Honour HIS Temple

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies. 1 Cor 6:19,20 NIV

 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Cor 3:16 ESV

These verses make it very clear that we have to look after our bodies, after all we are reminded that we are bought at a high price. Don’t thumb your nose at a Holy God!

This blog might annoy or even hurt some readers, but that presupposes that I actually get some folks who will not ignore, but read my musings. What are the things that we have to be careful about if we are serious about honouring God’s Holy Temple? In Paul’s day, it included food which had been offered to idols or not consecrated. It would also have included anything which had a bad influence on the health, eg gluttony which is also warned about in other passages and/or anything which would make them sluggish. Some liquids would hamper bodily functions and make them sluggish. Sound familiar?

But what about today? There are some obvious ones, and that is where I may lose some friends or readers. Some of the things we were warned about in Paul’s day can be directly related to our time, and to us individually. Take overeating. It was a real issue then, and it is a real problem today, especially with all the unhealthy fast foods we consume. The result can be obesity, and a health issue to go along with it. A shorter lifespan is not uncommon. Tell me, is that honouring our Holy God? Oh, I can already hear some overweight folks say, but it’s in my DNA and genes, so I can’t help my weight. I know some obese folks, but I have not come across any who have actually tried to change their eating regime. Why? Easy, because they like their eating lifestyle, and have accepted their weight issue. In fact, they do not see any health issues at all.

What about our national love, and consumption of alcohol? It makes the body woozy, sleepy, unable to drive, stagger etc etc. Is the sight of a drunk man or woman (yes sadly, this includes women too) wandering and staggering home from the pub a sight that glorifies a Holy God? I think not! Unsurprisingly, for me, I tend to think of drinking and smoking in the same breath, so what about tobacco, and the effects on health and example to others? I know in the Bible Paul says to Timothy (who had a stomach problem), a little wine for your stomach’s sake. That little phrase has opened the door to any and all Christians to feel that the consumption of alcohol is acceptable, and even encouraged. The result is a tendency to have wine with a meal for no other reason other than they want to, and not whether or not it honours a Holy God.

Smoking tobacco is addictive, and that includes most vapes. If a smoker is addicted to tobacco, does that not give a message to children and young people, especially when you can become a slave to a legal drug? Use your imagination, and visualise a Christian coming out of church, Bible in hand, and a fag drooping from lips, bouncing up and down while talking. It doesn’t make for a pretty sight, and I would suggest not a good example of a Holy God. Would you agree?

Many folks see no problem in buying a lottery ticket once a week. It’s only a pound so what’s wrong with that? In this case, nothing, but what if it opens the door to a gambling addiction? Don’t tell me you have never heard of a well meaning pound a week turning into an amount which cannot be controlled? There are many ‘super gamblers’ who started in a very small way and didn’t see how they could possibly become addicted. I know it doesn’t happen that way for everyone, but is it worth the risk? That’s another gamble altogether. More to the point, does it give a good outlook for a Holy God?

I know there are other areas which could be mentioned, and you may disagree with some of my own suggestions, but what is the goal? If it is truly to honour the Temple of the Holy Spirit, we should take no chances but take every opportunity to keep our Holy God first and foremost. Nothing is more important as we work to honour His Temple. May we be worthy!

Trust or Control

Do you see yourself as a person who trusts others? Or to put it another way, and perhaps in a more telling way, are you a trustworthy person yourself? Do others see you as someone they can trust? Is your word your bond, and can it be relied on? Wow, so many questions, but they go to the heart of my thoughts today. 

After all, what is the opposite of trust? Perhaps the person who has little or no trust is a control junkie where there is a monster round every corner, waiting to take away your personal freedom. If you are not a trusting person, there is a big  probability that you fear being controlled. There are those who do have an irrational fear of ‘big brother’/government control which can be seen and applied from many angles. The food we eat. Is it deliberately processed to control? The news program we watch. Is it set to present a skewed view of the world in such a way to suggest we are being controlled from a higher place?

Somehow, I think you have come across people who fear control. There may even be a few friends who think that way, and express their views openly and in such a way as to gather support for their views. These folks may be quite unsure of themselves or even paranoiac. They can also be very vocal in the expression of their views.

The faithful Christian believer is ripe ground for feeling they (and the world) are under control from the top, whether government, MPC (Monetary Policy Control), or the biggie WEF (World Economic Forum). These may all lead in an extreme way to the One World Government, and/or a Single Currency. A good example of a united currency is where the Euro replaced a dozen or so other national currencies. Take that a step further and think of the world having one currency. Imagine the benefits, but also the dangers!

The Bible warns of the end times having a one world currency, and a one world religion. Imagine the dangers, and now maybe we can understand why some fervent believers are so vocal in their views. Are they right, or perhaps misguided in their extreme opinions?

