Month: December 2011

No Neutral Position

“His name will be called … Prince of Peace …” Isaiah 9:6

Among the many names given to this Child in Isaiah 9 is “Prince of Peace.” The other names identify this Child as both deity and man. At this time of year many cards, placards and signs include the word “peace” but without the Prince of Peace there can be no peace with God or among people.

In spite of decades of searching for world peace we are arguably further from it than ever before. Man’s inhumanity toward man takes on many guises and his ingenuity seems to know no bounds when it comes to harming others. Greed, selfishness, hatred and indifference (all elements of pride) ensure that there will never be peace on earth until the Prince of Peace reigns in the hearts of people and in the world in His kingdom as He has promised He will do.

Isaiah records the words of God who said, “There is no peace for the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22; 57:21). Of course he is speaking primarily of peace with God but without peace with God there can never be peace among men and we should not expect it. Leaders in the world espouse peace without God but their efforts are futile even if genuine.

There is no neutral position in a person’s relationship with God. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Matthew 12:30). If we are not at peace with God then we are hostile toward Him. The claim that many make to neutrality is like a morning mist.

This Child came bearing the title Prince of Peace because He alone is able to reconcile people to God and bring peace with God. People who are at peace with God will be at peace with one another. If they are not at peace with one another then at least one of them is not at peace with God.

Through this Child who bore the sin of the world in His own shed blood we can be reconciled to God and be at peace with Him and with one another. Isaiah writes, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). It is God who keeps peace in a person’s heart through the Prince of Peace.

“And she (Mary) will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

The times are in His hands and at the right time He will again invade the earthly realm and assume His rightful place as KING of kings and LORD of Lords. Then there will be: Peace on earth and goodwill toward men

Mission of Privilege

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the Gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set al liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord”
(Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1, 2a)

At the commencement of His earthly ministry Jesus was given the opportunity to read from the Scriptures in the synagogue in Nazareth. He was handed the book of Isaiah and He began reading from what we know as chapter 61. This was no accident or coincidence. It was deliberate. What caused all eyes to be fixed on Him when He stopped (v20) was that he stopped reading mid sentence and clearly identified Himself with the passage.

The portion that He read relates to His first advent and the portion that He did not read (Isaiah 61:2b, 3) relates to His second advent.

There are a lot of reasons for the “Christmas season” given by people but this passage gives one expression of the reason for Jesus’ first advent.

First and foremost He came to preach the gospel, the good news. The “poor” in this context are not necessarily materially poor. They are spiritually poor or spiritually bankrupt as in Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor.”

Those who know they are spiritually bankrupt, are broken-hearted over sin, are held captive by false religion, blind to the truth and downtrodden by wickedness are those for whom Jesus came. A baby in a manger may make a great story but it does not tell us why He came.

Jesus ascribes this reason in Isaiah as the reason for His earthly mission. Jesus later said, “As You (the Father) sent Me into the world, I (the Son) also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18). Therefore since we are sent on His mission, in His name and under His authority, then it is also our mission until such time as He says enough by calling us home.

Meditating on this passage will help us refocus on His mission shared with us and the reason for Jesus first advent.

On one occasion I heard a non-Christian say that the only people in the world who have any joy at Christmas are Christians. For everyone else it has become a materialistic nightmare of shopping, eating, drinking and debt. For those who have to arrange all the parties and family get-togethers it is an administrative nightmare as well. Families who cannot get on together all year are thrust together for a miserable day. No wonder they hate it. They have left Christ, and all that He brings, out of their Christmas.

Please do not leave Christ out of your Christmas or neglect the mission of privilege He has given you in the coming year.

A Soul in Anguish

“… that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.” (Isaiah 37:20)

“If I were mayor of Perth I would legalise prostitution; I would keep the pubs open all night; I would make beer cheaper; I would get rid of all the weak people;” so said the man sitting behind me late at night on the bus.

Apparently this comment had its background in the death of his wife some two years previous. He had asked God to save the life of his wife but still she died. The conclusion he came to was that God is not a God of love. It isn’t that he had ever listened to God or obeyed God but he believed that a merciful God would have saved his wife’s life. It would seem that he was still suffering great pain at his loss and that he was blaming God for that pain. The conclusion that he came to was that God is not merciful. In unwitting retribution he had turned to every form of evil to find solace but it only aggravated the pain and added guilt.

He did not want to entertain any view of God that was not in accord with his view. In order to do so he would have to admit he had been wrong for the past two years. That would take humility for a very proud and arrogant man. He had unwittingly surrendered his belief to the lies of Satan and was now trapped in them.

Even though he had made a search for the truth about God his anger and bitterness had been Satan’s aid in hiding the truth from him. His association with the “Christian” church seems to have been through an orthodox view of the Bible as well as from history books and philosophers rather than the Bible and genuine believers.

There was no sense of abatement in his anger and vitriol against the notion of a merciful God as we spoke. In fact it seemed to rise with each mention of the name of Jesus. It seemed to me that it was reminiscent of those who crucified the Lord Jesus on Calvary’s cross. Satan did not want to lose his power over this man because he extolled hatred of God and Jesus Christ.

It might be comfortable for us to just sigh and turn away having no more than pity for such a man but what did Jesus say of those who did the same to Him as they nailed Him to the cross?

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34)

This man shouts his hatred of God out of a heart of pain. The very God who can relieve the pain is the One he falsely accuses. In this he is just like those who nailed Jesus to the cross and who mocked His claim to deity. Even so, if he will humble himself and pray, trusting in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, he shall be saved.

O the wonder and greatness of the mercy, grace and love of God revealed to us through Jesus Christ on the cross.

We pray that this man will respond to the Saviour’s pleading with his anguished soul and then all those around him will know that Jesus is Lord and no other.

Egyptians Against Egyptians

“I will set Egyptians against Egyptians.” Isaiah 19:2

Written well over two thousand years ago this chapter in Isaiah reads partly like current day news. The parts not yet being fulfilled seem entirely possible in the near future. What was a long time in the future for Isaiah appears to be at our door. Almost every day the media reports unrest in Egypt as well as in other Middle East countries.

Another key event mentioned in this chapter is the fact of the river Nile drying up from its mouth (v 5). Rivers usually dry up from their source under natural conditions but that can change when a river is dammed. In Australia we have seen the effects of that with the River Murray and in Egypt the Nile is suffering the same consequences from being dammed.

Isaiah foretells other events in Egypt in this passage that have not yet begun to be fulfilled. That is because what we are seeing today is not the actual fulfilment of his prophecy. However, it is quite possible that we are seeing the final preparations for that fulfilment.

In isolation it may appear that we could be making too much of the prophecy in regard to current events but the events in Egypt are not the only ones that have a strong resemblance to prophecies concerning the days leading up to the Lord’s return. The Old Testament prophets refer to it as “The Day of the Lord.” The troubles in other Middle East countries, especially in their relation to Israel, also bear a strong resemblance to Biblical prophecy. Add to this the other troubles in and between many nations of the world that appear to conform to what the Bible describes in the last days and it doesn’t seem at all far fetched to believe the Lord’s coming may not be too far off.

As with His first advent, Jesus will return at God’s appointed time. Of necessity we need to be flexible in our plans and programs but not so with the Lord. Paul wrote, “When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son …” (Galatians 4:4). The context makes it clear that this is a reference to the birth of Christ but just as Christ’s first advent was on God’s appointed day, and in His appointed way, so shall His second advent.

He will return on the God appointed day and will not be hurried or impeded. Not men or Satan and all his hoards could prevent His coming then (they all tried) and neither will they even slightly impede His coming again.

The farmer knows the signs of the coming season change because he has gained certain knowledge relating to seasons. People who know and believe what God has written in the Bible will also recognise the “signs” or “seasons” that reveal that we may well be in the preparation period leading up to the events prophesied for Israel, Egypt, the Middle East and the whole world as revealed in the Bible.

“‘Surely I am coming quickly [suddenly].’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)