Rending the Veil Part 4: The Widow of Nain

 Luke 7:11-17

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

Nain was a city 5-9 miles (8-14km) South East of Nazareth. 

The day before this account, Jesus and His disciples had been in Capernaum (Nain is 30 miles South West of Capernaum). Jesus had healed the Centurion's servant without going to the soldier's house.  A large crowd followed Jesus and His disciples and as they came near to the gate of the city of Nain, they were met by another large crowd of people coming in the opposite direction. Jesus and His followers were going into the city and the other crowd were going out of the city. The large crowd coming out was a funeral procession. A young man was being carried out on a kind of litter. He had probably not been dead for too long as in this region it wasn't good to have a unburied dead body in the open for long (source).

Jesus was at the front of the crowd following Him and the widow with her son were at the front of the crowd following them. The Giver of Life, meets the one who had lost his life. We don't know how he died, the Bible doesn't say. 

The deceased was the only son of this lady, who was a widow. After the lady's husband had died, he would have become head of the household and the breadwinner for the family, now he was gone the lady was left with no income. No other family is mentioned, only the funeral procession which followed her and her son. 

When the Lord saw her, in her grief, more than likely at her lowest point emotionally, He was moved with compassion - this wasn't a shallow passing emotion or a condescending pity but a deep seated emotion. The language used gives the impression of being moved as to one's bowels (the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity). Maybe these days we would think of it as a deep heart felt feeling. Jesus knew her situation - she had lost her husband and now her only son, which meant she had also lost her income and would more than likely become destitute. 

"Do not weep" [can also mean lament/mourn] It seems like such a strange thing for someone to say to a person who was grieving BUT this is Jesus Christ, the author and giver of life. He goes up to the bier and touches it (He doesn't touch the son) and says "Young man, I say to you arise!" These are similar words which Christ said to Jairus's daughter. As soon as the words were spoken the young man sat up and started speaking. We don't know what he said, but he was no longer dead and he could speak. The mother must have been shocked, happy, full of joy - her only son was alive again. Maybe the mother was in so much shock that's why Jesus had to present him to her. Sometimes it's difficult to believe what we see with our eyes!

Fear came upon the people, they glorified God and proclaimed "A great prophet has been risen up among us." They could see that God had visited them that day. News spread rapidly in the region. 

This is only a short account, compared to account of other miracles, but we can see here:

• Jesus's love and compassion for the woman and her son
• Jesus's healing power - not just to heal diseases but to raise people from the dead 
• Jesus transcending social norms and overturning them. Women/girls meant nothing in Jewish/ancient society, but to Jesus they are just as valuable and precious as men/boys. 
• That lady had nothing to give to Jesus, she offered Him nothing, but He came to her in her grief and mourning to give her back something great and valuable - her only child. We don't know if she was saved, but after seeing Jesus performing that miracle on her son, perhaps she did trust in Him by faith. The Bible tells us that we are dead in our sins and trespasses, but we are made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1). We have nothing to give to Jesus, He asks us for nothing but if we come to Him asking for salvation and new life, He will freely give it to us. We can be raised from spiritual deadness into spiritual life in Christ Jesus, He will then give you a new heart and a new perspective on life, plus eternal life with Him in glory (heaven). 

Rending the Veil Part 3: Jairus' Daughter

This account is also found in Luke 8:40-56 

Mark 5:21-24

Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

Jairus - the synagogue leader would have been in charge of the local synagogue in Capernaum. He would have been highly respected amongst the community. He would have been charged with supervising services to the worship of God, maintaining the religious order and teaching the Law.  The religious leaders of the day were suspicious of Jesus so Jairus coming to him shows he had some knowledge of Jesus' miracles and the love for his daughter took priority over his religious prejudices.

We don't know what ailed the daughter, but it was bad enough for Jairus to believe she didn't have too long to live. By falling at Jesus' feet, it showed that he had respect and faith in Christ and he knew Jesus was the only One who could heal his daughter of what was ailing her. Did his faith go deeper than just believing in a miraculous healing?

Jesus didn't hesitate and went with him. The multitude came along too and pressed on all sides around Him. On their way to Jairus' house they were held up by another healing - the woman with the issue of blood - click HERE to read Part 2 of this series and verses Mark 5:25-34, which relates the account.

Jairus must have been uneasy having this woman stopping Jesus from going to his house. Being the leader of the synagogue he more than likely knew her - the woman who was unclean, had been a social outcast for twelve years... His daughter was on the point of death, but Jesus had halted to deal with this person who had managed to walk to where Jesus was, but his daughter was in bed, not able to rise up and walk anywhere. What was Jesus thinking? 

Mark 5:35-43

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

Now comes the testing of Jairus's faith. Some people (maybe servants?) from Jairus's house came to him with the most tragic news - his beloved daughter had died, while her father was looking for healing for her, she was taken from him. Words Jairus' didn't want to hear "Your daughter is dead." Jairus must have been devastated, but he was with Jesus, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus is the creator of life! Jairus and his wife was going to witness the most amazing miracle of all... 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23, John 10:11), the One who brings comfort, dispels fear and heals the broken hearted (Psalm 147:3) says comforting and gentle words to Jairus "Do not be afraid; only believe." We aren't told why, but Jesus permitted no one to follow except three of His close disciples, Peter, James and his brother John. I expect the young girl would have been overwhelmed by so many people AND Jesus didn't want His full work to be revealed yet. 

