The Resurrection, and the Believer.

For a very long time - indeed, many centuries! - the traditional greeting by disciples of Jesus on this Resurrection Sunday has been: "The Lord is risen"; with the response: "He is risen indeed". This is, of course, the very core of the Christian faith. Paul, wrote to the Corinthian believers about the resurrection of the dead. They appear to have held the Greek idea of the immortality of the soul, but that found it difficult to accept that the body would rise again. So the apostle states that: "... if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." (I Cor.15:12-14).

The resurrection of the Christ is no less crucial to the Gospel than the death of the Christ. Indeed, if He did not rise from the dead, then those who believe in Him "... are of all men most to be pitied." (I Cor.15:19).

 

The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus assures us, first of all, of our justification. Speaking of Abraham's faith and the imputation of God's righteousness to him, Paul writes, "That is why his faith was “reckoned to him as righteousness” (Gal.3:6). But the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his [Abraham's] sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in Him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, Who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:22-25).

 

Secondly, Father God imparts to us the power to serve Him effectively through the resurrection, "... that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power in us who believe, according to the working of His great might which He accomplished in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and made Him sit at His right hand in the heavenly places," (Ephesians 1:18-20). As the passage continues, Paul declares that through the resurrection the Christ is now "... the head over all things to the church, which is His body ..." (vv. 22-23).

 

Then, in His resurrected and glorified state, the Lord Jesus continues His ministry to us. "Since then we have a great high priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, . . . Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14, 16).

 

Finally, Christ's resurrection assures us that those who belong to Him will also, one day, be resurrected, if we should die before He returns as "... He Who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence. " (II Corinthians 4:14). 

If you wish to consider some of the evidence for the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus, you could do worse than listen to Lee Strobel (and check his own background!) at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgmbiDTww0k

Who is God?

Those who know me best would, I think, support my claim to be an aficionado of the English language. I get most annoyed when people use an adjective when it is an adverb that is required. I like to see the humble apostrophe used in the correct manner (or omitted when it is not required!). I don't like to see a preposition as the final word in a sentence!

So I can understand why some people may think it strange that when, some 3,500 years ago, Moses asked his God - the God of the Israelite people - who He was, he received a strange response. God said: "Say to the Children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you ... This is My name forever." (Ex. 3:14-15).  

A two-word sentence! Yet it is full of meaning! In the English language, a sentence needs only two parts of speech to be complete - a subject and a verb. So when God says that His name, not one of His attributes, is "I AM", this conveys to us the concept that He is complete in Himself. He is subject and verb. He is everything that we could possibly need.

However, there is more. This name indicates His eternal nature. He is not "I was". That would suggest that He had a past. He is not "I will be". That would suggest that He has a future. His name "I AM" shows that He is dwells in the timelessness of eternity. You see, that is the nature of eternity. It is not "endless time", but timelessness! If you find that to be confusing, don't worry - you are not alone! However, it is one of the words with which I deal in my book "Great Words of the Faith" (see above for a link). I provide an analogy that, I believe, most people will understand - indeed, will have experienced!

Then, in the fulness of created time, Jesus put flesh on God's bare-boned answer to Moses' question. Jesus, Who is God the Son, left the eternal glory in order to give His life for our salvation. However, He also came to show us what it means to bear the Father's name. 

In John's account of the Gospel, the apostle records seven specific instances in which Jesus declared His deity by the the use of the words "I AM". He said, "I AM the bread of life" (6:35 ff). He said "I AM the light of the world" (8:12. 9:5). He said: "I AM the door" (10:7,9). He claimed "I AM the Good Shepherd" (10:11.14). Outside the tomb of His friend, Lazarus, He stated "I AM the resurrection and the life." (11:25). He told His disciples: "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (Jn.14:6). He said "I AM the true vine." (15:1,5).

John records two further instances of "I AM" statements made by the Lord Jesus. However, these are not metaphors. They are direct applications of "the Name" ("HaShem" - the manner by which Jews refer to "I AM") made by the Lord Jesus to Himself - and are therefore His own claims to being an integral part of the Godhead. (If the doctrine of the Trinity confuses you, I deal with that word, also, in "Great Words of the Faith.") The first of these is found in 8:58, where Jesus says to certain Jews who had been disputing with Him: "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM". He was not making what would have been a ridiculous claim that He was older than Abraham would have been at that time, but declaring His eternal existence - His being God.

