Guidance - Pt.2

Last week, I introduced the concept of guidance in our human experience. I suggested that guidance, from Almighty God, can be very real - by those who don't even accept His existence, as much as for those who actively seek to follow Him. 

It is in the light of that statement that, this week, I want to consider the promise of such guidance. You see, this isn't simply some strange idea that I have thought up, all by myself!  I have actually found that it is assured throughout the written Word of God - the Bible.

For example, in what would surely be a strong contender for the title "the best-known part of the Bible", the 23rd Psalm, we find these words of the psalmist-king, David:

"He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness, for His name's sake." (vs.2-3; emphases added). The promise of guidance.

In Psalm 25: 8ff we read: 

"Good and upright is YHWH; therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way. All the paths of YHWH are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.  For Thy name’s sake, O YHWH, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Who is the man that fears YHWH?   Him will He instruct in the way that He should choose." (emphases added). The promise of guidance.

The 32nd Psalm contains this clear promise:

"I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;" (v.8; emphasis added) The promise of guidance.

When we look at Psalm 48, the message is even more clear:

"... this is God, our God for ever and ever. He will be our guide for ever." (v.14; emphasis added). The promise of guidance.

Through the prophet Isaiah, God also promises guidance for His people:

"I will lead the blind in a way that they know not, in paths that they have not known I will guide them." (42:16; emphases added)                                                                                                                               "... He who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them." (49:10; emphases added).                                                                                                                                                        "... YHWH will guide you continually," (58:11; emphasis added). The promise of guidance.

And, lest any should be thinking that such guidance only applies to the Children of Israel, God's guidance is also promised in the pages of the New Testament.

The apostle John, recording Jesus' last discourse with His disciples before He was crucified, writes these words of the Master:

"When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth;", (16:13; emphasis added). The promise of guidance.

Paul, writing to the early believers in Corinth, is able to proclaim:

"... thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph," (II Cor.2:14; emphasis added). The promise of guidance.

But perhaps the greatest promise of all, is what is referred to as "The Great Commission", given by the Lord Jesus, just before He ascended to the Father:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing 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; emphasis added).

And, of course, because these are the promises of Almighty God, we may depend upon them. They become, indeed, not merely promises (that may be broken!), but assurances! Wasn't it Albert Schweitzer who once remarked that if Jesus Christ was the Gentleman he believed Him to be, then he ought to be able to take Him at His word!? Jesus is, of course, much more than a "Gentleman"!

The promise of guidance - implicit, and explicit throughout God's own Word. But we must not forget that these promises are made to those who are, indeed, His people. Does that include you? I hope so - and I hope that you will read the next part of this little series on "Guidance".

Until next time.

What is the "rust" in your life?

The apostle, Paul, emphasises that the whole man must be kept clean - not only from the sins that defile the physical body, but also from those that involve the inner attitudes and dispositions of the human spirit. Writing to the early disciples of Jesus in Corinth - infamous, in its time, as a hotbed of immorality and licentiousness - he states: "... let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, ..." (II Cor 7:1). Those who disregard these guidelines of grace, hinder the power and plan of Father God for their lives.

John Speed-Andrews was an English evangelist in the second half of the 19th century. Once, when he was touring a large manufacturing plant, he noticed a man using a high-intensity torch to work on huge slabs of steel. Using a pantograph he traced the pattern on a blueprint, that was attached to a table, and this enlarged the design as it was burned into the metal. There were times, however, when the flame made no impression. When this happened, the operator would apply a chemical substance to the resisting patch and, immediately, the cutting was able to be resumed.

The worker explained to the visitor that, although the torch was capable of cutting through clean steel, up to a thickness of eight inches (20 cms), if it encountered even the slightest film of rust on the surface, the flame would not penetrate. The chemical cleaned the patch of the rust, so that the cutting could continue.

Mr Speed-Andrews wrote: "It struck me, forcefully, that this is a picture of the Christian. The Holy Spirit is seeking to produce in us, God's perfect design. If the life is unblemished, He is able to continue His efforts but, if we are carnal or backslidden, His work of shaping us is hindered until the area in question has been thoroughly cleansed."

If we want the joy, and the victory, that comes from having our lives cut to God's pattern, then we need to avoid the hindering "rust" that accompanies "... every defilement of body and spirit, ..." Each of us knows what that area is in our individual life. We need to bring that area (those areas?!) under the cleansing blood of the Lamb - even God the Son: the Lord Jesus Whose entry into this world we will shortly be celebrating (even if His birth did not take place on Dec.25th!). May we do so - for our own good, and that Glory might be given to Him.

Death - the final frontier!

