All posts by Dorothy

Currently, I (Dorothy Newton} am a Street Pastor in Ramsbottom, working alongside Christians who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. Christian, visible unity among the churches.
Jeremiah wrote Lamentations, Mother of Sons of Zebedee James and John, MP Jake Berry's Bill to protect children from gambling advertisements before watershed., two blind men

The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

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The  Messiah’s. Secret  –  Jesus Heals the Two Blind Men
Evening Lectionary: Lamentations 3: 19 – 33.  Matthew 20: 17 – 34
 
 Every time we  come to the Lord in prayer we might remember these word’s of Jesus to the mother of James and John “What do you want” and to the two blind men “What do you want me to do for you?”

How gracious is our Lord Jesus that he wanted to meet the needs of the mother of James and John and the two blind men and praise the Lord for he is waiting to hear from you and me today to meet our needs. “What do you want me to do for you?”

The mother of James and John came humbly kneeling before Jesus and he said to her, “What do you want” she made her request to him, could her two sons sit one at his right hand and one at his left in his kingdom? Jesus’ response indicated that he could not give her the answer she wanted to hear, as these positions were for those appointed by his Father.

Whether this request came indirectly from James and John through their mother, it may have been the case. Earlier in a conversation among the twelve they discussed as to which one of them was the greatest.
“And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent; for on the way they had been discussed with each one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them. “If any one would be first, must be last and servant of all.” And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who has sent me.” Mark 9: 33-37
Jesus teaching them to have a child-like humility towards each other and the things of God.
 
In our reading Jesus mentions to those who seek to be the greatest or the first among them would be servant or a slave.
Definition of a servant – A person in service of another.
A Slave – A person who is the property of another.
Jesus’ implied that both these words ’servant’ and ‘slave are part of the Christian life; meaning – to humbly surrender our life to Christ, and as part of that to drink from his cup of suffering in a world that seeks darkness rather than light.
Many Christian leaders are suffering today: Brother Yun. “We’re not called to live by human reason. All that matters is obedience to God’s Word and his leading in our lives. if God says go, we’ll go. If he says stay, we’ll stay. When we are in his will, we are in the safest place in the world.” (extract from Brother Yun Quotes website)

Those have suffered for their faith down the centuries: Martin Luther King. “April 4 is the death anniversary of one of the most admired freedom fighters in history, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Luther was an American pastor, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movements. Apart from the anti-discrimination activism he was involved in throughout his life, he is also known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs.”   (extract from Martin Luther King website)                                                

Jesus says rejoice in your suffering, in the Spirit of his holy love.
We remind ourselves of the humility in the holy love of God “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hoped all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7


Jesus said to the two blind men “What do you want me to do for you?”  they where sat by the road side and when they heard that Jesus was coming so they cried out to him, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” Jesus responded by asking them, “What do you want me to do for you?” They replied, “Lord let our eyes be opened,” and he touched their eyes and immediately they received their sight.                                  
 
 
Jesus says to us “What do you want me to do for you?” That made me pause . . . 

Jesus stopped as he heard the blind men’s desperate plea.
He also would have heard those people standing close to the men telling them to be silent.                                           
Why would those stood near them want the blind men to be silent, were they ashamed of them? Maybe their appearance so reprehensible to them; poorly dressed beggars.  Perhaps they were regarded as sinners, therefore, too unclean to be touched by Jesus. 
 
The good news is that no one’s cry is beyond the reach of God.
I have had a number of conversations tried to persuade a person that nothing can come between them and the love of God no matter what their circumstances or what they have done.
 
In the old testament reading, Jeremiah wrote, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3: 22
Jeremiah lamented over the unfaithfulness of God’s people.  
The Book of Lamentations consist of five poems, these are understood to be essentially an adaptation of the mourning songs that were sung at every funeral, and it is thought that they may well have been intended to reflect the all-embracing character of the tragedy (fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon’s Temple) which left people emotionally and morally distraught.  The people were forced to accept of what prophets like Jeremiah had been saying all along: the destruction of Jerusalem had been allowed by God. It had been brought about as a result of their disobedience and  unfaithfulness towards the things of God.                                                                
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”Lamentations 3: 25, 26.
Jeremiah had a burden for the people of Israel.  
Jeremiah in his suffering was burdened and cried out in his poems, his laments to God. He grieved the loss of the people exiled into Babylon and the Jerusalem Temple’s destruction. In the third Lamentation his suffering has been great, but he continues to look every morning, waiting and hoping that the day of Salvation would soon come. Hoping that God would answer his prayer and turn the Israelites back to God.

How Jeremiah would have longed to be in those two blind men’s shoes, kneeling before his saviour and hearing directly from him those words, “What do you want me to do for you?” How he would have longed to have seen his Saviour face to face.
 
Jesus had a burden for the whole of mankind 
 In our reading Matthew records the prophecy of Jesus of his suffering, death and resurrection. In his suffering he felt the disapproval of the high priest and scribes. Fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy, “ He turned his cheek to the smiter.” Lamentations 3: 30
 
.His Father God asked and expected Jesus in the Spirit of His love to take this yoke of mankind’s sin and bear it in death on the cross. In fulfilling his prophecy Jesus made it possible for all to receive the healing touch of God.
After Jesus’ resurrection Matthew recognised that Jesus’ healing ministry had not ended with his death, “This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8: 17   
 
The Healing of our Nation   
In response to the prayer of his church, God is raising up men and women like Jeremiah. Only recently we were asked as a church to support the Jake Berry’s Bill to protect young people from the gambling advertisements before the watershed of 9pm.
On April 1st 2014 our MP Jake Berry presented his Bill to the House of Commons  to prohibit the advertising of gambling on broadcast media before the watershed. He outlined the reasons for bringing this concern to the House: 
 “I have also been in touch with parents and grandparents throughout my constituency, all of whom have spoken to me of their deep concern about the way in which their experience of watching television with their children and grandchildren is changing. Gambling advertisements now seem to dominate their screens, and children ask them about gambling and about how they can gamble during sports matches. . .  I do not wish to prevent any adult from having access to gambling, or from receiving information about it. However, it is an age-related activity, and it seems only right and proper for us to protect young people from being exposed to advertisements for what is for some, albeit a small number, an addictive and harmful activity. Advertisements on television have great power. Young people, and indeed some adults, believe that if something is advertised on TV, it is bound to be harmless. Constant advertisements for gambling condition young people to believe that it is a fun or glamorous activity; indeed, some advertisements are endorsed by celebrities. We must restrict such advertisements to adults, who are better able to weigh the odds, to understand the risks and, crucially, to deal with the consequences of any gambling losses. Tobacco advertisements were banned from television in 1991, and we must act similarly now to ban gambling advertisements before the watershed.”  Extract from Jake’s Speech    
He has support from across all political parties, but there is a lot of others who are opposed. Second reading in Parliament on the 16th May 
 
 So when Jesus asks  “What do you want me to do for you?”  
My prayer today is;  Lord please bless our nation; give wisdom to those in authority both in the church and in Parliament. Strengthen those who are raised by you to uphold Christ’s teachings and give them your love and grace to be faithful witnesses. Amen                                                                                                                                                                       
                                            
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Bronze snake, James the brother of Jesus, putting our faith into practice

The Messiah’s Secret – James the Brother of Jesus

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The Messiah’s Secret – James the Brother of Jesus.

James became a follower of Jesus after Jesus’ death and resurrection. 
John the Apostle recorded the fact that James and the other brothers of Jesus did not believe that he was the Messiah during his ministry. 
“After this Jesus went about in Galilee; he would not go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples may see the works you are doing. 4 For no man works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his brothers did not believe in him.” John 7: 1-5 

How hurtful it must have been for Jesus to hear these words coming from his brothers. They would send him into danger.

The resurrection of Jesus convinced his brothers of Jesus being the Messiah, we read that they joined the believers in the house at Jerusalem.  “All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1: 14  

James had a vision of the risen Lord. 1 Corinthians 15: 7. He was regarded as an apostle. Galatians 1: 19. James occupied a prominent if not the chief place in the church at Jerusalem, being the president of the first council.  Acts 15: 13. 

Lectionary Readings:  James Chapter 5.   John 3: 14-21.                                     
In James’s letter to the twelve dispersed tribes of Israel in Chapter 5 he put emphasis on some of the things that he has referred to earlier in his letter: they were showing in their attitudes towards each other no signs of the righteousness of God: They were making distinctions between rich and poor, there was jealousy and they were grumbling against each other, (unbridled tongues) and he reminds them of the consequences the judge was at the door.  