In the days of Jesus if somebody died, the family would pay for professional mourners which validated the family's grief and loss. It was a public and communal show of mourning for the deceased. With the weeping and wailing it emphasised the seriousness of the occasion. When Jesus went into the house, He asked what the commotion was because the girl wasn't dead, but merely sleeping. The mourning turned to laughter and ridicule. These people had probably witnessed death on so many occasions, they would have probably thought Jesus was a bit mad. This mocking didn't deter Him because He knew the power vested in him could raise Jairus's daughter from the dead. He put them outside and took the father and mother and the three disciples into the girl's room where she was lying. 

The Author of life took her by the hand and said the famous words which the translators have kept in this translation of the Bible: "Talitha Cumi" [Aramaic] which means "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Instantly the child arose and walked. We don't know how long she hadn't been able to walk, but adding that detail implies she had been bedridden for quite some time. Her parents, who more than likely had lost all hope, had their hope restored - their precious little girl had been brought back to life, to the One who gives physical and spiritual life. Scripture tells us that they were overcome with great amazement. 

Jesus didn't want this to spread, because His work wasn't complete and if the religious leaders found out perhaps they would be all the more bent on having Jesus arrested. 

As well as not wanting everyone to know, the Lord who cares for young and old, the weak and strong, told her parents to feed her. After her long illness she would need some nourishment. 

Children may not have had value in Jesus's day:

Matthew 19:13-15 

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

but Jesus values everybody. Each person has a worth and a value to God. 

As we saw in the introduction women [and girls] may not have been of value to society, but to our Creator He gives them their value and worth back. What society takes away from God's creative purposes, Jesus Christ gives it back. 

Lessons:
Jesus doesn't just heal people, He raises them to new life
Everybody has value and worth to God, it doesn't matter what your social standing is, young, old, rich, poor
He is the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep

Rending the Veil Part 2: The Woman with the Issue of Blood

 Mark 5:25-34

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Jesus had just healed a demon possessed man, before this incident with this woman. He had been asked to leave the area (Gadarenes) so He took a boat and crossed over the other side of Galilee to Capernaum. Many people had gathered to Jesus to see Him. One of the rulers of the Synagogue came to Jesus and fell at His feet and 'begged Him earnestly' to come and heal his daughter who was dying. Jesus and the multitude of people went with Jairus  and it's on the way to Jairus's house that Jesus encountered the woman with the issue of blood. We're not told anything else about the woman other than she had had a flow of blood for 12 years. 

Under Levitical Law the woman was unclean. Leviticus 15: 25-27

‘If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.'

For twelve years the woman would have been ceremonially and socially unclean and anybody who touched her would have become unclean and would have had to have gone through ritual cleansing as prescribed in the Law. Everything she touched or she sat on, laid upon would have also become unclean and those who sat or lay in the same place would have become unclean. More than likely she would have been ostracised by society and she wouldn't have been able to go to the Temple or local Synagogue to worship the Lord. She probably would have been weak because of anaemia and other complications. We don't know her marital status. Maybe some friends brought her food and left it outside her door or perhaps she had to forage for food, but this is conjecture as we don't know, but basically she was a sad sight.  

She was so desperate she suffered at the hands of the physicians who had taken her money and had actually made her worse. What an awful state the woman was in. 

Somehow she had heard about Jesus, and He was in her area that day - the Man who could heal people. She had nothing to lose, because she had lost so much already: her dignity, freedom, permission to worship God in the Temple or local Synagogue, money, so she pressed her way through the crowds.

She came behind Jesus and reaching out 'anonymously', she touched the hem of His garment - saying something truly amazing: "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." She had such faith, she knew she only had to touch Jesus' garments and she would be healed. As soon as her fingers touched the garment, the flow of blood she had had for twelve years dried up, and 'she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.' We cannot imagine the relief she must have felt, but wait, that is not the end of the account. 

I wonder if she had hoped to sneak away quietly, but Jesus felt power going out of Himself so He turned around in the crowd and asked "Who touched My clothes?" He knew who had touched Him but this is where her story of restoration begins and there was a lesson for the crowd also. 

The woman was in fear and she trembled because she had been shunned by society because of her uncleanness and as we saw in part 1 women weren't looked favourably upon so to venture out in such an unclean state, would more than likely have been frowned upon. She fell before Jesus, an act of reverence, respect and worship. 

Restoration for the woman:

• As we saw in the Levitical Law, this woman had been unclean for twelve years, we don't know if she had family, if she was married or not but by Jesus bringing this woman into the open, the whole of society could see she had become clean again and could enter back into it.
• From the above, she had spent all of her money on quack physicians so was poor, but now she could be restored back into her family and her circle of friends, who could help her. If she was married her marriage could be restored and her husband could provide for her again. 
• Jairus was there, the leader of the Synagogue - he could see that she was now free from the condition which ailed her for twelve years, so she could go back into the place of worship to bow down to the God who had healed her. 
• Because of her faith, the Prince of Peace tells her to go in peace. He also restores her to Himself, by calling her 'daughter' - she is the only person in the New Testament whom Jesus calls anyone with such endearment. 

