Reality!

It was 'way back in 2004 that, while on holiday in Germany, I was introduced to two young Christian women who were planning to launch a church-based magazine. They asked if I would be willing to contribute to the first issue and, believe it or not, I agreed to do so. The theme of the issue would be, I was informed, "Reality". That was as much guidance as I received!

I was reminded of that time when I heard that someone whom I know well had purchased a pair (?) of "virtual reality" 'spectacles (I know that there is probably an official description but ... !!!). In that article I quoted one of my contemporary pupils who said that "Reality is the opposite of being fake. It is something that is genuine; something real." Not bad for a young lad of 16 years of age!

Of course, the corollary of the first part of his offered definition is that that that which is not "reality" (e.g. "virtual reality"!) is fake! This, I would go so far as to suggest, makes it sound like something that comes from "... the father of lies." (Jn.8:44), who "... prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour.." (I Pet.5:8).

That article from so long ago, started off: "Virtual reality; reality checks; reality TV shows.  These are expressions that, in recent times, have become part of everyday speech.  But what is ‘Reality’?" Is it confined to philosophical abstracts - as Plato might have suggested; material objects - as proposed by the 18th century Moderates;  or cosmological theories - as proposed by the late Stephen Hawking? Stephen Hawking actually states, in "Black Holes and Baby" that "I still believe that the Universe has a beginning in real time,at the Big Bang. But there's another kind of time, imaginary time,at right angles to real time, in which the universe has no beginning or end." This, it seems to me, suggests what theologians would refer to as 'eternity' - and eternity is the dwelling-place of the Creator God Who is outwith our own time/space continuum.

Or is there a reality that goes beyond even the comprehension of of mankind; something beyond the physical and material; beyond either our reasoning or our imagination? Is true reality to be found in that dimension that we refer to as the "spiritual"?!

If, indeed, the spiritual dimension is true reality, then it follows that ultimate reality is that Being Who exists eternally, in a state of total self-sufficiency; Who is neither created not indestructible; and for Whom, in the English language, we use the nomenclature "God". Indeed, another definition of reality could be: "All that is the way it is" or, in Biblical terminology: "I AM that I AM" (Ex.3:14).

In the article, I again quoted Stephen Hawking: "The boundary condition of the universe is that it has no boundary.The universe would be completely self-contained, and not affected by anything outside itself. It would neither be created nor destroyed It would just BE." I continued: "Take out the reference to 'the universe', and replace them with equivalent references to God and, with one exception, we would have a not unreasonable definition of the 'Immortal, ineffable, God only wise; In light inaccessible hid from our eyes' Who is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Christ."

At the end of the article I referred back to that quotation, and emphasised that "one exception". I wrote: "That exception is the words '... not affected by anything outside itself.' Because the core of the Christian Gospel is that Almighty God is affected by something outside Himself. And that something is your sin, and mine. But, being the One Whose very essence is love - and neither the sentimentalism nor the eroticism, that is passed off as love in our modern culture; but the unconditional, immeasurable, unending love that is expressed by the Greek word «agape» - He was not prepared to let our sin cut us off from His love, and from a living relationship with Himself. His justice demanded that punishment be meted out. His love took that punishment upon Himself as, in the Persona* of the Son, He hung on a man-made cross, and died the death that we deserved. He paid the price that we might go free, and now offers salvation and real life - '... life in all its fulness.' (Jn.1-:10)."

Reality? For the disciple of Jesus, at least, it is found, as is that salvation, in Jesus the Christ alone. May He be more real in your life than this post you are reading - and everything else in your experience.

* This is not a typo! All is explained in the chapter on "The Trinity" in my first book - 'Great Words of the Faith'. Remember, I have no financial interest - ALL royalties are sent directly to Release International in support of the Persecuted Church. Thank you for purchasing.

"Telling", or "Showing"?

During some long-needed tidying-up in my study this afternoon, I discovered a piece that I had published in a church magazine - a very long time ago! However, as I read it, I decided that it might be worth publishing on this blog. It's a true story with, I trust, a clear lesson!

We were travelling through the Belgian city of Brussels, en route to visit friends in Germany, when we missed a turning! It was already quite late in the evening; it was dark; our children were young; and with neither map, nor knowledge, of the city we were completely lost!

I stopped at a petrol station and, in faltering French, asked for directions to the airport as we had arranged our overnight stop close to it. The directions were willingly given - but completely in French, and at a speed that left us barely any wiser than we were before. 

Our next attempt at finding help was somewhat better as, at an all-night café, we at least received some directions in the English language. However, by the time that we had crossed over the same little bridge for the third time, we had realised that we were getting no closer to our destination.

Eventually, just two simple words brought clarity to the situation. We asked a young man, who was topping up the radiator in his own car (it really was a long time ago!), if he could help. "Certainly", he replied, "Follow me!" and, as we did so, we quickly arrived at the main road leading to the airport, and were then able to find our planned destination.

FOLLOW ME! There is a world of difference between telling someone the way, and showing them the way. In I Cor.11:1, Paul issues an amazing invitation to his readers. "Follow my example," he writes, "as I follow the example of Christ." Writing to the believers in Thessalonica, he uses similar language: "You became imitators of us, and of the Lord." (I Thess.1:6). Jesus, Himself, not only said that the wise man is the one who "... hears these words of Mine, and puts them into practice." (Matt.7:24); He also said: "I am the Way ..." (Jn.14:6), "Follow Me." (Mk.1:17).