As I have mentioned before, I am an avid reader, and enjoy reading not only my Bible, and various theological books, but also a good novel. I especially enjoy a good detective story - trying to figure out  the identity of the perpetrator of the crime involved (usually a murder!). Often, I fail miserably, and it is only in the final chapter that the criminal is exposed! Some of the novels I have read have been real 'cliffhangers', and it has been almost the last page before I discover "whodunnit"!! However, there is one cliffhanger that none of us will ever resolve until we experience it for ourselves - what happens after physical death?

Anyone who has watched, in sadness, as someone close to them has died may wonder about their new existence (if they believe that there is "anything" after physical death, in the first place!). Our hearts may ache to know what they are doing, or where they are. Some appear to have the idea that the after-life is just a continuation of this one. How often have I read, on the pages of Facebook, "birthday anniversary" wishes being sent to someone who died, perhaps many years ago? I even read one 'tribute' (and I have no doubt that that was what was intended) to a mother who had died. I can't recall the exact wording, but the wish was expressed that, now that she and the father who had died many years previously, were able to celebrate their wedding anniversary together, the father would be treating the mother to a nice meal in an Italian restaurant "up there"!

That, I would respectfully suggest, is simply wishful thinking. The Bible clearly teaches that if a person had a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, the Christ, then that person's spirit is with Him, awaiting that call, and sound of the shofar, to which I referred in the previous post. Awaiting the resurrection if the body as it is instantly transformed into the new body that will be theirs throughout eternity. 

So we do have some clues regarding those who have died, in Jesus. We know that they are enjoying God's presence. Paul, inspired by God the Holy Spirit, writes these words to the early disciples of Jesus in Corinth: "We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." (II Cor 5:8; emphasis added).  We also know that they are recognisable, and conscious of their surroundings - just like the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, of whom the Lord Jesus spoke (Luke 16:19-31). We also know that they haven't yet received that perfect body that will be theirs at the Rapture, as stated above.    

There is more that we may know - but that refers to after the Rapture; the seven years of the Tribulation; and the Second Advent when the Lord Jesus will vanquish His enemies. That is yet another topic for another post!  The only other truth that I would share just now is that Father God, in His matchless love and power, has a glorious reunion planned. Then, our eternal rejoicing will truly begin. The last page of the mystery has a very happy ending - if you are in Jesus! If not ... !!!

This is why I so often end a post by urging you to, if you have not already done so, turn to the Lord Jesus, confessing your sinfulness, and your sins; accepting the forgiveness that He gained for you at Calvary; and handing over the reins of your life to Him. It's something I did more than 60 years ago and, although I have let Him down more often than I care to remember, He has never let me down. He won't let you down, either!

A living Word!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Standing, and falling!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is the Church a puzzle?

One of the ways in which my wife has occupied herself during the Covid-19 restrictions, is by completing jigsaw puzzles! Actually, what she does is a lot more difficult than that. She is into "Wasgij"s! These are jigsaws - but the picture on the box is not the picture of the finished article. One has to work out what is happening in the 'box picture' and how it will work out. The result is the picture that is to be built up from the 1,000 pieces. 

Of course, as every jigsaw aficionado is aware, there is only one place in any puzzle for each piece. The piece that is designed for the top-right-hand corner simply won't fit in the bottom-left-hand corner! That, I would suggest, is a wee bit like the Church as the Body of the Lord Jesus, the Christ.

Writing to the disciples of Jesus in Corinth, Paul stated: "For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye , where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as He chose. If all were a single organ, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'" ( I Cor 12:14-21). 

It's worth noting that every believer has a ministry! It's not just the pastor; the elders; the youth and children's ministry leaders; etc. It's you, and me. Someone has worked out that less than 10% of those who claim to be disciples of Jesus are involved in any form of Christian service! I'm all for tithing - but that is very sad. Most seem to go to a worship service for what they can get out of it (usually, as a result of that attitude, not very much!). Service in the Body of the Christ is not optional. As the son of William Booth - founder of the Salvation Army - stated to his father concerning a friend and himself:  "We are not volunteers. We are soldiers in the Lord's army". That comment gave the name to the S.A.

We should also note that every ministry is important. This is one of the difficulties that the Church seems to face. People want to be 'in the limelight'. So, I am happy to be the preacher; or the leading elder. I have no problem with being the director of the music for the worship service; or of being one of the music group instrumentalists. Ask me to chair an important committee, or to organise a specific, and high-profile, event, and I am in my element. But making the coffee; cleaning the building; greeting people at the door. Well, those activities don't sound particularly exciting, or important! Yet there are no 'insignificant' ministries. And note that Paul states that it is Father God, Himself, Who "arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as He chose."