The second occasion on which He speaks like this is recorded in John 18:4-5. Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the soldiers, priests, and mob, led by the traitor, Judas, have come to arrest Him. As they approach, He asks for whom they are seeking. They tell Him that they seek Jesus of Nazareth, and the Lord says "I AM He"! Now that word "He" is added in English language translations, by the translators. However, in the original Greek of the Second (New) Testament, the record states that His response was "Ego eimi" - "I AM". He was applying God's covenant, personal, name to Himself. Little wonder that they "drew back, and fell to the ground". (v.6).

If, for whatever reason, you are questioning Who God is, take some time to get to know Jesus, the eternal One, made flesh, in the pages of His word. He is, as Paul wrote to the Colossian believers: "... the image of of the invisible God," (1:15). I commend Him to you - and you to Him!

Guidance - Pt.6

Have you ever set out on a journey, and discovered that it was longer than you expected? That is certainly the case for me, with this series of posts on the important subject of "Guidance" in our individual lives. However, the end is in sight and, in this final post in the series, I want to consider the experience of guidance.

Dr W.E.Sangster, the well-known Methodist preacher, and prolific author, of the 20th century, shares a story that, one morning, during his personal devotions, he had a deep urge to call on a certain lady member of his congregation. He resisted the thought since it did not fit in with his plans for the day. "I knew no reason why I should go to her home". he writes. "To go in that direction would mean one call, to go the way I had planned would mean a dozen. Yet her name dinned in my ears and I went. And the memory of that visit will always be sweet to me. ............ 'Do come in', she said and, when I sat down, she added, 'Fancy you remembering'." But Dr Sangster had remembered nothing - and was honest enough to say so! The woman reminded him: "It was a year ago, today," she said, "that you buried my husband. I have been dreading this day, and got up this morning, fearfully overwrought and feeling that I must run away from the house, and every stabbing memory. But, as I tried to pray, God came very near and seemed to urge me to wait within the home. Somehow, I knew that He would send me a word of comfort."

How assured Dr Sangster was that God had guided him to that home. How wonderful to know that God cared enough for that widow, to send Dr Sangster to her.

And how many different stories of clear guidance may be told! The Bible, itself, abounds in them: Abraham's servant seeking a wife for Isaac; Samuel, sent to anoint a new king of Israel; Philip and the Ethiopian; Peter and Cornelius; Ananias and Saul; to name but a few.

And in our own experience, how many of us can look back and see the hand of God, guiding and directing us, even when we only realise it with the 20:20 vision of hindsight?! I recall, all too well, such a situation with my own younger daughter. The company for which she worked had developed financial problems and was looking for those who would accept voluntary redundancy. She offered - but was turned down as, she was informed, no-one else in Scotland knew her job! With help from a colleague, she re-applied and, this time her request was accepted, but on the condition that she would train someone in England to deal with her responsibilities. 

This entailed her working in England for some six weeks, with the weekends at home. After a couple of weeks, she went into the restaurant of her accommodation to be greeted by name. The person was the manager of a small company to which her company sometimes sub-contracted work, and whom she knew well. Having found out why she was there, and that she would soon be unemployed, he immediately offered her a job in his company. However, he wanted her to start on the following Monday! She explained the terms of her VR but was informed that she should leave that up to him, as he had the ear of the "top people"! He arranged for her release, and she started work on that Monday!

She had been there a few weeks when she spoke with me, explaining that this company had a special voluntary Health Insurance Scheme into which both employees, and the company, paid. Should she join? She was in excellent health, but I pointed out that one never knew what was around the corner, and advised her to sign up. It was only weeks later that she was diagnosed with breast cancer! To cut the long story short, the Insurance Company paid for her to receive private treatment and, by the time she was even given a date for a referral to her local hospital, she had already been operated on, and was half-way through the subsequent chemotherapy treatment! The cancer turned out to be a particularly aggressive one and, after her chemo was completed - about November, if I recall correctly - her Oncologist informed her that, if she had not been treated in time, she would not have seen Christmas!

We are convinced that she only got that job so that she would receive that private treatment. By the way, this is no criticism of the NHS! However, they are so snowed-under that waiting times can be very lengthy - sometime fatally so! As we look back, we are so grateful that Almighty God was guiding in all of that. Experience is, indeed, the ultimate proof of God's guidance - I know that He guides, because I have experienced His guidance.

Reginald White, a former Principal of the Baptist Theological College, in Glasgow writes, in one of his books: "In the last resort, a man knows the Gospel is true by his experience of its power within himself." The same, we may say, is true of God's guidance - a guidance that is promised; that is given; which may be tested; and which is experienced as the loving care of our great and gracious God.

It is there for all - but those who are in His family know it best. Does that include you?

Who, then, is beautiful?

