He's Alive!

It was in 1968 that a young American preacher named Arthur Blessitt started "touring" the world (or, at least, a major part of it!) carrying a wooden cross. Fifty-three years later, he is still going strong, having covered 43,326 walking miles, and visited every nation, and every major island group; some 324 countries. His purpose - to be obedient to the command of the Lord Jesus to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation." ((Mark 16:15).

When he was in Glasgow, in the early days of his travels, he preached in St George's Tron parish Church (then under the ministry of Rev George B Duncan, one of the most evangelical congregations in the country) and, as one of the members of the congregation who was a Divinity student, I had the pleasure of meeting him. However, my lasting memory is of what he shared about Resurrection Day. I do not recall his words verbatim, but they went something like this:

"On that early morning, after Shabbat, there was a shaking of the earth so that the guards at the Garden Tomb fell down as if they were dead men. The stone that covered the entrance to the tomb, slowly rolled away - and the Lord Jesus walked out of that tomb, alive for evermore. And the grasses in the garden sung: "Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; Glory. Hallelujah!" The flowers and the shrubs picked up the refrain: "Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; Glory. Hallelujah!" The message was shared by the bushes and the trees: "Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; Glory. Hallelujah!" The birds of the air carried the message beyond the Garden: "Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; Glory. Hallelujah!" The hills and the mountains added their voices: "Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; Glory. Hallelujah!" The song rose on the wind, and reached the clouds: "Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; Glory. Hallelujah!" And to the very gates of heaven, the most joyous of songs poured forth: "Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; Glory. Hallelujah!"

That is the message of Resurrection Day! "Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; Glory. Hallelujah!"

We may be living, as many of us sincerely believe, in the very last days before time is brought to an end. We are surrounded by wars, and rumours of wars; by reports of earthquakes and tsunamis; by pestilence and disease. Yet this song may be sung with great joy: "Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; Glory. Hallelujah!"

May all who read this post be blessed as we celebrate that glorious resurrection. May any who do not celebrate it, be encouraged to look at the evidence - evidence that shows, beyond any shadow of doubt - that "Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; Glory. Hallelujah!"

Black Saturday

On Thursday, my wife planted some seeds in the garden. So far, nothing has happened! Perhaps she should dig them up, and check that they are okay!

Of course, any gardener would be horrified at such a suggestion. Each seed may be in the ground, where it is dark and lonely. There may be no visible sign of anything happening. But most people are aware that there is much taking place, as that seed germinates, that we cannot see with the naked eye. However, in time, there will be green shoots appearing.  A work had been going on, even although we could not see it.

Today is the day referred to as “Black Saturday”. It is the day between Good Friday, and Resurrection Day (I prefer not to use the derivative of the name of a pagan ‘goddess’!). Yesterday, we remembered that, almost 2,000 years ago, the body of the Lord Jesus was laid in a tomb. A large stone was rolled across the entrance to the tomb. The stone was sealed. Inside the tomb, it was dark, and lonely. A guard was posted. They saw nothing.

Saturday, of course, is the Jewish “Shabbat”. It is a day when devout Jews refrain from any form of physical work.  But in the lonely darkness of the tomb, a work was going on, the result of which continues to reverberate throughout the world. Friday had gone; it was still only Saturday – but Sunday was coming!

In the relative darkness of the Covid-19 days in which we live, we may – indeed, we must – have hope. The One Who was in control 2,000 years ago, is still in control today. I don’t know exactly what was happening in that tomb on that Shabbat. I don’t know exactly what Almighty God is doing with this virus. What I do know, is that He is working – as surely as He was working those millennia ago; as surely as He is working on those seeds in our garden.

Jesus said; “The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave Me alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me.” (John.16:32).

If you are truly “in Christ Jesus” (Rom.8:1), then the Father is with you also. However dark the day; however difficult the situation; however dismal the prospects; you are not alone. He, and He alone, is our Certainty, in uncertain times.

“Low in the grave He lay; Jesus, my Saviour. Waiting the coming day; Jesus my Lord.”

It was Saturday – but Sunday was still coming!

The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!

Those words in the heading have been the traditional Resurrection Day greeting for disciples of Jesus, for many, many years. Yet a report, published last week, claimed that a majority of those in the UK, who would refer to themselves as "Christians", do not believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ (Messiah).

