The day of Resurrection!

"... very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone Who is alive? He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what He told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that He would rise again on the third day."

Then they remembered that He had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell His eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn't believe it. However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened." (Luke 24:1-12; NLT).

"The Lord is risen.  He is risen indeed.  Hallelujah!"

"I serve a risen Saviour; He's in the world today. 
I know that He is living, whatever men may say! 
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer;
And just the time I need Him, He's always near.

"He lives; He lives; Christ Jesus lives today. 
He walks with me, and talks with me, along life's narrow way. 
He lives; He lives; salvation to impart. 
You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart."  (A.H.Ackley)

Political promises!!

It was the great apostle, Paul, who wrote  "I have become all things to all men,..." (I Cor 9:22).  I thought of those words as I read the reports of an Easter reception for Christian leaders, in Downing Street on Wednesday , at which the Prime Minister reportedly affirmed his belief that the nation needed Christian values.  He claimed that: “The greatest need we have in our country is to have strong values and to teach our children and to bring people up with strong values. The values of the Bible, the values of Christianity are the values that we need – values of compassion, of respect, of responsibility, of tolerance.”

This sounds to me - cynic that I am when it comes to the majority of contemporary politicians - a bit like Paul.  Mr Cameron seems to want to be "all things to all men".  Of course, Paul went on to say: "... that I might by all means save some."  His concern was the salvation of men, and women, and young people, and children, for whom Jesus the Christ hung and died on a cross.  Mr Cameron's concern would sometimes appear to be the survival of David Cameron and, possibly, of the Conservative Party!

You see this is the same David Cameron who is currently backing the U.K. Government consultation - not on whether or not marriage should be redefined, but simply on how the Government might go about achieving such a redefinition!  This is the same David Cameron who refused to back disciples of Jesus who are currently having their appeals heard by the European Court of Human Rights with regard to, for example, wearing a cross at work.  This is the same David Cameron who promised special income tax breaks to married couples, as a means of supporting and encouraging marriage, but who has (to date) totally reneged on that promise.  This is the same David Cameron who had backed the relaxation of Sunday trading laws for the duration of the 2012 Olympiad - with the distinct possibility that such relaxation could become permanent.

So I remain somewhat cynical!  Perhaps someone close to him will point him to those places in the New Testament in which it is made clear that it is our actions that count, not merely our words. It would be good if the Prime Minister were to match his fine words with political action.

I, for one, am not holding my breath!

Promises!

Promises! They’re not always easy to keep. I suspect that each of us has been let down by someone who made a promise to us. Perhaps we have even let down others to whom we have made a promise!

The Bible portrays a God Who always keeps His promises. In the Old Testament (the Jewish Scriptures), we read that He promised a man named Abraham that, although old and childless, he would be the father of a great nation. That promise was kept – through Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel.

A young man named Solomon became king. In a dream, God asked him to name whatever he wanted. He asked for understanding and wisdom to rule Israel well. God was pleased with that response (I wonder how pleased He would be with the answers that you and I might give?!). He gave Solomon wisdom – and promised that He would give the young king all the things that he might have been expected to ask for, as well. And God kept His promise. The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s wisdom, and wealth, and travelled a long distance to visit him. Her verdict is recorded for us: “... she said to the king, "The report was true which I heard in my own land of your affairs and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report which I heard.” (I Kings 10:6-7).

By Sunday, millions of people around the world will have celebrated Easter – arguably the most important festival in the Christian calendar. They will have remembered Good Friday (“good” because, according to the Christian Gospel, Jesus of Nazareth, known to His followers as the Christ, was paying the price for all of our breaking of God’s commandments) and Easter Day.

And on that very first Easter Day, some women went to the tomb to complete the task of embalming the body with spices. To their utter astonishment, there was no body to be found! What they did discover was an angelic being who told them: “He is not here; for He has risen, as He said.” (Matt 28:6). “He has risen – as He promised”! Once again, God had kept His promise.

It is my conviction that God still keeps His promises. Many will be aware of that best-known of New Testament verses – John 3:16. But John continues: “Whoever trusts in Him is not condemned; whoever does not trust is condemned already, because they have not trusted in the Name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18). And I believe that God keeps both of those promises!

