Anchorpoint Radio

Well, today's message touches the heart of all of us - our need for peace. So often, the world is full of trials, difficulties, broken dreams, and empty pleasures. Ever wondered what life is all about anyway? We trust that today's message will point you to the answer to your innermost need - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Did you know that the oldest book in the Bible - Job - contains the same questions that have plagued mankind for centuries ever since? The big questions about life, death, and eternity? And did you know that Lord Jesus Christ himself answers these questions? This week's message explains the adequacy of God's own Son to not only answer our biggest questions but also to meet our greatest spiritual needs.

Our message today could well be called the Gospel of Ruth, as this Old Testament book not only tells a captivating story of love and loss but also gives us a wonderful illustration of the tender dealings of God with sinners and His plan for their redemption – the good news of the gospel, if you will. For in this story, we have a needy soul - an outcast really – and how God moved in a miraculous way to meet her need. Like Ruth, we also have no resources to commend ourselves to God, but we also can be redeemed – saved - by the ‘mighty man of wealth’, the great Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ!

Conditions in our world today appear to be setting the final stage for the great event known as the rapture of the church or the return of Christ. He came to this earth the first time as a man in order to die for sin - to provide salvation for fallen mankind. He will come the second time to call His loved ones home. We should all ask ourselves the question, "Will I go to be with the Lord when He returns? Or will I be left here with all hope of salvation gone?"  

The rapture of the church is a Bible truth that you probably haven't heard much about, even though it was strongly believed and faithfully taught by the early Christian church. The Lord Jesus Christ, before He went back to heaven, promised His followers that He would return again. He didn't say WHEN, but He DID say how. The apostle Paul explains how that Christ will return from heaven and all those who have believed on Him down though the ages, both living and dead, will rise to meet Him in the air to be forever with Him in His heavenly home. The Bible calls it the 'blessed hope'. You see it's a wonderful prospect for believers, but a tragic one for those who have chosen to reject Christ. They will be left behind to face the Great Tribulation here on earth and the final judgment of God in a future day. The question is “Will you be ready?”

The salvation of a soul is a costly thing. The Bible says that we are bankrupt as far as God is concerned. We have offended God and cannot undo anything we have done. There is judgment for sin and we cannot pay it.This is where the good news of the gospel comes in! God Himself has intervened in the affairs of men to solve the great sin problem and He did this by meeting the high cost of redemption Himself! 

The mere knowledge of the Gospel message is not salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ made it clear that we need to do more with the Gospel than listen and superficially agree. He said that we need to repent – to change our minds about ourselves and about God. This week's broadcast examines the scriptural meaning of repentance and faith. We trust it will help you to truly repent of your sins and place your faith in the God who longs to save you. 

The Lord Jesus Christ changes lives and He changes destinies. There are many instances of this in the gospels, but in this broadcast we will be considering the salvation of what you might call a “poor, rich man”. He was extremely wealthy, the Bible says, but all his money was ill-gotten. Zacchaeus was the chief of tax collectors and climbed his way to the top by shrewd and fraudulent means. But he was not a happy man. He was troubled about his `sins and his need for salvation. One day, his opportunity came to see Jesus. But Jesus was looking for him, too. What a happy man he was to learn that the Son of Man came to seek and to save that was lost.

You know, the gospel message is not complicated. We have a righteous God who created us and who loves us. Why is it then that we don’t know this God – can’t connect with Him? Why are we miserable and hopeless and messed up? Well, the reason is simple. This righteous God is very much offended at the kind of behaviour we display as we live the lives He has given us. Our willful rebellion, our ingratitude, our pride, our wicked ways, our selfishness … and so much more. These attitudes and behaviours are what God calls SIN. And it is SIN that has separated us from Him. But the offended has found a way to pardon the offender. And it’s all because of grace! Let’s hear what the Bible says about God’s plan of salvation.

Who is the focus of the gospel? Christ of course! Often, we look at ourselves - or others. We look at our own understanding of what God requires or we get taken up with peripheral topics and theological issues. But God wants to direct our gaze to what is central to HIM – His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world to save sinners. First, as the offspring of the woman. That is, He had no earthly father, not inheriting Adam’s sin as we all do. He was the sinless Son of God. Second, He was the offspring of Abraham and, as such, was the one through whom ALL the world would be blessed. He is the universal Saviour! Also, He was the offspring of David; that is, the everlasting King who will reign over every person who ever lived. All will bow the knee to Him and confess that He is Lord. We hope that you have your focus turned to Christ today.