A young woman with whom my wife and I are acquainted was, to be polite, of a substantial build! She works in a retail outlet that we have used quite a lot since coming to France, and one that - outwith the restrictions imposed because of Covid-19 - we still visit occasionally. I think that it must have been before the Covid outbreak that we noticed that she was absent from the shop. One of her colleagues, with whom we are also friendly, explained that she was on extended leave as she was having surgery to remove some of the excess weight that she had been carrying.

Some time later, we called in and, to our delight, she had returned. "Quelle différence !" (What a difference!). Here was this relatively slim young woman looking as happy as could be. It must have been "pre-Covid", because I know that we hugged!!! 

Then some time later again, after the first 'lockdown' in France, I happened to call into the shop. Our friend was, again, missing. I made enquiries, and learned that a customer had insulted her with a comment about her size, in such a way as to cause her emotional problems. 

Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder. I have seen photographs of females who are, allegedly, "the most beautiful women in the world"! But that is only the opinion of the person who produced the photographs. I have my idea of what a beautiful woman looks like - but a tribal chief in Samoa has a totally different idea as what constitutes real beauty! 

In Genesis 24, we read that Abraham, knowing that he was near to the end of his earthly life, charged his senior servant, Eliezer, that he would not allow Isaac, the son of the promise, to be married to a Canaanite woman, but that he would go and find a wife from among Abraham's own kindred. Eliezer assured Abraham that he would do so, and set off with suitable gifts for the young woman he believed that YHWH, his master's God, would provide.

He asked for a sign: "Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let the maiden to whom I shall say, 'Pray let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels' - let her be the one whom Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac. By this I shall know that Thou hast shown steadfast love to my master." (Gen 24:13-14).

The young woman to whom he was directed was named Rebekah, and she was "... very fair to look upon," (v.16|). But physical beauty was not the crucial point for Eliezer. His prayer gives us an important clue as to the kind of beauty he sought for his master's son. Common courtesy would have prompted Rebekah to provide drinking water for a stranger - but to water camels was a different matter altogether! Ten thirsty camels could drink up to 210 gallons (more than 950 litres!). Rebekah clearly had a servant's heart. She was, in the eyes of others, a physically beautiful young woman. However, she was also  a young woman of beautiful character - and that is much more important. 

The cowboys of the "Wild West" allegedly had a saying about females: "Looks don't last; cookin' do!". There is a lot of truth in that! 

Proverbs 31:10ff is a description that I have often applied to my own dear wife. In v.30 we read "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Of course, the same is true of we males!

Who, then, is beautiful? Those who reflect something of the beauty of the Lord Jesus in their lives; who display His character through their own; who draw others to Him by who they are.

Do you display this kind of beauty? Do I? That's perhaps a question worth pondering! 

The wonders of modern technology!!! I have just discovered that I am able to provide a preview of my books.

At this moment, I am only organised for vol.3 - but do feel free to have a look. You may then wish to purchase, especially as ALL royalties now go directly to the bank account of Release International - supporting the persecuted church.

"https://lire.amazon.fr/kp/card…"

I shall endeavour to post the other two preview samples as quickly as possible. 

Now, to our Book of the Bible for this post. We've been through the Torah books - Genesis to Deuteronomy - and Moses, the great leader of the Children of Israel, has died. As he had already been told by YHWH, he was permitted to see the Promised Land - but not to enter it. "So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of YHWH, and He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-pe'or; but no man knows the place of his burial to this day." (Deut 34:5-6). He was succeeded by his personal servant, a man named Joshua, and the next book bears his name, as he leads the Children of Israel into the land which YHWH had promised, so many centuries before, to Abraham.

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Can we be counted upon?!

In a moment of madness, I accepted a challenge, on Facebook, from a very dear young friend. I only wish that the response to that challenge (as, having failed, I had to pass it on!) could be replicated with my blog!!

Anyway, as we move through the amazing library of books that is named The Bible, we come to the book of Numbers. Maths just happened to be my best subject during my secondary education - but one doesn't need to be a mathematician to learn from this book. 

Here is the next video.

I wonder if anyone is noticing the lessons here?! How like those Israelites of old is the church - the body of the Christ - today! Indeed, as one who is intensely interested in, and supportive of, the modern descendants of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, I see the modern State of Israel behaving in the same way through its secular government that looks to alliances with other nations, rather than to the God of their ancestors! more to come in the next post.

Getting out - part 2.

In the previous post we left the Children of Israel having escaped from the Egyptians to whom they had been enslaved for some 400 years! The rest of the book is the record of their journey to the land that the Creator, the Covenant God, had promised to Abraham and his descendants. This clip doesn't deal with every part of that record (although you may read it for yourself - preferably in a modern translation that will not bog you down with archaic language!), but it does deal with some of the most important themes.

