What is a Christian - Pt. 2

In the first post in this mini-series, I sought to give a general introduction to the question "What is a Christian?" (or, as I prefer to ask "What is a disciple of Jesus?"). In this (postponed!) post, I want to suggest that a true disciple of Jesus, a Biblical Christian (is there really any other kind?!) is someone who enjoys a Presence, and that that Presence is the Presence of Jesus Himself.  He is, says Paul “at hand” or “very near”. (Phil.4:5).  Now it may well be that the apostle is referring to the coming Rapture – that cataclysmic event that will precede the seven years of tribulation that will, themselves, herald the return of the Lord Jesus, in glory and power.  But also reminds us of very nearness of Lord which every true believer experiences.  One modern translation puts it nicely “the Lord is at your elbow.”

It makes such a difference who we have around.  During my teaching career, I used to see it in school with depressing regularity.  A child would arrive at the beginning of S1 (1st year of Secondary education in Scotland - aged 11 - 12 years), well-mannered; conscientious; enthusiastic about learning.  However, by S3, just two years later, (s)he was a different child altogether.  What was the underlying cause for this difference? It was, quite simply, the company they had started to keep.  My paternal grandmother was a woman of very little formal education, but cart-loads of homespun philosophy, and good old common-sense. One of her many favourite sayings, that I heard multiple times, was “Show me your company, and I’ll tell you your character”. How true! 

We hear a lot, today, about 'environment' - usually referring to the country, district, buildings, etc., in which people grow, and how these can affect a life for either better or worse.  There is, of course, some validity in the claims made. Yet I would suggest that the environment of people is even more important. Many years ago, I was introduced to a lady named May Nicholson. May was reared in Ferguslie Park, Paisley. Her own testimony made quite clear the sort of environment there was in that part of the town in those days! All that I will state here is that it was not the most promising of backgrounds in which a person could be raised - unless Jesus steps in! In May's case, He did, and she became the Founder of the Preshal (the Scots Gaelic word that translates as "Precious") Trust, which helps those who came from difficult situations, and who suffered from social exclusion in the Linthouse area of the city of Glasgow. This problem is manifested in poverty, alcohol and other substance abuse, low literacy and numeracy levels, depression, and low self-esteem.

The Trust, working with other agencies, provides a wide range of social, recreational and educational activities which enable these issues to be dealt with effectively, adopting an holistic approach whereby they seek to cater for the whole person, including meeting individual physical, mental and - as a Christian-rooted organisation - spiritual needs. Before moving to France, I often had the privilege of ministering at the Sunday evening Preshal Fellowship, and met many lovely people - who were now enjoying the Presence of the Lord Jesus. May Nicolson died in September, 2019, but the work continues, and she will not be forgotten by many who came to enjoy the Presence of the Lord Jesus through her.

This is why the disciple of Jesus is so blessed.  Because such a one enjoys this Friendship; this Presence; that is completely different – the Presence of Jesus.  But it is not only a Presence that is different, it is also a Presence that is constant! 

How often have you thought “I only wish that so-an-so were here”?  You find yourself in a situation in which you are out of your depth – but you know that this particular friend or relative would know exactly what to do.  This, of course, is the problem with human beings.  No matter how fine our family, friends, and colleagues are, they can’t always be with us.  There are times when we lose their company, and their influence.  Maybe that’s been your situation.  “If so-and-so had been there, I would never have done that, or said that.”   

And then along comes Jesus. And He makes this amazing, this wonderful, this mind-blowing promise: “I am with you – always!” (Matt. 28:20; emphasis added). Not just some of the time; not even most of the time; but all of the time!  And not just at a worship service, or a Bible study, but everywhere!  That’s one good reason why the true follower of Jesus is careful where he/she goes – the places we frequent.  My late mother chided me once when, as a student at the BTI in Glasgow, I went to – the cinema!  “If the Lord returned and you were sitting in a picture-house”, she asked, “How would you feel?”  To be honest, I wouldn’t have felt too bad at all – I was only watching The Sound of Music!  But, of course, I want Jesus to be comfortable to be with me wherever I am!  I want Him to enjoy my presence, even as I enjoy His.

And you?! 

Heavenly harmony

It was while I was a student at the Bible Training Institute, in Glasgow, that the youngest son of the Principal introduced me to the amazing Danish pianist and comedian, the late Victor Borge. One of my favourite short clips of his versatility is this:

Watching it reminded me of another pianist - Merrill Dunlop, the American Christian composer who died at the beginning of this century at the ripe old age of 97.  He once pointed out that it is possible to play a piece of music on the piano in any one of the many major or minor scales. However, it is extremely important that the hands of the pianist be in agreement! In other words, they must both be playing in the same key! Failing to do this will result in nothing but a cacophonous conglomeration of discordant sounds! He demonstrated this by rendering several lines of the well-known hymn "What a friend we have in Jesus" - with his left hand playing in the key of F major, while his right hand played in F#! The clashing chords that emanated understandably made his whole audience cringe! The musician had performed beautifully (and cleverly!) in the separate keys that he had chosen, but beautiful harmony could only result when there was complete accord between the two hands.

The same principle applies to those of us who claim to be disciples of the Lord Jesus. The Hebrew prophet, Amos, brought this to our attention when, many centuries ago, he asked the question: "Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?" (3:3). If a believer tries to please the Saviour while, at the same time, going his/her own way, then God the Holy Spirit is grieved (see Eph.4:30); full fellowship with the Lord is broken; and the clarity of the believer's witness is lost in the discord that ensues. 

How important it is that we be in complete harmony with Father God! Do you claim to be a disciple of Jesus? Is your entire life "keyed" to His will?!

It's about the money, of course!