The problems about which he wrote we can compare with the incident on the Exodus journey, where the Israelites had to make a detour around the King of Edom’s territory which led to the Israelites to grumble and they complain to Moses over their diet; God had provided manna, quail and water, but still they moaned so God sent poisonous snakes among them and many died. Realising their sin they asked Moses to intercede to God on their behalf. God instructed Moses to make a replica snake and place it top of a pole so that every person bitten by a snake looked up at it would be healed. Numbers 21: 4- 9  

 In John 3: 14 Jesus spoke of the Son of man being lifted up like the brazen snake lifted up and placed on the top of a pole. Nicodemus and Jesus’ disciples would not realise at the time that Jesus was referring to the cross. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

We understand that the serpent lifted up on top of the pole represented life over death. Jesus being lifted up on the cross, he was the final offering for sin. As a result he won the victory over the devil’s power over death. 
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3: 16-18 

James found out that his brother Jesus suffered and died for his unbelief and in that realisation the pain of repentance must I think have been tremendous and being saved by him must have impacted him greatly, he was able to write a letter so forthrightly to those who were implicated in storing up wealth and those Christians who were grumbling.  He knew more than anyone the cost to his brother. 

James was urging them to put their faith into practice so that their deeds could be seen as being of God: to go and  feed the hungry.  To pray for the sick anointing them with oil. 
The prayer of faith will raise up a person from the depths to which they have sunk: doubts, fears, divisions and sickness.  

Praying not to an object like the bronze snake but to Jesus at God’s throne of grace, where he intercedes with God for us.   

For approximately 9 centuries the Jewish people kept Moses’ serpent on the pole, but we read in the course of time they offered incense to it as an object of worship.  
  
“King Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David had done. He removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the Ashe′rah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had burned incense to it; it was called Nehush′tan.”   2 Kings 18: 4  
The serpent up on top of the pole had become a focus of worship.

The bronze snake illustrates when sometimes the Lord gives us a way forward which usually blesses us and we hold on to it (not as a form of worship)but as a result the means of our blessing becomes the focus of our attention rather than on where the Holy Spirit is leading us to next.

The Christians who James wrote to had been blessed, but they had not moved on from receiving their salvation. They were still looking at Jesus on the cross, holding on to worldly riches and attitudes. They had not entered into the new life of the resurrection which meant stepping out in faith which was and is essential to fulfil their commission and our commission.      

 “And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  Mark 16: 17,18  

The Lord may choose to bless us in various ways as we step out in faith: the Alpha Course or another course or young people’s ministry, house groups or cells, through a ministry of healing or other gifts of the Spirit. 
However the Lord directs our path, may we be faithful and always ready to respond to the leading of his Spirit.

                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                      
James acknowledges Jesus as his Saviour., James the Lord's brother, Job, no discrimination between rich and poor, testing, trial's

The Messiah’s Secret – James Remembers Job

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    The  Messiah’s Secret – James remembers Job  
James’s under lying thread running through the letter is the life of Job He shows us by the example of Job that God will allow a Christian to be tested through trials and temptations to reveal the faith of the Christian in God. 

God allowed Job to be tested and brought to trial by Satan. 
Job was a wealthy man, Satan the accuser, challenged God to allow all that Job had to be taken away from him, he believed that Job would cease to serve God and deny his allegiance, his faith in God. 
Job lost his riches, all his possessions: his cattle, sheep, camels and his servants, all except the ones bearing the bad news that told him of his children’s death. Job 1: 20, 21. Even after the loss of his children he did not renounce God   
James saw the humility of Job in his faith in God while he was a rich man. God gave to him the kind of love that produces faith and steadfastness.  

James wrote of the lowly person being exalted and the rich person being humble. 
Christians should not to make distinctions between rich and poor, but to treat everyone the same and he encouraged them and us not to store up possessions in this life.  Josephus records in his ‘Book of Wars’ in 70 AD many rich Jewish people had stored their wealth in the temple at Jerusalem, only to see it burnt up in the fire. 
Wars of the Jews Book V1 Chapter 5 verse 2  
“And now the Romans, judging that it was in vain to spare what was around about the holy house, burnt all those places, as also the remains of the cloisters and the gates, two excepted; the one on the east side, and the other on the south; both which, however, they burnt afterward. They also burnt down the treasury chambers, in which there was a great quantity of money, an immense number of garments, and other precious goods there reposited; and, so to speak all in a few words, there it was the entire riches of the Jews were heaped up together, while the rich people had there built themselves chambers [to contain such furniture]. The soldiers also came to the rest of the cloisters that were in the outer court of the temple, whither women and children, and a great mixed multitude of people, fled, in number about six thousand.” 

 God’s faithfulness   
James taught that the most important lessons a Christian can learn is to step out in faith, faith without works does not reflect Christ. 
He advises his readers to show good works in meekness and wisdom, that reflect the nature of the righteousness of God. If someone is hungry then we should feed them as kind words are not enough. 
 He gave the example of Abraham who put his faith into practice when he offered Isaac as a sacrifice, but God intervened, a ram was provided by God and was sacrificed instead of Isaac. Abraham believed in the resurrection he believed that God would have raised Isaac in order to fulfil his promise to him that through his heir a great nation would be brought into being by God. Genesis 22: 1-18. Hebrews 11: 17-19  
Also the example of Rahab the prostitute whose faith was justified by works when she hid the Israelite spies from the king of Jericho’s men. God judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Joshua 2: 1-7 

James also states that God does not tempt people to sin.    
God gave us free will which allows us to choose what we say or do.  He gives wisdom to those who ask, so we are able to discern between what is right and what is wrong. We are able to use the scriptures through the Holy Spirit guiding us into all truth. 

Satan again came before God and challenged him, asking if he could touch Job in his flesh and he would renounce God. Job 2: 5.
Job’s wife found that it was too much to see her husband suffer, she told him to renounce God and die. Job told his wife that she should be able to accept the bad news as well as the good from God, he did not blame God.  

James wrote “But he gives more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to dejection. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.” James 4: 6-10.  

Job in his humility kept his eyes on God, even when God was silent and he only heard from his three friend

Job’s faithfulness    
In his poverty Job went and sat on the ash mound, the dung hill, full of sores. (Elephantiasis a form of leprosy) His three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zopher came and sat with him and for seven days they spoke with unbridled tongues. Eliphaz bluntly told him to now uphold the advice that he had given to others to acknowledge his sin and repent and turn back to God. Bildad said that his sin had brought all this upon him. Zopher remarked that he should cry to God actions speak louder than words. They judged him as being self-righteous as he constantly declared his integrity  

 Jessie Penn Lewis’s book ‘The Story of Job 
 “It is sometimes necessary to leave someone in the hands of God and encourage them to believe their way through the path of trial, because maybe God has allowed sickness as part of his purposes for that person.”   

Christians grumbling with unbridled tongues   
To leave someone in the hands of God – anyone who is going through a time of trial or sickness needs prayer support from their church without judging that person as to why they are in their present circumstances.

Job was prepared to die.    
And God was silent, be still in the darkness, do not kindle a fire yourself, wait upon God. Job did not renounce God. He had a vision which was prophetical, “I know that my redeemer lives and at last he will stand upon the earth, and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then from my flesh I shall I see God.” Job 17: 16. 19: 25, 26 
Job would see his redeemer face to face after his resurrection from the dead.

James wrote, “Behold, we call those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” James 5: 11  

Elihu 
 Listening to the conversation between Job and his three friends was a young man Elihu. He held himself back until there was a pause in their conversation. The friends ceased to answer Job. Elihu had a message from God,” deliverance through the ransom.” Job 33: 24  
 Elihu had understood the dealings of God with Job, but he does not attempt to combat his insistence on integrity, as the other men did. He told him God had brought his soul from the pit, not on the ground of his own integrity, but on the ground of his faith and trust in God. 
God had enlightened Job with the light of his living redeemer and the resurrection of the dead.

Jesus the Redeemer     
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3: 16
“Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects” James 5:13-16.

Job’s three friends repented before Job and he prayed for his friends and they were restored, sins forgiven. God restored Job with a new spirit as a child; a new freshness of life in heavenly youthfulness; a new power in prayer and joy in the knowledge of God; a new assurance of righteousness in union with the righteous one. God restored to him his flocks and herds and once again sons and daughters graced his home. Job lived for a further 150 years after the time of his trial. 

God allowed Job to suffer as he knew Job’s thoughts and intentions of his heart was sincere towards his God. His three friends were saved from the error of prejudging Job through their repentance and forgiveness. 

