The Greatest Gift

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17 NKJV

It becomes clearer as time passes, and you get older. Probably the result of hard lessons learned in our earlier, younger, and busier life. When you are older, and have the luxury of being able to look back, things can become very clear. One of the definitions of ‘redeem’ is to ‘compensate for faults’, and we know a lot about that. How many times have we messed up, and we need to put it right, but we can’t because it is impossible to wind the clock back and relive the moment? That can bring us to our knees, if not literally, at least in our heart. Some of the saddest two words we will ever hear or utter are, ‘if only’, and none of us are exempt from situations that took us there.

However, there is another definition of the word redeem. It looks similar, but check closely. It also means, ‘to DO something that compensates for poor past performance or behaviour’. So in some cases we really do have the chance to give one of the greatest gifts we can. We can compensate. Not make the past poor actions go away, but at least make them a little less hurtful and harmful. Now that prospect should bring us to our knees literally, because this time is precious, and should not be squandered yet again. It should be grasped with both hands, because as the old song says, ‘you only hurt the ones you love’.

So, to your spouse or children or friends you have hurt by bad decisions, take a moment to redeem the lost time if you ever get the chance. No guarantees that it will make everything right, but if you do not, those bad decisions will always remain bad memories, and with no human redemption, but let’s not leave it on that note.

Isn’t it great that God treats us differently, because He always treats us in Grace. So although we deserve nothing from God, we get the greatest gift any father can give His child, and it doesn’t get any better than this verse in Romans 6:23: ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’. Yes, this really is the greatest gift!

One Body

The Christian community divides itself up so easily by denomination. It’s a way of helping us define who we are, and to let others know and see those doctrines that separate us, even though we are one in Christ. I am in the happy situation of knowing people of other Christian denominations, and also happy to say we have never had an argument. Serious discussions yes, but no arguments.

However, there is a world of non church people out there who don’t care about denominational differences. Those inside ‘the Church’ are all seen as ‘those Christians’ and not always in a nice tone. It is true that we set ourselves up for a fall when we fail our Lord, and it doesn’t matter which church we may represent. Scotland is reeling at the allegations of inappropriate behaviour of Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the highest Roman Catholic cleric, and one who has a vote to elect the next Pope. It doesn’t take long for the outside world to jump all over the story, and label all Christians as fake or hypocrites or both!

Sometimes I think we worry too much about the effects the ‘outside world’ has on the church, and we almost disregard what we do to ourselves. Every time a priest fails his calling, or a minister falls short and gets caught with his hand in the offering plate, or a pastor succumbs to temptation, and leaves his wife and family for the choir leader or organist, the church of Jesus Christ suffers much more. So much more! We are quite well prepared to know what the outside world thinks of the church, but we are never quite prepared for the evil we bring on ourselves when one of our own falls and takes precious souls with him. That includes us. You and me, so the warning is clear. To the man or woman in the street, it does not matter the denomination of the wounded or fallen soldier. The end result is that many souls are lost, who otherwise should have been able to turn to those people for counselling and consolation. We may never know the eternal consequences of these lost opportunities.

However, the Church is not doomed by our foolish actions, and we should also remind ourselves of Jesus’ words when He said in Matthew 16:18: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Horse Meat and Sin

The scandal of finding unlabelled horse meat in beef products in the UK has now spread across the European Community. Everyone is amazed and stunned that this should ever happen, and every country is taking their own steps to test thousands of samples, and clear the supermarket shelves of contaminated products. Every effort is being made to tackle the issue head on, isn’t it? Or is it?

I have watched closely while nations are dealing with the effects of the contaminated merchandise. Untold food testing and stock checks do not address the root of the problem. So far, I have not seen any reports which show where the horse meat started its journey into the food chain process. Horse carcasses have to be processed somewhere, and sold on to that unknown place where it is added to the rest of the meat, and ultimately on to our table.

It’s a bit like sin to my mind. We are so very good at tackling the effects of the bad stuff in our society. We pass laws to try to deal with paedophiles, murderers, liars, bigamists, child abusers, extortioners, predators, stalkers, human traffickers, and the list could go on and on! However the legal systems of our so called advanced nations are not so good at seeing and tackling the source, or root cause of these issues that blight our communities. Our civilised thinking doesn’t allow for the concept of good and bad now. We are discouraged from labelling anything or anyone as bad or evil. Then since everything is relative to everything else, there can be no ultimate good, so who needs God’s Law?

We cannot find the source of the horse meat, and we don’t want to see the source of the evil in our society. There is a link to the analogy, but it falls apart when we realise that eating horse meat will do you no harm, but sin will. Ultimately and eternally. So this question remains. Is it worth tackling the effects while ignoring the source? I would suggest the source of the horse meat will be acknowledged and tackled, long before we acknowledge and deal with the problem of sin!  

