Where will death lead?

As the previous post indicates, I have a deep interest in what is referred to as "the persecuted church". These are disciples of Jesus, the Christ who suffer for His Name's sake in more than fifty countries in the world, today. Someone has estimated that more Christians died for their faith in the 20th century, than in the previous nineteen centuries combined! 

Even the former UK Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, MP, who ordered a report on the subject, accepted that persecution of Christians in parts of the world is at near "genocide" levels. The review, led by the Bishop of Truro, estimated that one in three people suffer from religious persecution, and that Christians were the most persecuted religious group. Mr Hunt said he felt that "political correctness" had played a part in the issue not being confronted - something with which I would agree!

In 410 AD, the Germanic barbarians known as the Goths (yes, that's the origin of that word!! I often wonder if those who dress, and use make-up, in a particular manner, and go by that name, actually know of those from whom they take their name!) sacked the city of Rome. During the invasion, many disciples of Jesus were put to death in hideous and cruel ways - just as happens in 2019! In the midst of this terrible, and tragic, situation, the great theologian Augustine (354 - 430) wrote his classic volume The City of God. His reflections, from nearly sixteen centuries ago, are still relevant today.

Augustine wrote: "The end of life puts the longest life on a par with the shortest ... ... Death becomes evil only by the retribution which follows it. They, then, who are destined to die, need not inquire about what death they are to die, but into what place death will usher them." 

During my tears in pastoral ministry, I dealt with many who were, themselves, dealing with death - either their own, or that of a loved one. What a difference there was between those who could look beyond death to an eternity with the One Whom they had loved for, in some cases, many decades; and those to whom death was something to be feared. And, by the way, what a difference it made to the funeral service that I was so often asked to conduct!

For the true disciple of Jesus, death is not a policeman hauling us off to court, but a servant ushering us into the presence of a loving Saviour. The apostle Paul understood this. He looked at life and death from the perspective of the Lord Jesus. Since he knew where death would take him, he could make the bold declaration: "Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Cor 15:51-57).

Every disciple of Jesus - whether we die quietly in our own bed, or are crucified, burnt, hanged, beheaded, or whatever - may have that same assurance. Because of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, we who have placed our trust in Him can look at death, not as a 'full stop', but as a 'comma' - that precedes  a glorious eternity with our Lord.

Perhaps you don't like to think of death - especially not your own!  But ignoring your death won’t stop it from happening—the mortality rate is still 100%! Medical advances can often extend lives, but no mortal lives forever. In the end, doctors lose every patient they treat. Your bank balance won't help; your social status won't help; your personal accomplishments won't help. George Soros will die; your favourite sporting celebrity will die; every film star will die. Eventually you, and everyone you love, will die. Until the rapture of the saints, every life on this earth ends in death.

So it is important that you know where you are going! You may believe that death is, indeed, a full stop; that when your mortal body breathes its last, there will be nothing. You may be in for a big surprise! I am saddened when I read, on social network sites, people wishing a deceased loved one "a happy heavenly birthday"; when I hear people say, with no evidence to support the claim, that someone who has, perhaps, been in a lot of pain, "is in a better place"; when I see comments about people being reunited with loved ones who died before them. 

That is why so many of these posts seek to point you to Jesus. Only in Him is there victory over death, and hell, and the grave. The anonymous writer of the great letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus wrote: "... we see Jesus, Who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death , so that by the grace of God He might taste death for every one. ... ... ... Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same nature that, through death, He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage." (Heb 2:9, 14-15).

May all who do read this post experience the salvation that is available in Jesus, and know eternal life - even now! "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have [note the present tense!] eternal life." (John 3:16).

Banned!

A very big apology to one and all. For the past three days, I have been banned, by Facebook, from making comments or even 'reacting'! It has been an interesting, and mildly frustrating, period as I read the posts of others; immediately wished to respond; forgot, momentarily, that I was "banned" and, when I pressed "Enter" received the message that I was unable to comment as I had been "banned" - with a count-down clock advising me how long I had to wait before I would be "free" once more! There was a link to question the "ban" but, although I tried to make my defence on a number of occasions, all that happened was a notice informing me that I was unable to do so at that time, and to try later! I did think that I could 'react', but quickly realised that, although the appropriate icon flashed, it immediately disappeared!