Lessons:
  

• This was also another lesson for Jairus, because if Jesus Christ could heal a woman by her just touching His garment, then He Himself was more than able to heal his daughter, or as we find out later on, raise her from the dead.
• The disciples had seen Jesus perform other miracles, but they still didn't fully understand who Jesus was. They learned that day that faith in Jesus Christ can and does heal. The act of reaching out and touching the garment didn't save the woman, as Jesus clearly states "Daughter, your faith has made you well." Her faith made her well.  This was a lesson for the crowd and us as well. 
• If we want to be spiritually healed, then the only place we can come is to the Saviour He is THE only One who can heal us from our sin and restore us to the relationship we were created to have with our Creator. 
• The woman came to Jesus because she couldn't make herself clean. That's the same for us. Jesus came to live the perfect life we could not and die the death we deserve. You come only to Jesus, not doing anything, just come to Him and Him alone as you are.

1 John 1:9 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Rending the Veil Part 1: Women and Freedom in Christ

In the days when Jesus walked on the earth there was animosity towards women - they weren't treated as equals. 

I was reading a couple of quotes written by rabbis during that time period and they didn't look favourably upon women. In the Talmud, Rabbi Judah ben Elai (c. AD150) 

'A man is bound to say the following three blessings daily: "[Blessed art thou...] who hast not made me a heathen", "...who hast not made me a woman"; "...and who has not made me a brutish man"'

It was common thought that women were incapable of learning about religious things, some rabbis forbade them to be instructed in religious affairs. 

Women were looked upon as second class citizens, but when Jesus came to earth, He turned that thinking upside down. He treated women with the dignity and respect they were created to receive.  

I will be writing a series about women encountering Jesus and how He turned their lives and the thinking of others on their heads as they showed society what God intended for women, not how men misinterpreted the role of women. 

Firstly we have to go back to Genesis with the creation of woman. 

Genesis 2:18-22

And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

Matthew Henry in his famous commentary has something beautiful to say about the creation of woman (I'd recommend reading the whole exposition of the creation of woman): 

That the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved. Adam lost a rib, and without any diminution to his strength or comeliness (for, doubtless, the flesh was closed without a scar); but in lieu thereof he had a help meet for him, which abundantly made up his loss: what God takes away from his people he will, one way or other, restore with advantage. In this (as in many other things) Adam was a figure of him that was to come; for out of the side of Christ, the second Adam, his spouse the church was formed, when he slept the sleep, the deep sleep, of death upon the cross, in order to which his side was opened, and there came out blood and water, blood to purchase his church and water to purify it to himself.

Woman is to be a help meet to man - someone equal but with different roles. Woman wasn't created to be inferior to man, but to stand alongside him, making him complete. Matthew Henry's commentary again:

If man is the head, she is the crown, a crown to her husband, the crown of the visible creation. The man was dust refined, but the woman was dust double-refined, one remove further from the earth.

Unfortunately after the fall of humanity, God's plan for humanity became skewed, throughout the ages women have been treated like second-class citizens, used and abused. These days it seems that women are now wanting the same roles as men. Men are the bad guys, women are the victims etc but this isn't how God intended our relationships to be with one another. Misogyny, misandry, feminism and chauvinism aren't what God intended for humanity.  Jesus Christ came to fix broken relationships, show us how we should treat one another as God intended. 

I'm calling the series:

Rending the Veil: Women Encountering Jesus. 

God guards His own

I used to write my spiritual thoughts etc on cards and keep them in a box. The other day I was reading through some of them and came across this account of God protecting His people, which an Indian friend told my husband and I in April 2007

Two missionary girls in India went to a village one day, but on the way home it got dark so they had to sleep in the forest. In that area there were Hindu fanatics so it really wasn't a safe place to sleep out in the open! As the girls slept some of the Hindus came to take the girls' lives but they saw fifteen guards surrounding them so they thought better of attacking them, and left. 

The following day when the girls got back home, somebody told them what had happened the previous night, that they were going to be attacked but the fanatics saw fifteen guards around them. The girls said they were alone and had no guards protecting them. All through the night fifteen people had been praying for them - the fifteen guards were angels sent by God to protect the girls as they slept. 

I remember hearing about a similar thing which happened in China in the 1940s as Mao's troops advanced on a village - they by passed it because they saw soldiers surrounding it. There were no soldiers, but again God sent His angels to guard and protect the villagers.

Back to India: Many had been delivered from demons:

One such example was a demonic priest who put curses on people - a man came to him and asked him to put a spell on a woman he had fallen in love with, but when he sent out the demons to curse her nothing happened, they couldn't affect her because she was a Christian. The priest had never had a curse fail until that point. He saw that there was one greater than the demons he had been serving so he converted to Christianity. 

It may have changed now, but 20 years ago the Church in India had all night prayer meetings or early morning ones, they had prayer chains of 24 or 48 hours. They encouraged new Christians to get involved with evangelism and social work, like medical ministries in slums* and villages etc

*slums are where the untouchables live. They are outside of the Caste system because they are the lowest of the low and according to the teaching of reincarnation, anybody who is really poor shouldn't be helped because they must have done something really bad in their previous life and this is their punishment, so by helping them they're not being punished as they should be. In Hebrews 9:27 it says 'And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment...'

