn from your
rebel ways and rest in what He has done for you. At that moment you will be
safe.

Believer: The
love and wrath of God are two wheels on the gospel chariot. If one comes off
there is no telling where the chariot will end up!



 



 



January 14th 2024: John Funnell

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Back to the Future: Mark 3:1-6

Jesus, Son of God, entered the synagogue, meaning He went to church. Jesus went to church – even though He was under attack. The Pharisees were out to destroy him. He went to church. Church was his priority. There was someone in great need, a man with a shrivelled hand. He had a debilitating disease, with no help from the state, no social workers to visit him. We can assume he was actually impoverished – just the kind of person Jesus came for. The Pharisees were there, looking to catch Jesus out (v2). This is rather interesting; they wanted to see if Jesus would heal the man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.

Interestingly, even the Pharisees had faith Jesus could heal this man; they came to church expecting Jesus to heal him. Each week, we come to worship then go home. The box is ticked for another week. But do we come to church expecting the living God will join us here, stand in our midst and do mighty things in this church? Do we come believing that Jesus could work a miracle right here, that Jesus could save the lost in Roch? Are we praying for God to work in us as we gather?

The Pharisees hated Jesus. He was a threat to their authority. Yet, they show more faith than many of us. They came to the meeting expecting great things of Jesus. Do we? Jesus meets the Pharisees expectation. He calls the man with a shrivelled hand to come out in front of everyone and healed him. He healed him publicly.

Christianity is truth. It is well evidenced. We see this pattern right through the gospels. Everything is public. At His birth, shepherds gathered to see Him then ran off and told everyone. His miracles were public events. Jesus was dragged through the streets carrying His cross. He was mocked by the crowds. There were all real, historical events which people saw. True events. He was hoisted up high to die on a cross. He didn’t have the dignity of a private death. He was buried. Again, this was a public event. He even had guards. It was witnessed. Then He rose again and for 40 days He ate and drank with people. When He ascended this was witnessed. Everything He did was witnessed.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the Light of the world. In Him the reality of God is utterly exposed. Jesus is God revealed. Everything He did was public so that the truth can be seen for what it really is. There are no secret visions or hidden rituals as in other religions. Everything Jesus did was done in the light so it can be verified, so we can trust Him.

The man with a withered hand stood up. Please notice the change of wording; the man with the withered hand is now addressed as ‘the man.’ Why? Because God had already healed him of his affliction. He was no longer the man with a withered hand. Jesus said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ This would not have been possible with a weathered hand. The work of healing was already done (v5). The man’s hand had to be healed before he stretched it out.

We live in a broken world. Many of us have so much difficulty in our lives, which can weigh us down. Many of us are struggling with physical ailments. These often overwhelm us and confuse us. We try to overcome them by looking to the future, that one day it will all be fine. We push on and keep going. This is not the gospel. Such plodding on puts all that pressure on you to take the next step, to stretch out our hand to be healed by Jesus. That is not the gospel. It is self-help, relying on you to get yourself sorted. The Bible says He has done it! God came to earth; He took on flesh. Jesus came and lived the life we could not. He exchanged His perfection with our brokenness on the cross. By grace, we can now reach out to Him. We were healed before we even cried out His name. It is all of Jesus.

In Christ, our salvation is complete. All the work is done. We’re good to go. Christianity is not some blind faith of the future. Don’t plod for future hope. Don’t trust in your ability to plod. Christianity rests in the reality of what has already happened. History. Our faith is in the fact of what has already happened – His death and resurrection. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Faith rests in fact, in what has already happened. The most proven fact in ancient history is His death on the cross. There are two Hebrew words in the Old Testament that perfectly describe what we see here in Mark 3. The first word is ‘kethim.’ It means what you can see, everything in front of you. As human beings we are limited in that we cannot see into the future. No-one knows what tomorrow brings. So, in Hebrew, the future is actually understood as what is being behind you, because you can’t see what is behind you. As human beings we have a God-given gift of memory, so that we are able to look back into the past. So, kethim is the word used in Hebrew for what we can see – which is the past. In the Hebrew mindset, the past is in front of us, it is what we can see.

The second Hebrew word is ‘achor,’ which means what we cannot see –which is what is behind us, which is the future. Therefore, the Biblical understanding of life is the past is in front of us because we can see it, and the future is behind us because we cannot see it.

