How's your heart?

How's your heart? That can be a very important question. Towards the end of last year, a very dear friend of ours (my wife and me), who was 81 years of age (the same age as I currently am!), but full of life, and joy, and who always seemed to be in the best of health, died unexpectedly. The cause of her death? A sudden heart attack. The Emergency Services were called, but it was too late. Now, I have to say that this dear lady was a true disciple of Jesus and we believe, firmly, that while the physical body died, her spirit - the very essence of who she was - went to be with her Saviour, to be eternally with Him. However, it would appear that her heart - the physical organ - wasn't as strong as those who knew her had believed!

The heart, as well as being a physical organ, has long been considered to be the seat of our emotions; the seat if decisive action; and the seat of belief (as well as of doubt!). The heart symbolises the centre of our moral, spiritual, and intellectual life. It is the seat of our conscience and life.

And Almighty God knows our hearts well! Through the prophet, Jeremiah, He states that "I YHWH search the mind and try the heart, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." (17:10). After the global flood, He pronounces that "the desires of the human heart are evil from youth;" (Gen. 8:21; NABrevd).

The Lord Jesus informed His disciples that "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man." (Mark 7:21-23).

Father God searches, and weighs, our hearts by the teaching of the Scriptures. He opens our hearts, to His truth, and gives us a new heart when we come to the Christ, in confession, repentance, faith, and commitment. He gives us a heart that is sensitive to His presence, His leading, and His love. Speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, He states: "A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances." (36:26-27), words originally declared to the Children of Israel, but applicable to all.

Don't ever hesitate to take to Him whatever is on your heart. He already knows it, in any case, but He doesn't want you to bear its pain, or celebrate its joy, alone!

So, "How's your heart?"!

Effective - or ineffective?!

For some months, I have wondered if 2020 would be known as "The Year of the Mask"! I am now concerned that the same title may be applicable to 2021.

The wearing of masks has been obligatory in most countries, whether everywhere apart from inside one's own home (e.g. in Spain, when we were there last year), or in designated areas - shops etc. However, there are masks - and there are masks!

Here are two very different 'masks'.  This first one is the type of mask that the majority of the public is using. Indeed, when I had occasion to visit the main hospital in Bergerac, just last week, I was issued with one of these masks. The mask that I was using - supplied, I would point out, by my local Mairie - was deemed to be unsuitable (although it is actually a slightly 'heavier' mask!).

The second mask is being worn by the young cousin of a dear friend of mine. This cousin is a doctor in a Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit in a hospital in London. I doubt that anyone will have any difficulty in spotting the differences between the two masks!

It would be my personal opinion that this mask - that is, of course, much more than a simple mask - is effective. The one above, in my opinion - and that of many others - is not any better, when it comes to a virus, than a handkerchief tied around one's face in the way that, in my childhood, my friends and I would have done when we were playing cowboys and bandits!

This difference got me thinking! 

Covid-19 has caused much disruption around the world. Yet it is not the worst thing to afflict humanity. That 'accolade' goes, I would claim, to sin. But what is sin? Well, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, on which I was brought up, asks that very question (Q.14). The answer provided is: "Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God." Now that's pretty simple and straightforward, but permit me to 'unpack' it just a little. It is saying that if we do not match up to the standards set by Almighty God, or if we disobey His laws in any way, then we are guilty of sin.

Those laws are, of course, summed up in The Ten Words (Ten Commandments) found in Exodus 20:2-17. However, the Lord Jesus took them to a higher plane when He pointed out that it is not just an action that is sin, but also the very thought that led to that action. 

Words such as "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire." (Matt 5:21-22), and words such as "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matt 5:27-28), make me quickly realise that I am a serial murderer, and a serial adulterer! The thought may not be as bad as the deed - but it is every bit as much a sin!

Sin, of course, has created a mighty gulf, or chasm, between us and Father God. When we are aware of this, we may endeavour to bridge that chasm in different ways. We may think that good works; charitable giving; kindness; religious activity; and the like will get us across. However, that is simply not the case. Here is a graphic that makes the point.

These endeavours are like the first mask - they are ineffective.