Et, pour mes amis français:

Une très grande excuse à tous et à toutes. Ces trois derniers jours, Facebook m'a interdit de faire des commentaires et même de "réagir"! Ce fut une période intéressante et légèrement frustrante lorsque j'ai lu les messages des autres; a immédiatement voulu répondre; momentanément, j'ai oublié que j'étais "banni" et, quand j'ai appuyé sur "Entrée", j'ai reçu un message que je ne pouvais pas commenter car j'avais été "banni" - avec un message rebours m'indiquant combien de temps je devais attendre avant Je serais "libre" une fois de plus! Il y avait un lien pour remettre en question le "ban" mais, bien que j'aie essayé de faire ma défense à plusieurs reprises, tout ce qui s'est passé était un avis m'informant que j'étais incapable de le faire à ce moment-là et pour essayer plus tard! Je pensais que je pouvais "réagir", mais je me suis vite rendu compte que, même si l’icône appropriée clignotait, elle disparaissait immédiatement!

So, what, you may be wondering, was my horrific crime? What had I posted that would lead to me being "Facebook criminalised"? I was only shown the offending comment once, so this is from memory. There had been an item posted in which we were informed that the Prime Minister of Hungary had announced that he would not accept any more Muslim refugees. This was, of course, public knowledge. I then expressed my point of view that many Muslim "refugees" were, in fact, those who wished to help fulfill the Islamic aim of the so-called "world-wide caliphate"! This is also, not a personal opinion, but an easily verifiable fact! 

The ban was not, apparently, the result of someone 'reporting' me, but Facebook, itself, deciding that my (in my opinion) perfectly innocuous statement infringed their own rules! What I find even more amazing is that on the many occasions when I have referred to Islam as the ideology founded by the paedophile false prophet, the comment has been left, and I have not been "banned"! Similar comments have been made by a number of organisations, who continue to post them!

Anyway, all of this made me think of my brothers and sisters in the persecuted church. In too many countries in the world, today, they are not allowed the freedom to publish anything that appears to be critical of the ruling authority. The penalty for doing so is not a few days ban from a social media platform, but arrest, imprisonment, torture and, for some, death. This is just one reason why I have arranged that all royalties paid out on my books - whether purchased in paperback or Kindle e-book format - are sent directly to Release International, to support the persecuted church in all manner of ways. That, in turn, is why I am now happy to promote the books, without any sense of embarrassment!

Please consider buying and, of great importance, leaving a personal review on the Amazon website. The review doesn't even have to be positive (although I would hope that it would be!) as it is, I am led to believe, the number of reviews that a book receives that leads to Amazon recognising it, and giving it greater prominence that, in turn, should lead to additional sales!

There are links to the books at the top of the blog, and you are able to read the first 10%, free of charge, before ordering!

Thank you, in advance, for your support of those who may say, with Paul, "... I bear on my body the marks of Jesus." (Gal.6:17).

Seeing God!

My favourite memory regarding "seeing" God is from my time in a certain Secondary School in Scotland. It was probably a pupil in S3 (14-15 years of age, for those unfamiliar with the Scottish education system) as I discovered that it was at about that stage in life that many young people realise that they know everything about everything, whilst the adult at the front of the classroom knows nothing about anything! (I don't, of course, tar all young people with the same brush!).  The conversation went something like this:

Pupil: "Sir, you believe in God, don't you?"

Me: "Yes."

Pupil: "Sir, have you ever seen God?"

Me: "In the sense in which you are asking, No!"

Pupil: "So Sir, how can you believe in something that you haven't even seen?"

This, of course, was the point at which the pupil had that look of "I've got him now. No way can he wriggle out of this one!"

Having learned from the Master, I answered the question with a question! Having ascertained that this pupil was studying Physics for his Standard Grade public examinations, I asked if he had ever seen a quark! Not only had he never seen one - he didn't even know the word! I suggested that he ask his Physics teacher of he believed in the existence of quarks. I went on: "He will tell you that he does. Then ask him if he has ever seen one. He will tell you that he hasn't. Then put the same question to him and, when you return with his answer, I will give you mine!"

Needless to say, the subject was never raised again - in that class!

The subject returned to my mind when I came across an article that dealt with some words from Russian cosmonaut Gherman Titoy who, in August 1961, became the second man to be fired out into space, and the first to spend a full day orbiting planet Earth. I was also reminded of some words that he spoke on his return: "Some people say that there is a God ... but in my travels around the earth all day long, I looked around and didn't see Him ... I saw no God nor angels. ... I don't believe in God. I believe in man, his strength, his possibilities, his reason." What the article failed to mention was the reported response of an American astronaut: "He should have stepped outside his capsule."!!

