"Earth's only hope", by Joynell Schultz

It was the title of the book, referred to in the heading, that really caught my eye! (As a fan of Hogan's Heroes, I was also drawn by the surname of the author!). Of course, it is a book from the "science fiction" genre. The accompanying note read: "To escape a failing Earth, Skylar leaves on a spacecraft captained by a mysterious alien she has met before in dreams. But when the aliens onboard start dying, can she save him before it's too late?"

Perhaps I should have purchased it, as I enjoy some science fiction books. This story might have turned out to be one of those "can't put it down" volumes! However, I was so caught up with the title. 

It raises a couple of questions. To start with, I asked, "Is Earth in need of 'hope'?" That didn't require too much thought! Even without the ongoing Covid-19 situation, there are so many who appear to have no hope. I'm thinking of the homeless; the terminally ill; the addicted; the friendless; the persecuted; etc. Yes, I would strongly suggest that there is a great, and deep, need of 'hope'.

The second question must surely be: "Will leaving on a spacecraft, crewed by aliens, be the hope that Earth needs?" My first response is: "How will leaving the planet bring it hope of any kind?" Surely, hope must be here, on planet Earth! If, in the story, Skylar leaves, what hope is that for those who remain?

Thankfully, there is indeed hope for the people of planet Earth. Not by anyone leaving, but through One Who came, and Who dealt with the basic problem that affects humanity - the problem of sin. What is sin? Well, I've shared that information many times on this blog. I always like the definition provided by the Westminster Shorter Catechism: "Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God." What does that mean? Simply that if I fail to match up to the requirements of Almighty God, or if I break His laws, then I have sinned - I am a sinner. Earlier this evening, I was listening to Ray Comfort witnessing to a young Muslim. Ray's method is basically the same for everyone with whom he speaks. He shows them how they have broken just four of the Ten Words (Commandments), and points out that even that is sufficient to ensure that we stand guilty before God. Of course, the young man came back with all of the good things that he does - as Islam teaches that God keeps a "score-card" (two angels on the shoulders - one recording 'good' deeds, and the other 'bad' deeds) and, if I have done more good than bad, then I may be accepted into paradise.

That is referred to as "salvation* by works" - and is doomed for all of us. It is why Paul, inspired by God the Holy Spirit, could write to the early disciples of Jesus in Rome: "... since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward as an expiation by His blood, to be received by faith." (Rom 3:23-25). Did you read those words carefully? Yes, all of us have sinned, and continue to sin. But because the Lord Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin, we may receive the forgiveness of the Father. So Paul could also write that: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1; emphasis added).

Earth's only hope - and the only hope for you and for me - is found, not in flight to another part of the universe, but in the One Who loved, and loves, us so much that, in the Persona** of the Son, He came into our world; shared our life; was "... in every respect ... ... tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Heb. 4:15); and "... set His face to go to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51), knowing that He faced mockeries of trials, scourging, mockery, and one of the most cruel forms of executing the death sentence, contrived by man. But He rose from the dead, and is, even now, seated at the right hand of the Father. And He is coming back - sooner than many appreciate! - to take His own to Himself, to be with Him throughout the timelessness of eternity*.

Will you be among those who are awaiting that return with great anticipation? You may be! Just come to Him, in repentance* and faith*, and receive the new life that He has gained for you.

*All of these words, and many others, are explained in my book "Great Words of the Faith" - see the links at the top of the blog. And remember that I do not receive any financial benefit from sales as all royalties are sent, directly, to Release International, in support of the persecuted church.

** This word is explained in the chapter on the Trinity, in "Great Words".

I'm not the person I was!

As we continue to live through a time when large meetings are, legally, unavailable, I am reminded of a woman who, some years ago, was contacting her Secondary School classmates about a reunion to mark 35 years since they had left their school. Many were excited about renewing old friendships. One man apparently wrote back to her: "I have the 5 Bs - baldness; bifocals; bridgework; bulges; and bunions." Being, as he must have been, still in his early 50s, I dread to think of the lifestyle he had been leading! A woman quipped: "I wasn't half the woman then, that I am today." - apparently referring to her physical size and weight!

However, another woman wrote: "I can't wait to see everyone. I've changed completely.  At school, I was the class 'tramp'. I had no standards, and everyone knew it. But just a few years after I finished school, I received the Lord Jesus as my Saviour. My life was transformed! Because of Him, I'm not the person I was, and I want my classmates to know it."

