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Psalm 45 At this time of year many people think of the baby in the manger and it is good to reflect on the beautiful story of the nativity. However, Jesus Christ did not remain a baby but became the mighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Saviour of the world, and the Bridegroom of his church.. So often we can focus in on the wonderful meekness and humility of Jesus (the suffering servant of Isaiah 53; the crucified Messiah) and yet neglect His power and majesty as the mighty conquering King! Through the blood of the cross He defeated him who had the power over death and having risen entered the holy of holies and presented once and for all His holy sinless blood on the mercy seat as a propitiation (turned away God's wrath) for the sin of man. We are now going to consider Jesus Christ as the conquering hero and Jesus Christ the victorious bridegroom. We must never forget that Jesus Christ defeated sin and death and has the keys of death and hell, and he is able to save them to the uttermost that come to Him. Psalm 45 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves. 45:1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. 2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore, God hath blessed thee for ever. 3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. 4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth, meekness, and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach these terrible things. 5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. 6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. 9 Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. 10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house. 11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. 12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour. 13 The king's daughters are all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. 14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. 15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace. 16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. 17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore, shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves. This is a delightful psalm bursting with royalty and nobility, power, and majesty. Shoshannim (lilies) might refer to the tune, a poetical title or even a musical instrument. Behold the lilies of the field even Solomon praised. The sons of Korah were the specially appointed and trained singers for this, and other psalms and we are also trained to sing as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: King Jesus ought to be praised by a specially chosen holy people! Psalm 45 is a didactic psalm i.e. Maschil is a psalm that teaches us (about the power and majesty of God). There is going to be royal wedding and you are going to take part in it ...as the Bride! It is also love song and more specifically a wedding (nuptial song) about the forthcoming marriage of Christ the bridegroom and His bride the church of Jesus Christ. Oh, the mystical union of between Christ and His church! Jesus is the King who set His love upon a bride of low estate, paid all our debts for us when we had no means to pay, exalts us to exalted position (seated in heavenly places) and bestows the wealth and honours of eternal life upon us. What a magnificent Bridegroom! v.1 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! The writer’s heart is bursting with praise to the divine King and Bridegroom. His pen is guided by the passion in his heart. Is your heart full of passion for your King today? v.2 Although Jesus has no physical beauty lest we desire him for the wrong reasons. He has a surpassing beauty of spirit and nature. Only that which is truth, only that which is wise and gracious, only that which gives glory to His father pours forth from those anointed lips. Never a wasted or unnecessary word only that which is fitting like apples of gold in settings of silver, fell from the lips of the Son of God. Jesus Christ is a great high priest after the order of Melchizedek without beginning or ending of days. Father God has blessed Him forever! v.3 Get ready for battle with the sword of the spirit, for the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart[1]. In the wilderness Jesus defeated Satan with the word of God and at the end of time He will destroy His enemies with the breath of His mouth. O most mighty, there never was anyone else who was able or worthy to this title, the one who defeated Satan, death, and hell by His death on the cruel cross and now has the keys of death and hell. O most mighty Jesus Christ. The Lamb of God is the only one worthy to open the scroll in the book of revelation. v.4 When Jesus preached the Gospel He rode on the Word of Truth and meekness and righteousness not only proclaiming these but living them out before the very eyes of men. The glorious eternal Gospel was His chariot to bring salvation to fallen man. The Gospel prospered turning some peoples’ worlds right way up! Jesus the right hand of God brings salvation to the humble but a terrible and everlasting condemnation to the unrepentant wicked. There is no hiding place from the Son of God. v.5 His words are arrows and never miss the mark! No one can stand against Him and survive. We are also His arrows in His quiver for he fires us out at the lost so that as we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ by His spirit, he pierces their hearts with conviction of sin of righteousness and judgement! Some enemies fall convicted leading to salvation others refusing to repent to eternal condemnation. We were once His enemies but now are of His royal household! v.6 This most mighty warrior is none other than God Himself, God the Son, Jesus Christ, the eternal word made flesh, He who was in the beginning was the eternal Word and was with God and was God. It is Him who has an eternal throne not like any earthly king but a divine and everlasting Kingship. Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Praise his holy name. he who was once a babe in a manger shall rule the nations with a rod of iron. His rule, His sceptre is the only right and lawful rule that is fitting to stand for eternity. v.7 Here is the Father’s heart he hates evil in all its forms and disguises but loves that which is truthful, pure, and holy and because this was what was Jesus lived and loved, He was anointed by the Holy Spirit without measure! Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and He received joy without measure and yet there was another joy was that was set before Him (of seeing you and I saved) He endured the humiliation and suffering of the cross. he who gives most receives most joy! v.8 Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest who offered His sacrifice to God for our sins. the high priest in the old testament had special garments and was anointed with an exclusive holy and precious oil representing the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was anointed not with the symbol but with the real thing, the fragrance of the Holy Spirit. Christians also have a measure of this aroma to those who are being saved but we are the stench of death to those who are perishing. Even the name of Jesus is as ointment poured forth! He is now at the Father’s right hand the ultimate dwelling place. v.9 Whether we are high or low rank in society Jesus Christ has appointed all women who believe in his name to royalty and like Queen Esther, you have been born-again for such a time as this! That is to be willing to sacrifice your life for the salvation of those people who are appointed unto salvation. We do this by telling and living the gospel to them and before them. The Queen is the Bride of Jesus Christ and stands beside Him in the place of honour at the Father’s right hand. The purest gold is for those to whom Jesus has imputed and imparted His righteousness so that we might stand before God as part of the royal family. v.10 We were formerly of our father the devil. The world, the flesh and the devil constantly besiege us in this life. When we go to heaven, we might lose relatives and friends forever because they have rejected Jesus Christ the only name given under heaven by which we might be saved. The Lord will wipe away the tears from our eyes. It is our obligation to take the Gospel to our families, friends, and enemies but the response is their responsibility! We must not be like Lot’s wife looking and longing for the former sinful things or like those who fell in the wilderness longing for the things of Egypt. We are washed with the holy and precious blood of the Lamb do not return like a dog to its vomit! In heaven we will put the past completely behind us, but we can start today! Forget the former things and press on toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. v.11 As we forsake all that is ungodly so will become increasingly pleasing to our King Jesus and greatly desire us for the beauty of us being willing to give up everything for Him! At the end of day who do we want to please? He is our Lord and is the only one worthy of our worship! Why should Jesus play a secondary role to anyone or anything (idols) in our lives? v12 Even the Gentiles will come to recognise Jesus as King of Kings and will bring their wealth to Him. We who were aliens and strangers to covenants and promises to Israel have become joint heirs through Jesus Christ. The costliest gift we can give to God is ourselves our very lives and the control of them. We are now rich through and in Jesus Christ and can ask for His favour! v.13 The Bride of Christ is cleansed by the blood, washed by the water of the word, and is clothed with His robe of righteousness (the quality of which can only be represented by the purest refined gold). The Bride is now beautiful on the inside and the outside. v.14 The Bride’s garment was carefully designed and put together and when she makes her entrance she will be accompanied by her companions (the angels who have protected and ministered to the Bride). All the heavenly host will be at the wedding. v.15 What a wonderful and joyful spectacle the almighty and majestic Jesus Christ the Bridegroom with His Bride, the church radiant and shining, transported by the Holy Spirit, surrounded by the angels of God entering into the Father’s household. And we will be there and part of it! v.16 Some of Jesus ancestors brought glory to God, David, Solomon, Judah etc. etc. but a special portion is given to the New testament church in that we shall rule as princes on the earth [2]. v.17 How can we fail to remember Him and give the glory due to His name, Jesus Christ. The most mighty One. The Messiah of God. The One who died that we might live Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Death could not hold the Lamb of God. He is risen and having offered his blood as a once and for all sacrifice sat down at the Father’s right hand. Soon He is coming for his bride. Even so come Lord Jesus. Amen That same baby in the manager is now the risen Lord seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. This is why the Christmas story is so very wonderful. Amen Personal prayer

Preparing your heart for revival Revival is when eternity invades time [1] Revival is God’s radical treatment for a sick and lukewarm church Revival starts with me Revival starts with you God is calling me into personal revival God is calling me to break up the fallow ground in my heart God is calling you into personal revival God is calling you to break up the fallow ground in your heart The fallow ground is the soil of your heart that used to produce fruit The fallow ground in our hearts is overgrown with weeds, thistles, and thorns God is calling us into revival through Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves in righteousness Reap in mercy Break up the fallow ground For it is time to seek the Lord Until he comes and rains righteousness on you Context: Hosea chapters 1-3 tell Hosea’s personal story. God told him to marry Gomer a promiscuous woman and raise children Hosea had even to buy her back from her lover Their third child a boy had a name something like ‘my daddy is not my daddy’ Hosea keenly felt the pain and rejection of loving an unfaithful covenant breaking wife. God keenly felt the pain and rejection of loving an unfaithful covenant breaking people Hosea identified with God’s breaking heart [2] over the sin of his people Our sin breaks God’s heart God’s tender love and mercy towards his people pours out of the book Hosea chapters 4-14 give the prophetic message of Hosea to Israel The land was filled with corruption amongst its rulers Families were unstable and immorality was widely accepted Society was divided and poverty was rife Idolatry was on the rise and the religious leaders had no answers Sound familiar? Could this be your country today? Here is God’s solution for a backslidden and lukewarm church Sow for yourselves in righteousness –Sowing; –live right before God- Believe and practice God’s word- let it dwell in your heart richly- Ask the Holy Spirit to water the seed of the word-Pray fervently-share the gospel Sow only good seeds Do only good deeds Reap in mercy; Reaping; when we sowed in righteousness, we reaped a harvest of the Lord’s loving-kindness (chesed) Our God is Chasidic-full of loving kindness Our God multiplies the righteous seed we have sown way beyond the measure we sowed Our first cycles of sowing and reaping produced a good harvest But something crept up on us- the sin crouching at the door? Or the worries and cares of this life? The pursuit of wealth? And now whatever has happened, the soil of our hearts has become fallow ground. Examine your heart...take the Tozer [3] test The fallow heart is smug and cannot be taught much The fallow heart is self contented The fallow heart is protected from the shock of the plough Some hearts have lain fallow year by year, safe and undisturbed The fallow heart focuses on past fruit The fallow heart has two signs on it; ‘Do not disturb’ and ‘Past-master.’ [1] Unknown author quoted by Clayton Dougan [2] Clayton Dougan in the podcast The breaking heart of God, Sermon Index.com [3] A.W. Tozer The fear of the plough means there can be no present fruit The spirit of adventure is dead. The fallow heart is fenced in, and God is fenced out The fallow heart smiles indulgently at fasting, revivals, self-searching, and the need to move on in God. The fallow soil has been hardened and can only support weeds, thorns, and thistles The very seeds sown by the world, the flesh, and the devil The soil of our hearts lies fallow to varying degrees-what state is your heart in tonight? Examine your heart… and take the Plough [1] test The ploughed heart practices confession and repentance We need to keep short accounts with God and each other The ploughed heart has a sign ‘not safety first’ The ploughed heart is discontent in God The ploughed heart is yearning and full of godly sorrow The ploughed heart is courageously obedient and ready to bear fruit. Break up the fallow ground; Breaking- humble yourself before the Lord Confess that your heart has become hard, fallow, and shallow Acknowledge it is your own responsibility to break up the fallow ground Ask for his help and guidance in the breaking – the Holy Spirit will assist us Confess all known sin, all the usual suspects found in the Ten Commandments Include unforgiveness, bitterness, grudges, and resentment- then forsake them Examine your heart… Examine your heart for unbelief Examine your heart for prayerlessness A sinning man stops praying, a praying man stops sinning [2]. Examine your heart for the lost Examine the priorities of your heart Is your priority in the material world? Is your priority in human relationships? Is your first real priority to get money, power, or possessions? Is your heart, seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness knowing that all these things shall be added unto you? For what are you living for? For whom are you living? Next, deal also with the questionable things in your life. It might not be outright sin, but does it glorify God? Examine your friendships and associations –do they please God? Develop convictions to protect yourself from falling into sin Convictions help integrate our hearts (inward) with our actions (outward) Job made a covenant with his eyes [3]. For it is time to seek the Lord; Seeking – the time to seek God is now –the time to seek his face is now- the time to seek his face in faith is now- believing he wants you to find him now It is God’s will for you to find him- when you seek him with all your heart Until he comes and rains righteousness on you, Persisting- how long O Lord? Persist until he comes – he will certainly come if we persist If we focus on the persisting –He will focus on his coming- Yes, the very presence of the living God will come down on you- History testifies to this in the Lewis revival. Prepare ye the way of the Lord in your own heart- remove every obstacle – and bring the presence of the living God in a new way into your heart God wants to do a new thing in your heart right now. Raining-Until the Spirit is poured on us from on high [4] And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field And the fruitful field is counted as a forest God wants your heart to be an orchard. God promised to pour out his Spirit on the dry and thirsty ground [5] He promised that the crocus and the rose would bloom in the desert place [1] Michael Catt The power of surrender; breaking through to the ploughed life [2] Leonard Ravenhill [3] Job 31:1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman. [4] Isaiah 32:15 [5] Isaiah 44:3-4 Imagine fragrant flowers and sweet fruit trees in planted in the soil of your heart God desires to breathe in your fragrance God desires to taste the sweet fruit of your character Jeremiah says ‘break up your fallow ground and do not sow amongst thorns’ [1]. Conclusion The reason we do not have revival is that we are willing to live without it. [2] The alternative to revival is progressive decline into barrenness Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. Let us bring the plough of God’s word into the fallow grounds of our hearts today asking God to empower the plough by his Holy Spirit and that he shows us exactly what needs to be removed. Are you willing to break the fallow ground in your heart? Are you willing to be made willing? God is willing and God can help each one of us break up our fallow ground. Amen Prayer [1] Jeremiah 4:3 [2] Leonard Ravenhill

Christianity brings purpose and a sense of belonging to each person's life As part of my own personal testimony when I was converted to Christ, I quickly developed a new sense of purpose for my life. God has a plan for each life including you and me. Our lives are not accidental, but we can only begin to discover our life’s purpose once we become Christian believers. Christianity produces a sense of belonging. Large numbers of people today are lonely, with a Cigna study showing up to 61% of Americans to be lonely. [1] Our loneliness problems have been compounded by the rise of things such as the impersonal social media, the isolation from the pandemic, and lockdowns etc. There is something in human beings that causes us to want to belong with other humans, in groups, families and other relationships. The Christian ethos recognizes the human need for belonging as a space that can only be filled by a relationship with God, and this is only possible through belief in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. Towards the end of his ministry, Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them, and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” (John 17:22-23) A Christian worldview is founded on the understanding that Jesus made a way for every believer to have a personal relationship with God and thereby to come into unity with other believers. This is the primary definition of purpose—to know God and to be known by God. There is a tremendous security in knowing an unconditional love that you do not have to earn. That is a primary difference between how a Christian worldview defines purpose and how a secular worldview defines purpose. In a secular worldview, you have to earn purpose. As a Christian, purpose is innate. Christianity reveals God’s plan for each life which brings security. How does the Christian worldview describe purpose in this sense? Well, it starts with the fact that God has a plan for your life. Psalm 16:5-6: “Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup. you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. surely, I have a delightful inheritance.” Psalm 139:5: “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” God’s overall purpose for humanity includes your life purpose. A Christian worldview also asserts that God weaves your purpose into His larger purpose for the world. On a grander scale, God’s purpose is to restore a world broken by sin. Jesus lived out this larger purpose as described in Luke 4:18-19, and you could say that this was Jesus’ manifesto or mission statement. New Testament scholar N.T. Wright describes this weaving of your purpose into his overall purpose this way: “What you do in the present—by painting, preaching, singing, sewing, praying, teaching, building hospitals, digging wells, campaigning for justice, writing poems, caring for the needy, loving your neighbour as yourself—will last into God’s future. These activities are not simply ways of making the present life a little less beastly, a little more bearable, until the day when we leave it behind altogether. They are part of what we may call building for God’s kingdom.” [2] In a Christian worldview, every believer actively participates in God’s universal plan. The result is a deep sense of purpose that nothing else can replace. Dear Reader, have you already found your sense of belonging and your life's purpose through Jesus Christ ? Footnotes [1] S. Demarinis https://www.cigna.com/about-us/newsroom/studies-and-reports/combatting-loneliness/ [2] N T Wright in Surprised by hope.

