Who is He that I might believe on Him?

http://www.believingstudy.com/articles/54/1/Who-is-He-that-I-might-believe-on-Him/Page1.html

Gary Hall

I was raised as a Roman Catholic and intended to become a priest after I left school, but the Lord had other plans for me. In 1973, at the age of 17, I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour at the headquarters of the Liverpool City Mission. This immediately caused problems regarding my family. My mother and father were against what they called my "change of religion". The situation came to a climax when I arrive home one evening from a Christian friend's house only to be met by my father on the doorstep with the words, "You don't live here anymore". So at the age of 18 I would have been homeless but for the kindness of friends. One cannot rely on the goodness of others for too long, so I decided to move into a local boarding house. What I saw and experienced there cannot be written here. Eventually, after spending time living rough and in the Salvation Army hostel, I found my own apartment. I had fallen away from the Lord for two years at this time. My thoughts went back to my childhood desire to become a Roman Catholic priest. I made enquiries and found that the only real option for me was to become a monk in the Franciscan Order. The Saturday before I was due to leave for the monastery in Guildford, Surrey, I pleaded with the Lord, asking, "Lord, is it your will that I should become a monk like St. Francis?" That evening I attended a tent meeting in a local park. A preacher from Northern Ireland, Derrick Bingham, was teaching from the book of Nehemiah. During the service the preacher turned to my direction (there were about 500 people present) and said, God does not want you to become a monk like St. Francis of Assisi." Here was my answer from the Lord. From that moment I made a complete break from the Catholic Church and have come to see it as the biggest cult that this world knows. In 1979 I joined a church, The Mission, in the neighbourhood where I was living. From the moment I walked through the door of that small building I knew that I was home. The godly lifestyle and inspired teaching of Pastor Charles Bolton (promoted to glory 12 December 2003) and his wife brought me back to my first love for Christ. The church had no young people, but I never once felt that I was out of place. These people obviously loved the Lord. In my desire to reach others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ I began to give leaflets out in Liverpool City Centre. Many a Saturday afternoon was spent witnessing to those willing to stop and listen. On one Saturday in late Autumn 1979 I was approached by a girl with an Irish accent. She asked if I was a Christian and where the church I attended was located. The next morning the same girl was found at The Mission. To cut a short story shorter, six months later on March 29 1980, we were married by Pastor Bolton at The Mission. Margaret, my wife, also comes from a Catholic background, but was soundly converted to Christ and from the errors of Rome whilst visiting relatives in New York in the summer of 1979. (You may find her personal testimony one day on these pages.) In 1986 Pastor Bolton retired from the ministry at The Mission. The leadership of the church was handed over to me. To be very honest I did not fully understand what this would entail, but the Lord has been good and has led me each step of the way. Through the Lord's power we have been used to reach many hundreds of people, though our fellowship is actually small in number. In 1988 we changed the name of the church to Living Word. I am convinced that God is about to pour out His Spirit in revival one last time before the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ (see my article on Revival on this site). This revival will not come via the charismatic movement, it will not come from Toronto or Pensacola, it will not come from the ecumenical movement or the so-called Churches Together - these movements are bankrupt of the truth and the Spirit of God. This final revival will come as a result of the true believers in Christ Jesus getting right with Him. The revival will include a return to the Authorised King James Bible. My great desire is to see people coming to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord, to see backsliders returning, and to see the church of Christ revived. Though I have many failings I love the Lord Jesus Christ with all of my heart. I am willing to serve Him wherever and whenever He sees fit. The word of God is the delight of my life for I'm still amazed after all these years just how fresh and new The Holy Bible is each day!

By Gary Hall

Published on 03/13/2008

Here was one of the greatest miracles of all time, a man blind from birth was healed by “a man that is called Jesus” (:11). The Pharisees had cast this man out of the Synagogue, but when Jesus had heard of it He found the man and asked him a question, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” (:35), to which the man replied, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?” (:36).

Who is He that I might believe on Him?

Text: John 9:1-41

Introduction

Here was one of the greatest miracles of all time, a man blind from birth was healed by “a man that is called Jesus” (:11). The Pharisees had cast this man out of the Synagogue, but when Jesus had heard of it He found the man and asked him a question, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” (:35), to which the man replied, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?” (:36).

The greatest man who ever lived was born in a manger in Bethlehem, but did not begin His ministry until He was thirty years of age when He was baptized by John, “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age” (Luke 3:23). At thirty three and a half years of age, He was condemned to death as a blasphemer and was crucified. His entire earthly ministry only lasted three and a half years, and was played out in a tiny country in the Middle East, but He made such an impression that after two thousand years His name is known by His followers, pagans, and atheists alike. His birth and death were contrary to the laws of nature. He owned no wheat field or fisheries, yet He could spread a table for over five thousand people and have bread and fish to spare. He never walked on beautiful carpets or gorgeous rugs, but He did walk on the Sea of Galilee.

To whom can He be compared?

“For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?” (Psalm 89:6).

He never wrote a book Himself, yet millions of volumes have been written about Him. His words, as contained in the Gospels, have been translated into almost all the world’s languages. “I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” (John 21:25).

He composed no music or wrote any lyrics, yet millions of songs exalt Him as Lord God and Saviour. He erected no religious building, yet millions of churches have been built for His followers to worship Him. We do not know if Jesus had any formal schooling, yet many of today’s great institutions, medical and educational, were founded by those who believed in His name. What other famous person could we compare to Him? To do so would be like comparing the light of candle to the blazing brightness of the sun.

Who can defeat Him?

“Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!” (Psalm 71:19).

The world cannot understand Him, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The armies of the world cannot defeat Him, “He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS … And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army … These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:16, 19, 20). He has absolute authority and power over everything. “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18).

What He is to His own

He is our shelter in the time of trouble, “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5), for He has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

He is our light in the time of darkness, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) … “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee” (Psalm 139:11-12).

He is our shield in the midst of battle, “The LORD is my strength and my shield” (Psalm 28:7) … “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling” (Psalm 91:4-10).

He is our strength in the time of weakness, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9) … “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

He is our Supplier in the time of need, “God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19) … “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

Conclusion

He is God’s Lamb sent to redeem us, The Beloved Son sent to love us, The Tower of Strength sent to secure us, The Fountain of Life sent to quicken us, the Bread of Life sent to sustain us, and the true Word sent to guide us (John 1:29; John 3:16; Psalm 61:3; John 6:35; John 1:1-5). Jesus alone is our Substitution, our Redemption, our Foundation, our Reconciliation, our Justification, and our Sanctification (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:12; 1 Peter 2:6; Hebrews 2:17; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 1:30).

Who is He that we might believe on Him? The Christ who is revealed in the Scriptures is the only One we are called to put all our trust in.