The New Testament writers have absolutely no doubt that the resurrection took place - and that it was, indeed, a physical resurrection! I devote a full chapter to the subject in my second book, Foundations of the Faith, not least because it is a foundational belief. By the way, do remember that all three of my books (see above) are available as both paperbacks and e-books, and that ALL royalties are now sent directly to Release International, supporting the persecuted church - like those in Sri Lanka who have suffered so terribly today.

What follows is based on that particular chapter in Foundations - and may even encourage you to purchase, review, and recommend! 

The basis some have for denying that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus took place, is the claim that He didn't really die on the cross! That is similar to saying that someone sentenced to death by lethal injection; gas chamber; electric chair; hanging; beheading; or any other means; managed to survive the experience! You see, the whole point of the death penalty being executed is that the person so condemned dies! It doesn't require the mind of Sherlock Holmes to work that out!! We must also remember that the deed was done by experienced professionals, who were even commanded to double-check, when Joseph of Arimathea requested the body that it might be entombed!

However, one common rebuttal of the resurrection goes like this. Jesus had, somehow, fooled everyone. He was wrapped up in the grave-clothes, and laid in the tomb, and the great stone rolled across the entrance to the tomb, He revived and, without any assistance managed, from the inside, and in His physically weakened state, to escape from the grave-clothes in such a way as to leave them looking undisturbed; roll the stone disc – probably some five feet (one hundred and fifty centimetres) in diameter, and six inches (fifteen centimetres) thick – up the slight incline that kept it in place; get past the guards who were on duty; find some suitable clothing; and appear to His disciples. Hello!!!

Or what about this one. The man who died on the cross wasn't really Jesus! One of the disciples took His place so that He could appear as if He had risen from the dead (the usual Islamic explanation)!  This requires a number of factors to come together.  Jesus was not some non-entity.  He was well known to the authorities.  Accordingly, His ‘substitute’ would have had to be identical in build and appearance.  This man would also have to be one of the disciple band.  However, at this stage, the number of followers was relatively small, and most of them would have been known by others.  Certainly, if there had been a ‘double’ that man would already have been marked out.  Such a man would also have had to agree to take the punishment and death that was ahead.  People at that time were all too aware of what crucifixion involved – let alone the previous flogging and other suffering – and it would have been an unusual man who would have volunteered to take another's place. Sorry - that idea simply doesn't stand up to any scrutiny, either.

Yet again, there are those who suggest that the disciples stole the Body of Jesus, and then went about with these wild stories of His alleged appearances.  This does have, at first sight, a measure of feasibility that is missing from the previous suggestions, and is the story which the Roman guards were bribed to repeat.  They were even assured that they would not suffer the usual penalty for having ‘lost’ a prisoner (their own deaths) as the chief priests would square things up with the governor! (Matt.28:11–15). One then must ask where the disciples managed to hide the body so that the combined might of Rome and the contemporary Jewish hierarchy would be unable to find it! Another 'non-starter'.

There are additional alternatives that have been proposed - but not one of them bears any worthwhile examination. You may find out more (and a great deal of other information pertinent to "... the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 3)) by purchasing the book!!

The bottom line is that, however some may endeavour to explain it away, the resurrection of Jesus is sure and certain. He is risen; He is most certainly risen; He is alive today. He is also coming back to this planet that He created, and on the surface of which He walked and ministered. However, that is a subject for a future post - if such a future exists!!!

May all who read this post, and this blog, be among those "... who have loved His appearing." (II Tim 4:8). 

He will fight for us!

One of the major news stories of this past week has been the unanimous decision of the five judges of the UK Supreme Court, to vindicate Daniel and Amy McArthur, the Christian owners of the Asher Bakery in Northern Ireland, after a four-year legal battle in which the homosexual activist who had targeted the bakery - in a manner that could well have been described as entrapment - was supported, and funded, by the taxpayer! By the way, I suspect that the bakery is called the Asher Bakery on the basis of Gen.49:20. The aged patriarch, Israel (Jacob) is at the ends of his mortal life, and speaks over his sons. One of those sons was named Asher. "Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties." Perhaps someone can confirm (or refute) my suspicion!

Many of us, who have been praying for the McArthurs for all of those four years, are praising Almighty God for this decision. Many are also praising God for the release, also announced this week, of Pastor Andrew Brunson after more than two years in a Turkish prison, or under house arrest. Many of us continue to pray for Asia, the Pakistani mother whose appeal against the death sentence has finally been heard by the Supreme Court of that country, but who must now await their verdict.