Christianity vs other major religions We now consider the major differences between Christianity and other religions. 1. The Trinity The very nature of God in Christianity is different from all the other religions. The other major religions have various approaches to the nature of God and can be either polytheistic with several gods or monotheistic having one God. Others are non-theistic and have no significant god outside of themselves. Christianity is monotheistic but with a key difference: Christians believe in God who is One in essence but with three distinct personalities [1] namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This means that God has always existed in community shared by His three personalities. The Christian God has always been about relationship and has extended this to humankind though Jesus Christ. 2. The Gospel The Gospel is the good news that Father God has provided a way for sinful people to be able to come to Him via the cross of Jesus Christ. This salvation is a free gift from God[2]. No law keeping, achievement, moral living, or performing religious rituals can save your soul. Jesus Christ, God the Son, became a man and died in the place of fallen humankind, but rose again from the dead to conquer sin and death. Certain religions whilst agreeing that a person cannot provide their own salvation, but instead by trusting a human leader, they may be able to achieve some form of rebirth. Christianity is not a religion, but through faith in Jesus Christ, it is a relationship with God. John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” We also note that no other faith except Christianity follows a leader who claimed to be God and who also rose from the dead. 3. The Bible is authoritative and has repeatedly been proven to be true. Historians and archaeologists have repeatedly confirmed the authenticity of the Bible. Ancient historians confirm both the person of Jesus as described in the Bible and the major events presented in the New Testament. The Bible today is the same as what was originally written. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirmed the accuracy of the Old Testament, and original writings of the New Testament authors are preserved better than any other ancient manuscript. The early church accepted the New Testament books almost immediately, and that the writers were either associates of Jesus or His original followers. The Bible claims that it is God’s Word (see 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21). Jesus also viewed Scripture as authoritative (see John 10:35 and Matthew 22:29). The New Testament authors believed what they were writing was in fact God’s Word (see 1 Corinthians 14:37, 1 Thessalonians 2:13). Insights into the differences between Christianity and other Religions [3]. Narnia author and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis comments that all religions do have some truth in them, and Lewis thinks that is what you would expect. Lewis thought that If you are a Christian, you do not have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong all through. However, if you are an atheist you do have to believe that the main point in all the religions of the entire world is simply one huge mistake. Lewis felt it was atheism that wrote off all religious claims as false, while he was free to affirm truth wherever it was found. He accepted truths in other religions. He recognised the similarities – as well as the significant differences between religions. For Lewis, a commitment to Christ does not necessitate the denial of truth in other religions. However, what makes Christianity unique is the incarnation, when God entered a specific historical place and time in the person of Jesus Christ. This is utterly unique and is either true or false. Lewis is quoted as saying [4], "If you had gone to Buddha and asked him 'Are you the son of Brahma?' he would have said, 'My son, you are still in the vale of illusion.' If you had gone to Socrates and asked, 'Are you Zeus?' he would have laughed at you. If you had gone to Mohammad and asked, 'Are you Allah?' he would first have rent his clothes then cut your head off. If you had asked Confucius, 'Are you Heaven?' I think he would have probably replied, 'Remarks which are not in accordance with nature are in bad taste.' The idea of a great moral teacher saying what Christ said is out of the question. In my opinion, the only person who can say that sort of thing is either God or a complete lunatic suffering from that form of delusion which undermines the whole mind of man." [1] Athanasian creed. [2] See Ephesians 2:8. [3] See C.S. Lewis - Objection #10: Other Religions - Mark Conner [4] God in the dock C.S. Lewis In Part 4 we consider the significant changes that belief in Christianity brings to a believer's life.