Thankfully, Father God did not leave us without a remedy. In what is probably the best-known verse in the whole of the Bible (plus the next one), we are told that "... God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:16-17). Yes, the Lord Jesus came to pay the penalty for your sin, and for mine. 

Indeed, Paul reminds us that "For our sake He [the Father] made Him [the Son] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him [the Son] we might become the righteousness of God." (II Cor 5:21).  Yes, if we come to Jesus, in repentance and faith, acknowledging our sins, and our sinfulness, and accepting the forgiveness that is offered through Him, then we may cross the chasm into a new and living relationship with our Creator. Jesus' sacrifice, on our behalf, is effective. Of course, like the effective mask, it is only so when we "take advantage" of it! The doctor's mask is totally useless if he leaves it on a shelf!

In many cultures, New Year is, traditionally, a time of 'new beginnings'. May I encourage you, if you have not done so already, to make this New Year a time of new beginning with Father God. Not just "resolutions", but a new life, in Jesus. It won't make life any easier - indeed, the opposite may be the case! - but it will be a more satisfying life; and a life that will never end!

Female pastors!

It's not as if it is a subject to which I have never before given any thought! However, it is one that can cause severe polarisation, and I have tended to leave any discussion of it to private conversations. Until, that is, a friend posted a 'cartoon' on Facebook - and started a series of comments that is still growing!

The subject in question is that of female pastors. My personal stance is really quite simple and straightforward. The written Word of God makes perfectly clear that no woman should be in a position of spiritual authority over man. That, I would contend, means that no woman has the Biblical authority to be a pastor and teacher of men. Of course, this only became a major issue with the advent of the Women's Liberation Movement in the middle of the last century. Sadly, as still happens, the world was allowed to infiltrate the church, instead of the church going into all the world, and preaching the Gospel!

So, how have I arrived at such a conclusion? Well, my primary "proof texts" are in Paul's Holy Spirit inspired letters to two young pastors - Timothy and Titus. The relevant passages are:

I Tim. 3:1-7  "The saying is sure: If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task.  Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way; for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil; moreover he must be well thought of by outsiders, or he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." 

Titus 1:5-9 "This is why I left you in Crete, that you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you, if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of being profligate or insubordinate. For a bishop , as God's steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy, and self-controlled; he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it."

Notice that, in both letters, Paul states that the person who is to be given spiritual authority (whether he refers to "episkopos" - "bishop"; or to "presbuteros" - "presbyter/elder") is to be "...  the husband of one wife ...". One does not need to be a theologian to understand that a "husband" is male. Some, of course, argue that Paul was a child of his time, and that women were lesser creatures in that society. Sorry! For a start, Christianity gave women a whole now status that they had never enjoyed before - not even within Judaism! Secondly, the Greek language has a perfectly good word for "spouse". If the roles were to be interchangeable, I would argue that God the Holy Spirit would have inspired the apostle to use that word! Thirdly, Paul consistently uses the masculine form of the pronouns - "he" and "his"!

As an aside, may I also point out that Paul was not referring to the idea of "one wife at a time", as some try to have us believe. Polygamy was a total "no-no" in the early church. What Paul was stating was that even a man who has been married; divorced; and remarried while his wife lives; is ineligible to be in a position of spiritual authority in the church! If the church in the west were to exercise discipline in that respect, a lot of "pastors/ministers/etc" would not be in the pulpit, or on the platform, this coming Sunday!

I would also take note of the following: "As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. What! Did the word of God originate with you, or are you the only ones it has reached?" (I Cor 14:33-36). 

If one is obedient to this particular passage, then it is clear that women should not have authority over men. Paul refers to "the law" - which, to him, would be the Torah (the five Books of Moses: Gen. - Deut.) - which records the words of Almighty God to the woman, immediately after the Fall: "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." (Gen 3:16; emphasis added). Paul had already stated that women were permitted to pray and to prophesy (11:5) provided they were appropriately attired, so the injunction against speaking must apply to something else. It is unlikely that he was, in fact, referring to pastoral leadership and ministry, but (in context) to women seeking to evaluate what was being shared (see v.29).