Okay, next time we move on to a book that many people choose to ignore - but that has a great deal to teach us!

Genesis - Part 2

As a student of history, I am all too aware that nations and empires rise - and fall! Where are the ancient nations of Philistines and Persians, to name but two? Many will not have read, but most will be aware of, Edward Gibbon's monumental work: "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." However, there is one very real exception; one nation that, in spite of many attempts to destroy it, has survived for millennia. That nation is the Jewish Nation - the Children of Israel; the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The second part of the book of Genesis deals with the call of Abraham,and the events that followed. Here is the next video that gives a brief overview of all of that.

Now that you have seen the overview, may I encourage you to fill in much more of the detail by actually reading the book?! I would recommend a modern translation so that you are neither confused, nor 'put off'', by the somewhat archaic language of the Authorised (or King James) Version! My personal 'favourite' is still the RSV (Revised Standard Version), but the NRSV (New RSV) is also a good translation. Some will prefer the NIV (New International Version), but unless you already have a copy, I am informed that the 2011 publication is best!

Whichever version/translation you use, do read - and before doing so, take a minute to ask for the help of God the Holy Spirit, that you may understand what He is saying, specifically, to you.

The fragrance of Lebanon.

Lebanon is a Middle Eastern country that is often in the news  - sadly, for reasons that are not good! However, did you know that the same country is mentioned at least 68 times in the Tanakh (that's the Old Testament part of the Bible)? 

In those days, it was a great, high, mountain range covered with mighty cedar trees. As these trees were felled, a pungent, pleasant, odour was released, pervading the the air surrounding the majestic heights. Those who had been to its towering peaks to secure the choice specimens that grew there, came away with their clothing saturated with a lasting fragrance. It was just as, last night, my wife opened the door of our wood-burning stove - and there was a delightful woody fragrance that pervaded our home, and was still there when we arose this morning.

We may apply these facts to the life of the true disciple of Jesus. When we spend time with Him - quality time! - then something of Him remains with us. There is a lingering aroma of holiness that surrounds those who, like Peter and James and John, have been on the mountain top with the One Who loves them with an everlasting love.

When the Dome of the Rock was being constructed, in Jerusalem, at the end of the 7th century A.D., it was customary to bring loads of incense and aromatic shrubs into the shrine, which was named al-Sakhrah.* As a consequence, anyone worshipping there carried with him so much of the perfume of the place that, when people passed him by, they would say to one another: "He has been to the Sakhrah today"!

Is it not the case that too many of us tend to dwell in the dark valley of defeat and despair when we should be living on our own Lebanon? However, it is only as we commune on the heights of sanctification with the Saviour, that the refreshing fragrance of His grace will permeate our personal testimony to His saving power.

May I suggest that you examine yourself - as I examine myself - to determine whether, or not, you have set your affection on things above. Have you cast aside the enticements that contemporary society offers, and chosen the high road of holiness that will take you to the peaks of praise and fellowship? When you do, you will hear, with great joy, His sweet whisper: "my bride; ... the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon." (Song of Solomon 4:11). 

 * the Arabic word for the Rock, as it is claimed, by Islam, that it was from that spot that the founder of the religion, Mohammed, ascended to heaven after his miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem on the winged steed al-Buraq. In the much older, and true, Jewish tradition it is the spot on Mount Moriah on which Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son, the son of the promise, Isaac.

Grace sufficient.

One of the amazing facts about the written Word of God, the Bible, is that however often one reads a passage, one regularly notices something that was never noticed before! Often, that fresh insight will be because of a particular need in our lives. Sometimes it will be the sudden remembrance of a well-loved verse, or passage, that suddenly takes on a whole new depth of meaning. I was reading an article about Charles H Spurgeon the great 19th century preacher. If anyone knew his Bible, it was Spurgeon. Yet he was able to testify to such an experience in his own life.

"One evening, after a hard day's work, I felt weary and and sorely depressed. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, the verse came to my mind: 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' (II Cor.12:9). Going to my study, I examined the text in the Greek, and was impressed by an emphasis I had never seen before. When I read, 'My grace is sufficient for thee', I said aloud, 'I should think it is, Lord!' The abundance of His supply compared to my need caused my heart to rejoice, and made unbelief absurd. I never fully understood what the holy laughter of Abraham meant, until then. (Gen.17:17). A great God can make good on anything that He promises to men.