A final point that should be emphasised is that we are dependant on one another! There is no individual ministry that is capable of accomplishing all that the Church has been called to do. Like a jigsaw puzzle, each and every piece is required to be in its correct place in order to complete the picture. If a piece is missing altogether, of course, that is a real tragedy - the picture will never be completed! 

Read, again, those words of Paul shared above. When one part of our body malfunctions, the whole body may suffer as the other parts are unable to work together as they were designed to do. We need one another, because we have been called to work with one another. "Bear one another's burdens," writes Paul to the Galatian believers, "and so fulfil the law of Christ." (Gal 6:2).

That is not to say that we should hanker after another's gifting. Our ministry is decided by the Father - and that is the ministry in which He will use us! In any other place, we are just 'square pegs in round holes'! That is a waste of time and effort, and produces poor results.

So, be the piece of the jigsaw that you are meant to be. That will bring blessing to you, and to the fellowship of which you are a part; and will gladden the Father-heart of God. 

One,or the other!

Isaac Rankin, an American clergyman of an earlier age, wrote these words:

"Just a few feet from my window stretches a wire that carries a heavy current of electricity for light and power. It is carefully insulated at every pole, and is well out of reach of the public. But if I could lean far enough out to grasp it, death would be as swift as a lightning stroke - yet the doves light on it and suffer no harm. Their safety lies in the fact that when they come in contact with the electrical wire they touch nothing else. My danger would be that while I held the cable, the walls of my house would serve as a ground, and the current would instantly pass through my body with a deadly effect. God wants us to seek our safety in complete surrender to His power and love. It is when we reach out one hand to Him while holding on to some forbidden thing with the other, that we are in grave spiritual danger."

Paul, the apostle, writing to the disciples of Jesus in Corinth, made this bold statement: "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons." (I Cor.10:21). What he was (and is!) emphasising is that fellowship at the Lord's Table requires complete requires complete separation from evil. He instructs these early believers to be singular in their devotion to the Lord Jesus, and not to cater to the idolatry of pagans. As he continues, in the letter, to challenge them about their further attitude to the Lord's Table, he further points out that such compromising would bring divine judgment upon them in the form of weakness, or sickness, and might even result in their death:

"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died." (11:27-30). 

Does this mean that only perfect people may approach the Table? Praise God, that is not the case. " Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup." It is as I examine myself, that I realise that I am not worthy - on my own merit - to come to the Table. However, I come - because I am invited, and because "... the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin." (I John 1:7). Not that I can take that cleansing lightly! It did, indeed, cost the only-begotten Son of the Father His life's blood. That is why I must take seriously those words of Isaac Rankin. Almighty God, and the devil, are calling for my allegiance - and for yours!. We cannot serve both!

The challenge of Joshua still applies to day: "...  if you be unwilling to serve YHWH, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve YHWH." (Josh.24:15).  Jesus said: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matt.6:24). 

So, who will you serve? It must be one or the other. 

St Valentin

First point - the spelling is correct! "Valentine" (with an 'e') is the feminine form of the name!

However, it was earlier, on Facebook, that a friend had posted a picture - a likeness (one presumes) of Valentin with, above it, the familiar words: "Roses are red; violets are blue;" Then underneath were the words: "I was beaten with clubs; beheaded; buried under cover of darkness; and disinterred by my followers. And you commemorate my martyrdom by sending each other chocolates!" (slightly amended!).

It's an interesting point, is it not?! Those familiar words at the top usually continue: "sugar is sweet; and so are you!". They are intended to be an expression of love - but it's a love that is more "Mills & Boon" than anything else! Valentin, however, had discovered a deeper love that led to his martyrdom. It's the love of which the Paul writes to the disciples of Jesus in Corinth - a city that was known, contemporaneously, as the centre of immorality. The late Prof. William Barclay writes: "She had a reputation for commercial prosperity, but she was also a byword for evil living. The very word korinthiazesthai - to live like a Corinthian - had become a part of the Greek language, and meant to live with drunken and immoral debauchery. ... Aelien, the late Greek writer, tells us that if ever a Corinthian was shown on the stage in a Greek play, he was shown drunk. The very name Corinth was synonymous with debauchery and there was one source of evil that was known all over the civilised world. Above the isthmus towered the hill of the Acropolis and, on it, stood the great temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. To that temple there were attached one thousand priestesses who were sacred prostitutes and, in the evenings, they descended from the Acropolis and plied their trade upon the streets of Corinth until it became a Greek proverb, 'It is not every man who can afford a journey to Corinth.' In addition to these cruder sins, there flourished far more recondite vices, which had come in with the traders and sailors from the ends of the earth until Corinth became not only a synonym for wealth and luxury, drunkenness and debauchery, but also for filth."

