When employees fall foul of company regulations it is said that their boss has a "little chat" with them in order to put them right and ensure that their misdemeanours are dealt with.
I would like to be a "fly on the wall" when God has His "little chat" with George Michael who died on Christmas Day. It seems appropriate that this man - who had a loathing for Christians who take the Bible seriously (as all TRUE Christians do) - should pass into eternity on the very day when we remember the birth of One who came to save sinners (and he would have saved Michael too, if he had repented).
It is said that he died of heart failure. I don't know if this was brought on by drug abuse, or if he simply had a heart condition through no fault of his own, but either way, he must now face the consequences of living in open rebellion against the teachings of God's infallible word - the Bible. Any readers who wish to know his views on God, the Bible and Christians can easily find out more by simply googling "George Michael's views on God, religion and the Bible". However, I should warn readers that quotes from this "person" may include vile swear words - that is the kind of man he was.
His lifestyle was that of a perverse individual who behaved as if he was shaking his fist at God and refused to come to repentance and faith in Christ as his Lord and Saviour.
Of course, there is always the chance that he may have turned to Christ as he was dying. The Lord is merciful and, if one accepts Christ in the final moments, then there is eternity in Heaven to look forward to, such is the grace of God.
However, for most people they die as they live. When considering the conversion of the dying thief, in Luke chapter 23, we should remember the old saying "One was saved that none should despair, but only one that none should presume".
During his life Michael made millions and was enormously wealthy but what good did that do him as he lay dying? After all, didn't Jesus say "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?" - Mark 8 v 36.
Monday, 26 December 2016
Tuesday, 13 December 2016
Why we should love the Jews
It is disturbing to note that a wave of anti-Semitism is sweeping across Europe. This manifests itself in the desecration of Jewish cemeteries (eg painting swastikas on gravestones) and in the anti-Israel protests being regularly reported in the media. Sad to say, even Christian ministers have shown anti-Semitism by making anti-Israel statements - shame on them.
The question is - why should we love the Jewish people? Surely they need to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour, they are not automatically right with God by virtue of being Jews? That is absolutely right, Jews are not right with God just because they are Jews, they need to be saved the same as anybody else.
However, it is clear from the Bible that they have a special place in God's heart. We see this in Genesis 12 v 1-3 where a curse is pronounced on people who mistreat the Jews. Moreover, the last 2 verses of Amos make it clear that Jewish people would return to Israel "never again to be uprooted". This was fulfilled in 1948 and is still being fulfilled today due to Aliyah.
Moreover, there are 5 specific reasons we should love the Jews:
1. Our Lord and Saviour is a Jew.
Matthew 1 v 1 makes this clear, as also does Romans 1 v 3. He is of the seed of David, the son of Abraham.
2. The Jews gave us the Word of God.
The Bible you hold in your hand is a Jewish book written by Jews. We are also told in Romans 3 v 1-2 that unto the Jews "were committed the oracles of God".
3. The first missionaries to Europe were Jews.
Acts 16 v 8-12 make it clear that Paul and his companions were taking the Gospel to Europe. Humanly speaking, if it were not for the Jews we would not have heard the Gospel.
4. God will yet bless the world through the Jews.
In Romans 11 v 1-12 we are told that there will be a great turning to Christ among the Jews and this will lead to the world being enriched.
5. A promise of blessing is given to those who love Israel.
Psalm 122 v 6 makes it crystal clear that there is a special blessing for those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem and, of course, Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people. (One hopes the new president will keep his promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem).
In conclusion it should be said that history has clearly shown that is has fared ill with those who have persecuted the Jews but God's blessing is on those who look after the Jews and support Israel. God is not mocked, Genesis 12 v 1-3 still applies today.
The question is - why should we love the Jewish people? Surely they need to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour, they are not automatically right with God by virtue of being Jews? That is absolutely right, Jews are not right with God just because they are Jews, they need to be saved the same as anybody else.
