In the Beginning - Pt.6

A play; a horror movie; and as we move forward, it's almost as if we are reading some modern newspaper headlines! Typing this as the war in Ukraine continues, it is not unreasonable to say that now, as then, we stand on the brink of plunging ourselves into total chaos.

As we read Genesis 4, we are introduced to the first family, as Adam and Eve produce two sons. However, these two children, as they grew to adulthood, were very different. Cain, the elder, became a farmer while his younger brother, Abel, became a shepherd. The record reads: "In the course of time Cain brought to YHWH an offering of the fruit of the ground,and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And YHWH had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard." (vs 3-4). Now we are not told, specifically, why YHWH rejected Cain's offering, but the general consensus is that it was because it was not a "blood sacrifice" (he could, after all, asked his brother to give, or trade, him for a lamb and, doubtless, his parents had told him about the sacrifice that was made in order to provide them with suitable clothing). 

However, as we read on, there is the suggestion that Cain was not rejected because of his offering, but that his offering was rejected because of himself! "YHWH said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.'” (vs.6-7). This is confirmed by John in his first letter: "... be not like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous." (I John 3:12).  The inspired writer of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus states that it was "By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts;" (11:4). 

We see more of Cain's heart as we move on to the following verses. He both murdered his brother, and lied to God, doing so in blatant resistance to the clear warning that YHWH gave him (vs.6-7 above).

Passing over the genealogy of chapter 5, we find that Genesis 6 shows a general decline. The first four verses are, to say the least, cryptic! However, what may be safely said is that a new depth has been reached in the progress of evil. One possible interpretation of "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men" (v.2), is that the 'godly' line of the descendants of Seth, mixed with the 'ungodly' line of the descendants of Cain. Whatever the truth, there is a deterioration in human relationships. There is also the reference to the Nephilim - or "mighty men" (v.4). This may have been the opinion of other people, but God sees them as fallen people - and it is His verdict that stands!

These two 'scenes' may remind us of the abuses that are so obvious in the 21st century world around us. Earlier, I was reading about the demonstrations, in the USA, regarding the possible overturning of the "Roe v Wade" verdict regarding abortion. The report also had many photographs. One interesting placard, amongst many interesting placards read - "Abortion access saves lives"! How does one define "life"? Surely it is defined by spontaneous growth. I have never seen a car behave like that, nor a house, nor an aeroplane, etc., etc. However, from the precise moment of conception there is growth. From that instant, the DNA of the potential human being is fixed. That embryonic clump of cells is a living being. Within a very short time, it is a sentient being. Abortion ends that life - at whatever stage it takes place. If more people would take the time to check out the stages of a pregnancy they would discover, among other things, that by the time the mother has decided to take a pregnancy test, the heart is already beating. "Abortion access saves lives"!? Not the baby's! Abortion is more accurately spelled "murder"!

Of course, even in modern "democratic" nations, the majority is not always right - and I actually doubt that the majority are pro-abortion, even if they are the more vociferous! 

Those opening verses of Genesis 6 are not very encouraging - but God is still on the throne, and we will discover, next time, something about what He does next!

The year of cancellations!

This week, we (my wife and I) received the news that our flight to Israel, booked for September 30th, has been cancelled. It had been booked in January for a three-week visit to the Holy Land, as a "holiday of a lifetime" and our gift to one another for our Golden Wedding Anniversary - on September 4th. To celebrate the actual date, we had planned to visit Scotland and have a meal with our family. The ferry was booked just a week before the Prime Minister announced that France had been removed from the list of 'safe' countries. That meant that we would have had to spend our complete time there in isolation! This evening we amended the ferry booking to later in September - but, of course, may well have to postpone the date even further!

Sadly, we are experiencing no more than many have already experienced over the regular holiday months in the Northern Hemisphere. It's been that sort of year (and it isn't over, yet!). Some of us are not even fully convinced that all of the restrictions that have been put in place are necessary, helpful, or even fully enforceable!

The cause of all of this upset is, of course, something that is invisible to the human eye. It is a virus - Covid-19 - that has disrupted not just our own plans; not just the plans of so many in Western Europe; but people the world over. We have discovered the truth of the words of the Scots bard, Robert (Rabbie) Burns that "The best-laid plans o' mice and' men gang aft agley"! (from "To a mouse"). For those who need a translation, a rough one would be: "No matter how carefully we make our plans, be we mice or men, they often go awry"!

I was speaking by 'phone, just last evening, with my younger daughter. In the course of that conversation, we mused on previous plans that had not come to pass. At one time, it was my own plan to emigrate to Australia - but when the opportunity came to do so, I failed to seize the moment!

However, there is One Whose plans are always fulfilled. That One is Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is. As we read His Word - the Bible - we discover that His plan is for this world that we know to eventually be destroyed, and to make way for a new heaven, and a new earth. He has not said precisely when that will happen, but He has given us some indications of the season in which it will take place. The first sign - and the one that will happen in a nanosecond - will be the rapture* of the true disciples of Jesus, the Christ (see I Cor.15:51ff; I Thess.4:13ff). That will be followed by a seven-year period of tribulation. It will be after that period that the Lord Jesus will return, with His church, and after that, the new heaven and the new earth.