"Pondering this blessed truth", Spurgeon continued, "I imagined myself as a tiny mouse in the granaries of Egypt after seven years of plenty (Gen.41:46-49), fearing I would die in the famine. But Joseph would say, 'Cheer up, little one, my granaries are sufficient for thee." Again I pictured in my mind a man standing on a lofty mountain, saying to himself, 'I inhale so much air each year that I fear the supply of oxygen will be exhausted.' But the earth would say, 'Breathe on, O man, and fill your lungs a s long as you live; my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.'" (Scripture references added)

How meagre is our faith when we fail to draw upon the unlimited resources of Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists! Are you weary, and discouraged, by whatever faces you at this time? Then trust the Saviour completely, and remember - His grace is sufficient for you!

The root cause.

Any student of history is aware that many major conflicts can be traced back to a single event.   So the First World War was the result of a single pistol-shot, by a man named Gavrilo Princip.  That shot fatally wounded the Arch-Duke Franz-Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, when he visited Serbia on June 28th, 1914. 

In my personal devotions, I am currently reading in Paul's letter to the early believers in Galatia. This letter is sometimes referred to as an introduction to his letter to the early Roman believers.  It's a letter that I have studied before - so much so that even my wide-margin copy of the Bible that I use for my devotions, has little space to accept additional notes!  However, as is so often the case, it is when one reads a passage for the umpteenth time, that one sees something that has never occurred to one before!

None of what I read this morning was actually "new" to me.  I didn't receive any wonderful revelation - a direct word from the Lord to me.  However, something became more real to me.  It is that the current, ongoing, conflict between Israel and the Arab nations, started with a single event - an event that took place some 4,000 years ago!  That event was the physical union of Abraham with Hagar, his wife Sarah's maid.  It was from that union that Ishmael was born.

Paul writes: "Tell me, you who desire to be under law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise." (Gal 4:21-23).   

This was the great difference between Abraham's two sons - one was born of a servant, the other of a free woman; one was born "according to the flesh" (that is, 'naturally'), the other "through promise" (supernaturally).  If we go back to Genesis 15, we see God's clear promise to Abraham - the promise of an heir.  All very well, except for the fact that, even then, both Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were well past the normal age of producing children!  The years passed; neither of them was getting any younger; and no child was born.  Eventually, Sarah suggested that Abraham father a child by her maid, Hagar - culturally quite acceptable.  However, although it may have been acceptable, it was bad advice!  Out of that union, Ishmael was born.

It was some 14 years later that the miracle took place when Sarah, now 90 years of age, conceived and gave birth to Isaac.  This, of course, was a supernatural birth!  We read, later in the Genesis account that "... Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the lad and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your descendants be named." (Gen 21:9-12).

That is the beginning of the enmity between the descendants of Isaac - the Children of Israel (the Jewish people); and the descendants of Ishmael - the Arab nations.  We might say that the current Israeli-Arab controversy actually started in Hagar's bedroom (or tent)!  A single act - with results that were to be far-reaching, and totally unexpected.  The feud continues - each group looking back to Abraham as their progenitor; and each claiming the land of Israel as their own.

However, the Biblical record makes it absolutely clear.  The "Promised Land" is given by Almighty God to those who are the descendants of, not only Abraham, but of Isaac and Jacob as well.  That is why so many of the disciples of Jesus - Himself a Jew! - are firm supporters of the modern State of Israel.  If we believe the Bible to be true, we can be no other.  Of course, we may not agree with every political policy followed by the Israeli government - any more than we agree with every policy of our own national governments.  But I believe that we must stand by the Jewish nation - particularly in the light of the current rise in anti-Semitism.  To that end, I encourage anyone to become part of Christians United for Israel (http://www.cufi.org.uk/).  If you are not resident in the UK, then you may prefer to join the "parent" organisation at http://www.cufi.org/

When Jacob received the blessing of the first-born (even although he did so by deceiving his father, Isaac), that blessing ended: "Cursed be every one who curses you, and blessed be every one who blesses you!" (Gen 27:29).

In Zech 2:8-12, we read "... thus said YHWH Sabaoth, after His glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye: "Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the YHWH Sabaoth has sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says YHWH. And many nations shall join themselves to YHWH in that day, and shall be My people; and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that YHWH Sabaoth has sent me to you. And YHWH will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem." 

The Jewish people are still "the apple of His eye"; and those who curse them will be cursed, even as those who bless them will be blessed.  Choose blessing, not a curse!

New Beginnings

After a number of last-minute hitches, and delays, I have just sent out, to our Annual Newsletter mailing-list, the exciting (for my wife and me!) news that we have completed all of the legalities in our purchase of a house in France.  It has been an exhausting, sometimes, frustrating, time-consuming matter - but it is done!