However, it is clear from the Bible that they have a special place in God's heart. We see this in Genesis 12 v 1-3 where a curse is pronounced on people who mistreat the Jews. Moreover, the last 2 verses of Amos make it clear that Jewish people would return to Israel "never again to be uprooted". This was fulfilled in 1948 and is still being fulfilled today due to Aliyah.
Moreover, there are 5 specific reasons we should love the Jews:
1. Our Lord and Saviour is a Jew.
Matthew 1 v 1 makes this clear, as also does Romans 1 v 3. He is of the seed of David, the son of Abraham.
2. The Jews gave us the Word of God.
The Bible you hold in your hand is a Jewish book written by Jews. We are also told in Romans 3 v 1-2 that unto the Jews "were committed the oracles of God".
3. The first missionaries to Europe were Jews.
Acts 16 v 8-12 make it clear that Paul and his companions were taking the Gospel to Europe. Humanly speaking, if it were not for the Jews we would not have heard the Gospel.
4. God will yet bless the world through the Jews.
In Romans 11 v 1-12 we are told that there will be a great turning to Christ among the Jews and this will lead to the world being enriched.
5. A promise of blessing is given to those who love Israel.
Psalm 122 v 6 makes it crystal clear that there is a special blessing for those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem and, of course, Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people. (One hopes the new president will keep his promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem).
In conclusion it should be said that history has clearly shown that is has fared ill with those who have persecuted the Jews but God's blessing is on those who look after the Jews and support Israel. God is not mocked, Genesis 12 v 1-3 still applies today.
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
What is the worst act of depravity a person can commit?
If we were to ask people what is the most vile act of wickedness a person can perpetrate they would probably think of acts of terrorism eg. ISIS, or they would point to the holocaust, or they would mention the depravity of those who do evil things to young children.
However, the most wicked act a person can do is none of these, bad though they are. The most vile act is "simply" to reject the Light. By the Light I mean, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 8 v 12 He said: "I am the Light of the world. The one who follows me shall not walk in darkness but will have the light of life".
Those of us who have made the decision to repent of our sins and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour are the most wise and sensible people living in this world today. Conversely, those people (and they are the majority) who have not accepted Christ are living and walking in darkness because the Light of Christ has not shined in their lives.
In John 3 v 19 we read the following: "This is the condemnation, that light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil".
Of course, the light referred to here is that of Christ Himself. Most people refuse to accept Him because they know that, having done so, their lives must change. There would have to be an evidence of a life lived for Christ rather than the folly of walking "in the paths of the ungodly" - (Psalm 1). People who reject Christ may not be openly hostile. Indeed, to be fair, most people are polite when they refuse Christ and will say that they have "respect" for Him and His teachings.. However, they will not come to Him in order to have eternal life (read John 5 v 40).
No doubt, many who read the above will consider me to be extreme. Even people calling themselves Christians may think that my comments are not fair or reasonable. However, I'm not interested in popularity but rather in being faithful to God's infallible word - the Bible.
As we progress through the Christian life we will increasingly find that political correctness demands we accept the ways of the world. We will be under more and more temptation to accommodate the thinking of the world. Let us pray to the Lord for grace to think, and act, in accordance with God's word and not to accommodate ourselves to political correctness in order to avoid being vilified for standing up for truth.
However, the most wicked act a person can do is none of these, bad though they are. The most vile act is "simply" to reject the Light. By the Light I mean, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 8 v 12 He said: "I am the Light of the world. The one who follows me shall not walk in darkness but will have the light of life".
Those of us who have made the decision to repent of our sins and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour are the most wise and sensible people living in this world today. Conversely, those people (and they are the majority) who have not accepted Christ are living and walking in darkness because the Light of Christ has not shined in their lives.
In John 3 v 19 we read the following: "This is the condemnation, that light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil".
Of course, the light referred to here is that of Christ Himself. Most people refuse to accept Him because they know that, having done so, their lives must change. There would have to be an evidence of a life lived for Christ rather than the folly of walking "in the paths of the ungodly" - (Psalm 1). People who reject Christ may not be openly hostile. Indeed, to be fair, most people are polite when they refuse Christ and will say that they have "respect" for Him and His teachings.. However, they will not come to Him in order to have eternal life (read John 5 v 40).