Of course, there are also those who will quote Gal.3:28 - "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." - and emphasise "neither male nor female"! However, one of the first principles of hermeneutics (the interpretation of the Word of God), is that "a text, taken out of context, is a pretext"! These words to the Galatian churches have nothing to do with spiritual authority or leadership. They refer to our salvation, which is equally available to all.

I could go on, but this is a blog post, not another book! However, I trust that some who read this post will realise that, regardless of modern western society with its political correctness, its women's liberation movements (although I don't see much activity from activists in that area when it comes to female genital mutilation, or to females who have been raped being stoned to death for 'adultery', to give just two examples!), or any other worldly movement, Almighty God has His own economy - and His Word stands. "Let God be true though every man be false, ..." (Rom 3:4).

Blessings, and shalom.

Marriage, divorce, and remarriage.

In the past, I have published a number of posts on the general topic of marriage. However, one aspect has constantly been "placed on the back burner". I confess, that I have held off making any comment thereon for the simple reason that I know that there are some who will be offended by what I say. That is never my intention - but I have discovered, over the years, that when one shares the Word of God, there will always be those who take offense. 

In a recent post of his own, David Robertson writes: "It's easy to be 'prophetic' about the low hanging fruit of the obvious wrongs that everyone in our circle goes along with. But what about the really prophetic voice – speaking truth to a power which may not like it? Such speech may have consequences and we do need to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves, but I suspect that our prophetic voices are largely like the world's – we pick on the easy targets and don't really speak up for the difficult cases, especially when such speaking out may cost us. I would be more inclined to call that pathetic rather than prophetic." (emphasis added) Those words, especially the ones that have highlighted, challenged me. Not that I am claiming to be a prophet, or even a prophetic voice, but because the one thing that is common to all of the prophets is that they "spoke the Word of the Lord."

Sadly, divorce is all too common in our contemporary world - even among those who claim to be disciples of the Lord Jesus, the Christ. There are, of course, many reasons for couples divorcing from one another - and some may appear to be justifiable. Of course, it is also true that if some couples were to be in less of a hurry to marry, and actually get to know one another better, there might well be fewer divorces! "Marry in haste; repent at leisure" may be an old adage - but it is no less true for being that! Not that I am, for one single minute, advocating that a couple live together, as if married, just to see "how things might work out". If living together, they have already made a certain level of commitment. The difference is that, if the relationship sours, there is no need for a formal legal procedure to be followed. I also accept that some 'unmarried' couples have proved to be more faithful to each other than have some 'married' people to their spouses!

Biblically, divorce is permitted - but only in specific circumstances! Indeed, although permitted, we read in the book of the prophet Malachi: "You cover YHWH’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favour at your hand. You ask, 'Why does He not?' Because YHWH was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Has not the one God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? And what does He desire? Godly offspring. So take heed to yourselves, and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth. 'For I hate divorce', says YHWH, the God of Israel, 'and covering one’s garment with violence', says YHWH Sabaoth. 'So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless'." (2:13-16). Note that divorce is considered to be as bad as violence!

What, then, does the New Testament teach on this subject? Again, it was accepted that divorces will take place - although I doubt that anyone then would have envisaged the rate of divorce in our own time! Jesus, Himself, made the matter clear: "Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” He said to them, “For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery.”" (Matt.19:4-9). See also Matt.5:32; Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18; I Cor.7:10ff.

It would be my contention, based on Biblical teaching, that anyone who is divorced, and 'remarried' (in the eyes of the law) is, as one friend puts it, "living in perpetual adultery"! I Cor.6:9-10 is worth reading - but then continue into v.11. In Jesus, the Christ, there is always forgiveness for the truly repentant.

This is a subject that is really too big for a blog post. If you wish to hear some solid Biblical teaching on the subject, then I recommend the David Pawson 'lecture' at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgJVt5IUSWo 

It is an hour and three-quarters - but well worth the time given.

There is one further matter that I wish to address, in due course - remarried divorcees in church leadership. That could (conceivably) cause even more offence to some!!

"I hate divorce!"