 I believe James and his brothers were not convinced by his interpretation of  Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth and the miracles and healing that Jesus did. John 7: 1-5. Matthew 13: 54-58.
James found out the truth through the death and resurrection of Jesus that he was the Son of God and he too saw the fulfillment of the vision that Job had of seeing his redeemer face to face, not on the ground of his own integrity but on the ground of his faith and trust in God. 

For us today we too can say, “I know that my redeemer lives, and in my flesh I see God in Jesus.”                                                                                                      .                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                            
ash mound, I know that my redeemer lives, Job, patience of Job, ransom

The Messiah’s Secret – A Short Study of Job

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A short study of Job.  
 
In the warm  and dry land of the East, the dung was not mixed with straw, but was carried in baskets to a place outside the village where it was usually burnt once a month. The rains reduced the ashes to a solid hill of earth, and the place used by the inhabitants of the village as a watch tower and a meeting place.
The Book of Job is regarded as one of the oldest books in the Bible. Job did not worship the stars or anything terrestrial; he worshipped the same God as Abraham.
He offered sacrifices for himself and his family; this was before the law was given to Moses by God. Job was regarded as a man of integrity, just and true, he had a fear of God and faith in him.
God described Job as there being none like him in all the earth, a man blameless, true, Godly, abstaining from everything evil. A man who God set a hedge about him and blessed the work of his hands.
In the Book of Job we get a glimpse into the spiritual world, we read of Satan walking up and down, going to and fro upon the earth, he’s never still, having no rest.
Satan the accuser challenged God to allow all that Job had been given to him, to be taken away from him and then Job would cease to serve God and deny his allegiance to him.
God allowed Satan to test Job, Job lost his possessions: his cattle, sheep, camels and his servants, all except the ones bearing the bad news that told him of his children’s death.
Job 1: 20, 21.
Job remembered how he came into the world with nothing and therefore he does not deny God.
Satan again came before God and challenged him, asking if he could touch Job in his flesh he would renounce God. Job 2: 5.
Satan attacked Job’s body with a disease; (Elephantiasis a form of leprosy) Job’s wife found that it was too much to see her husband suffer, she told him to renounce God and die. Job told his wife that she should be able to accept the bad news as well as the good from God, he did not blame God.
Jessie Penn Lewis’s book ‘The Story of Job’
“It is sometimes necessary to leave someone in the hands of God and encourage them to believe their way through the path of trial, because maybe God has allowed sickness as part of his purposes for that person.”
To leave some one in the hands of God – any one who is going through a time of trial or sickness needs prayer support from their church without judging that person as to why they are sick.
The three friends of Job: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zopher for seven days they sat with him on the ash mound. Job cursed the day of his birth. Job 2: 13.
Job was suffering so much he began to see death as a way out, an escape.
 
Eliphaz
The First of Job’s three friends Eliphaz spoke out in his usual candid way. He said, “Job you have instructed many in their pain, now it’s your turn and to remember your own advice, ’Trust in the knowledge of God, men reap what they have sown.’” Job 4: 7-11
Eliphaz had a dream, “A spirit passed before my face, a form was before my eyes, and I heard a still voice say, “Shall mortal man be just before God. Shall a man be pure before his maker?” Job 4: 12-17.
Eliphaz’s interpretation: Job was a sinner like everybody else therefore he should he should accept God’s chastening upon him so therefore he should ‘Go back to God.’ Job 5: 17
Job saw this as an attack on his integrity, he had not left God; he rebuked his friend Eliphaz, even though he knew that he did not understand. Job 6: 22-24.
 
Bildad
Bildad was regarded as his humble friend.
Bildad used the “if” word. If Job had sinned his suffering then would be as a result of it. (They believed that through the fall of Adam and Eve sickness and disease was a result of sin. The fall opened the door to sickness and disease, not all sickness is a result of personal sin.)
Job’s reply, “How can a man be just before God?”  Job 9: 1,2.
Job asked God for forgiveness, knowing that he could not forgive on behalf of God, he could not cleanse himself. Job 9: 32, 33.
Who would plead to God for him and who would speak to him from God? He could only be declared not guilty by God.
Job pleaded to God; knowing that he alone knew all about him and perhaps it was his will for him to suffer. Job 10: 13
 
Zopher
Zopher said to Job, “Should a man who’s full of talk, be justified. Job 11: 1, 2, 13. 12: 3
“Cry to God and be forgiven.” Job replied, “I am not inferior to you.” Zopher was making him a laughing stock. Job said, “Do you not think that I am too proud to admit my sin, but I have not sinned.” Job saw their ignorance against him.
Job can not say how a man is justified before God, yet in his heart he believed that he ‘shall be justified.’ He would thrust himself upon God.
As yet he had no clear assurance of the life to come after death. Job 14: 14.
 
Eliphaz
Eliphaz accuses Job of having no fear of God because of the way that he had argued against their assumptions that he must have sinned.  Eliphaz did not think that a man could be righteous before God; as even the heavens were not clean in God’s sight. Job 15: 14, 15.
Job had aroused the indignation of his three friends. His friends saw Job as being self-righteous as he constantly declared his integrity.
Job knew from his experience that God was approachable, he was clinging to the fact that God knew his life and therefore he would vouch for him that he had walked with him in the integrity of heart, the sacrifices he made pleased God and he had been blessed by him.
Job was prepared to die. Job 17: 16.
God was silent, be still in the darkness, do not kindle a fire yourself, wait upon God.
Job did not renounce God. He had a vision which was prophetical, “ “I know that my redeemer lives and at last he will stand upon the earth, and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then from my flesh I shall I see God.” Job 19: 25, 26  
Job would see his redeemer face to face after his resurrection from the dead.
Job’s prophecy fulfilled in Jesus
Jesus died on the cross, suffering for the sin of the world. Jesus suffered: the loss of everything material, the broken will, to live for God in complete surrender. He was crucified, laying down his life for our justification, Jesus pleads to God for us, redeeming us from our sin.
Through our faith in him we are made clean from sin and the causes of sin.  Jesus also speaks to us from God through his resurrection revealing himself in his word. Over 500 Christians had the privilege of seeing the risen Lord. 1 Corinthians 15: 6
 
Elihu
Listening to the conversation between Job and his three friends was a young man Elihu.
He held himself back until there was a pause in their conversation. The friends ceased to answer Job. Elihu had a message from God,” deliverance through the ransom.” Job 33: 24
Elihu had understood the dealings of God with Job, but he does not attempt to combat his insistence on integrity, as the other men did. He told him God had brought his soul from the pit and had enlightened him with the light of the living, his redeemer lives and the resurrection of the dead.
God had allowed Job to be withdrawn from the life he had, that he might save him from spiritual pride. God had brought him down from his high place, to make him know, himself, and his dependence upon God for every breath of life.
Job had seen his redeemer as the living one, who would vindicate him. Elihu spoke of the redeemer as the ransom, the one who would be gracious to him, and deliver him from going down to the pit, not on the ground of his own integrity, but on the ground of his faith and trust in God.
God would restore him with a new spirit as a child; a new freshness of life in heavenly youthfulness; a new power in prayer and joy in the knowledge of God; a new assurance of righteousness in union with the righteous one, the light of the living.
God restored to him his flocks and herds and once again sons and daughters graced his home.

 

Job lived for a further 150 years after the time of his trial.
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The Messiah’s Secret – Baptism of Tears

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The Messiah’s Secret –  Baptism of Tears
 On the 19th January Gwen Carlisle shared with us how God had called her to become a missionary. She left home to live and work in a church school in Paraguay. 
In our reading Abram (Abraham) was called by God to leave the security of what he knew to a new land. Genesis 12: 1-4. 
The writer of Hebrews points out that Abraham set out for the Promised Land not knowing where he was to go, he looked for a heavenly city whose builder and maker was God and his descendants were looking for God’s promise to Abraham to be fulfilled. “These all died in faith, not receiving what was promised . . . They had seen it from afar, a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” Hebrews 11: 8-9. 
David the shepherd and court musician a descendant of Abraham was favoured by the people and as a result due to the jealousy of King Saul was pursued by him throughout Israel. 1 Samuel 18: 28 – 30. 
 “Hear my prayer O Lord and give ear to my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears! For I am thy passing guest, a sojourner, like all my fathers.” Psalm 39: 12.  David looked for the coming of God’s kingdom.
Later when David was King, God gave a prophecy to Nathan for David, ”When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-17
This prophecy telling him that one of his descendants would be the Messiah and would established on the earth Abraham’s Promised Land, God’s eternal kingdom, and throne of King David. A King has a Kingdom.
 
