In the annals of human history there is one person who towers above all others - the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, even non-Christians will acknowledge something of His greatness and the impact He has made down through the ages. I have outlined below 6 points about the Lord Jesus that mark Him out as different from anyone else who has ever lived.
1. His birth was unique. Matthew 1 v 23 says: "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated 'God with us' "
2. His teachings were unsurpassed. In John chapter 7 we read of officers being sent to arrest Jesus, they came back empty-handed saying "No-one ever spoke like this man" - verse 46.
3. His life was undefiled. The apostle Peter said of Jesus "He did no sin, neither was guile found in His lips". 1st Peter 2 v 22.
4. His death was undeserved. At Jesus' "trial" the governor Pilate said: "I find no fault in this man". Luke 23 v 4. His death was a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
5. His resurrection was unexplained. A Roman guard was put around His tomb to stop anyone nicking the body and yet after 3 days the body had gone, why? ""He is not here but is risen!" Luke 24 v 6.
6. His return is unavoidable. In 2nd Thessalonians 1 v 7-8 we read: ".....when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ".
It is all very well acknowledging the uniqueness of Christ, but this is not enough. We must respond to the above facts by repenting of our sins and accepting Him as our Lord and personal Saviour. For those who do there is the assurance of an eternal Heaven; however, for those who don't there is the certainty of eternal damnation.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Friday, 18 September 2009
Charlie not so peaceful
One of the most notorious criminals in Victorian England was Charlie Peace. It would be unedifying to list all this man's crimes. Suffice to say that he went to prison several times for burglary but even after his release continued his lawbreaking to the point where he murdered two people (that we know of!) and attempted to murder others. Eventually he was caught and, after a fair trial, was hanged at Armley jail in Leeds.
You may well ask what that brief outline of a criminal's activities is doing on a Christian blog. The answer is simple: when Charlie was being led to the gallows a Chaplain walked alongside him reading extracts from the Bible. Charlie turned to him and said "Do you believe that? If I had believed that was true I would have crawled across England on broken glass to tell people it was so".
Think of the implications of that statement - if the Gospel is really true, if Jesus really died to save us from our sins and cause us to have a place in Heaven, surely this message should be spread at great sacrifice and cost to the believer. Indeed, to spread the Gospel, by word of mouth or the printed page (or both!) should be the most important work of our lives.
Let's spend a moment in reflection. For those of us who know Jesus as our personal Saviour it is good to look back to the point when we first heard the Gospel. Some may have been raised in a Christian home and first heard from their parents or siblings. Others may have been told of Christ by a schoolfriend or work colleague. Still others may have been given a piece of literature on a street or other public place. Each of us have come to Christ in different ways but always, always, because someone cared enough about our souls to share Christ.
Perhaps when we were first saved we wanted to tell everyone about Jesus, a change had taken place in our lives and we were on fire for God. Then as the years have gone by and we have got settled in life, maybe that fire has dimmed; the spark is still there, or perhaps the embers, but maybe we don't have that same burning desire to make Christ known that we experienced at the first. Maybe the apathy of the unsaved has got to us and we can't motivate ourselves anymore. It is so easy to become discouraged as we forget that the work of conversion is God's doing, our part is simply to share Jesus. It can happen to the best of us, such is the impact of soft, modern, Western Evangelicalism (or perhaps, "evanjellyism"). Maybe we are content just to drift through the Christian life, sing a few hymns and patiently wait until God calls us home, little caring for the multitudes around who are dead in sin and heading for Hell.
If we have reached that stage may I suggest thinking through that statement from the lips of Charlie Peace. Are we prepared to "crawl across England on broken glass to tell people it is so"? If not, why not?
You may well ask what that brief outline of a criminal's activities is doing on a Christian blog. The answer is simple: when Charlie was being led to the gallows a Chaplain walked alongside him reading extracts from the Bible. Charlie turned to him and said "Do you believe that? If I had believed that was true I would have crawled across England on broken glass to tell people it was so".
