Guidance - Pt.6

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Scottish Saltire.

Here in France, every day is dedicated to one of the "saints" of the Church of Rome. Of course, as I frequently point out, when we turn to the written Word of God, we discover that every true disciple of the Lord Jesus is a saint. Yes, you are reading the words of "St.Brian"!!!

However, today being November 30th means that today's "saint" - Andrew - is also celebrated in Scotland. He is, after all, the patron saint of the country. There is one legend that states that he actually visited Scotland, and preached there. However, whilst that is certainly not an impossibility, other legends are more likely.  One of these claims that, in A.D. 345, Saint Regulus (also known as St.Rule) was instructed by an angel to take some relics (bones) of Saint Andrew from Patras, in modern Greece, to a far-off land. He eventually arrived in Fife on the east coast of Scotland, where he founded the settlement now known by the name of the apostle. Another version recalls how in the 7th century, Saint Wilfrid brought the saint’s relics home with him following a pilgrimage to Rome. The Pictish king, Angus MacFergus, subsequently had them installed at his new monastery of Saint Regulus at Kilrymont, later renamed St. Andrew's. It is unlikely, however, that we shall ever know for certain what the precise link is.

When it comes to the national flag of Scotland, we are on somewhat firmer - if still tenuous! - ground. When Andrew, one of the apostles and brother of Peter, was being crucified by the Romans in A.D. 60, it is said that he believed himself unworthy to be crucified on a cross like that of his Saviour, and so requested that he hang on a ‘saltire’, or X-shaped cross which became his symbol.

Another legend links the adoption of Saint Andrew’s cross as Scotland’s national flag. This recalls that, in A.D. 832, on the eve of a battle between a combined Picts and Scots (Highlanders and Lowlanders. "Sassenachs" are, properly, Lowlanders, and not the English!) army and an invading army of Angles led by King Aethelstan of East Anglia, Andrew appeared to the Pictish king, Óengus II (Angus) and assured him of victory. The following morning a formation of clouds gathered against the backdrop of a clear blue sky, depicting a white saltire that was visible to both sides. The omen inspired the Picts and Scots to win a famous victory over the Angles of King Aethelstan and so the white cross on the blue background was adopted as the national flag of Scotland.

Following Robert the Bruce’s victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the Declaration of Arbroath officially named Saint Andrew as the patron saint of Scotland. However, it was not until 1385 that the saltire appears to have become the official national flag, when the Parliament of Scotland agreed that Scottish soldiers should wear the white cross as a distinguishing mark. In such times flags and banners were important to identify opposing forces in heat of battle.

Whilst its exact origin may have been lost in myth and legend, the flag of Scotland is generally regarded as one of the oldest national flags still in modern use.

So much for the brief history lesson!! The question that may legitimately be asked is "So what?"! To answer that question, I would point to what we really do know about Andrew. As I have already stated, he was the brother of Peter, who became the leader of the apostle band after the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus. However, he was so different from his brother! Whilst Peter jumped in with both feet (sometimes in his mouth!), Andrew preferred to stay in the background. Whilst Peter was comfortable speaking to crowds of thousands, Andrew was more of a "personal worker". 

Of course, it was Andrew's "one-to-one" approach that brought Peter into contact with Jesus! (see John 1:41). He was also the one to whom Philip went some Greeks told him that they wanted to speak with the Saviour (Jn12:20ff). And he was the one who had discovered that a young lad had a packed lunch, and brought the boy to Jesus so that thousands could be fed - with loads to spare! (John 6:1-14). He didn't acquire that information by making a public announcement!

Not too many of us are gifted to be a Peter, or a Paul. All of us, surely, if we dare to claim to be disciples of Jesus, ought to be Andrews - people who don't hog the limelight, but who are willing to speak about Jesus to just one person (even if that person is a biological brother!); people to whom others - including co-workers - are willing to turn for assitance; people who are able to get down to the level of a child - and then discover that that same child holds the resources that we need, if we are willing to turn them over to Jesus.

Quite a man was our Andrew! Of course, he is also considered to be the patron saint of Greece, Russia, Barbados, and the ancient Italian town of Amalfi (south of Naples), in whose cathedral, it is claimed, the apostle's remains are entombed.

May each of us endeavour to emulate him, in at least one of his attributes - to the glory of our common Saviour.

The unpopular necessity.

Today, of course, is the Feast Day of St Andrew - the patron saint of Scotland.  My thought, earlier today, was to publish a post about him.  However, as I thought about what I might say, I remembered that Andrew is portrayed, in the Gospel records, as one who brought people to Jesus.  John tells us that Andrew was, originally, a disciple of John the Baptiser who, having spent a day with Jesus, "... found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ).  He brought him to Jesus." (John 1:41-42).  It is John who also tells us that Andrew was the disciple who found the young boy with five rolls of bread and a couple of small fish, and brought him to Jesus - Who then miraculously fed more than 5,000 men (plus women and children!), with twelve basketsful of crumbs gathered up afterwards! (see Jn.6:8 ff.).  On yet another occasion, some Greeks asked Philip if they could see Jesus.  What did Philip do?  He went straight to Andrew, who went with him (and, one must presume, the Greek seekers) to Jesus. (see Jn.12:20ff.)

So, I thought to myself, thought I: "If I could speak with Andrew, and ask him what he wanted me to publish on this "his" day, I suspect that he would simply say, 'Brian - point them to Jesus!'"

The anonymous writer of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus wrote: "... without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Heb 9:22).  As we begin to prepare for the Christmas season, with its focus (for some of us!) on the wonder of the incarnation - "Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see" - we do well to remember that it is only a part of the greatest story ever told!   If the birth of the Lord Jesus was the beginning, middle, and end, then it wouldn't be much more than a children's Nativity Play.  But, of course, it led to the greatest teaching that has ever been given on the face of this planet; and then to His passion and crucifixion; and on to His glorious resurrection, and His ascension to the right hand of the Father "from whence", as the Apostles' Creed affirms, "He shall come to judge the living and the dead"!  (see my second book, Foundations of the Faith, for much more on the Creed!).

Yes, the Babe in the manger became the Christ of the cross  And it had to be so.  Only His perfect, sinless, sacrifice could pay the debt that we owe, and bring us into a living, personal, fellowship with Father God.  How we need to emphasise, and appreciate more, that infinite Gift of grace that has delivered those who have put their trust wholly, and solely, in Him, from condemnation!  "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1; and I would encourage you to read the whole of that chapter!).  Regrettably, we live in an age when 'sin' is no longer recognised as such by the majority.  Because of that, there are too many who fail to understand their own need of redemption.

Without the all-sufficient sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, salvation is impossible.  That is a doctrine that does not find many friends today.  However, that does not make it any less true.  Think on these words of the old hymn:

"Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in Hid grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"

I trust that you are able to answer those questions in the affirmative!  If you aren't, but you would like to know more, then either scroll down to the links on the right-hand-side of the blog; contact me at author@minister.com; or even treat yourself to either/both of my books (details at the top).  Alternatively, find a Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching, Christ-centred, fellowship of God's people, and make enquiry there.  Whatever you do - do something.  Your eternal destiny depends on it!