The people at the time of Jesus were in expectation of the coming of the Messiah.
John the Baptist proclaimed a baptism of repentance in preparation of the coming in of the kingdom. And Jesus proclaimed, “The times is fulfilled the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Mark 1:15
(It was generally taught of there being only one Messiah.  The kingdom of God and Kingdom of heaven both refer to God’s kingdom)
Nicodemus a member of the Sanhedrin came from the security of what he knew to speak with Jesus.  John 3: 1-17         
He referred to Jesus as a teacher, “We know that you are a teacher come from God,” he probably had heard some of Jesus’ parables referring to the kingdom of God, but was not able to understand them. These parables were puzzling statements not meant to be understood by the people, only the disciples were given privately the understanding of them. “And he said to them, ”To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables; so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand.” Mark 4: 10-12 Many of the parables begin with ‘The kingdom of God’.
“And he said, “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts it to the sickle, because the harvest has come.”  Mark 4: 26-29.
The mystery of how the Kingdom of God would develop here in this parable: By the seeds of faith being sown and by grace people becoming children of God and enter into the kingdom of God.
The parables about the kingdom of God were meant to be kept a mystery, the reason why is because the Kingdom of God could not be brought in until after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension and after the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world. 
 
The disciples were proclaimingat and after Pentecost for the first time that Jesus was Christ, the Messiah proving from the scriptures Jesus had fulfilled prophesies that related to his death, resurrection, ascension and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.
Peter proclaimed that it was in the foreknowledge of God that he was crucified. “This Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” Acts 2: 23.
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus who you crucified.” Acts 2: 29-36.           
 
At the Gate Beautiful Peter proclaimed that they had acted in ignorance, the prophesies of his suffering and death had been fulfilled and if they repented God would send the appointed Christ for you, Jesus.
The call to Israel’s leaders to accept and bring the people to repentance preceded Jesus bringing in the times of refreshing the restoration of the throne and land of King David. The promise to Abraham of a heavenly kingdom on earth.  Relating to the Ascension, “Whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.” Acts 3: 17-21
Peter proclaimed that Joel’s prophecy the coming of the Holy Spirit has been fulfilled. “And in the last days it shall be, God declares,that i will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” Joel 2: 28-32. Acts 2: 14-17.
 
Jesus in conversation with Nicodemus informed him that he needed to be born anew to see the Kingdom of God.
Nicodemus’ response, “How can I be born again into my mothers’ womb?”
Jesus answered “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”
The flesh –  like discerning of the movement of the wind,  the human nature we are born with, finds it hard to understand and discern the words of scripture.  
Nicodemus a teacher of Israel could not understand Jesus’ words about being born anew.  (Ezekiel 36: 26-28. 37: 12-14.New heart.)
 
The Spirit – The Holy Spirit reveals the understanding of scripture, especially in connection with Jesus. Some of the gifts of the Spirit  are used to communicate the understanding and discernment of the words of scripture. Romans 10 Faith comes by hearing the words of the gospel.                                                                                             .
           
Jesus spoke of Being born of water and Spirit, we link water and Spirit with water baptism.    
Coming to Jesus from the security of what we know to believe and except Jesus as our Saviour we say sorry to God for the sins against God and for some Christians they experience a baptism of tears. 

Tears of repentance & Forgiveness of sins

 “I came to cast a fire upon the earth: and would that it was kindled! ! have a baptism to be baptized with and how I am constrained until it is accomplished.” Luke 12 : 49, 50
Here Jesus spoke of the baptism of his death before he would bring in the Kingdom .
As Jesus made his way down from the Mount of Olives he looked towards the city and wept.  I wonder did his tears reflected, the baptism of his suffering and death that he knew he was to endure. Love bearing the pain of sin against God, dying to redeem us by his sinless life.

                                                                                                                     

The conviction of sin may bring tears to our eyes, tears of repentance and the release from sin may be followed by tears of joy as our spirit is quickened(made alive in God) with the Holy Spirit, transforming our nature by the power of Almighty God. 
The Psalmist wrote “ May those who sow in tears, reap with shouts of joy!”

Professor Rendell Short in his book ‘Wonderfully Made’ writes, “Why emotion should stimulate the lachrymal glands is not clear.” It is not understood why we cry. 
    
One of the Holy Spirit’s gifts is the gift of tears.
John Richard writes about the gift of tears, “The Holy Spirit’s movement upon the heart touching the emotions as part of a loving response to God’s love. It is not associated with human passions but with the experience of God. Tears that flow without strain or effort as our heart cries out to God” www.helpforchristians.co.uk 

 A lady I know received the gift of tears at a Quiet Morning. She said, that tears began to flow and she could not understand the reason why. 

God tells us in his word that he keeps our tears in a bottle. 
The Psalmist wrote: “Thou hast kept count of my tossings (concerns) put thou my tears in a bottle! Are they not in your book?” Psalm 56: 8 So precious are our tears that God remembers them, makes a note of them. 

St Paul’s gift of tears: in his second letter to the Corinthians.
 “For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.”  2 Corinthians 2:4   
St Paul making it known in his love for them he was moved to tears in his prayers, before God. 

Jeremiah’s gift of tears 
“But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock have been taken captive.”  Jeremiah 13: 17. In his prayers he was moved to tears as he prayed for the people who at the time were going through a period of prosperity but were turning away from God. 

My prayer is that the Lord would pour out his tears through his people, the church, to feel a compassionate love for the people on our road, avenue, street, in our town and in our nation, tears for those whose heart the Lord longs to touch, who do not yet know him, our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ.
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The Messiah’s Secret – New Start

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The Messiah’s Secret – New Start

Young  People’s  short  talk.

In our reading Jesus tells us not to get angry. On the screen I put a young man whose expression was of anger. We get angry when someone does something against us like being deliberately tripped up (picture on screen) or a class mate telling tales over us. 









We can call on Jesus to help us to subdue our anger and take it from us. it is as easy as pressing a button to call on Jesus. Just as a button gives access to our computers and phones we can access God by calling on him in prayer.
I have put a button on a card (milk bottle top and chocolate buttons)with a reminder on them when we feel angry to call on the Lord and rest in his promises.

Readings: 1 Corinthians 3: 1-9. Matthew 5: 21 -37  

A couple drove several miles down a country road, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led them to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position. As they passed a farmyard of pigs and mules, the husband sarcastically asked, “Relives of yours?” “Yep, said his wife, in laws.                                                    
The commandments are spiritual,(Romans 7: 12, 14.) In our reading Jesus elaborated on the sixth and seventh commandments: “You shall not kill” and “You shall not commit adultery. “    He makes us aware of the things that tempt us that may if unchecked cause us to sin like: anger, insults and seduction.
Temptations.
The Bible covers all aspects of humanity and gives us examples: ‘Anger’ had lead Cain to take Abel’s life and King David in his seducing of Bathsheba took Uriah’s life.

Adam and Eve’s sons Cain and Abel brought a gift offering before the Lord. Cain a tiller of the ground brought the produce from the land and Abel a keeper of sheep brought a lamb from his flock. Abel’s offering was pleasing to God, the  blood of animal’s were later used to cover the original sin, whereas Cain’s displeased God, the ground had been cursed by God. Cain was upset and angry; he was warned by God that if he continued to be angry he would fall into sin. Cain could not subdue his anger and with his hands murdered his brother Abel. Genesis Chapter 3 & 4: 11. This is the first murder recorded in the Bible. It came so soon after Adam and Eve were driven from Eden. 

In Jesus’ day, just as today people quarreling would end up insulting each other and in some cases one will take the other to court.                                         
Under law after a Jewish person had been insulted or had insulted someone covering justified anger and unjustified anger they would take a gift to the temple to be placed before the altar to make amends(Peace Offering) before God. Jesus said, before making a gesture to God, speak to your accuser while going with him to court and settle the matter. Alfred Edersheim ‘The Temple’
In Matthew 5: 17 Jesus said, “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come to fulfill them.”
We have the example of Jesus fulfilling the law, he was the Gift on the altar. 
Pilate had quarreled with Herod, however, during Jesus’ trial Pilate realized that Jesus was a Galilean so he sent him to Herod to be examined by him. Herod questioned Jesus, but he answered nothing. Herod sent him back to Pilate. As a result of this we read,
 “Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, before this they had been at enmity with each other.” Luke 23: 6-12.
Jesus’ life laid down fulfilling every ritual and law,  he brings healing and forgiveness to all who come to him. 

