Building for the storms.

My late father spent the early part of his adult working life in the building trade.  Accordingly, as a young boy, I spent a lot of my Saturdays, and my school holidays, around building sites (‘Health & Safety’ hadn’t yet been invented!).

Perhaps that’s why I appreciate this parable of Jesus.  Once again, it is a well-known one, and it concerns two builders.  You’ll find it in Matt.7.

One of these builders had been listening to his Techy Ed teacher.  When he decided to build a house, he made sure that he had good solid foundations.  He dug right down until he hit bedrock.  Then, and only then, did he begin to erect his house.

The other man was what might be called, nowadays, a bit of a cowboy.  He knew the shortcuts; he knew where he could get materials at the ‘right’ price – albeit of an inferior quality; he was more interested in ease and speed than in durability.

From the outside, it is true, each house looked as good as the other.  Then the storms came.  Violent storms.  The wind howled; the rain lashed against the houses; the nearby river overflowed its banks. 

One house stood – taking all that the elements could throw at it; the other collapsed.  You don’t need me to tell you which was which!

Life can be like that – your life, and mine.  Each of us, whether or not we realise it, is in the process of building – building a life.  Some of us have been at it for years; some are only digging for the foundations.  However, whether a building of bricks and mortar, or a life, we need a good foundation.  Only if we have such a foundation will we be able to withstand the storms of life – those times when it seems that the whole world is against us; when we quickly reach the end of our tether; when there is no light visible at the end of the tunnel.

Disciples of that same Jesus Who first told that story claim that, in Him, they have a solid foundation.  Being His follower doesn’t mean that we avoid difficulty.  Indeed, for those in more than fifty countries around the world, declaring one’s discipleship is paramount to asking for trouble – persecution, imprisonment, torture, death.  However, although He never promised that His followers would spend their lives lying on a bed of roses, He did promise that He would be with them – and that makes all the difference!

Who is at your side when the storms of life rage?  I commend Jesus to you.

Loving my enemy!

First of all, an apology to anyone who may have expected to receive this mailing yesterday! My wife and I are currently visiting dear friends south of Paris and, last evening, we got into a deep discussion on the thorny topic of divorce and remarriage! I shall endeavour to ensure that the next post - on the third Sunday of the month, will be sent out on time!

Last time, we looked at the parable of the Prodigal Son (or the Loving Father), as one of the best-known of the stories that Jesus of Nazareth told.

Another of those parables that is well-known even by those who make no claim to be followers of Jesus, is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10).  Indeed, this parable has, at least in its name, become part and parcel of everyday language.  How often have you heard someone say (or maybe even said yourself) that, in a particular situation, “[Name] was a good Samaritan.”  What is usually meant is that the person helped out in what may even have been a rather insignificant way.

However, the parable goes much more deeply than that!  

The man who was travelling down the tortuous mountain road from Jerusalem to Jericho, was a Jew.  After he had been attacked, robbed, stripped, and left for dead, the first person to come along the road was a Jewish priest.  It would appear that he was travelling up the road towards Jerusalem, presumably to take up his duties in the Temple.  He saw the man, but “passed by on the other side” because, if he had touched a dead body, he would have been barred from the Temple service.  Then came a Levite – another Temple worker – and, for the same reason, he too “passed by on the other side”.

The poor man, who may have managed, through barely-opened eyelids, to see these fellow-Jews; these ‘pillars of society’; these religious personages; pass by, must have been in deep despair.  Suddenly, he heard the clip-clop of a donkey.  He peered through his bruised eyes and, to his horror, saw a Samaritan! 

Now, to understand his reaction, we must realise that Jews and Samaritans, in that culture, hated each other with a passion that would have made the feelings of certain football club supporters towards one another seem like genuine fondness by comparison!  What would this man do?  Would he take advantage of the situation, and ‘kick the man while he was down’?  How amazed the victim would have been to be so gently, and carefully, tended to by this member of a hated ethnicity!  Not only that, but when they reached the next inn, the Samaritan paid for him to stay there until he had recovered – and assured the innkeeper that if the injured man needed to stay longer than had been paid for, he would settle the account on his next trip!  By the way, he must have had a good reputation to be thus trusted!

Of course, this is what Jesus had taught in what we usually refer to as "the Sermon on the Mount" (Matt. 5-7) where we read: «You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.» (Matt 5:43-48).

The priest and the Levite allowed duty, even "religious" duty, to get in the way of helping a fellow-man.  The Samaritan helped his fellow-man, even ‘though it meant overcoming ethnic hatred.