A man brought his son to Jesus for healing from a demonic spirit, and he knew his own limitations, but he fully believed in Jesus’ power to heal when he exclaimed:”I believe, help Thou my unbelief”. Mark 9:24. He got it right when he determined that Jesus knew the difference between doubt, disbelief and unbelief, and could heal all three. May we have the simple faith of that man!

God or No God

I will honour those who honour me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. 1 Samuel 2:30 NLT

The UK was once known as ‘Great Britain and Northern Ireland’, but something has changed because we are no longer ‘Great’, and you could argue that we are no longer ‘United’ either. What happened?

I believe the answer lies in the way we have treated our attitude to God. Other countries, who were once poor, third world nations, have taken over. One of the certain differences is how they approach the question of God. Not only do they believe in God, they practise that belief too. They have honoured God, and so God has honoured them in return.

The rise of the third world countries who have honoured God, has been slow, and the fall of our once proud, Godly (no, that’s not a contradiction) nation has been slow, but sure too. I am no longer proud of my country as I once was, and the downfall is clearly seen by the dishonour shown to God. The Bible is relevant even today, and when it says God will despise those who think lightly of Him, that has meaning and repercussions to place and people alike.

The question arises as to how we can ever get back to our once Great British Glory. I wish I had the answer, but one thing I do know is that our leaders and politicians do not care, and are not making plans or changes which will bring us back to God. Sadly, our national church leaders are not trying either. Oh, there are some small independent fellowships who care and would love to promote the thought, and certainty of God, but they are overwhelmed and drowned out by the sheer number of those who do not have any place for God in their lives.

I suggest we are left with this thought and associated action. Live our lives as though God really IS the most important person, and in some way we may make a small difference to those around us. It might not change the direction of our nation, but it certainly will make a difference to our own life and how it is lived, plus it may very well make a change in some of the lives of those who stand by and watch. I believe we have a bigger influence in the way we live than we realise. This is better said by Shakespeare.

Quote: “The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones” - Shakespeare

The Apprentice

Before I was allowed to go near an electric wire or circuit, I spent 4 long years learning the skills of an electrician. I often asked myself, and others, why all that time? Four years?? In truth I was one of the first in an intake of 4 years when it had previously been a 5 year apprenticeship!!

The question ‘why’ was soon answered, and it was learned by all of the apprentices within a short time. Have you ever had a 440v electric shock from a three phase supply? It can maim, or even kill. The thing in our favour was age. We were young, fit and healthy so our heart was able to take it. The biggest problem was being thrown across the room and against a wall. Broken bones were not unusual, but hearts were intact.

What about the end result of those 4 years? Was it worth it? Ask any untrained labourer who didn’t get the chance and worked side by side with those who actually did spend those tough four years. Money. Pay. Wages. Of course I can hear you say that there are many examples of very rich people who never put on a boiler suit or held a screwdriver (no, not the cocktail drink) in their hand. For anyone in that category, there will be a hundred, or more, time served apprentice electricians. Fact!

Our nation is in a sad place. There are fewer young men, and women too, who are helping to build our country. We rely on many well trained time served journeymen from other countries who now see the benefits of the skills we have slowly but surely lost. What happened? Who is to blame for the national shortage? We are. You and me. We sat and watched, and slept while other nations were alert to the need to build their own country, and gather extra cash by working in our country, and in the process took work from our own now unskilled workforce.

When will the malaise stop? I don’t know, but there is no doubt that the answer lies in our own hands. Not in the hands of the young apprentices who are starting out in year one of four, but in the now rich hands of those who know the benefits, and probably even worked their way through their own apprenticeships but decided to follow a faster way to get rich, without the hassle of keeping tabs on a four year process where not every one who started will finish. Oh, did I forget to say that some of those who started with good intentions didn’t finish the course? At least the process ensured that those who ended up as time served journeymen, were qualified to be the best of the bunch. Quality was assured. What does all of that say about the calibre of our nation’s youth where our work ethic starts? Answers on a postcard please, or perhaps in the comments below.

The Breakdown

Let’s say that your old family car has run smoothly for some years, but through time you can hear and sense that some of the parts are getting worn and ‘tired’. The wee car keeps on going but it doesn’t feel quite the same as the day you drove it from the garage forecourt. Then the unexpected (yet anticipated) happens. It stops, right at the most inconvenient time and place and no amount of looking under the bonnet helps it to restart. The thing is, the signs were there but you either ignored them, and/or hoped they would get better (even if you are not really, fully surprised) all by themselves. Unfortunately, that’s not the way of it. The hard fact is that a car needs regular servicing and maintenance to make sure it doesn’t just stop when and where you don’t expect it (even if deep down you are not shocked).

