The year of cancellations!

This week, we (my wife and I) received the news that our flight to Israel, booked for September 30th, has been cancelled. It had been booked in January for a three-week visit to the Holy Land, as a "holiday of a lifetime" and our gift to one another for our Golden Wedding Anniversary - on September 4th. To celebrate the actual date, we had planned to visit Scotland and have a meal with our family. The ferry was booked just a week before the Prime Minister announced that France had been removed from the list of 'safe' countries. That meant that we would have had to spend our complete time there in isolation! This evening we amended the ferry booking to later in September - but, of course, may well have to postpone the date even further!

Sadly, we are experiencing no more than many have already experienced over the regular holiday months in the Northern Hemisphere. It's been that sort of year (and it isn't over, yet!). Some of us are not even fully convinced that all of the restrictions that have been put in place are necessary, helpful, or even fully enforceable!

The cause of all of this upset is, of course, something that is invisible to the human eye. It is a virus - Covid-19 - that has disrupted not just our own plans; not just the plans of so many in Western Europe; but people the world over. We have discovered the truth of the words of the Scots bard, Robert (Rabbie) Burns that "The best-laid plans o' mice and' men gang aft agley"! (from "To a mouse"). For those who need a translation, a rough one would be: "No matter how carefully we make our plans, be we mice or men, they often go awry"!

I was speaking by 'phone, just last evening, with my younger daughter. In the course of that conversation, we mused on previous plans that had not come to pass. At one time, it was my own plan to emigrate to Australia - but when the opportunity came to do so, I failed to seize the moment!

However, there is One Whose plans are always fulfilled. That One is Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is. As we read His Word - the Bible - we discover that His plan is for this world that we know to eventually be destroyed, and to make way for a new heaven, and a new earth. He has not said precisely when that will happen, but He has given us some indications of the season in which it will take place. The first sign - and the one that will happen in a nanosecond - will be the rapture* of the true disciples of Jesus, the Christ (see I Cor.15:51ff; I Thess.4:13ff). That will be followed by a seven-year period of tribulation. It will be after that period that the Lord Jesus will return, with His church, and after that, the new heaven and the new earth.

The apostle John was given a glimpse of all of that which he recorded in what we know as the Revelation of Jesus the Christ. He wrote: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away. And He who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."Also He said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death." (Rev 21:1-8).

It is only those who have a personal relationship with the Father, through the Lord Jesus and His atoning sacrifice at Calvary, who will inhabit that new heaven and new earth. The signs are all around us that the rapture - that will set this particular timetable in motion, is very close. The big, and extremely important, question is: "Are you ready?" If you are not, then I urge you to do something about it - and to do it now! Writing to the Corinthians, Paul stated "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Cor 6:2; emphases added); while the writer of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus asked the unanswerable question: "... how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" (Heb 2:3).

"Rapture ready" - should be the aim of each and every one of us!

* The subject of the Rapture is dealt with, in greater depth, in my book "Great Words of the Faith", available from Amazon in both paperback, and Kindle formats. Links are at the top of the blog. Please permit me to emphasise that I do not receive a single penny from sales. ALL royalties are sent, by Amazon, directly to the Bank Account of Release International, in support of the persecuted church.

A living Word!

Many will have heard the Bible described as "the living Word of God". Perhaps the prime reason for that adjective "living" is the description found in Heb. 4:12 - "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." However, it is also true to say that, regardless of how often one has read the Bible, or any part thereof, one may always see something that one has never noticed before!

That was my experience this afternoon when, during the worship service in Lamonzie, the guest preacher directed us to Acts 18:9-11 - "And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, «Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city.» And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them."

It was just a couple of weeks ago that, as I was preaching, I was describing Corinth - the 'city' referred to here - as a "centre of immorality and iniquity", as any historian of the period would agree!  Indeed, Corinth was so notorious for its debauchery that contemporary Greeks used the description "to play the Corinthian" as a means of referring to the lowest of loose living! That is why those words: "... I have many people in this city." hit me like a cold wave at the seaside. Almighty God, the omniscient (all-knowing) One, is able to say, even about a city like Corinth,  "... I have many people in this city." 