However, it was the Asher Bakery case that made me think of the record of Gideon - especially the events recorded in the Book of the Judges, chapter 7. I encourage you to look up the story and read it for yourself. The part that I recalled is in verses 20 - 23: "... the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars, holding in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow; and they cried, “A sword for YHWH and for Gideon!” They stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the [Midian] army ran; they cried out and fled. When they blew the three hundred trumpets, YHWH set every man’s sword against his fellow and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah,as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian."

The point is, of course, that the Children of Israel were faced with a (humanly speaking) superior force - yet faith in YHWH, and obedience to His instructions (even although, on the surface, they seemed crazy!), brought them victory. This was the first thing that Daniel McArthur did - He gave the glory to God for the victory.

I am reminded of another story from the time of the Napoleonic Wars. The citizens of Feldkirch, in Austria, were effectively under siege. Napoleon's massive army was preparing to attack. French soldiers had been spotted on the heights above the little town, which is situated on the Austrian/Swiss/Lichtenstein border. A council of the citizens was hastily summoned to decide if they should try to defend themselves, or display the white flag of surrender. 

It happened to be Resurrection Day, and the people had gathered in the church building. The pastor arose and said, "Friends, we have been counting on our own strength and, apparently, that has failed. As this is the day of our Lord's resurrection, let us just ring the bells, have our services as usual, and leave the matter in His hands. We know only our weakness, and not the power of God to defend us."

The Council accepted his plan, and the church bells rang. The enemy, hearing the sudden peal, concluded that the Austrian army had arrived, during the night, to defend the town. Before the worship service had ended, the French troops had broken camp and left!

You and I may be facing circumstances that threaten to crush us. Let us call out to the Lord; place our trust in Him; and depend on His almighty power. How He will respond is up to Him - but He will respond to the cries of His own people.

The cosmic significance of the cross!

This is the first part of a series that I should probably have started at the beginning of Lent! However, better late than never so it is my intention (DV) to publish a number of posts, between now and Resurrection Day, that focus on the Lord Jesus, the Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach).

In John's great vision, recorded for us as "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to His servants ..." (Rev 1:1), the apostle refers to "... the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev 13:8; NKJV).  This is, of course, a reference to Jesus, the sinless, spotless, Lamb of God; the perfect, all-sufficient, atoning sacrifice.

But hold on a minute!  Was not Jesus crucified a mere 2,000 (app) years ago, on the first "Good Friday"?  So what is the Bible, the inerrant Word of the Living God, talking about when it says that He was "... slain from the foundation of the world"?

The cross is, in fact, an event of cosmic significance.  It is not merely an event that took place on a specific day in time.  The cross stands in time in order that we might see something that is eternal - i.e.timeless.  From His eternal perspective, outwith time, Father God saw the cross long before, in time, it was raised on Calvary.  It was in His heart (if I may use an anthropomorphism) in eternity, before, in time, it stood outside Jerusalem.  The cross transcends time.

Had the crucifixion of Jesus merely taken place in time, it would have been just another event in the history of mankind.  But because it was planned in eternity, it shows me that what was 'captured' in a moment of time, is held eternally in the heart of God.

The story is told of a young boy who was visiting a large cathedral.  As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he looked up at what is known as the "rood screen" and said, "There's a cross up there."  The adult who was accompanying him pointed to the floor of the cathedral, and said, "There's a cross down here as well!"  Indeed, the whole building was a cross.  It was a cruciform building - the chancel and the nave symbolising the upright; the two transepts symbolising the cross-beam.

Take time to look for the cross in your everyday life - the letter 't'; a telegraph pole; the sword on a War Memorial.  It is everywhere.

Of course, if you have never come to the foot of that cross in repentance and faith, then for you it was, and is, a cosmic waste!  It is through the sacrificial blood of the Christ, and by no other way, that we may receive forgiveness, and know God's wonderful peace in our lives.

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

Are you washed in the blood;
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless; are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"       (Elisha Albright Hoffman).

It's Sunday - Friday is over!

Apologies to Tony Campolo who, as far as I am aware, coined the phrase "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming."  He was referring, of course to the fact that what we have named "Good Friday" was not the end of a story.  Sunday; the day after the Jewish Shabbat; the first day of the week; the day on which the Creator said "Let there be light"; the day that millions are celebrating; the day when the tomb in which the body of the crucified Jesus of Nazareth had been laid; brought the amazing news - that the tomb was empty!