Now, of course Titoy didn't "see" God - any more than I have done so, or that anyone has visibly "seen" a quark! "God is Spirit" (John 4:24) and we do not "see" Him with our eyes in the way we see flesh-and-blood beings. However, just as my physicist friends believe in the existence of quarks because of the evidence for them, so I believe in the existence of the all-powerful, all-wise, eternal, Creator God because the evidences for His existence are so prevalent in nature that anyone with an open mind is hard-pressed to explain them without acknowledging His reality. It's little wonder that David, the psalmist-king of Israel, declared that "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'!" (Ps.14:1; 53:1. see also 10:4).

All that we need to do is to gaze, through a telescope, into the infinity of space, or peer through a microscope at the minutest elements in creation (although we still won't 'see' a quark!), to appreciate the wisdom, design, power, beauty, order, and laws of Almighty God. Paul wrote: "... what can be known about God is plain ..., because God has shown it ... . Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made." (Rom 1:19-20). Someone has said: "All creation is an outstretched finger pointing towards God." David wrote: "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork." (Ps 19:1).

Please don't be like my former pupil, or like that foolish cosmonaut! Open your eyes to the revelation of God in nature. Give to Him the glory and honour that He deserves.

Resh

It was this morning that I read the final section of Ps.119. However, on Thursday, I read the section in which each line begins with the Hebrew letter "resh". It's a section that reminded me of three things.

The first of these is that He is my Kinsman-Redeemer. "Plead my cause and redeem me;" (v.154). We learn about the kinsman-redeemer most easily in the beautiful story of Ruth, the Moabitess who, along with her mother-in-law, Naomi (and Naomi's other daughter-in-law, Orpah) was widowed. This was in the land of Moab, whence Naomi, her husband Elimolech, and their two sons, had fled to escape a time of famine in Judah. Naomi decided to return to her homeland and, in spite of the older woman's entreaties, Ruth insisted on returning with her, uttering the well-known words: "Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God; where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May YHWH do so to me and more also if even death parts me from you." (Ruth 1:16-17).

You may read the full story in the book of the Tanakh (the 'Old Testament') that is named after Ruth. As you do so, you will be introduced to Boaz who, Naomi explains to Ruth is a near-kinsman (the kinsman-redeemer). The duty of the kinsman-redeemer was to rescue a family member in need (see Lev. 25:25 ff.).

You and I, and every other human being in the history of mankind, past, present, and future, has a great need - we are sinners and unable to save ourselves. Praise God, therefore, that He has provided, in the Persona* of the Son, a Kinsman-Redeemer for us. Paul writing to the believers in the province of Galatia says: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. (3:13; emphasis added).  The apostle also reminded the young pastor Titus: "For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds." (2:11-14; emphasis added). Yes, the Lord Jesus, Himself, is my Kinsman-Redeemer. Is He yours?

In v.156, the psalmist writes: "Great is Thy mercy, O YHWH;" How great is that mercy! But what is it? Well, the easiest way to describe it is in conjunction with the grace of God. In His grace, God gives to us what we do not deserve; in His mercy He does not give to us what we do deserve! To put it another way - when we experience His grace we are receiving good things to which we have no claim; when we are recipients of His mercy, He withholds less good things that we deserve only too well! Praise God for the greatness of His mercy to those who have trusted in Him.

The third point that I particularly noted was in v.159 where the psalmist prays: "Preserver my life according to Thy steadfast love."  When we come to Father God, in the Name of the unique Son, Jesus, we do not have to, as it were, squeeze anything out of Him. He deals with us in the light of His own love - He whose very nature is 'love'. That love is above and beyond anything that you or I can imagine. It is the love that took Jesus to the cross, there to die a cruel and ignominious death for us. 

On Monday, I shall be, D.V., at the Armistice Ceremony in the village in which I now live. There won't be the same 'pomp and circumstance' to which I was used in the UK - but we shall still remember those who died in two World wars, and many other conflicts, that we might have the measure of freedom that we enjoy today. In the more "religious" ceremonies of Remembrance Sunday in the UK, one often hears these words being read: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). Most will think of these words as applying to those who have died in conflict. However, I would submit that the vast majority of them did not, in fact, "lay down their lives". Many were, it is true, volunteers. Many were regular forces. Many, however, particularly in WW1, were conscripts. They had no choice. The Lord Jesus chose to give His life for you and for me. He voluntarily took your place, and mine, on the cross. He was willing to pay the penalty that your sin, and mine, deserved. "He paid a debt that  He did not owe; because I owed a debt that I could not pay."

