What if?!

My personal devotions, at this time, include reading through the Gospel according to Matthew. Yesterday, and again this morning, I have been looking at the final part of what is usually referred to as "The Sermon on the Mount" - words of the Lord Jesus as found in Matthew 5 - 7. It was verses 21-23 that, not for the first time, hit me. They read: “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’”

These are, I would claim, some of the most frightening words in the whole of the Bible! Jesus is saying that it is possible for you, and for me, to live a religious life, with good works and prophetic words, and even miracles being performed - yet without Him having ever known us! As a result, we are cast out - instructed to depart from Him!

There is, of course, a direct link between these words and those immediately preceding them, in which Jesus warns against false prophets. These were people who had all of the correct language; who went about, apparently doing good; who could quote from the Scriptures; who may have been involved in, and even have held office in, the local church - but who were deceiving those who listened to them, because they did not have a true relationship with the Lord. Indeed, it is worse! James wrote: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” |(1:22). Yes, many of these false prophets are deceiving even themselves!

So how may we know that we are not among their number; that we are not going to hear those dreadful words spoken to us by the Lord Jesus? The answer is actually in that quotation from James. It's all to do with the Word, and our being faithful, and obedient, to it. One commentator writes: "A man who speaks the truth, but acts the lie, is also in a sense, a false prophet." The people to whom the Saviour utters those words are false because their lives have not been lived in harmony with what their lips spoke.

What does this mean, in practice, for you and for me? I would suggest that it means that I may be able to quote from the Bible; I may be involved in a local church fellowship - even in a position of leadership; I may do lots of 'good works' that encourage others to think well of me; I may preach, and cast out demons, and perform miracles; and yet not be obedient to the will, and Word, of God! It was so in earlier times. The prophet Amos has much to say to us today. Speaking the Word of YHWH to the Chosen People, he writes: “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and cereal offerings, I will not accept them, and the peace offerings of your fatted beasts I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs;  to the melody of your harps I will not listen.” (5:21-23). Those were strong words, and I believe that they apply to much of the contemporary church! Similar passages may be found in the writings of other prophets.

The test of true faith in the Lord Jesus, the Christ, is obedience to His will. It is not sufficient, for example, to make a decision entirely on my own, and then expect Father God to bless it. I must pray for the guidance that has already been promised, and then act in accordance with that guidance. How does that guidance come? In many different ways - through my reading of the Word; through prayer; through a message preached; through a trusted friend; etc. 

I must also be careful with whom I spend my time! I am not to totally divorce myself from "the world" (society that cares nothing for the things of God), but I must spend time with those who also love the Lord, and seek to do His will. I must be careful about the witness I give to others - my friends; my work colleagues; my neighbours; etc. I am the Lord's ambassador (II Cor.5:20) - representing Him to those who do not know Him. I am, as the old poem puts it, the only Bible that some folk will ever read! 

For a long time I have maintained that the Church, worldwide, needs more of the gift of spiritual discernment. However, those words of Jesus remind me that I need to be as discerning about myself as I may be about others! It was only a short time ago that the Jewish people celebrated Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement. This comes ten days after Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year. Those ten days - the Days of Awe - are a period of self-examination. I am convinced that, when Paul gave us the words often read when disciples of Jesus celebrate the Lord's Supper, with his exhortation: “... let a man examine himself ...” (I Cor. 11:28), he was not thinking of a cursory two-minute self-examination as the elements are being served, but of that "Days of Awe" examination to which he had submitted himself as an observant Jew.

Let Warren Wiersbe have the last word. In his commentary on these verses from Matthew he writes: "Those who have trusted Christ, and have proved their faith by obedience, will have nothing to fear. Their house is founded on the Rock, and it will stand. But those who have professed to trust Christ, yet who have not obeyed God's will, will be condemned." (my emphases).

Where do you stand, as you read this post? That is a question that I may only answer for me. You must answer for you. May it be that you will have confidence that you have that relationship with the Lord Jesus that is true life. If you do not, then the best time to put that right is now!

In control!

I suspect that most of us have done it - intended to click on one link on the computer screen, and accidentally clicked on the one above/below it!  It happened to me earlier today, and I ended up with a message about conspiracy!  However, I noted down the three questions that were asked on the sound-clip, as I have different answers to them!  Here they are:

1. Who really controls the world?

According to the theory - and, in human terms, it may well be true - it is a group of "Big Banks" and transnational companies.  However, when I open the pages of my Bible, I discover that this is not actually the case!  I read, for example, that "... The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against YHWH and His anointed, saying, 'Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us.' He Who sits in the heavens laughs; YHWH has them in derision. Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His fury, ..." (Ps 2:2-5).  Later on, in the same Book of Psalms, we read: "For dominion belongs to YHWH, and He rules over the nations." (Ps 22:28).  Just one further quotation from the Psalms: "The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The Lord is great in Zion; He is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise Thy great and terrible name! Holy is He!   Mighty King, lover of justice, Thou hast established equity; Thou hast executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Extol YHWH our God; worship at His footstool! Holy is He!" (Ps 99:1-5; emphasis added). 

Yes, make no mistake about it.  The One Who really controls the world is the One Who created it!