Reincarnation is a cruel belief (unless you are high in the caste system). We die once, then after that God will judge. There is no reincarnation. Apparently (according to my Indian friends) there are many converts amongst the untouchables because of the love and care Christians show to them. Let us be like Christ and love the unlovely. 

A note on demons - in the West we don't tend to believe in demon possessions or think it was only in biblical times this happened, but in places like Haiti and Africa where there are witch Doctors and Voodoo - it's prevalent. 

Ephesians 6: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Zephaniah 3:17

 One of my favourite verses in Scripture is Zephaniah 3:17e:

“The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

I remember as a child, music being a big part of my life. My dad would sing hymns as he worked and my mum would sing nursery rhymes to my sister and I. As I got older I would sing and I learned to play the flute. I loved listening to classical music and I remember my first LP was James Galway playing the flute - it may seem a bit nerdy, but the melodies and harmonies, intertwined to produce some of the most amazing sounds. 

I had been a Christian for a fair few years before a dear brother in Christ pointed that verse out to me - I'd never seen it before. 

Dear reader, can you imagine a thrice holy, 100% righteous God singing - actually singing over His disobedient, rebellious people? What a song of love, grace, mercy, forgiveness. I can't imagine a more beautiful song. He doesn't just sing over His people, He REJOICES with singing over us. The perfect melodies of love and peace intertwined with harmonies of grace and mercy. His rejoicing is filled with gladness with pianissimo of love - this is no cacophony of sound, this is a throne room filled to overflowing with the heart felt music of our Creator as He delights in His people. 

Father, forgive THEM

These are famous words which Jesus spoke as He hung on the cross, but have you ever wondered who the 'them' were? Let's look at some Scriptures of events leading up to His crucifixion. 

RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE DAY

Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

Matthew 26:3-5

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Matthew 27:1,2

The people above were the religious leaders of the day. Those who supposedly knew the Old Testament Scriptures inside out, which told them that the Messiah would come and be a sacrifice (Number 21:9;John 3:14; Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) yet they wanted to kill Jesus - this Man who had showed them up, by pointing out their hypocrisy and their sinful hearts, calling them 'white washed sepulchres (Matthew 23:27). More than likely they were at the cross watching the spectacle. 

PETER, ONE OF THE DISCIPLES 

Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

Matthew 26:34

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

Matthew 26:69-75

Peter, the disciple who was fiercely loyal, who declared Jesus as being THE Christ (Matthew 16:16), who said he would never deny Christ (Matthew 26:35), did deny Christ 3 times, but Jesus forgave him and after His resurrection, Peter was called to spread the message of the gospel - he was fearless in doing that, to the point where tradition has it that he too was crucified. 

THOSE WHO HELD JESUS - RELIGIOUS LEADERS, ROMANS

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

Luke 22:63-65

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

John 19:1-3

Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

Mark 15:16-20

These people went all out to hurt and humiliate Jesus. They slapped Him, mocked Him spat on Him, beat Him

FALSE WITNESSES BROUGHT TO TESTIFY AGAINST JESUS

Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.

Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” But not even then did their testimony agree.

Mark 14:55-59

THE CROWD - ORDINARY PEOPLE

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

Mark 15:11-15

The ordinary people who had gathered had been stirred up by the religious leaders - I have read in the past, that they may have been paid to be against Christ. We don't know who the people were, but more than likely they had probably heard Jesus preach, seen His miracles, been those who cheered when Christ entered Jerusalem on a donkey, lay palm leaves on the ground and shouted Hosanna!

All of the people above, from the religious leaders, the Roman governors, soldiers and even the disciples played their part in the arrest. The so called witnesses were liars who had probably been paid by the religious leaders. YET Jesus could look down as He hung in agony (apparently crucifixion was a slow and very painful death) and pray to His Father for forgiveness. Not forgiveness for 'nice' people, but for people who were Jesus's enemies, turncoats, traitors. NOBODY is too much of a sinner to come to the cross and ask for Jesus to turn their lives around, to give them a new heart, to have His light shine into their souls and make them ALIVE in Him! 

Until I became a Christian, I know in my heart that I would have been with the crowd shouting "Crucify Him!" because Jesus and His message is an offense to those who are perishing, we don't like to be told we are sinners BUT only Jesus can change us (Yes, we remain sinners, but sin no longer has dominion in our hearts) because He lived the perfect life we could not and died the death we deserve!

Before I became a Christian - I was one of 'them'! 

Nehemiah's Prayer in Nehemiah 1

I love the prayers in the Bible - they can teach us how we should pray. Nehemiah, in this prayer, had just found out about the state of Jerusalem. He was the king's cupbearer in a foreign country, but the Holy City of his ancestors was in a mess and it affected him greatly.

Nehemiah 1:5-11

 And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is a prayer of praise - Jesus' model prayer says that we should praise God first (hallowed be Thy name)

It is a prayer of repentance. True revival in the Church only comes with true heartfelt conviction of sin and repentance. 