Why have we made such a move when we are no longer in the first flush of our youth?  Simply because we believe that this move is in the Lord's will.  What He has planned for us is, of course, still to be discovered, but we have learned, over many years, to take one step at a time.   It will be difficult to leave the static caravan (mobil-home) that has been our French 'base' for three years - but as soon as we have it emptied of items that have been stored here, it will go on the market, and we trust that someone else will have as much pleasure as we have had when it is purchased (sooner, rather than later, we trust!).

This is, of course, for us, a time of 'new beginnings'.  Beginnings are of extreme importance.  How often, as a child, and a young man, I was taught by my parents to "Start as you mean to continue"!   I am thinking of a man named Abram, who lived some 4,000 years ago in that part of the world known, today, as southern Iraq.  At God's call, he left all that would have been his and, with his wife, his nephew, and his flocks and servants, he set off for an unknown (to him) destination.  The whole story is found in the Old Testament book of Genesis (Beginnings), chapters 12-25, and is well worth reading.   That was a new beginning for Abram (better known by his later name of Abraham) and, from that new beginning came the whole nation of Israel - a nation that many have tried to destroy, but that continues to exist, and flourish, in spite of their attempts!

We are not going to be the progenitors of a new nation - but we believe that the Lord has a specific plan for us as we settle in to our new home.  We believe, too, that He has a specific plan for your life - but you have to be willing to listen to Him if you want to discover it!

Are you ready for new beginnings?  It can be scary; but it can also be exciting!   And, of course, the greatest 'new beginning' is the new life that is promised to all who come to Father God in faith; accepting the salvation that is offered through the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus; and opening themselves up to the daily guidance of God the Holy Spirit.  If you want to know more, please contact me - or even check out a couple of "My Favourite Links" (scroll down!).

Advent.

Sunday, as many will be aware, was the First Sunday of Advent - the season in the Christian calendar during which we prepare to celebrate the miracle of the Incarnation.  That miracle is explained, as succinctly as is possible, by the name given through the prophet Isaiah, and reiterated - and defined -  by the apostle Matthew: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (which means, God with us)." (Matt 1:23; cf Is.7:14).


But can we unpick that definition a little more?  What does Matthew mean by "God with us"?  Well, the easy understanding is that, in the Persona (see the chapter on the "Trinity" in my book, Great Words of the Faith; - details at top of page) of the Son, Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the great "I AM"; took upon Himself human flesh, and entered the very time-space continuum that He had created.  I am reminded of that great saint of the Old Covenant, Enoch.  I make reference to one of my favourite Old Testament characters in "Great Words", where I write:

"Remember the great old patriarch, Enoch?  I love those words recorded of him in Gen.5:23-24 – “Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.” Or, as the older translations put it, “... he was not; for God took him.” (KJV).

So what happened to Enoch?  Well, what I am now going to share is, I confess, totally speculative.  But I share it with you because I am convinced, not only of its possibility, but of its probability!  I believe that those words are telling us that, every morning, when Enoch awoke, his first words were “Well, Lord, where are we going today; what will we be doing?”  And the Lord told him.  Then, one day, he awoke and, having asked the same question, was told by God, “Today, Enoch, dear friend, you are coming to my place.  Let’s go!”  And Enoch simply walked through that ultra-fine veil that separates time from eternity."   

Enoch knew the reality of "Emmanuel" - God with us!

But "Emmanuel" doesn't just refer to the presence of God; it also refers to the purpose of God.  You see, He came among us not as some cosmic experiment, but for a definite, and specific, reason.  He came, so that He could live among us; experience all that we experience ("yet without sin": see Hebrews 4:15); and, at the end, take upon Himself the punishment that we deserve - bearing "... our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness." (I Peter 2:24).  He came in order that sinful people like us could know His eternal pardon - and His eternal life!


Christmas is the time, for so many, when gifts are given and received.  Indeed, for too many in the western world, that is now all that it is!  Yet the majority will ignore the greatest Gift of all - salvation through faith in the Lord, Jesus the Christ: an act of divine grace that we can never, ever deserve.
The Gift is available to all.  However, like any gift, it may be rejected. 

It would be my longing that all who read this post would accept that Gift.  If anyone requires further, more personal, help then please feel free to contact me using the e-mail address at the top of the page.  I only check that one a couple of times each week, but I shall respond.  Alternatively, there are some useful links in the right-hand margin of the blog.

Israel, Palestine, and the World Council of Churches.

My regular copy of Life & Work (the Church of Scotland's monthly magazine) arrived with the post this morning.  In spite of the fact that I have not been an official C.of S. minister for almost 35 years, it started arriving a few years back, and has done so ever since.  I'm not sure that it will be sent to France when we move there - but we shall see!

