What is a "Christian"?

To be honest, I tend to use the description "Christian" as seldom as possible! The reason is that I find that the word has been so totally devalued! You may have experienced this for yourself! "Mrs McTavish, across the street - what a wonderful woman! She would give you the coat off her back; she would give you her last slice of bread; she would walk twenty miles to help you; she's a good Christian"! Now, if I knew this mythical Mrs McTavish, I have no doubt that I would consider her to be a very nice person; the "salt of the earth"; someone who would be good to have as a next-door-neighbour. Sadly, however, that does not make her a Christian! A Christian should be like that - and much, much, more - but that is another story! 

The fact remains that many people think that they are "Christian" because, they would claim, they are not 'pagan' and, of course they were 'born in a Christian country'! Their names may even be on the membership list of a Christian fellowship which they attend occasionally, and to which they sometimes provide financial support (even if somewhat meagre!). However, it takes more than that for a sinner to become a child of the living God. It takes repentance from sin, and faith in the Lord Jesus, the Christ, Who gave Himself as an atoning* sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, and Who rose again that we may have eternal life - a life that has much more to do with quality than longevity!

So, back to the title question - what is a Christian? The word was first used by the people of Antioch, and was really a term of derision! These were "Christ-followers" and, as such, were deemed to be somewhat crazy! But certain things may be said about them that we may use to see if we measure up to what it required.

They were, and are, those who know a Person - and that Person is the Lord Jesus, the Christ. Of course, many know about Him - but this is a personal knowledge. If I may explain it like this - I know HM the Queen, and have been, on more than one occasion, no more than eight feet away from her! I know her date of birth - both biological and official; I know her husband's name; I know her children's names - and those of her grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. I know when she became Queen; I recall her Coronation; I know her favourite animal pet; etc., etc. Anything that I don't know, but wanted to, I could easily find out online!

I also know my wife! But that 'knowledge' is totally different. It's a knowledge that has come from now more than fifty years of marriage - and a couple of years of courtship before that! It's the knowledge that comes from an intimate relationship that has deepened over the years. It's a knowledge that comes from shared experiences, and of seeking to put her first (even if I haven't always managed to do that!).

Do you see the difference. In the case of HM the Queen I know about her. When it comes to my wife - I know her! And it's that kind of knowledge of the Lord Jesus that His true disciples have.

But not only do we know His Person; we also enjoy His presence. Have you ever been involved in a "long-distance" relationship? I don't recall ever having been, in the past - but I am experiencing it at the present time. Because of the current situation regarding Covid-19, I have not seen my children for a full year! Oh, we communicate regularly, using the various forms of modern technology to which we have access. We share our experiences; at times, we rejoice with one another; on other occasions, we commiserate with one another. But it just isn't the same as being able to hold one another in a big hug!

Jesus said to His disciples: "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." (Heb.13:5). His presence, through the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit, is with His disciples always. That even includes the experience of physical death. David, the psalmist-king of Israel knew this. In what is probably his best-known psalm, he writes these words: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;" (Ps 23:4). That is why death holds no terror for the disciple of Jesus - because his Lord is with him. On Wednesday of this week, I shall (D.V.) be conducting the funeral service for a friend of some seven years. There will be mixed emotions. On the one hand, his widow, extended family, and friends, will grieve. But - and it is a very big "But" - we shall recall the words of Paul to the Thessalonian disciples: "But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep." (I Thess. 4:13-14). A presence that not even physical death can remove.

I know His Person; I enjoy His presence; and I experience His power. The life of a true disciple of Jesus is not always easy. Most of those who read this post will not suffer to the same degree as those in what we refer to as "the persecuted church". But there may be discrimination; ostracism; loss of former friends; even rejection by family. How does one cope with such situations? Just before He ascended to the Father, the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples and, in that brief discourse, He made this promise: "... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;" (Acts 1:8). Power to live; power to witness; power to suffer for His name's sake. All that we need is found in Him.

