What's on the inside?

I was just a laddie when my granny bought me my first "Wagon Wheel" biscuit.  It was about 3" (75mms) in diameter - and possibly a little more! - and almost ½" (13mm) thick.  A real treat!

Nowadays, I could almost manage a full Wagon Wheel in two bites!  I haven't checked, but I suspect that, even allowing for the difference in the value of money over the decades involved, it actually costs more!  The wrapper, last time I looked, hasn't changed - but the product has.   

At least I can see, as soon as I lift it up, that my Wagon Wheel is not as good value as it once was.  However, here are many products, in the grocery range, where manufacturers are selling us less, for more, but in a package that is designed to fool us into thinking that we are getting what we always got!   Often, for example, the carton is the same size - but now contains considerably more air, and much less product!

How something is wrapped doesn't always show us what is on the inside.  That is true of people as well.  We may wrap ourselves up in the same packaging, every day - nice clothes; big smile; friendly attitude - yet be less than we appear to be.

The Old Testament prophet, Samuel, was sent to the home of a man named Jesse, in order to anoint a king for Israel to replace Saul.  Each time Jesse paraded one of hos sons before the prophet, Samuel was impressed by his looks; his build; his obvious physical strength.   However, each time, God told him that this was not His chosen one.  "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (I Sam.16:7).  Samuel was interested in the packaging; YHWH was interested in the contents!   Eventually, Samuel had to ask Jesse if he had any other sons.  Young David was sent for from his task of shepherding - and Samuel was told that this was God's choice.  The LORD knew that David had what it took to be king of Israel!

We live in a world that often measures the value of products - and people! - by their packaging.   However, let's not become preoccupied with outward appearance - and neglect what's on the inside!  In God's eyes, it's the contents that count.  Surely we should follow that example!

Forty-five years - and still going strong!

This evening, my wife and I paid our first visit to the local Pizzeria, here in Gardonne.  The occasion was the celebration of our forty-fifth wedding anniversary, and we are looking forward, as the Rapture is delayed, to many more.

Sadly, we are part of a relatively small number of our own generation to have reached such a milestone.  Marriage has been constantly downgraded over the past thirty years - at least in the UK.  It saddens me that so many, today, are unwilling to enter the bond of marriage; and that so many who have done so are now on their second (or even third!) spouse.  It is even more sad that so many of those people would claim to be disciples of Jesus, and that too many (in my, I believe Biblically-based, opinion) are even in positions of leadership, and pastoral responsibility, within the Body of Christ.  If I find all of that to be so sad, I wonder how Father God views it!

Marriage - and I refer only to the God-ordained union of a man and a woman - is an honourable estate.  It was given, I used to say in the Christian marriage service that I conducted, for the benefit of society which can be strong only where the marriage bond is held in honour.  It was given for the mutual help of the two persons involved.  It was given in order that children, who are a gift from God, should be raised in a stable environment, with a role model of each gender.

Marriage ought not to be, I believe, a temporary state until we find out if we are suited to one another.  That is the purpose of courtship and engagement.  It should not be entered into solely on the basis of a physical attraction - although such a physical attraction will be there.

When it comes to divorce, and remarriage, I do not even need to turn to my Bible - with different interpretations of certain passages being offered.  I simply need to go back those 45 years to the day of my marriage.  As my then fiancée and I stood before our minister, we each promised, God helping us, to be faithful to one another for as long as God gave us life.  We entered into a covenant relationship - with each other, and with Almighty God.  He, and He alone, may break that relationship.

Now, please don't misunderstand me.  I am not suggesting that our married life has been a constant 'bed of roses'.  We have had our ups and downs.  We have had our differences of opinion.  But our common love for the Lord has held us together better than Superglue!

Does this mean that disciples of Jesus who are remarried divorcees, or those who are living together without the commitment that marriage brings, are grieving Father God?   Unless they repent, and deal with the situation, I believe that this is so.  It is certainly, I am convinced, a matter for which they will have to answer when they stand before the Judgment Seat of the Christ.

Meanwhile, I am so glad that the Lord gave me the woman He did give me to be my wife; my companion; my lover; the mother of my children; my constant support and encouragement; and so much more besides.  Every day, I thank Him for her and, as already stated, I look forward, as the Rapture is delayed, to many more years with her - loving one another; caring for one another; sharing with one another; being with one another; and serving Him, both as individuals and as a couple, for as long as He gives us strength and opportunity.

If you are married to your first spouse, regardless of the current length of your marriage, I trust that you are able to say the same!

Prayer - in time, and eternity!

This afternoon, I took the back off a clock that no longer kept good time.  However, it also had two dials in addition to the main clock-face - a thermometer, and a hygrometer.  The body of the clock I consider to be quite attractive so, rather than throw out the whole piece, I removed the back; disconnected the hands; took out the clock mechanism; and was left with a hole in the middle of the dial!  That didn't look too good.  What should I do?  In a flash of inspiration, I went to where I knew I had some "Praying Hands" stickers - black on a gold background - and stuck one of them across the centre.

I do hope that some folk, when visiting me in my (still to be organised!) study, will look at the object on the wall, and ask why there are no hands for the clock, but Praying Hands in the centre!  The answer, of course, will be that it is always time to pray!