What Else?

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15,16 NKJV

“Circumspectly” is a word not often used, but simply means “Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences”. Oh dear it’s that word ‘consequences’ again, and we don’t like to think of that, even as Christians.

The UK news is filled with the story of horsemeat finding its way into the food chain, when it is never listed on the label. I don’t think the problem is with horsemeat  itself, just that we are misled into thinking the main ingredient is beef. So the question I hear being asked is, “What else is going on in the food industry that we don’t know about”? Then there was the fiasco of our elected parliamentary officials fleecing the public purse by abusing their expenses. Then the same question is asked, “What else is going on”? When there is a scandal in any church involving priests, ministers, or pastors (yes it does happen) then the non church population asks the relevant question, “If they are doing THAT, what else are they doing”? What a good question, and one we should not try to sidestep. It comes down to a question of trust.

Back to the wisdom of the verse in Ephesians. Only a fool ignores the consequences of their actions, and that holds true for everyone whether inside or outside the church. The trouble comes when Christians fall prey to their own misdeeds, and the onlooking world is first to say... “What else”? Can you blame them? I can’t, because none of us are in the clear of doing things which are stupid, and where we don’t look ahead, but and it is a BIG BUT, we do untold damage when the children of the most High, behave in a way that brings disrepute to the Holy Name of God. I trust no one will be able to look at our lives and say, if they are doing THAT,“what else are they doing”?

But let me try to end on a positive note. Some consequences of our actions are good. When we do a good service, even in a small way, in Jesus name, we lay up for ourselves a treasure, although it comes with a warning. Paul said to Timothy, but it applies to us too:

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge. 1 Timothy 6:18-20 NIV

Practicing

When you visit the offices of your lawyer, dentist or doctor, you will see plaques and illuminated certificates proudly displayed, which draw attention to the fact that they are part of a ‘practice’. The name is a bit misleading, because it suggests your professionals operate on a ‘work in progress’ basis and that is not strictly true. They are fully qualified.

As a broadly related example, I was having lunch with some family recently, when a Christian man known to me, but unknown to the others, met us, and then started a conversation with the words: “I don’t know if you are practicing Christians” and then proceeded to tell his own church story. It wasn’t really helpful in that situation, and my family were gracious by not answering, but the incident did make me think about the way we ‘practice’ our faith.

I hope none of us are arrogant enough to think we have it made, or have arrived, as far as our faith life on earth is concerned, so then it is true that we are involved in a ‘practice’ of sorts as we live out our faith in a world which is at odds with our beliefs. We must be careful how we do that, as the Apostle Paul tells us to do it in fear and trembling. We are being watched, and people can be attracted to, or put off, by our words and lifestyle. What a responsibility we have!  

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:12,13 NIV

Actors and Celebrities

The cameras seem to follow actors and celebrities, and as a nation we seem to hang onto their every word and action. They do a lot of harm by portraying characters and situations which are less than wholesome, and they get Oscars, Grammy awards, and Baftas for speaking words written for them to say. They don’t have an original thought in their ‘job’. The clue is in the name. Another well known UK soap actor, followed by millions, has been charged with serious counts of sexual abuse including child rape.

There are magazines dedicated to following the lives of the rich and famous, who seldom do anything to help anyone but themselves. They live in the rarified atmosphere of film studios and our TV screens, and we elevate them to positions of sainthood. Why?

Occasionally, an actor or celebrity will take a trip, usually between jobs, to be seen doing some ‘good’ to the underprivileged in a third world country, and we gasp in admiration and adoration at their efforts. Our hero(ine)s are actually good people. Maybe they are, but I can’t help but go back to the title of their day job. They are actors. How can I trust that they are really interested in the children they are photographed with? Or is it another case of a career needing a boost of good news before they go back to playing the seedy roles they are so good at? Where is the truth? Does it lie in their scripted words? Does it lie in their good works while being followed by a film crew among disadvantaged children? Is their concern real, or another opportunity to be seen by their adoring fans who can now relate to how kind they really are when they pay to see their next 18 rated movie?

A recent UK poll showed the least trusted professions as: bankers, politicians, journalists, and estate agents, but actors/celebrities do not figure in the top 10, so am I out of line when I ask you, “what is truth, and who do YOU trust to speak it”? If we cannot trust these professionals, who or what would YOU place your trust in? Just asking.

