Pics-MPhoto, Family Photography, Wemyss Bay.

But

2012-02-25T12:42:00.002Z

But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor 6:11 (NIV)

It’s that small word ‘but’ that gets me. If you look at the few verses before this one, Paul lists some of the sins which the Corinthian church folks had been involved in, and it is a list well worth reading! From serious sexual sins to loose talk, or slander. Paul’s contention was that although these were sins which had been accepted as ‘normal’ in Corinth at the time, having been saved, they were to be different. Hence the ‘but’ at the start of the verse quoted.

I get the impression Paul may have been a bit frustrated or impatient with his readership. He expected better from them, and made it clear that God expects no less. Here was a church, who did not fully know what they were saved from. Do we know what we have been saved from? I had an interesting conversation on this subject recently, because I was saved at the age of eight. Now what sins can an eight year old boy get into? Not many, and certainly not the kind listed in Paul’s letter to Corinth. But I can tell you one thing clearly. I knew that something had happened inside me. I prayed a simple prayer, and God answered it simply. As a result, I believe that I was ‘saved’ or ‘protected’ from sins in my future.

As time passes by, the types of sins which confronted this old New Testament church, also face us today. In fact in many ways it is so much easier to fail nowadays, and fall from God’s favour. God still loves us, but we are bombarded on every side by temptation. Never before have we had to face such a difficult time of decision to follow God’s way, or the lifestyle shown on TV, the internet, the cinema, the billboard, even our newspapers and magazines. The first century church didn’t have these same modern means, but they had the same temptations to face that we have nowadays.

Question: How would we respond, if Paul faced us with the same situation? Would it be a frustrated “‘but’ you were washed”, or would it be the more positive “‘and’ you were washed”? What a difference between these two words, and what a completely different witness to those around us. May we be worthy!

Persuasion

2012-02-23T15:15:00.000Z

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” Acts 26:28 (NKJV).

There are many sad verses in the Bible, and this is one of them. I still remember a searing sermon on this passage, preached by one of my early pastors, David J Tarrant. The message was not lost on me even as a young teenager. On another level, we all engage in some form of persuasion through our lives. As children, we need to be persuaded to eat our greens, and now as parents we try to pass the lesson on. Later on, we do our best to persuade an employer that we are the best person to fill that position. Then of course, we spend all sorts of time, effort and money to convince a very special person that they should feel right about spending the rest of their life with you. Probably the most important piece of persuasion you will do at a human level, and with the longest lasting consequences.

Of course, the spiritual parallel is that we should be doing our best in word, lifestyle, and action to persuade others that “Christ’s way is the best way”! We are not always successful, but take heart because there was no better speaker in his day than Paul himself, and even he failed to convince Agrippa. Or to be fair on Paul, he did all he could, but faced someone with a strong will and opinion of his own, and after hearing the words of Paul, still decided against becoming a Christian. It’s a prime example of free will in operation, and is still in use today. We are not responsible for someone else’s salvation, only for presenting the gospel in a persuasive way.

To me, that is not the sad part. It is not that Agrippa didn’t accept the persuasive argument put across by Paul, it’s the ‘almost’ word. Paul was so close, and Agrippa was so very near to a life changing decision. Who knows how the course of history could have been altered if Agrippa had said yes? In the end, Paul did what he could, and the king exercised his free will, and the rest, as they say, is history. So, don’t be put off by apparently not being able to get through to friends and family. You are doing your part, and they are exercising their God given (yes, God given) right to refuse, or at least delay that all important decision. We have no record that Agrippa ever had the opportunity to consider the question again, but while we can, we should keep trying.

Somehow I don’t think Paul would ever have given up on Agrippa, so we should not give up on our prayer burdens either. As Paul also put it in another epistle: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12 (KJV)

Going Before

2012-02-21T12:40:00.000Z

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Dueteronomy 31:8

There is more than one way of ‘going before’, and I am not just referring to a loved one going on to heaven before us. When our children are younger, and you want to protect, or ease their fears, you go before them into the situation. Simply put it could be just going into a dark room, and putting the light on before they enter the darkness. That eases their worry, because the light shows that it is safe now. It might be when they are learning to swim, and the parent shows them that they can trust the water to hold them up. You go before them to show by example. These are common, everyday situations, used everyday by all parents to make their child’s growing up years not so scary. You have been there and have ‘gone before’ to show the way. You were there and visible.

I have become more and more aware of role reversal in my life as I get older. God in His infinite wisdom has granted me the priviledge of being a Dad to two wise and terrific daughters. Lately, I have been amazed at how much I learn from their faith, and words of encouragement. Our God is a great God, and he has gone before me once again.... Oh yes, the other kind of ‘going before! Look at the verse again.

I was never quite sure about the old chorus, “Standing somewhere in the shadows, you’ll find Jesus”. I figured if He was there why be just out of sight in the shadows of my life? But what about the thought that Jesus is already away ahead of us, and is ‘going before’ our ‘now’ and is already ‘in’ our future? Out of the normal time sphere, and into the weeks and months ahead? What if God is already working on our behalf, and in our interests by being ahead of our circumstance, in the future, and sorting things out so that by the time we get there, things will be the way that are best for us? Made that way by a loving Father? Wow, what an amazing God we have. Going ‘Back to the Future’ is for movies. We have a God who is already IN our future. That just blows my mind. Thanks, Karen for the timely reminder. Boy, am I blessed? Yes, twice over. God is good!

Sundown

2012-02-18T15:45:00.002Z

It has been a long time coming, but eventually two of the worst rags in the UK got into trouble. First of all, the ‘News of the World’ closed down in a hail of bullets over the phone hacking scandal. It could not recover after Milly Dowler’s phone was hacked and a message even deleted to make it look as if she was alive. Her family’s pain must have been unbearable during the time they thought she would be found, and meanwhile a parasite of journalism stood by, waiting to record the story.