It is a prayer of supplication and wrestling with God. I believe that God wants us to wrestle with Him in prayer. Nehemiah reminds God of His promise He made to Moses, not because God has forgotten, but because God wants us to understand Him and His Word, so we wrestle with Him using His promises. 

Above all it's a faithful and reverent prayer. Nehemiah remains respectful and reverent. He knows who he is coming to - his Creator and the only One who can solve this crisis. Nehemiah works for a king who has earthly power, but he knew that the One he was praying to has ultimate power over everything! Kingdoms rise and fall at God's command! 

Let us come to our Creator, Lord, Master, King with reverence, casting all our cares on Him. 

Daniel's Prayer in Daniel 9

 I'm going through the book of Daniel atm and this morning I read his prayer in chapter 9 and as I read it, I thought this could be a prayer for our current world today! 

Daniel 9:3-19

³ Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. ⁴ And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, ⁵ we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. ⁶ Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. ⁷ O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.

⁸ “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. ⁹ To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. ¹⁰ We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. ¹¹ Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. ¹² And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.

¹³ “As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. ¹⁵ And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

¹⁶ “O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. ¹⁷ Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. ¹⁸ O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

In Daniel's prayer there serious supplication where Daniel denies himself anything worldly (he fasts and puts on sackcloth and ashes - symbols of mourning, grief and sorrow).
He praises God with reminders that He is great and awesome, One who keeps His covenant. God is full of mercy with the ones He loves and who obey Him.
Daniel repents on behalf of the whole of those in captivity. They have departed from Him - i.e. from His precepts and judgements. They haven't listened to those God had sent to warn them, the prophets. They were a disobedient people.
Daniel asks the Lord to hear him, to shine upon His sanctuary which lays desolate. The supplications weren't presented because of any righteousness in the people of Israel, but because Daniel knew the Lord is merciful - slow to anger, but swift to hear. 

It would do good for all Christians in the West to pray a prayer like this one. Western civilisation is crumbling before our very eyes because we are a disobedient people. 

Let's pray for God to send His Holy Spirit in power and majesty, that many may have their eyes opened and see the glories of the Lord!  

 

Passage copied from: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%209%3A3-19&version=NKJV

Letters of Love

Billy Graham once said: 

"The Bible is God's Love Letter to the World!" 

Yes the Bible is full of some heinous things BUT God's Word doesn't gloss over our sins. What God's word does is reveal our sin sickness to us and show us the cure - Jesus Christ. 

Q. Is the world in a mess? 

A. Yes it is, we only have to open our internet browsers on news pages or read the newspaper, watch the news on TV to see how bad things are. R*pe, murd*r, domestic abuse, mass shootings, st@bbings, wars, rumours of wars, kidnappings sickness, de@th etc.

Q. Why does God allow such things if He is a loving God? 

A. God isn't a dictator - in Genesis He gave humanity dominion over the whole of the earth, He has also given each and every one of us a conscience, so we are 'without excuse' (as Romans 1 says). We live in a broken and fallen world and God has never promised us a free ride. He has never said we would never get cancer, children and babies will never get ill - sickness and de@th is part of our condition in this world and nobody is exempt! 

If God had said in His word "everyone will be cancer free and live long, healthy lives!" That wouldn't be love! God has given us the diagnosis and the cure through His word! 

This brings me to the post title - Letters of Love. I have set up a YouTube channel with that name. I am wanting to post Christian content on it. Please keep this venture in your prayers that I may honour Christ in all I do! 

Have a fabulous weekend 

Xxxx

Jesus Christ

 Jesus Christ:

• stilled the storm with speech - His creation listened to Him
• healed the Centurion's servant without even being there - distance was no problem
• fed 4,000 and 5,000 people with little resources - His resources are infinite
• healed the paralysed - the man was let down through the roof so lack of movement is no problem
• gave the blind sight - He gives the spiritually blind, spiritual sight
• made the deaf hear and the dumb speak - He does the same for us spiritually
• healed the woman - she only touched His garment
• raised the dead
• gave women back their dignity and place as God wanted it
• turned water into wine
• cast out demons - the spiritual world has NO authority over Jesus Christ
• paid the penalty for our sins while not being a sinner
• gave Himself up to death
• raised Himself from the dead

Click here to read my 2014 post on What Jesus Did For His People

He will hold me fast (Hymn by Ada Habershon)

 VERSE 1

When I fear my faith will fail,

Christ will hold me fast;

When the tempter would prevail,

He will hold me fast.

I could never keep my hold

Through life’s fearful path;

For my love is often cold;

He must hold me fast.

REFRAIN

He will hold me fast,

He will hold me fast;

For my Savior loves me so,

He will hold me fast.

VERSE 2

Those He saves are His delight,

Christ will hold me fast;

Precious in His holy sight,

He will hold me fast.

He’ll not let my soul be lost;

His promises shall last;

Bought by Him at such a cost,

He will hold me fast.

VERSE 3

For my life He bled and died,

Christ will hold me fast;

Justice has been satisfied;

He will hold me fast.

Raised with Him to endless life,

He will hold me fast

‘Till our faith is turned to sight

When He comes at last!

CREDITS

Words: vv. 1-2 Ada Habershon (1861-1918), Public Domain.