The title to this post is in quotation marks because it is a quotation! It is, in fact, the word of YHWH, through His servant and prophet, Malachi, and is the third criticism of the Children of Israel of the time - their failure to uphold the sanctity of their marriage vows. And there are those, even within the church, who think that the Old Testament scriptures are irrelevant!! 

The people, it seems, were no better than the priests at whom we looked in the previous post. They, too, had rejected a solemn agreement given to them by YHWH and, as a result, He had withheld His blessing from them. His message, through Malachi, to those who had broken their marriage vows, was simple, straightforward, and incapable of misunderstanding: "... I hate divorce, says YHWH the God of Israel, and covering one’s garment with violence, says YHWH Sabaoth. So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless." It is interesting, is it not, that God even equates divorce with violence?!

What, we may wonder, would Malachi say if he were alive today? Statistics for the UK are not up-to-date, but the ONS (Office of National Statistics) estimate that some 40% of UK marriages end in divorce. There was a slight drop a couple of years ago, but I would suggest that that was because of the lower number actually entering into a marriage covenant, choosing instead to cohabit, as cohabitation separation is not included in the statistics.

Now I am aware that the issues relating to divorce are often very complex. However, it must be stated that the God-given pattern is one husband with one wife, for life. This is confirmed by the Lord Jesus, Himself: "And Pharisees came up to Him and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” He said to them, “For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery.”" (Matt.19:3-9).

So, divorce, while hated by Almighty God, is permitted because of the hardness of the hearts of men and women. However, as is so often the case, Jesus takes the matter further by stating that a divorcee who remarries is committing adultery. Not only that, but it is, effectively, perpetual adultery! If I have a "one-night-stand", or even an affair that lasts for many months I am, as a married man, committing adultery. However, like the prodigal son, I may "come to my senses" and if I confess my sin to Father God, and am truly repentant, then I may receive His forgiveness. However, if I divorce my wife, and enter into a second marriage relationship, only a life of celibacy could stop me committing adultery on a regular basis!

I would suggest that if we saw divorce as God sees it, then we would approach marriage problems with a good deal more determination to resolve them than many appear to do at present. Human nature is such that when the initial romance - the "being in love" - begins to fade in a marriage, it is all too easy to develop a roving eye, and a flirtatious attitude, and so slip into an adulterous relationship. May I emphasise that I am not judging anyone! Jesus also made it clear "... that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matt.5:28) and, by that standard I, like any red-blooded, heterosexual male, am a serial adulterer! However, the thought is not, in fact, as bad as the deed in God's eyes! Jesus made that point, and others, to show some Pharisees that, just because they did not physically commit certain sins, did not mean that they were sinless!

Divorce and "remarriage" also have a strong bearing on those who would be in leadership within the church - read I Timothy 3: 1-13; Titus 1:5-9. However, if we choose God's ways of faithfulness, and loyalty, then we shall experience His blessing on our marriages. In an age in which there is such an acceptance of divorce as the only viable solution to marital problems (and I reiterate, that I am aware that the issues relating to divorce are often very complex) let those of us who claim to be the adopted children of the heavenly Father, resist such a pressure with all of the energy available to us; and seek to resolve any marital problems by the Word of God, and in the power of God the Holy Spirit. Let us also encourage others to be faithful to their marriage vows, and to seek His help in any difficulty.

What's in a name?

When a couple are expecting a child, one of the exciting things that they tend to do is to think about what name(s) they will give the baby when it is born. When my wife was pregnant, we had chosen two sets of names - one if the baby should be a girl, and another if the baby should be a boy. Today, of course, the gender of the unborn child may be known from quite early on in the pregnancy - giving the lie to any suggestion by the pro-abortion lobby that what is aborted is merely an amorphous lump of cellular material!

In the last post, I looked at the Old Testament prophet, Hosea, and how he was commanded by Almighty God to take a wife - who would be unfaithful to him! However, as we read the book that bears Hosea's name, we discover that his marriage to Gomer appeared to have started well. Before too long, their first child was born. What name would they give this little boy? They didn't name him after his father - or after any other relative. Instead, in obedience to God, they gave him the name 'Jezreel' = 'God shall scatter' for, said YHWH, "... yet a little while, and I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. And on that day, I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel." (Hosea 1:4-5; see II Kings 10:1-11).