Sadly, many Christians think that faith is all about taking a step forward into the darkness, into what you cannot see. Plodding forward in blind ignorance. That is not the gospel. Nowhere in the Bible are you called to take a step out in blind ignorance. The faith of the Bible is actually taking a step backwards, trusting in the kethim of what we can see before us, trusting in what God has already done for us.

It is like walking backwards on a straight road. In Abersychan there is an old train line. It is just a straight line for miles and miles and miles. I could walk down it backwards, quite comfortably, because I know looking forwards, seeing the line, it’s going to be straight for the next thousand steps. I don’t have to look behind me to see where I’m going. I’ve got all the information I need to walk backwards in front me. It’s even easier when the person who made that road, Jesus, is walking with you, saying, ‘carry on, there’s nothing behind you, keep going on.’

 You take a step back into the future, because you can look back into the past, trusting all that God has done for you to get you this far. The evidence is there, so you can trust Him when you step back.

As Christians our faith is not blind. Our faith is built on evidence of what really happened in history – the perfect life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In today’s scripture reading, the man’s withered hand was already healed before it was stretched out. He could not have stretched it out otherwise. The work was done. The man’s hand was not healed because he stretched it out, even if it was in obedience to Christ’s command. The man’s obedience was enabled because Christ had already healed him.

In the same way, in all the problems you face today, let me assure you that they are already dealt with. On the cross, Jesus paid the price for it all. Your problems are resolved. All you need to do is simply stretch out your hand to show the world that you have been publicly restored in Christ. By grace you have been saved. It is already done. Will you stretch out your hand in the grace of Jesus Christ?

January 7th 2024: James Allan

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Psalm 85

All was not right in Judah and Jerusalem. The setting for this Psalm is the years after the Lord’s people had returned from exile in Babylon. They set to work on rebuilding the temple, relaying the foundations of the temple. Then work on the temple slowed and gradually ground to a halt. In Haggai we read that people spent money on their own homes, not the temple (Haggai 1:9). The people came under the Lord’s judgement (v.10). The temple was eventually constructed, and people began to work on the city walls (Nehemiah). Yet again, work began and then ground to a halt (Nehemiah 5:10). The poor were suffering. People were guilty of marrying women from pagan nations. Children were growing up in homes not worshipping the Lord, they did not even speak the language of the Lord’s people. (Nehemiah 13:24).

This psalm is written, most likely in the days of Haggai (v.12). It was written to a restored people, who had known the Lord’s salvation. They had been under God’s judgement – the Lord had taken them into captivity into Babylon. But then they had experienced His salvation (v1). They were in exile, but now they had been restored.

However, all is not well. Salvation is needed again. There is sin that needs to be repented of (verses 4-5). ‘Restore’ could be translated as ‘repent.’ The people are living in sin again. The psalmist especially longs for revival so the people may rejoice in God (verses 6-7). The people are a restored people, but now they’re back in the land they need to be once again a people who will delight in Him.

We are, today, people who have received, known and experienced the Lord’s salvation. But do we have a sense of what verses 6 and 7 mean? Are we seeking to find what we need in things other than the Lord himself? In crisis, do I look to other things and not the Lord? I am in Christ, so I have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. If you are truly in Christ, yet living in other things and the Lord is not first in everything, then you are never more happy then you are holy. For the believer, you are safe in Christ. But as a Christian you need the Lord to turn to. Do you know the joy of the Lord?

There is a difference between the doctrine of justification and the doctrine of adoption. Think of justification as loving your children. It is a biological fact which cannot be altered, that they are your children. Nothing can alter than relationship. But relationships can become strained. My relationship with the Lord can become strained. Justification means that when I become a Christian, I am righteous in the sight of God. I am clothed in Christ’s righteousness. I am a child of God. I am not saved on the basis of anything I have done. I am a sinner but clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

Although nothing can alter the fact that I am a child of God, my relationship with the Lord can become strained. The Lord disciplines His people for their good. I am adopted. I am a child of God. But we need to keep in step in the Holy Spirit.

In verse 12 the psalmist has confidence.

“Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.”

Remember, if this was written at the time of Haggai, the Lord was withholding the harvest so the people would return from their sin. The psalmist is confident, saying, ‘Let us turn from our sin and be confident of the Lord’s goodness, that He will provide.’

“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
    but let them not turn back to folly.”         