That is not all! Those who died in the various conflicts gained, for their country, only a temporary peace. When Jesus died on the cross, He gained full, and eternal, salvation for all who come to Him in faith. The "Gospel in a nutshell" is found in the familiar words of John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." That's as much as many know - and those words are wonderfully true. Eternal life - which is not just life that goes on and on indefinitely, but is the life of God Himself, in us - is not just for the future. It is something that we receive, and start living, here and now. However, John continues: "For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God." (John 3:17-21). Please read those other words carefully. They further emphasise that the love of God is real; that He desires that none should perish; but that those who reject His offer of salvation are already condemned - by their unbelief.

Well, I move on to Ps.120 tomorrow, D.V., but if I am spared long enough, I shall probably be back at Ps.119 another time. I commend it, and all of God's written Word to you. Read; learn; apply; and obey. You'll never regret it!

*This is not a typo! It is explained in my first book: "Great Words of the Faith", in the chapter on the Trinity. Remember that I am promoting my books (all three!) because ALL royalties are paid directly into the bank account of Release International, in support of the persecuted church. Interestingly, tomorrow is the annual day to remember those who suffer for their faith in ways that you and I cannot even begin to fully imagine. Please purchase; read; leave a review; and encourage others to do the same. Links are available at the top - or just search in Amazon! Thank you.

Learning to love the Word.

It was a few days ago that I reached that part of Psalm 119 in which each line begins with the Hebrew letter "mem" - marked in my Bible as vs.97-104. The whole psalm, as previously mentioned, has to do with the Word of God - which, for the psalmist was, of course, predominantly the Torah as recorded by Moses: the first five books of our 'Old' Testament.

In the margin of the copy of the Bible that I use for my personal devotions, I have noted four particular steps that the psalmist followed, and that we would do well to follow today.

The first step is to love the Word. The psalmist writes: "Oh, how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day." (v.97). What a wonderful attitude to God's Word. To be able to say that we actually love it! Not just read it because we feel that it is expected of us. Not just to read it because it is a 'good habit'. Not just to read it so that we may boast about how clever we are. But to read it because we love it! And to have it at the forefront of my mind throughout the day! I think of other things, and people, that are the objects of my love - and then I  have to ask where God's Word fits into my life? Last month, my wife was back in Scotland for two weeks. I was still here in SW France. Because I love my wife, I missed her, and thought of her constantly - but would I have missed my Bible as much if it had been taken away from me for even just those two weeks; do I think of God's Word all day? These are questions that only I can answer for me - and that you may wish to answer for yourself, in your own situation.

Of course, if we love the Word, then we will wish to learn from it. That's what the psalmist did. "Thy commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers; for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged,for I keep Thy precepts" (vs.98-100). At first sight, this might appear to be a boast by the psalmist - but that is not the case. He is merely saying, in a different way, what the writer of Psalm 111 (possibly David) wrote: "The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom;"(v.10). There is a great difference between knowledge and wisdom! I read an amusing explanation recently - "Knowledge is being aware that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not serving it with custard"! The psalmist may not have held as much knowledge as his elders and teachers, or even his enemies - but his love for the Word ensured that he had reverence for its Author, and that gave him true wisdom.

Loving the Word, and learning from it, leads to obedience. "I hold back my feet from every evil way,

in order to keep Thy word. I do not turn aside from Thine ordinances, for Thou hast taught me." (vs. 101-102). James reminds us that "... if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing." (1:23-25). How easy it is to rush through our 'set passage' for the day - and then go off and forget what we had read! That, by the way, is why this psalmist refers to meditation! That simply means giving some meaningful thought to what we have read; seeking to discover what the Lord is saying to us, personally!

All of this has an inevitable conclusion: "How sweet are Thy words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Thy precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way." (vs. 103-104).  The word that I have written in the margin of my Bible here is "Enjoyment". It is when we love the Word; learn from the Word; and obey the Word; that we will enjoy the Word. The prophet Ezekiel had a similar experience. In his prophetic book he records that YHWH spoke to him and said "... eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He gave me the scroll to eat. And He said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it." Then I ate it; and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey." (3:1-3).  Honey, of course, is not just something that is beautifully sweet. It is the "instant energy" food. And our reading, and loving, and learning from, and obeying, the Word of God will not only be sweetness in our lives, but will also provide us with spiritual energy in our constant battle against the enemy. 

May all who read this post, be also found reading His Word - for your good, and for His glory.