Think of the implications of that statement - if the Gospel is really true, if Jesus really died to save us from our sins and cause us to have a place in Heaven, surely this message should be spread at great sacrifice and cost to the believer. Indeed, to spread the Gospel, by word of mouth or the printed page (or both!) should be the most important work of our lives.
Let's spend a moment in reflection. For those of us who know Jesus as our personal Saviour it is good to look back to the point when we first heard the Gospel. Some may have been raised in a Christian home and first heard from their parents or siblings. Others may have been told of Christ by a schoolfriend or work colleague. Still others may have been given a piece of literature on a street or other public place. Each of us have come to Christ in different ways but always, always, because someone cared enough about our souls to share Christ.
Perhaps when we were first saved we wanted to tell everyone about Jesus, a change had taken place in our lives and we were on fire for God. Then as the years have gone by and we have got settled in life, maybe that fire has dimmed; the spark is still there, or perhaps the embers, but maybe we don't have that same burning desire to make Christ known that we experienced at the first. Maybe the apathy of the unsaved has got to us and we can't motivate ourselves anymore. It is so easy to become discouraged as we forget that the work of conversion is God's doing, our part is simply to share Jesus. It can happen to the best of us, such is the impact of soft, modern, Western Evangelicalism (or perhaps, "evanjellyism"). Maybe we are content just to drift through the Christian life, sing a few hymns and patiently wait until God calls us home, little caring for the multitudes around who are dead in sin and heading for Hell.
If we have reached that stage may I suggest thinking through that statement from the lips of Charlie Peace. Are we prepared to "crawl across England on broken glass to tell people it is so"? If not, why not?
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Proof that God exists.
As Christians, we are often told that God does not exist, or even if He does we cannot prove it. Well I have found irrefutable evidence that He does exist. The following is a true story:
Jim was a highly successful salesman with staff under him and, on the surface, it seemed that everything was going well. However, the reality was different - his life was falling apart. He was simply forcing himself to go on living and working. One day two ladies at his work said that they knew things were not right and they were praying for him. A short while later one of those ladies invited him to her church. He went to the service but didn't really pay any attention as he was pre-occupied with his problems. However, he did remember the Pastor saying the following words "The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your minds and hearts through Christ Jesus". He thought that was a nice statement but after the service he left intending never to bother going back.
Some while later he went on a 2-3 week business tour, visiting sales reps and staying in a number of hotels along the way. The words spoken by that Pastor kept going through his mind, and he figured that they must be from the Bible, but he didn't know whereabouts in the Bible. In fact, his knowledge of the Bible was so poor he didn't even know there were two testaments. However, he decided on his last visit of the tour to look in the hotel for a Bible and see if he could find the verse.
After checking in he went to the room allocated to him and went to the bedside locker to look for the Gideon's Bible that he felt sure should be there. As he opened the draw, sure enough, the Bible was there. It was opened out and a part had been highlighted, it was Philippians 4 v 6-7. As he looked at those highlighted verses, to his utter amazement, he read the same words the Pastor had spoken in that church. Jim realised at that point that God was speaking to Him. The possibility of a co-incidence was simply not believable. The statistical chance of such a thing happening would be 1 in a million, or even a billion. He contacted the lady mentioned earlier and asked her to take him to that church, he was soundly converted, went on to marry that lady and went into the ministry. He has now been in the ministry for 15 years.
Atheists often like to say that we are deluded for believing a "fairy story". I would suggest that holding to the view that the above was a co-incidence takes a lot more faith. God is real, and He has proved His existence in the above, and in many other true accounts of "God's-incidences" not co-incidences.
Jim was a highly successful salesman with staff under him and, on the surface, it seemed that everything was going well. However, the reality was different - his life was falling apart. He was simply forcing himself to go on living and working. One day two ladies at his work said that they knew things were not right and they were praying for him. A short while later one of those ladies invited him to her church. He went to the service but didn't really pay any attention as he was pre-occupied with his problems. However, he did remember the Pastor saying the following words "The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your minds and hearts through Christ Jesus". He thought that was a nice statement but after the service he left intending never to bother going back.