The claims that Jesus Christ made about himself Sceptics say that Jesus never claimed to be God, that others made that up. However, Jesus did not come to a culture or people that were ignorant about God. He came to the Jewish people, His chosen people who believed in the existence of one God only. Jesus did and said things that clearly alluded to His deity which was not missed by the religious leaders He interacted with. Here are four examples of this: He claimed to have the authority to forgive sin, and the religious leaders thought to themselves that He was blaspheming (Mark 2:5-7). He called God His Father and equated His work with the Father’s, and they tried all the harder to kill Him (John 5:17-18). He said that He and the Father are One, and they picked up stones to kill Him because they said He was blaspheming (John 10:30-33). He said that He would sit at the right hand of the Mighty One and come on the clouds of heaven. They said He was blaspheming, and they condemned Him to death (Mark 14:61-64). The above scriptures are just four of several examples proving that Jesus did not leave it open to debate as to who He is. After all Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). C. S. Lewis the Narnia author and Christian apologist put it like this [1] ‘ I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him (Jesus): “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.’ People today may think that every belief system is equally valid, acting like everything is okay until someone else’s beliefs contradict their own. [1] C S Lewis Mere Christianity In Part 3 we consider the key differences between Christianity and other major religions.

Are not all religions the same? This study gives an overview of the main points by which Christianity is demonstrated to be distinct and unique from all the other world religions. As a starting point we should note that Christianity is rooted in history and evidence[1]. For example in the case of the historical reality of the resurrection, Christ vindicated His claim to divinity. The miracles of Islam and Buddhism lack historical validation. The claims of Christianity unlike other religions are never irrational nor contradictory. Christianity gives an explanation to the phenomena we see in everyday life e.g. the origin of selfish behaviour etc. Key points unique to Christianity The incarnation The truth is that Jesus is God. Christianity is the only religion where God is born as a man and becomes fully human[2]. All other religions teach that humans must work their way toward divinity. The Cross For Christians, the cross represents the defining moment in history when creator God is reconciled to humankind. Jesus Christ, God in flesh, laid down His life as the sacrificial lamb, taking the punishment we deserve upon Himself, atoning for our sins, and setting us free from the enslavement of sin and the second death. No other religion has a Saviour dying on a cross. See also the section below ‘The Gospel.’ The power of the cross of Christ reconciles humanity with our heavenly Father. In Jesus we find forgiveness of sin. He was raised from death to give us a new life in Him. In the risen Lord Jesus, we are a new creation. The Resurrection It may be surprising to learn that there is evidence from both biblical and non-biblical sources for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Although we have historical evidence of Jesus’ life and death, we should note that his body has never been found. Sceptics have argued that the disciples stole the body and hid it. This is highly unlikely for the reasons given below. When Jesus was arrested by those sent from the Jewish leaders and turned over to the Roman authorities to be crucified, his disciples scattered from Him (Mark 14:43-50), and their leader, Peter, even denied that he had been with Jesus (Mark 14:66-72). The disciples acted out of fear and scattered, hid, and did not want to be associated with Jesus in His death. However, seven weeks later, we find Peter preaching in Jerusalem proclaiming that Jesus was raised from the dead by God (Acts 2:14-36). What had changed for Peter and the other disciples? What turned their fear into a bold courage? Was it the fact that they had hidden a corpse? Or was it that these men had seen Jesus after He had risen from the dead (Acts 1:3)? It is reported that all but one of the 12 apostles suffered violent deaths for their preaching of Jesus Christ and not one of them took back or renounced their faith. It is often said that many people have died for a lie. But how many have died for a lie knowing that it was a lie? If the disciples had stolen the body, then they would have known that the resurrection was a lie. You would think if that were the case, at least one of them would have taken back their testimony in the face of torture and a violent death. Persecution and death for preaching Christ was true not only for the 12 apostles but for those who received their teaching. It is difficult to believe that these people would willingly die for Jesus Christ if they knew it was a lie. Thousands of these Christians died because they believed the statements in the Gospels about Jesus to be true. They willingly died as martyrs, refusing to deny their faith in Him. In the face of Jewish and Roman opposition and persecution, Christianity spread all throughout the Roman Empire in 300 years, and it continues spreading today. If the Romans and Jews had known where the body of Jesus was, all they had to do was display the body on a cart/wall and Christianity would have died right there and then. Some claim (including the Muslims) that Jesus never really died but only fainted on the cross, and later revived in the tomb giving the impression of being resurrected. However this is contradicted by Jesus’ corpse being pierced by a spear with water then blood issuing from his body. Modern doctors tell us this would only happen if Jesus’ heart was ruptured and hence, he was clinically dead. Sceptics have even suggested that all the appearances of Jesus after the resurrection were hallucinations caused by overactive imaginations. This is highly unlikely since any two individuals almost never have the same hallucination at the same time, whereas the bible records groups of people repeatedly saw the risen Jesus. Such evidence is recorded in the bible which states that more than 500 people claimed to have seen the risen Jesus after his resurrection from the dead (see 1 Corinthians 15:6). [1] Adapted from Hank Hanegraff https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-uniqueness-of-christianity-and-q-a/id569236334?i=1000564748306 [2] Gospel of John 1:1-3 and 1:14. In Part 2 we consider the claims that Jesus Christ made about himself.

