The Messiah

The Love that He shows to you is incomparable with anything else you will ever experience. His love is pure, genuine, freely given and without measure and limit. The love that Jesus has for each one of us, can best be described in His own words as given in John 15:13

Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down His life for his friends.

And that's exactly what Jesus did for you and I. He was mocked and ridiculed by the scorn of religious bigots and self-pleasing pretenders. He was handed over to be tortured by the merciless whipping of those brutal soldiers. He was whipped 39 times on His open back and each time those jagged pieces of steel at the end of their leather straps ripped His flesh apart, He had you in mind.

The blood poured out freely that day at the whipping post. This torture He didn't deserve! As they marched Him through the city, bruised by the beating of the fists of those torturous soldiers, the gruesome whipping shred the skin off His back.

The streets of Jerusalem were crowded by hundreds of thousands of onlookers, who had gathered to celebrate the Passover. Little did they know that the Passover Lamb Jesus; was right before their very eyes; yet they did not recognize His appearance.

Some cursed Him but others wept openly and uncontrollably. How could He, the One who opened blind eyes, who healed the cripples, who raised the dead, the One who gave life and peace to people, be subjected to such inhumane cruelty? As the noise of the crowds grew louder, as the shouting and the crying increased, I imagine that all became silent to Jesus.

All commotion ceased around Him, and as He fell to the stony ground, not being able to bare the weight of the cross, He dropped to His knees and in anguish dropped His head. Then, looking up in the distance, on a hill, portrayed and exhibited for the entire world to see, was in the eyes of the world a picture of death, defeat, loss and terror.Yet to Him, it was the place of life and victory, gain and great joy.

It was Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, the Cross of Calvary. And with courage that only comes from God, Jesus knew that this was the time for Him to fulfill the purpose for which He had come. Those brutal soldiers then placed His marred and bleeding body upon the cross. They then lined up those long thick jagged nails of steel and smashed them into His hands and feet. Oh! What agony. What torment! The Son of God crucified for you and for me. Today, if you should walk up to Jesus and ask, "Why Jesus? Why such agony? Why such pain? What did you do to deserve such a death? This is what He will say to you,

Jesus died a sacrificial death for you and I. It was us who deserved to be on that cross, and in actual fact, it is because of us, that Jesus had to go through all of that torture. Our sin and rebellion towards God, is what caused Jesus to have to come and pay the penalty for our sins. The truth of the matter is that all people have sinned. We are not sinners, because we sin; we sin because we are sinners (Romans 3:23). It is in our nature to sin. PSALM 51:5 "Behold I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me." ISAIAH 64:6 "But we are all like an unclean thing and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Let me give you this example: Imagine I place a bird on a perch and I say to the bird, "Hello birdie! Promise me that you won't fly away." and then I carry on encouraging it with many other incentives. Guess what! After a few minutes, the bird will begin to flap its wings and take off despite my countless efforts to discourage it. The reason for the bird flying away is that it is in the bird's nature to fly away. In very much the same way, we are like this bird. Religion gives us a set of rules and regulations, a standard to live by and a moral ethical code. It is impossible for us to adhere to all these requirements because it is in our nature to do the opposite. Because of our shortcomings in these areas, religion makes us feel like we have failed God. This couldn't be further from the truth. God knows that we are born sinners and understands the way we behave. This is why He has given us a solution to the dilemma that we face. The thought that our righteous or good deeds will get us into a relationship with God is unfounded. It is only through the Messiah Jesus Christ and His atonement by dying for us, that makes it possible for us to enter into a relationship with God. Speaking of relationships, you may know of a famous person who you have seen on T.V. or heard about, or you might have even read articles about them or their autobiography. However, this does not mean that you have a close intimate relationship with that person. You know them by reputation and what others have said about them, but that does not mean that you know them personally. It is the same with God. You may have heard a lot about Him in the synagogue, church, mosque, school, university or television. This does not mean that you know Him personally or even have a genuine personal relationship with Him. When you spend time with a person on a continual basis, speaking to them, sharing your dreams together, your most intimate thoughts and you begin to enjoy each other's company, it's on this basis that a relationship is founded. This is the kind of relationship that the Lord is seeking to have with you; not based on your performance, religious duties, or good works but based on truth and love.