Jesus Christ made it very clear that a person needed to be born again to have a relationship with God. We all had a physical birth, but we need a spiritual birth to enter into the realm of heaven where God is. The most famous conversation in the Bible about the new birth is the talk that Jesus had with a teacher of the Jews, Nicodemus. Jesus said, “You must be born again.” This week’s message takes up three basic and vital elements in any true conversion story – that is, for a person who has been born again. 

The magnificent power of the creator Himself can be seen from the far reaches of the universe to the invisible atomic building blocks of our world. But God's power extends to far more than creation. He has the utmost power in the courthouse of heaven - the power to condemn and the power to pardon. But the sinner has power as well - the power of choice. The power to believe what God says and to trust the Saviour for themselves. What will yours be?

In our gospel message today, speaker Eugene Higgins takes a look at some of the preponderance of scientific facts that support the worldview of design and theistic creation. Does science in any way disprove the existence of God? Absolutely not! In fact, science points the objective seeker TO God, the Creator of all of the marvellous world we see around us! Are you a meaningless natural accident living in a world of other meaningless natural accidents? Or are you one of God's unique creations, known and loved of Him?            

In John Chapter 3, we read the story of one man's personal interview with the Lord Jesus Christ. His name was Nicodemus, and we are told that he came to Jesus sometime in the night. And what a memorable night that was in the experience of this religious, yet empty man! A night he would always remember. A night that he came to realize that the Lord Jesus Christ was much more than a teacher - He was a Saviour - the Saviour he desperately needed if he were ever to be in heaven.            

Anyone who has ever had to stand before a judge knows how uncomfortable and even terrifying it can be. How much more should we be concerned about a heavenly judge - the one who decides our soul's ultimate destiny? Yes, this Judge is Christ Himself - the very one sinned against, the very one rejected. It's a solemn thought. The fact that we are guilty as charged goes without saying - but what will the Judge do? What kind of judge is He? Well, the kind that has found a way for justice to be reconciled with mercy. He took the payment and judgment for sin upon Himself. Hard to believe? Not when you know the God of the Bible. 

One of the most ancient questions in the world was asked by Job in the old testament - "How can a man be just with God?" Or maybe we could say "How can I have my sins forgiven? How can I know that I will be in heaven?" The Lord Jesus told a story to illustrate what the answer was. You see, the answer to God's ancient question is Christ himself. It is through Christ that we are justified and cleared of all guilt. It is through Christ that we have peace with God. 

The Christmas message is really a year round message - it's the message of the gospel - God's invitation to sinners to receive His only provision for sin - the Lord Jesus Christ! Christians remember Christ's birth all year round - and praise and thank God for ever sending His Son to come to this world and die at the place called Calvary to reconcile sinners back to Himself. What a wonderful person Christ is! Do you know Him?

We can become so familiar with the Christmas story that we lose the awesome wonder of that day! And so many people miss the message completely - a message brought to us from heaven by angels no less! Tremendous news of a Saviour given “unto US”! Why would God even do this for sinners who hated and rejected Him? And who still do! Well, the only reason is in God’s great heart of love for sinners like us. Yes, this gospel message of good will to mankind came from the lips of angels. We would do well to give it our utmost attention, don’t you think?

There is quite a touching account in the Old Testament of the love story between a man called Isaac and a woman called Rebekah. Abraham, Isaac's father, initiated a search throughout the land to find the perfect wife for his son. She believed the detailed description that she heard from the seeking servant and left all that pertained to her old life behind in order to follow the new love of her life. So, what will your answer be? Will you, like Rebekah, consider the offer of God’s Son? Will you also respond, "I will go with this man"? 

It is impossible to over-emphasize the importance of the Word of God when it comes to the salvation of the soul. It is only by depending on the authority of the Bible that sinners can firmly secure their faith as sure as an anchor holds fast to a giant rock. But not only do we need this firm foundation of our faith - we need to hear it for ourselves. We need to hear God speaking to us THROUGH His Word. It is the Word of God that is able to save the soul. "Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life!" the hymn writer could say. Have you trusted them?