Psalm 85.8

The psalmist is again confident. If the people turn from their sin the Lord will forgive them. We must turn from our sin and be confident that the Lord is willing and ready to restore. Take encouragement. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). The Lord is willing, and He is able. The greatest blessing of all for a restored people is the Lord Himself,

“Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
    that glory may dwell in our land.”      

Psalm 85:9

What do we want? Surely, the Lord Himself – the knowledge of the Lord’s presence with us to bless us. The ‘gods’ of this world – money, sex, power – promise much, but never satisfy. The Lord is everywhere. We want Him to bless us.

The context of this psalm is a restored people who have fallen into sin, they cry out for mercy,

“Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
    and put away your indignation toward us!”
  Psalm 85:4

The focus of this psalm is verse 7,

“Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.”
  Psalm 85:7

What is the remedy for a people who need to be restored, who needs to repent, who need to be revived? It is to know the love of the Lord. We need to see the love of God for sinners.

In verses 2-3 the psalmist remembers the Lord’s grace to His people,

“You forgave the iniquity of your people;
    you covered all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
    you turned from your hot anger.”

Zechariah 3:1-2 gives a vision of Jerusalem’s High Priest, Joshua. Satan is also there, standing to accuse, in the presence of God. Joshua, the High Priest, who represents the people of Israel, is standing in dirty clothes. The following verses show the gospel, the imputed righteousness of Christ – the great exchange – my sin is given to Christ and He bears the punishment for it on the cross. He gives me His righteousness and I am seen clothed in His perfect righteousness, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If your heart is cold this morning, here is your prayer,

“Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.”
(Psalm 85:7)

In verse 3 we see the anger of God for sin. Here, we have the doctrine of propitiation. He must oppose all that is evil because He is a God of justice. But how can He turn from His anger? Something has to happen. Sin must be punished. The wrath of God is satisfied in Christ as He bore our sins on the cross. On Him every sin was laid.

Is verse 7 your prayer?

“Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.”

In verse 10 we are unpacking the gospel in more depth,
“Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.”

The attributes of God listed here might seem at odds with each other. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet – a love that gives Himself to His people. In faithfulness we see God is being faithful to Himself. He is pure, clean. How then can He be faithful and give steadfast love to His people? At the cross.

“Righteousness and peace kiss each other.” How is this possible? It is at the cross. I can have peace with God because Christ takes that wrath from me.

“Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.”
Psalm 85:11

This reminds us of God’s grace. Faithfulness could be translated as truth. We are given a picture of a crop springing out of the ground. You don’t have to work hard for it. There is truth all around us. If you feel your heart is cold, your priorities are wrong. Like the people of Haggai, you are not building the Lord’s house, you are building your own house. Your life is self-absorbed, building up your own treasures on earth. The antidote is to seek the love of God. How do you do this? Think of what you have: you have God’s Word. Do you read it? You have the local church, the local congregation. Do you come, come with the right mindset? Is the slightest excuse enough to keep you away?

A Christian can say the right words, know the right doctrines, but their priorities can be elsewhere. What can help us? Do you put yourself where the word of God is? You may go to worship with a cold heart, but you can leave with a rejoicing heart.

“And righteousness looks down from the sky.” Without the sun there is no food, no light. We have received everything from the Lord.

“Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.”

Keep gazing at our great salvation. Set your eyes on Christ and know that intimacy with Him.

December 31st 2023: John Scanlon

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Christ’s birth is a very important day in the Christian calendar. Today, is the last day of 2023 A.D.  – A.D. meaning the year of the Lord.  People look forward to tomorrow as an important day, the first day in a new year. New Year’s Day comes around and everyone is greeting each other with Happy New Year. The sincere thought must be for happier times. As Bible believing Christians, what do we hope for in the New Year? Could it be world peace, the healing of loved ones who are sick? The hope we have is nothing like the aspiration of this world, who have hope in such things as the lottery.

In this passage of scripture in Matthew chapter 5 we read about being blessed, being happy. What would make us happy? Some Christians have enough religion to keep them out of the pub on a Saturday night, but not off the golf course on a Sunday morning. Some people will have enough religion to recognise the need for prayer but not enough to take them to the prayer meeting. Many churches have an effigy of Christ still nailed to the cross. They don’t know true happiness. What about us? Are we truly happy?