Now it has also been announced that senior staff members from major departments of the ‘Sun’ have been arrested over corruption allegations involving bribes to the Police force. The Sun stands for all that is wrong with society in the UK, and sadly has the largest readership of all printed media. Page 3 was paraded under the guise of ‘entertainment’ as they printed scandal and innuendo while keeping their readership with their so called campaigning journalism. For my part I can see no reason for any self respecting person buying this trash. Now they are talking about replacing the ‘News of the World’ with another title from the same stable, called ‘Sun on Sunday’.

Maybe I am not making myself clear, and you might not grasp my feelings too well. The UK would be better off without these rags on the news stands. I for one have had enough of journalism which feeds on other people’s misfortunes, and does not report news, but tries to BE the news. In fact without naming any other titles, I can think of more I would like to get rid of. Maybe, just maybe, there is some justice after all. While the critics bleat about the loss of ‘free print’ (not free speech) I am celebrating the present trouble, and hope for a good and wholesome outcome.

Strangely, I have heard a defence given for these rags. Things like: the crossword, the sports page, and the celebrity gossip. None of these defenders mentioned the whole reason for their existence... news! If you want to get the news, you do not read the Sun, nor did you buy the News of the World, so can we stop the hypocrisy and let both these papers die the death they deserve? Of course, all we have to do is stop buying them. Now what are the chances of that in our immoral, secular United Kingdom? Oh well, I can dream, can’t I?

Who Am I?

2012-02-16T14:00:00.002Z

"What are mortals anyway, that you bother with them,
that you even give them the time of day?
That you check up on them every morning,
looking in on them to see how they're doing? Job 7:17 (Msg)

Job was having a bad day, and it was showing. Read the rest of this chapter in the Message Translation, and you will find that Job has a right ding-dong with God, and doesn’t mince his words either. The cheek of Job shaking his finger at the Almighty Creator of the universe, and yet he forgets himself for a while and takes out all his pent up grief on the one who is love, and who deserves Job’s anger least- God. Ok so Job is having a really bad time, and lost everything except his own life, but why take it out on God?

Can you not see yourself in the words of Job? Have you never questioned God, or badgered Him because your life has not followed the course you wanted, or thought you deserved? Being honest, I know I have, and sometimes still do. Is that a sign of a lack of faith? I don’t think so, but it is a sign of my frustration and annoyance that God hasn’t handled my problems well enough either. Job didn’t have anyone else to lay his troubles on. His three friends were no good to him, and we have come to know them as “Job’s Comforters”. Useless in a crisis. We can’t really come down hard on Job, because he couldn’t ring up the ‘Samaritans’ or some counselling service. he was on his own. Except for God that is, so what does he do? He lays into God like He was one of his friends who would care. Exactly. God was his closest friend, and way down deep he knew it.

The lesson is this: When things go wrong big time, and you don’t have a friend to talk to who would understand, then shout at God! He will take it, and not turn it back on you in some form or revenge attack. He is your friend, and the best one you will ever have, so give it both barrels. It’s not irreverent. It’s not out of place. It’s called prayer. The difference is that we don’t see it that way because it isn’t worded in the usual ‘churchy’ phrases. However, like Job, we can all tell the difference between the shallow surface level ‘churchy phrased’ prayers, and a gutteral cry from the depths of the heart, to the only person who truly understands, and who can also keep your secret. My true friend, and yours too!

Closet Bigotry

2012-02-15T12:37:00.002Z

It only needs the faintest whiff of trouble in one of the nations two biggest closets of cloaked bigotry, football clubs Rangers and Celtic, for the other side to gloat and jeer from the sidelines at their problems. It is bad enough when the two sides clash over their scores, and respective places in the league table, but when they join in like baying wolves over a financial problem? It seems that bigots and the sectarian divide are alive and well, and enjoying a feeding frenzy on mutual hatred.

No sooner was Rangers Football Club’s financial problems made public, the ‘other’ fans were busy making hay on the social networking site, Facebook. In a little bit of fun (they say), but a whole lot of vitriol, they laugh and jeer their way to making themselves sick at the thought of their hated enemy being reported as broke, and in administration. The phrase “Celtic fans dancing on Rangers Football Club’s grave” comes to mind, and has been used many times recently.

I had naively thought that the clubs and supporters, helped by the Scottish Government, were getting on top of the blight of Scottish football, namely bigotry, but I have been misled badly. The fans don’t really want a peace pact, or a truce, or a cessation of hostilities. They want to taste the ‘blood’ (not literally, of course) of their sworn enemy’s failure at any level, and on any battlefield. The football pitch, or the courtroom, it doesn’t really matter. It’s at times like this I am ashamed to be a Scot in the middle of bigots who can’t see it. And please don’t tell me it’s only the ‘traditions’ of the clubs which are being protected, and no real harm is intended or done. The hatred spouted doesn’t just come from fans, but also from ‘ordinary’ people who don’t go to any games. Could the reason possibly be that the deep seated religious bigotry of Rangers and Celtic ‘supporters’ just needs a spark to ignite it into a flame?

Apparently Tax avoidance, and other money troubles affect many other Scottish Football Clubs, so maybe it is only a matter of time before Celtic Football Club suffers a similar fate. Then by a twist of fate, if BOTH clubs were to go to the wall and cease to trade, maybe Scottish football and society would be the better for their absence. Think of the benefits: Less spouse abuse after a bad game, fewer frightened children, less alcohol fuelled violence, fewer admissions to A&E, ‘real football’ fans going to their local match, and not travelling 300 miles to soak up the ‘tradition’, and a Police Force who can concentrate on other crime, instead of keeping fans apart by colour coding. But most of all, maybe a real and serious chance to put our national shame of bigotry behind us, slowly, slowly, slowly. Ok, I can hear you shout that there are other Clubs around the UK who are also sectarian and bigoted in nature, but in Scotland we have a place to start. I hope we can use this opportunity to forge a new direction and make a change to our national disgrace. It’s overdue, and we desperately need it. Our grandchildren will thank us for it!