In the Beginning

When God created man, He created us in His own image, male and female. GENESIS 1: 27 "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God; male and female", He created them." What was so awesome about the relationship that God had with Adam was that they would personally communicate and walk in the Garden of Eden together. Adam physically saw God with his naked eyes standing before him, in all His glory. He never imagined it. It actually happened. Adam was extremely intelligent, enough to communicate with God on a high level. He was so intelligent that he physically named all the animals and trees that existed on the earth. Like any relationship, there were boundaries. God said to Adam and Eve that they could eat of any tree in the Garden of Eden, except of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the that day they ate of it they would be spiritually separated from God. Adam and Eve knew of the consequences of their sin and disobedience to God, and, when tempted by Satan (the snake), they fell into his trap. In so doing, they ruined a perfect, harmonious, intimate relationship with their God and their creator. Adam was Man's representative, and, in disobeying God, caused all men to inherit a sin nature. Genesis 2:16 "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of - the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die." (Temptation) Genesis 3:1 "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman 'Has God indeed said, you must not eat of any tree of the garden?'

4. ... "You will not surely die" (Satan lied)
5. ... "and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6. ... "she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Disobedience)

The trust was broken, and, because of Adam's actions, his personal relationship with God was broken. This is also true of our lives. If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that you have little or no relationship with the Lord. There is a spiritual vacuum in your heart, an unsettling desire for love and acceptance, and a sense for purpose and destiny. These feelings are natural to have. God placed them there and they can only be truly satisfied when you come to Him, surrender and give your life to Him.

PEACE

There is a peace that the world can offer you, however their peace means an absence of war, crime and violence. The peace that the Lord offers you is a peace that passes all natural human understanding, a peace that will guard your heart and mind in the midst of turmoil. That's because Jesus is alive: He has risen from the dead and He is the Prince of Peace, ready to guide you through life. A wealthy philanthropist once commissioned a painting. Whichever painter could illustrate the perfect picture of "Peace", that painting he would buy. There were paintings of streams, birds and animals, meadows and hills. Yet there was one painting where there was a great storm, with heavy rain, thunder and lighting, the winds were fierce and the mountains in the landscape were huge and rugged. In the cleft of the rocks, sheltered from the rain was an eagle, covering its eaglet, keeping it safe and warm. The philanthropist said, "Now that's perfect peace". You will go through the storms of life, everyone does, but you can have Jesus in your life to protect you.

LOVE

The love that the world offers you is based on "I'll Love you IF you do this or do that for me or if you give this to me. This kind of love is self-seeking and self-gratifying. It's all about me and what I can get out of the relationship. The world can also seem very superficial and shallow at times, judging everything and every one, based on one's physical appearance. As long as you look a certain way, you will be loved. The love of the world is conditional and superficial, but the love that Jesus has for you is completely opposite. Whoever you may be, whatever you may look like and whatever you may have done, Jesus loves you. His love is unconditional. You can't earn His love; neither do we deserve it, (because of anything we may have done.) He loved us first even when we are at our worst, blaspheming His name, He carried on loving us. He loved you as much then as he does today and He wants to have a permanent residence in your life. His love was not expressed by words, but by actions. His life, burial and resurrection are proof of His commitment to you. There are not enough words of expression. that will ever be able to convey the love that the Lord has for every one of us. Yet I suppose it can be best described in the scripture that says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" John 3:16 One person put it this way "Love is not expressed until a sacrifice is made". Jesus loves you as much now as He will ever love you. You just need to respond to His expression of love, and receive Him into your life.