No doubt, many who read the above will consider me to be extreme. Even people calling themselves Christians may think that my comments are not fair or reasonable. However, I'm not interested in popularity but rather in being faithful to God's infallible word - the Bible.
As we progress through the Christian life we will increasingly find that political correctness demands we accept the ways of the world. We will be under more and more temptation to accommodate the thinking of the world. Let us pray to the Lord for grace to think, and act, in accordance with God's word and not to accommodate ourselves to political correctness in order to avoid being vilified for standing up for truth.
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Jack Chick passes to his eternal reward.
I note from the chick books web site (www.chick.com) that our beloved brother, Jack Chick, is now with the Lord.
Over the past few decades his comic books containing clear Gospel messages have been the means whereby many, many precious souls from all over the world have been saved. The most famous title (This Was Your Life) has been translated into numerous languages and, indeed, even as I write, I suspect that someone, somewhere, is reading a copy in his, or her, own language.
I have a personal reason to be grateful to this dear brother's ministry. As a young Christian, saved in September, 1975 I came across the Chick books very early on in my Christian walk. I found them to be so encouraging and they certainly helped me to appreciate just what Christ had done for me in saving my soul.
Moreover, the book, The Next Step, for growing Christians, gave me a huge boost in my Christian life and spurred me on to spend a great deal of time reading and studying the precious Word of God.
My love for evangelism and missions was fostered by reading Chick books and, indeed, one of my earliest memories of evangelism was going round the phone boxes of Sheerness (my home town) placing them on the shelves - of course, this was back in the 1970s before the advent of mobile phones.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to pass out many copies of them (particularly This Was Your Life) in my ministry as a street evangelist. Only yesterday, in Canterbury, I was able to pass out a French copy to a young lad from across the channel who was visiting the city for the day.
Eternity will reveal the good done to precious souls from the distribution of these small, seemingly nondescript comic books.
"Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel" - Mark 16 v 15
Over the past few decades his comic books containing clear Gospel messages have been the means whereby many, many precious souls from all over the world have been saved. The most famous title (This Was Your Life) has been translated into numerous languages and, indeed, even as I write, I suspect that someone, somewhere, is reading a copy in his, or her, own language.
I have a personal reason to be grateful to this dear brother's ministry. As a young Christian, saved in September, 1975 I came across the Chick books very early on in my Christian walk. I found them to be so encouraging and they certainly helped me to appreciate just what Christ had done for me in saving my soul.
Moreover, the book, The Next Step, for growing Christians, gave me a huge boost in my Christian life and spurred me on to spend a great deal of time reading and studying the precious Word of God.
My love for evangelism and missions was fostered by reading Chick books and, indeed, one of my earliest memories of evangelism was going round the phone boxes of Sheerness (my home town) placing them on the shelves - of course, this was back in the 1970s before the advent of mobile phones.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to pass out many copies of them (particularly This Was Your Life) in my ministry as a street evangelist. Only yesterday, in Canterbury, I was able to pass out a French copy to a young lad from across the channel who was visiting the city for the day.
Eternity will reveal the good done to precious souls from the distribution of these small, seemingly nondescript comic books.
"Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel" - Mark 16 v 15
Monday, 24 October 2016
2nd Kings 2 v 23-25 is a warning to persecutors of Christians
Towards the end 2nd kings chapter 2 we read of the account of a group of youths harassing a man of God. Shortly afterwards 2 female bears come out and mauled 42 of them.
This, at first, seems rather harsh. After all, didn't Jesus teach us to "turn the other cheek" and not seek personal revenge? However, when we compare scripture with scripture we find that there is no contradiction. Jesus clearly taught that His followers should not seek personal revenge and, in the passage quoted above Elisha did not do so.