Some while later he went on a 2-3 week business tour, visiting sales reps and staying in a number of hotels along the way. The words spoken by that Pastor kept going through his mind, and he figured that they must be from the Bible, but he didn't know whereabouts in the Bible. In fact, his knowledge of the Bible was so poor he didn't even know there were two testaments. However, he decided on his last visit of the tour to look in the hotel for a Bible and see if he could find the verse.
After checking in he went to the room allocated to him and went to the bedside locker to look for the Gideon's Bible that he felt sure should be there. As he opened the draw, sure enough, the Bible was there. It was opened out and a part had been highlighted, it was Philippians 4 v 6-7. As he looked at those highlighted verses, to his utter amazement, he read the same words the Pastor had spoken in that church. Jim realised at that point that God was speaking to Him. The possibility of a co-incidence was simply not believable. The statistical chance of such a thing happening would be 1 in a million, or even a billion. He contacted the lady mentioned earlier and asked her to take him to that church, he was soundly converted, went on to marry that lady and went into the ministry. He has now been in the ministry for 15 years.
Atheists often like to say that we are deluded for believing a "fairy story". I would suggest that holding to the view that the above was a co-incidence takes a lot more faith. God is real, and He has proved His existence in the above, and in many other true accounts of "God's-incidences" not co-incidences.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
"...........and see what emerges"
Mark was a pleasant enough bloke, and people warmed to him as soon as they met him. Indeed, no-one had a bad word to say about him but he did have a problem - he tended to be full of big ideas that were not properly thought through. One day he met his best friend John.
"Hello Mark, how are you?" asked John, "You're looking pleased with yourself".
"Yes" came the reply, "I'm going to build a house, I've bought a plot of land and ordered the materials. I'm going to start Monday."
"That's good" said John, "let's see your plans".
"Oh, I haven't got any plans, I'll just put one brick on top of the other......and see what emerges! Don't you think that is a good idea".
"No, Mark, I think you're a nutter!"
Whoever heard of a builder with no plans. Everyone building a house must work with a set of plans so that he knows what he is doing and where he is going. Jesus said "I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it" - Matthew 16 v 18.
When we spread the Gospel , through the printed page or the spoken word, there may be a tendency to "see what emerges". However, that is the wrong attitude as it implies that God is leaving the matter to chance and has no plan. Just as a builder has a plan so does the master builder Jesus.
As we spread the Gospel then Jesus is building His church, not brick by brick, but person by person. In the book of Acts we can see this plan in action. In Acts 1 v 8 we read that the disciples would be His witnesses in "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost part of the Earth". We see this as the book unfolds, the Gospel starting in Jerusalem then spreading further and further like ripples in a pond when a stone is dropped in. One key verse for me is Acts 2 v 47 where we read "....the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved". As the Gospel was being preached it was the Lord doing the work of building His church.
So then, Christian friends, be encouraged - carry on spreading the Word knowing that Jesus is building His church, and the wise master builder will complete the work.
"Hello Mark, how are you?" asked John, "You're looking pleased with yourself".
"Yes" came the reply, "I'm going to build a house, I've bought a plot of land and ordered the materials. I'm going to start Monday."
"That's good" said John, "let's see your plans".
"Oh, I haven't got any plans, I'll just put one brick on top of the other......and see what emerges! Don't you think that is a good idea".
"No, Mark, I think you're a nutter!"
Whoever heard of a builder with no plans. Everyone building a house must work with a set of plans so that he knows what he is doing and where he is going. Jesus said "I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it" - Matthew 16 v 18.
When we spread the Gospel , through the printed page or the spoken word, there may be a tendency to "see what emerges". However, that is the wrong attitude as it implies that God is leaving the matter to chance and has no plan. Just as a builder has a plan so does the master builder Jesus.
As we spread the Gospel then Jesus is building His church, not brick by brick, but person by person. In the book of Acts we can see this plan in action. In Acts 1 v 8 we read that the disciples would be His witnesses in "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost part of the Earth". We see this as the book unfolds, the Gospel starting in Jerusalem then spreading further and further like ripples in a pond when a stone is dropped in. One key verse for me is Acts 2 v 47 where we read "....the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved". As the Gospel was being preached it was the Lord doing the work of building His church.