Usually, I tend to read only the parts that interest me - the deaths, retirals, and demissions (an increasing number of those known to me fall into the first of those categories!); the Letters pages; and the offerings of one or two of the regular contributors.  However, in this edition, I noticed a headline in the World News pages: "Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners", and stopped to read!  It was a brief article which I reproduce here (in the hope that it is acceptable to do so without written permission. I am assuming that with the annual meeting of the Kirk, in General Assembly, taking place this week, the editor will have more important fish to fry!).

"Observing Palestinian Prisoners' Day on April 17th, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary expressed solidarity with 5000 Palestinian men, women, and children languishing in Israeli jails.
In an open letter to the WCC's members, the Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit said: 'As people of faith, we are called to pray for, visit, and tend to the needs of all prisoners, no matter the reason for their detention.  For Israel and Palestine, prisoners have taken on even greater significance than in the past.
We were disappointed when the government of Israel cancelled the scheduled release of prisoners who have been in Israeli jails [since] even before the Oslo Agreement of 1993', he added."

The Reverend Doctor ought, perhaps, to use his undoubted intelligence, and research skills, to probe a little further into the situation before automatically assuming that the Israeli Government are the 'bad guys', and that the Palestinians are all as pure as the driven snow!  That cancellation of a scheduled release of prisoners was not an arbitrary move.

It was a response to the lack of progress made in the U.S.-brokered peace negotiations, or any meaningful concessions on the Palestinian side.

It was a response to Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas who, while – with the support of the Arab League – is adamant in his refusal to recognize the Jewish state, but has been demanding a construction freeze in Judea and Samaria, and the freeing of terrorists, as a precondition for merely continuing the talks.

It was a response to the comment by PA Central Committee Member Tawfiq Tirawi who, as documented by Palestinian Media Watch, stated on official PA television that the negotiations are merely 'one of the methods of struggle. But the rifle is here, and it can burst forth at any moment.'

It was a response to the PA's President's receiving of released prisoners, with blood on their hands, as heroes!

Of course, the Kirk showed, at the last General Assembly, that it has little support for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but prefers to support the Philistines.  Perhaps it fits in well with the WCC!

Promises!

Promises! They’re not always easy to keep. I suspect that each of us has been let down by someone who made a promise to us. Perhaps we have even let down others to whom we have made a promise!

The Bible portrays a God Who always keeps His promises. In the Old Testament (the Jewish Scriptures), we read that He promised a man named Abraham that, although old and childless, he would be the father of a great nation. That promise was kept – through Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel.

A young man named Solomon became king. In a dream, God asked him to name whatever he wanted. He asked for understanding and wisdom to rule Israel well. God was pleased with that response (I wonder how pleased He would be with the answers that you and I might give?!). He gave Solomon wisdom – and promised that He would give the young king all the things that he might have been expected to ask for, as well. And God kept His promise. The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s wisdom, and wealth, and travelled a long distance to visit him. Her verdict is recorded for us: “... she said to the king, "The report was true which I heard in my own land of your affairs and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report which I heard.” (I Kings 10:6-7).

By Sunday, millions of people around the world will have celebrated Easter – arguably the most important festival in the Christian calendar. They will have remembered Good Friday (“good” because, according to the Christian Gospel, Jesus of Nazareth, known to His followers as the Christ, was paying the price for all of our breaking of God’s commandments) and Easter Day.

And on that very first Easter Day, some women went to the tomb to complete the task of embalming the body with spices. To their utter astonishment, there was no body to be found! What they did discover was an angelic being who told them: “He is not here; for He has risen, as He said.” (Matt 28:6). “He has risen – as He promised”! Once again, God had kept His promise.

It is my conviction that God still keeps His promises. Many will be aware of that best-known of New Testament verses – John 3:16. But John continues: “Whoever trusts in Him is not condemned; whoever does not trust is condemned already, because they have not trusted in the Name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18). And I believe that God keeps both of those promises!

Easter is not just an excuse for hot-cross-buns, and chocolate eggs. It’s the anniversary of what Christians believe was the greatest victory in all of history – when God, in Jesus, broke the devil’s claim on you and me, enabling us to be at one with Him, and to have His life within us – a heart transplant, with no fear of rejection!

10 Reasons to Come to Jesus

Jesus said, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I AM." (John 8:58; Ampd.)

 Luke 2:11 - Jesus is the Saviour, come to Him, and be forgiven and saved.

John 10:9 - Jesus is the Door, come to Him, and enter His provision.

John 6:51 - Jesus is the Bread of Life; come to Him, and feast at His table. 

John 8:12 - Jesus is the Light of the World; come to Him, and see clearly.

