Showing the state of our nation in the light of God’s Holy Word and informing Christians about the possible loss of their religious liberties from current and proposed developments within the UK and European Union.
Mark 13:37
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JESUS
This is the name which is above every name, the name that is so precious to every sinner saved by grace. The reason for its preciousness is because of its blessed suitability to meet our need as lost, ruined sinners. We have to say:
“Here’s my claim, and here alone;
None a Saviour more can need;
Deeds of righteousness I’ve none;
No, not one good work to plead.”
We are not fond of acrostics, but we remember an old preacher describing the name of Jesus: “J-E-S-U-S: Jesus exactly suits us sinners.”
The name of Jesus means the Saviour. It was given to the eternal Son of God on His coming into the world of sin and sorrow. “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” So the name Jesus has a blessed relationship with us as sinners.
Clearly does the Word of God reveal that Jesus is the only Saviour. “Neither is there salvation in any other.” One of Satan’s deceptions today is the popular teaching that there are many ways of salvation, and all lead to heaven. This is a subtle attack on the truth. At one time it was, “You are wrong!” but now it is, “You are rights but….so are many other religions also!” But there will always be something exclusive in real religion, for “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” This is revealed to every grace-taught soul.
Jesus is an almighty Saviour, “able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him.” What a view that is of the triumphant Saviour (Isa. 63:1), coming forth from Edom (the land of the enemy), with dyed garments from Bozrah (its chief city), “mighty to save”! The two vital lessons the Holy Spirit teaches a sinner are his inability to save himself, and the gracious ability of the Lord Jesus. So the Word speaks of “a Saviour, and a great one” (Isa. 19:20). If a child wrote that, no doubt the teacher would correct it and say, “Just write, ‘A great Saviour’”; but here is Holy Ghost emphasis: “a Saviour, and a great one.”
This name, the name of Jesus, is exceedingly attractive to living souls. We believe this is one point that unites the whole family of God; they can all say, “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds!” Some cannot speak much, but their desires and affections are drawn out when Jesus is exalted in the gospel. They can all feelingly say, “The desire of our soul is to Thy name, and to the remembrance of Thee.” They can sympathise with the old Welsh woman who walked miles each Lord’s Day over the mountains to the house of God. Her neighbours remonstrated with her about the foolishness of this. She could only understand Welsh and the minister could only speak English, and yet wind, rain and snow could not keep her away. “Ah!” she said. “8I can understand one word, the word ‘Jesus.’ And the minister mentions it so much. It is worth going to hear that!”
In the Song of Solomon, the name of Jesus is described as “ointment poured forth” – precious, fragrant, refreshing. Never shall we forget hearing a sermon, at the opening of a new chapel, on the text: “And maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.”
To the wicked the name of Jesus is as “the savour of death unto death.” We understand this to mean that if beautifully smelling roses were placed in a room where a dead man lay, their fragrance would mean nothing to him. So when Jesus is exalted in the gospel, there is no sweet fragrance in His name to those that are dead in sin – “the savour of death unto death.” How grace makes a difference!
“The vital savour of His name
Restores our fainting breath;
Believing, we rejoice in Him,
The Antidote of death.”
The name of Jesus is a worthy name, “that worthy name by the which ye are called.” Where the fear of God is in exercise, there is a dread lest we should be left to dishonour that name that means so much to us. We can bear hearing our own name evilly spoken of, but O the grief when the Lord’s name is blasphemed!
The name of Jesus is the sinner’s only plea, and he needs no other. It is an all-prevailing plea: “For Jesus’ sake.” It is our only plea in prayer, the ground upon which our prayers are answered. That is why often such poor p0rayers are so blessedly answered. It is “for Jesus’ sake.” It is also our only plea for acceptance with God. How can I, a guilty sinner, be accepted by a holy God? This is the vital question. And there is a blessed answer:
“These He accepts for Jesus’ sake,
And views them righteous in His Son.”
Finally, Jesus is the ground and foundation of our hope. We have no other. Our only hope is in the name of Jesus – that is, His precious name, signifying all that He is, all He has done, all that He still does, exalted in heaven;
“Then let the name of Jesus be
To us supremely dear;
Our only, all-prevailing plea,
For all our hope is there.”
Our prayer often is that our unworthy names might be written on the Saviour’s heart. “Set me as a seal upon Thine heart.” And His worthy name is written upon the sinner’s heart. It was said that cruel Queen Mary died with the word CALAIS written on her heart – she was so distressed about its loss to the French. The child of God dies with the name JESUS written upon his heart.
B.A. Ramsbottom,
Gospel Standard, February 2000
WESTMINSTER : Protest and witness outside of Parliament over dangers of Islamophobia legislation
By Pastor Peter Simpson
Pastors Peter Simpson and John Sherwood staged a witness and time of public preaching time outside of the House of Commons in Westminster on Wednesday March 12th, with a particular emphasis on the grave concern felt by Bible-believing Christians at the establishment by the Government of an ‘Islamophobia Council’ to look into the whole issue of redefining ‘Islamophobia’. Their task is to deal with the increasing problem, as the Government sees it, of anti-Muslim prejudice in the UK. The preachers had with them special posters and a specially prepared leaflet on the subject produced by the Christian Watch organisation, and which was written by Pastor Simpson.
Far from their being anti-Muslim prejudice under which Muslims are labouring, Islam seems to be ever increasing in numbers and influence in the UK, and if there is in a few quarters serious criticism of Islam, this in no way implies any hatred for Muslim people or prejudice against them personally. There is, however, genuine concern in the country about Islam’s inability, because of its very nature, to integrate into British culture and into the country’s Christianity-based civilisation. It needs to be remembered that Islam is an all-pervasive political and social system, as well as a religion, and the goal of any faithful Muslim adhering to its core teachings nothing less than the Islamisation of the whole earth.