JOY

The joy or happiness that the world offers is conditional of the circumstances that you are in, for example, if I have a house, a car, a good job, and a family, all my finances are a success and the health for all of us, is good, then this will cause me to be happy and have joy. So often is the case, that if one of the above or another problem arises, it will cause my entire world to collapse. You may be in a depressed way and you watch a comedy on T.V. or go to watch a stand up comedian or go to a music concert. You may thoroughly enjoy yourself, have been laughing and feel a lot better, but you have not solved the problem at its root. A few hours may go by, but the problem you are facing still remains. This reminds me of an analogy someone made "You may have a wonderful glass table that you've cherished for a number of years, which has been an item of praise by your visitors. Well, one day your child throws a ball, which accidentally lands on the table and causes it to crack down the middle (or you may have been such a child). So, you put a beautiful tablecloth on the top to hide the crack. At your next social, some people comment on how nice the tablecloth is and how beautiful the table looks as a whole. You smile, knowing well how hideous the table really is and that it is, because of the cloth hiding the crack, that the true appearance of the table is not revealed. This table with the crack is very much representative of our lives, the truth being that deep down inside we are brokenhearted and wounded people. In an attempt not to reveal ourselves, we make a "beautiful table cloth "to cover up the hurt, pain and the rejection that we are experiencing. Some of our tablecloths vary. Yours may be IMAGE AND POPULARITY. You buy all the latest clothes, drive the most modern cars, holiday at popular resorts, eat at exclusive restaurants and socialize with the "in" (popular) crowd. Yours may be FAME AND FORTUNE. This is an attempt to fill a deep inner sense of belonging. Even though you accumulate masses of personal fortune or fame and even if millions of your adoring fans recognize you, your soul vacuum grows deeper and deeper and your craving for love and acceptance grows more intense. Your ambition is fueled by the misconception you have that you need to be rich and famous in order to satisfy the hunger of your soul. The brilliance of the true discovery of love, self and existence, can only be found in Jesus ...all else, all life is just in vain. Yours may be SEX, DRUGS AND MUSIC. In a desperate attempt to want to live, to be free and to belong, to be filled with ecstasy and satisfaction, you are willing to do anything, go anywhere and to be with anyone in order to be satisfied. The drive you have inside is so intense, that your search leads you into many weird experiences. Going from one sexual relationship to another, in an attempt to find your ''soul mate'', only lasts a while, before you are in another relationship. Each time you leave your former lover, you leave a piece of you with them, so before long, you battle to find your identity, the true you. Sometimes you may feel guilty, sometimes shameful, yet you find yourself unable to escape this lifestyle.

It's your Decision

In life you will be faced with many decisions. Some you make will be good, some not so good. But some decisions you make will turn the path of your destiny forever. These are called life decisions. When making a life decision, you need to take it seriously. Study all the facts, weigh all your options and then make a committed decision. Please realize that the Lord loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you. Not based on your religious observation or on your good works. This relationship you can enter into now, today, is based on what Jesus did for you. Jesus said "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28) .I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Me. (John14: 6) God has made me the judge of the living and the dead". (Acts 10:42 Jesus also stated "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 Maybe you've never made the decision to ask Jesus into your life to be your Lord and Savior, but, you are now totally convinced of the fact that Jesus died on the cross to take away your sins, purchase for you eternal life and has the power to bring you into a personal relationship with God the Father. There may have been a time in your life when you prayed some kind of a prayer, asking Jesus to come into your life. Maybe you used to have a close personal relationship with the Lord but people or circumstances have distracted you from following Him. But, you know now deep down in your heart that you are far from Him and that you want to recommit your life to Him and enter into a close personal relationship with Him.