Jesus endorsed God’s commandments
“For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5: 18
Until all is accomplished – meaning the commandments written in the heart for ever, certainly untill he returns to bring in his kingdom.
He also spoke of the future consequences of ignoring them. In verse 22 “Anyone says ‘you fool!’ or ‘reprobate’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.” What Jesus was saying the people listening would understand. On the out skirts of Jerusalem in the Valley of Hinnom is where the inhabitants of Jerusalem burnt their rubbish, a continual fire burned. Jesus alluded to it as a place described by local people as ‘hell’ a burning lake of fire. Dake’s  Annotated Reference Bible
The Greek word ‘moros’ is translated ‘reprobate’ and also ‘a rebel’ It depends on the context in which the word is written. ‘Foolish for Christ’s sake’ is in the context of being a rebel.   Youngs’ Analytical Concordance. 8th Edition.
The seventh commandment
King David saw Bathsheba from the roof of the King’s house and he admired her beauty and desired her, however, she was married to Uriah the Hittite. David committed adultery with her. He later schemed against Uriah sending him to the front line of the battle against the Ammonites where he was killed. Afterwards King David married Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 11
King David could not resist the temptation his eye had wandered.
Humanity hasn’t changed, hasn’t evolved, and hasn’t improved over the millenniums. I can relate to a situation in my life, were my Auntie Fay was told by her husband he was leaving her for another woman, the shock and hurt within seconds she collapsed and died, my grandmother who lived opposite to my aunt and uncle heard that there was trouble across the road, and when she got there and saw and heard, she had a heart attack and died.  The shock and horror of it all, I remember going to the double funeral. 
 
Jesus makes us aware that we need to resist the temptations the thoughts, eye or the hand that leads us astray.
When we do fall to temptation God knows our circumstances, and he knows that a person with or without Jesus, may not have the spiritual strength or inclination to resist temptation especially were a person is unhappy in a relationship.

Universal love
God is love and in him there is no sin, due to the fall when sin came into the world the love that we are all capable of sharing is sadly now tainted with sin. The love that Jesus fills us with is holy love, pure as he is pure, without sin. 
1 John 1: 8 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Jesus God’s gift to us in bringing reconciliation between us and God.  Allowing us to make a fresh start through faith in him.  We can call on the Lord our God at any time through our faith being worked out.
The Holy Spirit begins the work of gradually peeling away our unspiritual (carnal) thoughts, so that we develop the mind of Christ.
At Corinth in their infancy the Christians had fallen into sin. It seems they were following the person who had baptised them either: Cephas, Paul or Apollos, they were being pulled in three directions, this resulted in jealousy and strife. Paul had heard from Chleo that things were not as they should be. In response Paul’s letter stepping in before matters grew worse.                      
Paul described them as followers of the flesh they were putting these leaders in the place of Jesus in their hearts.
For every Christian then and now our faith is in Christ alone.
The Commandments are fulfilled in Jesus, so as Jesus lives within our hearts they are written in our heart and so we feel how the Lord our God feels about sin.
Reminded by the button
When temptation gets the better of me, I will remember that I can activate the button ‘New Start’ and through prayerful repentance I know that the Lord always hears me and if you use a computer you will know, that the restore button reverses the error that you have just made and takes you back to where you were before. Thank you, Lord, Amen.



 

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The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus the First-born

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Jesus the First-born       
Evening Service Luke 2: 22-40.  Hebrews 2: 14-18.

Waiting  for the promise of Jesus’ return to be fulfilled.
In our present day most Christians are looking to the fulfillment of the prophesies concerning Jesus’ return: the increase of knowledge, the communications through computers and satellites that take the gospel to every part of the world. The changing climate due to damage to the ozone layer. Daniel 12: 4. Matthew 24 All point to his return.

Simeon and Anna were waiting for God to fulfil his promises to them, like the prophesies from Isaiah, “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 Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom to establish it, and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” Isaiah 9: 6, 7. These words were familiar to Simeon and Anna and they were looking for their fulfillment.

First Simeon followed by Anna they discerned that this was the Christ –child the one who would redeem Israel.
When Mary and Joseph came into the temple with their offering for Mary’s purification.
In the reading they offered either a pair of turtle doves or two pigeons signifying that they were too poor to offer a lamb. Leviticus 12: 6-8
 They were also presenting Jesus their first-born to the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.” Luke 2: 23, 24.
 “God declared “For the first-born are mine.” Numbers 3: 15
Jesus the Fist-born of all creation.
 “Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.” Colossians 1: 15
Mirror image of God Tom Wright ‘Paul for Everyone’
 “If there is somebody sitting in the next room, I can’t see them because there is a wall in the way. But if there is a mirror out in the hallway, I may be able to look out of my door and see, in the mirror, the mirror image of the God who is there but who we normally can’t see.”
 
Jesus is the Son of God revealed in the flesh, born of a virgin woman Mary, her first-born son.
Under Jewish law the first-born belonged to God.
 The first-born were consecrated to the Lord .  This was in memory of the preservation of the first-born Israelite and the death of the first-born Egyptians.
On the eve of the Passover the blood of the lamb was brushed onto the door-posts and lintels of their houses saving them from the angel of death slaying the first-born man and beast.
The first- born in every Jewish family were consecrated to God for service in the temple.
Two years after leaving Egypt after the construction of the ‘Tent of the Meeting’ God instructed Moses that the Levites first-born should now serve in it instead of the first-born from the families of every tribe. The first-born of the other families were consecrated to God, but paid a redemption price for exemption from serving in the temple, 5 shekels.
 “And the Lord said to Moses, Number all the first-born males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number by names. And you shall take the Levites for me – I am the Lord – instead of all the first-born among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the people of Israel. . . . And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy three of the first-born of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites, you shall take five shekels apiece; reckoning by the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs, you shall take them, and give the money by which the excess number of them is redeemed to Aaron and his sons.”  Numbers 3: 40-48.
It was no co-incidence that Joseph and Mary could not afford to purchase a lamb for her purification; God had made that provision in Jesus the Lamb of God, in his sacrifice paying in full the requirement of the law for purification rites and the redeeming price for the first-born.
Jesus was born as one of us to accomplish total redemption for the sins of the whole of humanity
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself like wise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.”
Hebrews 2: 14, 15.
Jesus grew up strong and filled with wisdom and the favour of God was upon him. Luke 2: 40.
In his ministry he showed compassion, honesty, dedication to his calling as he had the heart of God and the signs that he manifested showed the power and sovereignty of God in his life.
God had prepared a body
Jesus in his humanity defeated the devil, in his death and resurrection. The sinless life of  Christ brought in the new covenant, the old covenant  had been brought in by angels. Hebrews 10: 5. Deuteronomy 33: 2. Acts 7: 53
Jesus was from the line of Judah not of Aaron or Levi.
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews reveals to us that Jesus was a high priest after the order of Melchizedek , who had no beginning or end.
 “This becomes more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek who has become a priest, not according to legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God.”  Hebrews 7: 15-17 Psalm 110: 4.
Jesus holds his high priesthood permanently, he has an indestructible life.
As High Priest Jesus made the sacrificial offering of himself.
Jesus was prepared to take all sin, against God, upon himself on the cross, thereby taking the penalty of sin which leads to eternal death and In his resurrection the forgiveness of sin and newness of life.  Death had no more dominion over those who in faith confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
 “He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead.” Colossians 1:18
Jesus the first-born of the church, his risen body  .Every believer bears that title of being ‘first-born ‘children of God because we are in Christ, his living presence within each believer.
Just as the Israelite first-born  served in the Temple, we serve Jesus in the temple of his body, the church. We are a heavenly people.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians 1: 3  “We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.”
“The eyes of our hearts have been enlightened, that we may know the hope to which he has called us.”
 
We may have to wait to see its fulfilment of what he has called us to do.  
The promises that we receive on our Christian journey we may find ourselves waiting for them to be fulfilled.
My sister Irene a number of years ago she believed that the Lord was calling her to live and work in Ainsdale.    After she qualified as a chiropodist she went to Ainsdale looking at properties there, but at that time she found nothing suitable. Irene still has it upon her heart, it has yet to be fulfilled.
“Also we may know what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”  Ephesians 1: 3, 18.
Under Law the first-born received double inheritance. Deuteronomy 21: 15-17
The prophet Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “I pray you, let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” Elijah consented.
After Elijah was translated into heaven, Elisha using Elijah’s mantle struck the water and the water parted proving that he had received a double share of Elijah’s spirit.” 2 Kings 2: 9,10, 14.
 