“There are none so blind as those who WILL NOT see”. (Matthew Henry 1662-1714 and still true)!

Fame and Misfortune

2012-02-13T15:27:00.000Z

RIP Whitney Houston who has died, a mere 48 years old. Most people will know at least one of her songs, and listened to this great singer at weddings and other special events. Publicly a woman who had everything, but privately a broken, and tragic figure addicted to many things including crack cocaine and alcohol. I think you will agree, a terrible waste of an amazing talent, which started in her local church. So what could have happened?

None of us can sit in judgement, as we are all subject to temptations of all kinds. The higher up the success ladder you get, the greater these temptations become, and the more likely you are to succumb. From humble beginnings in her local church choir where her obvious talent was nurtured by singing to her Lord, this same girl grew into the woman who died as a result of many wrong decisions taken along the way. It didn’t all happen overnight, and she certainly would not have seen it coming.

Sin (now there’s an old fashioned word) grows on us slowly, so that we barely recognise the downward spiral. Satan (there’s another old fashioned word) knows exactly how to push our buttons to get us to believe that the temptation we feel isn’t exactly such a bad thing after all. Cast your mind back to the account of Adam and Eve in Genesis. Wasn’t it the serpent who suggested that the forbidden fruit wasn’t such a bad thing to have after all? That same sin which has affected us all since, was entertained by our original parents only after a mild suggestion. It was not a great big temptation in their eyes, and the sin was easily rationalised. Make no mistake, the devil works the same way today, and gets the same results. In that respect, we are no different from Whitney Houston. My message is to guard your faith well, because it is constantly under attack, no matter the talents you have.

Always a Son!

2012-02-11T22:01:00.000Z

Life teaches us many lessons, and in the most unusual circumstances. Like you, I have heard the parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son many times, and heard them preached until I knew the script in detail. Until now, that is, when something was brought to my attention. I knew it in my head, but it had not reached my heart until now. It has to do with the lost son.

He is described as ‘lost’ and a ‘prodigal’ who wasted his life with the pigs in the sty, where he was so low he ate with the animals. Having been born into a wealthy, stately home, this was quite a climb down. We are told his father loved him, and after all, he ran to meet him eventually. Did he go into the sty to get him? No. Did he try to persuade his son out of the mess with fine searching words? No. The father’s actions only started after one thing which was done by the son, and that timing was not known to the father.

The son was always just that. A son. He was never anything else, and it didn’t matter where he was, or in what condition. He was still a son in his father’s eyes. Demanding his inheritance, and wasting the money did not change the fact that he was still his father’s son. The only person who didn’t always see it, or feel it was the son! Ironic, isn’t it?

To me, the application became clearer. I am my Father’s son, my Heavenly Father’s son, and it doesn’t matter what I get myself into, or how I treat my Father, I am still His son! He only needs me to realise something, or to be more precise, to do something. What was it that prompted the prodigal father’s action? It was the fact that the lost son had to realise he was lost, and then these words, which I love, “He came to himself”! He realised that his Father loved him, although not sure of his welcome, but he started for home anyway. You know the rest of the story. He is accepted into the family as a full heir and confirmed as the son he always was, with all the forgiveness and love that his father can give him. No doubt, no second thoughts, no fears.

My lesson is not in the homecoming, although that is great, but in the realisation that the prodigal son (still a son) “came to himself”, as a personal decision, and a self realisation. No music. No fanfare. No sermon. His choice. The music and the words already had their time in his life. Now it was his responsibility to respond, and he knew it. He “came to his senses” and his father immediately responded. I wonder what it will take to bring us to the same place? I trust it is not one of those ‘pig sty’ experiences!

Sailing Home

2012-02-11T13:19:00.000Z

Remember that old Sunday School chorus, where all the children would slide into and bump against the boy or girl next to them, while singing at the top of their voices, ‘We are Sailing Home’? Great days, but a lesson for us today maybe? As long as we are sailing, we are making progress. However, I can see two different types of damage which can stop a ship from sailing, and each can ultimately result in the ship sinking.

The recent story of the stricken cruise liner, ‘Costa Concordia’ shows the first type of harm clearly. A big rock breaches the hull, which results in the ship taking in water at a fast rate. It is seen immediately, and cannot be ignored. Of course the initial reason for the disaster was the fact that the captain went off course, and did not stick to the map instructions. In any event, there is hardly enough time to abandon ship, and in the process people are injured, and some died. There was hardly any time to react.

Then there is the slow leak which is ignored at first, because there are other more pressing problems on board, so life goes on as usual. In the meantime, while the passengers and staff are partying, the small leak ruptures without warning, and the ship starts to list badly and goes down. The big difference this time, is that there was a warning, but a warning which went unheeded. The end result is the same. The ship founders and goes down, taking some passengers with it.

I wonder if we are good at seeing the warning signs? Are we good at recognising the need to do something? Will we rush to the lifeboats alone, and abandon ship, or will we look for someone else we can save before it is too late? The parallels are uncannily similar between the ‘Costa Concordia’ and some churches. I wonder where we stand, and what kind of passenger we really are? How interested are we that our ‘ship’ stays afloat, and keeps ‘Sailing Home’? I was struck by our Pastor’s Annual Report, and the verse he quoted from the Message translation of Phil 2:1-2:
“If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care, then do me a favour: agree with each other, love each other, be deep spirited friends”.