I wonder what you or I would have done – or would do – in a similar situation.

It’s a thought! 

A modern prodigal!

When my wife and I are asked about any specific situation, my wife will usually reply before I do.  "If you want the facts," she will say, "ask me.  If you want a story, ask Brian!"

I cannot complain!  She is absolutely correct.  I am a storyteller.  However, one of the greatest - if not the greatest! - storytellers was Jesus of Nazareth.  For many of the lessons He taught, He used stories.  For the next few posts, I would like to share some of them, and try to discover their relevance for we who live in the 21^st century.

Perhaps the best-known of Jesus' stories, or parables, is that commonly referred to as the Parable of the Prodigal Son (if you are not familiar with it, then I recommend looking it up – Luke 15).  The word 'prodigal' means 'wasteful', so the title isn't altogether inaccurate.  However, I would suggest that a better title is the parable the Parable of the Loving Father!

If we were to place the story in a 21^st century setting, the younger son might leave home - a very comfortable home in which he even had servants to look after him - and, complete with his future inheritance, set off to be a whizz-kid in the City, working the financial markets. He would purchase a really nice "bachelor flat"; a fast car; trendy clothing; and dine in the finest restaurants. He would throw parties for his new-found friends, and would be the "guy to be seen with" for a lot of physically attractive young women. Then would come a financial disaster, similar to that of 2008!   After that crash, he would find that his credit card was declined; that his bank balance had dropped to nothing; and that his friends no longer wanted to know him.  He might be able to get no more than a zero-hours contract, at less than the minimum wage, doing a job that he hated, and that he felt was below him!  It would be then that he might come to his senses, realise that even the servants in his father's household were better off than he, and decide to go back, apologise to his father, and seek employment in his father's service.

The wonderful thing in the story is, of course, that the father, whom he has treated in such a shabby fashion, should not only accept him back, but give him a place of honour as his son. Indeed, many would claim that the usual title given to the parable - that of the Prodigal (i.e. wasteful) Son, should be replaced by the title of the Loving Father.

That's why the parable is still relevant today.  A parable is simply a lesson in story form.  And the main lesson in this parable is that Almighty God welcomes back men and women, and boys and girls, who recognise that they are not even able to maintain the standards they set themselves, let alone the standards that He has set.  Let's face it, how many of your New Year resolutions are you still keeping?! However, if we genuinely seek God, and accept the salvation that, according to the New Testament teaching, He offers through Jesus and His sacrificial death at Calvary, then we are welcomed back and made right in His sight.

You want to be right with God, the heavenly Father?  Come to Calvary!

The tongue.

One of the little shop-bought desserts that my wife and I enjoy, currently comes with an amusing, or interesting, piece of information printed on the underside of the foil lid. For example, a recent lid provided the information that (translated from the French!): "The hummingbird cannot walk, but it is the only bird that can fly backwards. However, it has never been seen to back away from a Danette."!!  Another one that caught my attention during the past week informed me that: "Antarctica is the only continent that does not have spiders. Sadly, it also doesn't have Danette". A final example (I hope that aficionadas of "Trivial Pursuits" are taking careful notes!) assured me that: "A tongue measures on average 9cm. That's long enough to reach the bottom of your Danette jar." You will already have worked out the tradename of the product involved!

It was that last piece of information that started the train of thought for this post. I suspect that, like me, you would cringe at the thought of having a mouth full of, not a pleasant-tasting Danette dessert, but stones! Yet there iare circumstances in which a stone in the mouth can be beneficial! I am assured (but have not confirmed) that a stone (preferably clean!) in the mouth can stimulate the production of saliva - helpful if one is thirsty but there is no water supply/source nearby. 

I have also read that the cranes that inhabit the Taurus mountains of southern Turkey have found this to be particularly beneficial. These large birds cackle a lot, especially when they are flying. All of the noise attracts eagles who swoop down and seize the cranes for their next meal. Experienced cranes apparently avoid this threat by picking up stones large enough to fill their mouths. This, in turn, stops them from cackling - and from becoming lunch for the eagles!

Of course, the Bible has a lot to say about the tongue and the mouth! James writes: "... the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so." (3:5-10). 

In the Book of Proverbs, king Solomon states that: "From the fruit of his mouth a good man eats good, … He who guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin." (13:2-3); and: "The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream. … … A fool’s lips bring strife, and his mouth invites a flogging. A fool’s mouth is his ruin,  and his lips are a snare to himself." (18: 4, 6-7).

