Width, or Depth?

It had not been my intention to send out another post for January. However, an e-mail from Jeff King,  President of International Christian Concern, that arrived a little earlier, caused me to change my mind!

In the letter he writes: "I met with a group of pastors in China who had been imprisoned for a decade or longer during the peak of the Cultural Revolution. We sat together in a private room at the back of a restaurant, and I spent the following hours absorbing their thoughts. 

I was struck and convicted by what they said. They told me that “the Church would be a mile wide and an inch deep” without persecution. Their main concern wasn’t that the Church would experience more persecution: it was that the church would lack depth without it. 

Today, there are millions of believers in China. There is a connection between faith and suffering, between pain and growth. There is a lesson in there for you and me: to hold on tight to God through the storms of this life." 

It was that comment that, without persecution, "the Church would be a mile wide and an inch deep" that caught my eye. It was not a new thought to me. Indeed, about 35 years ago, my wife and I hosted a Nigerian church leader for a week. Thomas was what might be described as "larger than life"! He was in Scotland to attend a Christian International Conference, for which I had been the organiser, and we had many interesting conversations. In one of them, I commented that the southern part of his home country was a Christian area. His comment was to the effect that it might be considered to be such, but that, having no problems, it had no depth! Certainly, the early church knew the effect of persecution. It is the early Church Father, Tertullian, who is usually regarded as having made the statement that: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." - meaning that as people saw disciples of Jesus die for their faith, they realised that this faith must be very important, and decided to follow it, and the Saviour Whom it proclaimed.

However, as I read those words in Jeff King's letter, I found myself thinking, not as much about the persecuted church (which, of course, is something in which I have had a deep interest for some fifty years. Indeed, all royalties from the sale of my books - see the head of the blog - go directly to Release International, the first organisation that I discovered that supports persecuted disciples of Jesus. Please consider purchasing one, or more - and telling others about them!) as about my own Christian walk!

It is so easy to become involved in many different aspects of Christian service. There is no shortage of opportunities and, it often seems, so few willing to take them! Yet is "busy-ness" the sign of great faith? Or is it just a means of ensuring that we don't have to delve too deeply into the written Word of God; or spend too much time in prayer? Is it the case, for some of us, that we have "width", but no "depth"?

It's interesting, is it not, that while the Lord Jesus was constantly helping others, and teaching His disciples, and all who would listen to His words, He also took time to be with the Father, and in prayer. If He, the very Son of God, needed that depth in His earthly life, how much more do I?

I am not one for "New year resolutions" (and the end of January is probably a bit late, in any case!), but may each of us endeavour, in the coming eleven months, to deepen our Christian lives. And, if you are not yet a disciple of the Lord Jesus, perhaps this is the time for you to give serious consideration to what God, in the Lord Jesus, has done for you - and to respond with the love, and obedience, of your own heart. It will be for your eternal good, and His eternal glory.

I.H.S.

The letters of the heading are well-known to many. They are found on pulpit-falls (the piece of material that hangs down in front of the lectern in most church building pulpits) in many church buildings - certainly in those of the Presbyterian persuasion in which I was reared, and in which I ministered for many years. They stand for three Latin words: "Iesous Hominum Salvator" that translate as "Jesus, Saviour of Mankind" - the basic message of the Gospel.

I was reminded of the letters when I watched the "Big Hymn Sing, 2020" from the Scots Church in Melbourne, Australia, recorded in the church building. There was the pulpit; and there was the pulpit-fall. By the way, for those who appreciate some of the "old" Christian hymns, it is worth watching - at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l66Qz2ScIQ&t=1688s

When I was much younger, I realised that I could 'play with' those letters. Indeed, they could be formed in three different ways, each of which teaches us another important truth for the true disciple of the Lord Jesus. The first combination is H.I.S. That's pretty obvious! If I am a disciple of Jesus, then I belong to Him - I am HIS! So Paul, writing to the early believers in the great metropolis of Rome, refers to them as "... who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;" (Rom.1:6; emphasis added). There is something good about 'belonging'. That is, basically, why people join all sorts of groups and organisations - from cycling clubs to choirs; from political parties to painting classes; from sporting groups to stamp collectors. However, the best group to which anyone can belong is the family of Almighty God - those who have been born again through the work of God the Holy Spirit in their lives, as they have come, in repentance and faith, and accepted the salvation that was gained for them by the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus, at Calvary.