Our life is just like our wee family car. We need regular servicing and maintenance, but where and who is best placed to perform the work? Our frame is a mixture of the physical, emotional and spiritual and each part needs its own attention if we are to stop it getting ‘rusty’ and failing. I wonder where you would place the biggest priority and spend the most time and effort? Might I suggest that the physical is easiest to handle, followed closely by the emotional? Some regular visits to the local gym, and/or a personal trainer will take care of these parts of our nature. But what about the spiritual part of our being?

Most of us would agree that we are more than skin, bone and tissue, and have a greater need in our spirit. The place we might differ is how to address that part of our ‘person’. Can I be bold enough to suggest a few things which I think would certainly help?

If you don’t have a Bible in the house, get one either from an understanding friend, or buy one for yourself. That way, it will always be there and always be yours! Secondly, find a local church where God is fully worshipped and the Gospel is preached. You will be sure of a welcome. If you get that far, (or even if you don’t), give praying to our God a chance. You can’t go wrong, and it will certainly help you get your whole being running properly again. You are important to God and others whether you think it or not. Your family and friends need you to be in good working order to be the best help you can be to them. After all, half of a man or woman is of little use to anyone.

That takes us back full circle to where we started. To give you the best chance of avoiding a breakdown, include a relationship with God in your life. Job Done.

Infallible and Inerrant

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16,17 NIV

Really? I mean, are you kidding? Every word in the Bible really IS the Word of God?

When you are brought up in the church as I was, you accept and understand that the Bible is the Word of God, without question. From the quaint story of Adam and Eve with a fruit tree and a talking snake, through to the revelation and testimony of an apostle who was exiled on an island for the mentally insane! In between we have the story of a big fish that swallowed Jonah purely to teach him a lesson that he should never have disobeyed the instructions of God. 

There are those in church circles who treat some of the Bible as fables to teach us lessons, but they are NOT completely true. If that really is the case, what do we do with the verses at the top of our blog? If we discount them, what other verses do we discount? Do the ten commandments still hold? I suggest we are in dangerous territory when we mess about with the Bible as written, no matter the translation. We can’t pick and choose what we accept depending on the version or translation we prefer.

The questions raised by some believers (yes they are believers) are real, and take some answering, but they must be addressed. Otherwise we cast doubt on the infallibility and inerrancy of Holy Writ, and that cannot ever be good for believer and unbeliever alike.

I prefer to take the position that I may not understand the Bible in its entirety but I believe it enough to take it to the grave and therefore my eternity because my salvation depends on it. There are enough unbelievers and disbelievers to go round and pick at our Bible, but please do not let us join their ranks. All that does is cement their thinking. Can you hear their words as they talk to their other unbeliever friends? Hey, did you not know that David doesn’t believe the Bible either? Based on his life and words, the Bible and the way of salvation just cannot be trusted. Told you they are all hypocrites.

For my part, I must take my Bible as truth, in its fullness, otherwise there are many who will drive a bus through my belief system. I do not wish to stand before my final judge, and be condemned by my own words of apparent doubt. It comes down to this: Will you and I take the Holy Scriptures as fully true, or will we cast doubt which will be a means of tripping up another seeker and letting them slip into a lost eternity? We have a grave responsibility in the words we speak, yes, even to our believing friends!

Members and Attendance

 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 2 Timothy 4:2 KJV

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 NIV

There is a serious malaise in the church today. Attendance. But the question hanging on the lips and hearts of many church leaders is this, “how do we get people back into the seats where they once happily sat individually, or in family units?” The church is not a business, but there is nothing wrong with learning their useful lessons which have stood the test of time, and with positive results. Here are some successes taken from the business world.

Advertising your best characteristics unashamedly, and in the most public ways. Newspapers, magazines, radio and even local TV. The local church is a good way to bring people together while preaching the gospel in a gentle way. It can help heal fractured communities and society by uniting separated neighbours.

Talk openly and freely in general conversations about the church you attend. Don’t be afraid or ashamed or reticent in ‘talking up’ the best parts of your church. Your neighbours can easily see the genuine article, and will equally see right through the apologetic person. Done properly, talking about your fellowship does so much good, but the opposite is also true if you are shallow, if you speak about your pastor or leaders in a negative way.

When the verse says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good”, it suggests that the person you are talking to must give it a try. There is no benefit in talking about church, but keeping your friends at a healthy distance in case they get offended, affected, ‘contaminated’ or convicted by the Holy Spirit of their wrong, sinful, lifestyle.