Moreover, the Bible teaches, in both OT and NT, that the reason there is no need for God's people to take revenge is because God, Himself, deals with those who persecute His people. In Zechariah 2 v 8 we are told that those who come against God's people "touch the apple of His eye" - the inference being that they will face God's righteous judgement. Also, in Romans 12 v 19 we read that we should not seek revenge because vengeance is the Lord's. Furthermore, in 1st Peter 2 v 21-23 we read of the fact that Jesus, when faced with abuse, did not seek to get revenge but committed Himself to the perfect judge.
I would also draw readers' attention to the events in Acts chapter 12 where Herod was "eaten by worms".
Taken together, these verses (and many more) clearly tell us not to seek to get even with our persecutors but trust God to do the business. In my own life I have witnessed this many times and now have complete confidence in the sovereignty of God in this matter.
As I'm typing this, news is coming through of a Christian bakery in N. Ireland which has been unjustly attacked by a court for not promoting a particularly vile form of perversion. It is easy to be angry at the wickedness of the judges and, of course, at the "person" who took the case in the first place; but, we need to place the judgement in God's hands, He will deal with these opponents of the Gospel.
Even if they don't face His wrath in this life, then they will do so in Hell, when they will have all eternity to bitterly reproach themselves for their folly. One hopes, of course, that they will come to repentance and faith in Christ before that dreadful day when they face God and pay for their vile crimes.
As this country becomes ever more godless and hostile towards the Bible let's encourage ourselves in God - He is on the throne and He will have the final victory.
Psalms 68 v 1 "Let God arise...His enemies be scattered"
This, at first, seems rather harsh. After all, didn't Jesus teach us to "turn the other cheek" and not seek personal revenge? However, when we compare scripture with scripture we find that there is no contradiction. Jesus clearly taught that His followers should not seek personal revenge and, in the passage quoted above Elisha did not do so.
Moreover, the Bible teaches, in both OT and NT, that the reason there is no need for God's people to take revenge is because God, Himself, deals with those who persecute His people. In Zechariah 2 v 8 we are told that those who come against God's people "touch the apple of His eye" - the inference being that they will face God's righteous judgement. Also, in Romans 12 v 19 we read that we should not seek revenge because vengeance is the Lord's. Furthermore, in 1st Peter 2 v 21-23 we read of the fact that Jesus, when faced with abuse, did not seek to get revenge but committed Himself to the perfect judge.
I would also draw readers' attention to the events in Acts chapter 12 where Herod was "eaten by worms".
Taken together, these verses (and many more) clearly tell us not to seek to get even with our persecutors but trust God to do the business. In my own life I have witnessed this many times and now have complete confidence in the sovereignty of God in this matter.
As I'm typing this, news is coming through of a Christian bakery in N. Ireland which has been unjustly attacked by a court for not promoting a particularly vile form of perversion. It is easy to be angry at the wickedness of the judges and, of course, at the "person" who took the case in the first place; but, we need to place the judgement in God's hands, He will deal with these opponents of the Gospel.
Even if they don't face His wrath in this life, then they will do so in Hell, when they will have all eternity to bitterly reproach themselves for their folly. One hopes, of course, that they will come to repentance and faith in Christ before that dreadful day when they face God and pay for their vile crimes.
As this country becomes ever more godless and hostile towards the Bible let's encourage ourselves in God - He is on the throne and He will have the final victory.
Psalms 68 v 1 "Let God arise...His enemies be scattered"
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Medical science has advanced since Victorian days - is this a good thing?
In the days of Victorian England medical science was primitive, to say the least, and people were constantly surrounded by death. Illness could strike at anyone, anytime, leading to an early death; even the rich were not immune from this state of extreme uncertainty. Remember, Prince Albert contracted Typhoid and the doctors were not able to save him.
This state of affairs meant that most people had a strong sense of God-consciousness as they knew that they could be ushered into eternity at anytime. This did not, of course, mean that they automatically repented of their sins and accepted Christ; indeed, there was a great deal of wickedness around even in those days. However, there was a much stronger sense of right and wrong felt by many people compared to today, and knowledge of, and respect for, Biblical truth was not in short supply as is the case in this pagan country in 2016.