Our inheritance under grace
 We receive a double share receiving both the Spirit of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We inherit all that belongs to Jesus, we receive his nature: love in all its diversity, knowledge, wisdom, discernment, counselling, healing, prophecy, administration, anointed skills and bearing responsibility of doing the Lord’s will.
Under law the first-born as head of the household 2 Chronicles 21:3
The first-born according to patriarchal custom was expected to provide for his mother and sisters if they were unmarried.  Unger’s Bible Dictionary page 368.
Jesus fulfilled this duty of the first-born when on the cross said to John, “Behold, your mother,” and he said to his mother, “Behold, your son!” John took Mary the mother of Jesus to live with him.  John 19: 26, 27.
Under grace the Lord looks after us and in one of the many ways is shown to us in our reading.
 “Through Jesus’ suffering and being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted”.
We may be tempted to give up on waiting for God to fulfil his promise to us.
Don’t give up on God, he will not give up on you
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The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus the Vine

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The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus the Vine

The Psalmist referred to the people of Israel as a vine. 

The nation of Israel described as a vine when they left Egypt for the Promised Land. God tended, cared for and pruned the vine as they made their journey towards the Promised Land. God’s tangible and visible presence led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He provided water from the rock, Moses was instructed by God to strike the rock with his rod as he did water spewed out from it. God provided “manna” bread and “meat” quail (birds). The bread appeared like dew in the morning and quails descended on the camp providing meat. 

 “Thou didst bring out of Egypt a vine, thou didst drive out the nations and plant it. “                     Psalm 80: 8-19  RSV Bible
When they arrived in the Promised Land the vine was planted, the nation took root in the land of Canaan. 

God watching over his people was described as sitting under the vine.

“And Judah and Israel dwelt in safety, from Dan to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon.” 
1 Kings 4: 25
“ But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Micah 4: 4.
“In that day, says the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbour under his vine and under his fig tree.” Zechariah 3: 10. 

The Messiah’s Secret 
Isaiah wrote of God identifying his vineyard with Israel. “For the Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel.” Isaiah 5: 7.
Alfred Edersheim describes the symbolic importance of the vine. “Two doors with gold plating, covered by a rich Babylonian curtain made up of the four colours of the Temple (fine linen, blue, scarlet, and purple), formed the entrance into the Holy Place. (Not the Most Holy Place.) Above it hung that symbol of Israel, a gigantic vine of pure gold, made of votive offerings each cluster the height of a man.” 
Edershiem “The Temple” page 58

Jesus the Vine.
John the Apostle recorded Jesus’ words in referring to himself as the vine.”I am the true vine.” Therefore if Jesus is the vine then Jesus is embodied in the people of Israel.    

The beloved vine Jesus embodied Israel 
Embodied meaning – be an expression of or give a tangible or visible form to.
God identifying himself as the vine, the people of Israel, and gave his tangible and visible form to them when God’s Son Jesus was born the descendant of King David. 
                                                      
Isaiah prophesied Israel’s vineyard would produce wild grapes this was fulfilled in Jesus’ day.    
”When he looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yielded wild grapes?” Isaiah 5: 4.
The Pharisees and Lawyers neglected justice they had taken away the key of knowledge; they added extra laws to the Laws of Moses these laws laid a heavy burden on the people, as they earned their righteousness under law. Luke 11: 42-52    

Justice.  
Jesus the true vine looked for justice; he taught that it was right to do good on the Sabbath Day. He acted on compassionate love very often going the extra mile to heal a sick person. The Pharisees, Sadducee, Layers and scribes their hearts were hardened, for them it was more important to keep the Sabbath day laws than for a person to be healed.  

Love.  
Jesus taught that the commandments were fulfilled in love: firstly to love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and secondly to love your neighbour as yourself. Loving the Lord with all your heart involves all the love we are capable of; with all the soul means giving the whole of our life to the Lord; with all our strength means doing everything to show love to him and with all our mind involves getting to know God especially through his word, for increased knowledge of him brings increased love.   

The Parable of the Vineyard  
Luke 20: 9-16 

The owner sent his servant to collect some fruit from the vineyard, but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty handed. Another servant was sent but they wounded him and treated him shamefully. He sent another whom they killed him. Many others were sent some they beat and some they killed.  

Jesus here has changed Israel position from being the vine to the tenants of God’s vineyard. He explains why through the servants who he sent to collect the fruit, Jesus’ referring to the prophets sent by God like: Elijah, Jeremiah and Isaiah to the leaders of Israel the vines of his vineyard to convict them and the people of their need to turn back to God and repent. 

Finally God the owner of the vineyard sent his son, surely he thought that they would respect his son, but they treated him the same as the prophets. 

An example of the battle for Israel’s vineyard that took place in the days of Elijah.  
Elijah spoke out against Israel’s King Ahab and Queen Jezebel’s dishonesty. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel desired Naboth’s vineyard, but Naboth would not give or sell his inheritance to them. Jezebel plotted against Naboth, she wrote a letter in King Ahab’s name to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people; and set two base fellows opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” The elders and nobles of Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had requested in the letter. Naboth an innocent man was killed by being stoned to death. As soon as Ahab heard from Jezebel that Naboth was dead, she encouraged him to go and take possession of the vineyard so King Ahab went and took possession of it. 1 Kings 21: 1-16.  

Jesus prophesied his death, “This is the heir, let us kill him and the inheritance is ours.”
The unseen principalities and powers of darkness were hoping that by killing Jesus the devil had a claim on Israel’s vineyard.   
The devil, who knew that Jesus was the Christ, but he did not know God’s plan of redemption through Jesus’ death and resurrection, which secured the victory over the devil’s power over death, sin and causes of sin. Mark 1: 24, 34.  
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power over death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to life long bondage. Hebrews 2: 14, 15    

In the parable of the Vineyard the tenants took the son they had killed and cast him out of the vineyard.   
This prophecy in the parable, was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross outside Jerusalem’s city walls, the Jews made a sin offering of a red heifer outside the city walls.  This sacrifice had the highest significance to atone for “death” itself. Page 349 Alfred Edersheim, “The Temple”.   
The red heifer’s ashes were used for purification rituals for the removal of sin and were kept at the gates outside the walls of the city for the people to use. Numbers 19: 3, 9. Hebrews 9: 11-17.   

Death has no more dominion over us. 
The sin that leads to death has been dealt with by Jesus when he bore our sin on the cross and paid the price for it by lying down his innocent life and in his risen life. we see the victory over death.  
Through God given faith, hearing or reading, the living words of Jesus are received into the heart, the center of our being. The Holy Spirit dwelling within us acts upon the words and by a miracle we are changed, our hardened hearts are transformed, made new, we know that death has lost its capacity to reign over us. I noticed when this happened to me the fear of death had gone.

The Gentiles are an integral part of the vine    
Jesus concluded his parable when he spoke of the vineyard being given to another nation to bear the fruit of it. When we read Luke’s account of this parable, the other nation being the Gentiles from whom many would come to faith in Jesus, this nation comprised of both Jew and Gentile. The cross breaking down the barrier between Jew and Gentile. Ephesians 2: 11-22. 

Jesus speaking to his disciples paralleled the functions of the vine with Discipleship   
Jesus said, “I am the true vine and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15: 1-5 

Jesus described himself as the true vine and said that his disciples are branches of the vine drawing and receiving their life and strength from the root and stem of the vine. The branches are tended, cared for and pruned by the Father and are called to abide in the vine.  Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.”  John 15: 7. 

This word “if” speaks of making a choice to either make Jesus the Lord of our lives or to put ourselves as Lord of our life.  With Jesus the Lord of our lives we are called to abide in his words: to read, and study/meditate on the words of Jesus, also of putting his words into practice, prayer is an important integral part of it.   

We make these choices daily when we decide how to spend our time. Some days are busier than others, how we are feeling etc. To get through any day, it is best to bring all that we are hopefully going to do and hope to say before the Lord in prayer. Very often the word of scripture that we have read will give guidance, assurance and a blessing as the Lord walks with us.  

Our prayers often lead us to bring Jesus’ promises into focus, “ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you,” Love (Jesus) intercedes and contends on our behalf to fulfil his promises to us.  God given promises to us can be like Christmas presents that are given to us, but for some reason are left unopened. When in response to hearing the Lord’s call we take that step of faith to share the good news of God’s love with another person. In doing so we are opening the gift of the promise of salvation and afterwards share in the joy of their entrance into God’s kingdom.  

Last week’s visit to the opticians opened up an opportunity to make Jesus known. In conversation with the optician I explained that I had been studying and reading a great deal. He asked me what I had been studying; I explained that I had been studying the Bible, Jesus being the Messiah and the book that I was updating. By his reaction he was surprised, but listened.   