That, in a nutshell, is a description of a disciple of Jesus - a true Christian. Note, of course, that I used the indefinite article! That is because there is so much more that might be said concerning the subject. However, I trust that what I have shared in this post will help some to examine themselves, to see if they are, indeed, His disciples - or merely using the name. If you should conclude the latter, then I beg you not to procrastinate*. Deal with the matter now and, if I may be of any further assistance, feel free to contact me at the e-mail address at the top of the page.

* These words are dealt with, fully, in my first book: "Great Words of the Faith". Links to it and to the other two in the series, are at the top of the page. Remember that I am happy to promote my books because ALL royalties are sent, directly, to Release International, in support of the persecuted church.

Some things never change!

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

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

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

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

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

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

But there is also: 

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

Then, of course, there is:

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

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

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

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

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

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.

The Romans' Road; Part 1

If you have read through the Biblical texts in the previous post (and, if you have not yet done so, I would encourage you to go there now!) you may have noticed that, out of a total of ten Biblical text, three (i.e. 30%) were from Paul's great letter to the believers in 1st century Rome.

Paul's Letter to the Roman believers is, of course, one of the greatest books in the written Word of God. My thoughts about what heaven will be like keep changing, as I get older. However, if I do have the opportunity to sit down with Paul, I shall ask him to go through Romans with me, and explain all the parts that I still have difficulty understanding to any degree of fulness!

One aspect of Romans that I do understand is what has been described as "The Romans' Road" - a well-engineered pathway to full salvation. None of the following is, therefore, original. I share it because, for many, it may be new. I share it, because there may be someone who reads this post, and who, in the providence of Almighty God, is ready to set out on that road. May it be a blessing to all who read - but especially to anyone who may find new life in the Lord Jesus, the Christ, as they travel along it.

The Romans' Road starts, appropriately, at the beginning. In what we know (although remember that none of the Bible books were written in chapters and verses!) as the first chapter of Paul's great letter, we read: "Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; for although they knew God they did not honour Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened." (Rom 1:20-21). We know, of course, that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen 1:1), but if we wish to walk this road, then we must acknowledge Almighty God as the Creator of everything, humbly accepting our own position in His created order and purposes. The writer of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus wrote: "... without faith it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him." (Heb 11:6).

Is this where you need to be - just at the beginning of the road? Do you need to accept that you are but a mortal being, whose life may be snuffed out at any moment - even by something as small as a virus, as is happening to so many at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic? If you refuse to believe that He even exists, then you are not able to take even the first step on this road! Please look at the evidence - it's all around you. 

However, if you are able to take that first step, then you may move on to the second one. And that is simply that we must realise that we are sinners, and that we need forgiveness. Many believe that they will go to heaven because they have lived a "good" life, done some charity work, been baptised as an infant, attended church 'regularly'("I never miss the Christmas Eve Service"!), or treated others fairly. However, Paul writes in Romans 3:23 that "... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,". In other words, none of us (and the word "none" is a contraction of "not one"), judged by God's standards, is worthy. Each of us is a sinner - and that is not the easiest thing to admit. It hits us where it hurts - in our pride! But it's true, and it is an essential step on this road.

Remember how that came about. Almighty God had created a perfect world, and two perfect beings - the man, Adam, and the woman, Eve. However, "... the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'? And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'' But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. 

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?' And he said, 'I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.' He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?' The man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.' Then the Lord God said to the woman, 'What is this that you have done?. The woman said, 'The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.'" (Gen 3:1-13). Sin had entered the world, and we are all born in sin. You are not a sinner because you sin; you sin because you are a sinner. That is your nature, and there is nothing that you can do about it!

Just one more step in this post (we'll share the remainder in the next one!). It's not really a step that we must take, but more of a truth that we must accept - and in which we may rejoice. That truth, Paul shares in Romans 5:8 - "... God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." You and I can do nothing about our sinful nature but, praise God, He can - and He has! He has given us the way by which our sins may be forgiven, and our sinful nature renewed. That way was to come into the realm of time, in the very human flesh that He had created, in the Persona (not a typo - see the chapter on the Trinity in my book "Great Words of the Faith"; link at the top of the page. ALL royalties sent directly to Release International in support of the persecuted church) of the Son, the Lord Jesus, the Christ.