Jesus died for His enemies! In love He went to the cross for those who hated Him!

Was thinking this morning (27th June 2021) about the compassion of Christ! How much He endured to save a people for Himself! 

No other figure in any religion EVER endured so much suffering for their enemies! 

Jesus Christ went to the cross to take the penalty (death) for those who naturally hate Him! 

The compassion He showed! Not just those people in His day, but millions, if not billions throughout the ages!

He suffered the shame of a cruel death, a painful death so that He may win a people for Himself! 

Romans 3:23 tells us that we have ALL sinned and fall short of God's glory, then Romans 6:23 tells us that the penalty (wages) for those sins is death (eternal death), but Jesus Christ took God's wrath and judgement upon Himself so that His people may have everlasting life and stand faultless before the throne! 

Who else has done that for their friends, let alone their enemies? 

Mohammed went through the Arabian Peninsular massacring people who wouldn't accept his new religion - Jesus Christ bore OUR punishment on the cross - He died that His people might live!

Buddha exchanged clothes with a poor man but he didn't die for his enemies - in fact Jesus became poor that WE might become rich! Jesus Christ gives us His robes of righteousness so that we are acceptable in His Father's sight. 

The gods of the world don't die for their enemies - only Jesus had a heart overflowing with compassion for His enemies, so much so that He endured the cross and suffered the pain and anguish of God (His Father) turning His back upon Him so that God wouldn't turn His back on sinners! 

THIS is the message of Christianity - God so LOVED the world (the world which hates Him) that He GAVE His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should NOT perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16)!

No religious figure has died for those who despised and hated them, but Jesus Christ died for those who despised and hated Him - He looked down from the cross and said "Father forgive them (those who mocked, scorned, scourged Him and who hammered big iron nails into His hands and feet), for they know not what they do!" 

Would you die for your enemies? Would you die for the people who hate you, the people who annoy you? Jesus died for those who hated Him - such love!!

The Feeding of the 5,000 and the Feeding of the 4,000 - Same miracles? or Different?

I saw a comment on a YouTube video where a person of Islam said that the Feeding of the Five Thousand and the Feeding of the Four Thousand people were contradictions in the Bible as they were the same miracles. If one looks at the two accounts, one will see that they are, in fact, carried out on two separate occasions therefore are different miracles. The chapters the person cited were from Matthew 14:13-21 [Five Thousand] and Matthew 15:32-38 [Four Thousand].

Let's take the first account - The Feeding of the Five Thousand Matthew 14:13-21:

Back in Chapter 13 and verse 54 we are told when He had come to His own country... [Nazareth - about 25km approx 15.5 miles West of the Sea of Galilee]. Chapter 14:1-12 tells of the beheading of Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist. From verse 13 the account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand begins. 

When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.(14:1a) - we're not told where the deserted place was, but there was more than likely a lot of deserted places in that area. 

The multitudes heard where Jesus was and came to Him with their sick and healed them. 
In v 15 we see it's evening and the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away to buy food for themselves as they [the multitudes] would have been hungry. 

Jesus was going to test the disciples' faith - they had seen many miracles (even that day they had seen Jesus healing many sick), so here was going to be an amazing one.  Jesus tells the disciples to give them something to eat, but they only had five loaves and two fish and that wouldn't feed five thousand+ people! 

Jesus commanded the people to sit down on the grass [Greek word 'chortos'] [chortos means: (1)the place where grass grows and animals graze; (2) grass, herbage, hay, provender [of green grass; of growing crops] ]

The disciples took the bread and fish to Jesus and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. Matthew 14:19b

After the people had eaten the disciples ...took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Matthew 14:20b

Verse 21 tells the reader how many people had been fed. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. So in fact there were more than 5,000 fed, that day. 

Let's look at the second account - The Feeding of the Four Thousand Matthew 15:32-38

Jesus had come from Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15:21), He skirted [NKJV] (came nigh [KJV]) the Sea of Galilee and went on a mountain and sat down there). Again great multitudes came to Him and there is a list of those whom they brought to Jesus (v30): lame, blind, mute, maimed and many others. The multitude marveled at the miracles Jesus performed and they glorified the God of Israel.

In verse 32 Jesus said I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way. Now comes the test for the disciples who had seen the previous miracle - will they turn to Jesus and say - guess what we have bread and fish again, or will they not have remembered/learned from the last time?

Verse 33: Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"  

Oh dear they had forgotten! This time there were 7 loaves and a few little fish (v34)

v35 says: So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground [Greek word ge] [ge means: (1) arable land; (2) the ground, the earth as a standing place; (3) the main land as opposed to the sea or water; (4) the earth as a whole [the earth as opposed to the heavens; the inhabited earth, the abode of men and animals] (5) a country, land enclosed within fixed boundaries, a tract of land, territory, region] 

v36: And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude

v37: So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of fragments that were left.

v38: Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. Again there were more than 4,000 who were fed. 

