The Bible Standard - Re-Discover the Truth.

In The Blood of Christ Bro. Roberts explains what it means for Christ to have shed his blood for many. As well as doctrinal aspects of the Atonement, he also discusses why it is important to understand Christ’s sacrifice, and then the effect it should have on our lives.

by Robert Roberts

The Blood of Christ

Description: This time of the year is noted for giving. Giving and helping others is part of the Christian ethic. It is based on the singular truth that God gives, providing all with life and our daily needs. His gifts are compounded by the greatest gift of all, the giving of His Son, provided for our ultimate salvation.

"THE BURDEN OF THE WORD OF THE LORD"  Dec. 27

All too often the prophets of the LORD had to bring messages of coming acts of judgement from him..  These, , were predictions that were sure and certain.  What a ‘burden’ this is for the prophet. The  Hebrew word for ‘burden’ has the primary meaning of a pronouncement of doom to someone, all too often, to Israel..

Yet Zechariah’s prophecy has many parts but who can say with any certainty how all these parts fit together?  ) Part of  yesterday’s chapter (11) dealt with events to be fulfilled at the first coming of Christ when “thirty pieces of silver” [v.12] were thrown “to the potter” [v.13] - they were a clear prediction which was fulfilled when the temple priests “bought with them the potter’s field” [Matt. 27 v.5-8] after Judas, in remorse, threw down the money in the Temple. Today’s chapter starts, “The burden of the word of the LORD” but it is a ‘burden’ against the enemies of Israel!  It is often quoted because it seems clear it has a latter day application. We note the ‘burden’ of the prophets message is that God will “make Jerusalem a cup of staggering”  firstly “to all the surrounding peoples”.[v.2]

It is the only place where this word, that is translated ‘staggering’, occurs in the Hebrew scriptures– it is rendered as ‘reeling’ or ‘trembling’ in other versions.   It fits rather well the frustrations and weakness of the nations around Israel during my lifetime.

Verse 3 is even more thought provoking!, The LORD’s message is “On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples.”  What peoples?  The prophet continues, “All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.”   Does “all the nations of the earth” refer to a United Nations sponsored force?  - it seems to make sense:  they are utterly unable to ‘lift’ the problem of Jerusalem from their agenda.

The USA and Europe are “staggering” today in one sense – that is, financially.  If we see them totally distracted by a huge financial implosion sometime, maybe soon – is it possible, maybe probable, that the Islamic nations, supported by such as Russia, will sponsor a ‘U.N.’ force aiming to ‘gather’ armies against Jerusalem?

The word ‘Jew’ originates from Judahite, and God will act ”for the sake of the house of Judah … then the clans of Judah shall say … ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts their God” [v.4,5]

“And I’, says God, “will pour out … a spirit of grace  … so that when they look on me, on him whom their pierced, they shall mourn ..” [v.10]  John 19 v.34 tells us that the final act against Christ was the piercing of his side. When the Jews finally recognise their Messiah – what remorse will follow!

But the rest of Zechariah’s prophecy still has many challenges to our understanding – and we hope to comment further tomorrow.  May it not be a ‘burden’ to us to read and meditate on God’s word every day, making sure our meditation includes a personal application

"MY WORTHLESS SHEPHERD"  Dec. 26

Jesus is the good shepherd – and in this world of sin and death (Romans 5 v.12) how urgent it is to find and hear the voice of the good shepherd.  There have been many shepherds over the Centuries that have been good up to a point; for example, David, Solomon, Elijah and Hezekiah – and in recent Centuries, men of the calibre of Tyndale may well qualify. But they have been far outnumbered by worthless shepherds – and sadly is that not just about totally the situation today?

Our thoughts travelled along these lines as we read the 11th chapter of Zedekiah.  Verse 12 has that intriguing reference to those “who weighed out my wages thirty pieces of silver.”  Those who readily paid over the money to Judas Iscariot were extreme examples of worthless shepherds, totally blind to the “good shepherd” .

The one who received the 30 pieces of silver was the worthless one among the 12 Jesus was training to be shepherds to take his place after he left the earth. Do such shepherds exist today?