So then, Christian friends, be encouraged - carry on spreading the Word knowing that Jesus is building His church, and the wise master builder will complete the work.
Friday, 28 August 2009
Freethinking - daring to be different.
In the Old Testament book of Daniel (chapter 3) we read of King Nebuchadnezzar's act of setting up a large golden image which he commanded people to worship, or be cast into a fiery furnace. All complied with this except 3 men - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They refused to fall in line with the overwhelming majority and stood up for what they believed in despite the consequences. They were thrown into the furnace but God miraculously delivered them. They refused to bend, budge or burn! They stood for truth when it was unpopular to do so. They were the freethinkers of their day.
Fast forward to 2009 and ask the question - who are the freethinkers of today?
In an age when militant atheism is becoming popular and, indeed, "fashionable" it is freethinkers who, daring to be different, boldly declare their belief in God.
In an age when the Bible is considered to be a book of fairy stories it is freethinkers who, daring to be different, state their absolute confidence in it's infallibility, historical accuracy and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
In an age when evolution is accepted as the "conventional wisdom" (despite the lack of scientific evidence) it is the freethinkers who, daring to be different, unashamedly state their belief in the truth of Biblical creationism.
In an age of rampant immorality and perversion it is the freethinkers who, daring to be different, make a decisive stand for purity - despite being labelled as puritanical and homophobic.
Who are these modern day freethinkers, these bold custodians of truth, who willingly "stick their heads above the parapet" knowing it will lead to opposition and, indeed, even persecution?
Answer: the Evangelical Christians. We are the ones who are daring to be different and swim against the stream. We are the ones who will not be deterred from spreading the truths of the Christian Gospel - that Christ died for our sins and rose again, that He is the only way to Heaven, and that the alternative is eternal damnation in Hell.
Down through the ages there have been those brave souls who refused to follow the crowd but, with faces set like flint, stood for truth when it was hugely unpopular to do so. It is the true Christians - the Evangelicals, (call us fundamentalists if you will) who are now bearing the torch of truth in an age of error, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus "Beware when all men speak well of you" - Luke 6 v 26.
Fast forward to 2009 and ask the question - who are the freethinkers of today?
In an age when militant atheism is becoming popular and, indeed, "fashionable" it is freethinkers who, daring to be different, boldly declare their belief in God.
In an age when the Bible is considered to be a book of fairy stories it is freethinkers who, daring to be different, state their absolute confidence in it's infallibility, historical accuracy and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
In an age when evolution is accepted as the "conventional wisdom" (despite the lack of scientific evidence) it is the freethinkers who, daring to be different, unashamedly state their belief in the truth of Biblical creationism.
In an age of rampant immorality and perversion it is the freethinkers who, daring to be different, make a decisive stand for purity - despite being labelled as puritanical and homophobic.
Who are these modern day freethinkers, these bold custodians of truth, who willingly "stick their heads above the parapet" knowing it will lead to opposition and, indeed, even persecution?
Answer: the Evangelical Christians. We are the ones who are daring to be different and swim against the stream. We are the ones who will not be deterred from spreading the truths of the Christian Gospel - that Christ died for our sins and rose again, that He is the only way to Heaven, and that the alternative is eternal damnation in Hell.
Down through the ages there have been those brave souls who refused to follow the crowd but, with faces set like flint, stood for truth when it was hugely unpopular to do so. It is the true Christians - the Evangelicals, (call us fundamentalists if you will) who are now bearing the torch of truth in an age of error, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus "Beware when all men speak well of you" - Luke 6 v 26.
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
The Tragedy of Jacob Eames
Some years ago I read an excellent book "To the Golden Shore" by Courtney Anderson which focused on the life of Adoniram Judson, a missionary to Burma in the early 1800s. This book covered his entire life and not just his missionary activity. One particular incident in his youth was to impact him for the rest of his life, and I thought it good to share this.
Despite being raised in a Christian home he began to have doubts about the faith when he reached his mid-teens. Heading off to college at 16 he soon fell into the company of one Jacob Eames, a year older, and a Deist. (Deists believe that there is a God but reject many of the teachings of the Gospel, particularly the divinity of Christ and the infallibility of the Bible).