Can you name eight things that would make you happy, 8 things to start a New Year?

The Beatitudes are eight steps to happiness. Billy Graham referred to them as the ‘Beautiful Attitudes.’ Jesus begins by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3). Jesus speaks of our spiritual neediness and the way of supplying our need. People who are poor in spirit do not boast; they know everything comes from His grace. Humility enables you to be honest about yourself. The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy). If you want to be happy you need to be aware of your spiritual poverty. Poverty in spirit is the beginning of happiness. The moment you commit all you have to Christ, total submission to the will of God, you are compelled to commit your true potential to God. Then ours will be the Kingdom of God.

Jesus goes on to promise, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4). There is grief because of sin. The second beatitudes speaks of something deeper than self-pity. The right kind of mourning is the person who is truly sorry for their sins. A deep sorrow for sin is a trait, an outstanding mark of a Christian. Happy also is the man who is sorrowful for the sins of others. Jesus Christ took the penalty of our sins for Himself. Jesus wept as He stood at the tomb of Lazarus, because sin had brought death into the world.

What is the reward promised for this beatitude? “They shall be comforted.” The Holy Spirit is the source of all comfort to repentant sinners. (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit is the source of all comfort to a repentant Christian. Through Him, we have the comfort of knowing our sins are forgiven. Sorrow for sin leads to repentance. There is comfort in knowing we have been saved by God’s grace and not of our own works. There is also comfort in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5). Too many people confuse meekness with weakness. Meekness can be a person who is under control. His passions and actions have been brought under God’s control. They give a life of service. Christ is at the centre of their life. They realise they are living in the presence of God. When you are like this you are teachable. If you are teachable then you are humble. The meek will inherit the earth, those born again will inherit fellowship with God.

When Christians apply the teachings of Jesus, they are the rudder that guides our path of life. To many, the New Year will be an unknown quantity. They don’t know what the future might hold for them. But we have a signpost. We have a guide, a risen Saviour. If we approach Him in humility, we can be sure of a Happy New Year. When you are born again, you are filled with the Holy Spirit and you will enter a life of true blessing.

December 25th 2023: Jonathan Scott

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I want to welcome you here on this most special of Days, which we remember and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. What do you enjoy about Christmas? Is it receiving gifts, having nice things to eat, being on holiday from school or work with your family? These are special things to look forward to. But I want to tell you this morning of the greatest gift ever given, a gift foretold for centuries and is still the greatest gift 2000 years after it was given to us.

The First Christmas an angel appeared to some shepherds and said ‘I bring you good tidings of great Joy.’ (Luke 2: 10-11). The announcement must have come as a surprise to the shepherds. They were afraid; they did not fully understand all that it meant, that the saviour is born. Here is the most important event in the history of the world so far, and they were the first to know that the Saviour had come. What a privilege.

This is a story of a baby born in the most lowly of stables, despite being the King of Kings . He is the One who can save each and everyone of us in more ways than one. The prophet Isaiah foretold this 700 years before the birth,

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

(Isaiah 9 verse 6-8).

God made lots of promises throughout the Bible about the Saviour coming. For hundreds of years God’s messengers, the prophets, had spoken about the Saviour, whom God would send into the world. Can you guess how many promises there were? 50, 100, 200, 300? The answer is more than 300 promises about the Saviour and what He would do. God had even given 30 specific promises about the events of Jesus’s death on the cross and how He would rescue His people from their sins. The Bible says, “When the fullness of time has come, God sent forth His son.” (Galatians 4:4).

At exactly the right time in History, not a year too soon or too late God, sent His son into the world. He waited for everything to be ready for His promises to be fulfilled. For centuries God had been preparing the hearts of His People for the coming Messiah, Jesus.

Very often we do not prepare to celebrate Christmas as we should; we are in such a hurry there are so many things to be done at the last moment. God was not in a hurry. He chose the century, the year, the month and even the day when the Lord Jesus would be born. He had prepared everything with much care.