There is one sure way to get the Word of God across to the general non church goer, and that is to get them under the sound of the gospel, so I make no apology in using the verse in 2 Tim 4:2 where it says, “preach the Word”, even if you don’t feel like listening, but something has happened to society during the past few years. We all have the need for a ‘fast fix’ on just about anything from hamburgers to church attendance. I can get a burger quickly, almost without effort and the experience is over in an instant. Why can’t we have that with church? Trouble is, our eternal future takes more careful thought than some shallow consideration. 

It is important that we find our full and complete salvation. Oh, there’s one of those words we have trouble with, ‘salvation’, but why? I can hear some of you say, ‘and who says you have the right way?’ That’s very presumptuous. Surely there are many good ways to salvation and heaven? It’s a very common argument, and one I have heard often, even from good, well founded Christians who are sure of their salvation. You see, it is counter intuitive that if there is a God, and He is good, He would make it easy to gain true salvation. Therefore, since the Bible really IS the Word of God, we have to consider these important following verses:

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)  

However, Jesus has the final say and His words still cause a problem today. He is either the Son of God, or a charlatan. The choice is yours. Your free will is also given, courtesy of this same person. Worth remembering!

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

The answer to the biggest questions in life, who am I, where did I come from, and where am I going, is Jesus Christ! We seem to have come full circle on the question of how to get more people into church, and catch their interest. Do you think the question has been answered, even in part? If you think you have an answer to this serious question, please feel free to add your comments.

Friendship

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 ESV

There is a distinct difference between a companion and a friend. Who would you trust with your life? What about your family? Would you trust the welfare of your children with a companion or a true friend?

We tend to pick up many friendships along life’s way, but not many true friends. I reckon you could count on one hand the number of trusted friends you have. Don’t get me wrong, it is good to have friendships as they make life go smoother, but much better to enjoy the company of those few real, true, trusted friends who make life glide more smoothly!

If you have such friends, hold them close to your heart. You will always have that person’s best interests, and they, yours. When our verse suggests that your friend sticks closer than a brother, you have the closest of bonds, and that bond will not, and cannot be broken. Take note of the first part of our verse where it says you can have many different companions, but they are not trustworthy, and will bring you to ruin because they will work against each other, supposedly on your behalf and allegedly in your interest. Nothing is closer to the truth. 

Think about those ‘distant friends’ you have and the number of times their good intentions have landed you in trouble. You know the old saying that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”, and never let yourself be deceived by that friend, like Judas who kisses your cheek while selling you, body and soul, down the river! Learn the lesson before you get badly hurt.

Life teaches us many lessons, but this is one of the toughest to learn, and is usually painful, so take care as you recognise and choose your friends.

Your God?

“You shall have no other God(s) before Me”. Exodus 20:3 

I would suggest that since the first commandment gives us the foundation for the other 9 commandments, and much of the Bible, it must be important. We should therefore treat it with respect and reverence. But do we do that, even and especially as so called ‘committed Christians?’

What or who is your God? Please don’t patronise me by suggesting that you have no God other than the God of Exodus 20:3. I can think of a few, and they include, but are not limited to: my house, my car, my spouse, my child, my parents, my bank account, and the list goes on. Question: Would any of these ‘gods’ keep us from going to church? I would suggest not, unless they were used in an extreme case by an extreme person. 

So, what kind of ‘gods’ might keep us away from the place of worship? What would you rather do, or where would you rather be, instead of church? It is possible that some in the previous list might keep us from church, but there is another which certainly would keep us from our place of worship. I have seen it show up at all ages, from primary school age, right through into mature adulthood. The reason is simple. This one can involve the whole family, especially when encouraged in the young, by their parents and once started, it is almost impossible to stop.

Sport! Any kind of sport, whether actively involved, or as an armchair participant. You will inevitably hear the words, “but this is the final. Or Semi final. Or an important draw etc etc…” I know of no greater potential drain on church attendance, or even membership than sport.

Beginnings

“In the beginning, God”. Genesis 1:1

The Bible starts with a double whammy. Two words which are either loved (by the believer), or loathed (by the unbeliever). The words in this short entry to the Word of God cause heart problems, for good or ill, but cannot be ignored so let’s face them head on.

Firstly, we have the word “beginning”. When exactly was the beginning then? Do you know? Was it thousands, or perhaps billions of years ago? This has been the major topic of conversation at times, both in the pub and the church, and each is divided perhaps 50/50. Bible purists (is there any other kind?) say around 6,000 to 8,000 years, and those led and guided by science and a measure of common sense say millions, or even billions of years. God has given us all freedom of choice and a common sense of the obvious. Based on this alone, is it unreasonable to eliminate the ‘thousands of years’ argument? Oh, I can hear these Bible purists shout, “so you don’t accept the Bible as the inerrant and infallible Word of God then? 