The traditional greeting used by disciples of Jesus - and still used, albeit to a lesser extent, today - was "The Lord is risen!", with the response "He is risen indeed!".  What an amazing message!  What an amazing truth!  Some have tried to deny it - but that is only to be expected.  However, any honest, unbiased, investigation of the available evidence will surely lead to the conviction that it is true.  None of the proposed 'explanations' stand up to any scrutiny at all.  I deal with the topic, more fully, in my second book in the "Getting to know you ..." series - The Apostles' Creed - which is due to be published shortly! (watch this blog for further news!).

But why is the resurrection of Jesus of such apparently great importance?  Paul tells us in I Cor 15:17-19 that: "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied."   Basically, the resurrection of Jesus is the claim on which the whole Gospel message stands, or falls.  It was the resurrection that marked Jesus out as the true Messiah - the Anointed One of God.  Oh, others had been restored from death - not only by Jesus Himself, but also by Elijah; Elisha; Peter; and Paul.  However, each of these had eventually died again.  Only Jesus "... is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (Heb 7:25; emphasis added).  It is His glorious resurrection that assure me that, at the Last Day I also shall receive a new resurrection body as He "... will change [my] lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power which enables Him even to subject all things to Himself." (Phil 3:21).

Because of the pagan association of the word "Easter", many (including me) now refer to this day as "Resurrection Day".  However, there is a very real sense that every day is Resurrection Day.  This is because we may celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at any time, and in any place.  Today is a day of great hope - and, in Jesus, every day can be a day of great hope. 

Is your hope in Him?  It's that same hope that enabled 21 young Egyptian believers to die on a Libyan beach, at the hands of evil men, with the very Name of Jesus on their lips.  When students at the Garissa university in Kenya were being murdered, some are reported as having cried out "Lord Jesus, help me."  The scoffers - including their murderers - have asked "Where was He?"  I will tell them - He was there with them.  He was administering martyr's grace, for a martyr's death.  He was reassuring them that this mortal life is not everything and, if they were true disciples, they are now with Him in a way that they could never have been while in their mortal, decaying, bodies.

It's Sunday - Friday has gone.  The Lord is risen; He is risen indeed!  Hallelujah!

Philip's egg.

At Café Church, Bergerac, today, my good friend Brian L mentioned that he had read the post that referred to the eggciting Resurrection Day worship service in Dalziel-St.Andrew's, Motherwell, in which the eggcellent minister used some plastic eggs, in an eggsuberantly eggspert fashion, to get the full story of the Day across to the children.

He had intended sharing the following true story at Café Church, but there was so much to be included that he decided that there was insufficient time.  He asked if I would like to share it on my blog, and I am more than happy to do so.  Have a tissue handy!

"He was 9 - in a Sunday-school class of 8-year-olds.  Eight-year-olds can be cruel.

These children did not welcome Philip into their group.  Not just because he was older.  He was 'different'.  He suffered from Downs Syndrome and its obvious manifestations: facial characteristics; slow responses; symptoms of retardation.

One Sunday, after Easter, the Sunday-school teacher led the children in an activity using plastic eggs - the kind that pull apart in the middle.  The Sunday-school teacher gave one of these eggs to each child.

On that beautiful Spring day, each child was to go outdoors and discover, for themselves, some symbol of 'new life', and place that symbolic seed, or leaf, or whatever, inside their egg.

The youngsters gathered round on the appointed day, and placed their eggs on the table, and the teacher began to open them.  One child had found a flower.  All of the children 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the lovely symbol of new life.  In another was a butterfly.  'Beautiful', the girls said - and it's not easy for an 8-year-old to say 'Beautiful'!

Another egg was opened to reveal a stone.  Some of the children laughed.  'That's crazy!', one said.  'How's a stone supposed to be like a new life?'  Immediately, a little boy spoke up.  'That's mine.  I knew that everybody would get flowers, and leaves, and butterflies, and all that stuff, so I got a stone to be different!' Everybody laughed.

The teacher opened the last egg, and there was nothing inside.  'That's not fair', someone said.  'That's stupid', said another.  The teacher felt a tug on his shirt.  It was Philip.  Looking up, he said, 'It's mine.  I did do it.  It's empty.  I have new life because the tomb is empty.'

The class fell silent.