Because illness and death could strike at any time it was not difficult for preachers to lead people to Christ especially if they had just witnessed the death of a relative or close friend. However, as medical science has improved (and illnesses which, at one time, were incurable, can be healed) so the number of people seeking after God and eternal life has markedly diminished.
We tend to laud the fact that there has been such a strong advance in medical science over the last 100 years, or so, but I sometimes wonder if it is such a good thing after all. In countries where the standard of medical care is very poor there is a great work of evangelism going on. Not only do people have a stronger sense of eternity, but Christian missions are able to get alongside the sick and offer both medical help and spiritual care - thus, in many cases, leading people to a saving knowledge of Christ.
I strongly suspect that, because most people do not have a God-consciousness or sense of what happens in eternity it may be that the only way God is going to get their attention is by some terrible calamity hitting this nation. For example, if there was a plague that did not respond to medication, and many 1,000s of people died every week, there would, no doubt, be a deep sense of the need to get right with God. If we could see death all around us there would be a sense of "holy fear" which God could use to bring people to repentance and faith in Christ.
Given that this country has fallen into a state of dire wickedness, it may be that our only hope is a national calamity on a Biblical scale. If such were to occur this would, indeed, be a mercy sent from God for the purpose of saving souls from a dreadful eternity.
I close by referring readers to Proverbs 27 v 1 - "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth".
This state of affairs meant that most people had a strong sense of God-consciousness as they knew that they could be ushered into eternity at anytime. This did not, of course, mean that they automatically repented of their sins and accepted Christ; indeed, there was a great deal of wickedness around even in those days. However, there was a much stronger sense of right and wrong felt by many people compared to today, and knowledge of, and respect for, Biblical truth was not in short supply as is the case in this pagan country in 2016.
Because illness and death could strike at any time it was not difficult for preachers to lead people to Christ especially if they had just witnessed the death of a relative or close friend. However, as medical science has improved (and illnesses which, at one time, were incurable, can be healed) so the number of people seeking after God and eternal life has markedly diminished.
We tend to laud the fact that there has been such a strong advance in medical science over the last 100 years, or so, but I sometimes wonder if it is such a good thing after all. In countries where the standard of medical care is very poor there is a great work of evangelism going on. Not only do people have a stronger sense of eternity, but Christian missions are able to get alongside the sick and offer both medical help and spiritual care - thus, in many cases, leading people to a saving knowledge of Christ.
I strongly suspect that, because most people do not have a God-consciousness or sense of what happens in eternity it may be that the only way God is going to get their attention is by some terrible calamity hitting this nation. For example, if there was a plague that did not respond to medication, and many 1,000s of people died every week, there would, no doubt, be a deep sense of the need to get right with God. If we could see death all around us there would be a sense of "holy fear" which God could use to bring people to repentance and faith in Christ.
Given that this country has fallen into a state of dire wickedness, it may be that our only hope is a national calamity on a Biblical scale. If such were to occur this would, indeed, be a mercy sent from God for the purpose of saving souls from a dreadful eternity.
I close by referring readers to Proverbs 27 v 1 - "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth".
Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Not O.S.A.S. but O.T.S.A.S !
No doubt the title of this article intrigues readers, but it is absurdly simple really.
OSAS stands for "Once Saved Always Saved" and is a favourite mantra of people who believe that once a person has made a profession faith, prayed a prayer or gone forward at a Gospel meeting, then that person can never be lost. They quote the promise of Christ in John 10 v 27-28 where our Saviour states that His followers will never perish or be snatched from His hands. However, there is a problem with that - what about all the people who have gone forward at Billy Graham meetings and then, only months (or even weeks) later completely fall away?
While typing this I was reminded of a man who, while living in the Swindon area, professed faith in Christ as his Lord and Saviour. For years he was active in the Christian Brethren. However, he fell away so badly that he now goes on to internet web sites attacking the Bible and writing the most awful things about sincere Christians who genuinely love the Lord.