It is mentioned even back to Genesis about the promise that the saviour is coming, and here in Isaiah 9 we see this lovely promise of God that His son will be born who is,

‘Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’

Not only is it promised that the babe is to be born, but it is promised of who He is to be born to. Isaiah 7: 14 reads, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” A wonderful miracle was going to happen in the body of a young lady, who had never been together with a man. No other baby was ever born like this one. Joseph was not the father of Lord Jesus Christ, God is His Father. The Son of God, who had always been with the Father in heaven, became Man. The Holy spirit worked in a mighty way, so that Mary would be the mother of this baby, who is God and Man in one person. He is Immanuel, which means God with us. We are not able to understand such a mystery, that the Son of God should live in the womb of Mary, before being born that first Christmas. Yet finally, when everything was ready, the promised Saviour was born. Every one of the promises concerning His birth, life, ministry and death were fulfilled exactly as God had said.

The Birth of Jesus Christ: Luke 2:1-7

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration whenQuirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels: Luke 2:8-20

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

Many People were surprised by the place chosen by God for the birth of the Saviour. The people must have thought that the most important person in the history of the world should be born in a palace and surrounded by rich people. But no, the promised Saviour was born in a dark stable which was used to keep animals. Mary took the little baby, wrapped Him in cloth and laid Him in a manger (which was an animal feeding trough). The stable was a dirty place and didn’t smell nice either. The Lord Jesus was born in complete poverty.  The One who had created the universe, the King of Glory, humbled Himself as a little baby, who was weak and dependent upon His mother. God became Man, for Jesus Christ is fully God and Fully Man. Why was this necessary? Why did he come?

The Bible tells us that He came to save us from our sins (1 Timothy 1:15). We had disobeyed God and the only way that we could be saved from our sin was that the Son of God became Man and that He should die and rise again for us on the cross at calvary.

News spread over the countryside by the angel to the shepherds that the Saviour had been born in Bethlehem. People were so excited to see the Saviour, the shepherds went at once to see the baby. Are we so excited every day to get up and see and worship our saviour? We all go through seasons when we feel closer to God or feel more distant. It is important to note that this is not just a story that is told at Christmas time. It is completely true. It is important to look further than just to Bethlehem and the Saviour being born in a manger.

The Lord Jesus didn’t remain a little baby. He grew up and became a man. He was perfect, the only one who never sinned. He always obeyed His heavenly father. He would be conqueror over death and would conquer God’s enemy Satan.

God kept His promise. One day on the cross He took the punishment for our sins. He paid for us in full, not with gold or silver, but with His own precious blood. His life. We do not deserve such love. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He won the victory over Satan. If you are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you can take this promise for yourself.

Summary

From Isaiah delivering the promise of God, that the Saviour is coming, to Jesus being the fulfilment of this promise in being born in as a baby in Bethlehem, all the way to dying on the cross for our sins, this story we hear every Christmas time is about the greatest gift that we could ever receive: Jesus Christ our Saviour, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This Christmas, if you haven’t come to know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour I would urge you to listen to these words from John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Take the words from Isaiah earlier of God being with us (Immanuel). If you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, the babe that was born in Bethlehem will be your Saviour and He will be with you until the end of this age helping and guiding you through each and every situation. Please let the best gift this Christmas be that you accepted the baby that was born in the manger as your Lord and Saviour, knowing His love that He has for you, and you can share eternity with Him.


For those of us here, who have already accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour and received the greatest gift of all, your salvation, why not take a moment today to remember the goodness of God in that He kept His promises that He would send a Saviour, therefore we can trust Him to keep the other promises He has given to those who have trusted in Him – that He will never leave or forsake you? He truly is Immanuel, God with us, until we are finally home with Him for eternity.

The first Carol we sang this morning was, ‘O come all Ye faithful.’ It is my favourite carol because of the words in the chorus, ‘O come let us adore Him.’ For all that He has done for us, it has got to be our pleasure to do exactly that. Come and adore him for the rest of our days. We have done that throughout this morning, but my challenge is to you and me, Knowing the truth that the greatest gift has been given to us, and that He is with us in every situation, now can we adore Him each and every day of the coming Year ahead? Because He deserves all our adoration.

November 26th 2023: Andrew Bowden

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

Matthew 1:18-25, 2:13-23: Looking at the role of Joseph

Joseph is often overlooked, yet he played such a distinctive role in the birth of Jesus and the raising of Jesus. He was quite a remarkable individual. Matthew begins with a list of seemingly unpronounceable names, of broken lives. Then one appears – name above all names – one who will be born like no other. He is the only mediator between God and man.