This Too Shall Pass

2012-02-07T10:56:00.002Z

...weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

30 years ago, in 1982, I heard a sermon by Godly Pastor Bob Andress, in First Church of the Nazarene, Raleigh, North Carolina, titled “This Too Shall Pass”, and I have remembered it since. Pastors, don’t ever underestimate the words you preach. They are God given and Inspired, and for a purpose. Maybe for very few in the congregation that day, but you always know when a sermon is just for you. I have had a fair few in my time, and this was one.

The application (I always like there to be some kind of application to my life) is obvious. The bad time you are going through will not last for ever. It will pass, just as all the other difficult times before this, have passed. Going through a tough time is not just for a few Christians. We all go through bad times, although some are worse than others, but there is one common thread which links them. They will pass, eventually, just like before. Now and again this sermon hits me fresh, as if I am hearing the truth for the first time, and I am left reassured in the grace of a loving Abba Father God.

This also reminds me of the old Southern preacher whose sermon was titled, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming”. Again the application is clear. The disciples wondered what had hit them when their Lord and Master had been crucified, but at the time they didn’t realise that Sunday was coming, and with it the resurrection. They didn’t know, but we do! Bad days and troubled times don’t last forever, so keep on keeping the faith, and remember and believe that ‘Sunday is coming’, and ‘This too shall pass’.

It’s 30 years later, and I’m about ready to believe in the truth of that old sermon again. How about you? I will leave you with a poem by Helen Steiner Rice:

This Too Shall Pass

If I can endure for this minute
Whatever is happening to me,
No matter how heavy my heart is
Or how dark the moment may be-

If I can remain calm and quiet
With all the world crashing about me,
Secure in the knowledge God loves me
When everyone else seems to doubt me-

If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That darkness will fade with the morning
And that this will pass away, too-

Then nothing in life can defeat me
For as long as this knowledge remains
I can suffer whatever is happening
For I know God will break all of the chains

That are binding me tight in the darkness
And trying to fill me with fear-
For there is no night without dawning
And I know that my morning is near.

...Helen Steiner Rice

User

2012-02-04T16:53:00.000Z

We normally reserve the ‘user’ word for drug addicts, and in a derogatory way. It suggests a negative thing where someone is operating out of control, and in their own interests. After all, we are told that a drugs user will do anything to get the money for their next fix. There are well documented extreme cases of murder and prostitution being done by users to enable the next fix of the thing needed most. A sad state of affairs. Jesus was ‘used’ too, and there is a lesson for us here in this passage: “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Luke 8:45-47.

This woman used Jesus, but in a good way. She knew from reputation, that He might be her last and only hope. She was willing to take the chance, at the expense of her own reputation, so she acted. It might have gone wrong, but she was at the end of her rope, and took the biggest risk of her life, and yes, it paid off. She got what she wanted most in her life. She was a user, and was healed!

Thinking about it, we all get used in some way, and at some time, and sometimes for good, even if we don’t think of it that way. A baby ‘uses’ his/her mother for food and security, and the mother doesn’t mind. In fact she loves being used! As your family grows, your teenage kids will ‘use’ parents to ferry them around, do their laundry, clean their rooms, defend them before school teachers, and other parents, and these parents don’t mind being ‘used’. They love it. When we marry the person of our dreams, and are ‘used’ to do and get what our loved one wants, we do it willingly, and yes, we love it! So, being ‘used’ can be a good thing and also a very bad thing, and both will move our thoughts and actions to polar extremes. We will either end up loved/loving, or hated/hating. There seems to be no middle ground when you open yourself up to using someone, or being used.

However, in my opinion only, the worst kind of being ‘used’ is when you are convinced that you are doing good, and with the right motives, only to discover that you were being ‘used’ a bit like a drug addict uses someone to get what they want, and you are only a part of the process. In general, these ‘users’ do not see themselves as such, but only doing what they see as necessary to achieve their goal, whether it be drugs, or anything else for that matter.

This all raises an important question (I like to leave you with a question), does the end always/sometimes/never justify the means? Answers by ‘using’ the comments box (that’s another good use).

Go Quiet

2012-02-01T11:55:00.002Z

We can all shout the odds when things go wrong, and complain almost at will. We love to hear the sound of our own voices at times, but what makes you go quiet? My mum in law, was quite a lady and she liked to be in charge, so we heard her voice an opinion on almost anything and everything. She suffered from bad health in later life, and talked about her troubles often, but then we all seemed to notice something strange. While she was talking, even complaining, we didn’t have to worry about her. She was doing fine. But when she went quiet? Well, then we knew she was worried, and so we would worry too. Her silence shouted louder than any of her talking. Recognise yourself in this example?

Back to the question. “What makes you go quiet”? When everything is stripped back, and you run out of options and complaints, where do you go? What do you think and feel? If you are like most people, you will go quiet. Usually, when you finally realise that things have gotten out of your control, and you realise you don’t have any influence on a particular situation after all. In my example, it was health. There are other issues which could make us go quiet, things like, poor finances, family difficulty, a confidence given, big decisions which will affect the rest of your life, a crisis of faith. Yes, even a crisis of faith. There may be others that you are dealing with, and have made you go quiet.

What did Jesus say about our problems? I went back to His words in John 14 v1-3 as He comforted His disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”.

I was struck with two things which Jesus said, and maybe what He didn’t say. He pointed to our belief in God, and then He went straight to a place after our problems, to a statement of eternal safety and security. I love the description of the Father’s house. There is room for all who trust, and a place where our troubles fade into insignificance. Even when we go quiet, and carry some burden alone. I notice that Jesus didn’t give us any solutions on this side of Heaven. That may also be due to the fact that many people will carry something that makes them go quiet, to the grave, where they will be safe, forgiven and forgotten. For reasons I don’t know or understand, it seems we are only encouraged to trust in God, and look ahead! That’s a real act of faith.