Then gradually, Gomer's interest in her marriage began to fade and, soon, the symptoms of an extra-marital affair began to show - unexplained absences; unreciprocated love; endless excuses; etc. However, although Hosea's suspicions were surely growing, it was not until the arrival of a second child - a daughter - that his doubts became certainty. "And YHWH said to him, “Call her name 'Not pitied', for I will no more have pity on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will deliver them by YHWH their God; I will not deliver them by bow, nor by sword, nor by war, nor by horses, nor by horsemen." (Hos.1:6-7).

After this little girl had been weaned, this unfaithful woman bore a second son. "And YHWH said, 'Call his name 'Not my people', for you are not My people and I am not your God'." (Hos.1:8).

What a sad story! According to the law of the time, Hosea was entitled to have his wife stoned to death for her repeated adultery. However, he chose to forgive her. His love for her was too strong to be broken by her infidelities. Of course, he was considering God's particular interest in his marriage. It was, after all, to be a visual aid for Israel, enabling them to see what was happening in the bigger 'marriage' between themselves and their Covenant God.

This, Hosea declares to the people. Speaking the words of YHWH, he says: "Plead with your mother, plead - for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband - that she put away her harlotry from her face, and her adultery from between her breasts; lest I strip her naked  and make her as in the day she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and set her like a parched land, and slay her with thirst.

4 

Upon her children also I will have no pity, because they are children of harlotry. For their mother has played the harlot;  she that conceived them has acted shamefully." (Hos.2:2-5).

As I look around me, I see so much of that which claims to be the Church - the Body of the Lord Jesus, the Christ - acting like the kingdom of Israel. I hear those who have been ordained to the ministry of the Word, diluting it; diminishing it; denying it; destroying it. Those who proclaim from their pulpits that when Jesus said: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6), He didn't really mean that He is the only way! Those who support the 'marriage' of persons of the same gender, in spite of it being contrary to the clear teaching of the written Word of God. Those who appear to be happy with the latest fad of 'transgenderism', by which I may simply declare myself to be a woman, and society must treat me as such - including allowing me to share the ladies' showers at the gym: a veritable pervert's charter!

There are those who claim that it is only by conforming to the standards of the contemporary culture that the Church can survive. Yet I see those denominations, and congregations, that espouse this point of view continuing to lose members (many of whom were only 'paper-members' in any case!) hand over foot. Perhaps they need to return to the Word; to reflect on the inspired words of Paul that we should "... not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Rom.12:2).

Of course, all of us may learn from Hosea, and the patience and forgiving love that he displayed towards his wayward wife. We will be learning from the Lord Himself - Whose love for us is beyond anything that we can think, or imagine. As I shared recently, in a preached message (you may hear the message here: http://www.eel-bergerac.fr/message%20du%2001.10.17.mp3 but I should warn you that it is in French!), He cannot love you any more than He already does - and Calvary proves it!

So, I realise that I am a sinner!

Having completed the mini-series on The Ten Words (Commandments) - which, by the way, may well provide the basis for my next book! - I want to add one additional thought.  It begins with a question: "What is the purpose of the Ten Words?"   There are those who seem to assume that that purpose is to make life difficult for we poor human beings!   So many 'You shall not .."s  Why can't I just be allowed to live my life without having all of those restrictions placed upon me?  

Well, of course, we know that rules are actually necessary in everyday life.  In the UK, where one drives on the left-hand-side of the road, it would be a very foolish person who insisted on the freedom to drive along one of the motorways on the right-hand-side!  Likewise, in a game of, e.g., hockey, there are rules.  If 22 people went on to the pitch, and just started hitting a ball (and one another?!) around with wooden sticks, that would not be a game, it would be a disaster!  In something less 'physical', such as music, each note - minim, crotchet, quaver, etc. - has a specified length, as do the 'rests'.  There are also different keys that use specific notes for the piece of music being played.  However, if every musician in an orchestra was allowed to decide for him/herself the length of the notes, and the pitch of each note, what ensued would not be harmonious music, but a terrible, discordant, mess!