Eames was everything Judson admired - exceptionally clever, witty, full of arrogance and self-assurance - and it was not long before he took on board Eames' beliefs, or rather lack of belief. Eventually, they both left college and went their separate ways, but the damage was done - Judson was a confirmed Deist and he knew that, sooner or later, his family would discover this and there would be a row.....big time. Eventually the showdown occurred and Judson left home to go his own way. Some months later, he found himself in need of a bed for the night and went into an inn. The owner said that there was a room available but it was next door to a sick man and there may be some noise. Judson was so tired he accepted the room and, despite the groaning from next door, he fell asleep.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny, a glorious September day. Judson went downstairs to have breakfast and settle his bill. He asked the owner how the man in the next room had fared. The owner related the sad news that he had died. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, what was his name?". The reply hit him like a thunderbolt - "Jacob Eames". In the words of the book "Judson didn't know how he got through the next few hours". He made his way home and, to cut a long story short, eventually became a Christian and a missionary to Burma.
What lessons can we learn from such an account as this? I believe there are two points that stand out very clearly:
1. The arrogant proud will be brought down. In my work of street evangelism I often see people who boast of their own self-sufficiency and have no need of God (so they think). The Bible is dismissed as rubbish, and the purpose of life is....and they reel off a list of sinful activities that give them temporary, passing pleasure. However, a day of reckoning will come. "Each of us will give account of himself to God" - Romans 14 v 12. For Jacob Eames that reckoning came earlier than he expected; one can only hope he repented and accepted Christ before that divine appointment.
2. God is sovereign. In all-knowing, over-ruling providence He arranged the circumstances of that incident in Judson's life and it was to play a major part in his conversion. If God, in His mercy, has someone "in His sights" for conversion then that lost sheep will be sought by the good shepherd until he is found. As Jesus put it "All that the Father gives me, will come to me....." John 6 v 37. What an encouragement that should be in our evangelism.
So, persevere, fellow Christians, in sowing the good seed of the Gospel - God will be glorified as He draws precious souls to Himself.
Despite being raised in a Christian home he began to have doubts about the faith when he reached his mid-teens. Heading off to college at 16 he soon fell into the company of one Jacob Eames, a year older, and a Deist. (Deists believe that there is a God but reject many of the teachings of the Gospel, particularly the divinity of Christ and the infallibility of the Bible).
Eames was everything Judson admired - exceptionally clever, witty, full of arrogance and self-assurance - and it was not long before he took on board Eames' beliefs, or rather lack of belief. Eventually, they both left college and went their separate ways, but the damage was done - Judson was a confirmed Deist and he knew that, sooner or later, his family would discover this and there would be a row.....big time. Eventually the showdown occurred and Judson left home to go his own way. Some months later, he found himself in need of a bed for the night and went into an inn. The owner said that there was a room available but it was next door to a sick man and there may be some noise. Judson was so tired he accepted the room and, despite the groaning from next door, he fell asleep.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny, a glorious September day. Judson went downstairs to have breakfast and settle his bill. He asked the owner how the man in the next room had fared. The owner related the sad news that he had died. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, what was his name?". The reply hit him like a thunderbolt - "Jacob Eames". In the words of the book "Judson didn't know how he got through the next few hours". He made his way home and, to cut a long story short, eventually became a Christian and a missionary to Burma.
What lessons can we learn from such an account as this? I believe there are two points that stand out very clearly:
1. The arrogant proud will be brought down. In my work of street evangelism I often see people who boast of their own self-sufficiency and have no need of God (so they think). The Bible is dismissed as rubbish, and the purpose of life is....and they reel off a list of sinful activities that give them temporary, passing pleasure. However, a day of reckoning will come. "Each of us will give account of himself to God" - Romans 14 v 12. For Jacob Eames that reckoning came earlier than he expected; one can only hope he repented and accepted Christ before that divine appointment.