2. Who is pulling the strings?

Well, that question is actually answered in the response to the first one!  However, "pulling strings" suggests a more personal aspect.  The old Book of Proverbs has this to say: "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of YHWH that will be established." (Prov 19:21).  Writing to the Ephesian disciples of Jesus, almost 2,000 years ago, Paul could say: "In Him, according to the purpose of Him Who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will, we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of His glory." (Eph 1:11-12; emphasis added).  Again, writing to his fellow-believers in Rome, he could give the wonderful assurance that: "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." (Rom 8:28; emphasis added).

Now, let me make clear that I am not suggesting that we are all like puppets, with Almighty God as the puppet-master!  We have been given the wonderful privilege - and awesome responsibility - of free-will.  I make decisions, on a daily basis. Sadly, it is often the case when time shows that IO made a wrong decision!  But this does not affect the overall plan and purpose of God. He, from His vantage point of eternity, sees every decision I make before I have made it and, in ways that are totally beyond my puny understanding, works them into His ultimate plan for me, and for the whole of creation!  By the way, there is much more on that topic in the chapter on "Predestination" in my book "Great Words of the Faith". (see above).

3. Who is hiding behind the curtain?

That has to be my favourite question of the three!  The Biblical "curtain" was the one in the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple, that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.  It was through this curtain, or "veil" that the High Priest alone was permitted to go - and only on one occasion each year (the day of Atonement; Yom Kippur) after special sacrifices and other rituals.  Iyt was "behind the veil" that the Shekinah (the visible manifestation of the glory of God) was seen.  It was the veil that kept that awesome sight from mortal men.

When Jesus of Nazareth breathed His last as He hung on a cross at Calvary, we read "And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom;" (Matt 27:51).  In other words, the barrier that symbolised the separation between God and mankind was removed - and removed from above! The way was now open for us to enjoy direct access to the Father - without priest, or sacrifice, or a keeping of the Law.  So, the anonymous writer of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus could write: "Therefore, brethren, ... we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, ..." (Heb 10:19-20).

Who is hiding behind the curtain?  No-one!  The way is open; the veil has been torn; through the shed blood of Jesus, I can enter the presence of the Creator of all that is.

I confess to actually enjoying reading some of the conspiracy theories that abound, today. One or two of them even have that "ring of truth" about them.  But when it comes to the sovereign power of God, and my access to Him through the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus - and, of course, His glorious resurrection! - then it is no theory. All of that, and more, has been confirmed by billions down through the centuries, and even millennia.

Of course, the real question is: "What have you done about it?!  Have you come, in repentance and faith, to this same Jesus; seeking forgiveness for your sins, and entering into a new life through, and with, Him?  If not, why not?  I commend Him to you - and will happily provide any help that I can. There are also a couple of useful links further down the page.  Do use them!

A special day.

Today is a very special day!   It is now a full forty-three years since a vision in white walked up the aisle of St George's-Tron Parish Church building, on her father's arm and, in the sight of God and the gathered congregation, she and I committed ourselves, each to the other, in a covenant relationship that may only be broken when one of us dies.  I have made many wrong choices in my life-time, but that was one that I have never had cause to regret.  The Lord gave me the most loving, faithful, supportive, and encouraging wife that was possible, and I daily thank Him for her.

At sunset, today, the Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashana - will also commence.  This will be a two-day holiday, which will conclude on Friday evening at which time Jews will welcome the first Shabbat (Sabbath) of the New Year.

According to Jewish tradition, God completed the creation of the world on Rosh Hashana. Every year on this day, He takes inventory - an annual accounting. He sits in judgement over all mankind, reviewing the ‘file’ of every human being. He examines our past, our present, and our future. He weighs our actions, our behaviour, and our relationships. He looks to see what direction we are going in. He evaluates what kind of year we are going to have. A true day of judgement. Our lives are in the scales.

Commencing at Rosh Hashana, devout Jews will take part in the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah - the Ten Days of Repentance, leading to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), their most special day in the year.  During this ten-day period, there will be serious self-examination, and an attempt to make peace with any who have been offended during the previous year.

When disciples of Jesus gather around the Lord's Table for the sacrament of Holy Communion, they often read words written by the apostle Paul, to the early church in Corinth (see I Cor.11:23-26).  However, not all continue to read the following verses, as far as v.32.  They include this exhortation: "Let a man examine himself, ..." (vs.28).   How often believers come to the Table without that self-examination!  We are happy to remember what the Table symbolises; we are happy to give thanks for the sacrifice made on our behalf - the ultimate 'atonement'; we are happy to partake of the elements.  However, I am convinced that, when Paul wrote those words he was thinking, as one who had been steeped in Judaism, of that period between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur - those ten days of repentance.  I am convinced that he was encouraging his readers to look carefully at themselves, and recognise their complete and utter unworthiness to even handle those elements that speak of the broken Body and the shed Blood of God the Son.

Of course, if he had stopped there, then the sacrament would be a miserable affair!  Praise God, he didn't.  He continued, "... and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup."  You see, it's as I realise my own unworthiness that I am made fit to partake!  If I come, with something of a laissez-faire attitude, assuming that I have the right to do so, then I have no right and, as Paul goes on to point out, I eat and drink judgement upon myself! (see v.29).

So, Shanah Tovah to my Jewish friends - and an encouragement, to all of us who claim to follow the Lord Jesus, to truly examine ourselves every time we come to the Table.