The final verse of Zechariah 11 says, “Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock …”     Tragically worthless shepherds think they are serving God – the scribes and Pharisees are outstanding examples of this. They have existed in every generation; John, in his old age, wrote of a church leader called Diotrephes (see 3 John v.9,10) who was such a person and John adds, “whoever does evil has not seen God.”  Our minds must have spiritual vision to “see” God.

Doing evil starts in small ways, but whether small or not so small, there is a common factor says Jesus, “the world …. hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.” [John 7 v.7] Do we avoid reading God’s word because it pricks our conscience?  It is tragic that worthless shepherds think they are serving God, Diotrephes surely did, but those who constantly read and absorb God’s word, learn to be in awe of God, and so progressively develop an attitude that fits them to be seen by God and His Son as worthy shepherds,

In the process of this they learn what it is to endure:- this brings us to our concluding thought in today’s ch. 13 of Revelation. Verse 8 tells us of “the book of life” and those whose names are not written there. How tragic!  But then comes the challenge -“If anyone has an ear, let him hear … here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” [v.10,11]  And as we try to endure we can add a parallel thought, ‘if anyone has an eye, let him read’ and, as a result, really follow in the footsteps of the good shepherd.

"THERE WOULD BE NO MORE DELAY"  Dec 25

In the Old Testament we read how often there were bad kings on the throne in Jerusalem that corrupted the people, or were corrupt because of the people, kings like Manasseh, yet God – from our human perspective – kept delaying in acting to destroy the Holy City and its Temple.

Then in the New Testament Jesus wept over Jerusalem and forecast its destruction and that of the Temple.  Yet 40 years elapsed after they crucified their Messiah before God’s judgements were carried out, in that time there was a great ingathering of individuals, who like, Paul, came to believe  and serve Jesus with all their heart.

Now, the message in Revelation indicates a humanly indeterminate length of time as God’s keeps watch over the affairs of human beings while our Lord our mediator, as “the Lamb of God (is) seated in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water …” [7 v.17] and God’s word, for those who diligently read it, provides that living water.

The time is to come when “there would be no more delay, but in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets” [10 v.6,7]

An example of this is our current reading in Zechariah. Today’s ch. 10 forecasts Israel’s return to their own land, “I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God”[v.6] and “I will make them strong in the LORD and they shall walk in his name” [v.12]

Back in Revelation in today’s chapter 11, we read, “the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever … The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged and for rewarding your servants … those who fear your name both small and great …” [v.15, 18]   No matter how small we feel in the affairs of the world, if we fear, that is, are in awe of all that God and His Son must be, let us redouble our efforts to serve them – not knowing how soon it will be before God says, there will “be no more delay”

"THE REST OF MANKIND ... DID NOT REPENT ..."  Dec 24

As we pondered the symbolic language of our Lord Jesus in his final message – a revelation given through his beloved disciple John - we were struck by the many different ways God has ultimately punished and destroyed those who have no time for him – often after a long period of grace looking to see in them a change of heart.

There are two classes of people who suffer his punishment.  First, those who claim to worship him, but are insincere or false in their worship and service. It can be said that they try to have the best of both ‘worlds.’ Second, there are those who have no time for God at all – especially those who have convinced themselves there is no God, no creator – that all that exists is the result of an incredible series of ‘accidents’ over endless ages.

There is, of course, a small third group, those who are faithful, but who suffer at the hands of others, some of them become martyrs and we read of them yesterday in Rev. 6 v.9

Through the ages God has brought plagues upon both classes of people – we remember the plagues in Egypt in the days of Moses.   The Egyptians surely had a memory of the blessings that the leadership of Joseph had brought to their nation!  But human memories of good things always fade away – or become taken for granted. Is not this the spirit in the world today?

As we read ch.9 of Revelation with its’ ‘pictures’ of destruction and reflected on its probable application to particular events through the ages we came to the final 2 verses which say, “The rest of mankind … did not repent of the works of their hands … nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”   Any sense of repentance these days for disregarding God’s laws has now more or less vanished. These words are specially a warning to our generation..

We called to mind how Jesus read from the Isaiah scroll in the synagogue; he found the place where  it was written (Ch.61 v.1,2) that his work would be “to proclaim the year (time) of the LORD’s favour”  Then he stopped, but the next words of the scroll are “and the day of vengeance of our God” – and the world faces that ‘day’ now, for his return must be near.,   .