Worry

2012-01-24T21:49:00.000Z

Mum to teenage daughter: Now you’ve not to worry about....
Teenage daughter to Mum: Don’t you tell me not to worry!
This exchange will sound familiar to many, but it is one which did happen in our family. With the best intentions, ‘Mum’ was trying to help by telling her girl she didn’t need to worry, but the problem was that Mum was one of the biggest worriers herself. The advice was misjudged, and is now a bit of fun family folklore! Can you relate to that?

Matthew chapter 6 has these words: But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. And then this....“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? I have come to love this chapter!

It’s kind of hard not to worry in these days given the economic climate, the state of the decaying morality in high places, our own health, and the health of those we love, the downward spiral of a once trusted government, and the list could go on. It is a very strange and special person who is not touched at one time by some situation or circumstance, which pushes us through concern and anxiety, right to worry itself.

We live in a nice, cosy, theoretical church and personal faith place, where we never have to put our faith to the test in anything big. So, how about putting theory into practice in a safe thing like our worry? Chances are the things you and I worry about are not life threatening, or even close. So, let’s have another look at Jesus words in Matthew Chapter 6, and see if we can prove them to be right? Ready?... OK....GO....

Once Saved

2012-01-21T16:37:00.000Z

The word ‘saved’ in church circles isn’t used so much anymore, but I still feel it is a descriptive word which is hard to replace. On that theme, one of the great differences, even divisions, between Bible believing scholars is the doctrine of eternal security. This is neatly shrunk into the phrase, ‘once saved always saved’, which is in contrast to the other side of the coin which is that you can be saved at one time, and yet ultimately lost. To put it another way, you can lose your salvation, or to be more accurate, relinquish it by choice (your choice, not God’s). The favourite verses in support of the ‘once saved’ thinking is found in Romans.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39 (NIV)

I love the concept of being secure in the love of God, but am I untouchable? Can I choose to opt out of that security? I notice that the verse talks about nothing being able to separate us from the love of God. It does not talk about our salvation. It is easy to understand the eternal love of God, and our own pastor has just finished a series on the love chapter of 1 Cor 13, and what a series of inspiring insights. It is not just that God is a God OF love, but He IS love. I like that. But does God’s constant love to me absolve me from my own responsibilities? Can I stray away from God’s love? No, but can I stray away from my God given responsibilities? Yes, I think I can, and so bring a level of judgement on myself.

What do you think Jesus meant in Luke Chapter 9v62?
Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 (NIV)

Since all scripture is inspired, we cannot ignore either of these verses, or any other for that matter, so it would do us well to take note of them. Here’s another one to think about:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Tim 4:7,8 (NIV)

I see the key words in this verse as our responsibility, and I think Timothy agrees. Words like, ‘fought’ and ‘finished’, and ‘kept’. These are for us to work on, and strive for during our life here on earth. We only have this life to do that, and we should recognise and embrace the opportunity and challenge. So, during this race, are we happy to be watching, or running? Remember the old saying, which the old saint Ella Barclay reminded us of often, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Jesus will last”. Let’s live as though we believed it, and keep our eternal accounts short! Once saved, always saved? I am not sure about the doctrine, but I do know I have to take responsibility for my own eternal destination, and not rely on a commitment decision I made over 50 years ago as a child.

Keys

2012-01-17T21:37:00.000Z

When I was a boy, we played street games, and ran around the neighbourhood in safety, along with a small army of other boys and girls, post war, and parents did not worry. They didn’t shout at us for making a noise, or getting excited. They had come through a war, and were just glad that their ‘babies’ were able to grow into troublesome schoolkids, and hopefully young men, and women. They knew the way it could have been, and could do little to change the course of history!

Not so the kids! We had a way out. If we were playing chase, or hide and seek, or kick the can, and we thought we were caught out either early or unfairly, we were allowed (under the rules of play) to put our thumbs up and shout ‘Keys’, or in my case the local word was ‘Bawlees’ (no, I don’t understand the word either) and this allowed us to play on as if we hadn’t been caught that time. It was a way out of our problem. How good it would be if we could do that in real life now, as older and more mature citizens, but we can’t. That was just a childish game, and there is no way we can put our thumbs up now, as adults, and shout ‘Keys’, or I have had enough. I have been caught out either unfairly or early.

Hold on. Don’t we believe in the God of the second chance? Didn’t Moses, Joseph, Jonah and the apostle Peter all get the chance to put their thumbs up, and a gracious God allowed them to play on in spite of their failings? In each of these cases, and many others recorded in the Bible, the end of the story was so much better, and I would suggest all because they had been given that second chance, and that thankful spirit within drove them on. We know the end of the story.

When (not if) you feel at the end of your rope, and can’t go on the way things are, put your thumbs up, say sorry (or in church terms, repent), and allow God to forgive your failing, and then you can carry on, so that the end of the story can be made right, better and clear. That may be important, first of all for you, but also for others who had been watching on the sidelines wondering how it would all end. Yes, I believe in the God of the second chance, and have had to use it myself. Haven’t you? Or maybe you need to play your ‘keys’ right now.

Mum's Worth

2012-01-14T14:06:00.000Z

Declan Hainey didn’t deserve to die in poverty and squalor, not even having reached his second birthday. It wasn’t his fault he lost out on love, and his tiny, scrawny, emaciated body wasn’t found in time to save him. Not his fault that he had been left in his own waste, among cider bottles and the trappings of a drug crazed mother. Not his fault for being here in the first place. Unwanted at birth and unnoticed at death, hidden away in his personal prison for months to stop the abuse being seen and reported by anyone who might have got into the house where he spent his whole life, and ultimate death, not ever knowing what love was. The love of a mother. That’s all it would have taken for the story to be have been so different. Only another ‘dead’ person could fail to be moved by the story of this tragic and short life of this little boy. I would not be the only person who shed a tear when the story of Declan Hainey was finally told.