How had I missed those words before? I have read the whole Bible a number of occasions; the New Testament even more often; and some books and passages more often than I could ever begin to count! Yet I had never really taken account of those words until today (and I was reading them in French! Perhaps that helped!).

So what are these words actually saying? It is certain that there had been no previous preaching of the Gospel message there. If there had been, Paul would not have been constrained to visit Corinth - not the Paul whose ambition was "... to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on another man's foundation," (Rom. 15:20). I would suggest that what the Lord was saying to His faithful servant was that there would be fruit - even in Corinth! These were words of great encouragement, that impinge on the difficult doctrine of election/predestination*. Paul was being told to preach the Gospel in the assurance that the Lord already knew, and had known for all of time, those in Corinth who would respond positively. Of course, he almost immediately found a couple of newcomers, Aquila and Priscilla (v.2), Jews who had come from Rome when the emperor had banished all Jews from the city. It may have been that this couple were "Messianic Jews", converted in Rome under the ministry of Peter - but we cannot be certain of that. What we do know is that, like Paul, they were tentmakers, and that he stayed with them. Imagine - having Paul as one's houseguest for some eighteen months! Wow! However, even if Aquila and Priscilla were, indeed "Messianic Jews", there is no way by which two people could be considered to be "many"!

The (true) Church of Jesus, the Christ, consists of those of whom Paul could write: "... He [God the Father] chose us in Him [the Lord Jesus] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. He destined us in love to be His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." (Eph. 1:4-6; emphasis added). So, because Paul had been assured that the Father had people, already set apart for salvation, he spent that time in Corinth and preached the Gospel in faith, and with courage. It wasn't "an easy patch". The Corinthian correspondence that is available to us, makes clear that the young church there had many difficulties. Yet those very difficulties may give hope to someone reading this post!

In what we know as Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, he has this to say: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (I Cor 6:9-11; emphasis added). This is, surely, a reminder that your past of much less importance than your future - if you are "... in Christ ..." (see, e.g., Rom. 8:1).

How do you know that you are one of the elect? Well, this is the real paradox.  Because the only way in which I can be sure that I am one of the elect is by accepting, in repentance and faith, the Lord Jesus, the Christ, as my personal Saviour and Lord.  In other words, I am assured that I am one of the elect – by becoming one!

This is, indeed, a great mystery.  Suffice it to say that God the Holy Spirit only works in the elect; and that if He is prompting you right now, then it is in order that you might claim your inheritance.  And if He is speaking to your heart, don’t try to chase Him away!  Yield your all, and be filled with that wonderful assurance that "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you." (John 15:16).

It will be to your eternal good, and to His eternal glory.

*The subject of predestination/election is dealt with, in greater depth, in ch.15 of my book "Great Words of the Faith", available from Amazon in both paperback, and Kindle formats. Links are at the top of the blog. Please permit me to emphasise that I do not receive a single penny from sales. ALL royalties are sent, by Amazon, directly to the Bank Account of Release International, in support of the persecuted church.

Spare the rod; spoil the child!

Being able to share the "offending" comment that resulted in my current ban on Facebook (although I am seriously considering leaving that platform because of the, imo, unnecessary changes that are being forced upon us!) has raised an unexpected issue! A private message from someone who had read the comment, stated that it was "unBiblical" to "wish harm on others"!

In my defence, I would point out (as I have done two posts ago) that my "offensive" "hate speech" comment was nothing of the sort. Here it is again: "Why does the IDF [the Israeli Defence Force] not shoot at the balloons before they cross into Israel proper? That way, they would fall on the perps [i.e. perpetrators] - and maybe cause them a few well-deserved burns!"

Now, as stated before, please note that I did not suggest that anyone be killed, or even badly injured. I did not suggest that the IDF shoot at the terrorists - merely the balloons. I did not seek to incite others to take any action whatsoever. I did not even suggest that the perps be burned! That word "maybe", that I have highlighted, is very important. I wasn't even wishing that such a thing would happen - but suggesting that, if it did, it would be deserved!