The previous three posts have been about the word off YHWH to His people, the Children of Israel, through His prophet Malachi - and some lessons that we may learn for our own situations today, especially if we claim to be disciples of the Lord Jesus, the Christ.

The last of YHWH's criticisms concerned the failure of the people to give to Him their tithes and offerings. Indeed, He had a name for such people - he called them "robbers"! "Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me. But you say, ‘How are we robbing You?’ In your tithes and offerings." (3:8).

As its Creator, everything that exists belongs to God. He is the proprietor; we are the stewards. The giving of the tithe (one-tenth of our income) is an acknowledgement of His ownership over all that we have - including the other nine-tenths of our income! I recall, very clearly, when I was a student at the Bible Training Institute in Glasgow, over fifty years ago, the then Superintendent of the Tent Hall - I think that his name was Stanley Collins - came to speak to the student body. The topic he chose was "Tithing"! It was the day that I determined to adopt this Old Testament practice - even although he pointed out that some of us might think that being Bible College students meant that we were giving greatly to the Lord's work, and that with College fees to pay, most of us had little spare cash with which to play about! "You might be given £1 towards your College fees, and think that that was okay. But 2 shillings of that £1 is the Lord's, and should be given directly to His work outwith your College courses. The other 18 shillings may go towards your fees!"

There are, of course, some disciples of Jesus who claim that tithing, as an Old Testament principle, ought not to be carried over into New Testament teaching on the subject of money. After all, they would claim, we live under grace, not law - and that, of course, is correct. However, tithing is a good place to start with one's giving as it establishes a principle that, when learned, opens up the way to bigger and better things. As a disciple of Jesus who has some awareness of what my salvation cost my Saviour, I do not tithe as a matter of law, but as a response of love!

The tithe, of course, is only the starting point! After that comes the freewill offering! Anyone knows that my tithe (in practice, "our" tithe, as my wife and I tithe together!) is 10% of my income. However, the freewill offering is between me and the Lord! One Christian businessman reportedly commented that "God has prospered me so much - now I want to know how much of God's money I may legitimately keep for myself and my family." That is the New Testament order - "How much of God's money may I legitimately keep for myself?" There are those who give their 10%, and think that the remaining 90% belongs to them. It doesn't! Everything that we have, and are, belongs to Him - and if we are to grow and develop spiritual values, then this is something that we must recognise. 

When, especially in the materialist society in which most of us live, you can let go of all of your possessions and let God have them, life takes on a sense of stewardship. Suddenly, you realise that you are handling something on behalf of Another! That does something to the whole of life - it puts sacredness into the secular. Money becomes a message! Jesus said: "You cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt.6:24); but you may certainly serve God with mammon!

YHWH throws out a challenge to the Children of Israel: "Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put Me to the test, says YHWH Sabaoth, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing." (Mal.3:20). This, I suspect, has been interpreted by some disciples of Jesus as a form of financial investment! However, treating it as such is, I believe, a certain way for the principle to fail - and fail utterly! As mentioned above, we must give because of our love for Him Who has given - and continues to give - so much to us.

Have you been robbing God? Perhaps it's time to take a careful look at your finances - and even realise why they may not be as healthy as they might be!

Death - is it really the end?

Rev Dr Geoffrey Grogan was most aptly described as "a gentle, gracious, giant of a man."  He was a former Principal of The Bible Training Institute, Glasgow (now merged with the Northumbria Bible college to become The International Christian College), and had previously lectured at the BTI.

My own time at the BTI was during the years in between his years as a lecturer and as Principal, so I never sat under his teaching.  However, I met him on a few occasions and, latterly, had been in correspondence with him, and the only adjective that I would wish to add to the description given above, is the adjective 'humble'.

Mr Grogan took ill, early in the morning of August 31st - and died that afternoon.  However, I only learned, today, that when the doctor informed him that his condition was terminal, he replied, "I am a Christian; so this is not terminal, it's transitional."  What a testimony to a living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!  Here was a man who had responded, positively, to the divine invitation to "Follow me"!  And here was a man who could say, with the psalmist-king David: "Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way." (Ps 23:4; TLB).

I know that I have sometimes preached on the subject of death, and may have posted something on this blog before now.  Permit me to say, quite simply, that I firmly believe that death is not just the breakdown of the physical body in which I walk around in this life.  I believe, with many eminent scientists, that there are dimensions other than the four that we experience in our space-time continuum.  I believe that one of these is what Stephen Hawking illustrates graphically, in A brief history of Time, as perpendicular time - crossing the linear time that provides us with the concepts of past, present, and future, but touching it at every point (may be said to make no sense - but a scientist has stated it, so it must be true!!!). I refer to that other 'time dimension' as 'eternity' - and it isn't endless time, but timelessness, which is a totally different concept. I also believe that what separates time from eternity is a 'veil/curtain', so fine that it would make graphene (which is only one atom in thickness!) seem like a heavy tapestry by comparison.

When my physical body reaches the end of its life - which, if the Rapture is delayed it will eventually do - then the real me, my 'essence', my spirit, will slip through that veil into the nearer presence of the One Whom, however imperfectly, I have sought to serve for more than half a century of linear time.

This is the hope of every disciple of Jesus.  It is the hope that sustains those who suffer, daily, in the persecuted church.  It is the hope that is more than hope, for it is "... a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [that involves] ... an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for [those] who, by God's power, are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (I Peter 1:3-6; RSV).

Thank you, Mr Grogan, for those final words of ministry.  We who had the privilege of knowing you, however slightly, are equally convinced that you are hearing, from the lips of the Saviour, those wonderful words: "Well done, good and faithful servant! ... Come and share your Master's happiness!" (Matt 25:21; NIV).

Death - not the end; merely a transition.  The only question concerns your ultimate destination!