A second combination follows on from the previous one. If I am H.I.S., then I am S.I.H. - Safe In Him. In His "High Priestly Prayer", recorded in John 17, (and, by the way, the true "Lord's Prayer"!) the Lord Jesus refers to His disciples with these words: "While I was with them, I kept them in Thy name, which Thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled." (John 17:12-13; emphasis added). Again, in Paul's letter to the early Roman believers, he pens these wonderful words: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, 'For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 8:35-39; emphasis added). If I am truly His, then I am safe in Him.

The final combination returns to I.H.S. but, this time, I see "In His Service". Again, going back many years, we young believers were often taught that we are "saved to serve" and, of course, the One Whom we serve is the Lord Jesus Himself. This was the 'boast' of those first disciples of Jesus. Indeed, the word usually translated as "servant" is, more correctly, "slave". So Paul introduces himself to the early believers in Rome as "Paul, a slave of Jesus the Christ" (Rom.1:1); James commences his letter in a similar manner: "James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus, the Christ." (James 1:1); Peter is "Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus, the Christ." (II Peter 1:1).

Jesus, Himself, spoke these words: "I am among you as One Who serves." (Lk.22:27) - and serving Him is the greatest privilege that mortal man may enjoy. Of course, if I am truly HIS, and am assured that I am Safe In Him, then it will be my great desire to be In His Service!

"Iesous Hominum Salvator"; "Jesus, Saviour of Mankind". May He be your Saviour, your Lord, and your King. It will be for your eternal good, and to His eternal glory.

Effective - or ineffective?!

For some months, I have wondered if 2020 would be known as "The Year of the Mask"! I am now concerned that the same title may be applicable to 2021.

The wearing of masks has been obligatory in most countries, whether everywhere apart from inside one's own home (e.g. in Spain, when we were there last year), or in designated areas - shops etc. However, there are masks - and there are masks!

Here are two very different 'masks'.  This first one is the type of mask that the majority of the public is using. Indeed, when I had occasion to visit the main hospital in Bergerac, just last week, I was issued with one of these masks. The mask that I was using - supplied, I would point out, by my local Mairie - was deemed to be unsuitable (although it is actually a slightly 'heavier' mask!).

The second mask is being worn by the young cousin of a dear friend of mine. This cousin is a doctor in a Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit in a hospital in London. I doubt that anyone will have any difficulty in spotting the differences between the two masks!

It would be my personal opinion that this mask - that is, of course, much more than a simple mask - is effective. The one above, in my opinion - and that of many others - is not any better, when it comes to a virus, than a handkerchief tied around one's face in the way that, in my childhood, my friends and I would have done when we were playing cowboys and bandits!

This difference got me thinking! 

Covid-19 has caused much disruption around the world. Yet it is not the worst thing to afflict humanity. That 'accolade' goes, I would claim, to sin. But what is sin? Well, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, on which I was brought up, asks that very question (Q.14). The answer provided is: "Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God." Now that's pretty simple and straightforward, but permit me to 'unpack' it just a little. It is saying that if we do not match up to the standards set by Almighty God, or if we disobey His laws in any way, then we are guilty of sin.

Those laws are, of course, summed up in The Ten Words (Ten Commandments) found in Exodus 20:2-17. However, the Lord Jesus took them to a higher plane when He pointed out that it is not just an action that is sin, but also the very thought that led to that action. 