It was on a cross, on a hill outside the ancient city of Jerusalem, that He became the One Who paid the penalty for your sins, and for mine. As someone has said, and I often quote: "He paid a debt that He did not owe, because I owed a debt that I could not pay".

Well there are still a few steps to take on this Romans' Road. But that is all for now. Be sure to check Part 2. Blessings, and shalom.

Three needs.

"Happiness, happiness, the greatest gift that I possess. I thank the Lord that I've been blessed with more than my share of happiness." sung the late Ken Dodd.

Someone has claimed that there are three things that a person needs in order to be happy! These are:

1. Something to do - some meaningful work, or some way of helping others;

2. Someone to love - someone to whom we may give of ourselves, such as a spouse, a child, a friend;

3. Something to which we may look forward - perhaps a holiday, a visit from a loved one, improved health, the realisation of a dream.

It is probably true that these things may provide at least a temporary happiness. However, as we get older, and physically weaker, we may find it more difficult to do the things that we were able to do so easily when we were younger. As we get older, some family members and friends are no longer there. I know that more and more of the deaths of which I learn are of those who fit into those categories. As we get older, it can become more difficult to go on holiday; loved ones are no longer able to visit; our health tends to deteriorate; it is too late to realise any dream that has never been fulfilled.

However, lasting fulfilment may be found - in a relationship with the Lord Jesus, the Christ.

1. Something to do - if you are a disciple of Jesus, you have been been gifted through God the Holy Spirit to serve the Saviour by serving others in His Name. "... love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honour." (Rom 12:10).  We are also commanded to spread the Gospel message around the world. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matt 28:19-20).

2. Someone to love - We love God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit* - because He first loved us (I Jn.4:19). And, of course, we love others: "Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God." (I John 4:7).

3. Something to which we may look forward - one day (perhaps sooner than many realise!) we who are His will be welcomed into the nearer presence of Father God, where we will enjoy eternity* with Him, in a place that has been especially prepared for us (John 14:2-3; Rev.21:3-4). We shall see the Lord Jesus and - wonder of wonders - we shall be like Him! (I John 3:2). Now all of that (and there is more!) is certainly something to which we may look forward!

For joy (which is,in fact, much better than mere happiness!) that does not depend on age or circumstances, Jesus, the Christ, is all that we need. I warmly commend Him to you.

* the Trinity, and eternity, are both dealt with in "Great Words of the Faith" (link above. Remember that ALL royalties now go directly to the bank account of Release International, in support of the Persecuted Church - as do those on my other two books.

Religion - or Relationship?

Mary works hard because she wants her boss to recognise her accomplishments and reward her with a promotion that will increase her salary. Nancy loves her job, and the product that her company sells and, out of a deep sense of loyalty, she works hard to make the product better.

Mary is like the person who hopes that good works, or religion will, one day, be rewarded by Almighty God (of Whose existence she may not even be totally convinced!). Such a person counts on their good deeds to gain them entrance to heaven.

Nancy is more like a picture of the person who has faith in God, and His grace, through a personal relationship with Jesus, the Christ, and is assured of eternal life. Such people do good deeds out of gratitude and love for the Lord.

Someone with "religion" may believe in the existence of God; attend a worship service - even regularly; 'say prayers' (which is not necessarily the same as 'praying'!); show kindness; and be considered to be a generally 'good' person. People who have "religion" have many good qualities - but religion is not, and never can be, a substitute for a saving relationship with Father God, through  the atoning* sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, the Christ (Messiah; HaMashiach), and the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKadosh).

People with faith put their trust in the Lord Jesus for forgiveness of sin. They have assurance of eternal life, and seek to become more like Jesus on a daily basis - the process known as "sanctification"* It is not a matter of my 'works', as if I could somehow earn salvation. Paul, writing to the early believers in Ephesus stated: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9). There is one Way, and one Way only. Jesus said: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6) - words that appear to have been forgotten (or are ignored!) even by some members of the clergy with whom I am acquainted!

Religion - that is man-made, and leads to hell; or a relationship with the Sovereign Creator of all that exists - a relationship that does not depend on what you have done, or can do, but solely on His love, and grace, and mercy?