Mums, if you are reading this, don’t ever fall into the trap of thinking your contribution to your children’s lives is without worth, or that nobody notices or cares. Our society has sold us on the notion that motherhood is something less than it is. You are strange unless you are a ‘working mother’ and being productive, as if raising children is not a valuable activity and calling, in its own right. I would suggest that there is no higher calling on this earth, than the unfailing love of a Mum for her child, or children. It surpasses all other forms of love, and I believe is closest to the heart of God.

Who kisses the hurt away, whether a skint knee, or a wounded heart (at any age)? Who makes sure her children are taught right from wrong, and sets the example? Who brings the family to church faithfully and regularly, and without fanfare? (Yes it is noticed!) Who is best placed to recognise the pain and hurt of another child? Who goes without, in order that her own can have, whether it is clothing, or even food? Who loves enough to scold with a hug and through tears? At whose knees do many children learn to pray, and form a trust in a loving God? There is no substitute for a Godly Mum. Not a mother, because any woman can be a mother, but it takes a special heart to be a ‘Mum’, and some Mums have had a particularly difficult home life of their own.

So, for me, where do I find the greatest earthly example of the love of God? In a word, it’s ‘Mum’. Thankfully, very few are like Declan’s ‘carer’ (that was how the court described her, neither mother, nor mum) and thankfully, these are not the norm for motherhood, but it serves to remind us of the greater value of a loving and Godly Mum, whose worth only increases with time, and even to adulthood and beyond. Let’s be ever thankful to God for our Mums. In honour of my own Godly Mum, and Mum to my Godly children. A Godly Mum’s legacy never dies.

Independence

2012-01-11T21:39:00.002Z

I am a Scot, living in Scotland, and consider myself Scottish, but yet British at the same time. I do not see this as a contradiction, although some might. The subject of Scottish independence is on the news agenda again, and getting a lot of air time. Let’s face it, the outcome either way will affect each of us who live in the United Kingdom. Yes, I see our joint identity as a United Kingdom. The news item grabbed me because there appear to be three choices which may be put to the Scottish population. Independence Yes or No, which is an easy one to understand as you will either be in favour of the idea or not. The other choice being discussed is referred to as Devo Max, or Indi Lite. A kind of half way house, and neither one nor the other. Not wholly Scottish and not fully British.

I don’t want to make a political point here, but I see a clear parallel in our Christian lives and faith. Particularly the Indi Lite option, after all you know where you stand when someone either agrees or disagrees with you, and your belief. Christians or Atheists? The differences are obvious, but what about an equivalent ‘Christ-Lite’ version of faith? Do we see evidence of this around us now? How about this for a thought? Are we trying to be ‘Christ-Like’ or ‘Christ-Lite’?

The standard God sets us is high. 1 Peter 1v15 says “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” This is no light or easy target. It is a gold standard, but according to the Bible, with God’s help, it is reachable. Do we maybe settle for a ‘Christ-Lite’ version of our faith sometimes, because it suits us?

It’s a very personal question, but do you see areas of your life as more ‘Christ Lite’ than ‘Christ Like’? I know I do! The words of Revelation 3v15,16 are given to us as a warning. ”I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Makes me want to work harder at being ‘Christ Like’, how about you? After all, this vote is eternal!

Befriend

2012-01-06T19:13:00.000Z

To befriend is more than being a friend to someone. It’s an active, deliberate and conscious action to make friends with someone who until then, has not been a friend. It happens in school, and in the playground. You know, it’s the point where you think it is a good thing to try to make someone feel included. Included. That’s a big concept, and one we as Christians should be good at, after all it is a basic part of Jesus’ command that we love one another, and love your neighbour too.

There is another aspect to befriending someone, in that it’s not always your first choice, and can involve stepping out of your comfort zone. It means taking that risk, perhaps in the knowledge that your other ‘friends’ may not agree, or accept your choice in the same way you do, but they are not the reason you would do it, right? It goes deeper. Can you go back in your mind to a time when someone took the risk and befriended you? That person possibly ended up as one of your closest, or very best friends, or bff (best friends forever for those who do not know the jargon).

I well remember when I was much younger, being given a lesson in the game of ‘pairs dominos’, when an older and wiser man told me, ‘always play the hand you want to get back’. Hmmm. We all want someone to be our friend, so all we have to do is be the friend that we would like someone to be to us. Easy? No. Rewarding? Yes, and certainly so. Human nature proves it time and again. So next time there is a new face at church, or you see someone who obviously ‘needs a friend’, why not do the decent thing and befriend them. You won’t regret following Jesus’ command and example, that I can guarantee! After all, Jesus words on the subject are: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:13-14a.

Missing In Action

2012-01-02T12:59:00.000Z

(Some Blogs are ‘routine’, but this one sits heavy on my heart.)

The words of a song by Steve Green, and also recorded by our local singer Alistair McAlees, provide a backdrop to the need to care for our wounded soldiers, who might just be missing in action, and yet hardly missed at all. The lyrics are:

See all the wounded
Hear all their desperate cries for help
Pleading for shelter and for peace
Our comrades are suffering
Come let us meet them at their need
Don't let a wounded soldier die

Chorus:
Come let us pour the oil
Come let us bind their hurt
Let's cover them with a blanket of His love
Come let us break the bread
Come let us give them rest
Let's minister to healing to them
Don't let another wounded soldier die

Obeying their orders
They fought on the front lines for our King
Capturing the enemy's stronghold
Weakened from battle
Satan crept in to steal their lives
Don't let a wounded soldier die

‘Old soldiers never die, they just fade away’ goes the old saying, and so true. They do their bit in service, then some fall while in action, and we turn our backs on their need for help and comfort. We say we are not able to help, however we certainly can talk about them, but not directly, more at them from a safe distance. Who knows the battle they were fighting when they fell? Were they on a battlefield we had not faced? Are we so safe and secure that we will never fall, or need that same oil poured into our wounds?

