Adversity can make us strong.

A man found the cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.  Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had got as far as it could, and it could go no further.  

The man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.  The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings.  The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.  Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its short life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It was never able to fly.  

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.  

Sometimes, God will have us struggle in life. That's because He has a plan for us. He knows what's best and He knows what He is doing. We just need to trust Him.

Time, and Eternity (3)

This is the third, and final, part of the last point in a message on Biblical Veils that I brought to the Café Church, Bergerac, France (http://www.christiansindordogne.com/cafechurch.html) in April of this year.   It should, therefore, be read in conjunction with the two previous posts. 

Sa'id Musa, a Christian employee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan, was arrested in late May, 2010 after footage of Afghan Christians being baptised was shown on national television.  Musa, a father of six, and an amputee with a prosthetic leg, was beaten, forcefully deprived of sleep, and sexually abused.  Thankfully, he was released in Feb., 2011 and granted asylum in a European country.

But on Dec 11^th 2010 he wrote, from his prison cell, that he rejoices in the Lord amidst his suffering.  “I saw a vision, during my sleep one night, of the heaven opened, and a Person – His clothes like snow, His face in dazzling light – came to me, and put His hand on my shoulder, and said to me ‘Please be happy.  I am always with you in this jail.  I chose you, and you should announce my Good News to the people of Afghanistan and all over the world.’  At that moment, I was shaking and trembling with fear.  I fell down and could not stand.  He took my hands, and I woke up.”

So what had this dear brother experienced?  Was it all just the result of indigestion?  Was he beginning to lose his mind?  Or did that veil – that fine, fine, curtain that separates time from eternity – did it part slightly to give him that glimpse of the exalted Saviour, strengthening him in his suffering, his torment, his anguish?   I know what I believe!

It’s a veil through which each of us must ultimately pass.   The only question concerns what we find on the other side.  For it's only for those who, having recognised their sinfulness, have come to the Saviour in repentance and faith, and accepted the salvation that He won on the cross of Calvary, that the veil leads to the heavenly places.  For all others, it leads to a lost eternity, without hope, because it is without Jesus.

May each one of us hear what God would say to us, as individuals, that others may see something of His nature in us; that we may see more of His glory in the face of the Lord Jesus; that we may spend much time within the veil, in His presence, seeking His will, receiving His blessing, that we might fulfil His purpose; that when our time comes, we might take that final step, through the veil, into His nearer Presence, to hear those wonderful words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

Time, and Eternity (2)

This is Part 2 of the final point of the message that I shared at Café Church in Bergerac, France, earlier this year.

Or what about Elijah?  Remember those words from the Second book of Kings: “When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were travelling from Gilgal.  And Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel." ... “As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.” (2:1-2, 11)

May I suggest that, once again, that veil had been parted, and this mighty servant of YHWH, was taken through to receive his reward?

Returning to the N.T., we go back to the Mount of Transfiguration.  Matthew, as we've already read, records: “Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed so that His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as light.  Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.” (17:1-3)

What had happened?  I believe, firmly, that this veil between time and eternity had been parted; and that Moses and Elijah simply stepped through that temporary gateway between here and there.

The writers of the TV series "Stargate", if you're familiar with it, may have been much closer to reality than they would ever have believed to be really possible!

And how often have we read, or heard of a true saint of God who, on their deathbed, with face suddenly glowing, seems to be aware of those who have gone before, even of the Saviour Who awaits their homecoming?  The veil has been parted just a little for them, and they are being permitted that early vision of the glorious place to which they about to be taken.  It’s not a long journey – just a step through the veil.

(final part to follow!)

Time, and Eternity (1)

One of the online groups to which I belong is for those with a theological interest!  Now that I am once again able to be online more regularly, I have been ploughing through hundreds of e-mails, including one from that group regarding God's knowledge of all of history.

I have already suggested that a major part of the answer lies in the relationship between time and eternity.  Earlier this year, I preached a message on "Biblical veils", that ended up with some references to that relationship.  I plan to share that final point over the next few days, in a series of posts.  Be sure to return for the rest of them!

That final point concerned the veil that will be reached when we come to the end of our mortal lives.   I have given much thought to this over recent years.  Not that I am becoming particularly morbid!  It’s just that the Lord seems to be giving me little insights.

I recently learned of a material called graphene which, I am assured, is only one atom in thickness.  That means that, by comparison, the finest gossamer is like extra-heavy brocade!  I believe, firmly, that what separates time from eternity is finer again even than graphene, yet of a strength that even if every nuclear device possessed by mankind was to be detonated simultaneously, there would not be even the slightest dent in, or the faintest scratch on, that particular veil.

So what happens at the moment of physical death?  Well, for the disciple of Jesus, the answer is simple.   Paul tells us, in II Cor 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  Jesus, Himself assured the penitent thief on the cross that “... today you will be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43).  So it doesn’t seem to be the case that, when I die – and this is all, of course, only applicable for as long as the rapture of the saints of God is delayed – it doesn’t seem to be the case that I travel millions of light years to reach my celestial abode!  No, it’s as instantaneous as it will be at the rapture when, Paul tells us, “It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown.” (I Cor 15:52).

We find further hints of this when we look in the O.T.  Remember the great old patriarch, Enoch.  I love those words recorded of him in Gen 5: “Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.” Or, as the older translations put it, “... he was not; for God took him.” (vs 23-24)

So what happened to Enoch?  Well, what I am now going to share is, I freely confess, somewhat speculative.  But I share it with you because I am convinced, not only of its possibility, but of its probability!  I believe that those words are telling us that, every morning, when Enoch awoke, his first words were “Well, Lord, where are we going today; what will we be doing?”  And that's a good way for any of us to start the day!  And the Lord told him.  Then, one day, he awoke and, having asked the same question, was told by God, “Today, Enoch, dear friend, you are coming to my bit.  Let’s go!”  And Enoch simply walked through that veil that separates time from eternity.

(to be continued!).

Isn't It Funny...

Being on holiday is always great fun - even if, at the moment, most of my time is being spent building a terrasse (verandah) around the mobil-home (static caravan) that we now have in the Gironde area of France.  However, intermittent access to the worldwide web means that my blog tends to suffer a wee bit!

The following is not original - I have certainly read it before - but it was in one of the almost 250 e-mails awaiting my attention when I logged on this evening!  Please feel free to copy and paste - or to direct others to the blog!

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God, and then wonder why the world's going to hell.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven, provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says.

Funny how someone can say "I believe in God," but still follow Satan who, by the way, also "believes" in God.

Funny how we are quick to judge, but not to be judged.

Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week.

Are you laughing?

Funny how, when you go to email a message like this, you will not send it to many on your address list, because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them.

Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.

Are you thinking?

Pass this on if you think it has merit. Maybe it's not so funny after all!