The apostle John was given a glimpse of all of that which he recorded in what we know as the Revelation of Jesus the Christ. He wrote: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away. And He who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."Also He said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death." (Rev 21:1-8).

It is only those who have a personal relationship with the Father, through the Lord Jesus and His atoning sacrifice at Calvary, who will inhabit that new heaven and new earth. The signs are all around us that the rapture - that will set this particular timetable in motion, is very close. The big, and extremely important, question is: "Are you ready?" If you are not, then I urge you to do something about it - and to do it now! Writing to the Corinthians, Paul stated "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Cor 6:2; emphases added); while the writer of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus asked the unanswerable question: "... how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" (Heb 2:3).

"Rapture ready" - should be the aim of each and every one of us!

* The subject of the Rapture is dealt with, in greater depth, in my book "Great Words of the Faith", available from Amazon in both paperback, and Kindle formats. Links are at the top of the blog. Please permit me to emphasise that I do not receive a single penny from sales. ALL royalties are sent, by Amazon, directly to the Bank Account of Release International, in support of the persecuted church.

Making up!

It may surprise some folk, but not all of my reading is Biblical or theological. Indeed, I enjoy a good novel as much as anyone and, with a Kindle, I can now read almost anywhere! Last week I read a series of books from one of my favourite genres: Science Fiction. Like most such books, there was much more of the "fiction" than there was of the "science". However, as long as one takes everything with the proverbial "pinch of salt", there should be no harm done.

My reason for mentioning all of that is that the story I read last week actually started me thinking along theological lines! Without trying to provide a synopsis of a four-volume tale, there was one woman, named Deirdre, who had been responsible for a terrible catastrophe that had struck mankind. She was now experiencing great guilt, and was seeking some way by which she might make up to the survivors for what she had done. In theological terms, she was seeking atonement. Sadly, she was unable to do so. Nothing was sufficient to enable her to make up for, to atone for, her terrible deed.

The English-language word "atonement" provides its own definition: "at-one-ment"! Atonement refers to the 'coming together' of God and man. Our sin has created a barrier between us and our loving Creator. Atonement has to do with the breaking down of that barrier. It has to do with reconciliation. So Paul writes that the Father “… through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” (II Cor.5:18-19).

At the beginning, of course, there was a close relationship between Father God and the humans He had created - so much so that He walked with them in the beautiful garden in which He had placed this first couple. However, as we read in Gen.3, the serpent deceived the humans, and sin entered the fresh, new world. The close relationship between the Creator and the crown of His creation, was broken - and there was nothing that man could do about it.

In his latest book (A.S.K.) David Robertson writes: "When we do something wrong against a friend or someone in our family, I guess we can make up for it – we can atone for it. I once kicked a ball through a window – and I atoned for it by paying for the glass to be replaced. But when we sin against a pure and holy God, it’s not just a small matter…and it's nothing we can atone for." (ch.17: Forgiveness)

Praise God, He could do something - and He did! He established a ritual of animal sacrifice as "... without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Heb.9:22). You may read all about that in the book of Leviticus. That system led, in time, to a unique sacrifice by which full restoration might be accomplished.  It was in the death of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, that atonement was fully realised.  It was as He gave Himself, willingly, in fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies, that reconciliation was made.

One of the old hymns that I love begins: "Not all the blood of beasts, on Jewish altars slain, could give the guilty conscience peace, or wash away one stain. But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, took all our sins away; a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they." (Isaac Watts). As I type these words I am listening to a more modern song that proclaims the wonderful truth that "My sins, they are many; His mercy is more."!

Like Deirdre in the story, I can never, however hard I may try, make atonement for my sins. Praise God that He loves me enough that, in the Persona of the Son, He paid the price. It was in the unique sacrifice of the Lord Jesus that restoration was accomplished.  It is in Him that Father God is able to again have a loving relationship with you and with me.  In His humanity, He bore the punishment that we deserved; in His deity, He provided the perfection that alone could satisfy the righteous wrath of the Holy One. "He paid a debt He did not owe, because I owed a debt I could not pay."

Have you responded, positively, to that amazing grace? Have you accepted the reconciliation that was gained for you at Calvary? Are you "at one" with Father God? The offer is there and, as soon as you accept it, you will enter into that new relationship with your Creator that will last throughout eternity. 

[There is a full chapter on the word "atonement" in my first book: "Great Words of the Faith", which I recommend to you (as well as the other two currently available!). Remember that I have no hesitation in promoting these books because (a) I think that they are well worth having (or giving to a friend!) and (b) ALL royalties go directly to the bank account of Release International, in support of the persecuted church. Links available to both paperback and Kindle versions, at the top of the page.]

Love ----- or lust?

It was one of those "photo-articles" that regularly appear in my on-line newspaper. It referred to many female celebrities of screen and stage from the days when I was a much younger man!! I browsed through them, and was genuinely surprised at the change in appearance of so many! Women who, forty years ago, I would have considered to be very attractive, even beautiful, were - in my eyes - no longer so!

I didn't need either old photographs, or contemporary ones, of another female - one who is well-known to me. I refer, of course, to my wife! Now, she has certainly changed in her appearance through the intervening years. However, to me, she is still a beautiful woman and, even after more than forty-eight years of marriage, I still fancy her!

