103.Who is the Jesus Christ of Christmas? Part 3 of 4. Jesus is THE LORD

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Jim Holbeck

It is obvious that many people don’t understand what it means that “Jesus is Lord”. How can one know this? For the simple reason that if such people did understand the significance of Jesus Christ as Lord they would not do or say the things they do. World political leaders or rulers would not dare suggest some of the changes they are suggesting if they recognized that Jesus is Lord. Our own lives might be radically different if we ourselves really recognized Jesus as Lord and lived in the light of that knowledge.

The Significance Of The Fact That Jesus Is “Lord

The New Testament word for “Lord” is “Kurios”. It was also used as a title of respect in greeting in New Testament times. It can refer to a master or an owner or a person of significance such as an Emperor. But the important difference is seen in its use as the New Testament Greek equivalent for the Old Testament Hebrew word  “Jehovah” or “Yahweh” or YHWH. It was used of Jesus in New Testament as “Lord Jesus Christ” some 64 times and as “Lord” or “Lord Jesus” in many other references. Well, in what sense is Jesus Christ, “Lord”? We see it in three main areas. 1. He is Lord of this universe. 2. He is Lord of His church. 3. He is meant to be the Lord of the life of every person. Because it is a massive topic I will set it out under various headings with some verses illustrating these truths. This should make it easier for folk to investigate further these important truths.  How important? To say of life and death importance would be to trivialize the situation. Rather these truths are of spiritual (or eternal) life and death significance.

1).        JESUS IS LORD OF THE UNIVERSE. He made it. He keeps it going

A).       Jesus Sustains The Universe He Created

1Cor 8:6  yet for us there is one …. Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Col 1:17 … And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Heb 1:3  …he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

B).       Jesus Controls The Powers Of Darkness

Col 1:13  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Col 2:15  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

C).   Jesus Is Uniting All Things In His Universe In Himself

Col 1:19, For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Eph 1:9  making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10  as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (HCSB,-to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him). “Unite” or “bring together” is ανακεφαλαίομαι (anakephalaiomai) or the process is called (anakephalaiosos) or “recapitulation”. It means to sum up, gather together in one, or literally unite under one head. No matter what governments and peoples of the world may be doing in their ignorance of Jesus as Lord, Jesus is at work establishing His purpose in the world.  Uniting all things under His headship.

D).       Jesus Is Waiting For People To Repent Before He Returns.

2Pet 3:8  But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. His delay in returning is not a sign of His weakness but rather of His mercy.

E).       Jesus Is Returning To This World.  “Coming ready or not!” 2Pet 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, … .  Such a prospect should lead to holy living, 2Pet 3:11  Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness.

2).        JESUS IS LORD OF THE CHURCH

A).       The Church Is Built On The Truth That Jesus Is “The Christ, The Son Of The Living God”. (Mat 16:18)  … you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

B).       The Church Was Established On Jesus’ Sacrifice On The Cross.  (Act 20:28) … care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood   (Eph 5:23) ..Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour.  (Eph 5:25)… as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

C).       Its People Are Committed To Christ As Head Of The Church

Jesus IS the head of the church. (Eph 1:22)  And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.    (Col 1:18)  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Leaders and all believers must submit to Jesus as the head of the church. (Act 9:31)  …. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.   (Act 14:23)  And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.     (1Co 1:2)  To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

 3).  JESUS IS LORD (AND MUST BECOME LORD) OVER ALL INDIVIDUALS

A).  We Must Personally Submit To His Lordship Over Us

2Cor 5:15  and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

B).  That Submission Must Be In Every Area Of Life

Col 3:23  Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

C).  Submission To Him As Lord, Transforms Us

As we maintain our focus on Him. 2Cor 3:16  But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18  And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

As we present all we are to Him. Rom 12:1  …. present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  2  Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

As we ask Him to fill us with His Spirit. Eph 5:18  … be filled with the Spirit, 19  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20  giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21  submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

 So here is a quick summary before Christmas about the Jesus Christ of Christmas. What it shows though is that some politicians who want to force changes on the beliefs and practices of churches are really transgressing into forbidden territory. It is not their prerogative to “call the shots” for believers.  The head of the church is Christ Himself. Whenever politicians or rulers suggest things which are in accord with Jesus’ teaching, they need to be obeyed. Whenever they seek to impose beliefs or practices contrary to the revealed will of Jesus in God’s word, they need to be rejected in appropriate ways. It is not that many of these politicians or rulers are megalomaniacs thinking they are superior to Christ. At least one hopes that is not so! Though one does wonder at times! More probably they just don’t know who He is. Nor do they understand their own need to be subservient to Him and to His will for humanity. The Jesus Christ of Christmas is meant to be the Lord of everything in the lives of every person. Jesus is the Creator of the world. Jesus is the Savior of the world. Jesus is the Lord of His universe and of His church. In the next topic we will see that ultimately He is the Judge of all. The privilege of living with our God-given freewill in His world, brings responsibilities before Him as well.

Blog No.102.   Jim Holbeck.  Posted on Monday 17th December 2012

 

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102. Who is the Jesus Christ of Christmas? Part 2 of 4. Jesus THE Saviour

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Jim Holbeck

No wonder the baby born to Mary was called “Jesus”. Mary’s husband Joseph was told by an angel of the Lord in a dream, that the child to be born to Mary was to be called “Jesus.” Not only that but His name would represent His mission, Mat 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” The name “Jesus” meant “one who saves.” Mary also received a visitation. The angel Gabriel appeared to her and gave her this news, Luk 1:31  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. She was also told about His mission but in different words, Luk 1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And in verse 35, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy–the Son of God. So from the very beginning Joseph and Mary knew that this child was special. They would come to know that He was God’s Messiah, God’s anointed One (the Christ) Who had to die for the sins of the people. Not only that but He would establish a kingdom, an eternal kingdom. He would also be called the Son of the Most High God and the Son of God. All of those truths were revealed by God through angelic messengers.  