In the New Testament, and in the Gospel according to Luke, we read of a man named Zacchaeus.  He was a chief tax-collector at a time when tax-collectors were really hated. The ordinary tax-collector demanded more than he was entitled to do, and pocketed the difference. Of course, he would have been accompanied by a couple of Roman soldiers when he came to your door - and it would not have been either wise, or healthy, to try to get away with paying what you believed to be a just amount! However, a chief tax-collector like Zacchaeus made even more money. He was cold-hearted, and money-loving. He demanded a greater sum than was due, from each of the tax-collectors below him. Even worse, was the fact that he was a Jew, working for the Roman Occupying Power. 

Many will be familiar with the story - indeed, some will still be able to sing the song about him being a "very little man". He was so short in physical stature that, when he decided that he wanted to catch a glimpse of the travelling preacher, Jesus of Nazareth, Who was making such an impact on the population of Judaea and Samaria, and other areas, that he climbed a sycamore tree by the side of the roadway, in order to do so. 

However, Jesus did not simply pass by - He stopped, looked up, and uttered the well-known words: "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." (Luke 19:5).  Zacchaeus didn't think twice!  "... he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully." (Luke 19:6). The Saviour followed Zacchaeus home and, the next thing that is recorded are his amazing words: "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." (Luke 19:8).

What a transformation! When we come to the Lord Jesus, in repentance, and faith, we commence a brand-new life. That is why it is referred to as being "born again"! Then, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, sinful attitudes are replaced with godly traits. Selfishness gives way to caring; greed gives way to generosity; lust gives way to purity. It's a work that is referred to as "sanctification" - basically, making us more like Jesus, day by day. (By the way, there is a chapter in "Great Words of the Faith", on Sanctification, if you would like to learn more! You will also, by your purchase, be helping those in the persecuted church. See the link above).

Has the Christ transformed your life? Can you truly say: "I'm not the same person I once was."? Someone has written: "God formed us; sin deformed us; Jesus can transform us." Will you permit Him to do so, for you? Will you?!

Some things never change!

Last week I celebrated yet another anniversary of the day of my physical birth (my spiritual rebirth was some 15 years later!). This week, my wife celebrates another anniversary of her physical birth. Tempus fugit (Time flies, for those who missed out on a Classical education!!). 

Last year, we celebrated our Golden Wedding Anniversary and, in our annual newsletter, I posted two photographs - one taken on Sept. 4th, 1970 (our wedding day!), and the other taken on Sept. 4th, 2020. I have to confess that each of has changed, quite considerably, during the intervening period! Every year; every month; every day; reminds us of the passing of time, and the changes it brings, be they major, or minor. We are changing; the world is changing (and, for many of us, the past ten months, or so, have seen some of the biggest changes that we have ever known); experiences are changing; our lifestyles are changing; the future is unknown! 

I can only speak for myself, but I can hardly believe that we are already more than half-way through the second month of 2021! Of course, like the New Year itself, it is only a mark in time; in the continuous journey of planet Earth around the Sun. Yet time is important to us. 

However, some things never change! Speaking through His prophet, Malachi, and using His Covenant Name, the Almighty Creator of all that is states: "... I, YHWH do not change;" ( 3:6). Writing to the early Jewish disciples of Jesus - Who, of course, is the incarnation of the Father - the anonymous author of the Letter to the Hebrews makes this astounding claim: "Jesus, the Christ - the same yesterday, today, and for ever." (13:8). Those words point us to:

The Unchanging Christ. What He was 2,000 years ago, when He walked this earth, He is today in the timelessness of Glory, and He will be throughout eternity. His atoning sacrifice remains effective for all who come to Him in repentance and faith. He opened the way into the presence of the Father, that even a sinner such as I may enter, and be received by Him - not because of anything that I might seek to claim, but purely because of His love, and grace, and mercy. I am forgiven as much as any of those who are "justified by faith" - in other words, because I have responded, positively, to the offer of salvation that was made at Calvary, the Father treats me "just as if I'd" never sinned at all. My sin is not only forgiven, but also forgotten! Hallelujah! Glory to God!

The Gospel message is the same. His covenant love never changes. His grace remains all-sufficient. His promises continue to be true. He is faithful in times of sorrow and distress, as well as in times of joy and laughter. His Word is the same. His presence, through the third Persona (not a typo! See the chapter on "The Trinity" in my first book - details above!) of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit, is the same.