So what makes the difference? Permit me to come at the question from a slightly different direction. If I were to stand my wife, as she is now, beside (for example) Jaclyn Smith, as she was when she played the part of one of "Charlie's Angels", and judge them against one another, in a totally objective fashion, then there is no doubt that the early Jaclyn Smith would win the contest. But it's that word "objective" that makes the difference.

You see, I don't look at my wife in an objective fashion. I look at her through the eyes of love. If I look at Jaclyn Smith, as she was (or any of the others in that batch of women) I am, if I am totally honest with myself, looking through the eyes of lust! However, I might say that I don't love my wife, today, because of how she looks. Rather, she looks to me as she does, because of my love for her! Do you understand the difference?!

We may use that situation as an analogy. When Almighty God looks at me, just as I am, He cannot see anything in me that He would find "attractive". Yet I am assured that He loves me, with "... an everlasting love." (Jer. 31:3). I am assured that "... God so loved the world [that includes me - and you!] that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have [note the present tense!] eternal life." (John 3:16). I am assured "... that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate [me] from the love of God in Christ Jesus [my] Lord." (Rom 8:38-39).

He looks at me, not objectively, but through the eyes of love! But how can this be? It's simply because, in repentance and faith, I have accepted the salvation that the Christ Whose miraculous incarnation we have just celebrated, won for me on the cross of Calvary when "For [my] sake He [the Father] made Him [the Son] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him [I] might become the righteousness of God." (II Cor 5:21; emphasis added). It's nothing of 'me'; it's all of Him!

As we approach the end of this year of grace, and anticipate the beginning of a new year, how does Father God see you? Is He able to look at you, and see that your sins are forgiven because of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus? Or are you living in your sin - perhaps trying to win God's favour by what you consider to be 'good deeds'? 

Many, many years ago, I made the only "new year resolution" that I have managed to keep for more than a few months. It was the simple resolution that I would no longer make new year resolutions! However, if you still do so, and you are not yet in that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, through the indwelling power of God the Holy Spirit, may I encourage you to come to Him - "... Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith who, for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12:2).  

He is waiting; He is willing to receive you. Will you come to Him, today? If I may be of any assistance, please feel free to use the e-mail address at the top of the page; or send a contact e-mail address as a comment (that will not be published!); or check out some of the links further down the page. The one thing you must not do is nothing! "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Cor 6:2); "... how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" (Heb 2:3). 

Isaac - the son of the promise (3)

In the previous two posts, we have looked at the record of Avraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, his greatly-beloved son, Yitzchak, at the command of YHWH (the incident is know, to Jews, as the Akedah), and of Yitzchak's willingness to be sacrificed; and at some of the interpretations provided by the secularists and the Jewish communities.

In this post, I wish to share something about the Christian view of the Akedah which is, basically, that it was a type, or foreshadowing (see part 2) of the ultimate sacrifice of Yeshua. For those who have placed their trust in that same Yeshua, the Akedah is much more than the record of an incident that took place millennia ago.

Let's look at this in a fairly chronological order, and from a typological perspective.

1. YHWH issues His command - expresses His will - to Avraham, to sacrifice his beloved son.

Son of Avraham: "[YHWH] said, 'Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Yitz’chak; and go to the land of Moriyah. There you are to offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will point out to you.'" (Gen.22:2).

Son of God: "... it pleased YHWH to crush Him with illness, to see if He would present himself as a guilt offering." (Is.53:10; see Jn.3:16).

2. The sons accept the Father's will.

Yitzchak does not rebel, or struggle against his father, but allows himself to be bound, and laid upn the altar. (Gen.22:6-11).

Yeshua affirms "... not My will, but Yours, be done." to His Father, in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Lk.22:42; see Is.53:7), and allows Himself to be bound, and nailed, to the cross. (Lk.23:33, inter al). 

3. The sons carry the wood.

Yitzchak carries the wood as he and Avraham ascend the mountain (Gen.22:6)

Yeshua carries the wooden stake as He struggles, physically, toward Golgotha. (Jn.19:7).

4. God provides a substitute.

 "God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." Avraham says to Yitzchak, in response to his son's enquiry. (Gen.22:8). "[He] went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son." (Gen.22:13).

God, Himself, provided "God’s Lamb! The One Who is taking away the sin of the world!" (Jn.1:29).

5. Loved ones grieve for three days.

Isaac was all but dead, in Abraham’s heart and mind during their three-day journey to Mount Moriyah.

Yeshua was dead.  His followers grieved during His three days in the tomb.

6. Faith in a resurrection.

Of Yitzchak. The early Jewish sage, Rabbi Eliezer (c.40-120), writes that Avraham believed in the resurrection of the dead:

          "When Avraham Avinu (our father) put the knife to Yitzchak's neck, Yitzchak's soul flew away and left him. In effect, he died.

          "When Avraham then heard the Heavenly Voice proclaim 'Send forth not your hand against the lad', the soul returned into Yitzchak's body.  Yitzchak thus personally experienced the phenomenon of Techiyas haMeisim (resurrection of the dead).

           "At that moment, Yitzchak opened his mouth and recited the blessing: 'Blessed art Thou Who brings the dead back to life.'" (Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, ch.31. See also Heb.11:17-19).