Easter is not just an excuse for hot-cross-buns, and chocolate eggs. It’s the anniversary of what Christians believe was the greatest victory in all of history – when God, in Jesus, broke the devil’s claim on you and me, enabling us to be at one with Him, and to have His life within us – a heart transplant, with no fear of rejection!

Personal Testimony

Slogging away at the gym, this afternoon (boast, boast!!), I was listening to some tracks on my little MP3 player.  As I listened to one of my favourite singers, Amy Roberts, singing about the change that Jesus makes in the lives of those who come to Him in repentance and faith, accepting His wondrous gift of full and free salvation, I was reminded that personal experience is something against which it is difficult - if not impossible - to argue.

This is the problem for the secular humanists who appear to be so aggresively attacking the Christian church in our day.  I've listened to Richard Dawkins - the "foremost atheist" according to much of the media.  Of course, he isn't even an atheist!  The man is an agnostic (remember the "bus campaign" with its slogan about not worrying because God "probably" doesn't exist?!).  However, whatever description he chooses to apply to himself (or others choose to apply to him), I have never heard either him, or any of his "disciples", point to lives that have been changed for the better through acceptance of their beliefs.

However, in the name of Jesus, people are still being healed emotionally and physically and spiritually by the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  Sinners are being freed from the burden and pain and shame of sin – sometimes immediately; sometimes after long years of steady work by God the Holy Spirit in their lives.  Hearts are being mended and lives are being turned around.   Praise God, there are millions in the world - even in 2012 AD - who can say, "He saved me, and I am not the person I used to be" just as the apostles testified 2000 years ago.  Indeed, many of them are prepared to be incarcerated, physically and mentally abused, even to die, under oppressive régimes, rather than deny the One Whom they love and serve, as Saviour and as Lord.

It's difficult to argue against that kind of testimony!

The "Lord's Prayer"

Over the past two Sundays (four messages!) I shared with the fellowship in Coatbridge Baptist Church on those words that are commonly referred to as "The Lord's Prayer", and that are recited, every Sunday, by many groups within the Christian Church.  Of course, it is, more accurately, "the disciples' prayer" as the words could not be prayed by the Lord Jesus (Who, as the sinless One, does not need to ask for forgiveness; as the self-sufficient One; does not need to ask for daily bread; and as the the One to Whom all glory is due, does not ascribe it to any other).

The news, towards the end of the week, was that the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has expressed concern at the results of a survy that indicated that only 55% of 6-12 year olds know those words as recorded by Matthew and Luke.  They should, he is reported as having said, be taught it in school.

I have two things to say to His Grace!  First of all, Jesus Himself makes quite clear that the thoughtless repitition of words is of no benefit.  Just before providing this "prayer template", or " model prayer", He said that we should "... not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do;" (Matt.6:7).  To have another generation who are merely able to recite those words, with no real understanding of their meaning and significance, is not doing any good service to the cause of Christ and His Church.

The second point that I would wish to make to Dr Rowan is that it is not, primarily, the job of schools to teach children about the Christian faith.  Now, I know that some (who know me personally) will immediately ask why, if that is the case, I spent as many years as I did, in the classroom, teaching Religious (and. later, Moral) Education!  The answer is simple - the subject was part of the core curriculum and, if it had to be taught, I wanted it to be taught by someone to whom it had a personal relevance! 

However, the task of teaching children the truths of the Christian message is the responsibility of parents!  The New Testament is rooted in the Old Testamant - "The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed" (Augustine).  In Judaism, the family is central - and that includes the teaching and training of children in faith matters.  So the Children of Israel are instructed to remember all that YHWH has done for them, and to "... make them known to your children, and your children's children." (Deut.4:9).  At the Seder meal, prior to Passover (which takes place at the end of this week), the youngest child asks "Why do we do this?"  This opens the way for a recounting of the story of the Exodus - and the child(ren) learn about the religious history of their people.

So the challenge to those of us who are disciples of Jesus, and also parents is to ensure that our children are able, not to recite a form of words, but to pray.  They will learn this if they hear us pray; and this will also teach them that such an activty is meaningful to us.

I have no doubt that the Archbishop's expressed sentiments were well meant.  But let Christian parents accept the responsibility to raise their own children according to Biblical teaching, and then that teaching might permeate throughout a society and culture that so desperately needs it!