It's Your Choice

If you want to receive Jesus into your life for the very first time, or, if you want to recommit your life to Him, then I encourage you to pray the prayer included at the end of the chapter. Realize that this moment may never come again and that the Lord is reaching out to you today. Don't run from Him, run to Him. His arms are open wide, ready to receive you just the way you are. He sees your hurts, your pains, your rejections and He knows exactly what you've been through in life. You may have been sexually, physically or verbally abused and you feel that no one understands the immense pain that you have gone through. But, He does! From today on, He will begin to heal you and make you whole. Maybe you have been the one that has been responsible for inflicting hurt and pain on others. You might be a drug dealer, murderer, thief, wife batterer, or even a child molester and having read this book, you have been convicted in your heart of your sins and your lifestyle. You are convinced in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God. Today you can make the decision to give your life to Him and begin a brand new life with the Lord. Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live." On that fateful Passover day, the enemies of Jesus harassed Him and fabricated lies against Him. The governor ordered Jesus to be whipped 39 times and then to be crucified. They whipped, beat, spat on and ridiculed Him. They marched Him through the streets of Jerusalem, to Calvary where they crucified Him. The blood was pouring out of His hands and feet, His back and face. That blood, the precious blood of Jesus has the power to take all your sins away. Just before Jesus died, He cried out in a loud voice, "Father forgive them. They do not know what they are doing." A soldier then marched up to Him and thrust a spear into His side, confirming that He was dead. They took Him off the cross and buried Him in the tomb. The first day went by and Jesus was still dead, buried and in the tomb. The enemies of Jesus were rejoicing because they believed that they had killed the Son of God. The second day went by and Jesus was still dead, buried and in the tomb. Every demon was rejoicing in this fact. But, on the third day, all of hell began to shake and I believe that the devil had a heart attack. Because, on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and Jesus is alive. Death could not keep Him down, your sins and my sins could not keep Him down. On the third day He arose. This proves that He has the power to forgive us and to give us eternal life.

• If you believe in your heart that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God
• If you believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross to take your sins away
• If you believe in your heart that He rose from the dead and that He is alive and you want to give your life to Him and receive Him as your Messiah and Savior.

Then pray this prayer: Father God, come in to my life. Jesus, I believe in my heart that you are the Son of God that you died on the cross to take my sins away and that you rose from the dead on the third day and that you are alive. Right now, I give my life to you, my spirit, my soul and my body. Everything I have, everything I am I give to you right now. From this moment on and forever more, I will follow you. Thank you for making me a child of God. Thank you Jesus for saving me. In Jesus name! Amen!

Steps for spiritual growth

You have just made the most important decision of your life. It is imperative that you now start to grow spiritually in your newfound faith. The rate of your spiritual development now lies largely with you. In the same way that a very athletic person will go to gym every day and be on a strict healthy diet will help produce a statuesque physique so will eating fatty foods and not exercising result in you being overweight and unhealthy.

These 5 areas will help you to grow spiritually.

1. Study and grow in the word of God by reading the bible.

   My advice is that you start reading from the New Testament the books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These books focus upon the life, death burial and resurrection of Jesus. Like when falling in love, the way you get to know more about the person is by spending time with them and getting to know their character, so too, will you grow in your relationship with the Lord. It is important for you to know who you are in your relationship with the Lord, your rights as a believer over the devil and the forces of darkness and your responsibilities towards your family and your fellow man. Although there are many books that have been written, making reference to these, the source of all wisdom and guidance is from the bible.

2. Become a member of a local church in your community

   A group of people with the same interests, same ideas and same belief system often gather together in the form of a club or a group. This is because, in the midst of a world with so much going on, the group is a source of a lifetime's worth of inspiration, instruction and friendship. When you become a part of such a group, like-minded people who are interested, devoted and committed to seeing you meeting your full potential will surround you. In your newfound faith and relationship with the Lord, He has instructed each one of us to become an active participant in a local church. Here, you will receive spiritual upliftment, guidance and instruction in the ways of the Lord. The local church, which you should become a member of, will be a great platform for you to get involved in exercising the gifts and talents that the Lord has given you for the benefit of others. Like from a string of different restaurants within your city, you have a wide selection of many kinds of foods to choose from, you happen to choose the restaurant that most appeals to you although there may be Chinese, Italian, Seafood, Vegetarian and Steak restaurants. This is so within the Kingdom of God. There are many denominations within Christianity, all of which have a different way of doing things. They differ in culture, language, styles of music, and styles of preaching. Each have their own focus with regard to what they believe is most important for their congregations. Some are very strong, with regard to social and political issues, some with the move of the Holy Spirit and many other types of churches. As long as they are strong bible believing and word based churches, I encourage you to join one of them. There are many cults and false religions, masquerading as the true church. Be sensitive not to get pulled into one of them. My encouragement to you is to join a well-known church in your community. At the end of this book, you will find a page with the details of the person who gave you this book and the church that they belong to. Please contact them and tell them that you want to visit with them and that you want to find out more about growing spiritually. We are instructed in the book of Hebrews 10:25, "Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together" Spend some time visiting a few churches in your community and then make a decision to join the one that you believe is most suited for your personal needs.