Of Yeshua. Even although the apostles mourned His death while He lay in the tomb, "With great power the emissaries continued testifying to the resurrection of the Lord Yeshua," (Acts 4:33).

Both Jews and Christians agree that gen.22 is a magnificent example of a father/son relationship of love, obedience, sacrifice, and faith. In fact, earlier this week, Jewish communities worldwide (the Diaspora) will have read this passage as they celebrated Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year); and they will have recited prayers seeking forgiveness (selichot). In some of these prayers, the Jewish people appeal to God's mercy with Avraham during the Akedah, as they seek His forgiveness for themselves today. 

The Akedah, in the minds of the Rabbis, was an act of such magnitude that Jewish people continue to call out to God for forgiveness, based on the faith-filled act of Avraham, and the selfless offering of himself, by Yitzchak.

The Gospel News is that believers can claim the forgiveness won for us, at Calvary, when Yeshua submitted Himself to the death that we deserved. He paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay.

"... He [Yeshua] did not enter heaven to offer Himself over and over again, like the cohen hagadol [High Priest] who enters the Holiest Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer death many times — from the founding of the universe on. But as it is, He has appeared once at the end of the ages in order to do away with sin through the sacrifice of Himself." (Heb.9:25-26).

Have you come before Him, in repentance and faith, and received the new life that He offers? The ball, as is often said, is in your court!

Isaac - the son of the promise.

As we return to our look at some of the best-known, and most important, of the characters from the Tanakh (the Jewish Scriptures; the Old Testament in the Christian Bible), we turn to Yitzchak (Isaac). Avraham, you may recall, was promised by El Shaddai, that he would be the father of a mighty nation, whose numbers would be as the stars of the sky - and that at a time when there was none of the light pollution to which most of us are subjected, and that hide the majority of stars from our sight. All very well - except for the fact that, at that time, Avraham and his wife, Sara, were childless! It is difficult to be the progenitor of a nation if one doesn't have even one child with which to start!

Avraham did what many of us try to do - he decided (or, to be more accurate, Sara suggested, and he acquiesced!) to give God a helping hand. In what was culturally acceptable at the time, Sara gave him her handmaid to bear a child on Sara's behalf. Hagar, the maid, did bear a son to Avraham - a boy who was named Ishmael, and from whom the Arab peoples are descended. 

Some fourteen years later, El Shaddai appeared to Avraham, and assured him that, in the following spring, Sara would bear a son. At this time, Avraham was 100 years old, and his wife was ten years younger. She was, to put it mildly, sceptical! "I am old, and so is my lord; am I to have pleasure again?" (Gen. 18:12). Well, who could blame her?! However, "... with God everything is possible." (Matt. 19:26) and, in the spring, Sara did, indeed, give birth to the boy who was named Yitzchak.

The most important part of the story of Yitzchak is, surely, the command of God, to Avraham, to sacrifice this son of the promise. Not only was the command given, but it was given in such a way as to, metaphorically, "twist the knife"! "Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Yitz’chak; and go to the land of Moriyah. There you are to offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will point out to you." (Gen.22:2). Not just your son, Avraham, but your only son! Not just your only son, but the son whom you love! And in case there is still any doubt, his name is Yitzchak.

This is an episode with which the Jewish world has wrestled. How could a loving God ask any human father to sacrifice his own son? One key to understanding this event is to recognise the way in which what are called "types" (or "foreshadows") are used in the Tanakh to point us to events that would take place in future time. 

Avraham and Yitzchak set off to climb Mount Moriah

Early the next morning, and having made the appropriate preparations, Avraham sets out, with Yitzchak and two servants, on a three-day journey to the land of Moriyah - possibly the treeless ranges of Sinai down near Kadesh.  When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, Avraham and Yitzchak set off up the mountain, leaving the servants behind. As they climbed, Yitzchak asked: "I see the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" His father immediately answered "'God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son'; and they both went on together."

On the mountain, a stone altar is constructed; the wood is laid out; and Yitzchak is bound and placed on the wood. It is worth remembering that Yitzchak, by this time, was a young man so, while we consider Avraham's obedience, we must also note that Yitzchak was willing to be bound and offered.  Avraham slowly takes the knife, placing it at Yitzchak's throat, ready to make the fatal cut. It is only at this point that El Shaddai intervenes by sending "... the angel of YHWH ..." (often identified as the Son)  to stop him from sacrificing his son. “Avraham? Avraham!” He answered, “Here I am.” He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy! Don’t do anything to him! For now I know that you are a man who fears God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Gen.22:11-12).

Avraham looks behind him, and there is a ram, caught in a thicket. He takes the ram, and sacrifices it instead of Yitzchak.

In the next post, we shall look at this concept of "types". I shall try not to have you wait for too long!!!

Only the best is good enough!

Throughout my increasingly long life, I have often been informed - in a negatively critical manner - that I am a "perfectionist"! I was reminded of that when I read these words, in a blog from David Robertson: "... please send us your best – no other sacrifice is good enough for the Lord."

The reason why those words resonated with me is that it is in that area that I willingly plead "Guilty", as charged. The Old Testament prophet, Malachi (he whose book is the final one in translations from the Hebrew), had something to say about the subject. The literal translation of his name is "my messenger", and his ministry consisted of calling God's people - the Children of Israel - back to their spiritual responsibilities, and to a fresh commitment.