How to test God's will for your life/situation Rom 12:2 Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will. The Apostle Paul says that we should be able to test and approve the will of God. So how do we do that? The Bible gives us a number of ways that we approve his will: The Bible The Bible is God’s primary source of revelation. It is inspired and trustworthy, we should read it and apply it to our life. The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true. 2 Tim 16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Psa. 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart: do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. If anything is contrary to the teaching of scripture, then we know that it cannot be God’s will since God cannot contradict himself. We need to be regularly reading God’s word so that we are familiar with it teaching. Apart merely reading the scriptures we need to approach them with a sense of enquiry. We should pray and expecting God to speak to us through them. We should not only be thinking about what he has written historically, but we should be expecting personal present revelation. Prayer Prayer is a vital tool in discerning God’s will for our lives, even Jesus used prayer to find out what God wanted him to do. Luke 6:12-13 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God - When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Matt. 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” We should be regularly asking God to guide us and to reveal his will to us. Through prayer we are entrusting every situation to God for his blessing and protection. Through prayer we learn to relinquish control as we submit everything to God. See also Eph. 1:18; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Col. 1:9-10, 3:16, 4:2; 1 Thes 5:17 Accountability This is the one area that Christians struggle with the most. The idea that our leaders and fellow Christians have the right to speak into our lives and bring correction and guidance is too difficult for some people to accept. Of course its okay if the agree with what we think, the problem arises when they disagree with us. It’s often very difficult for an individual to make decisions without being influenced by their own likes and desires. God has placed us into community so that we can love, encourage, correct, and rebuke each other in the matter of faith, doctrine, and lifestyle. Heb. 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Submission only has meaning when we disagree with each other. If your leader asks you to do something that you really want to do anyway; that’s not submission, that’s just doing what you want! Submission is when they give advice that is contrary to what you want, and you submit to that advice. You give way to what they are saying. We are to submit to: - - God’s Word (Jer. 7:23) - governing authorities (Rom 13:5) - our spiritual leaders (1 Cor. 16:16, Heb 13:7) - our husbands (Eph 5:22) - one another (Eph 5:21) - God (James 4:7) Often when Christians are bent on doing something that is contrary to the wishes of those around them, they often hide behind phrases like ‘I must listen to what God is saying’ and ‘it’s the spirit who guides me’. Yet the bible makes it quite clear that the Christian community is an essential component in discerning God’s will. Amen Personal Prayer In our (final) Part 8 we consider how circumstances may help us discern the will of God.

Altered images by sin So far we have learned that the bible teaches that 'made in the image of God' refers to the image of God's character i.e. righteousness and holiness. But, what happened to this image of God in mankind? 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. Adam fell into sin when he disobeyed the Lord. This led to death coming upon Adam and then spread to all mankind. At that exact time Adam’s image of God was distorted, defaced, corrupted, or spoiled and this altered and distorted image has passed down to us today. ¨2 Corinthians 4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. The god of this age is Satan who seeks to blind people's minds so that the glory of Christ who is the image of God cannot shine upon them to restore the proper image of righteousness and holiness. Satan always seeks to hinder the new birth to prevent the righteous image of God being restored to people. ¨Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. We can summarise our findings as follows; ¨You are a human person made by God ¨You are an altered person spoiled by sin ¨You are a person restored by Christ ¨The best biblical explanation of ‘made in the image of God’ is in our character- righteous and holy- this tells us what we are meant to be. Jesus Christ bears the perfect image of God - He is our 'go to' person to see what righteousness and holiness look like in life. Amen Prayer In part 4 of this study we consider what is the importance of being made in the image of God.

Making mention in prayer Some years ago, whilst working in my role as a biomedical scientist, I heard about a patient who had a kidney transplant. Such patients need to take a type of medication called immuno-suppressive drugs. These drugs prevent the patient’s immune system from rejecting the transplanted organ. The doctors were able to gradually reduce the patient’s tablets from several a day at first, over a year or two right down to a half tablet each day. This worked fine and for something like 14 years the half tablet did the job. However, one day the patient forgot to take the half tablet and sad to say, he went into graft rejection and lost the kidney. Although he was only taking a tiny dose it went a long way and unfortunately as soon as he stopped the entire benefit was lost. This story made me think of a recurring theme in the bible of how God can make a little go a long way. Let us bring these stories to mind… Elijah’s tub of flour and jug of oil never ran out during the famine (1 Kings 17:8-16). Elisha prayed that the widow’s jar of oil would keep flowing and she was able to clear all her debts (2 Kings 4:1-7). God filled every vessel of the widow which c.f. with us being filled with the Spirit but he is never diluted or diminished. Jesus prayed and the loaves and fishes were multiplied to feed a multitude (Matthew 14:17-21) and had lots of leftovers too. Again, Jesus tells us (Matthew 17:20) that if we have the tiniest measure of faith, then we can move mountains! God certainly can make a little go a long way! And he does time after time, again and again, Let us now focus specifically on a little going a long way in the context of prayer. Sometimes we think that for certain types of prayer to be effective, then the prayer must be nice and long. But could God act on us merely mentioning someone in our prayers? Well, here are 5 biblical examples from the Apostle Paul, who clearly thought mentioning someone in prayer was very worthwhile. Romans 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention [1] of you always in my