Secondly, we have the word, “God”. Who says there is a God anyway? Which God? After all there are lots of religions and they all have their own God. Since we are talking about God in this context, we mean the Christian God. Yes, the triune God of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. That may be hard to get our minds round, but it is the sure ground where we take our stand. Those of us who profess to having a clear relationship with this Triune God, have no question over the validity of this choice. Once again, there are as many others, outside the believing church, who will question their God, as those who are within the camp of believers.

It’s when Scripture (yes we have to consider this as ‘Scripture’) puts these two words into the same phrase, that we have trouble. It’s bad enough that we disagree over the age of the earth, but that is only compounded by the choice of the word ‘God’. If we accept and believe that God was right there in the beginning, we have a sure foundation for our Christian faith, but we also have a certain root for an argument with those who disbelieve. It would be nice if we really could enter into a discussion, but invariably this always starts and ends as an argument, in much the same way as the topic of creation v evolution. But maybe that’s for another day. We have enough to chew on for this day.

Anxiety and our Minds

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes we need the reminder that there is nothing worth being anxious about. Even those Christians who have been on the road for a long time would do well to remind themselves of these verses. There is no situation that would not benefit from God’s intervention brought about by our thankful prayers and requests. All change starts by a heartfelt prayer from a full hearted believer.

Can you or I understand the power of prayer? Of course not. Absolutely not! Bear in mind that we must use our hearts and minds, but that God will guard our hearts and minds, IN CHRIST JESUS. Our prayers are shallow unless we invoke Jesus Christ in our words.

Verse 8 finishes this way: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Do we conveniently forget verse 8? The thoughts in our minds are invisible to others, and we can even think rubbish while telling others that we are turning over good things in our heads. Are you guilty of this hypocrisy? It’s personal, so the question becomes, “Am I guilty of looking good while thinking evil?” Paul makes his conclusion clear. Our thinking must be true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. We started out trying not to be anxious, but it is only by filling our minds with these good thoughts that it becomes possible.

As a final thought: I was part of a discussion when these verses were quoted, and we all agreed that this is also a prayer which should trip off our tongues easily, and every day.

Climate Change

The following was posted on Social Media by a church leader:

“Church! This is serious, and WE are responsible for what happens next! :)What can we each be doing and collectively to be doing to deal with this and better steward creation?”

https://www.facebook.com/ntcglasgowcentre/videos/2275917522676071/UzpfSTEzNzkwMDI3NjpWSzo4NDk4OTU5NTIwMzE5MjQ/

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Mark 8:36NLT

Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favourable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.. 2Timothy4:2NLT

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans10:14NIV

There is little doubt in my mind that climate change is a problem which affects the whole world, and that as Christians we should take care of the stewardship of our planet, but I am still concerned by the words and tone of this church leader’s post. We must also bear in mind that some folks believe that climate change is nothing more than extreme weather which happens every millennia or so. Let me say up front that I do believe that we are at the risk of suffering badly from man made climate change, and if we are the ones who made things get this bad in the first place, we are also at least partly responsible for getting the planet out of the mess it’s in!

However, that’s not my greatest concern. I get the distinct feeling that we are letting the tail wag the dog. Climate change may be a problem, BUT it’s not the biggest problem facing mankind, or even the Christian. As Jesus followers, are we merely looking on while friends and family who are possibly unsaved, are heading for a lost eternity, but we are more concerned about the amount of plastic in our oceans? Or the packaging used to keep our fruit and veg fresh? Or the pollutants in our car exhaust? The church has been founded for a reason, but for what purpose? What is our primary focus? Is it saving the planet from its climate problems? Or is it pointing people to Jesus, thus saving their eternal souls?? I can hear some say that we must do both, but I ask again, where is our primary focus?

Which do you think is the more important in our life and thinking? What finds its way into our conversation, and onto our social media page? Is it saving the planet’s climate problem, or dealing with the God given mission to spread the gospel, leading to the saving of precious souls and setting them on the road to heaven? I think it’s a no-brainer, but what about you?

The Best Blessings

It has been several weeks since I have posted anything, so thank you for your patience. There are a few reasons for this, but one is that in the recent past I had the misfortune to suffer a heart attack, and the resultant fitting of four stents to take care of the damaged organ. I was fortunate to be reasonably close to a local hospital and able to arrive to present myself at A&E having driven there myself while the pain worsened. After collapsing at the nurses’ desk, I was rushed in a blue light ambulance to a specialist cardiac hospital, where they had been alerted to my arrival and were waiting to perform angioplasty at haste. It took about an hour from my collapse to being fitted with the life saving stents, and since time is of the essence, I feel blessed not only to survive, but to have survived well. Two other men in my wider family had a heart attack in the same week, but sadly they did not benefit from the same outcome. There are families grieving right now, and all because their loved one did not benefit from the “golden hour” as I did. It is apparent that when the heart isn’t working properly, everything else in the body suffers. Basically, I didn’t feel like blogging, or doing anything at all, because one essential part of my body was out of kilter.