Malachi wrote his prophetic message about 450 B.C., at the time when the Children of Israel had returned to the land of Judah, in Canaan, and had succeeded in rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. However, once this had been achieved the people, as had happened so often before in their long history, had become backslidden and idolatrous. Malachi is the prophet, chosen and called by YHWH (the LORD) to reawaken them, and to challenge them to live up to their God-given responsibilities as the Chosen People.

The prophet criticises the people in four main areas, the first of which was their failure to put God first in their list of priorities. They had begun to take Him for granted, and had lost their sense of spiritual need. Worst of all, it was the priests - those who should have been teaching the people and ensuring that they kept the Torah (which is much more than "Law" in our modern, Western, sense) - who were most guilty! Malachi's accusation is specific: "A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a Father, where is My honour? And if I am a Master, where is My fear? says YHWH Sabaoth (the Lord of hosts) to you, O priests, who despise My Name." (1:6). He goes on to make the accusation even more specific by pointing out that the priests, instead of offering unblemished animals for sacrifice, were palming off, on the Almighty, cheap and worthless beasts. "You say, ‘How have we despised Thy Name?’  By offering polluted food upon My altar. And you say, ‘How have we polluted it?’ By thinking that YHWH's table may be despised.  When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that no evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that no evil? Present that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favour? says YHWH Sabaoth." (1:6-8).

Today, of course, animal sacrifices are unnecessary - certainly for disciples of Jesus whose voluntary death has fully paid the penalty for our sin. We are still obliged, however, to honour Almighty God as Father and Master. If we fail to do so, and neglect to give Him His due - in time, money, energy, talents, concerns - then we are no different from those priests from 2,500 years ago. If we are, indeed, disciples of Jesus, this may be the very moment in which we should re-establish our priorities! 

At the end of this section - what we know as the first chapter of the prophecy - are these words of YHWH: "Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to YHWH what is blemished; ..." (v.14; emphasis added). A man who offered an unfit sacrifice in Old Testament times was referred to, by Almighty God, as a 'cheat'! We, too, fall into this category when we refuse, or fail, to give Him our best. As David Robertson said: "- no other sacrifice is good enough for the Lord."

Blood relatives.

Many of us will remember the tradition, in some cultures, of a "blood brother" - with the ceremony of cutting one's arm and mixing the  blood with the blood of another who had also cut his arm. Of course, in a western culture, the expression "blood relative", tends to refer to those who have the same parents, or grandparents, or whatever.

However, on Sunday, I listened to a young Afro-American refer to his brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus as his "blood-brothers and sisters". It was something of a revelation to me! Yet, I realised, instantly, how true the description is!

What is a disciple of Jesus? I have, in the past, preached a number of sermons seeking to answer that very question. Indeed, I suspect that I have dealt with it, over the years, in this blog! However, the very least that one may say is that a true disciple of Jesus is one who has been washed in the sacrificial blood of the Saviour. It is that blood that, "... cleanses us from all sin." (I John 1:7). It is that blood that is the "crimson flow" of which the hymn-writer speaks: "Oh precious is the flow that washes white as snow. No other fount I know; nothing but the blood of Jesus." (Robert Lowry:1826-1899).

The same blood is necessary for all, and available for all. It is necessary because "... without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Heb.9:22). It is available for all because "... Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit;" (I Peter 3:18).

This, of course, ties in with the whole idea of disciples of Jesus being brothers and sisters; adopted into the family of Father God. We are "... all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal.3:28). I now realise that we are "blood relatives" - not because we have shed our own blood (although so many in the persecuted church in more than sixty countries around the world, are faithful to the Christ, even to the shedding of their blood, and physical death), but because, on a hill called Calvary, almost 2,000 years ago, He shed His.

Are you my blood-brother/sister? Please don't be put off by what you know (or even think you know!) about me! Look to Jesus "... the pioneer and perfecter of our faith Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb.12:2). If you are washed in His blood, then you are His blood brother/sister also. Now that is something really worthwhile!

Heaven - or hell?

It started with a Facebook post shared by one of my former pupils. The post gave a list of the good things that were apparently done by the late George Michael, but claimed "Yet today you read comments that he is damned because he was gay. I know in whose company I would rather spend eternity, and which behaviour I consider more "Christian"."

As some might expect, I responded to this! I pointed out that the person who originally penned the piece appeared not to understand what a Christian (better "disciple of Jesus") actually is. Biblically, being a disciple of Jesus means that one has been saved. That salvation, Paul reminds us, is solely and simply through the grace of God - "By grace you have been saved, through faith, not of works lest any man should boast."(Eph.2:8). Let's finish the year by unpicking those words a little.

"By grace ..." I give a full chapter in my book "Great Words of the Faith" (link at top of page: available as a paperback, or a Kindle e-book) to the word 'grace' (23 other important words are also dealt with!). At it's most simple, however, grace refers to my receiving that which I don't deserve; cannot earn; and could never purchase. In other words, grace has absolutely nothing to do with 'me' - what I have done for others; what I have given to others; how I have behaved. It has everything to do with the love of Almighty God, shown supremely in the willing sacrifice of Jesus, the Christ, at Calvary. When Jesus hung on the cross, He was paying the penalty for you sins, and for mine. He was doing what we could never do. He was satisfying God's justice, by the greatest expression of love in the history of mankind.