Prayer is of great importance to the disciple of Jesus.  When I was invited, earlier in the year, to bring the message to L'Église Évangélique Libre de Bergerac (The Bergerac Free Evangelical Church), I did not know if I would be invited again, this year.  The message that I brought was on "The Cost of Prayer".  Shortly afterwards, I was asked to bring the message again.  This time, I spoke on "The Importance of Prayer".  I am due to speak on Sept.13th.  The message will be based on "The Prayer of Jabez".  So, without any prior planning, I will have brought a brief series on Prayer!  [By the way, if anyone wishes to listen to any/all of those messages, recordings may be found at http://www.eel-bergerac.fr/apercu.htm].

Then, in yesterday's regular 'Cultural Commentary' from Dr Jim Denison (which I only got around to opening today!) he states, having referred to two passage in the Book of the Revelation given to John: "Think about it: God turns your momentary prayers into eternal incense that rises before him in heaven. That means your prayers today can affect events yesterday, since God knew yesterday you would pray today."   

Dr Denison continues by quoting from C.S.Lewis: "We can at noon become part causes of an event occurring at ten a.m. . . . My free act [of praying] contributes to the cosmic shape. That contribution is made in eternity or 'before all worlds'; but my consciousness of contributing reaches me at a particular point in the time-series."

He (Lewis) explained: "We must not picture destiny as a film unrolling for the most part on its own, but in which our prayers are sometimes allowed to insert additional items. On the contrary, what the film displays to us as it unrolls already contains the results of our prayers and of all our other acts.

"There is no question whether an event has happened because of your prayer. When the event you prayed for occurs your prayer has always contributed to it. When the opposite event occurs your prayer has never been ignored; it has been considered and refused, for your ultimate good and the good of the whole universe."  [You may see the full article at https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/14f8dbd09dba1113] 

So prayer is not only important, and effective, within the time/space continuum in which we live and move and have our being.  It may also be seen as being important from an eternal perspective!  I wonder if that is behind the old 'jingle' - "Satan flees, when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees"!

Do you pray?  How much of your time do you invest in prayer?  Is prayer merely an "Emergency" button; or is it regular, intimate, communion with the Sovereign Lord of all that is?

"Let us pray" may be a useful way in which to introduce corporate prayer at a church worship service.  However, for the individual disciple of Jesus, prayer should be as normal as breathing - and it is, in fact, more important!

Dordogne Haiku!

As we drive around the south-west of France, where we now live, my wife and I are often surrounded by vine-yards - field after field of vines, now heavily-laden with grapes that will soon be harvested and, eventually, become fine wines.  The rows are perfectly straight.  The vines are kept well-trimmed - the same height and width all along each row.

It was some weeks ago that my 'poetic' mind came up with a brief stanza:

Regimented rows of vines;
Standing tall and straight
Like Guardsmen on parade
On the Queen's official birthday.

Vineyard in Gardonne.

However, as I continued to reflect on those words, I remembered the Japanese poetic form of the 'haiku'.  This is composed of just seventeen syllables, in three groups - five, seven, and five.  In the English language the groups are usually presented as three lines.  So, having made some changes to my original verse, I present my Haiku to the Dordogne.  The picture, by the way, is the field of vines directly opposite our new home.  Beyond the trees is the river Dordogne, from which the Département takes its name.

Haiku to the Dordogne.

Regimented rows,

Like Grenadiers on parade.

Vines in the Dordogne.

The fourth anchor!

In Acts 27:29, we read these words: "... fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let out four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come."
Over the past few posts, I have been suggesting that certain 'anchors' are essential if we are to survive the storms that life so often sends our way.   So far, I have suggested hope - hope that is in the Lord Jesus, the Christ; duty - duty that is steadfastly carried out; and prayer - prayer that is fervent and believing.

In this post,  want to suggest that the fourth 'anchor' which is so very necessary if we are to voyage safely, should be love.  I wonder, is there any anchor in the world that is quite like it?  Of course, I am not referring to the sentimental 'love' of the Mills & Boon novel; or the natural love of, e.g., a parent for a child; and certainly not the 'love' that is actually no more than lust.  What I am thinking about is the love that is described in the Greek language word: agape.  This is the love that has been described as "the minimum of emotion, and the maximum of evaluation." (Rev George B Duncan).

It was this love - extended towards you and me - that brought the Lord Jesus to this sinful Earth.  It was this love - extended towards you and me - that took Him to Calvary, there to suffer what has been described as the most cruel form of the execution of the death penalty that the twisted mind of man had yet devised. 

And those of us who claim to be His disciples are bidden to love in like manner.  We are called to love one another: "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love (agape) for one another." (John 13:35).  Indeed, we are called to go much further than even that!  We are called to love our enemies - those who hate us!  "...  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ..." (Matt 5:44).

The anchor of Hope - hope that is founded in a living relationship with the Lord Jesus, the Christ;
The anchor of Duty - duty that is faithfully, and steadfastly, carried out;
The anchor of Prayer - prayer that is fervent and believing;
The anchor of Love - 'agape' love, that is modelled on the infinite love of God.

Four anchors.  Do you have them on board as you travel through on that voyage that we call life?  May none of us find, when the storms of life are raging, that our anchors have grown rusty with neglect or, even worse, that we are at sea with no anchors aboard!