Let's look at both these accounts now:

Matthew 13 - Jesus had come from Nazareth (v54)
Matthew 15 - Jesus had come from Tyre and Sidon (v21)

Matthew 14 - Jesus went to a deserted place [eremos]
Matthew 15 - Jesus went to a mountain [oros]

Matthew 14 - it was evening and the people had only been with Jesus that day
Matthew 15 - the people had been following Jesus for 3 days

Matthew 14 - they had five [pente] loaves and 2 fish [dyo ichthys]
Matthew 15 - they had seven [hepta] loaves and a few little fish [ichthydion]

Matthew 14 - Jesus told them to sit on the grass [chortos]
Matthew 15 - Jesus told them to sit on the ground [ge] 

Matthew 14 - 12 [dodeka] baskets of fragments remained 
Matthew 15 - 7 [hepta] baskets of fragments remained

Matthew 14 - 5,000 [pentakischolioi] men were fed (besides women and children)
Matthew 15 - 4,000 [tetrakischilioi] men were fed (besides women and children)

As we see from the passages and the comparison above - these were 2 different occurrences. The disciples had to learn lessons over and over again (as we all do). We also have to remember that although these events were only 1 chapter apart - it could have been months between each one and as Jesus was performing many miracles all the time, the disciples could have easily forgotten the former one. 

Unity and All Lives Matter

I have been a Christian for nearly 30 years, this year and as I have gone on with my walk, I have grown to understand so much of the gospel. Christ's coming to earth and what He has done for millions (if not billions) of people throughout the past 2,000+ years. One of the things He has done is to UNITE different groups of people together. 

It doesn't matter whether you are Jew, Gentile, Male, Female, Slave, Free, Black, White - Jesus UNITES those people groups who may not have got on before. 

I remember hearing a missionary who worked for Christian Witness Israel, saying that in Israel there are former Jews and Muslims (Israelis and Arabs) worshipping together, fellowshipping together, loving one another because of Christ! 

In the churches I have attended we have blacks, whites and Asians worshipping together, loving one another, having fellowship with one another. 

I read in Corrie ten Boom's book The Hiding Place, that after the war she went around places preaching the love and forgiveness of Christ in churches. After one talk a man came up to her to shake her hand - he was one of the guards in Ravensbruck, the concentration camp where Corrie and her sister Betsie were put because they hid Jews in their house/watch shop. Her sister Betsie died in the camp! She found it difficult, at first, to shake his hand, as she remembered the horrors of the camp, but after praying for a heart of forgiveness, she shook his hand and felt the warmth of Christ's love flowing through her!  Jesus unites, heals and repairs relationships! 

ALL Lives Matter and if only people would build bridges instead of thick walls... 

Jesus built a bridge between God and man! In our natural state we are enemies of God and there is a massive gulf caused by our sin which only Christ through His death on the cross can bridge!

Why Christianity?

Why is Christianity the one faith which is unique and stands out above all other faiths and religions? Please read the whole passages of Scripture quoted, for context.

A. Christianity changes people - not on the outside, but on the inside. A person can ritually clean themselves from top to bottom, can clean their clothes, every single moment of every day, but all that does is - clean your outside. When the Holy Spirit convicts somebody of their sin [falling short of God's standards as laid out in Scripture]  and they repent - He enters into their soul/heart [innermost being which is unseen] and cleanses them

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

We become new creations - He gives us a new heart.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

No religion does that.

B. There were witnesses. The world's religions have some kind of book or script giving their adherents instructions, or people can read the history of the religions, but how many have witnesses?

In the Old Testament (the Jews call the TaNaKh - Torah [Teaching], Nevi'im [Prophets], Ketuvim [Writings]) the prophets had witnesses to their miracles, in the New Testament Jesus Christ had thousands of witnesses to His miracles and teachings. He had witnesses to His crucifixion - He even had the witnesses who were guarding His tomb, then 500 people after His resurrection. The apostles had witnesses to their miracles as well!

The feeding of the five thousand (read Matthew 14) - 5,000 MEN (that was without the women and children) witnessed this.

The casting out of the demons - (read Matthew 8)

The healing of the man with the withered hand (Mark 3)

The healing of the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9)

The healing of the lame man (Acts 3)

The rising of Eutychus (Acts 20)

C. God comes to dwell within His people (this is linked with point A)

John 14:17  ...for He [the Holy Spirit] dwells with you and will be in you.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

D. It's vibrant, dynamic, living because we worship the living God (Read my post HERE)

Ephesians 2:1, 4, 5 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins... [in our natural state we are dead to God - we don't know Him, we can have our own ideas of who He is, but they are OUR ideas] ...But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses...

E. New eternal perspective (don't just live for this age)

As Christians our hope is in the future. We are pilgrims in the world, heading for a better place. Our perspective on the world changes because we have God dwelling in us. We now are friends with God, whereas before we were enemies (we may have believed in Him, but we didn't rest on His finished work in Christ)

F. All religions have humanity working for them - pray so many times a day, give this, do that, but Christianity is the ONLY faith which has God doing something for humanity.

Romans 5:6-8 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

G. Christianity doesn't exactly put forward an appealing message:

Matthew 10:22a And you will be hated by all for My name's sake...

Matthew 24:9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.

John 15:18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you

Acts 14:21,22 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they turned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

If you're trying to recruit people to your way, surely giving a more appealing message is the way to go.

What a burden religions place on their adherents whereas God has said - My work is complete - you were once My enemies, but now you can freely come to Me and be My friends, My children (God is a Christian's Father) because Christ has paid the price YOU should have paid.