"... you have been saved ..." Salvation is also dealt with, much more fully, in my book. It is, of course, a concept with which we are all too familiar in a physical sense. There is a fire in a house, or a place of entertainment, or wherever. The Fire Brigade arrives and rescues all who were trapped in the inferno - and the newspaper reports inform us that so many people were "saved".  They were saved from serious injury, or even from death. However, the salvation to which Paul refers is of inestimably greater significance - it is salvation from sin: it's power; it's penalty; and, ultimately, its presence.

"... through faith ..." 'Faith' is actually the first word dealt with in the book already cited. It's something that we exercise every time we board public transport - 'bus, aeroplane, or any other form. When I flew earlier this year, I didn't meet the pilot of the aeroplane; I didn't personally examine the aircraft; I wasn't provided with the opportunity to ensure that it had sufficient fuel in the tanks to make the planned flight. Yet I boarded that aircraft; settled into my seat; and enjoyed the short flight. I trusted that all of those concerned had attended to all of the necessary checks. The writer of the great Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus gave God's definition of the word: "... the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Heb.11:1). It is taking, on trust, God's own Word about anything and everything!

"... not of works lest any man should boast." You see, if salvation depended on my "works", then the late Mr Michael would be able to claim that he had done more to gain his salvation than I had done to gain mine! And he would be correct. I have never been in the position to give the vast amounts to others that the post that set me off on this claims that he did - and I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the claim. I, of course, could then boast that I had given, and done, more than many other people. However, if salvation is NOT about what I have done, then we all stand at the same level. It;s not about me; it's all about Him!

I know very little about George Michael. I am certainly not in a position to state, emphatically, where he will spend eternity. However, I do know this much - if he had yielded his life to Almighty God, through the Lord Jesus, the Christ, and if God the Holy Spirit was living in and through him, then he is already in the presence of that same Jesus. Otherwise, he is not!

Whatever George Michael's eternal destiny, it is now too late to do anything about it. However, for you there is still time. If you wish to make a worthwhile "New Year Resolution", then I strongly urge you to consider your own eternal destiny. While you breathe, there is the opportunity to come before Father God, in repentance and faith, and receive the salvation that was gained for you at Calvary. God the Holy Spirit will then come into your life and help you to become more like Jesus, in the process that is known as 'sanctification' (yes - it is also dealt with in "Great Words"!!). If I can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me through the contact e-mail address at the top of the page.

May you have a great 2017 - and walk with Him through every day.

Conformity.

Today, as many will know, is St Andrew's Day. St Andrew is the patron saint of a number of countries, one of which is Scotland. The Free Church of Scotland called for this St Andrew's Day to be a national day of Prayer - for the nation of Scotland, but also for the world in general. I know that I was not alone in spending some of today in prayer for Scotland, the rest of the UK and, of course, France.

The denomination kindly provided some specific prayer points that I certainly found to be very helpful.  However, one "bullet point" jumped out at me.  It stated: "Confess sins of conformity to the world and failing to prioritise Jesus Christ over all the world."

I have no doubt that a well-known verse from the Scriptures of the New Testament were in the mind of the person(s) who decided to provide that particular point. Paul, writing to the early disciples of Jesus in the 1st century city of Rome, encouraged them to "... 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). How often I allow myself to conform in this way, and it is right and proper that I should confess to that, and receive the forgiveness of Father God that has already been gained for me through the substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus as He paid the penalty for my sins.

However, I remembered that Paul had already written about "conforming", in that same letter. A little earlier he had explained to his fellow-believers that "... those whom He [Father God] foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He [the Son; the Lord Jesus] might be the first-born among many brethren." (Rom 8:29; emphasis added).

So, it would appear that it is not "conforming" that is the problem - but to Whom, or to what, we conform!

Last evening, we had a number of friends join with us for dinner.  The gathered company included a little boy who is about 18 months old. He and I had great fun - if I did something, he would copy me. One might say that he was "conforming" to what he saw me do. It's a perfectly normal reaction in a child - copying what an adult does. It's how we learn in the early days of our human lives.

What a difference it would make in, and to, my life if I was to be as faithful in copying Jesus as that little boy was in copying me last evening! Yet Paul says that this is what I have been predestined to do! Now, I can accept that - and despair. I can look at myself, and easily recognise how poor a copy of Jesus I am! However, I can also accept that, if Father God has said that I shall be like the Son - then I shall be! The transformation will not be completed until I reach Glory - but the process is already in operation! As a friend from 'way back used to put it - "I'm still a work in progress"! (For more on this - what theologians refer to as "Sanctification" - read my book "Great Words of the Faith"; details above!).

So, to Whom, or to what, do you conform - or, at least, seek to conform? It's a question that only you can answer - but it's a question, the answer to which has eternal consequences!

Clothes!

It was a sad morning!  For the first time in many months, I felt obliged to put on a pair of working jeans instead of the shorts that have been my attire in the garden, and the house, for a long time.  It was simply the case that, although there was not a cloud in the sky, and the sun was beaming, there was a wee chill in the air.  Mind you, by lunchtime I was ready to revert to shorts, as we sat outside for our mid-day meal!