 There are few references to Jesus as Saviour in other parts of the Gospels (but see Lk 2:11 and John 4:42). However Luke the Gospel writer also wrote The Acts of the Apostles and there recorded the words of Peter in Acts 5:31  God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins, and the words of Paul in Acts 13:23  Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised. St Paul is the New Testament writer who most often used the word “saviour”. He specifically called Jesus, “Saviour”, in these references ( Eph 5:23  … Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour. Php 3:20  But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. 2Tim 1:10  and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus.  Titus 1:4  … Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.  Titus 2:13  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 3:6  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

 Peter is another writer who had no hesitation in calling Jesus, “Saviour”. His speciality is in combining the words “Lord” and “Saviour” of Jesus in the one phrase. For example, 2Pet 1:11  … the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2Pet 2:20  … through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2Pet 3:2  … the predictions of the holy prophets and the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He also links “God” and “Saviour” in 2Pet 1:1… the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

 The apostle John (and writer of the Gospel) sums up the truth about Jesus as Saviour in 1John 4:14  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. It was God’s eternal purpose that Jesus should be the Saviour of the world. That’s why He sent Him on that first Christmas Day to fulfil His God-given role of “saving” the world.  

 If it is true that Jesus Christ is THE Saviour we need to ask a couple more questions.

From what does Jesus save people?

From God’s wrath and condemnation. Acceptance of Christ brings salvation. Rejection of Him brings condemnation, Mar_16:16  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.  Jesus came to save but rejection of Him leads to condemnation, Joh_3:17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Faith in Christ leads to being right with God and not having to face His wrath, Rom_5:9  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

From perishing. 1Cor 1:18  For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  Paul outlines why people are deceived and perishing. They chose to reject the truth which saves, 2Thess 2:10  and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

From the threat of enemies. Luk_1:71  that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. Faith in Christ puts us on His side.  As Paul explained in Romans 8:31 , If God be for us, who can be against us? The risen, ascended Christ is actually praying for His followers, 8:34, and believers are more than conquerors through Him, 8:37.  

 How are people saved?

By the grace and mercy of God. Act_15:11  But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” Eph_2:5  even when we were dead in our trespasses, (He) made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved– Eph_2:8  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Grace not works, 2Ti_1:9  who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.  Tit_3:5  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.  God in His mercy and love longs for people to find salvation through the truth, 1Ti_2:4  who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

By trusting in Christ for salvation. Note the connection between believing and being saved in these verses, Mar_16:16  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Luk_8:12  The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Inward conviction which leads to outward expression is necesary for salvation, Rom_10:9  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.  The Philippian jailor had an experience of the power of God as He opened prison doors by an earthquake. He questioned Paul and Silas, Act_16:30  Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  31  And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”  When Paul thanked God for the faith of the believers in Thessalonica he saw their salvation coming from God’s action upon them by His Spirit and their response in believing the truth of the gospel, 2Th_2:13  But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

By coming to God through Christ. He is the way, and the only way of salvation, Joh_10:9  I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. Act_4:12  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

By calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. To call upon the name of Jesus was to call upon Him personally. Rom_10:13  For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Act_2:21  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

By believing the gospel message. Faith came through believing the gospel message, Acts 11:14  he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 1Co 15:1  Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2  and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you–unless you believed in vain. Preventing the gospel from being preached was a serious offence in God’s sight, for it prevented the Gentiles from responding to the message and being saved, 1Th_2:16  by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved–so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!

Summary: Every time we approach another Christmas period, we need to recognise that we naturally begin to think of the Christ-child on Christmas morning. However we can’t leave Him as an infant in our imagination for the weeks and months to follow. That is not honouring to Him. Nor is it real. The Christ-child became an adult human who died on a cross to bring salvation to humankind. As the verses above show clearly, this Saviour of humankind was and is none other than the eternal Son of God Himself. He alone brings forgiveness. He alone brings new life. He alone is the Saviour of the world. However He needs to be believed in, to be received, for forgiveness and eternal life to become ours. As John wrote of Him in John 1:1:9  The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10  He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. 11  He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. 12  But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13  who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. Through faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour, we become Children of God! Born of God!  Halleluia! What a Saviour!

Blog No.102.  Jim Holbeck. Posted on Sunday 16th December 2012

 

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101. Who is the Jesus Christ of Christmas? Part 1 of 4. Jesus the Creator

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Jim Holbeck

Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the Creator of this universe. Wow, that’s some statement! But a true one! You see, there are some things we need to recognise about creation. One is that no human was there to observe it. Our knowledge of the beginning of the universe has to come from revelation from Someone who was there and not from much later human investigation. The latter can only deal with what already exists rather than with how it came to exist.  Theories about creation will be precisely that, theories.  But Someone was there when it all began. He is the only eye-witness. He has revealed what happened. He says in His revelation that He created the world. The opening verse of His revelation (the Bible) reads, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.   Genesis 1:1.

 Jesus the Creator. God’s revelation goes on in the New Testament to show that God’s agent in creation was His Son Jesus. We get some indication of that in the way Jesus spoke of Himself during His ministry. For example consider some of His sayings. There is that strange phrase in John 8:58 where Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” The “I am” is significant. That is the name that God gave to Moses to describe Himself, Exodus 3:14  God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” Many see that Jesus was applying the name of God to Himself to indicate not only that He existed before Abraham was born, but also that He was equal with God. That’s how His hearers heard Him and they tried to kill Him as a result.

Another statement of Jesus in His prayer to His Father in John 17:5 adds weight to this interpretation, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” Here there can be no ambiguity about Jesus’ words. He was directly claiming to have existed with the Father before creation and to have shared His glory. In addition there are the other “I am’s” of Jesus in which He uses terms of Himself which apply to God Himself, such as “light and life.”

What the New Testament writers thought about Jesus and Creation.

The apostle John. His gospel begins in the same way as Genesis 1:1. However John uses the term “the Word” to describe Jesus as we see in John 1:1,2, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. This Word was the Creator, as the next verse states, 1:3  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. Later in verse 10 John describes Jesus as the Creator, “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” In case the identity of “the Word” was unclear John describes Him as Jesus in verse 14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. So as far as the apostle John was concerned, Jesus of Nazareth was the creator of everything.