prayers. Ephesians 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. Philemon 4 I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, So, what does it mean to mention someone in prayer? A dictionary definition of the word ‘mention’ -a brief comment or remark, or, to remember briefly. As we get older in the faith our daily prayer lists get longer and longer! Paul’s prayer list must have been very extensive (he prayed for the Galatians, Colossians and many other churches, families, and individuals). But he felt that it was important to continually be mentioning his fellow believers in prayer to the Lord. Sometimes, we think that for a prayer to be effective that it must be long! As an older car battery charger gives a trickle charge, so our making mention of others in prayer is constantly bringing them before the throne room of grace. Sad to say, from my own experience, for several years I used to briefly mention each day two children with serious health problems. They always seemed fine. But I unintentionally forgot them for a year or two. When I next saw them, I was surprised how much they had deteriorated, and I decided that I had to start mentioning them before God each day again. Beloved, God can make your little go a long way. So, give God your littles: (your little prayer, your little time, your little finance and little resources, your little strength, your little capacity to care for others, your little faith can move mountains), and know this that even mentioning someone in prayer to the Lord is positively making a difference in their lives. Prayer: Father God in Jesus name, we offer to you the ‘littles’ in our lives, our time, our strength and energy, our finance and resources, our little time in prayer, and all other areas of our lives where we feel ‘little’, asking that that you make each one of them go a long way in the building your kingdom. Amen [1] 3417. mneia, mni'-ah; from G3415 or G3403; recollection; by impl. recital: --mention, remembrance.

How to be an encourager by Alan Scobie Encourage One Another. Say Encouraging Words Daily (Encourage Others: Words of Encouragement Change People!) Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Encouraging words are effective. Have you ever known someone who believed in you, someone who frequently spoke words of encouragement and praise? The kind of person who made you feel you could do it, whatever "it" was? That is the kind of person God wants us to be. Paul gave a good guideline when he wrote that everything, we say should build up the one who is listening. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29). The same phenomenon, multiplied by thousands of cheering fans, becomes the home court advantage in sports contests. The book of Proverbs sums up the impact encouraging words can have when it says, "The tongue has the power of life and death" (Proverbs 18:21). Your words have an impact. May this Bible study encourage you to become an encourager! The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life (Proverbs 10:11). Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers (Acts 15:32). We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Therefore encourage each other with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25). Follow God's example. Be an encourager! You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry (Psalm 10:17). For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4). May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5). Think positively. Look for things to encourage. Do you bring sunshine or gloom into the room? If you are a negative person, do not say, "I'm just a worrier. I was born that way." Or "It’s my nature to be depressed." God is in the personality-changing business. He wants you to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son" (Romans 8:29). You can change. You can become known for your encouraging words. Life is full of problems, and we need to deal with them. But if we are not careful, all we see are the problems. There are lots of good things we can focus on. Instead of "catching people being bad," catch them being good. Make your words a fountain of life. Be a positive person. Encourage one another. Ask God to help you develop a positive thought life. Immerse yourself in his Word. Pray. Over time, you will discover that you can control the way you think, choosing to focus on some thoughts and to reject others. The following verse can be life changing. Write it out and post it where you will see it regularly, on your refrigerator, bathroom mirror or the dashboard of your car. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if any-thing is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8). When you wake up in the morning, ask God to help you look for and focus on the positive. Pray for this attitude throughout the day. Choose to meditate on the positive. Bring sunshine into the world. Speak positively. Be an encourager. Encourage others daily. When you talk, you make a series of choices about what subjects to discuss, what memories to bring up, and what points to make. There always are negative things you could say, but there also are positive ones. Choose the positive. Choose to specialize in encouraging words, not in critical comments. As Paul wrote, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification" (Romans 14:19). Bring friendly speech into your relationships. Do not start complaining as soon as you see your spouse, child, employee, neighbour, or someone else. Ask about his or her day. Give a compliment. Share stories about your day, insights from Bible study, victories on the job, or other things they may be interested in. Voice words of encouragement, appreciation, support, and respect. Acknowledge others' abilities and efforts. If someone feels inadequate, encourage him or her. Monitor your positive and negative remarks. Learn to be self-aware and listen to what you say. Be sure you make many more positive comments than negative ones. Respond to problems with hope and encouragement. When someone talks about personal difficulties, do not respond with a "gloom and doom" attitude. Listen with compassion and avoid simplistic advice. Say something such as, "I know this is a tough time for you, but it won't last. Let me encourage you: God will see you through, and I'm here to help, too." [God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:4). And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Avoid subtle criticisms. Watch out for subtle ways you may tear others down, such as pointing out how quickly you can mow the lawn when you know it takes them twice as long. Discuss problems as a friend. There are times in every relationship—in a family, on the job, or wherever—when people discuss difficult topics. When you do, speak in a courteous, friendly manner. The way you speak usually is more important than whether your opinions are right or wrong. You may wish to consider adopting one or both of the personal applications below. Personal application 1: Plan to say encouraging words. (1) List the key people in your life. (2) Beside each name, write how encouraging you are with that person. (3) Pray for God to help you recognize the power of encouragement and to encourage one another—to say encouraging words, not discouraging words. Personal application 2: Follow through and encourage others daily. Make it a habit to encourage those around you. Consider keeping track of how you are doing on a day-by-day basis. For example, you could: (1) Make a brief note on a calendar each day you encourage someone. (2) Keep an encouragement journal or diary. Amen Personal Prayer