Might I suggest that the title could read, ‘Missing Inaction’? Is it right that we do nothing? The song reminds us that this soldier may just die, and twice! Can we let that happen, or should we at least try to pour some oil, instead of vinegar, on those wounds? But how will I know who they are, I hear you ask? Oh, you will know someone who is hurting. Another clue is they might not be at church recently. I suppose one of my questions is this: Am I happy to let other soldiers do the fighting, while I am sitting in the Officer’s Mess? And anyway, I will go to the funeral, and might even say a few words on their behalf. Is that not enough? For my part, I don’t think so. The wounded soldier might just be you, or me, in the future. As we embark on a new year, I trust and pray this will not be the case, as we keep short accounts with our Lord.

Moving Forward

2011-12-30T10:45:00.000Z

It’s now time to get down to some serious resolution thinking for the coming year, but before we do that we need to have a glance over our shoulders to see where we came from, and what has happened to affect our lives. Everyone, without exception, can see the past. It can be pleasant, and a great memory maker which will be relived time and again in the future. Or it can be a year which we wish we could forget, and perhaps forever be painful. The common characteristic for both bad and good things which happen to us, is that they will never be fully forgotten, no matter how hard we try.

However, the past can also be used as a measure of what we could and should do in the future. The coming year doesn’t have to be a repeat of the past one. Even good years can be made better, with God’s help. Making our next year better than the last, needs God’s help even more to guide and help us make our best decisions. So, as we stand on the threshold of this coming year, we can make it better than where we stand now.

Making resolutions can be a repetitive thing, re-making last years’ hopes all over again, so why not be different this year and include God in your thinking? Ask for His help in deciding which changes are realistic, and can be achieved, and not just pipe dreams. Maybe some resolutions can be seen as a ‘wish list’ instead of those things we are prepared to work at to make happen. That’s where our faith, and the reality of our relationship with God comes in.

For me it comes down to a heart felt and sincere prayer for help to make the next year different and better than before, but only made possible with God as my helper. That sincere prayer will stop me from making silly resolutions I can’t possibly keep, and allow me to be a better person as I lean on my Saviour, who is after all, an all powerful source of help.

Happy New Year as you move forward into 2012!

Pondering

2011-12-27T10:37:00.000Z

Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned... (Luke 2:19,20a).

The shepherds went back to work, and the stable was quiet. Mary and Joseph are left to themselves again. Have you ever wondered what was going through their minds? The clue is that Mary ‘pondered’, probably turning over in her mind the events of the past few months, culminating in the birth of her baby boy, and in her eyes, the most beautiful son in the world. She didn’t know all that lay ahead, and for any parent, that can be a blessing, but she was sure of her past. She had been visited by heaven itself, and was sure of His place in history.

It’s a good thing to ponder, and especially after the bustle of Christmas, and before the New Year. Your house may be quiet, and visiting family all gone home, so you have some time to think. This is a good time to ponder about anything and everything that affects you and your family. It’s not quite New Year, when we traditionally make those dreaded resolutions, but we can start to form our thoughts for what you want to happen next!

Mary pondered, and so should we. Mary was secure in her experience of God’s hand on her life, and we should be too. There is no better way to face the unknown, than with the certainty that God steps into the ‘fog’ with us, and has our hand. Mary’s life was never smooth, but she stayed secure in her conviction that her son was a very special visitor, and she was privileged to be His mum. She was there from the beginning, right to the end. She was the best example of a Mum we can have in this life, and worthy to be respected. And the world’s greatest story ever told, began when Mary pondered. So, while you can, as it is quiet, and with God’s help, get pondering!

(In memory of Godly mums past, and present, with thanks)

The Loner, the Lonely

2011-12-25T13:27:00.000Z

Christmas is a jolly and happy time where we all have a perfect dinner, with perfect friends and a perfect family. That’s what we see all around us, on TV, in the movies, and in the shop window displays. This a time for people in minimal units of two. Couples and family units, but not on your own. It isn’t portrayed that way, and it’s not supposed to be like that.

I suggest there are two kinds of ‘singles’ out there at this time of year, each trying to melt into the background, but perhaps feeling a bit conspicuous. It is good to get them straight in your minds, because they are quite different groups of people.

The ‘loner’ is usually that way by choice. The reasons can vary, but they are ok with being on their own, as long as you don’t disturb their world by thinking you can help or change them by including them in your festivities. They will fully enjoy the evening, and enter into the meal, games and fun. However, chances are they will leave the party the same way they entered, still a loner, and content to be so. The Christmas get together will not trigger anything to make them want to be a different person. The loner is not lonely.

The ‘lonely’ on the other hand are usually in this condition through circumstance, some self made, and some not. Widows, orphans, military wives spring readily to mind, but that is not a complete list. You will know someone in that category yourself, or you may be one yourself. An invitation is a struggle to accept. Entering into the spirit of the party does not come easy, and they will often be there, but their thoughts are elsewhere. Strangely, this group of people will probably love Christmas, know the real reason for the season, and have many happy memories tucked away, but these same memories may possibly be the same reasons they cannot fully enjoy the festivities now. The lonely by nature are not loners, but may feel like it, especially at Christmas. Also, the lonely would wish their state to be temporary, but on the other hand, the loner would be content to stay as they are.