  1. Joseph is tested by God.

Joseph is severely tested by way of relationships. There are many tests and trials of life. The hardest of all is relationships. For Joseph, there is a close relationship with a beautiful woman who has a depth of beauty of spirit. Mary and Joseph would have been pledged to each other at a very young age. Their relationship would have developed over many years. Then there was the act of betrothal, a legally binding act. Following this, there would have been the anticipation of the wedding day, a time of great joy.

One can well imagine Joseph counting the days to be married to the love of his life. He would have been the happiest carpenter in Nazareth. As children count the sleeps to Christmas, so Joseph may have been counting the sleeps, the days when they would be one. Imagine his devastation when Mary takes him aside, struggling with words. Then out it comes, ‘I’m going to have a baby!’ He would have thought she’d has been unfaithful, betrayed him.

We can easily sweep over these things. Then, wait for it. She says, ’I’m going to give birth to the Son of God.’ What is Joseph going to do? He didn’t act rashly. He agonises in what is the right thing to do. He loves Mary far too much to publicly divorce her. It would have brought endless shame and disgrace for her. So, he doesn’t want any fuss and seeks to put her away secretly. What a severe test for Joseph.

Tests do come when God expects of us. These often what seems so unfair, unexpected, unreasonable, when we say, ‘Lord, why this? Why now?’ Tests come when our dreams are shattered, when our lives are turned upside down. But it is that quiet stillness in Joseph, as he deliberates what is the way forward, that shows his character. He has a spirit of surrender to God, to His unfailing love and care. We have to say, ‘Your will be done.’ When God tests us, He does so to bring out the best in us. When God tests us, it is to reveal and remove the dross, and to reveal the real us. This was a dark time for Joseph.

  • In that stillness and quietness Jospeh was visited by God.

In verse 20 onwards an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph. Joseph is addressed as the Son of David – a high-sounding title. That is all important – how we are seen and known in heaven. Joseph is told not to be fearful for God is working out something wonderful. How often our fears have been totally unfounded. God has everything in control. God says there is no need to fear. For Joseph, God is going to do something wonderful. He is given the task of naming the Son of God. He shall be called Jesus, one who will save the people from their sin. “But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26). This is the wonder of Christmas. The Son of God, man of sorrows. What a name! What a Saviour!

There is also another name here, Immanuel, God with us. He is one who is fully God. God manifest, revealed in the flesh. Here is the true image of the invisible God in Christ. Here is the unveiling of the true heart of God in Jesus, God with us. This is the new covenant in all its glory. A personal saviour. We have a reference to Jesus, to the Lord’s work and what He will do. He is Emmanuel. He will be with us. He will be for us. On the cross, He would be instead of us. Holy angels stood confounded to behold their maker thus. It was all for us.

  • Joseph is directed by God (2:13 onwards).

When the wise men had left, the Lord appears to Joseph again in a dream. The Lord directs his path. Joseph went to Bethlehem because of the census. It was providential. Now he is directed to Egypt. God knows our needs and goes before us,

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.”

                    (Psalm 139:16).

Amazing! Days of trial, days of heartache, days of blessing, God goes before us. Search your Bible and you will never find the word ‘guidance,’ but you will find ‘guide.’ It is personal. God leads us, God directs us, lovingly through all things. Yes, we make our mistakes. Looking back on life we see God graciously rules overall.

Angels come and explain all to Joseph. God knows all our limitations and weaknesses. He will overrule and work out his purposes in our life. All the way my saviour leads me. Not some of the way.

All the way my Saviour leads me
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

Fanny Crosby.

Joseph could look back on this journey and see God protected him. The slaughter of infants is in-keeping with the character of Herod. In the midst of rage, anger and spite of Herod, God protected Joseph, Mary and Jesus. God directs Joseph to Nazareth, a despised region. Yet, this is the place where God will have His Son raised. God is our fortress, our high tower, our refuge. We shelter in God’s awesome tender love and grace. He is always the same. We can count on Him. He is true to Himself, unchanging. We shelter in all the glorious promises in scripture. We shelter in His providential care, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).

We shelter in God. Isn’t it wonderful to be safe, to be secure in God?

A Sovereign Protector I have,
unseen, yet for ever at hand,
unchangeably faithful to save,
almighty to rule and command.
He smiles, and my comforts abound;
his grace as the dew shall descend;
and walls of salvation surround
the soul he delights to defend.

Augustus Toplady

It is a wonderful thing to be at peace in God.