What is a "Christian"?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shut that door!

"Shut that door!" was the name given to a British comedy talk show hosted by Larry Grayson in the seventies.  I don't recall ever having watched the show, but the words also became something of a "catch-phrase" among the general public.

Why would we want to shut a door? Well, there are many reasons. If it is an outside door, it may well be to stop a draught. We think of a closed door as a means of keeping out those who are unwelcome. I recall being on holiday, many years ago, in a certain seaside town in Scotland. We must have only arrived on a Saturday evening but, for whatever reason, we did not know the time at which the worship service commenced for the local church with which we had decided to meet on the Sunday morning. We arrived at the building in what we thought would be plenty of time. However, we then discovered that the service commenced fifteen minutes earlier than we had anticipated - and that, already, the doors were shut! We were less than impressed!

However, a shut door may also signify that we desire to be shut in with someone who is very dear to us, and with whom we wish to spend time without any interruption. This, of course, is the sense in which the Lord Jesus spoke of the need for seclusion if His disciple wants deep, and sweet, communion with God in prayer.

In what we know as "the Sermon on the Mount", Jesus told the people that, when they pray, they should go into their room and shut the door! The word translated "room" means "a place of retirement and privacy." In the privacy of their own room - or, if one does not have a room of one's own, in any private and secluded place - the Heavenly Father will meet with His child in holy intimacy. By the very act of deliberately closing themselves off from everything outside, one is better able to be in a position of openness to God.

Of course, as I reminded the congregation on Sunday, the devil doesn't like it when we pray; and I know from personal experience how easily distracting thoughts fill my mind as I seek to do so. These are, usually, perfectly acceptable thoughts - but they are still a distraction!

This practice of drawing aside is illustrated, to some extent, by the event recorded in John 20:19. Following the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples met, in seclusion, because they feared that their enemies. John records: "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”" (emphasis added). We might say that, when we shut ourselves off from the world, behind our shut door, in prayer, that it is an invitation to the risen Lord to fellowship with us! In the solitude of what we used to call the "Quiet Time", He may meet with His disciple in a special way, and bring strength to a needy heart.

By separating yourself from the din and distraction of people and things you will demonstrate how important is communion with Him; and you will be better able to both open yourself to Him, and hear His response in your heart. That, I would claim, is when you will find power to live for Him.

Broken things!

One of the many interesting characters in the Tanakh (what many people refer to as the Old Testament), is a man named Gideon.  You'll find the full record in the book of Judges 6-8, but the incident that has grabbed my attention is in Judges 7.  YHWH had whittled the army that Gideon had raised from some 32,000 fighting men to a mere 300!  These 300 were equipped, not with spears and swords, but with earthen jars that contained burning torches!

Right away, there is a picture of the true disciple of Jesus.  Writing to the believers in Corinth, Paul says: "... it is the God Who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' Who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us." (II Cor 4:6-7).   God the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer, and provides us with the power that we need to live victorious Christian lives.  Sadly, too many of us go through life without allowing that power to flow through us, and touch others.

The answer is found in this record of the life of Gideon.  The torches were there, but victory only came when the jars were broken!  Then the light shone out, and the Midianites (the enemy) fled in consternation.  Those of us who are disciples of Jesus also need, often, to be broken in order that the light of the Gospel might shine through us.  We complain about adversity; about challenges; about difficult situations.  Yet the written Word makes it abundantly clear that it is tried and tested individuals whom God uses most frequently!

Believers are in the light, but all too often we do not let it shine out to others.  In the home group in which I have the privilege of teaching, we are working our way through John's first letter.  It is John who reminds us, in that letter that if "... we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (I John 1:7).  We might well add, "and others will see Him in us"!  We may have the light of Almighty God inside - but we need to be "broken" before we become completely useful to Him!

