Looking for a sign?

It was in Glasgow, this morning, that I was faced with the question in the heading! It was on a large billboard - and was actually advertising said billboard. However, the question set my mind off! I thought of the year that has passed, and the number of "signs" each of which was going to be, we were assured, the sign that heralded the "end of the world"! Of course, as I am here today, typing this, I must assume that all of those signs were, to put it as delicately as possible, "misread"!

People, it would appear, are always "looking for a sign". It may be the special gift that signifies "I love you". It may be the "Well done" that signifies that the boss is pleased with one's efforts. It may be the 'look across a crowded room' that signifies a romantic interest. It may be the handshake that signifies that a deal is acceptable to both sides. There are even those who claim to be experts in body language and who can tell more from the movements of my hands; the way in which I am standing; the look in my eyes; than from the words that I actually speak.

Not surprisingly, the written Word of God - the Bible - mentions signs more than once my online concordance has almost 250 references to "sign" and its associated words!). Right at the beginning we read: "And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, ..." (Gen.1:14). Later on, and after the Flood, God says to Noah: "I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth." (Gen.9:13).

Many of us recalled one of those signs just a couple of weeks ago! In Isaiah 7, we read of the word of YHWH to Ahaz, king of Judah (the southern kingdom), when the latter refused to ask for a sign from YHWH. "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Imman′u-el." (v.14). Now I know that the Hebrew word "almaah" may be translated simply as "young woman"./ However, God the Holy Spirit, Who inspired the Biblical writers made the situation crystal clear for even sceptical people in the 21st century AD. When the seventy (or, possibly, seventy-two - six from each of the twelve tribes) translators of the Hebrew text into the more common Greek language in use in the 3rd century BC, came to that verse, they used the Greek word "parthenos" - and that can only mean "virgin".

However, one of the most important references, in terms of what was being claimed over the past year, is found in Paul's second letter to the believers in Thessalonica: "Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet Him, we beg you, brethren, not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you this? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and destroy him by His appearing and His coming. The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2:1-12; emphases added).

Whatever 2018 may hold, I will state, with Biblical authority, that the day of the Lord will not take place until the signs that have been prophesied as preceding it have taken place. I would encourage you to read all of Matthew 12, Matthew 16, and Matthew 24, (and the rest of the Bible, for that matter!!) but here are just a few verses from each of those chapters: "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from You.” But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." (12:38-39); "And the Pharisees and Sad′ducees came, and to test Him they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather; for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So He left them and departed." (16:1-4); "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (24:29-31).

May you know the blessing of Almighty God throughout this coming year - and may you be among those who seek "... to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:12-14).

A blessèd New Year to one and all.

Promises, promises, promises!

Having arrived back in Wishaw late last evening, I was able to listen to the 'Today' programme, on the radio, this morning.   There was an interview with the leader of the Conservative Party, Mr David Cameron (I confess that I am not always as polite as that when referring to him!).  It was, as one might expect in the run-up to a General Election, all about what the Coalition Government had achieved, and what the Conservatives would achieve in the next Parliament, if they were given an absolute majority.

There was, for me, a problem.  All that I can see that the Coalition Government achieved - with the support of almost all of the other Parties in Westminster - was the redefinition of marriage (in spite of the overwhelming opposition to it throughout the country); an increase in the numbers of immigrants (illegal, and legal); an increase in the national deficit; and the run-down of the military.   In fact, I cannot think of anything positive that was achieved by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government in their five years of office.

However, the next five years will be different, Mr Cameron assured listeners.  He made one promise after another - on job creation; on housing; and, of course, on the deficit!  He is not alone.  All of the political parties that made up the last parliament are making their promises - promises that, in my experience, are forgotten no more than thirty seconds after they gain power!

This time, however, there is a genuine "new kid on the block".  I refer to UKIP (the United Kingdom Independence Party).   Obviously, I have no way of ensuring that, given even the balance of power in a 'hung' parliament, they would produce the goods any more than the current parties.  It's just that they have about them what J.B.Phillips might refer to as "the ring of truth"!   I look at Nigel Farage; I listen to his words; and I have that gut-feeling that this is a man who is not out to produce carefully-crafted (by 'spin doctors'!) sound-bites, but who actually means what he says!  That, I would suggest, is refreshingly original in modern British politics!   Disciples of Jesus often ask about which political party best represents Christian values.  I am no expert in the field, but I would say that UKIP is streets ahead of the others at this time.  When Mr Farage, or any of the other UKIP spokesmen/women make a promise, I actually believe them!  As far as the others are concerned, I see only attempts to convince the gullible to continue to support them!

The Bible, too, is full of promises/prophecies.  Indeed, someone has counted more than 3,500 of them!  Many of these have already been kept (fulfilled).  For example, the prophet Isaiah informs us that the Messiah would be conceived and born of a virgin (Is.7:14).  Of course, some non-Christian scholars have challenged this interpretation. They say that the Hebrew word 'almah', which is the word that English-language Bibles often translate as 'virgin', actually means no more than 'young maiden' or 'young woman'. It should be noted, however, that the Old Testament uses the word to refer to young, unmarried women, and that unmarried women were, culturally and religiously, expected to be virgins.  It should also be noted that the Jewish scholars who translated the Hebrew writings into the Greek language (the Septuagint), used the Greek word 'parthenos' - which can only mean 'virgin'!    A later prophet,Micah, also revealed that Messiah would be born in the relatively insignificant town of Bethlehem (Mic.5:1-2).

In this Holy Week, as we anticipate the special remembrance of the crucifixion, and the resurrection, of the Lord Jesus, we may be encouraged by the fact that those events, too, were prophesied.  Read Isaiah 53 - it foretells the suffering of Messiah, and even His death by crucifixion - some 700 years before the event! Jesus, Himself, assured His first disciples that, although He would be killed, He would rise again from the dead (Mk.9:31).   In Acts 1:8, the coming of God the Holy Spirit is promised - a promise that was fulfilled on the first Day of Pentecost of the Christian era.

There are also promises that have yet to be fulfilled.  After Jesus had been taken from the disciples, Dr Luke records that "... while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, Who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven'." (Acts 1:10-11).   As one studies the signs that, we are assured, will precede and accompany that momentous event, we may easily come to the conclusion that His return is imminent.  The promise will be kept, of that we need have no doubt.  Politicians may easily, and thoughtlessly, make and break their promises.  But the Word of God is settled and sure, and He is faithful!

So, however you decide to vote on May 7th (if you are eligible to do so!), be sure that you have cast your personal vote for Jesus - by confessing your sinfulness, and sins; by repenting of those sins; by accepting the salvation that He won for you, at Calvary; and by telling others of His great sacrifice, made for each one of us.  He has promised that, if you do, then He will stand beside you before the Father - the only Advocate you need; the only Advocate there is!  

And He keeps all of His promises!

Emmanuel

Only four more sleeps, as we used to say to twin boys whom we fostered for about four years.  Four more sleeps, and when we awake, it will be Christmas Day!  On Sunday, in Wishaw Baptist Church, we were reminded of those words from Matthew's account of the Gospel - words spoken to Joseph in a dream, as he considered quietly breaking his betrothal with Mary, who was now pregnant: "... an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.'  All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 'Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His Name shall be called Emmanuel' (which means, God with us)." (Matt 1:20-24).  We looked, specifically, at the Name "Emmanuel", and its given meaning of "God with us".

The clip below shares some words from the great Baptist preacher of an earlier era, Charles Haddon Spurgeon - but in a manner which Spurgeon would not even have imagined!