But there is also: 

An unchanging commitment. For the disciple of Jesus, that commitment is to worship God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is to proclaim the Gospel - the Good News that I have described, briefly above. It is a commitment to serve Him as He commands. It is a commitment to live my life in such a way that I am a good witness for Him. In His final words to His disciples, before He ascended to the Father, the Lord Jesus said: "... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8). Please note, that this is not a call to every disciple to be an evangelist; but a command to every disciple to be a witness. There is a big difference but, if you are a disciple of Jesus, then you are (as I am!) a witness. The only question is "Am I a good witness, or a bad witness?" If, like me, you must confess to not being the best you might be, then you may turn to God the Holy Spirit, and seek His sanctifying work in your life.

Then, of course, there is:

An unchanging commission. That commission is recorded for us by Matthew, in his account of the Gospel record. "And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matt 28:18-20).

Now, "... all the world ..." does not exclude your own family; your next-door-neighbour; your friends; your work colleagues; etc. This Great Commission ties in with the commitment to be His witnesses - everywhere, and anywhere.

There are many - myself included - who believe, firmly, that we are in the very last days prior to the Rapture of the true saints of God (there is also a chapter on that subject in the book referred to above. Remember, ALL royalties are sent, directly, to Release International, in support of the persecuted church). That being the case, there should be an urgency in the church. Those who are disciples of Jesus should be earnest in prayer; eager to serve; excited in their (our!) witnessing.

I would claim that, in order to do so, we must stay close to the Saviour, that He may be close to us. Henry Francis Lyte wrote the words of one of the best-known Christian songs: "Abide with me." In the second verse are these words - 
"Change and decay in all around I see:                                                                                                        O Thou Who changest not, abide with me."

May all who read these words know His unchanging presence at all times. It will be for your good, and will bring glory and honour to His Name.

A story that is true - but that is not a true story!

This is a story that I have sometimes used as an illustration of a great truth. As the opening words, alone, make clear, the story is not, in itself, even remotely true! However it is, to me, somewhat amusing - and the truth that it contains is well worth discovering! So, here it is!

A man died, and arrived at the Pearly Gates (I told you that the opening words would show that the story is fictional!). He was met by Peter, who was holding a clip-board. 

"Hello!", he says to the man. "I assume that you are wanting to go through these gates, and enter Heaven."

"That is correct." replies the man. "Is there a problem?"

"No problem!", says Peter. "All that you have to do is get 100 points, and the Gates will open wide for you."

"100 points? No-one ever told me about 100 points! How do I get them?"

"Just tell me why you believe that you should be permitted to enter." responds Peter.

"Oh!", says the man, "that's okay. Now, let's see. Well, I was a very nice person, always helping others. I would have given you my last penny; my last piece of bread; the coat off my back."

"Very good. That gets you 3 points."

"Hmm," says the man. "Well, I was married to the same woman for 52 years; I was faithful to her; I cared for our children; and played with my grandchildren. I worked hard to provide for all of their needs."

"Impressive!" says Peter. "You've just gained another 5 points!"

"Just another 5?!" exclaims the man.

"That's it." replies Peter.

"Okay. I was a church member, and always put something into the offering plate. I attended every Christmas and Easter, and sometimes managed to fit in a few additional visits."

"That's definitely worth another 3 points." says Peter. "Anything else?"

"Well," (the man thinks hard), I was a good employee. I never gave my boss any problems, and worked as hard as I could."

"Well done!" is Peter's response. "That's another point".

"Hang on." says the man. How many points have I got now?"

Peter does some quick addition. "I make that a total of 12 points." he tells the man.

"12 points!" the man exclaims. "At this rate, only the grace of God will get me in."

"100 points!" says Peter. "Welcome."

As I said, this is a totally fictional story - but it does seek to emphasise the Biblical truth that our good works, whatever they may be, will never, ever, gain us entry to heaven. We can never 'make up' for the sinful life that we have lived. Even the best disciple of Jesus is only a sinner - but a sinner, saved by grace. That is why Paul could write to the Ephesian believers: "... by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9).

If you are depending on a 'good' life for salvation, please think again. You have broken every one of the Ten Words (Ten Commandments) - if not literally, then certainly in your heart. Jesus made clear that the thought is as bad as the deed - not in its action, but in its sinfulness. For example: "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). Now, I can say, with absolute honesty, that I have never killed another human being. But does anyone think that I could claim never to have been angry?! Yet Jesus says that, although my anger is not as bad as committing murder - it is every bit as much a sin that comes between me and Father God! I am a sinner - and I must claim the grace of God.

That is why the Lord Jesus went to the cross. He did so, in order to present Himself, the perfect sinless sacrifice that paid the penalty for your sin, and for mine. What He demands is that we offer Him our lives, in total surrender to His will. Paul, again: "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Rom. 12:1-2).

The choice is yours - make it count!