How many of our troubles could be prevented if we would learn to control our tongues! How much of the heartache that we cause others could be avoided if we would only guard our speech! The problem is that a word spoken cannot be recalled - even if, so often, we may wish that we could do so!

Do you, as I do, sometimes have a problem with your tongue? May I suggest that we try this: Ask the Lord for His help; think before opening our mouths; speak no more than is necessary. Following such a formula can be as effective as a stone in the mouth!

And a little prayer-verse that I came across, composed by that prolific author "A.N.Onymous"!.

"Lord, help me watch the words I say
And keep them few and sweet.
For I don't know, from day to day,
Which ones I'll have to eat!"

The King's Highway.

It is late afternoon, and I am typing this post at a campsite, in the area of Lagos, in the Algarve, Portugal. Yes, my wife and I are having a wee break before returning to Gardonne, then to Scotland, and back to Gardonne to prepare to put our house there "on the market", in preparation for a permanent return to Scotland.

Portugal is a beautiful country, and we are sorry that this will be, almost certainly, our final visit. This time we made much more use of the toll roads and were amazed at the number of miles/kilometres of road that are built well above 'ground level'. One particular stretch went on for many miles/kms and, as we drove along, I remarked that: "This really is a "highway"!"

That throwaway comment caused me to think of a song, from my early life, that was entitled "The King's Highway". It is, I believe, an Afro-American song - and the YouTube search would support that belief! The words are:

Refrain:

It’s a highway to heaven.  None can walk up there, but the pure in heart.

It’s a highway to heaven. I am walking up the king’s highway.

1. If you’re not walking, start while I’m talking. Walking up the King’s highway.
There’s joy in knowing with Him I’m going. Walking up the King’s highway.

2. My way gets brighter; my load gets lighter. Walking up the King’s highway.
If you be confessing, there is a blessing. Walking up the King’s highway.

(Christ walks beside me; His love to guide me. Walking up the King’s highway.)

Music and Lyrics by Mary Gardner and Dr. Thomas A. Dorsey

So what is "the King's Highway"? Well, in the U.K. it is the public highway, on which anyone may walk because it is under the control, and in the ownership, of the king! I found myself thinking: "Is my life showing that I am walking up the King’s highway - that of the King of kings? Am I living under His control? Is it clear to others that I belong to Him?" That should certainly be my constant aim! Paul doesn't mince his words when, writing to the believers in Rome, he states that: "Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him." (Rom 8:9; emphasis added). If God the Holy Spirit is not seen working in my life, evidencing that He inhabits my life, then I do not belong to the Saviour!

I would respectfully suggest, therefore, that walking up the king’s highway means living my life in accordance with His Word, and His will, and doing so by the power of God the Holy Spirit Who dwells within me. 

But, of course, any highway will lead to somewhere! We drove along those Portuguese highways in order to arrive at Lagos. When we return, DV, next week, we will follow highways through Portugal, Spain, and France - in order to arrive at the destination of our current home. So what about "the King's highway"? Well, the ultimate destination for the disciple of Jesus, the Christ, is the eternal home that has been prepared for us. But, just as, on the way back to Gardonne, we will pass through multiple places so, on the journey of life, we pass through many situations and circumstances. This is why seeking the Lord's guidance is so important. Mind you, I know from my own experience, that it is not always easy to receive, and understand, that guidance. When we travel to somewhere that we haven't previously visited, we make use of our SatNav (GPS). Regretfully, I have been known to miss the turning, or the roundabout exit, that I should have taken. Sometimes, it takes quite a detour to get me "back on track"!

All too often, in the past, I have taken a wrong turning; made a wrong decision; taken the wrong road! Yet, in His amazing mercy, and love, and grace, my heavenly Father has brought me back to His pathway - His highway - for my life. 

As we are still at the beginning of this year, it seems not inappropriate to quote those words used by George VI, the father of the late Queen Elizabeth, in his Christmas broadcast of 1939:

"I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, ‘Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied, ‘Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.’" (Minnie Haskins).

Yes, if we are walking in the King's highway, we are on the safest road for life - and the only road that leads to the destination of eternity* in His sweet presence. May you be walking that highway - for your good, and to His glory.

* This is one of the "Great Words of the Faith" with which I deal in my first book - link above!

Before my recent absence, I was able to add YouTube clips to my blog posts! There appear to be some changes that now deny me that opportunity. However, if you wish to hear a lively performance of "The Highway to Heaven", by the late, irrepressible, Jessy Dixon, and the Gaither Homecoming Friends, then this is the URL - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xi6oQyJ_ik