From that day on, Philip became part of the group.  They welcomed him.  Whatever had made him 'different' was never mentioned again.

Philip's family had known that he would not live a long life; just too many things were wrong with his tiny body.  That summer, overcome with infection, Philip died.

On the day of his funeral service, nine 8-year-old boys and girls confronted the reality of death, and marched up to the front of the church building - but not with flowers.

Nine children, with their Sunday-school teacher, placed on the coffin of their friend their gift of love - an empty egg."

Jesus is risen; the stone is rolled away; the tomb is empty.  And because He lives, so do all who have placed their trust, unreservedly, in Him.  Hallelujah!

Resurrection Day.

Well, after a lot of travelling; a lot of difficulties; but, of course, the loving hospitality of two dear families, we finally arrived at the static caravan in the Gironde, at 2230 yesterday.  This morning, we woke to the thought that today is Easter Day or, as some prefer to name it, Resurrection Day.

We are delighted that, with the erection of a new Reception at our end of the site, we are now able to access the internet from the warmth and comfort of the 'van.  Of course that will make it all the more difficult to give it up, when we move to a permanent house, in due course!  However, we were able to join with the congregation of Dalziel-St.Andrew's, in Motherwell, for their morning worship service - which is streamed on a weekly basis (http://www.dalzielstandrews.org.uk/watch-live/), and is also available on YouTube - link on the page already given), where the minister is a personal friend of many years, and where our younger daughter is involved in various areas of service.

It was an eggciting service, presented with eggsuberance by an eggspert at the task, who eggsplained all that he was doing, to the children who were present.  (Watch the service in order to understand why I have inserted such an eggsasperating set of eggxamples of 'eggie' comments.  If you don't, then the yolk's on you!).

So what is Easter?  Why give it an alternative title of Resurrection Day?  Well, simply because, just as Christmas is not predominantly top do with the fictional 'Father Christmas' (in spite of the reality of Saint Nicklaus), or the overindulgence in food that occurs - at least in those parts of the world in which such indulgence can be afforded; so Easter is not about chocolate eggs (although the egg is a symbol of new life), or the Easter bunny (there may be a 'creative' link there!).  Both, in fact, have to do with the One Who is truly central at each of those festival times - the Lord Jesus Christ.

At Christmas, we remember His incarnation - Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is, taking upon Himself, in the Persona of the Son, human flesh, and living a life like ours, except without sin (see Heb.4:15).  At Easter, we remember that the reason for His coming was that He might "... save His people from their sin". (Matt.1:21).   He did this by paying the penalty that we deserve to pay.  On that first Good Friday, He hung on a wooden cross - not only bearing the sins of mankind upon His shoulders, but actually becoming sin, in all of its foulness, and filth, and revulsion, and detestation (II Cor.5:13).  What an amazing sacrifice - God the Son becoming so disgusting that God the Father, still dwelling in the sinlessness of eternity, could not even bear to look upon the Son, the Beloved.  "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt.27:46).

The enemy, the satan, the devil, together with all of his infernal minions, rejoiced. What he didn't know about was what C.S.Lewis, in the Narnia Chronicles, refers to as "deep magic".  So, having rested from His labours, the Son broke through the physical death that He had truly experienced, in resurrection power. Hallelujah!  As we were reminded this morning, the tomb was empty!

Of course, if we ignore, or reject, all of what Jesus has done, in time; then we have no claim on Him, in eternity.  Let Christian songwriter, Graham Kendrick, bring this longish post to an end.

"The price is paid; Come, let us enter in to all that Jesus died to make our own.
For every sin, more than enough He gave, and bought our freedom from each guilt and stain.

            The price is paid, Alleluia!; amazing grace so strong and sure!
            And so, with all my heart; my life in every part; 
            I live to thank You for the price You paid.

The price is paid - see satan flee away; for Jesus, crucified, destroys his power.
No more to pay; let accusation cease; in Christ there is no condemnation, now!

The price is paid and, by that scourging cruel, He took our sicknesses as if His own.
And, by His wounds - His broken body there - His healing touch may now, by faith, be known.

The price is paid; 'Worthy the Lamb' we cry.  Eternity shall never cease His praise.
The church of Christ shall rule upon the earth; in Jesus' Name we have authority."

Have you submitted to the Lordship of the King of kings?  If not, then be assured that there is no better time to do so than now!  Your full salvation is part of that eternal 'package'.  Remember, the price is paid!