The True Vine – Christ in You   
The Jews sat under the vine as they kept the Law of Moses. Jesus calls us to abide in the vine as we are part of the vine, its branches.   
Under grace the branch (disciple) is called to bear the fruit of Jesus’ word abiding in love and faith working through love, with the help of the Holy Spirit.  John 6: 63. 15 v 16, 17. Colossians 1 v 4.    

The branches are totally dependent upon its life’s source from the main stem and roots and we need the care and attention of the vine dresser to help the vine to produce good fruit.    
I knew a lady whose family owned a vineyard in Guernsey; she told me that they pruned the vine removing the suckers so that the branches could bear more fruit. God the Vine dresser takes from us the things in our life that take up our time and energy, by doing so he releases us to further his kingdom.  

A branch is complete, all that is required of it, is to grow and bear the fruit of its own harvest and it is equal to all the other branches in its composition and description. The fruit of the vine the grape is widely used to make wine as it has more spirit content when fermented than other fruits.  
The Spirit of God’s love is the sap that rises from the root of the vine to the branches. The Holy Spirit fills each believer with the love of God.  

The abundance of fruit does vary. Working with the Lord a Christian male or female has the potential to be Christ-like using the gifts of the Spirit and is responsible for the working out of our calling in Christ’s body, the church. We take responsibility for our commitment to the Lord’s work.                                                                                                                                                              
conflict between Jews and Palestinians, conflict between Jews and Samaritans, Jacob's well, Jesus in conversation with a Samaritan woman, Jesus wept, Light of the world, Love your enemies, three dimensions

The Messiah’s Secret – The Samaritan Woman at the Well

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The Messiah’s Secret  – The  Samaritan  Woman at the Well 
Over Christmas we celebrated the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus. Isaiah prophesied the Incarnation in Chapter 49. God called Jesus, the second person of the Trinity to be born into this world, to be born of a woman into a Jewish family who were descendants of King David. The angel giving his parents the knowledge of his identity ‘the Son of God’ and his name ‘Jesus’ revealing that he was the Messiah. Jesus meaning Saviour, the ‘Redeemer of Israel’and the world.
Today we celebrate the Epiphany of Jesus ‘Epiphany’ means ‘showing’. Isaiah prophesied the light showing the good news of the Saviour reaching out to the nations of the world.
Jesus’ ministry reflected the healing of nations. We see this when he sought to heal the division between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Samaritan portrait by Jesus in his parable as the good Samaritan who helped the injured man whereas the pious Jews wouldn’t help. The Samaritan village that turned him away as he reached out with the good news of the coming kingdom of God and the Samaritan man that was healed of his leprosy who came back to thank Jesus. 
Tom Wright in his book ‘Paul for Everyone’ writes about getting the true perspective on a situation by this illustration. ”When I was a first year physics teacher the question was asked in an examination: What was the advantage of having two eyes?
The correct answer, of course, was that with two eyes you can see things in three dimensions, and learn to judge distances, speeds and so on. One boy, however, wrote as his answer: ‘Having two eyes means that you can twice as far; and if one eye stops working you’ve always got the other one to fall back on!’
The teacher enjoyed this so much that he read it out to the class as a fine example of ingenuity for what you lack in information. But of course the true answer remains important: with only one eye you don’t get things in their proper perspective. You need two if you’re to see them with all three dimensions.”
Looking at our Gospel reading John’s account of Jesus in conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well through this three dimensional view of Jesus  : the height, the depth and the width.
a)The height of Jesus being the Messiah.
b) The depth his suffering and death on the cross.
c) The width he heals in his embrace of the nations of the world.
The woman like the boy showed her ingenuity, in regard to the water from Jacob’s well.
Jesus went from Judea to Galilee, but John wrote that he had to through Samaria where he came to a city of the Samaritans, Sychar. The division between Jews and Samaritans was so acute that the Jews would not set foot into the region of the Samaritans, but instead would take a roundabout route going east of the Jordan.
Just outside Sychar he rested at Jacob’s Well, his disciples had left him to go and buy some food in the city.
While Jesus stood at the well he did the unthinkable he spoke to the Samaritan woman. He was reaching out breaking down the barriers of division between them by asking her to give him a drink of water to satisfy his need.
Her guard was up, disturbed by his request she pointed out that she was a Samaritan and the Jews had no dealings with them. Maybe she considered that he had no bucket so would a Jewish man want to drink from her bucket, which she knew he would have considered unclean.
Then Jesus spoke of giving to her ‘living water’. Jesus said that those who drink the water from this well would thirst again, but the water that he would give would become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
As his words resonated with her spirit, she inquired in her ingenuity as to where he would get this living water from? She thought in a logical way, not wanting to keep going to the well for water to quench her thirst.
Jesus continued the conversation by showing her that he had the gift of knowledge, he shed his light and revealed her personal life revealing her 5 marriages and her current relationship. This knowledge she associated with a prophet. 
This lady was beginning to see the three dimensional view of Jesus as she was aware of the expectation of the coming of the Messiah and she declared that he would explain everything.
The words from Jesus  the height  of understanding and knowledge that identified him as the Messiah as well as Jesus telling her that he was the Messiah. This news opening up to her a new true perspective the living waters of salvation coming from  him.
The division between Jew and Samaritans was brought out by the discussion between Jesus and the woman over the site of the temple.
“The Samaritans were the descendants of the pagans that settled in the land of Judea during the time of the Babylonian captivity, along with the few Jews who remained in the land. (2 Kings 17: 24-34.)They formed their own religion, a mixture of Judaism and paganism. They adopted the Pentateuch as the sole sacred book and erected a temple on Mt Gerizim near Shechem. 331 BC. The returning Jews from exiles rejected their help in rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple situated there. (Ezra 4. Nehmiah 1. 4. 6.) The breach between the returning Jews became permanent and so acute that the Jews would not pass through Samaria to go into Galilee, but had a circuitous(round about) route east of Jordan.”(John 4: 9. 8: 48) Dake’s  Annotated Reference Bible.
History also records that the Samaritan Temple was destroyed by John Hyrcanus in 128 BC and was never rebuilt. At the time of Jesus, the Samaritans worshipped at the base of Mt Gerizim except for the annual Passover which took place near the ruins of their Temple.
By Jesus bringing to light the cause of the division, he also revealed the means by which the healing could be brought about through Jesus making the temple at Jerusalem obsolete. Salvation coming from the Jews, but from Jesus by him being the final sacrifice for sin and God presence leaving the temple at Jerusalem.
We have seen history repeating itself the conflict between Jew and Palestinian for over almost 100 years since the return of the Jews to their homeland 
But with one difference the cross.
The cross that was driven into the ground at Calvary where the King of Peace wore a crown of thorns, each thorn pressing against his flesh representing a nation in conflict, the bigger the thorn the deeper the wound.
The nails that had been driven into his hands and feet, each hammer crushing blow bearing the pain of disputes and arguments the fighting and the killing blows of hatred.             
His body beaten and hung disjointed and twisted representing the devastation of war. He bore all of man’s inhumanity to man.
The depth of God’s love Jesus life’s blood shed for all the sins of the world and the land. 

Where would Jesus the risen Lord be standing in this conflict between Palestinian and Israel? I believe he would be saying to both people, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons and daughters of your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5: 44, 46.  
The Messiah’s Secret Revealed.          
Luke records Jesus wept over Jerusalem. “And as he drew near and saw the city he wept over it saying, “Would that even today you knew the things that made for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will cast a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19: 41 – 44.
Did Jesus’ tears reflect the pain of the cross that he knew he was to endure?
He knew that his death was hidden from the eyes of understanding of the Sanhedrin so that the prophesies would be fulfilled concerning his death and resurrection, and did he fore see his rejection by the nation’s leaders at and after Pentecost when the disciples were proclaiming for the first time that Jesus was the Messiah, and as a result  of their not knowing the time of his visitation they had left themselves open to the devils devices, he foresaw Jerusalem surrounded with armies and its destruction. Jesus foresaw it all and he wept.