 The apostle Paul. He too clearly recognised Jesus as the Creator. In 1 Corinthians 8:6 he linked together God the Father and Jesus the Son in the act of creation, 1 Cor 8:6  yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. Jesus, Creator of all things. In another passage he described Jesus as being the image of God and the creator of all things visible and invisible. He also added to that by stating that Jesus is the Sustainer of this whole universe, Colossians 1:15. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. St Paul then clearly recognised Jesus of Nazareth as being the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe.

 The writer to the Hebrews. The writer not only indicated that Jesus was the Creator of the universe but also added the truth that He sustained the universe He created, Heb 1:1-3. Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.  Again the references are unmistakeable references to Jesus of Nazareth.

 What does it mean for us that Jesus is Creator?

We are dependent on Him for our existence. It shows that He can’t be ignored by any human ever born in this universe. Our existence as humans was dependent on Him as Creator of all. Our ongoing existence is dependent on Him for He controls the whole universe. Our future existence is dependent on Him for He holds the future (and our future) in His hands. Our eternal existence is dependent on Him as we will see later, for He ultimately is the judge and our eternal destiny rests in His hands.

We need to become dependent on Him. This is the only way we can receive what He has planned for us in His purposes for the world. It means making Him the Lord and Master of our lives as we will see in Part 3 of our series.  In serving Him as our Creator we are enabled to fulfil our God-given purpose on earth, Ephesians 2:10  For we are His creation–created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them. Otherwise our lives will lack purpose and meaning and be of no eternal significance.

 We need to become a willing part of His “new creation”. Paul describes all those who put their trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord as being “in Christ” and part of a “new creation”, 2Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. How does that take place? Paul tells us in 2 Cor 5:15,  (Jesus) died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Life is mean to be lived for the sake of the One who died for us, namely Jesus our Creator, Saviour, and Lord. But more about that in Parts 2 and 3.

Blog No.101.  Jim Holbeck. Posted On Wednesday 12th December 2012

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100. Who is the Jesus Christ of Christmas? (An Overview)

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Jim Holbeck

We had just finished a Good Friday service. The Cathedral had been reasonably full as it always was for that particular service each year. From Noon to 3pm we had reflected on the meaning of the Seven Words of Jesus from the Cross and had sung some rich hymns interspersed between the readings. I was relaxing at home getting ready for the remaining rush of Easter services. The phone rang and I answered it to hear a woman’s angry voice.  “You spoiled the service for me!” That was the first time anyone had ever said that to me. Fortunately it was also the last. I was surprised because I knew that particular woman had always loved the Good Friday service each year. I wondered what was different about the service just finished that had caused her to be so upset? I didn’t have to wonder for long. She poured forth her grievances. It seemed that I had added something during the service that I hadn’t ever added before. She explained in words like these. “Every year I come to the service thinking about my own sinfulness and how Jesus died on the cross to take away my sins. Then I like to go home and keep reflecting on how sinful I am until I come to church on Easter Day and then begin to rejoice because Jesus is risen. But you spoilt it for me today when you said at the end of the service that we need to remember that Jesus’ death on Good Friday was followed by His resurrection on Easter Day.”

 I then remembered why I had said that during the service. There had been quite a large number of people new to the service. I had felt that if they were never to come to a Christian service again, they needed to hear the whole Gospel message that Jesus’ death for sinners was followed by His resurrection, as God raised Him from the dead on that first Easter morning. If He had not been raised there would have been no forgiveness of sin and no new life for those who would trust in Him as a Living Saviour. There was no really good news if Jesus had died on the cross, been buried and that was the end of the story. He would not have been the victor over sin, death and evil if He had not risen from the dead.

 That day I made a decision. I would never preach a message that was only half-truth. Whenever afterwards that I was to take a Good Friday service I would always mention the good news of the rest of the story seen in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Otherwise it would be a misleading message. It would not be the real truth. It would not be real in two ways.

Firstly, it would not be the real truth about Jesus. His body did not continue to decompose in a tomb in Palestine following His burial. Only hours afterwards, on the third day, He rose from the dead. It means that when we are taking a Christian service in the twenty-first century we can’t allow Him (in our minds) to still be in tomb from our present Good Friday to our present Easter Day. But that’s what the woman who rang me wanted to happen. It’s as though she was saying “I wanted Jesus to be in the tomb until Easter morning. Then I could be happy!”  One can’t ignore reality. The reality is that Jesus died on that first Good Friday and rose again on the first Easter morning and has been alive since that day and is alive for evermore.

Secondly it not the truth about ourselves as followers of Jesus. We can’t go back and live as though we were living in the time between Good Friday and Easter Day. From the first Easter Day and for every Easter day following, Jesus has been the living Saviour. He is the Living Saviour. It means too that because His death and resurrection have made forgiveness available that we can’t go back and concentrate on our sins while waiting for the next Easter Day to be able to rejoice in our forgiveness. Why? Because as believers we have forgiveness for all our sins. It is in Jesus through the blood He shed on the cross almost 2000 years ago.  As Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:7, 8 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8  which he lavished upon us.. . Forgiveness is ours NOW in Him and we are to rejoice every moment of our lives in God’s amazing gift of forgiveness to us in His Son. 

 What I would like to do in forthcoming articles is to look more deeply at who this Jesus Christ of Christmas really is so that we live in the world of reality and not in a world of make-believe or in a world of escapism from the claims upon our lives that come from this Jesus Christ of Christmas. 