Are you being crushed by disappointment, bereavement, pain, sickness, financial difficulties, employment problems, or whatever?  Remember that, while such experiences seem to be tragedies, they may well be God's way of getting through to you - "breaking" you in order that, by His grace, you may display more of His light to others. How could that happen?  Well, Father God deals with each of us as individuals, so I am not in a position to provide a definitive answer to that question.  However, it may be that the way in which you cope with your particular difficulty will cause someone to ask you how you do so! That provides you with an open door to share with that other person, your own testimony to the grace and power of God.

The important thing is to trust Him in spite of the trial, assured that He will give you the power to go on and win new victories for Him.  When you stand before Him, you "... shall understand fully, even as [you] have been fully understood." (I Cor 13:12), and the "why" of broken things will be made plain.

The hymn-writer put it so beautifully:

"Not now, but in the coming years;

it may be in the better Land;

we'll read the meaning of our tears

and there, sometime, we'll understand." (Maxwell N. Cornelius).

The power of the Blood.

This morning, in L'Église Évangélique Libre, in Bergerac, was another first - for me! Having already been the first native English speaker to preach in French, I spoke this morning at the monthly bi-lingual worship service - in BOTH English and French (i.e. I provided my own translation of the English into French!). The response, I am happy to be able to say, was very positive - with one native Frenchman even asking me, afterwards, if I would give him some French lessons!!! (he was joking, of course!).

I'm not going to provide the text of the message here (it should be online at http://eel-bergerac.fr/apercu.htm within a few days), but do want to share a story that I included in the message which, itself, was on the Power of the Blood of the Christ. For the benefit of the few who follow this blog, and who speak French - either as a first, or second, language - I will provide both versions!

The story is told of an old woman who lay dying.  Her pastor visited her.  “I am told,” he said, “that you are dying”.  “Yes”, she replied.  “And have you made your peace with God?” asked the pastor.  “No”, came the simple response.  “And aren’t you afraid to meet God without having made your peace with Him?” “Not at all”, was the answer that startled the pastor.  He grew more earnest.  “Dear woman,” he asked, “do you realise that you have but a short time to live, and that you must soon meet a holy God?”  “I do.”  “And you are not afraid?”  “Not at all.”  “And you haven’t made your peace with Him?”  “No.”  “Whatever are you thinking of?” cried out the pastor.  A smile passed over the features of the dying woman.  “I have not made my peace with God because I do not need to do so. Jesus made peace, almost 2,000 years ago, through His blood, shed on the Cross, and I am simply resting in the peace He made!”

On raconte l'histoire d'une femme agée mourante. Son pasteur lui rend visite. « On m'a dit, » dit-il, « que vous êtes mourante ». « Oui », répondit-elle. « Et avez-vous fait la paix avec Dieu? » demanda le pasteur. « Non », fut la simple réponse. «Et n'avez pas peur de rencontrer Dieu sans avoir fait la paix avec Lui? » «Pas du tout». Cette réponse fit tressaillir le pasteur. Il devint plus sérieux. « Chère madame, » demanda-t-il, « ne réalisez-vous pas que vous avez peu de temps à vivre, et que vous devez bientôt rencontrer le Dieu saint?» «Je le sais.» «Et vous n'avez pas peur?» «Pas du tout. » « Et vous n'avez pas fait la paix avec Lui? » « Non ! » « A quoi pensez-vous? » s écria le pasteur. Un sourire s’afficha sur les levres de la femme. « Je n'ai pas fait la paix avec Dieu parce que je n’ai pas besoin de la faire. Jésus a fait la paix, il y a près de 2000 ans, par Son sang, versé sur la Croix, et je peux tout simplement me reposer sur la paix qu'il a faite! »

The lesson from the story concerned the happiness of those who have learned to thus rest in the peace that the Christ has made - peace between sinful people like you and like me - through His own blood, shed at Calvary. As Paul write to the early believers in Ephesus, "In Him [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood" (1:7). Jesus has paid the debt that we owe, but that we could never repay. Because of His perfect sacrifice, the just demands of God's law have been fully met, and we may enter into communion with our Creator.