I wonder if the person who accused me of being unBiblical is a parent. I wonder if that person is aware of what God's Word says in Proverbs 13:24 - "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him." This is not suggesting that a parent should physically abuse his/her children. It is advocating firm discipline. But that may be, temporarily, physically painful! I know that it was for me as a child; and I know that it was for my own children. Of course, it was only done when deserved!

Or what about the Lord Jesus, Himself? John records "The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. And making a whip of cords, He drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And He told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; you shall not make My Father's house a house of trade." (John 2:13-16). He made "... a whip of cords,". Now, if that whip had been used only on the animals, that might be excused. But look again at the words - "He drove them all, with the sheep and oxen,". Who, do you think, is included in "them all"? May I suggest that it refers to the sellers - human beings. Yet the incarnate God, the Son inflicted such physical punishment upon them! Did He not think that they deserved their punishment? Perhaps my critic would wish also to criticise Him?! Somehow, I think not!

So what is the basic message of this post? I am trying to say that we should be careful before we criticise. We need to be certain that our criticism does not, itself, go against the teaching of the Word. None of us is infallible. We make mistakes. We get it wrong. We criticise where no criticism is warranted. This may be okay for the 'moderators' of Facebook (at least one of whom, it was recently announced, is a 'hardline Muslim!), but not, I would contend, for those of us who bear the Name of the Lord Jesus, the Christ. 

All of that aside, may I encourage you to make this page one of your "favourites" so that, if I do decide to leave Facebook, you may still keep up with the messages that I publish here, and that I always endeavour to make faithful to the Word.

Blessings, and shalom. 

Seeing, but not understanding!

The French village in which my wife and I live has a busy thoroughfare running through it - the main road between Bergerac and Bordeaux. Our home is situated on that road. This afternoon, as I was working in the garden, I realised that traffic had stopped, and that a long queue was forming on the other side of the road - heading towards Bordeaux. 

Being an inquisitive (or, as my wife would say, "nosey!"!) person, I walked to the front gate to find out what was happening. The sight of a motorcycle rider coming along the road, waving drivers to put their vehicles on to the pavement, was a sure sign that we were awaiting a "Convoi Exceptionnelle" - Abnormal Load.

About ten minutes later, it appeared around the bend in the road - and it was truly "Exceptionnelle"! We are used to seeing large yachts and sea-going cabin cruisers being transported - but this dwarfed them all! It was a large catamaran, and was at least 50% wider than the boats that normally pass by!

Then, as it drew closer, and the driver of the very long transporter straightened up his load, I saw the catamaran begin to tip towards the pavement. I immediately tried to warn the drive by gesticulating with my arms, and wondered why the driver of the escort vehicle that was following him wasn't blasting the horn! All that I could see was a total disaster, with a badly damaged catamaran (on the starboard hull, if nowhere else), and some badly damaged fencing and hedges.

It was only as the transporter passed by, that I saw that the whole vessel was securely attached to a hydraulically-operated platform, and that the 'tip' was perfectly safe, and deliberately put into action by the driver in order to make the passage of the vessel past some road signs, easier. I had seen what was happening - but I didn't understand that someone was actually in control!

That is so like life! Sometimes, things appear to be tipping out of control. All that I can see is a disaster about to happen. There is going to be damage. There might even be a total catastrophe! 

What I don't see is that Father God is in control! That driver knew the route; he had been made aware of the difficult sections; he knew exactly what to do when he reached them. Father God sees the end from the beginning. From His vantage point in eternity, He knows (and sees) what is happening before it ever happens in the time-space continuum in which you and I live out our mortal lives. 

