What did Selassie say about Christ? In 1892 Tafari Makonnen was born in Harar, Ethiopia to a royal family that claims descent from King Solomon and Queen Sheba. In 1930 Ras Tafari (that is Prince Tafari) ascended the royal throne to become Emperor Haile Selassie. At his coronation he was renamed Haile Selassie to reflect his faith. The name means “Power of the Trinity.” Selassie was an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian and a devout follower of Jesus Christ. The imperial crest on the royal Ethiopian flag has a lion holding a cross. The image represents the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many Rastafarians claim that Selassie is the Christ or that he is the Second Coming. In a radio interview in 1967 Selassie said, “I have heard of that idea. I also met certain Rastafarians. I told them clearly that I am a man, that I am mortal and that they should never make a mistake in assuming or pretending that a human being is emanated from a deity.” In his famous speech commemorating the Bible Selassie said, “No doubt you all remember reading in the Acts of the Apostles how Philip baptized the Ethiopian official. He is the first Ethiopian on record to have followed Christ, and from that day onwards the Word of God has continued to grow in the hearts of Ethiopians.” THE GOOD NEWS At a conference in 1966 in Berlin titled “One Gospel, One Race, One Task,” Haile Selassie opened the event with these words: “The love shown by our God to mankind should constrain all of us who are followers and disciples of Christ, to do all in our power to see to it that the message of salvation is carried to those of our fellows for whom Christ our Savior was sacrificed but who have not had the benefit of hearing the good news.” What is the good news? The good news is the promise and hope of salvation that Jesus provides for the people of all nations. Jesus says, “The time has come. The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15. When you repent you are changing the direction of your life from being self-centered (or earth-centered or politically-centered or any life that is centered in something other than God) and turning towards a life centered in the Lord God Almighty. When you repent you must also confess your sins to God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness,” 1 John 1:9. THE STONE THE BUILDERS REFUSED… “So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation, and the one who trusts in him will never be dismayed,” Isaiah 28:16. “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12. Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” John 14:6. You cannot save yourself, neither can Haile Selassie save you. It is Jesus Christ who suffered and died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later so that you might have faith in him and be saved. Jesus says, “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven,” Matthew 10:33. Following Christ is a way of life. And the only way to the Kingdom of God is the way taught by Christ. There is no better time than the present to repent of your sins and confess Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you are ready to follow Christ, turn from following the way of the world and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn away from living according to the standards of men and put God as your holy standard. A PRAYER FOR YOU Father in Heaven, you are holy. I pray that the person who is reading this prayer will be blessed by an encounter with you. I pray that the eyes and ears of their heart are open to your Living Word so that they might have salvation through your son Jesus Christ. Bless this person even now. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 19:25:09 +0000
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