John 10:14 - Jesus is the Good Shepherd; come to Him, and be led in right paths.

John 15:5 - Jesus is the Vine; come to Him, and abide in fruitfulness.

John 4:10 - Jesus gives living water; come to Him, and drink to the full.

John 11:25 - Jesus is the Resurrection; come to Him, and have blessed hope.

John 14:27 - Jesus gives peace; come to Him, and don't be troubled.

John 1:33 - Jesus baptises with the Holy Spirit; come to Him, and be empowered to witness.

Want to know more about this amazing Jesus?   Please feel free ot contact me at 

cbross@tiscali.co.uk

The Resurrection of Jesus

It is just as well that I am a man of words!!  A great deal of my time this evening has been taken up with a Facebook discussion with some of my former pupils on the Person of the Lord Jesus; the reliability of the Bible; and the creation/evolution debate!  Well, it's good to know that some of them think of more than the latest electronic gadget, pop song, or whatever else occupies the minds of the majority of young people today.
I then logged on to the online version of The Independent newspaper - and got myself involved in another discussion on the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth, and the fact of His resurrection (which event was celebrated, yesterday, by millions of people around the world).

So is there any real evidence for that event?  It's an important question!  Josh McDowell makes the point that it "... is one of the 'most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever foisted upon the minds of men, or it is the most fantastic fact of history."  I'm not actually happy with the use of the word "fantastic" which, itself, is related to "fantasy".  The resurrection of Jesus is an undeniable, fully accredited, fact of history.  And this is not surprising.  It is unimaginable that Father God would allow such a momentous event to be left in some sort of historical limbo - to be believed, or not believed, according to the whim of the individual!  And, of course, it is the keystone of the Christian Faith.  The Resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, and Christianity itself, stand or fall together!

So what is the evidence?  First of all, there is far too much to cover it in one post!  Indeed, books have been written on that evidence.  So, this evening is just an introduction and, God willing, I will add a post each night this week until I have covered all of the main aspects of the evidence.

My plan is to briefly deal with the importance of the Resurrection in this post.  Then, in subsequent evenings, I hope to deal with the claims of the Lord Jesus that He would rise from the dead - a claim to which more credence was given by the Chief Priests, than by the disciples!  This, I hope, will be followed by a post on the situation at the tomb before the Resurrection; one on the post-resurrection scene; one on the positive evidence for the Resurrection; and one - or possibly two! - on some of the offered "alternative explanations" for the empty tomb.  That should take me nicely up to the end of the week and, possibly, to Sunday as well!
So, why is the Resurrection of such great importance?  Well, I've already mentioned that it is the central plank, the corner-stone, of the Christian Faith.  Paul writes to the Corinthian believers: "... if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. ... And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost!  And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world." (I Cor. 15:14-19)

It also makes Christianity unique among the belief-systems of mankind.  Of the major world-systems that are based on personalities - only Christianity claims an empty tomb for its Founder.  Abraham, the recognised father of Judaism, died about 1900 B.C. - but no-one has ever made any serious claim that he was resurrected from the dead.  When the Buddha died, possibly in the mid-6th century B.C., it was recorded of him that it was "with that utter passing away in which nothing whatever remains behind." (the Mahaparinibbana Sutta), and there is no trace in the Buddhist holy writings of him having existed after his death, or having appeared to his, presumably distraught, disciples.  Muhammad died in 632 A.D., and his tomb in Medina is visited, annually, by tens of thousands of Muslims.  Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, died in 1539 A.D.  His body, it is claimed, disappeared while those of his followers who had come from a Hindu background, and those from a Muslim background, argued over the manner of its disposal.  But there is no claim that he was ever seen alive again.  Only Jesus left an empty tomb!

Finally (although there is so much more that could be mentioned), there are the recorded words of the Lord Jesus Himself.  "The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded." (John 10:17-18; my emphasis); and "'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'  ... when Jesus said 'this temple,' He meant His own body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered He had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said." (John 2:19-22).

Michael Green, in his book Man Alive, states that, "Christianity does not hold the Resurrection to be one among many tenets of belief.  Without faith in the Resurrection there would be no Christianity at all.  The Christian church would never have begun; the Jesus-movement would have fizzled out, like a damp squib, with his execution.  Christianity stands or falls with the truth of the Resurrection.  Once disprove it, and you have disposed of Christianity.  Christianity is an historical religion.  It claims that God has taken the risk of involving Himself in human history, and the facts are there for you to examine with the utmost rigour.  They will stand any amount of critical investigation."

I trust that this, and the the ensuing posts, will be of help to anyone who wishes to thus investigate.