That catamaran was/is an inanimate object, with no life. But if it had the capability of thought, I suspect that it would have been worried when that hydraulic ram made it tip. Yet there was no need for it to be so. So for you and for me, if we are disciples of the Lord Jesus. When difficulties arise; when we are unsure as to what is "around the corner"; when life seems to be tipping us over - we may trust in the One Who knows the way, and knows how to negotiate every inch of it.

Someone has made the point that, being a disciple of Jesus doesn't protect us from every difficulty - but it does mean that we have Him with us, whatever that difficulty may be! Because He has gone before, He knows the way, and because He lives, He can lead us along it.

Free Speech - but not on Facebook!

Well, as a number of people already know, I have been yet again, banned by Facebook - another 30 days! At least, this time, I have been informed as to the offending comment that led to this sentence that is without appeal! Apparently, my comment on a post that gave information about Hamas terrorists sending incendiary balloons across to Israel where they land, and set fields and crops on fire, was the culprit. I merely asked "Why does the IDF [the Israel Defence Force] not shoot at the balloons before they cross over into Israel?" I then continued: "That way, they would fall on the perp[etrator]s - and maybe cause some of them a few well-deserved burns." That, according to Facebook, constitutes "Hate Speech"! Please note that I did not suggest that anyone be killed, or even badly injured. I did not suggest that the IDF shoot at the terrorists - merely the balloons. I did not seek to incite others to take any action whatsoever. But my comment is "Hate Speech"!

Of course, there must be limits on "Free Speech". For example, anyone who is inciting violence against another should, in my opinion, be dealt with by the legal system. However, as a disciple of Jesus, I cannot expect that others will necessarily be sensitive to what I believe. I have certainly been called a few choice names because of my personal faith and witness. Should those who spoke to me in such terms have been arrested and charged? Of course not! I have even had false accusations about me published on Facebook. I "unfriended" the persons responsible - end of story!

It is possible that I shall be able, through the good services of others, to have this post published on Facebook. However, be aware that there are those who will see what you may consider to be a fairly innocuous comment, in a totally different way. I did read, not too long ago, that the group that apparently 'monitor' comments now have an 'extremist' follower of Islam as a member. That might explain my own bans!

I shall continue, DV, to publish on the blog, so do please check from time-to-time. 😇😇

Standing, and falling!

 Writing to the early disciples of Jesus in that contemporary centre of immorality - the city of Corinth - the apostle Paul made this statement: "... let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." (I Cor. 10: 12). In context, he has been reminding the Corinthian believers of the history of the Jewish people, and exhorting them not to fall into certain practices of their fellow-Corinthians.

However, the advice is good for everyone, and at all times. I recently read about an Englishman named Bobby Leach. He was a stuntman who, in 1911, went over the world-famous Niagara Falls in a specially-designed steel drum - and lived to tell the tale! Although he suffered some minor injuries, and spent some six months in hospital, recovering, he survived because he recognised the tremendous dangers involved in his feat, and he had taken every possible precaution to protect himself from harm.

Fifteen years later, whilst on a publicity tour in New Zealand, he slipped on a discarded piece of orange peel, and broke his leg. He was taken to hospital, but complications set in; the leg turned gangrous; and it had to be amputated. Subsequent to that operation, his health deteriorated and he died shortly afterwards. 

So how was it that he received greater, and ultimately fatal, injuries while walking down the street, than he sustained while going over the Falls? It was simply because he was not prepared for danger in what he assumed (as would most of us!) was a safe environment.

There is, surely, a lesson there for the disciple of Jesus today. Some of the great temptations that roar around us like the rushing waters of the Niagara Falls, will leave us unharmed. Yet a small, seemingly insignificant incident may cause our downfall. Why should this be? Could it be that we simply become careless and fail to recognise the potential danger? We mistakenly think that we are secure!

Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus, and exhorted them to "... be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints," (Eph 6:10-18).

We must always be on guard against temptation, remembering that the devil "... prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour." (I Peter 5:8). Someone has said: "Whenever we fall, it is usually at the point where we think that we are strong."!

A victorious disciple of Jesus is a disciple of Jesus who watches out for even those little pieces of orange peel!