Remember: we are saved, not by what we do, but by trusting in what the Lord Jesus has done!

*These words, or a cognate, are dealt with in my first book: Great Words of the Faith (access details above). The first 10% is available for preview on the Amazon link. Remember that ALL of the royalties earned go directly to the bank account of Release International, in support of the persecuted church.

There's no time like the present!

Have you ever put off making a decision - and, later regretted having done so? I suspect that I am not alone in being able to look back over my life, and have some regrets. In Dr Luke's record of the acts of apostolic men, he tells of one particular man - a Roman governor named Felix.

"... Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but should have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs. After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess; and he sent for Paul and heard him speak upon faith in Christ Jesus. And as he argued about justice and self-control and future judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity I will summon you.” At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. But when two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison." (Acts 24:22-27).

This man, by all accounts, was notoriously ruthless in suppressing opposition. He was also avaricious, and was prepared to curry favour to gain cheap popularity. The historian, Tacitus, writes: "He exercised the power of king with the mind of a slave." Drusilla was his third wife - and she was already an adulteress before she grew out of her teens. It is quite likely that it was this renegade Jewess who prompted Felix to send for Paul. As Calvin comments: "apostates of that sort are tickled by a certain curiosity, rather than moved by a s sincere desire to learn." 

However, neither Felix nor Drusilla had bargained for the kind of talk that Paul gave in their presence. What the apostle knew they most need to hear was not at all welcomed by them, but filled Felix with alarm. Sadly, like so many who come under conviction of sin, by God the Holy Spirit, he postponed any action. "Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity I will summon you." As far as we know, that further opportunity never presented itself! This kind of delay is something against which God warns us in His written Word: "Today, when you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts ..." (Heb.3:15).

That decision is one that no individual can afford to postpone. 

We may also see, from Paul's words, that he preached a full Gospel! There is a contemporary danger of cheapening the Gospel message by painting only a part of the picture. Paul spoke, not only of faith in the Lord Jesus, the Christ; but also of justice (God's standard for mankind), self-control, and future judgement. He knew that it is only against this backcloth that the splendour of God's amazing grace may be seen in its true light.

In my personal devotions, I  am still reading in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus, given by Father God, to John. In what we know as chapter 6, we read these words of warning: "... I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale; the sky vanished like a scroll that is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the generals and the rich and the strong, and every one, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand before it?” " (vs.12-17).

Don't find yourself in that situation - come to the Son now, and know forgiveness of sin, and new life in Him. It's the most important decision that you will ever make!

Hope!

Continuing from the previous post, may I suggest that the first anchor should be hope?  The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews, speaking of the impossibility of God ever proving to be false, says, "We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain." (6:19).  As long as we have hope, sunk deed down in our inmost being, then life cannot ever destroy us.  It may, and often will, hurt us, but it cannot break us.  As long as hope holds out, we may weather the fiercest storm.

Most will be familiar with the old adage: "Where there's life, there's hope."  I would suggest that it is equally true (if not more so!) to say that "Where there's hope, there's life."!  Many of the survivors of the Holocaust have spoken of the hope that kept them going in the midst of the most terrible of conditions.  In many countries, today, there are those who are persecuted - predominantly those who profess a Christian faith - but who live in hope.  I can never forget the commercial traveller who, during a particularly bad snowfall in the N.E. of Scotland survived being buried for some days, in his car - when others had succumbed to the cold, and to the difficulty in breathing.  His comment, when rescued, was: "I never gave up hope!"

Of course, the hope that is an anchor for the soul is not just a vague optimism that 'things will turn out alright; that, as Dickens' character, Mr Micawber, would have said, "Something will turn up!"  Rather, it is the hope of which Paul writes to the early disciples of Jesus in Colossae: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col.1:27).  It is, in fact, more than hope, in the popular sense of the word.  It is an assurance that is based on the unchangeable character of Almighty God.

One of the old hymns states:
"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name." (Edward Mote)

Do you have the anchor of hope on board, today?  Is that hope grounded in the Lord, Jesus the Christ?  I encourage you to hope in Him.  It will be for your good, and to His glory.