Clothes!  We all use them - basically because of culture and climate!  They do have uses.  As I dug out some old rose bushes, I was glad that I was still wearing the jeans.  Those thorns can be quite sharp!  

I was reminded of a verse in Paul's letter to the Christian believers in ancient Rome.  He encourages his readers (and that includes disciples of Jesus, today!) to: "... put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." (Rom 13:14).

The word translated "put on" (endusasthe) refers to putting on of clothes.  But why would Paul tell us to put on Jesus as we put on our clothes?!  Well, here are some of the reasons why we put on clothes, that might provide some clues.  We put on clothes, first of all, in order to cover our bodies. In Gen.3:1-7, we read about the entrance of sin into the perfect world that Almighty God had created. When they realised what they had done, Adam and Eve "... sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons." (v.7).  This action is often interpreted to refer to nudity, as if that was the great sin!  Not so!  It has really to do with sin.  This was man's attempt to cover his sin by his own works – sewing the fig leaves together.  But Heb.9:22 makes clear that “... without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” and, in Gen 3:21 we read that: "... YHWH Elohim made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them."  In order for that to have been done, an animal had to die - the first death in creation!

You and I born as sinful human beings.  Like Adam and Eve, we need to have a covering for our sin.  Like them, we often try to make up our own covering.  But it's of no use.  Father God sees right through us!  So how can my sin be covered?  “... put on the Lord Jesus Christ ...”!  I need to be covered with His righteousness; I need to be so surrounded by His presence so that, when the Father, in judgement, looks at me, He sees, not my sinfulness, but the Son’s sacrifice and shed blood.  I need to “... put on the Lord Jesus Christ, ...”

But we also put on clothes in order to protect our bodies.  Father God’s words, after mankind had allowed sin to enter, and spoil, His good creation were, concerning the earth, “... the ground is cursed because of you.  All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.  It will grow thorns and thistles for you, ‘though you will eat of its grains.” (Gen 3:17-18).  And so, man found that an apron of leaves that was the work of his own hands, would not be sufficient.  They might have covered his immediate nakedness; they might have satisfied his desire to cover up his sinfulness; but they would do nothing to protect him from the thorns and thistles that now surrounded him or, as his descendants migrated to colder climates, from the lower temperatures.  He discovered that he needed not only covering, but also protection.

And so it is with Jesus.  We don’t just need to be covered with His righteousness; but also protected by His power.  We need to be, not just saved; but also sanctified.  We don’t just need forgiveness for all of our past sin, but also the strength to resist the temptations that we meet, day after day – the spiritual thorns and thistles that crowd into our lives.  We need to “... put on the Lord Jesus Christ ...”

Covered; protected; and then a third reason for putting on clothes occurred to me.  For is it not true that we also put on clothes in order to enhance our bodies – to make us ‘look better’?  Even a person of very plain looks may, if well and properly dressed, look more attractive.  Just think of the popularity of various ‘makeover’ reality shows on TV!  And, of course, even a person endowed with natural good looks can be strikingly beautiful, or handsome, when dressed with equally good taste.  “Clothes maketh a man” (Shakespeare) – and there is more than a grain of truth in that!

Of course, it would be unfair to directly compare me with, say, Tom Cruise (he wouldn’t stand a chance!!).  The only valid comparison is between me poorly-dressed, and me well-dressed.  It's the same in the spiritual realm.  The life of one who having confessed their sin, and repented, is following Jesus, changes – and does so for the better.  Putting on Lord Jesus Christ has made that life more attractive than it was before; the person is different.  But beware of making a comparison with someone else!

Clothing: something with which each of us very familiar: used to cover; to protect; to enhance our bodies. 

The Lord Jesus Christ: One of Whom we are all so very much in need – the need to be covered with His righteousness; protected by His power; enhanced with His beauty.

Have you “... put on the Lord Jesus Christ ...”?  Have you?

Abraham - the father of the faithful!

Paul's words, in Gal 3:7 - "... it is men of faith who are the sons of Abraham." - are among those that have given rise to Abraham being described as in the heading to this post.  But, having recently completed reading about Abraham in my personal devotions, I found myself thinking on Abraham's own faith.  What kind of example has he left to disciples of Jesus today?

Well, the first thing we may note about Abraham is that he was saved through faith.  Paul, this time writing to the believers in Rome, makes the point: "What then shall we say about Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.' Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due. And to one who does not work but trusts Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness." (Rom 4:1-5).  Abraham could not have been saved by the keeping of the Law - because that Law had not yet been given.  He could not have been saved by the ritual of circumcision, because God declared him to be righteous before he was circumcised (see Rom.4:9-12).  He was, like everyone else who is saved, saved through faith - faith in the Living God. (see also Heb.11).

But he was not only saved through faith, he also lived by faith.  Wherever he went, we read, he pitched his tent and built an altar to El Shaddai.  He let people know that he was a pilgrim and a stranger - even in the land that God had covenanted to give to his descendants.  His willingness to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise, proved his trust in God - "He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead; hence, figuratively speaking, he did receive him [Isaac] back." (Heb 11:19).  His works did not save him, but they proved that his faith was genuine.