Have you entered into that peace? It is available to all - regardless of your social position; your educational achievements; your employment (or lack thereof!); your financial standing; the size of your home, or car, or wide-screen television set; or any other of the many criteria by which society tends to measure and judge us. All that we need to do - but it is a BIG "all" - is to confess to our sinfulness; accept that we are unable to do anything about it; receive the offer of salvation that is made to us; and turn away from the sins that weigh us down. Not something that we are capable of doing on our own, but that can be achieved as we open ourselves to the working of God the Holy Spirit - the "Breath of God" in the Hebrew language - and let Him have His way in our lives.

Are you resting in the peace that is offered in Christ Jesus? You may do so - and you will never regret it, either in this life, or in eternity.

Foundations - and other thoughts!

This morning was spent on three jobs in the house and in the garden.  The first of these was the fitting of two new lamps in a bathroom fixture.  It was to be a straightforward process - until I realised that the lamps that were being replaced operated on 12volts, while the replacements operated on 220 volts.  Not a problem, some electrically-qualified reader may be thinking.  However, although it was easy to remove the transformer, it was not as easy to identify the various cables - that appeared to have been used because they were what was available!  Anyway, the lamps were eventually fitted; connected; and, I am happy to report, are working.

That job was immediately followed by the 'fitting' of a temporary work-surface in the kitchen.  This involved taking 3" off the end of a large sheet of contiboard; using blocks of wood on top of two camping tables to bring the board to an appropriate height; and fixing the board to the wall.   However, that wee job was completed - relatively easily.

Task number three was in the garden, and had been started yesterday.  It involved the digging of an area of almost 11'x 6' to a depth of 6".  This was then filled with a sand/gravel mix and levelled off.  A wooden frame was constructed, and also levelled off, before more of the gravel mix was used to fill it to within 2" of the top.  That mix was levelled, and tamped down, and, next week (we are out for the next three days!) 2" of concrete will be added and allowed to 'cure' for about a week!  That will then provide a good solid base for the new, metal, garden shed that we have purchased, and that I hope to erect during the week after next - weather conditions permitting!

So, why would I want to share all of that with you?  Well, I would suggest that each task has a lesson for life!  When I was working at the lights in the bathroom, I had to keep switching the power off and on again.   That, of course, was for my own safety.  However, the simple fact is that, without power, nothing happens.  Jesus said: "... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses ..." (Acts 1:8).   Need power in your Christian walk?  Invite God the Holy Spirit to come upon you.

What about work-top 'fitting'?  Well, I would suggest that it is a reminder that Father God is willing to use us - just as we are!   Different people have different giftings, natural talents, training, and ability.  When exercising those giftings, etc., we are comfortable.  "This is what I was made for." we might even say!  However, is it not the case that, sometimes, we have to go beyond our comfort zone, in order to achieve a specific objective?  None of the items used to build that work-top were designed to be thus used.  However, you may be assured that they are doing the job, and doing it admirably!

Which leaves the 'outside work'.  No difficulty in seeing a lesson there.  In fact, it isn't even a new lesson.  Jesus taught it some 2,000 years ago.  It's to do with foundations!  If I want my new shed to withstand any storms that come to the area (yes, even the Dordogne does get some!), then I need to spend time on the base - the foundation.  If I get that right, it is probable that my shed will stand for many years.  If I get that wrong, then my shed is likely to collapse before very long.

Jesus' lesson on foundations is found in Matt 7:24-27: "Every one then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And every one who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."

The best foundation for life is the Word of God.  Read it; study it; meditate upon it; commit it to memory.  It will be "... a lamp to [your] feet, and a light to [your] path." (Ps 119:105).

Be filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit; be willing to move out of your personal 'comfort zone' in the Lord's service; ensure that your life is built on the solid foundation of the Word of God - all of it!  Not a bad wee set of lessons from one morning's work.  May all who read, be blessed as they put those lessons into practice in their own lives.