Our biblical role models Can you name anyone who has encouraged you in the past? What did they say or do to encourage you? To speak encouragement is literally to speak courage into someone's life (speak courage into). We give them the courage to believe what God says, even when it seems so far removed from their experience. Ken Boa says that humans can survive the loss of anything – but not without hope. Hope is how we live. Hope is what gets us from one day to the next. When hope goes, we start to die. One of the most profound proverbs of the Bible says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12). When we place our hope in the wrong things, one of two things is likely to happen. Either we will never make it to the level we had hoped for, in which case we end up envious or bitter. Or we make it to that level only to discover that it does not fill our heart. In that case, we end up unfulfilled and disappointed. ¨When things are bad Satan tells us –it will never end! ¨When things are good Satan tells us-it will never last! God Himself is an encourager 2 Thessalonians 2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word Coming along side to help In scripture both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are called the divine parakletos (an advocate- one who comes alongside to help, comfort and support. When disappointment or failure happen, a key role for the leader is that of keeping hope alive. When others lose their way and begin to despair, effective leaders will pour encouragement into the heart and soul of their team members. You will know when to come alongside someone. You will sense when a team member needs a quick correction or a shoulder to cry on. ¨Take affirmative action every day- affirm someone! Barnabas – the son of encouragement Barnabas was the disciple who believed in Saul of Tarsus when everyone else was frightened of Saul who became Paul. Barnabas was the nickname given to Joseph because he was so known for his encouragement. What a lovely accolade. Paul’s ministry might never have gotten off the ground if Barnabas had not believed in him and supported him (gave him a chance). When we encourage each other, we strengthen the church and enable us to fulfil God’s call and will for our lives. We all need somebody to believe in us Acts 9:26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him and believed not that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Barnabas Fact-file Real name Joseph aka Barnabas Barnabas means –the son of encouragement He believed in Saul of Tarsus when everyone else feared and body-swerved him His believed in Paul and spoke up for him He believed in God’s call on Paul’s life. He gave Saul a chance Paul’s ministry might never have got started if not for an encourager! The encouragement of a friend 1 Samuel 18:1-4 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow, and his belt. Jonathan encourages David Jonathan verbally encouraged David in their frequent meetings, Jonathan believed in David and that God had called to David to become King Jonathan was willing to step aside for David Jonathan demonstrated godly character by encouraging David in the times of hardship including death threats Let us encourage someone today being careful what type of words we speak to them; Harmful Words - You are a failure - You are worthless - You are guilty - There is a recession - You have no future - You are damaged goods - You are just ordinary Words of life - You are chosen - You are precious - You are forgiven - Your God will supply - You abide in his shadow - You are a new creation - You are created specially in Christ Jesus Amen Personal Prayer In Part 2 we look at the power of our words to encourage or discourage others.

Why serve with excellence? Question: What is your definition of excellence and what does it mean to be excellent? Dictionary definition: noun. 1. the fact or condition of excelling; superiority; surpassing goodness, merit, etc. 2. something in which a person or thing excels; with particular virtue 3. excellency Q. Does God require excellence from his children? What do you think? Q. Why should we serve God with excellence? A. The first and foremost reason is that our God is the most excellent God. Psalm 8:1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent [is] your name in all the earth! who has set your glory above the heavens. The Lord our God has an excellent name, and He is worthy of our absolute best. The excellency of God in scripture Job 37:23 [Touching] the Almighty, we cannot find him out: [he is] excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict. Psalm 36:7 How excellent [is] thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. Psalm 150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness Is your offering/service acceptable? Q: why does it matter what we offer to God in terms of our ministry? Answer: All through the old testament God made it clear that whatever was offered to him in sacrifice should be without spot or blemish. The book of Leviticus has dozens of sacrifices specified but all without blemish. Q: What kind of sacrifice/ministry does God want? Lev 19:2 This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come. Jesus’ excellence of ministry In the New Testament, Jesus (the Lamb without blemish) will present his Church Ephesians 2:5 That he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot, or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Jesus offers only excellent ministry to his Father. We should emulate Jesus. Amen Implications for us - Anything that we give to God whether spiritual, material or service it should be excellent in every way. - We should never offer anything that is a reject, or substandard or second quality nor damaged in any way, - Everything we offer to God should be excellent in nature, not defective in any way, not sloppy, ill prepared or executed Do not panic - Remember God’s grace will make up what we lack If you have 3 weeks, 3 days or just 3 hours to prepare a bible study God will give you the grace to make up the difference in what you can achieve. However. if we have plenty of time, we honour God by making excellent preparations. Do you remember the old Keith Green song lyrics- do your best, pray its blessed and He will take care of the rest. Remember that Christian excellence is not about striving! Amen Personal Prayer