It was to people living in that kind of environment that Paul wrote: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (I Cor.13).

This is the love that is based on the love of the God Who is love (I John 4:8,16). This is the love that is so great, that as we shall shortly be remembering in a special way, it paid the penalty for your sin, and for mine, on a cross outside Jerusalem. 

Sadly, much of what modern society terms love is little (if any!) more than lust. Real love is commitment! It was his commitment to the Lord Jesus that led Valentin to his death. It is that same commitment to that same Jesus that enables so many, even today, to die rather than deny Him. I don't need to remind you of those Coptic Christians who were so callously murdered and beheaded on a Libyan beach, by thugs who were serving the moon-god cult of Islam; of those who were burned alive in cages, for the same reason; of women and girls gang-raped to satisfy the lust of the Muslim men who had captured them.

So, as we come to the end of Valentin's Day 2018, please consider the kind of love that you show to others - and remember the love that Father God shows to you, and to which you may respond while you have time. As always, if I can be of any further help at a personal level, please contact me using the e-mail address at the top of the page. I don't check that Inbox every day - but I shall get back to you as quickly as possible.

Spreading the fragrance.

Writing to the early believers in the great metropolis of Corinth, Paul reminded them that "We are, unto God, a sweet savour of Christ."  (II Cor. 2:15).  J.B.Phillips translates those words like this: "... through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.  We Christians have the unmistakeable scent (or 'fragrance') of Christ."

Rita Snowden was a Christian authoress in the last century.  She tells a story of being on holiday, sitting at the window of the house in which she was staying, and suddenly experiencing a fragrance that filled the room.  It was so noticeable, and so powerful, that she was at a loss to work out its origin.  When she looked out of the window, all that she could see was ordinary men and women walking down the street..  She went outside, only to discover that the fragrance was stronger than ever.  She went back in and asked her hostess: "Where is this beautiful fragrance coming from?"   "Didn't you know?" asked that lady.  "All of these people work in a nearby perfume factory.  They live in the fragrance all day and, when they go home for lunch, they bring that fragrance with them!"

I wonder just how much those of us who, today, claim to be disciples of Jesus, bear His fragrance with us?  Not a physical aroma, of course, but that certain something that people notice, and that makes them want to follow, and find out our secret.

It's an integral part of the witnessing to which I referred on Tuesday and, indeed, the previous Tuesday as well!  It's part of our witnessing for Jesus - letting the world know that we are His.

Are you spreading "... the fragrance of the knowledge of Him - everywhere"?!  Do you "... have the unmistakeable scent of Christ"?!

"Real" teaching!

The English-speaking fellowship with which my wife and I are associated here in France, is trying to be as inclusive as it can.   I am not sure that I agree fully with that aim, but I do understand (I think!) what they are trying to do.   It has to do , I suspect, with what we refer to as "ownership" - allowing people to have some input to the decision-making process in order to avoid any sense of a few 'dictating' to the rest!

As part of this process we were invited, recently, to make suggestions, on Post-it notes, as to what we liked; what we didn't like; and what we would like to see happening; in Café Church.  I quite deliberately did not look at what anyone else had written. but I was informed that someone had placed, on the "What I would like" sheet, "Real teaching" (underlining in the original!).

It's an interesting comment.  What does it mean?  Well, one would have to ask the author what (s)he meant but, as the slips were posted anonymously, that would not be easy.  However, I think that reference was being made to the difference, in Biblical teaching, between milk and meat.  Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, has this to say to them: "But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ.  I fed you with milk , not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like ordinary men?" (I Cor 3:1-3).  The Lord Jesus, in answer to a question by a lawyer, said: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." (Matt 22:37-38).    Did you notice?  He included the mind - that with which we think!

That, I would contend, is a problem in much of the "western" church.  Too many people want - and too many speakers oblige! - pleasant little homilies; something that will massage our own egos; soft words that leave us feeling nice and cosy!  What is needed is some teaching on the basic doctrines of the New Testament; exposition of the whole of the Bible; encouragement to study the Word of God for ourselves!   Perhaps that is what someone in Café Church is seeking!

We in the "west" live in a culture of instant gratification.  Whatever it is, I want it, and I want it now, and I want it with as little effort on my part as possible.  That is not, however, the way by which we grow as disciples of Jesus!   That requires work on our part, and a willingness to be open to God the Holy Spirit as He applies what we learn to our own lives!  It requires using our minds, and following the example of the Jews of Beroea who, when they heard Paul and Silas preach, "... received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so." (Acts 17:11).

May it be that pastors and preachers will provide "real" teaching from platform or pulpit.  May it be that people will; respond to that teaching by using it as a springboard for their own private and personal study of the Word.