Or, perhaps, one may highlight the case of Charles Templeton, he preached alongside Billy Graham in the 1940s and many people professed to be saved under his ministry. As the years went by he fell away and even wrote a book attacking the Bible. In the above 2 cases, and many thousands more, the proponents of OSAS clearly have a serious problem on their hands.
How do they explain why multitudes of people, who once professed Christ have fallen by the wayside? If they are honest with themselves they would have to re-think their theology or find themselves making the absurd assertion that such people are still saved, but just "a little backslidden" (?!)
I would suggest they look at the alternative abbreviation in the title of this article viz. O.T.S.A.S - Once Truly Saved Always Saved.
Over the last 41 years that I've been walking with the Saviour it has been my sad experience to witness a number of people fall away from the faith, even some who have, apparently, been zealous for evangelism. However, as I've pondered their lives, and statements they made before falling away, I came to the conclusion that they were never truly saved in the first place.
It is very easy to make a public expression of faith in Christ, pick up the "jargon" and do the outward things that are expected of a Christian. Sometimes people make professions of faith because they wish to please a prospective boyfriend/girlfriend that they wish to marry; sometimes it may be because they wish to please their Christian parents, and inside their hearts there is no true work of Grace.
However, this is nothing new - in John 2 v 23 we read of people who said they believed in Christ but He didn't trust their profession because He knew the true state of their hearts. Moreover, we read this telling comment in 1st John 2 v 19 - "They went out from us but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us".
That statement accurately sums up what I've been trying to explain above. When people make a profession of faith we naturally rejoice, but we should not be too quick to accept that alleged conversion as genuine until there has been clear evidence of spiritual fruit in their lives. To put it another way: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating!"
OSAS stands for "Once Saved Always Saved" and is a favourite mantra of people who believe that once a person has made a profession faith, prayed a prayer or gone forward at a Gospel meeting, then that person can never be lost. They quote the promise of Christ in John 10 v 27-28 where our Saviour states that His followers will never perish or be snatched from His hands. However, there is a problem with that - what about all the people who have gone forward at Billy Graham meetings and then, only months (or even weeks) later completely fall away?
While typing this I was reminded of a man who, while living in the Swindon area, professed faith in Christ as his Lord and Saviour. For years he was active in the Christian Brethren. However, he fell away so badly that he now goes on to internet web sites attacking the Bible and writing the most awful things about sincere Christians who genuinely love the Lord.
Or, perhaps, one may highlight the case of Charles Templeton, he preached alongside Billy Graham in the 1940s and many people professed to be saved under his ministry. As the years went by he fell away and even wrote a book attacking the Bible. In the above 2 cases, and many thousands more, the proponents of OSAS clearly have a serious problem on their hands.
How do they explain why multitudes of people, who once professed Christ have fallen by the wayside? If they are honest with themselves they would have to re-think their theology or find themselves making the absurd assertion that such people are still saved, but just "a little backslidden" (?!)
I would suggest they look at the alternative abbreviation in the title of this article viz. O.T.S.A.S - Once Truly Saved Always Saved.
Over the last 41 years that I've been walking with the Saviour it has been my sad experience to witness a number of people fall away from the faith, even some who have, apparently, been zealous for evangelism. However, as I've pondered their lives, and statements they made before falling away, I came to the conclusion that they were never truly saved in the first place.
It is very easy to make a public expression of faith in Christ, pick up the "jargon" and do the outward things that are expected of a Christian. Sometimes people make professions of faith because they wish to please a prospective boyfriend/girlfriend that they wish to marry; sometimes it may be because they wish to please their Christian parents, and inside their hearts there is no true work of Grace.
However, this is nothing new - in John 2 v 23 we read of people who said they believed in Christ but He didn't trust their profession because He knew the true state of their hearts. Moreover, we read this telling comment in 1st John 2 v 19 - "They went out from us but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us".
That statement accurately sums up what I've been trying to explain above. When people make a profession of faith we naturally rejoice, but we should not be too quick to accept that alleged conversion as genuine until there has been clear evidence of spiritual fruit in their lives. To put it another way: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating!"
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