So with life.  We need rules!   These Ten Words are among the most basic that we know, and most law-codes are based upon them, or on something very similar.  They make perfectly clear that, as the apostle Paul wrote to some fellow-disciples of Jesus: "... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Rom 3:23).  A modern evangelist, Ray Comfort, makes this clear by the simple questions that he asks people with whom he speaks - and he speaks with a lot of people!  He makes it perfectly clear that each and every one of us (that includes you - and me!) has sinned against Almighty God.

"Have you ever lied (even once)? Ever stolen (anything)? Jesus said, "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Ever looked with lust? If you have said "Yes" to these three questions, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart; and we've only looked at three of the Ten Commandments. How will you do on Judgment Day? Will you be innocent or guilty? You know that you will be guilty, and end up in Hell. That's not God's will. He provided a way for you to be forgiven. He sent His Son to take your punishment: 'God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' Jesus then rose from the dead and defeated death. God promises everlasting life to all those who confess and forsake their sins, and trust in Jesus Christ." (from "101 of the World's Funniest One Liners").

So the purpose of The Ten Words is, as Paul further explains, to be our pedagogue unto the Lord, Jesus the Christ. In Roman society, the 'paidagoogos' (pedagogue) was not the schoolmaster, but the servant who had the care of the children to lead them to and bring them back from school, and had the care of them out of school hours. Thus the whole of the Jewish Law did not lead to a living, saving knowledge of Almighty God.  Rather, it showed us up for what we are - sinners who deserve nothing other than His wrath, judgement, and eternal punishment! (see Gal. 3:24).

That, of course, as Ray Comfort explains, is why we need Jesus.  Not that our lives may be, somehow, 'happier'.  Not that we may have better health; more wealth; an easier time.  We need Him because we are sinners, and He is our only hope - the only way of salvation.  "... there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12).

Have you confessed your sins, and your sinfulness?   Have you come to Him for salvation?  His arms were outstretched on the cross that He might embrace all of humankind.  Will you allow Him to embrace you?  Will you?

If you think that I may be of any assistance, in a more personal way, then please feel free to contact me via the e-mail address at the top of the page.  Alternatively, you may wish to check out some of the relevant links, further down, on the right-hand-side.  Whatever you do, please do not leave the question of your salvation hanging.  Your eternal destiny depends upon it!

The Ten Words (7)

As we come to the seventh of the Ten Words/Commandments, we come to the second of those to which the Lord Jesus made specific mention in the Sermon on the Mount.  The commandment reads: "You shall not commit adultery." (Ex 20:14).

This, of course, is always the difficult one when teaching children!  Sadly, there are - in my opinion - far too many children who are the product of broken homes because one, or other, of their parents didn't abide by this commandment. 

Putting at its simplest, this commandment is saying that husbands and wives must be faithful to one another - and to the vows they took at their wedding (certainly if it was a Christian wedding service).  And, in spite of what I have stated in the previous paragraph, there are many who can claim, with absolute honesty, to have honoured those vows.  Men and women were designed, by our Creator, to be together, and to need each other. Marriage is a natural union of a man and a woman - and only of a man and a woman - and was divinely ordained and established by God from the very beginning of mankind. His laws, and in particular this Seventh Commandment, authorise the marriage relationship and establish it as the foundation of the family, which in turn stands as both the foundation, and also the most important building block, of human society.

Adultery is the violation of the marriage covenant by wilful participation in sexual activity with someone other than one's spouse.  But, of course, the Lord Jesus took it much further!  His words are "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matt 5:27-29).  That is a whole different story!   Just as I may be able to say that I have never murdered anyone, but cannot say that I have never been angry, and felt like murdering a lot of people; so, although I may be able to claim that I have never committed the act of adultery, there is no way that I can claim never to have looked at another woman with a physical desire in my heart.  Indeed, I have often confessed, from platform and pulpit that, according to Jesus' stricter interpretation, I am a serial murderer and a serial adulterer!

Now, let me make clear that this is not a prohibition on appreciating the physical beauty of a member of the opposite gender.  If that were the case, I wouldn't even be married!  It is the allowing that natural attraction to develop into a desire that is prohibited, that is the problem.