3. Develop your prayer life.

   Prayer is you talking to the Lord There are many types of prayers that you will discover in your bible studies to come. Essentially though, prayer is you communicating with the Lord. Some people can get very super-religious and think that they have to enter into some mystical chanting ritual or wake up at 3'o clock in the morning to prove their undying devotion to the Lord. When you meet someone for the first time and you start to grow in a relationship with him or her, it most definitely involves verbal communication. The more you communicate your desires, plans and daily events, the closer you grow in your relationship towards each other. Be free to speak to Him anytime, anywhere, and concerning anything.

4. Tell others about Jesus and what He has done for you.

   Imagine that there is a knock on your door and a representative from the national lottery along with an entourage of media come to present you with a cheque for $10 million. After, your initial reaction of hysteria, you then go out of your way to announce to all of your friends, family, work colleagues and almost every stranger you meet telling them of your good news. This should also be your reaction when you experience the love of the Lord in your life, when Jesus forgives your sins and when the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. This should be reason enough to share this news with others, so that they too can experience what you have experienced. Even though you may have just received the Lord, you can start straight away leading people to Jesus. The gospel is the good news of salvation made possible by Jesus through His life, death, burial and resurrection. It is the good news that if you are lost and are in sin, Jesus has the power to save you. It is good news that if you have sickness and disease in your body, Jesus has the power to heal you. It is the good news that if you are broken hearted, poor or have been abused, Jesus has the power to give you eternal riches. Jesus said in Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel." Your world may be the business community, politics, entertainment, sports, education or a host of other categories. The Lord wants to use you to reach the people in your world.

5. Support evangelism and those who are most committed to its cause

   The most valuable commodity in the world today is not real estate. It is not the gold mines in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is not the diamond mines of the world or the oil fields in Texas. It is the value of a human soul. They say that you can't take anything with you when you die and go to Heaven but that statement is not true - you can take souls with you. I encourage you to support evangelism and those involved in it with your finances, your time and the gifts and talents that you possess. In the business world, people are constantly looking for opportunities to invest in new projects, those that have high yielding profits. In the kingdom of God, winning souls is the greatest investment that you can ever give into. The bible says in Matthew 6:19 - 21 "do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and destroy but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." When I was growing up I had the desire and ambition to build an extensive hotel and entertainment empire. In so doing, I would make millions of dollars. I started studying marketing in preparation for the fulfillment of my dream. At the age of 20, when I asked Jesus to come into my life, He redirected my passion and restructured my vision in life. Now, instead of wanting to make millions of dollars for my own purposes, I have committed my life alongside with my team to work tirelessly in leading millions of souls into the kingdom of God. You can also support evangelism with the gifts and talents that the Lord has given you. 1 Timothy 4:14 says, "Do not neglect the gift that is in you." 2 Timothy 1:6 says, "...stir up the gift that is within you." You may be in a position where you have a tremendous amount of time at your disposal. You may be a housewife, retired or be in a strong financial position which allows you to volunteer spending this time helping evangelists or churches organize crusades and outreaches in winning souls to the Lord. The Lord has given you unique gifts and talents for the benefit and extension of the Kingdom of God. Each of us has a degree of influence in our social and business circles. It is our responsibility to use this influence to support worldwide evangelism.