So where does the blog title come from? How can any blessing, never mind our best blessings, come out of a serious issue like a heart attack? I have very quickly come to the conclusion that life can hang by a thread, or in my case a very thin, spindly heart artery which I didn’t fully know about or appreciate, and so life takes on a new meaning. This makes me more fully love others and appreciate those in my circle of family and friends in a way not previously properly understood. At that time it was evident who were the ones that cared, not just a little, but the most, and the answer surprised me. They were mostly outwith my own church fellowship family. I was surprised to the point of being rocked to my core. We ARE good at showing care when we meet on a Sunday, but not usually between services. However, our great God does not let us down so He supplied the support of good people from another church fellowship.

In the short space of 48 to 72 hours the words of an old hymn took on a clearer meaning. “Heaven above is softer blue, earth around is sweeter green, something lives in every hue, Christless eyes have never seen.” This hymn was quoted to me many years ago as a young man finding salvation, and now many years later once again, it strikes home afresh. When you look back and think about what might have been, your attitude and outlook must change. It cannot remain unaffected.

Close family and friends are expected to respond to the “what if” questions, and as a result draw closer to you. However, something I wasn’t prepared for was the outpouring of thoughts, love, and prayers either made in person, or on social media from those on the periphery of my life. Over the years our lives may have crisscrossed in ways I certainly didn’t fully appreciate, but when it counted, they come forth to show their true value. It was always there, but now had an outlet. Once again, I am Blessed beyond measure.

I suppose the real question is, why should it take a real life-threatening situation to make us wake up to the unpredictability and brevity of life. That’s not to mention the obvious fact that our mortal bodies can be held in place by a weak, slender, temperamental, thread of a wispy, worn out blood vessel? Take care out there my friends. There’s work still to be done for the Kingdom and you may be that very person....

The Invisible Wo/Man

Your giving should be in secret. Then your Father Who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, go into a room by yourself. After you have shut the door, pray to your Father Who is in secret. Then your Father Who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew6:4-6NLV

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 1Thessalonians5:12ERV

Do you remember watching “The Invisible Man” on TV when you were young? It was compulsive viewing because although you knew the tell tale signs he would leave behind, you were never sure where he was unless he had wound the white roll of bandages around his body, or the vase would make its way through mid air to crash over the unsuspecting villain’s head.

I found myself asking the question recently, “are there any invisible men or women in the church”? In fact, in my church? Apparently there are times our secrecy is needed, but other times when the secrecy of the invisible man or woman is not acceptable to our Saviour. We are usually quite good at praying or giving in secret, and not boasting about it, but what of the other times mentioned in the verse above when we are told to acknowledge those … among you? And what does the Lord tell us to do?

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John13:34NIV

We have a command, straight from Jesus Himself to love each other, just as He loved us! That my friends is real love, and very visibly public. It is how the world knows for certain that we are Jesus’ followers. When we love one another, we cannot hide it so in that context, there should be no invisible men or women in any fellowship. Sadly though, this is not the case, and we do have invisible people in our churches. Yes, even in my church.

That new wee family that have recently started to come, and sit at the back. Who are they? What are their names? The small, frail, elderly lady who sometimes can come when she is strong enough? Where does she live, and how does she get to church? The man who is looking for a church to settle in and sits over at the end of the row, have you talked to him? Would anyone think about phoning any of them, dropping them a card, or even paying them a visit? These folks are examples of the invisible men and women, and they are in our churches. We should have no invisible people especially in church. I wonder how I would know this?

Silence

O LORD, you are my rock of safety. Please help me; don't refuse to answer me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die. Psalm28:1NLT

Silence is suspicious! Ask any parent who suddenly notices that the playful laughter and giggles of their little treasures stop, followed by silence. More often than not, it means they have found something to do that would not be liked by mum and dad. Silence is suspicious. Ask the person who is awakened from a deep sleep by the eerie sound of silence as their house is violated by a cat burglar. Yes, silence is suspicious and unhealthy.

We too become silent at times, but ask yourself when that is most likely to happen? I can see two possibilities at least. One, when a usually down and negative person who talks a lot about all his overstated medical ailments, has come to realise that s/he really IS ill this time so nothing constructive can be added or contrived, so silence is their only way out to save face. And Two, which I think more likely, is the silence of someone who has been hurt in some way by friends or trusted colleagues, but due to a sense of misplaced loyalty cannot, and will not, speak out against them. The realisation that they may not be all that s/he had thought is just too much to bear, so the obvious response becomes a retreated silence. The trouble now is that any underlying issue cannot and will not be addressed.