The width of God’s love revealed when Jesus informed her of God’s love for the Samaritans and many of the Samaritans came to Jesus from that region and were healed and brought to faith in him
The Samaritan woman heard the truth from Jesus, “The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” Verses 23, 24
Jesus was to make the temple obsolete through his death and resurrection.
                                                 
Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker was God. The heavenly Jerusalem. People from all of the nations living together in peace under the King of Kings and Lord of Lords worshipping God his Spirit and word dwelling in the temple of our hearts.
These religious squabbles affect people who are seeking God
On Christmas Day in conversation with James a University student I was asked about my faith and in that conversation that followed the young man pointed out how he was put off by the squabbling and divisions between people and their religions and that all religions are the same.
I witnessed to him that my faith is real to me as I have been healed through faith in Jesus and one experience is worth a thousand arguments. I pointed out that in the Bible in the Old Testament there are prophesies that have fulfilled in the New Testament by Jesus and he reveals the way to find God. 
I have met a number of young people like James who hold a similar view and I realize that  in the majority of our schools religious education is taught by paralleling stories across the faiths, secularizing all faiths. In doing so regrettably the prophesies that are in the Bible and their fulfillment are left out by many teachers, and future prophesies are not touched upon.  
 
The church has this ministry of telling people about the prophesies that Jesus fulfilled, and the future prophesies that concern all of humanity. (Blog ‘Isaiah’s Prophesies Fulfilled’ over 30 prophesies fulfilled in one day) and www.messiahs-secret-revealed.co.uk Part 7 for future prophesies)
Young people who are seeking the truth about the way to find God, when they hear about prophesies regarding Jesus being the Messiah and future events of his return, by God’s grace they will respond and accept Jesus as their personal Saviour.

The ministry of reconciliation as we are aware starts with us in our churches, many of our inner city churches are learning to welcome people from all over the world as they integrate into our society. Our new Bishop of Manchester Bishop David Walker at his enthronement service said, “It is the Churches job to facilitate belonging to God. Our Churches should be a place where people can grow in their sense of belonging. When people who start to come to Church should not be confronted with ‘this is how we do things here.’ They should expect, to be asked to share with us what they have and we should share with them. The Church is a place of welcome with hospitality at its core.” 
May the love, the height and the depth of Jesus shine out from our hearts over this coming year.  Happy New Year! Dorothy
Adam created from dust, Christmas Experience, Joseph and Mary, Light makes snowflakes white, made out of dust, snowflake, Stars are born

The Messiah’s Secret – Advent of the Star of David.

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The  Messiah’s  Secret –  Advent  of the Star of David.
I noticed on Tesco’s mince pies it has a star with 6 points.in pastry on the top, the star of David has 6 points.
Professor David Hughes of Sheffield University writes“If you read the Bible carefully,” says Hughes, “the Magi saw something when they were in their own country – [probably Babylon] – so they traveled to Jerusalem and had a word with King Herod.”

According to the story, the Magi told Herod of the sign they had seen and, says Hughes, “when they left Jerusalem [for] Bethlehem, they saw something again”.
Hughes’s best explanation for this series of events is something known as a triple conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn – with the two planets coming close together in the sky three times over a short period.”

My view on this explanation is that this triple conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn may have had the appearance of a star, but wasn’t in fact a star.
Another theory is that the star was light from the birth of a new star, or nova.There are records – again from astronomers in the Far East – of a new star in the small, northern constellation of Aquila in 4BC.Hughes says: “People who like this theory say this new star would have been [positioned] directly over Jerusalem.”

Dr Robert Cockcroft, manager of the McCallion Planetarium at the McMaster University in Ontario says a nova is “a good candidate” for the star of Bethlehem.  BBC Website

Astronomers have discovered how stars are born, they begin within clouds of dust, through turbulence deep within these clouds some of the dust sticks together to form a mass, a star is born. At its center it begins to get very hot and the gases hydrogen and helium begin to work together, fusion takes place and as a result the star begins to shine. (Stars Wikipedia)

The Messiah’s star “A star shall come forth out of Judah,” the ‘Star of David.’ Numbers 24: 17

At the time of Jesus’ birth there was one star that shone above the rest and three men who noticed this star, they lived to the east of Jerusalem  set out and followed this star and when they arrived at Jerusalem they asked King Herod, “Where is he who is born King of the Jews. For we have seen his star in the East.” Matthew 2: 1, 2.
 
The three wise men believed that the star would lead them to find Jesus and we know that they did find Jesus. 

Romans 1: 1-7  Matthew 1: 18-end
Matthew recollects the birth of Jesus, he recalled when Mary and Joseph were betrothed before they were married she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 ‘The Christmas Experience’  
The producers of the DVD dramatized the events that surround Jesus’ birth by reconstructing the town of Nazareth:  a small group of stone dwellings and with the inhabitants clothed in the dress of the day, and with the animals: donkeys, goats and sheep making it realistic. The producers of the DVD carefully filled in the gaps on the events that took place that the Bible does not elaborate on.   In the first part a scene at Mary’s family home where they included the birth of Mary and later the love story, the meeting between Joseph and Mary and their betrothal were the Rabbi conducted a ceremony. 
 
On the third week of our Advent Bible Study we discussed various aspects on the DVD that related to the news of Mary being with child. When Joseph heard from her father that she was pregnant, he reacted how any man would react today: upset, angry, and also disbelieving when Mary said that God was the Father. 
We also thought along with the DVD that when it came to light that Mary was having a baby the residents of Nazareth would not have been overjoyed with the news. Even though Mary was under law and legally betrothed to Joseph  she risked being punished by the law (adultery) by being stoned to death, but Joseph stood by her.
Their family, friends and neighbours in Nazareth would have perhaps realize Joseph’s heartache,  and as Matthew informs us that Joseph contemplated annulling the betrothal between them, it was only after the dream that he was convinced that Mary’s baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
 
Joseph’s Dream.
When we look closely at the words Joseph heard in his dream, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
The angel addressed Joseph as the son of David, David was not his father’s name, his father’s name was Jacob (verse 16) but it was referring to him being a descendant of King David. 
Paul in his letter to the Romans wrote confirming the prophecy that Jesus was the Messiah a descendant of King David. Romans 1: 3 Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David. Mary the daughter of Heli. Luke 3: 23
 
As Christians we do not inherit our faith from our family’s tradition of being Christians. We become Christians by being born into the family of God through faith in Jesus.
Jesus’ name means ‘Saviour’.  God’s word to Joseph, Jesus would save the people from their sins.
Over the centuries billions of people’s lives have been changed through the acceptance of Jesus as their Saviour. 
We know how stars are born and how we are born, but Jesus wants us to be born again.
 
To try to explain I have brought with me a snowflake, a real snowflake began its life in a cloud as a droplet of water. The cold temperature freezes the droplet and it falls to the earth as snow. When we look at a snow it is white, but in fact each snowflake is clear ice, what makes its appearance white: the ice crystals pick up on its surface rays of light and it remains, so whether it’s day or night snow remains white. Each snowflake has a different pattern usually with 6 points ( Snowflake Wikipedia)
So God does an amazing transformation of us. Just as the droplet of water is transformed into ice, the Holy Spirit acts upon the words that tell us about God’s love in sending his Son to bear our sins upon the cross, through taking our sin upon himself, Jesus redeems us, forgives us and we receive a free pardon which transforms our heart, soul and spirit we are born again. As a result we can now  see how God has delivered us from the darkness of living our lives without God.

The snowflake picks up rays of light.
 “Jesus said, “I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”   John 12: 46  
The snowflake in darkness of night, the rays of light still remain. Jesus came to give light to the world, light in the darkness. We live in the midst of the world’s darkness and like Joseph we have choices to make, he could have thought only of his reputation and annulled his betrothal to Mary, but in the light of his dream God’s word to him he chose to marry Mary.
We can be faced with a choice that God has brought us to, in order to make that decision it is advisable to wait on God and to share our situation with a trusted Christian friend and pray for the Lord’s guidance. 

We are changed, born again like the drop of water into a snowfake, when we accept Jesus as our Saviour.
Snowflake – no two are alike.
The snowflakes have different patterns with 6 points which reminds us that and we are all different in having our own DNA and our own individual finger prints, however we have one thing in common Jesus.  
Like the snowflakes lighting up the darkness, Jesus uses his light of the good news in us, to give light to others. 
 
On the DVD Joseph and Mary were married before the announcement of the Roman census and when the news came for them to comply with the census and go to Bethlehem, it must have been the last thing that they wanted to do, so near to Mary giving birth.
 
When we are planning an event we pray that nothing will go wrong, no last minute hitches. One can only guess how anxious Joseph and Mary were having to leave for Bethlehem. But this  can be God’s way of making it so that they would trust in him.
 
It is good to be reminded at Christmas of putting our faith and trust in God just as Mary and Joseph did all those years ago. 

Note. Adding story lines to Biblical events has always been discouraged by the church, so as not to undermine the truths of scripture for future generations.