Saved through faith; living by faith; and Abraham walked in faith.  Of course, he had lapses - some of them serious - but his general manner of life was one of faith.  "Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. ... So Abram went, as the LORD had told him;" (Gen.12:1,4).  That great eleventh chapter of Hebrews has more to say about Abraham than about any other of the individuals who are named there!

So what has all of that to do with you and me, so many millennia later?  Well, if we have no interest in the things of God - absolutely nothing!  However if, like me, you claim to be a disciple of the Lord, Jesus the Christ, descended, after the flesh, from this same Abraham, then his life must be a challenge to you, as it is to me. 

I must remember that my salvation is only by the grace of Almighty God to which I, too, must respond through faith.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:8-9).  I am not saved by my "good works" - and any service that I do render is only because I am "... His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works , which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:10). I must learn to walk by faith - and that means walking in obedience. It means, as the hymn-writer put it, "Standing on the promises".  A friend of many years ago would often state that "God said it; I believe it; that's it; period!"  That's not a bad way in which to live!

I've been challenged, afresh, by the life of Abraham.  Perhaps you will be, as well!

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.

The highest watermark.

In his letter to the believers in the early church in the Imperial City of Rome, Paul writes these words: "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (12:1-2).

It was many years ago that I was taught that, when one reads the word "therefore" in the Bible, one should ask "What is it there for?"  In those words, it refers to all of the teaching that Paul has previously provided to the recipients.  It is, indeed, the pivot word on which this section of Romans turns from belief to behaviour.  Up until this point, Paul has been explaining what God has done to redeem us.  He now challenges his readers (now, as well as then!) to surrender themselves, totally, into God's hands.

Self-surrender and self-sacrifice have, of course, been demonstrated by God before He demands them from us!  Tomorrow (Saturday) is, of course, the Jewish Shabbat.  Judaism has its own "lectionary" - set readings from the Scriptures for each week, or even day.  In synagogues around the world, one of the passages that will be read on this particular Shabbat is from the Book of Leviticus: "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to YHWH, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock.  If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before YHWH."  (1:2-3).  The Hebrew word korbanot  means to be close and the point is that the sacrifices, once accepted by God, restore closeness and intimacy between Him and His people.  Why is this necessary?  Because our iniquities and sins separate us from God and prevent us from establishing or maintaining a close relationship with Him.  "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2). For we who live under the New Covenant, the perfect sacrifice was made by God Himself, in the Persona of the Son.

It is our sin - yours and mine - that took Jesus to the cross in the greatest act of self-sacrifice in all of history.  When He asks us to surrender ourselves, He is not asking us to do, or give, anything that He has not already done, and given.

The story is told of a missionary who shared this truth with a highly intellectual Hindu, and added, "I believe that to be the high watermark of the universe".  The Hindu removed his spectacles, wiped away an involuntary tear, and replied, "High watermark?  That's the highest watermark of which the human mind could ever conceive!"  How true!  In the self-giving of Himself, Almighty God set the standard for the universe.  Nothing in either God, or in man, can ever go beyond it.  It is the highest truth conceivable.

Have you submitted yourself to Him?  Have you presented yourself, a living sacrifice?  It is, indeed, no more than "reasonable service"!

GOOD Friday?

It is, at first sight, a strange way by which to refer to the day that commemorates someone dying the particularly cruel death by crucifixion.  Why would anyone refer to such a day as "Good"?

The answer to that question is, of course, to be found in the identity of the One Who hung on that particular cross, on that specific day.  This was no common criminal - even 'though He died a criminal's death.  This One was Jesus of Nazareth - not only, as the inscription proclaiming His 'crime' proclaimed, "King of the Jews" but, in fact, the Saviour of mankind.  

Of course apart from using it as a piece of fashion jewellery, the world (i.e. those who live as if God does not exist) despises the cross, and the One Who hung on the cross.  As the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, wrote - centuries before the crucifixion of Jesus - "He was despised and rejected by men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." (53:3).
 
Why did He die?  It was not because He had no choice in the matter.  As God the Son, He was able to ask: "Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53).   No, the reason for His death was, quite simply, your sin - and mine!  His death substituted for ours. He was the sacrificial “... Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). This Lamb is none other than God the Son Who, as Paul was later to write, willingly “... emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And, being found in human form, ... humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:7-8).
 
Remarkably, even God the Father “despised” Him as He hung on the cross, for God is holy and sinless and, for our sakes had “ ... made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor 5:21).  It is not so many years since I first noticed that 'be' that I have emboldened, and the reality of it suddenly became clear.  Jesus not only “... bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” (I Peter 2:24).  He actually became sin - sin in all of its blackness, and vileness, and heinousness, and accursedness.  When I did realise that, I also realised that it was at that moment, in time, that the Father, in His sinless holiness, turned away from the Son.  It was at that moment, in time, that Jesus uttered what is referred to as “the cry of dereliction”: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt.27:46).

The chorus of one of the old Christian hymns - with better theology than some of its modern counterparts! - goes like this:
“So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, 'til my trophies at last I lay down.  Yes, I'll cherish the old rugged cross; and exchange it, one day, for a crown.”

On this Good Friday, do you cherish the cross, and the One Who hung on it?  Do you?!