Blog No.100.  Jim Holbeck. Posted on Wednesday 12th December 2012

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099. John Chapman. 1930-2012. Gospel Lover And Gospel Preacher. A Tribute

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Jim Holbeck

It was a surprise to learn that John Chapman had passed away. I read the report just after we had arrived back in Sydney from conducting a Healing Mission in Florida. I realised afresh that he had a big part to play in my being invited to do Healing Missions in the Unites States between 1999 and 2012. How? He had supported Dean Lance Shilton’s recommendation that I be appointed the Leader of the Healing Ministry in St Andrew’s Cathedral upon the retirement of Canon Jim Glennon. He was among the first to congratulate me when the appointment was announced. Becoming the Leader of the Healing Ministry opened up new doors for ministry in the USA, and for that privilege I owe a big debt of gratitude to Chappo. It is probably true to say that without his support I might never have been appointed as Leader of the Healing Ministry.  Nor had the privilege of ministering in the USA.

Everyone knew who John Chapman was. I first heard him speak when I was a layman in Brisbane Diocese. He came across to those of us newly converted to Christ as the jovial “Friar Tuck” of the Anglican church. His enthusiasm for the person of Christ, his obvious love for the Bible and his joyous demeanour certainly encouraged a lot of young fellows to seriously consider living and preaching the gospel that he preached. He was a true example of a gospel preacher, a real person without pretence, who loved the Bible, who loved Jesus and who loved people.  When I moved to Armidale to be the Dean of the Cathedral it became obvious that he had made an incredible impact in that diocese during his ministry there. It was always a joyous time for clergy and lay folk when he returned to preach in the diocese.

I saw a different side to his personality some years later. It was during a Preachers’ Conference in Sydney. John with others was to teach on preaching and then do a critique on the sermons of 3 selected participants. I had been chosen to be one of them. I didn’t particularly relish the idea of being “carved up” in front of my peers.  So I tried to do as much preparation as I could to lessen the pain. But some traumatic things took place in the days preceding the conference and I had little time to prepare a sermon. One was ministering to a young mother whose baby had died of brain injuries inflicted by the father. I will always remember the scene at the funeral at the graveside where family gathered in deep sorrow and obvious anger. It was deeply traumatic for all concerned. Another was getting ready for an appointment with a couple for a wedding interview when I desperately wanted the time to get a “good” sermon done.

As I preached that night at the Preachers’ Conference I shared some of the details of what had taken place during the previous week. It meant sharing honestly my deep humiliation when I discovered that the couple I didn’t particularly want to interview for a wedding were wide open to the gospel. Both of them gave their lives to Christ that afternoon. I shared too I had been deeply convicted that I had been more concerned about preaching a “good” sermon at the Preachers’ Conference than I was in spending time to meet the spiritual needs of a needy couple.

When the sermon was over I waited for the “carving”.  Chappo spoke first.  He said, “I’m moved. I’m deeply moved.” That was all he said.  I was astonished. To my mind there was nothing special about the sermon. But as I later reflected on that evening I realised what a spiritual giant of a man John Chapman was, to be touched by a sermon from a virtual nobody. His attitude that night taught me a lot about true humility. John would listen intently for God’s voice as the word of God was preached through all kinds of human instruments. He was humble, always hungry for God to work through him to bring others to Christ. I recognised by contrast that I had been judgmental in my attitude to the couple seeking marriage, seeing the interview as taking up my “valuable” preparation time.  The time spent sharing the gospel was never “wasted time” for John Chapman. It was his life.  It led to thousands of others finding true life in Christ through his ministry.

Like thousands of others around the world I praise God for raising up a man called “Chappo” to accomplish incredible things in His church in Australia and overseas.  Someone once said that the world has yet to see what God can do through a person totally committed to Him. He certainly did an amazing amount through “Chappo’s” dedicated commitment to Him. His courage in presenting the gospel encouraged many. His humility made many of us examine more deeply, our motivation and goals in ministry.

Blog No.099.  Jim Holbeck. Posted on Monday 19th November 2012

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098. What Do You Want Jesus To Do For You? Mark 10:35-45

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Jim Holbeck

(Adapted from a sermon preached at Winter Park, Florida on Sunday 21 October 2012)

We are looking at the words from our Gospel passage. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” (36)  And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” What a probing question from Jesus, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Fifty two years. That’s how long the Wednesday night Healing Service in the Anglican Cathedral in Sydney has been going.  Almost every Wednesday night for 52 years.  In that time, thousands of healings have taken place.  During the services we asked people to put up their hands if they needed prayer for any need they had. Some of our pray-ers would go to those people in the seats and ask them this question. “What do you want the Lord to do for you?” (The same sort of words Jesus used in this gospel passage.) They would tell us and we would pray according to their expressed needs.

I’d like to share just a couple of those healings that remind us that God brings His healings in His way, in His time, to His glory.

1).    THE WIFE A OF A MEDICAL SPECIALIST.  At the Wednesday night Healing Service

The first story is about the wife of a leading surgeon.  She had cancer of the brain. He had been given 2 months off to spend with his wife before she passed away. It was to help prepare him and their 2 young boys for life without her.  He brought his wife to our Healing service in the Cathedral. On the first night we prayed for her she was no more than a vegetable having been assisted into the Cathedral for the service. She looked down for the whole service. The next Wednesday night they attended for the second (and last time). She actually looked up at us as we prayed over her.

The weeks went on and I was saddened to hear after a couple of months that she had passed away. The following Wednesday I noticed the doctor in the Healing service. At the end of the service I went to see him to express my condolences. I was surprised when he said to me, “Jim, did you know she was healed?” I must have looked utterly shocked. You know that some people can be in denial. But here was a medical specialist telling me that his wife had been healed and I knew she had just been buried. He must have seen my shocked expression. He smiled and said “Jim, let me tell you what happened after that second healing service when you prayed for my wife.”

He told me the story. They went home from the service. It seemed as though nothing much had happened. The next morning he woke to find his wife smiling beside him. She was as she had always been, before the cancer took hold of her mind. For the next few weeks she was the wife and lover she had always been to him. She was the beautiful loving mother that she had always been to their 2 young boys. For those 2 months it was as though there was nothing wrong with her. They had the time to enjoy trips and picnics and had a wonderful time together as a family.