When your normally upbeat and talkative friend goes quiet, ask yourself why, then do the best and most helpful thing you possibly can. Draw alongside to let them know you are here for them, and most of all, you care. You may never know in this life the good you have done, but be assured, your friend will know. A parting thought because the opposite holds true too: If you, or no one else, comes alongside for them, that has an equal and opposite effect on your friend.

We must not get tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up. When we have the opportunity to do good to anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers. Galatians6:9-10ERV

Negotiating With God

Then Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me bother you this one last time. If you find ten good people there, what will you do?” The Lord said, “If I find ten good people in the city, I will not destroy it.” The Lord finished speaking to Abraham and left. Then Abraham went back home. Genesis18:32-33ERV

Abraham’s negotiations with God didn’t end well for the patriarch. He had been hoping to run God down to one, therefore saving Sodom and Gomorrah from disaster. Abraham must have thought he was onto a good thing, after all he started this ‘deal’ with God at fifty good people and got all the way down to ten! The arrogance that Abraham showed was breathtaking, and we can’t get our heads round it in our day and age. We wouldn’t try that today, would we? Our generation has more sense, right? A good Christian bargain with God? Never!

Wrong. Let’s think: As a parent, your shy child has a birthday party, so you pray for all her friends to come along although you know she is not the most popular girl in her class. You earnestly pray for 20 but you need to drop the number to a more realistic 10. You need £500 for your two teenagers to have a church camp holiday, but you pray again and settle for £100 because that will do. Our local church needs 10 new members and you pray accordingly, but after a while you settle for 5 because that will do. Or lastly, we desperately need several folks from church to visit the sick or make a phone call, but when God doesn’t seem to respond, we settle for just a few because that might do. In fact, we will take anyone, that’s any one person who cares enough to show Christian love and interest for that person who hasn’t made it out for some weeks, now that would be a start. Lord, are you listening?

So, yes we do bargain with God, and we do it often. More often than not, we set the bar at the level we think would hopefully be possible to satisfy our own desires, and not God’s plan. But God is gracious and will answer even our downscaled request. The real problem (at least for me) is when we pray for some friends to come, but no one does. Not a reduced number as in the case with Abraham, but none. Nada. Zilch. Nihil. But wait, the story isn’t over yet because some good people did respond to the prayer, and in the number you had initially hoped for, so what’s the problem? Simply put, God answered through the unexpected arrival and visits (plural for good measure) of friends from another body of believers whom you now respect even more than you did before. Now what do you do? Stay in the same uncaring group, or recognise that God chose to use that other prayer sensitive, caring church group, recognising where the answer to prayer finally came from, and determine to experience more of their church fellowship? Tough call! Or is it??

Embarrassment

Have you been embarrassed recently? I mean, seriously embarrassed? I suggest that we have all suffered this indignity at some point in our lives, and survived, but it was probably a painful time. The experience is a two way street, because we can either be the source of embarrassment to others, or on the receiving end from someone who perhaps didn’t mean to cause offence. And let’s face it, in both situations embarrassment can cause offence.

There is a third way where we can be embarrassed on behalf of someone else who may, or may not, be aware of your thoughts or feelings as you try to defend them. I would suggest that this feeling on behalf of another, is the hardest type to bear. Ok, I hear you ask for an example of this third kind.

Imagine you have been an integral part of a well run medical or sports team, and you have been in that position for some years before sickness struck and you could no longer hold your position for a short time. So far so good, and I can hear you now say, well, so what? That’s life! But it’s not over yet. Keep your imagination motor running. That group of people are an important part of your life, and you don’t like to hear anyone bad-mouth them, even if it was not meant to be offensive or hurtful!

That protective attitude remains with you, even though very few (if anyone!) from your team either visits or calls, to see how you are doing. That is bad enough, and it hurts, but it really pains when someone else on the sideline asks you directly if your doctor, nurse, or coach has visited, phoned, or been in touch? It is obviously embarrassing as you try to defend them. How do you defend the indefensible after some weeks of a time lapse?

In a similar way could this be one of the reasons that we also lose some good folks from our churches? In other words, we (and I include myself in this) don’t care enough when it really matters to that hurting member? Added to that, there is a clear interest from members of another church group who really are concerned, and let you know it. Would that be enough to make you change your present team, or even your church? Ouch!

Tangled Webs

Walter Scott Quoted: O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!

