The Shofar is the ancient trumpet which called the people of God to prayer, repentance, sacrifice and war.


THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN MINIATURE

Christians believe that God is the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth.  He is entirely self-existent and the divine intelligence behind all creation, including us.  We view the idea that we and the rest of creation came about by chance as absurd wishful thinking.

Since God created us, He had the right to lay down the laws by which we should live.  'Love God' and 'Love thy neighbour as thyself' sum up the Ten Commandments, which include the command to love God together with prohibitions on idolatry, blasphemy, Sabbath-breaking, disrespect to those in authority, murder, sexual sin, stealing, false witness and envy.

None of us keeps God's law perfectly, because we are all born into a nature prone to sin and depravity.  Mankind is estranged from fellowship with God by sin.  And yet God desires fellowship with us.  God is loving and merciful but He is also righteous and holy.  How could a holy God have fellowship with sinful men and women?

The way of reconciliation God chose was to become human Himself at a certain point in history.  Jesus (Hebrew 'Yeshua', which means 'He saves'), was conceived miraculously, and in His short perfect life He taught the law, healed the sick, raised the dead and then suffered death by crucifixion.  The Bible says that Jesus went to the cross so that all those who believe in Him could be justified before God by faith in His one ultimate sacrifice of Himself.  Jesus’ death reconciled us back to God.  That's why His Crucifixion is so important.

But it did not end there.  Jesus rose from the dead by His own power and Christians live in His risen life, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  His title 'Christ' means 'Messiah' or 'anointed'.  Furthermore, Jesus ascended into glory, and God has given Him the right to rule over all the kingdoms of the world.  That is why we often refer to 'King Jesus'.

Not only is Jesus King, but He is also the righteous judge.  God has appointed a day when He will return, not meekly riding on a donkey, but in judgment riding on a white horse.  He will save His own in that day, and condemn the wicked and the law-breakers.

If you are conscious of how far you are away from God, know today that only Jesus is the bridge back to fellowship with your heavenly father.  Turn from your sins, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.  Do that today, because you could die tomorrow.  There is no other way, and you cannot save yourself, because Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  He also said:  "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."