The good news is that both types can be treated in similar ways. With care and understanding. You will know people who obviously fall into each category, and all you have to do is treat them with Christian love, while accepting they look at the season through different eyes. Age is no restriction, and there will be folks in these groups from their teens through to older age. Some will even withdraw to their ‘own place’ to deal with that synthetic part of the season, and even be relieved when it is over. Beware of the lonely smilers, as these are the hardest to recognise, and so may slip under the net of your awareness. If you can’t understand this place, I am glad, because it means you are not in this number. So, be glad and enter into the Christmas season fully, and unreservedly. This is a special time, and always will be, in one way or another. So from me to you, have a Blessed and Happy Christmas!

Christmas 1981

2011-12-18T15:52:00.000Z

I came across this old article recently, and thought I would share it. In memory of Margaret, and apologies to Karen and Heather. (First published in an IBM periodical.)

American’s Bible Belt, from David McLean, Raleigh, North Carolina.

We were looking forward to spending our first Christmas here in the Bible Belt of America, and my wife Margaret, two daughters Karen and Heather and I were very interested to see if there would be any differences in the way it was celebrated.

Getting into the Christmas spirit starts early. As soon as Thanksgiving weekend is over at the end of November, the stores very quickly become like large scale Santa’s Grottos. Carols and festive music are played over public address systems, and sung by choirs assembled in the indoor shopping malls, and Santa Claus in a corner of each store to lure children and their parents. Even the houses and apartments get caught up with the idea that there is something special about the 25th December. Little Santas appear in gardens, and in some cases his reindeer too, all kept bright and warm with a 100 watt bulb! Some houses even have lights strung around the eaves and in each window.

It is not too difficult to get caught up in the seasonal fever, and our children not only enjoyed the traditional Christmas Day, but the lead up to the event with all the tinsel attractions provided as reminders to the season.

Unfortunately, it is easy to forget the real meaning and reason for Christmas, even in the Bible Belt, and for that reason it could be considered little different from home. This season is the celebration of the birth of a baby, who in the course of His life, death and resurrection changed the course of history, and many people’s lives.

Therefore for us, the church played a major part of the season, not only in attendance, but in participation by Karen and Heather in a musical presentation of events around the birth of this Saviour of the World.

Christmas Day was spent in the manner traditional to both countries. An early rise to watch the children open their presents which were placed under the Christmas Tree, and the rest of the day taken up with family games using the presents just opened, and of course the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings to make it a meal to remember for some time to come.

Somehow, even with all the glitter and tinsel of the festivities, on Christmas Day the real atmosphere and spirit of Christmas is there to be enjoyed by all who will accept and recognise the true meaning of the season, and that is true wherever you may spend it.

God Particle

2011-12-14T12:43:00.000Z

The scientists are at it again. They have tried to limit God to a particle, better known as the ‘Higgs Boson’, which apparently is the physicist’s holy grail to the building blocks of everything we became, and everything else in the universe, occurring immediately after the theoretical ‘big bang’. Wow, what a mouthful! And what a lot to swallow for a Christian, who believes fundamentally in God, and His creative nature. Apparently this particle can also move faster than the speed of light... slightly.

This presently unproven theory gives the atheist something to grasp in their quest to prove once and for all that they are right. The only problem for me is, who put the Higgs Boson particle there? Does it just appear from nothing, or will they start looking for something else which made it appear? I sometimes think we are too ‘clever’ for our own good, and this is one such example. For me, this discovery does not disprove the existence of God. How can it? Since (not if) God is the source of all living things, why is it not also the source of this badly named ‘God Particle’? What about the verse in John 1:2-4 “He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind”.

My faith is left unchanged with this recent scientific news ‘breakthrough’, and I cannot see how it can disprove the very nature and being of our God, and therefore the reality of His Son Jesus Christ, who is the baby in the manger, and the whole and only ‘reason for the season’ of Christmas. Maybe then we should rename the new particle, the ‘Higgs Bozo’!

Pop/Rock

2011-12-12T13:51:00.001Z

During youthful years of all generations, we all listened to the pop and rock songs and music of the day, and I stand guilty as charged. However, I think there is, and has always been a ‘dark’ side to the industry, and I can even relate to popular music from the late ‘50s onwards.

At this time of life, I no longer listen to, or even enjoy, modern pop or rock music, so do not follow this industry closely. However, there have been some cases recently where the music industry has shocked us with content of a graphic sexual, and violent nature which have hit the headlines. The past 40 years have seen a great change in what our young people listen to, and use as a backdrop to their lives. Like it or not, all music has an influence, and that can be for good or evil. Again, like it or not, these pop idols are role models to many who want to be just like them. Some will copy them to the detriment of their moral, and yes even physical beings. That’s a lot of negative influence over body and soul, and to me that’s a scary thought.

It transpires that the music industry is now being asked to regulate their output in the same way as the movie business, and introduce a censored age rating system. This would especially affect the music video releases, and I think this is long overdue. If you have chanced across any of the music channels on TV, you will have seen the scantly clad, cavorting men and women who sing and dance to devilish lyrics in a manner which leaves nothing to the imagination. How much further can this moral slide go, without intervention by government legislation, or by God Himself? Of course, this behaviour already happens in UK prime time TV on shows like ‘X Factor’ and ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. Both of these programmes have a list of complaints made against them weekly, for this reason specifically.

So, what can concerned Christian parents, grandparents, or teachers do? I think we can be more alert and aware of the content of the music being churned out, and listened to by our young charges, and take steps to make sure the offending programmes are not watched, nor music and lyrics listened to, in our homes at least. I know it is not considered progressive or PC, but why not trash the CDs/DVDs, and regulate the TV channels through the parental controls already available? Can’t do that? Too authoritarian? Well maybe, just maybe, those are the same channels and music we like to watch and listen to ourselves. What would that say about our own double standards, and more importantly, what would that say to our youth, and their moral compass? Are we guilty of saying one thing, and doing another? Is the moral failing of our youth partly our fault? If so, my own older generation has a lot to answer for! Which ‘rock’ do you base your life on?