Tortured for Us.
Jesus had to go this way to the cross/Stake/Tree, there was no other way for Him to make the Atonement by His blood for our failure and sin.
Pilate did his best to save this innocent and perfect man, but the religious leaders of Israel wanted Him dead.
But it was all in the will of God, that His only Son Jesus would go this way for us.
Isaiah 53:5, John 19:2-3, 5, 1 Peter 2: 21-24, 3:18.
An Astronomical Event.
Scientists think that they can prove the event of the explosion of a giant supernova star occuring around the time of the birth of Jesus and they also believe it was a prominent feature in the skies of the middle-east for over one year.
The prophet Daniel knew about it long before the event and Baalim also knew about it much further back still. Daniel had great sway over the Babylonian court of his day and it was from these men that the Magi came, setting out from Persia to Israel to find the King of the Jews.
But baby Jesus came as a humble servant to this lost world, to save us from our sins. That is what Christmas and Easter are all about, the celebration of a promised birth and the death and resurrection of a Savior.
Numbers 24:17, Daniel 6:25-28, Matthew 2:1-12.
God bless you this speacial season and may you come to know these truths as we do.
Freedom Fighters or Murderers?
Modern terrorism is not really much different from anything that was done in the past. It depends which country that we will choose to look at first. In the UK it has been Irish based terror, which has and continues now for over 200 years. It depends which side of the fence that you might be on?
Europe has and many other countries around the world suffer terribly from these kinds of attacks almost on a daily basis. Everyone will point their finger at Israel in how its treats the Palestinians and yet since 7/7 Britain now faces home grown terror from its own Muslim population.
The bible tells all the time about war and murder, most of the books in the Old Testament tell of how Israel had to fight the nations around them. But God is very clear about the differences of a war and murder. Exodus 20:1-26, The Book of Joshua.
Killing children.
Today we have many international declarations for the protection of woman and children in a war situation. I expect that this is in reality nothing new, depending on the nations and systems that had past warfare?
During the Nazi-Holocaust over 180,000 children were systematically murdered. They were chosen to die, picked out by doctors for inhumane medical experimentation. Most of our modern approach to DNA and Genetic science is probably based on the research collated by the Nazi’s?
The bible tells us of many past atrocity’s against Israelite/Jewish children. Exodus 1:15-22, 2 Kings 8:12, Isaiah 13:6, Matthew 2:16-18.
The Magi/ three Kings.
The wise men arrived in Jerusalem, after traveling from the east following the star for one year. This is much different from the traditional images that we have of them at the nativity. They came to acknowledge the Messiah of the Jews, the new born King of Israel and the Savior of the Gentile world.
Matthew 2:1-2, 10-11.
Meanwhile paranoid Herod had other plans for killing all the male boys up to two years old. Matthew 2:16-18.
That is what weak leaders do, when they loose control they enforce terror. Believe fear will control the multitudes.
The Messiah has come, born to a young woman, who is a virgin and has had no sexual relations with her husband. But this baby is more. He is the Saviour of the Jews, of Israel and the world. All who will place their trust in Him.
Jeremiah 23:5-6.
Luke 1:32-33, Hebrews 8:8.
People do not like to hear that Israel is a chosen nation by God, they want to say that what is written in the bible is not true or it was written from their point of view. Numbers 32:9-12.
The land was given to them and they lost it due to disobedience, but God always promised He would restore them one day. That day has come and all the events of history and human time will be played out in this region. Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2.
For believers we need not worry about these events.
But if we are not saved, then we do need to seek Jesus today.
..Is happening?
This is a very relevant message today, as we see once again the situation worsen in the middle-east between Hamas Palestinians in the Gaza strip and Israel. Many people today believe that Palestine has a right to exist and the Jews should leave the holy lands and go somewhere else?
But the bible tells us that it was God who gave Israel the land of the Phillistines and all world events, including the end will be centered in this region. Believers in Jesus, Yeshua and Isa are told not to worry, as the world does about what is happening here. Luke 12:39.
What we really need to worry about is where will we be on Judgement Day? Today is the day of repentance, now is the time to change your mind. 2 Corinthians 6:2, Isaiah 49:8, Amos 5:4.
What will you choose?
Eventually the Crusader armies made it to the Holy lands and their they proceeded to do to the local Muslim and Jewish inhabitants, especially in Jerusalem, massacre them. What was done here still reverberates across Islam to this day. All conflicts in the middle east, Afghanistan, Somalia are seen as a continuation of the wars of Saladin and the Christians.
So how do Christians deal with this factor, some today have chosen to be anti-Israeli and have taken on the Palestinians rights to claim the land. But this in it self will not heal the rift.
As we have seen in other blogs in relation to Palestine God is an estate-agent and throughout the Bible has promised the Jews a return to the land, a restoration and the promises that they will never be removed.
Ask me and I will tell you! 