Gently

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. Romans 14:1 The Message

The longer we have been a Christian, the more likely we are to fall into the old trap of thinking, “they shouldn’t be doing that, or acting like they do, after all when I was their age (in birthdays or faith years) I didn’t behave that way!” (Oh really??) I will be the first to admit that I see things very differently now, than I did 40 years ago, and that’s inside and outside the confines of the church I have attended pretty much all of that time. The world has changed, the church has changed, but Jesus has not!

No one really likes change, and if you are reading this, you won’t either! It is a natural reaction to resist anything that looks different from anything we are used to. You can be 20 or 60, the same rule applies. I chose the ‘Message’ translation for the verse above, because it captures something of our nature when we see or hear young Christians behave in ways we don’t approve of. We also have to remember that ‘young in the faith’ can mean a man or woman of later years, and old habits die hard, or at least take a lot longer to die!

Paul’s advice is clear, and simple. Be gentle. Don’t criticise. Oh how we love to criticise, but we don’t call it that, we prefer to call it giving advice ‘in love’. If you are an older Christian, like me, let’s try to take care of the younger students of faith and lead them gently in the Way. We have a duty of care, and as we do, we are also reminded in Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

What Are You?

What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them. Matthew 15:11 NIV

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. Proverbs 23:7 NKJV

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV

Customers in the UK have been eating horse meat, labelled on some processed food packaging as ‘beef’, and they didn’t know. I’m not sure about you, but I like to know what I am eating. I am quite adventurous, and have eaten some strange foods, but I always believed what it was supposed to be. For me, it doesn’t really matter that it was horse meat, it was more the lie in the labelling. I’ll say it again, I like to know what is going into my digestive system, and I am not alone with that. I like the idea that it is (or should be) what it says on the tin.

The old saying, “You are what you eat” comes to mind and to a certain extent this is true. Take a look round at the sizes of some of your friends. So we take a lot of notice and care about what goes IN! But do we take any notice of what comes OUT of our mouths? In fact do we really care? The kind of heart you have determines what comes out of your mouth, and as far as God is concerned, He is more worried that our inside is right, and less concerned about what we eat!

So, why don’t we take at least as much interest in the condition of our heart, and not the road from our mouth to our stomach. That way, we can be assured that our tongue will not be foul, or lying, or deceiving, and that would be a real improvement to the environment.

No Further

‘This far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!’ Job 38:11 NKJV

Job was having a discussion with God. In fact, it was really an argument, because Job was in a sticky situation. He had lost everything of any worth or value in his life, including his wife, family, belongings, and then to cap it off his body was covered in boils, and all because God allowed it to happen. Wouldn’t you have done the same and yelled at God?

Have you ever argued with God when something goes badly wrong in your life, and you need something or someone to blame? I think it is fair to say we have all done that at some time. The trouble is that we don’t always know when to stop. Job was being goaded on by his friends who were no help or comfort at all. So God stepped in with the verse above. He had enough of Job’s complaining, and the passage goes on to remind us all just who is in control, and surprise of surprises, it’s not us!

We have limits and boundaries we should not cross when we deal with God. I know from experience that it can help to get your feelings out where God can deal with them, but let’s allow God to do just that, and not keep harping back to the same problems we claimed we had left with Him before. There are many occasions when we should stop and go no further, or we can get into areas we don’t belong. So take care when you pray, and allow God to answer, but when He says ‘no further’ accept that He means it, and knows best. After all, He IS God!! Oh and as for Job, God healed and restored in every area of his life so it was a good ending to a sorry story, and our God will bring us through too!

Married Couples

The long promised ‘Married Couples Tax Allowance’ trailed over the past months by the present LibCon coalition has been scrapped today. It wasn’t a lot of money, so that isn’t really the biggest problem or issue as far as I am concerned. I also know it would have applied to ‘civil partnerships’.

The climate of liberalism (small ‘l’) has been running amok in our society these past few years, and as a nation, we have bent and conceded to almost every liberal view and thought. There is no coincidence in my own mind that this latest decision is linked directly to the present intention to ‘sanctify’ (yes I said ‘sanctify?’ but only at a government level), same sex marriage legislation. I have little doubt that the law endorsing same sex marriage will succeed, and since I live in a chosen democracy I will have to accept it as law, but equally, I still do have a choice as to whether I accept it as a right or moral or good thing. Well, at the moment I still have that freedom, although there are many out there who would want me to be denied that right, and who knows, they may succeed in the future sometime.

So, for me it is a simple connection. It is not acceptable or good for the LibCon coalition to stand behind normal (yes I said normal) married couples, but there is the sound of Cameron and Clegg’s marching boots as same sex marriage is pushed through the government lobbies. Coincidence? You may think so, I don’t.