Addiction!

It may surprise some, but I do read books other than the Bible. I even read books that are not specifically Christian! I enjoy a good crime novel, and have read many good stories in that genre. 

However, it is interesting to read stories that,although fictional, have a distinctively Christian flavour. One such is my current "extra-curricular" reading material. It is named "And He healed them all", by Jeffrey McClain Jones, sub-titled "A day in the life of Jesus of Nazareth".

The basic story-line is that James Wolfer goes to visit his old friend Walter Schrader in a nursing home, expecting to find his former professor as depressed as the last time he visited. However, instead of a dour Walter, mourning the disabilities left him by a recent stroke, James finds his friend excited to tell him about a compelling dream he had the previous night. In that dream, and many dreams that follow, Walter believes he is seeing a day in the life of Jesus. And it was a day in which a great multitude came to him, with a whole range of physical and spiritual ailments, and he healed them all. One of the passages (that I have highlighted, in full) concerns two girls who have been involved in 'paranormal activities', and who have been brought to the Lord Jesus for healing. Part of the story reads as follows:

"The Teacher addressed  them. 'Do you want to be free of these spirits? Do you choose to let go of this power?'

They checked with each other. ''Yes', they said, simultaneously.

The Teacher nodded. But when He reached for their hands, both girls stepped back.

Their mother grabbed their arms. 'You have to let Him do what you're asking Him to do. Do you want to be free, or not?'  ... ... ... ... ... 

"Each girl let Him take a hand. I had the impression that they had just attached themselves to a power source that was not entirely pleasant to touch. ... ... ... ... ... ... 

"The Teacher almost bellowed. 'Do you want to be free of these spirits? Do you choose to let go of this power?' It seemed that neither girl could speak, but they both managed to nod their heads, haltingly, against the force that radiated from the Teacher." (emphases added). Although this particular incident is the product of a man's imagination, it does bear some similarity to the incident involving the apostle, Paul, and recorded for us by Dr Luke, in Acts 16:16ff (q.v.).

In his account of the Gospel record, John relates an incident that took place in Jerusalem: "Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Beth-za'tha, which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, He said to him, 'Do you want to be healed?'" (John 5:2-6; emphasis added). I used to think that that was a rather pointless question. After all, the man would not have been there if he had not wished to be healed - would he?!

Addiction may be defined as "a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The word is most commonly associated with alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs (most of which are, in a majority of countries, illegal) but may,of course,apply to anything that has, effectively, taken over our lives. I may be addicted to chocolate (a very common addiction!); or to sport; or to work (yes - even to work!); or to gambling; or to watching TV Game Shows; etc., etc.

It is said that the first step in overcoming any addiction is the acceptance that one is, in fact, addicted! However, I would suggest that there is a required "second step" - and that is that one wishes for the addiction to be broken. I recall, just a year or so ago, asking a young friend who is addicted to nicotine if she honestly wanted to stop smoking cigarettes. To her credit, she was honest! She said, "No." I knew then, that although I had been praying for her deliverance for a long time (and continue to do so), she was not going to overcome her addiction - because she didn't want to do so!

The problem, I suspect, is one of the dependency that an addiction creates; and the 'comfort zone' that it provides! Sadly, there is also a vicious circle that can, like a whirlpool, suck a person down to the very depths of despair. I yield to the temptation to have just one drink; just one cigarette; just one pill; - and then feel so disappointed with myself, and my failure, that I take another! And so it goes on.

During my lifetime I have dealt with a number of addicts, addicted to various substances that are harmful to the human body. I have discovered something that is of extreme importance - that while organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Gamblers Anonymous, may help (and, for many people they do!), only Almighty God can heal (and He does!)!

The answer to these addictions, and every other one, is not to be found in a bottle, or a packet of cigarettes, or an online casino, but by yielding oneself to the indwelling power of God the Holy Spirit allows Him to have His way - and that is always for our good!

Do you truly want to be freed from your addiction? Then ask the Teacher for His help. He never turns anyone away!