TEXT: Matthew 2:16-18:
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
After preaching the Gospel every day for 367 days straight throughout the 2016 presidential campaign season, I am preaching the Gospel every day throughout the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s term. If you think a new president being in office is the only thing needed to save America and ‘make America great again’, you are woefully deceived. The church must follow through and “keep the main thing the main thing: and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,’ and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to ‘pray without ceasing’ for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders.” So, we encourage you to pray for the new president, but not to get caught up in the political happenings like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord. And that is what this campaign is all about.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 45, day 412 since Jan. 1, 2016.
Don Whitney said, “Everyone is born a slave of sin. We cannot free ourselves from this oppressive master, for no one can live without sinning against God. But the sinless Jesus – not for His own sake, but for others – came from Heaven to deliver us.”
While the events surrounding Jesus’ birth were a time of rejoicing and happiness for some, this passage reminds us that, for others, it was a time of sorrow and mourning. People don’t talk about Herod’s massacre and Rachel’s weeping during the festivities of the Christmas season, but God meant for these historical accounts to be included in the biblical record of His Son’s birth for a reason. One of those reasons is to show us why Jesus came and what He came to save the world from.
Jesus came to save us from men like Herod, who were driven by Satan to slaughter dozens, if not hundreds, of innocent baby boys. Historians tell us that Herod was nearly seventy years old when the events of this passage take place. He had been king for 41 years and was nearing the end of his reign; he was especially suspicious that people were plotting to overthrow him. It was during this time that he killed his sons and was known to lash out violently against anyone who threatened his authority. It is no wonder that Caesar Augustus remarked, “It is safer to be Herod’s sow than his son.”
It is easy for us to condemn Herod on account of his actions. But the truth is there is no difference between Herod and us. He simply had the power and authority to carry out his evil desires. But sin lives in us just as it lived in him. It is a hard truth, but we are all capable of becoming like Herod. Just think of the countless number of dictators, tyrants, serial killers, rapists, and mass murderers down through history. It is not a rare thing; it is the sad predicament of our sin-cursed race. Before God, we are all guilty. And that is why Jesus came, not only to save us from men like Herod, but to save people like Herod from themselves, from their sin, and from the punishment of sin which is eternal hell. You don’t need a Savior unless you have sinners who need to be saved. Ray Pritchard said, “The slaughter of the baby boys of Bethlehem is a perpetual reminder at the beginning of Christ’s earthly life: ‘This is why he had to be born.’ This is what Christmas is all about. He came for Herod. He came for those babies. He came for their mothers and fathers. He came for you and for me because, in the end, Romans 3:22 is true: ‘There is no difference.’ We are all sinners desperately in need of a Savior.” The world needs Jesus because “all have sinned.”
Witness Lee wrote:
Christ the Savior is the One you need,
He’s God incarnate, a man indeed;
In His body He suffered every pain
And died to cleanse your every stain,
So you need Jesus!
He has risen and gone up into heaven,
That life eternal might be fully given;
Just receive Him, believing in your heart,
Then all you need He will impart,
So you need Jesus!
He’ll enlighten your darkened heart with light,
Forgive your sins and rescue you with might;
He’ll cleanse you from your stains with His blood,
And give to you the life of God,
So you need Jesus!
Jesus came in order that we all might be saved from our sins and the punishment of sin. Here is how you can place your faith and truth in Him for your salvation.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to GospelLightSociety.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Saitama Light News 