Dynamic faith

The other day I was pondering on the Christian faith and I was excited to think that it is dynamic and living! 

When somebody accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, something wonderful happens - they are raised from spiritual deadness into everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Not only are they raised from spiritual deadness, but their spiritual eyes are opened and they receive new and dynamic sight, not only into the present hope, but into a future hope of glory. Their perspective broadens. 

The Holy Spirit enters their souls and they become a temple of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament God dwelt in the tabernacle (first of all) and then the temple. Only the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, once a year, to offer atonement for the sins of Israel. God's Shekinah glory was in the Holy of Holies, but during Christ's crucifixion, the veil into the Holy of Holies was ripped from top to bottom because it was no longer needed. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in every redeemed believer! Now every believer can gain entry into the very courts of heaven and bring their prayers and petitions to God their Father because of Christ's finished work and because they have God dwelling within them.  

1 Corinthians 6:19,20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God  in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

John 14:15-18,26 If you love Me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. 
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 

Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens,  Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

Every believer is brought out of spiritual darkness into a glorious spiritual light! 

Matthew 5:14a You are the light of the world...

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord...

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 

It's this time of year again...

...when the anti Christmas brigade are out and about preaching that Christmas is pagan! Well what about the names of the months of the year and the days of the week? We use those, well, daily/monthly! Should Christians change those names?

Months of the year:

January - named after the Roman god Janus
February - named after the Roman festival of purification - Februa
March - named after the Roman god of war - Mars
April - taken from the Latin word for open (as flowers do in spring) - aperire
May - named after the Greek goddess Maia
June - named after the Roman goddess Juno
July - named after Julius Caesar
August - named after Caesar Augustus
September - 7th month (in Roman calendar)
October - 8th month (in Roman calendar)
November - 9th month (in Roman calendar)
December - 10th month (in Roman calendar)

The days of the week:

Monday - Moon's Day
Tuesday - Tyr's Day (Tyr was a Germanic/Norse god of war and sky)
Wednesday - Wodin's Day (the Norse all-father god and master of runes)
Thursday - Thor's Day (Thor was the Norse god of battle and strength)
Friday - Frigg's Day (Odin's wife and goddess of fertility)
Saturday - Saturn's Day
Sunday - Sun Day

The above have pagan origins yet I don't hear any Christians kicking up a stink about those! 

I celebrate the incarnation of Christ - not His birthday, just the fact He came from heaven (we don't know when He was born, but personally, I think a dank, dark, dreary time of year is a great time to celebrate The Light of the World bursting onto the scene to forgive our sins).

Hebrew Days of the week and their meanings

Sunday	Yom Reeshone יום רשון	First day
Monday	Yom Shaynee יום שיני	Second day
Tuesday	Yom Shlee´shee יום שלישי	Third day
Wednesday	Yom Revee´ee יום רביעי	Fourth day
Thursday	Yom Khah´mee´shee יום חמישי	Fifth day
Friday	Yom Shee´shee יום ששי	Sixth day
Saturday	Shabbat שבת	Rest

source [above and below]: http://www.yashanet.com/library/hebrew-days-and-months.html

Babylonian vs. Biblical Calendars

This table is divided into two sections because of the changes made in the calendar as a result of the Babylonian exile.  After the Jews were exiled from Judah to Babylonia in 586 B.C.E., they adopted Babylonian names for the months of the year. Nevertheless, they still have important meanings in whole scheme of things.  Not only do most of the names of the Babylonian months have appropriate meanings, but there is also an important theme that applies to these months (Babylonian or Biblical).

Mo. # Babylonian Calendar Meaning of Babylonian Months Theme of Month (Babylonian & Biblical) Biblical Calendar Meaning of Biblical Months (Harvesting Schedule) Biblical Feasts 1 Nisan ניסן Their flight Redemption, Miracles Abibאביב Ripening of grain[Barley, Wheat] Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits 2 Iyyar אייר (natural) healing Introspection, Self improvement Zivזו Splendor or Radiance [Flowers] (Barley harvest)    3 Sivan סיון Bright - their covering Giving of Torah 3rd (Wheat harvest) Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) 4 Tammuz תמוז Hidden - giver of the vine (A Phoenician deity) Sin of the Golden Calf, guarding of the eyes 4th       5 Av אב Father Av the Comforter 5th       6 Elul אלול A vain thing - nothingness Repentance 6th (Fruit harvest)    7 Tishri תשרי Beginning (from reishit) Month of the Strong or Month of the Ancients Ethanimאיתנים Ever-flowing streams Rosh HaShannah, Yom Kippur, Succot 8 Kheshvan חשון Eighth The Flood (of Noach) Bulבול Produce (in the sense of rain)    9 Kislev כסלן Security, trust (Restful) Sleep 9th       10 Tevet טבמ Good (from "Tov") Divine Grace 10th       11 Shevat שבט meaning unknown Tree of Life 11th       12 Adar אדר Strength Good Fortune 12th       13 * Adar II אדר ב  13th

* Additional month added during Leap Years.  About every 2nd or 3rd year.
There are 7 leap years in a 19 year cycle.