At the end of those 2 months, he woke one morning to find his wife dead in bed besides him. He said to me, “But Jim she was healed. She was wonderfully healed for those 2 months. What happened was a miracle. It just can’t happen medically. I lived with a miracle for all those weeks. The last memory I have of my wife is of a woman who loved me deeply. The last memories our boys have of their mother, are of a mother who was fun to be with. A loving mother who loved them so deeply over those 2 months. I will always be grateful to God for the healing He gave to my wife during that time. It was a miracle.  He saw it as time they were given together when it seemed impossible for anything good to happen in their situation.

2).   A DYING BABY. At Our Healing Ministry Centre In Inner Sydney.

This second incident happened at our Healing Ministry Centre in inner Sydney, just a few kilometres from the Cathedral. About 9 pm one evening there was a knock at a side door that was rarely used.  My wife Carole and I were in the room with the Manager and Assistant Manager of our Healing Centre. We opened the door to find a young couple holding a tiny baby that was only hours or days old. They had been told by the specialists at one of our major children’s hospitals that the child could not survive. It would be dead within hours. They told us that they had been given special permission to bring the baby to our Healing Ministry Centre to receive prayer. They came immediately without being able to contact us.

So here was the scene. Four of us in the room with the parents, and a child who would be dead in a few hours. What do you do in such a case?  PRAY! But what to pray? For comfort for the parents or healing for the child? Again it was a case of “What do you want the Lord to do for you?” Their answer was, “We want Him to heal our son.”

We prayed over the little baby asking that God would touch the child in His love and power. Then they left, going out through the same side door to take the child back to the hospital. We heard nothing more. We often talked among ourselves over the following years about what a strange occurrence it was. We wondered what had happened to the parents and the baby.

About 10 years later there was a knock on the front door of our Healing Ministry Centre. We opened it to find a young couple standing there. The man said, “Do you mind if we come in and talk to you for a moment?” When we were seated inside the fellow asked, “Do you remember us?” We had to say, “Well not really? Were you guests here once?” She said, “No, but can you remember the night we knocked on that side door because our baby was about to die?” Of course it all flooded back into our memories. Then pointing to the young 10 year old boy who was with them, she said, “Well, here he is!” He didn’t die. He has no problems at all since that night you all prayed for him.  We just wanted to come back to thank you all for praying for him. God answered our prayers. We were so grateful to God for saving our son’s life that we have now entered into full-time Christian ministry. We are now both Pastors in a Pentecostal church.” 10 years of wondering were solved as they gave testimony to the grace and power of God in saving the life of their child.

The thing we have learned in more than 50 years in the Healing Ministry is that God loves to answer His children’s prayers. As Jesus promised in John 14:13-14, (13)  WHATEVER you ask in my name, THIS I WILL DO, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.(14)  If you ask me ANYTHING in my name, I WILL DO IT. But He does it in His own way and in His time. We need to pray that we will be able to recognise how He brings the answer.

TODAY is another day in which we can know His love and power in our own lives. The Risen Jesus stands among us. As Jesus promised,  “Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My name, there am I in their midst,”  Mat 18:20. He says to each and every one of us, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Do you want Him to do something about the (USA) nation that it may continue to be a nation whose motto is “In God we trust.” Then tell Him what you want.  Do you want Him to do something about your children or grandchildren caught up in addiction to alcohol, drugs or sex.  Tell Him what you want. Do you want Him to do something for you personally. Your illness or weakness? Your stress and anxieties? Your depression? Your own addiction? As we pray, tell Him what you would like Him to do for you.  Then thank Him that He has heard your prayer and that He will bring His answer in His way and in His time and always to His glory.

Blog No. 098.  Jim Holbeck.  Posted on Sunday 18th November 2012

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097. Healing a Church, a City and a Nation. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Jim Holbeck

(Adapted from a sermon preached in Florida on the night of the 2012 Presidential elections.)  (2Ch 7:14)  If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. This verse is often quoted when there is a service to pray for rain. I preached on the verse when I was the Dean of a country Cathedral in Australia which was in the grip of a terrible drought.  Let me share the background and encourage you with what God did in His love and mercy.

1).  A TOXIC SITUATION.  HOW GOD BROUGHT HEALING.

My wife and I and our family had gone to minister in what was normally a very beautiful part of the world.  However a toxic situation had arisen. There had been widespread attacks on a conservative minister who had been elected as bishop. He was the right man for the position but some academics in the city had vented their disapproval of the appointment. Not only that but the previous Dean of the Cathedral had moved on suddenly to the surprise of the parish. We arrived in the beginning of a drought. The farmers had no crops. The sheep were dying in the fields.  The famous Australian gumtrees were dying being poisoned (we were told) by a small beetle. There was desolation everywhere. I went there to be the new Dean of the Cathedral.

A marvellous thing happened a short time later. The ministers in the city got together to pray. We would meet one morning during the week from 6.30am to 7.30am. We gathered together to pray for one another and for the city. We sat in a circle and put what we called a “hot seat” in the middle of the group. Any minister could sit there and ask the rest of us to pray for whatever need they had personally or for their parish. We would gather round and lay our hands on that person for God’s protection and for blessing on their ministry. We wanted the Lord to be exalted in all the churches.

The drought continued. So we began ecumenical services in which we prayed for rain. The first was in our Cathedral and I preached on this passage from 2 Chron 7:14.  At the end of the service we went out into the bright sunshine into a shower of rain. It was a bright blue sky except for a little white cloud immediately over the Cathedral. It was as though God was saying “YES!” to what we were doing.

We worked together to try to win the city for Christ. We invited a Christian motor cycle gang called the God Squad to come and speak to the schools in the city. Dozens were won to Christ. We invited women to come to a mid-week luncheon to hear the evangelist from the God Squad talk to women on what Jesus could do for them and for their families. Seven hundred women came. Dozens of others had to be turned away.