So why would the Creator give this commandment?   Far be it from me to suggest that I 'know the mind of the Lord' (see Rom.11:34).  However, I would suggest that one reason is the sanctity of the family.  I have already referred to the number of broken homes that are the result of an adulterous relationship involving one, or other, of two spouses.  Not only do they suffer, but any children of the marriage suffer also - torn between two people, both of whom they love!

The adulterer him/herself may suffer psychologically.  "He who commits adultery has no sense;
he who does it destroys himself." (Prov 6:32) are words worth pondering (and, of course, they apply to both genders!).

However, I suspect that the main reason why Almighty God gave this commandment is because, as Paul writes: "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the church, His body, and is Himself its Saviour.  As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present the church to Himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.  Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of His body.  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.'  This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." (Eph. 5:21-33).  The marriage covenant is a picture of the relationship that the Lord Jesus has with His own people.  We tamper with it at our peril!

Sex, and Alcohol.

One of this week's more sensational stories concerned the Romanian girl who, in Spain, gave birth to her first child - while the mother was only ten years of age!  One report stated that: "The birth has shocked Spaniards and created an international sensation. The girl's mother told reporters earlier this week that she was delighted to have a new granddaughter, and does not understand the fuss the birth has caused. She said the baby's father is a 13-year-old boy who is still in Romania.  She also said since they are Romanian Gypsies, or Roma, it is their custom to marry very young."

I suppose that it's all to do with sex.  Sadly, it's actually to do with the abuse of sex!  And there are even more serious consequences of the latter.  A report from the Centre for Disease Control (in the U.S.of A.) reported, this week, that 87% of all reportable disease is sexually transmitted!  We certainly know about the effects of HIV/AIDS.  According toWorldwide HIV & AIDS Statistics, more than 25 million people have died from AIDS since it became prominent in 1981.  A further 33.4 million were recorded as living with HIV/AIDS in 2008 (the latest year for which figures would appear to be available).  And, of course, there are all of the other sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and chlamydia - all of which can have more severe consequences that many (particularly young) people seem to realise!

Of course, there is an answer!  It's to be found in the Maker's Handbook - the Bible.  The seventh of the Ten Words (the 10 Commandments) instructs us not to commit adultery.  I mentioned on a post of many months ago, that if I were to have sexual intercourse with a woman other than my wife - or if I had indulged in that activity before we were married to one another - then I would, by proxy, be having a sexual encounter with evey other male with whom she had been involved; every other woman with whom each of them had been involved; and so on!  That could add up to a very large number of people!

Unfortunately, the perceived wisdom of mankind is simply what is referred to as "safe sex" rather than behavioural change.  Just ensure that you use a condom, and all will be well - with no apparent consideration of the less than 100% certainty of a condom's effectiveness; the straightforward desire for some - especially the males - to have 'unprotected' sex; and the simple fact that so much of the sexual activity that goes on is performed when both parties are under the influence of alcohol, and unlikely to be considering how 'safe' their sexual act might be.

And alcohol is a much abused substance.  In spite of the awareness of its contribution to crime, violence, liver disease, traffic accidents, etc., so many - even among many of my former pupils, if their Facebook comments are anything to go by! - feel that they can only have had "a good night" if they have managed to end up drunk (and incapable?).

Sex is good!  It must be - it was God Who invented it!  But He designed it to be between a man and a woman (not two men, or two women), within the bonds of a committed relationship, and to the exclusion of all others.  Even alcohol is not, per se, a bad thing.  Jesus was willing to provide the finest wine at a wedding feast (John 2:1-11); and Paul instructed Timothy to take some wine for medicinal purposes - with the underlying assumption that there was some to hand (I Tim.5:23).  But, in the Bible, drunkenness is always frowned upon.

Sex, and alcohol.  Both extremely potent.  Both requiring to be "Handled with Care", and with due regard to the Word of God. 

It's an interesting thought that most of the violence, crime, and disease that plagues so much of mankind, would be done away with in just one generation - if the Maker's instructions were followed!