You (if you are one!) and I may be able to tell others how to live the life of the disciple of Jesus, but it is a different thing to show it! Paul was saying, in effect, "Doing as I do will ensure that you are walking in the footsteps of Jesus." It's as we live "... in the fear of the LORD." (Ps.34:11) that we "... live lives worthy of God, who calls [us] into His kingdom and glory." (I Thess.2:12), and are able to say to others who would seek Jesus - "Follow me!"

It's February 13th!

Today has been a special day for me. It's that one that comes around, with unfailing regularity, every year on this date! Yes, today I have been celebrating my birthday. I have been blessed by good wishes from the UK (mostly Scotland!); from France; from Germany; from Canada; from New Zealand; and even from the United Arab Emirates.  Many of the greetings have been from former pupils at Lesmahagow High School - and many of them remembered that this is not my "birthday", but the anniversary thereof! It's always good to know that they remember something of what I taught them - even if it doesn't have anything, directly, to do with the regular lessons!

However, this is the second birthday anniversary that I have celebrated this year - the first one being just a few days ago. Today, I celebrate the anniversary of my physical birth; on February 9th, I celebrated the anniversary of my spiritual birth, when I was "born again" in the terms of the words of the Lord Jesus to a man named Nicodemus, as recorded in the New Testament Scriptures: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." (Jn.3:3).

My physical birth set me off on this journey that we call 'life'. It's a journey - as my former pupils may recall - that has lasted twenty-seven years ... ... ... and a few months (okay, it is now quite a few months!). It's been a varied life in which I have been wonderfully blessed in so many different ways. I was born to parents who loved me, cared for me, and often sacrificed their own comfort for mine. I received an excellent education so that I could read, write, count and, perhaps most importantly, think for myself! I was raised in a God-fearing environment; I was encouraged in all that I tried to do.

Then, I eventually "flew the nest" - but I saw a great deal of the world during my time in the British Merchant Navy. I moved on to tertiary education. I found the most wonderful girl in the world, and she agreed to become my wife. She gave me two beautiful daughters. She has been my faithful companion and friend for decades - encouraging me, caring for me, loving me; and she is still the most important human being in my life.

I have had three full-time careers - and dabbled in so much else from radio broadcasting to legal representation (and I never lost a case!!!).  Yes, my physical life has been varied, interesting, exciting - and has had its mixture of joy and sadness.

So what about my spiritual birth? Well, when I accepted that I am a sinner and unable, in my own strength, to do anything about it; when I accepted that the sacrificial death of Jesus, the Christ, cancelled all of my sin; when I came to Him, in repentance and faith; I became an adopted child of the Creator and Sustainer of all that is. I received that forgiveness that so many seek.

As an adopted child of the living God, I also have eternal life - that is, His own life in me, here and now! I have had a great life as a disciple of Jesus. Oh, I have often let Him down - but He has never let me down! However, the best is yet to come. When I "shuffle off this mortal coil" - either by my physical death, or by my being "... caught up in the clouds ... ... to meet the Lord in the air; ..." (I Thessalonians 4:17), I shall then spend eternity - which is not "endless time", but "timelessness" - in the presence of Almighty God, praising and glorifying "... the Lamb Who was slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev.13:8). And there shall be no "... mourning, nor crying, nor pain ..." (Rev.21:4).

I wonder how many birthday celebrations you have, each year? Each of us has one - but it's the second one that decides our eternal destiny. May you come to Him, "... the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb.12:2).

Celebration of carnage?

Today, as we have all been reminded, is the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Great War - later known as World War 1.  However, I find a few things confusing.  First of all, if one wishes to commemorate the first shot of the War, then a valid case may be made for observing this on June 28th, the date on which Gavrilo Princip fired his fatal shots at the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie. 

The first declaration of war was one month later, when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and, on the following day, commenced a series of unsuccessful attempts to invade it.

Today's date is the anniversary of the German invasion of neutral Belgium, leading to the Battle of Liege which ran for twelve days from 5-16 August 1914, and resulted in surprisingly heavy losses upon the German invasion force by the numerically heavily outnumbered Belgians.  It is also the anniversary of the British declaration of war against Germany, because of its violation of the Belgians' neutrality.

So, if one must commemorate the beginning of a war, there are actually a number of possible dates for this particular conflict.

However, I suppose that my main concern is to do with why we are commemorating the beginning of a period of such destruction and carnage.  By all means let us have a quiet reminder - as we probably ought to have every year - but not lavish ceremonies for the so-called élite of society, many of whom, as far as I could make out, have never seen active service!   Surely it is the end of such a terrible episode in the recent history of mankind that we should remember - as we do every year on Nov.11th!

I am unaware of any of my own family members who died in the "war to end all wars", so perhaps that does colour my perspective.  However, I still fear that the anniversary - and the next four years - has been, and will be, hijacked by some for political ends.  That would be dishonouring to the memory of those who died seeking to protect their loved ones, and their countries.  It is, after all, the political and ruling classes who cause war.  The 'ordinary soldier' is the one who suffers!

A German take on the Holocaust!

Some posts are longer than others; and so are some video clips.  However, this is well worth watching - all the way through.