We invited David Watson and his team from York in England to do a mission in the town. We filled the University hall with hundreds of secondary school aged children. Dozens more came to know Christ. Then a very significant thing happened. It was the night of the final public Rally with David Watson and his team. The 1000 seat University Hall was booked out. I was to lead the evening as the Chairman of the Ministers Fraternal. Just as I was about to leave to go to the meeting, I received a phone call to say that a teenage lad whom I knew had been playing squash and had received a direct hit to his eye.  The doctors thought that he would almost certainly lose the sight of that eye. They were worried about the other eye as well. As I opened the meeting I told the crowd what had happened and invited them to pray with me for the young lad. So 1000 people (perhaps a majority being Christians) prayed with me. The next Sunday I told the Cathedral congregation what had happened. Then I asked the young lad to stand up and face the congregation. He had nothing wrong with either of his eyes. God had marvellously healed him. Word quickly went around the whole town of his marvellous healing.

The rains came. The drought was broken. It was as though God had baptised the earth with water to refresh the land and had poured out his Spirit on all the churches in the city. Our evening service grew from a handful to sometimes well over 200, mainly young people gathering together to praise God.  People were coming to the communion rail after the service and giving their lives to the Lord. Others received wonderful healing.

We joined together from all the denominations in the city in processions of witness in the main street of the city singing God’s praises as we went from one church to another in procession. The desolation had gone. The toxicity disappeared as the Spirit of God began to fall on people and a great sense of spiritual refreshment came on the believers in all the churches.  The people of God had become energised by the Holy Spirit of God.

Then it was time to leave that Cathedral to go to the Cathedral in Sydney. Just before we left I was asked to pray for a young woman who hadn’t been able to fall pregnant after 10 years of marriage. IVF treatments hadn’t worked. Humanly speaking there appeared to be no hope she would ever have a child.  I met her and her mother in the Cathedral during the woman’s lunch-break. Her mother and I prayed over her. A few months later her mother rang and said, “We’re going to have a baby”.  The daughter had conceived naturally within a month of our praying together.  It was a great encouragement as we settled into a demanding role in the Cathedral in Sydney.

The whole time in that city in the country reminded me that the Lord is the Lord of this universe. No matter how great may be the toxicity in people’s lives, or in cities or in politics, God can still do His thing if people are willing to be used by Him. IF they humble themselves, and pray and seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways

2).  GOD WILL BE PRAISED FOR HIS MERCY AND GRACE

I don’t have time to tell you of the amazing things God did in the Healing service in the Cathedral in Sydney during our 18 years there. I repeat WHAT GOD DID! We witnessed what He was doing, as His word was preached.  Let me jump right ahead to 4 years after my retirement from the Healing Ministry in Sydney. I was invited to preach at the 50th Anniversary of the Wednesday night Healing Service. I shared some of the great things God had done in answer to prayer at the service during 50 years. It was a reminder to many present who had come to the service over the years with broken hearts, broken limbs, broken marriages, broken relationships, shattered dreams and God had healed them. I made the point in the sermon that the Healing ministry was God’s ministry. He is the Healer. Then I said these words, “The Healing Ministry is not about Jim Glennon (my predecessor and founder of the ministry). It’s not about Jim Holbeck. It’s not about young Chris.”  (the new Leader). I pointed to the heavens and said, “It’s all about Him!”

And then it happened. Spontaneous combustion. Volcanic eruption. People jumped to their feet shouting out “Alleluia” or “Praise the Lord” or “Thanks be to God”. Many other expressions of praise and thanksgiving filled the Cathedral. Others stood and silently stretched out their hands to heaven. It went on for over a minute and it ceased as quickly as it had begun. I had never seen anything like it in almost 30 years of Cathedral ministry or 42 years in ministry. It was a spontaneous outburst of praise to God. It was as though God had baptised us with an outpouring of joy and love and His healing grace. I was still standing there in a pulpit waiting for the noise to die down, my hand still pointing to the heavens.

No human could have orchestrated such an outburst of praise. It was as though the hearts of the people overflowed with praise and thanksgiving to God for all he had done for them personally over the years. Many of us felt that we were standing on holy ground in the Cathedral that night in the presence of the Risen Lord.  When a Bishop came forward to pronounce the blessing, he said, “That is the most fun I have ever had in this Cathedral.”  It was a moment of glory. It reminded me of the passage in Luke 19 where there had been a spontaneous outburst of praise when Jesus entered Jerusalem. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered in verse 40, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” The stones didn’t need to cry out that night in the Cathedral. The people were released to cry out in their adoration and praise and thanksgiving to God. We returned home praising God that He had been honoured and glorified by His people on that special night in the Cathedral.

Just a little over a week later one of our family members was touched by the Lord and brought into the kingdom of God.  In God he trusted. “In God we trust” was the cry from the people in the country Cathedral as they humbled themselves to pray for rain and for God’s blessing on the city. “In God we trust” was the cry of the people in that 50th Anniversary service in the Cathedral in Sydney as they rose as one person to praise God for their healing over 50 years.

HOW ABOUT TODAY? (The night of the USA elections)

The USA motto is “In God we trust”.  Florida’s motto is “In God we trust”. Tomorrow about half of the people in America will be sad. The other half will be joyful. One of those men Mr Obama or Mr Romney will become the most powerful human in the universe.  But he won’t be able to transform human hearts. He won’t be able by himself to reverse the slide towards secularism or a turning away from God. He will either help or hinder what God wants to do in His world. But no matter how we voted, we will be on the victory side tomorrow as believers. Our God reigns in His universe.

The risen Christ stands among us tonight as the King of kings, the Lord of Lords, the only ruler of princes. He it is who holds the whole universe in His hands. He it is who accomplishes His will through (or sometimes in spite of) the politicians we elect. He is the God who can transform toxic situations and who can transform and heal you and me. It depends on whether we do our part in what He wants to do.  He encourages us in His word, (2Ch 7:14)  if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. In response to His challenge to us we can offer Him all we are to be used in his purposes and can receive from Him the healing we need to do His will. Would you pray with me a simple one sentence prayer so that you and I as individuals can be healed to become part of what God wants to do in His world. “Lord Jesus, I invite you to do in me and through me what you wish.  To Your glory.  AMEN”.