2. God is sovereign. In all-knowing, over-ruling providence He arranged the circumstances of that incident in Judson's life and it was to play a major part in his conversion. If God, in His mercy, has someone "in His sights" for conversion then that lost sheep will be sought by the good shepherd until he is found. As Jesus put it "All that the Father gives me, will come to me....." John 6 v 37. What an encouragement that should be in our evangelism.
So, persevere, fellow Christians, in sowing the good seed of the Gospel - God will be glorified as He draws precious souls to Himself.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
A Higher Power
Even those taking just a passing interest in the news cannot fail to have noticed that al Megrahi, (not his full name!) the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, has been returned to Libya on compassionate grounds due to his terminal cancer. This has caused a great deal of outrage to relatives of the victims who feel cheated of justice. What is perhaps not so well known is that when the Scottish justice secretary announced the decision he spoke of Mr Megrahi's illness as being a sentence imposed by a "Higher Power", the inference being that he has not got away with his crime (assuming, of course, that he was guilty) because God has judged him.
In an increasingly secular age it is very rare for a politician to make such a statement - especially when making a highly sensitive announcement. However, this episode caused me to ponder just how much God-consciousness there is inside each of us, even for those who make no pretence of being committed Christians. The Bible teaches that we are made in God's image; though that has been tarnished by sin we still have the capacity to make moral choices, and God's law is still written on our consciences. Indeed, the Bible teaches that God has put eternity into our hearts (see Eccles. 3 v 11). Deep down we know that there is a God, there is a judgement day, and there is an eternity to face - in Heaven or Hell.
All this, of course, has implications. If people really do have this knowledge within them why do so many reject the Gospel and refuse to humble themselves before God in repentance and faith? Again the Bible gives the answer, this time in Romans Chapter 1. We are told there that man is without excuse because the evidence for God is all around but instead of believing in Him they "supress the truth" - verse 18. What does this mean? As a boy I once owned a "Jack in the Box" - a simple toy consisting of a puppet on the end of a spring that could be pressed down into a box and the lid fastened on top. Once the catch was released the puppet sprang up. In a similar way people press down the knowledge of God and His truth into the inner recesses of their hearts, when a Christian speaks of Christ or they see a Bible text the "catch is released" and the truth springs back to the surface - with all it's uncomfortable implications.
Perhaps this could explain why atheists get so angry when Christians preach the Gospel and seek to evangelise - we are, effectively "releasing the catch" and causing these people to lose their self-assurance. Instead of supressing what they know in their hearts to be true, unbelievers should repent, and plead with Christ to have mercy on their souls. Once they do this then they can have that true peace which, at present, seems to elude them.
In an increasingly secular age it is very rare for a politician to make such a statement - especially when making a highly sensitive announcement. However, this episode caused me to ponder just how much God-consciousness there is inside each of us, even for those who make no pretence of being committed Christians. The Bible teaches that we are made in God's image; though that has been tarnished by sin we still have the capacity to make moral choices, and God's law is still written on our consciences. Indeed, the Bible teaches that God has put eternity into our hearts (see Eccles. 3 v 11). Deep down we know that there is a God, there is a judgement day, and there is an eternity to face - in Heaven or Hell.
All this, of course, has implications. If people really do have this knowledge within them why do so many reject the Gospel and refuse to humble themselves before God in repentance and faith? Again the Bible gives the answer, this time in Romans Chapter 1. We are told there that man is without excuse because the evidence for God is all around but instead of believing in Him they "supress the truth" - verse 18. What does this mean? As a boy I once owned a "Jack in the Box" - a simple toy consisting of a puppet on the end of a spring that could be pressed down into a box and the lid fastened on top. Once the catch was released the puppet sprang up. In a similar way people press down the knowledge of God and His truth into the inner recesses of their hearts, when a Christian speaks of Christ or they see a Bible text the "catch is released" and the truth springs back to the surface - with all it's uncomfortable implications.
Perhaps this could explain why atheists get so angry when Christians preach the Gospel and seek to evangelise - we are, effectively "releasing the catch" and causing these people to lose their self-assurance. Instead of supressing what they know in their hearts to be true, unbelievers should repent, and plead with Christ to have mercy on their souls. Once they do this then they can have that true peace which, at present, seems to elude them.
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