Finally,  the world has reached the predicted time (Matt. 24 v.14) when people of all nations can read God’s word and see its challenge to believe in God’s gospel – and its warnings of coming divine punishment on a godless world.  Tomorrow we will read of both the tragedy – and the triumph - that come with the opening of the final seal. .

Description: An overview of the many issues, political, economic and environmental facing the world today. These issues have got very complicated. The realignment of the nations is demonstrating the outworking of the ancient prophecies for the final war involving all nations.

A four-part series looking at the trial by Fire recorded in the book of Daniel. What faith was demonstrated by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they defied Nebuchadnezzar,  king of Babylon, in refusing to worship the Gold idol he had set up. There are great lessons to be found in this account and these 4 talks go into depth and help us to appreciate the courage these men had and how we can learn from their example.

“WORTHY IS THE LAMB” Dec. 23rd

“Who is worthy ….?” This is a key question for us in our readings in the book of Revelation today. In reading this final book in God’s word, our minds can get ‘bogged down’ in debating the meaning of individual details, but it is spiritually invaluable to gain the overall spirit – and wonder – of this final message/vision which our Saviour – has given to us. We have come to think of the visions in Revelation from ch. 4 onwards as rather like walking around a round house and often viewing largely the same scene from different perspectives. A "mighty angel" poses the question, “Who is worthy?” [ch. 5 v.2] The first answer is in the last verse of chapter 4. “"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." There are "24 elders" who "fell down before the Lamb ... And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." [5 v.9,10] Our minds, or rather our hearts, cannot truly absorb the reality of this. But we must try, remembering what we read last Wednesday in Zephaniah, "Seek the LORD, all you humble ... who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD." [2 v.3] Back in Revelation John tells us he hears "the voice of many angels ... saying ... "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!" [v.12] These are seven things the Lord is worthy to receive. We are also in awed meditation of the situation and experience of those "who (are worthy) to share(s) in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years." [20 v.6] They (us !?)will surely experience in some measure - worthiness - the same as "the lamb" is "worthy" to receive. Finally, we meditate on what is recorded at the end of this inspiring final book of the Bible. John says, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away" [21 v.1] when "The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son." [v.7] Let us live today – and all the days of our mortality yet to come - fully conscious in our hearts (not just our minds) that "the one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life." [Rev 3 v.5] and such will be counted as "worthy" to reign with "the Lamb."

"NOT REALISING THAT YOU ARE ..."  Dec. 22

Our world is full of people who have no comprehension of what God is – many are convinced there is no God – allegedly wise men and women keep telling them this.  Sadly most churches have little to say in protest at this state of things.  We are now reading the book of Revelation and today in ch. 3 we completed the message Jesus sent  through his angel (see ch. 1 v.1) to 7 selected churches.  We see these as representative of all the different types of churches, that is – congregations – that have existed through the ages.

Each message starts with the words, “I know your works.”  God’s all seeing power knows everything that is happening and Scripture employs various imagery of language to indicate this.  We saw an example of this today in Zechariah ch.6 with 4 chariots who “go to patrol the earth” (v.7)

The message in Revelation to the believers at Laodicea is ominous!  It is a message that fits the condition of spiritual life today.  It pictures a self-satisfied community who “are lukewarm, and who are neither hot or cold” and because of this “I will spit you out of my mouth” [v.16]  They say of themselves, that they  “… have prospered and need nothing, not realising that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked”[v.17] – in a spiritual sense.

They need to “buy from me”   says Jesus “white garments so that you may cloth yourself …” [v.18] This takes our thoughts back to v.4 and the message to the believers in Sardis where there were still “a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white … and I will never blot his (or her) name out of the book of life …” [v.5]

What are these garments?  God’s message through Isaiah is frequently relevant to the messages in Revelation. Look at Ch. 61 v.10 “I will greatly rejoice … for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness” to happen when “the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.” [v.11]

How essential it is to realize what we really are – from the perspective of our Lord.  Jesus knows we are not perfect, but he said to those at Laodicea, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him … “ [v.20]  Opening God’s word and reading it prayerfully every day surely means we are opening the door of our hearts to welcome our Lord into our minds.