In many ways deceiving someone is worse than telling them a lie. A lie can be a short, even simple deviation from truth, and as long as you have a good memory, you can get away with it for a long time before being found out. Deceit however takes effort and time to build up a new and different picture which might have a basis of truth, but that kernel of truth is coated in another layer of deceit, and so it goes on with every part of the tangled web we try to weave. Let’s face it, we all know at least one person who is adept at this deliberate attempt to make themselves look better by trying to rewrite the truth to suit their own needs.

The child of God doesn’t need to fall into webs of deceit anyway, so why bring this subject up? Well, you could be forgiven for thinking the Christian is exempt, but think again. Are you always up front and clear in your speech to others? Sometimes we don’t want to tell that nice church steward how you really feel when they ask how you are doing, and that might be because you don’t have time to go into it. Or the subject is personal. Or just maybe you feel it’s none of their business. In any event what we say (yes, I do it too) can sometimes bear no resemblance to what we really feel or think. I agree that this example is not a particularly good one, and not very serious in anyone’s thinking.

Let your mind wander for a minute. No one wants to look bad to their family and friends. That’s human nature I believe, but that bit of our nature opens the door to more serious forms of deceit. The guy in church who always has it together, you know, the one who is the life of any group and knows and quotes his Bible sincerely? Is it possible that he is spinning a web of deceit, but all for good reason of course? Could he be hiding a broken relationship, marriage, or heart? It may be better for him to rise above his feelings when among friends. After all, nobody likes a moaner-groaner!

Then what about the well dressed lady who is always depressed and down, and first to tell you how bad things really are when you ask how she is doing, and she can go on a bit? Is it likely or probable that she is spinning her own web of deceit because she lost her husband just over a year ago, and doesn’t want her friends to know that she is really relieved because he was not good to her. It would look all wrong to her friends if she looked too upbeat when she should still be in mourning.

These are two very short and unlikely examples, but not impossible to understand. Now take a step back and look at yourself in the mirror. Is the person you see there, the same person that everyone else sees and knows? No, I thought not. Me neither!

Them

[ The Golden Rule ] “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Matthew7:12NLT

It can easily come down to a choice of ‘them’ or ‘us’ when we try to figure out where society stands on various things, but it is most obvious when we talk about ethical, or moral, and certainly faith and religious beliefs. You know how it goes. We believe this, but they believe that. They interpret the Bible that way, but we know better because we interpret it this way. See where I am coming from? Perhaps you have encountered it yourself?

If each of us treated others just the same way we would want to be treated, this would be a better world. The importance of how we deal with those who disagree with us on religious beliefs and faith cannot be overstated. If we want to be Christ-Like, there should be no finger waving or pointing. Did you or I come into the Kingdom, or see the way ahead by being shouted at, or vehemently disagreed with? Certainly not. To put it into old fashioned language, we were woo’d, softly, gently, but with the determination of a loving God. We should do the same to others.

The phrase by Mrs “Do as you would be done by” is as true now as it ever was when introduced by “The Water Babies”, and much better than her counterpart, Mrs “Be done by as you did”. The secular world recognises who they prefer, and it follows that this Golden Rule spoken by Jesus is just what we ALL need, whether IN the church or OUT. This is as much a word of challenge for me as for anyone else.

Cheers?

I had the radio on for the local news, and that was followed by a phone-in talk show. The primary subject in each program was the same. At least on the surface. Scotland has two serious medical problems in general, and they are childhood obesity, and excessive alcohol consumption. Do I need to remind you that we are just into a new year, ushered in by the party season?

The news carried the stories of families torn apart by the abuse of alcohol, usually as a result of a party. Our hospitals have to take on extra staff for A&E because they know there will be a spike in injuries, like broken bones, lacerations from knife wounds, aggression, a wife or partner bloodied by a slap or a punch causing a broken nose or jaw, and sadly children who are in fear of their dad or mum abusing them, or having been abused in some way. All of these situations are well documented on open source. The bottom line is that many people cannot be relied on to drink responsibly, but that is the slogan put out by the alcoholic drinks companies. Is there anything more laughable, embarrassing, and showing them to be the hypocrites they are?

On one hand we are advised to be sensible and responsible in the consumption of alcohol, knowing all of the dangers and risks. But on the other hand these same people change almost as soon as that first drink hits their system, and everyone suffers as a result, including themselves. It is too much to ask the drinks industry to talk the truth about the problems their products cause. Doing that would reduce their business, and all their shareholders would lose lots of money. We can’t have that now, can we? This brings me to the crux of the matter. Money. Plain and simple. So, while speaking platitudes to the consumers, they will continue to sell alcohol to whoever will buy it including the young, addicted, and vulnerable. The likelihood of any probable health benefit is a secondary consideration to profit. I don’t expect things to change anytime soon!