Words such as "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire." (Matt 5:21-22), and words such as "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matt 5:27-28), make me quickly realise that I am a serial murderer, and a serial adulterer! The thought may not be as bad as the deed - but it is every bit as much a sin!

Sin, of course, has created a mighty gulf, or chasm, between us and Father God. When we are aware of this, we may endeavour to bridge that chasm in different ways. We may think that good works; charitable giving; kindness; religious activity; and the like will get us across. However, that is simply not the case. Here is a graphic that makes the point.

These endeavours are like the first mask - they are ineffective.

Thankfully, Father God did not leave us without a remedy. In what is probably the best-known verse in the whole of the Bible (plus the next one), we are told that "... God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:16-17). Yes, the Lord Jesus came to pay the penalty for your sin, and for mine. 

Indeed, Paul reminds us that "For our sake He [the Father] made Him [the Son] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him [the Son] we might become the righteousness of God." (II Cor 5:21).  Yes, if we come to Jesus, in repentance and faith, acknowledging our sins, and our sinfulness, and accepting the forgiveness that is offered through Him, then we may cross the chasm into a new and living relationship with our Creator. Jesus' sacrifice, on our behalf, is effective. Of course, like the effective mask, it is only so when we "take advantage" of it! The doctor's mask is totally useless if he leaves it on a shelf!

In many cultures, New Year is, traditionally, a time of 'new beginnings'. May I encourage you, if you have not done so already, to make this New Year a time of new beginning with Father God. Not just "resolutions", but a new life, in Jesus. It won't make life any easier - indeed, the opposite may be the case! - but it will be a more satisfying life; and a life that will never end!

One of a kind!

This week, my wife and I each received our "Carte de Séjour"! "What", most of the readers of this blog will be asking, "is that?" Well, it means that, having lived in France for more than five years, we now have official evidence that we are considered to be residents of the country. It does not mean that we have been naturalised - we still hold UK passports, and expect to return to Scotland if we are spared to reach a "certain age"!!

The Carte de Séjour contains a passport-type photograph (so not the most flattering!), and other specific information about  - just as our passports do. However, in a first for either of us, it also contains our fingerprints! I shall have to be doubly careful to wear gloves on my next burglary mission!!!!! (joke!).

I also read, recently, of a particular type of pottery, named "Raku" pottery. This is, in origin, a Japanese method of firing clay pottery in which each piece is hand-formed (i.e. not formed on a potter's wheel)  - a process, it is claimed, that allows the spirit of the potter to speak through the finished work, with particular directness and intimacy. 

Once the clay has been shaped by the potter, it is fired in a kiln then, glowing hot, it is thrust into a pile of combustible material that quickly takes the heat from the vessel. The result is a "one of a kind" - something that is truly unique.

So what might be the link between a Carte de Séjour, and Raku pottery?! Well, I think that it is in the personal connection. Something that it uniquely "me" (my fingerprints) in somehow embedded in my Carte de Séjour; the potter's personality is, apparently, "imprinted" in the Raku pottery.

So it is with each of us. We bear the imprint of the Creator. He has spoken through His work with particular directness and intimacy. Each of us is formed in a unique way, for a unique work. "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Eph.2:10).

However, although we are created for good works we are, ourselves "works in progress". We must experience the kiln of affliction. Aching hearts, weary spirits, ageing bodies, are all processes that Almighty God uses to finish the work He has begun.

This means that we need have no fear of circumstances - however unpleasant, or inconvenient, or apparently pointless!  Be "patient in tribulation" (Rom.12:12), and await the finished product. "Let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:4).

You, whoever you are, are "one of a kind". There has never, in the whole history of the world, been anyone exactly like you. No matter for how long the world exists, there will never be anyone exactly like you. And you are beloved of God! He created you; He knows what is best for you. Our responsibility is to stay as close to Him as we can, and to remain within His will for us. It's the best that we may do for ourselves - and for others!

May you draw close to Him, and live in His light, that you may fulfil His purposes for you - His unique creation.