Blog No.097. Jim Holbeck.  Posted in Florida. Sunday 11th November 2012

 

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096. The Father God Who Delights To Answer His Children’s Prayers

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Jim Holbeck

It’s always encouraging to hear how God has answered prayer. Several years ago my wife and I returned to Florida to do a Healing Mission at an Episcopal Church where we had ministered several times before.  We attended church just after we arrived and sat in the congregation. I couldn’t help noticing in my direct line of vision, a young blond haired child lifted up in his mother’s arms. I thought to myself what a bright healthy looking child he was. To my surprise the mother came over at the end of the service and said to me, “Do you recognise me?”  I had to admit her face wasn’t familiar.  She told me, “Two years ago when you were here, I asked you to pray for me. I hadn’t been able to conceive and you prayed that the Lord would enable me to conceive.  Well here is the result!”  As she said the words she held up the little fellow I had seen throughout the service.  It was a great encouragement to us as we began a new mission to see how God had been at work during a previous mission two years before.

At the present moment we are in Florida once again to do another (almost) month-long Healing Mission in the same church. The Rector had kindly invited me to speak at his weekly Sunday Forum which occurs before the last of the 4 morning services. As I was preparing to speak I introduced myself to a woman sitting alone. She said, “Do you remember praying with me some years ago?” Again her face wasn’t familiar. (I think I need to develop a photographic memory!)  She went on to say that some years ago she was suffering third stage cancer in two areas of her body. She had asked for prayer and I had anointed her for God’s healing.  She said that subsequently the Lord marvellously healed her. She no longer has cancer. So once again an encouraging testimony as we began another Mission in the same church.

It made me realise that often we don’t come to know the marvellous things God has done in answer to prayer. When I was the Leader of the Healing Ministry in St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, Australia, I had the opportunity to go to many cities and country towns around the nation to teach on healing. I was amazed at the number of people who would come up to me and say that they had been to the Wednesday night Healing service in the Cathedral in Sydney some 5 or 10 or 20 years before and received prayer for healing  and had been wonderfully healed as a result. Only a few of those folk had remembered to write and tell us what had happened.

Sharing a testimony of how God has healed us is never a matter of boasting. Whenever the Lord touches anyone’s life with His healing power, it is always due to the His grace, to the outpouring of His love and mercy on those who need His touch on their lives.  So praising Him for a healing we received is exalting Him and not ourselves.  I was pleasantly surprised at the response I received to my last blog which told the simple story which came from a woman in her nineties. Her story obviously touched hundreds of people around the world. I am told that she was delighted that her story has been a blessing to so many. So even in your nineties God can still use you to His glory if you humbly share what He has done in your life with others.

It would be a great thing for the kingdom of God if more of us were willing to share the good things God has done for us in answer to prayer.  People in today’s world are desperate for hope and are longing to see that God is real. Real healings of real people stimulates faith in those who hear of those encounters. To put it in the wonderful words of Psalm 107, 1  Oh, thank GOD–he’s so good! His love never runs out.  2  All of you set free by GOD, tell the world! Tell how he freed you from oppression (The Message).

Blog 096.  Jim Holbeck. Posted from Florida on Friday 2nd November 2012

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095. Real Life Stories. “Just whisper Jesus’ name. He is only a prayer away.”

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Jim Holbeck

All of us have had significant moments in life. It may have been a chance meeting with a stranger. That meeting helped change the course of our life. Or someone said just one sentence or even a short phrase. As a result our lives were changed forever. I often meet folk who have had some unusual but very significant happenings in their lives. Most of their stories will never be known except to some family members and close friends. I hope in future days to share in these articles some of these stories. Otherwise they might never be known. Today I introduce to you an older woman whom I will call Pam. Pam is now in her nineties. (This is not her real name. She wishes to point readers to the Lord and not have them focus on herself.) This is her story in her words.

 “I was telling my story to the new Parish Priest. He thought I was a bit of a nut at first but by the time I finished, he was the one who told me to write it down for others to read. This is my story.

 Over 50 years ago I had to go from Dubbo to Sydney. It was for a very important family business matter. It was on the night train in those days. I was quite sick. On that train there was only one seat that wasn’t occupied. It happened to be alongside me. I was quite pleased about that. When we got to Blayney, a young woman got in and sat in the seat. She said she had tried to get on the train but there were no seats. Suddenly somehow there was a seat for her. She sat alongside of me and took my hand and said “You’re sick aren’t?” I was very sick and I said, “How do you know?” She replied, “I was sent here to look after you”. She put her hands on my head like a priest giving a blessing, made the sign of the cross on my forehead and said some prayers. I don’t remember what she said. Then she said, “Just whisper Jesus’ name. He is only a prayer away. Go to sleep now. You’re going to be alright.”

 When we pulled into Central Station in Sydney, we got ready to leave the train. She made the sign of the cross on my forehead again and said “Just whisper Jesus’ name. He is only a prayer away”. Then she disappeared and I didn’t ever see her again. That day everything went so smoothly for me. It was like a miracle in itself! I told just a few of my family when I came home.

Then 50 years later, I went with my granddaughter to Scotland. Some of my family came from Scotland, and we were at Lochness. We got off the boat and started to walk towards where we had to wait for the bus or coach back to Edinburgh. Suddenly I couldn’t breathe. I lost my voice and I was staggering. My granddaughter said, “What’s wrong Nan? What’s wrong?”  I couldn’t answer her. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. They got me to a lounge chair in the waiting room where we were to wait for the bus to go to Edinburgh. The room was crowded. A tall woman came over to me. I was still gasping for breath. She put her hands on my forehead like a priest. She made the sign of the cross on my forehead and said “Lord Jesus, take this malady away from this woman and make her whole”. She stood there for a while with her hands on my head. I guess she was saying prayers. Then she said “You’re going to be alright now”.  I replied, “Thank you!” Suddenly I realised I had my voice back again. She said to me, “Just whisper Jesus’ name. He is only a prayer away.” Then she turned and walked back into the crowd and I never saw her again. I said to my grand-daughter “That was a kind of miracle wasn’t it?” She replied, “I know Nan. I saw it and so did a lot of other people.”

 I came home to Dubbo. It took me 50 years to realise I was supposed to do something with this precious message. I asked my youngest daughter if she would type the message for me on cardboard or something and my daughter said, “I’ll do better than that. I’ll laminate them for you!” Some time later she did a hundred or so of them. Later a new Bishop came to Bathurst. A coach-load of people went down to hear him. I knew I just had to go, not to see the Bishop, but to take that special precious message. 

 On the way down I thought that there was no way in the world I was going to do this. Everyone was chattering and having a great time. So I gave out only one to a University student who was sitting alongside of me. She said she was very pleased to get it and said “I will always keep this”. I said to her “I’m sure this message ‘Just whisper Jesus’ name. He is only a prayer away’ will bring you great blessings as it has me.”

 Coming back on the coach, I thought, “How am I going to do this? Everyone was talking away the same as they did on the way down. Yet I knew I was there for a reason. I was meant to bring those laminated messages. I said softly, “Lord Jesus, please, you have to help me. I can’t do this alone.”  All of a sudden the bus stopped. The people stopped talking. I was shaking like a leaf. But I got up to tell them that I felt that I had to do this. I said, “Would you like me to tell you something very special that happened twice in my lifetime“. The bus driver handed me the microphone. So I told them what I have already told you. Then I said, “If you would like one, I have got them in an envelope. I will pass them around.”  I can honestly say that the envelope came back empty. I felt a bit sad because the only person who didn’t get one was the bus driver.

 Many people have said to me since, “I’ve got it on my dressing table, and I say it every day.” I was so pleased to know it was received so wonderfully. But I knew I had to keep on giving them out everywhere I could. On one occasion a man sat alongside of me. I had never seen him before. He was a stranger to town. He must have had Parkinson’s disease as he was shaking so badly. I handed the laminated message to him. I told him what I have told you here. There were tears in his eyes as he said, “Thank you! God bless you! I can’t thank you enough for this! You were meant to talk to me today!”

 On another occasion a lady was sitting several seats ahead of me in the church. I knew she was praying. I slipped in beside her before church started and I gave her the laminated message and told her the story. She said, “You were meant to tell me this today. You were sent to tell me this today. It is what I really needed. Have you any more?” I said, “Yes!”  She said, “I have three sons, could I have one for each?” Of course I gave them to her.

 Then just before Easter last year at the Lenten prayer meeting in my daughter’s home in Dubbo, everyone was telling different things that happened in their lives. I shared my story. When I mentioned that some people might think it was a coincidence that the bus stopped, a very well educated gentleman in the small group said, “My dear, that was no coincidence, it was meant to happen!”

I was personally blessed as I read Pam’s story above. We often think that the important people, the brilliant people, have the greatest impact for God in this world. But Pam’s story shows that He uses ordinary people who want to be used by Him. God placed ordinary people in Pam’s path who brought His blessings into her life. She in turn humbly began to share the blessing she had received with others whom God had brought into her everyday situations.

As I wrote in a previous article, God does use people in His purposes. But it is not just their ability that is the important factor. Rather it is their avail-ability to Him which determines whom He can use to impart His blessings. Pam’s story motivates me to use all the abilities He has given me to live for Him. Yet at the same time it reminds me that I am only useful to others if I am available to Him.

Blog No.095.  Jim Holbeck. Posted on Friday 21st September 2012

 

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094. Galatians 6 outline. Paul Sums Up His Epistle. Freedom Not Bondage!

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Jim Holbeck

In this final chapter Paul summarised much of what he had written in the previous chapters. He wanted the believers in Galatia to walk in victory and not return to the legalism being advocated by the false teachers. The latter wanted the believers to become “real believers” by becoming Jews first, especially by urging the believers to be circumcised. Paul saw that as a denial of the gospel message.

Paul had written that believers were to follow the command to “love their neighbour”, 5:6, 13, 14. In this chapter he outlined how that might happen in practice.

Paul concluded the epistle by contrasting the self-seeking motives of the false teachers with his own motives. The false teachers wanted to see the believers “marked” with the mark of circumcision to show how they had influenced the Galatians to follow their teaching. By contrast Paul wrote that he was already marked. He was marked with scars. These were the scars that came from being persecuted for his faith in Jesus.

A).     HELPING OTHERS, BUT NOT BURDENING THEM.  6:1-5

i).  Believers were to help one another walk in victory. (1)  Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.

ii).  But they were to be careful not to get trapped in sin themselves. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

iii). Believers were to bear each other’s burdens without unlovingly “dumping stuff” on fellow believers. (2)  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.(3)  For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (4)  But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbour. (5)  For each will have to bear his own load.

B).    DOING GOOD TO EVERYONE.  6:6-10

i).   Doing good to teachers. (6)  One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. (7)  Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

ii).  Doing good brings blessing. (8)  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (9)  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

iii).  Doing good to everyone as occasion arises. (10)  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone,

iv).  Doing good especially to brothers and sisters in Christ. and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

 C).    A PERSONAL NOTE. 6:11

Paul adds this personal note to show how concerned he was for the believers in Galatia. This had to go out with his personal touch and not by the less personal hand of an amanuensis. (11)  See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.

 D).    CONTRASTING FLESH AND SPIRIT. FALSE TEACHERS AND PAUL. 6:12-18

i).   The wrong motivation of the false teachers.  (12)  It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

ii).  The hypocrisy of the false teachers. (13)  For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

iii). The right motivation of Paul. (14)  But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

iv).  The necessity of the new creation in Christ. (15)  For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

v).  The blessing of God on faithful believers. (16)  And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

vi). Paul was a marked man. He was not referring to the marks of circumcision. Rather his marks came from being persecuted. He suffered because he was not ashamed of the cross. (The false teachers were!)  (17)  From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.(18)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

(Please note that outlines of the previous chapters may be found by clicking on these links.  Chapters 1,  2,  3,  4, 5.

Blog No. 094. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Thursday 20th September 2012

Posted in Forgiveness, OUTLINE OF GALATIANS | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment