The Day After

Right now,almost everyone is rushing about in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas rush, trying to make sure they get the right gift for those special people in their lives. We do push out the boat, and sometimes pay the price of not being able to enjoy Christmas as much as you once did when you were younger and had no responsibilities. How times change.

By the time Christmas day dawns (and even before that!) you are truly frazzled in the preparation for the family bursting through your door, and that much anticipated big Christmas dinner around a full table. Who can blame the ones who come bearing gifts, but they are not the ones who have been preparing right up to the last minute to get all the gifts, as well as the big turkey, or salmon, or vegetarian dinner with all the trimmings.

By Boxing Day, the hostess and host get a chance to relax a little, kick back, have the house to themselves, and eat the leftovers from a plate on their knee in the living room watching the TV movie they missed. Oh the joy. There are so many left overs of starters, main courses, and desserts, they will last for the coming days in the run up to New Year. Oh no, that’s when it all starts again for some others in the family to return the favour, this time with the traditional steak pie (or vegetarian) dinner. I suggest the time to really relax is around the end of the first week of the new year and a subscription to Weight Watchers!

As believers, we are blessed above others because we do not lose sight of the reason for the season, and for us whether it’s the baby Jesus in the manger, the Saviour on the cross, or the resurrected King, these can always be in our heart and mind. After all, the God-Man is now at the right hand of His Father praying and interceding for us in all our days. After all, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews13:8NIV

In Situ

She [Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’(which means ‘God with us’). Matthew1:21-23NIV

Many sermons and talks are contained within these short verses, but I will only mention one. Well, actually two, because they are inseparable.

We must never forget that the whole purpose of the Christmas story is to show that Jesus saves us from our sins. That is an amazing claim and if we stopped there, it would be enough to satisfy the needy sinner. That’s you and me! Jesus came, and took on the form of a helpless, vulnerable baby, all to take us out of our state of sin if we let Him. Sadly, not everyone takes up the offer, but why? Maybe part of the reason is that the first Christmas happened so very long ago, and what relevance does it have to us now?

I love the positive theme of the next verse. Yes, the virgin did conceive and bear a son named Jesus, but it didn’t stop there. Jesus was known by another name, ‘Immanuel’ which simply means ‘God with us’. He is right beside us. Not distant. Not unapproachable. Not only with the church leaders, but WITH US! God WITH us. We must let that sink in. God made it personal to all people of all nations and all generations, and all we have to do is take Him up on His offer. Our God becomes ‘in situ’ and what could be better?

No longer can we hide behind the manger scene some 2,000+ years ago, because Jesus is also Immanuel. He is right here with us in our tough times, our bad decisions, our wrong choices. Jesus stays with us at all times, and all we have to do is recognise that He cares enough for us, choose Him, and as His follower He will stay there. Now, I ask again. Why do so many not accept the offer of a personal God who is with us day in, and day out, every day of the year?

Perhaps we are so advanced that we don’t need a God? Perhaps we have been convinced by the TV and Film industry that there is no God, and we have swallowed that lie hook, line and sinker? We are shaking our fist at God, and where do you think that will lead? Jesus, God with us, offers eternal life in heaven, but sadly some will still choose a lost eternity because they know better. Do they? Do they really?? What do you think???  

Immanuel

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew1:23NLT

It’s not Christmas yet, but December has started and already the festive jumpers are out, trees are up, shops are busy taking our money to the tune of “Jingle Bells”, and the kids are getting excited. The advertising and marketing people are in full swing making jingles to sing, and ‘meaningful advertisements’ to watch. In case you didn’t get the message, TV is filled with afternoon Christmas movies to tug at your heartstrings, and make some of us reach for the tissues.

You can’t fault the children. After all, Christmas has been neatly wrapped up in all the feel good trappings, including the cute and cuddly garden centre santa. I wonder how many know the full story of the baby Jesus coming to earth to save us from the very things we now celebrate. Well meaning mums and dads find themselves in serious debt as they try to stay ahead of the next ‘must have’ toys, games, clothes, perfumes, gadgets, and the list goes on. How can the average parent keep up with the demands of the marketing gurus?

Keep in mind the many children and adults who can’t have, and don’t want, elaborate and expensive gifts under the tree, wrapped in foil and tied in a bow. That is the last thing on their minds. Food, warm clothing, physical safety, and a real comfy bed are uppermost in their minds, probably along with the weight of the loss of a dear family member.

The Christian is in a privileged position because they know the real reason for the season, and it’s not ‘things’ but a person in the form of a helpless baby. That tiny boy grew up to be vilified, abused, wrongly accused, and eventually crucified as an innocent 33 year old. But, we praise God that it didn’t end there because he rose from the tomb, ascended into heaven, and is now with His Father God. The best part to all Christians is that Jesus is now here with us in the form of His Holy Spirit. IMMANUEL GOD WITH US.

While you are enjoying the gifts, food, family, tree and tinsel, remember the reason for the season is God with us, IMMANUEL! It is worth noting that the name was given before Jesus was even born. God’s plan of salvation was already in place. Thank you Lord.

The Unknown Jesus

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am?” John 14:9

Philip had been around Jesus for some time by now. He had seen the miracles, watched the crowds recognise Him as the long awaited Messiah, and yet for all that Jesus was still a mystery to Philip. An enigma. A puzzle. An unknown. Why did Jesus have to tell Philip he still didn’t really know who He was?

Let’s not be too hasty to blame or criticise the man, after all we are no better in our modern church from those early followers who like Philip were still not sure what to do with Jesus. Like many who will be reading this, I have been in and around church most of my life, and yet can still miss the message of the gospel so easily. More than that, we can miss the whole reason for Jesus coming to this earth as the ‘God-Man’, fully God but fully Man at the same time.

Who else could forgive our sins and wrongdoings, except a perfect Man? Jesus is that perfect Man, as Philip would find out! I trust we can also find out who this Jesus really is, just like the early disciple.

Unforgiveness?

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34 NIV

This verse is normally used to emphasise the forgiving nature of God, and I am so very thankful that we have a loving God who forgives when we don’t deserve it. That is grace personified in the Lord Jesus. Can I ask you to bear with me as I take a different angle on this verse?

Jesus was being abused by His accusers in a way that we would see as horrific, and yet they were forgiven even though they didn’t ask for it. Why? I suggest it is because they “did not know what they were doing”. That’s the part that caught my attention, making me feel better and yet worse about our sins. Jesus forgave BECAUSE they didn’t know the significance of what they were doing. I suggest it follows that we cannot and indeed will not be forgiven if we DO KNOW we are doing wrong, and sin anyway.

Susanna Wesley, the praying mother of John and Charles defined sin this way: “Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, takes off your relish for spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of the body over the mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may seem in itself.”

You and I must be very careful in our actions and behaviour because once we KNOW what we are doing is wrong, we may NOT BE FORGIVEN because we have known the truth of the gospel and turned our back on it. That is good news for the many who have never heard the gospel, but it is not good news for those of us who have heard and rejected it. It’s one thing for the Wesleys to believe this, but Jesus says the same thing in His own words, so we must be very careful when we recognise the truth of the gospel…..

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 ESV

Elite

“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers*. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Luke 18:10-14 NLT

*Add your own sin of choice here. There are many to pick from.

Maybe we don’t mean it, but we can get a bit ‘uppity’ in church circles, especially with anyone who hasn’t been on the way so long and doesn’t know the ropes, or maybe someone who already knows it all and isn’t slow to say so, or even someone who has been a Christian many years, but has a God forgiven unsavoury past that we don’t approve of. Oh, how far back our memory can go when we see ourselves as elite, or like the Pharisee, just ‘better’. After all, we don’t want to be seen condoning that kind of sinful behaviour no matter when it happened, and even if it has been forgiven by the only One that matters.

Jesus told this story for a reason. He knew how frail and weak we humans are, jumping to conclusions for all the wrong reasons and in the process hurting good people. All in the ‘holy’ quest of not wanting to be like or near the despised sinner. I accept and agree that we must be a good example and witness to the unchurched as Jesus was, and that will mean being in their company at times. However it should not mean that we become just like them, or one of their company in the process.

The trouble is that while we take our perhaps well meaning steps to be better Christians, we are not the ones that Jesus said are justified before God. If we put ourselves in a lofty position above others, we then are forced to look down on them. Is that what we want? Is that what Jesus would want for us? There may be a price to pay. We will have to swallow our pride and accept that we must love that same person we had been trying to avoid, while forgiving both them and ourselves. But try to be honest, hard as it may be, because that’s a better outcome in Jesus’ eyes and isn’t that what matters most? Yes, I thought so too!

Festive Cheer?

It’s that time of year again, so take a deep breath and get right in among it! There’s the gift of giving, scented candles, decorated trees inside and outside the house, the laughter of children, the mystery associated with Santa, a table set for a lavish family dinner and prepared so well by a wife or mum, carol singers, Christmas jumpers, the church services, and the list could go on. These are just some of the things that bring happiness for so many, both young and old.

Looking at the day from another angle, these are exactly the same things that bring sadness to the hearts of many in our nation. For some, the season has lost some of its magic and sentiment. It was lost with the loss of a loved one. Perhaps a parent, spouse, sibling, or a favourite aunt or uncle. Those things that once brought a smile, now bring a tear.

However, for the believer, this has little to do with the list of activities mentioned before. Behind all of the glitter lies the baby Jesus who really is the reason for the season, no matter what the commercial world tells us. Because of that, and only that, the believer can lift their face to the heavens and say, “thank you Jesus” for being the baby in the manger who became our Saviour on the cross. From the Christmas story to the resurrection. Whether we show a smile, or shed a tear during this Holy season, we each recognise the value of the baby on that very special day.

Peace

It has been more than 100 years since the outbreak of WW1 which was touted as “The war to end all wars”. The commemorations are sobering and a reminder of the futility of war. The first day of the war saw a death rate of 450,000 in slimy mud which bogged down the living and engulfed the dead. Here we are 100 years later and North Korea is launching long range Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles with the capability of reaching the whole USA. Their next step is the addition of a nuclear warhead. All this time has passed, and we have not progressed. A wise man once said, “The one thing we learn from history, is that we don’t learn from history”. How true.

Our little planet earth has never been free of fighting and war since Cain and Abel fought out their differences in Genesis, and it has been going on ever since. The Bible is right up to date on this, and many other subjects, when it records these words in Jeremiah 6:14:

They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. Has anything changed?

Our peace is founded on the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Messiah who assures us in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” As the nations of the world goad each other for supremacy, we have the assurance of that peace which can only come from God. Jesus also said in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” I don’t know about you, but that gives me real peace and great comfort.

Who?

‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah.’

Mark 8:29

Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?’ But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ Mark 14:60-62

I was drawn to these passages because they refer to the knowledge of Jesus in a way not seen in many lives. In the first case, Jesus asks Peter who he thinks He (Jesus) is, and in the second passage the high priest asks Jesus straight out if He is the Messiah. Faced with a direct question, Jesus answers that He is indeed the Messiah.

We can see that Jesus is humble because He doesn’t go about ‘shouting’ about His Godhead. Jesus gives Peter the opportunity to say what he thinks. I see this as an example of God in human flesh, asking if Peter has noticed the real person. Did Peter see God in Jesus? The answer is an emphatic yes, but it clearly shows the humility of the creator of the universe. In a similar way, we know that human respect is not automatic. It is conferred on us by others who see it as a worthy trait in our lives. Peter saw it in Jesus. We can also see that Jesus only answers the high priest when He could not avoid the question. Another example of humility.

What about us? As Christians, do we tend to shout our salvation to all and sundry, and even those who don’t ask and are not interested? Are we proud of our humility? What about Jesus’ example? Can we learn from Him? Unless we have the liberty of the Holy Spirit in the preacher’s pulpit, does it do our reputation any good when pointing to ourselves as though we deserve some respect? I don’t think so. In fact it would possibly have the opposite effect from the one we intend. Would it not be better to allow others to confer the respect if it is due, and honour us with the title bearing the name ‘Christian’? There is a sound ring to the name when conferred by others. Otherwise, it can have a counterproductive and shallow ring. May we be found worthy of His Name.

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power. 2 Thessalonians 1:11

Witnesses

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

The only thing that made these disciples His ‘witnesses’ was the undeniable and indisputable Fact that they had been with Jesus. They walked with Him, ate with Him, and talked with Him. They were the closest people to the Son of God, so they could be trusted completely to pass on His message of salvation. They could be witnesses only after they had received the Holy Spirit. So Jesus puts two criteria on His message reaching ‘the ends of the earth.’ The receipt of the Holy Spirit, and that they must be first hand, trusted witnesses.

If you are called to perform jury duty, there are some things you would expect from the witnesses. They would have been there to see the incident happen, and they would have heard first hand what was said. Otherwise their testimony in unsure and open to question. The lawyers would have a field day tearing down the shallow account if the witness wasn’t there, and didn’t see or hear anything themselves. It must be first hand.

How do we rate as witnesses to the account of our salvation, and the truth of the gospel? How do we avoid being a second rate witness, and an embarrassment to the name of our faith and Saviour? Everything must be from a first hand experience, and when we are a child of God we are told in Romans 8:16 that “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”  It has to be first hand and nothing else is good enough. In the same way, if we are going to criticise another person, situation, book, film, or anything else, we really should know about them first hand. We should have read the book, or watched the movie, or spoken to the source we critique. It is not good enough to speak the things we think might have been said, or the source might have meant. In our court of law, your testimony would not be accepted.

Neither will your friends accept our words of ‘wisdom’ if they come from our own thinking, and not through the facts of our first hand experience. If we are going to be disciples, we must act like the disciples. Their first hand witness turned the world upside down, and it is still going on today. Jesus master plan is for that first hand witness to continue. There is no plan B, so let us pray that we do our part fully and properly.

Out With The Old!

Well that’s part of our journey over for another year. What will you remember most from the past 12 months? For many there have been relationship troubles, illnesses, bereavement, hardship, and money worries. For some, maybe all of these have affected their year, and that is not easy to bear. Even though there may have been some highs, most look forward to starting the next year afresh. We want to make a better job of our life, and a new year is a good place to begin.

There are many things we have no control over, and if you look over the list in the last paragraph, you will see what I mean. So I think if we are going to be serious about making a fresh start, it must be in something we do have control over. We tend to look for the big things that need to be changed, but sometimes it’s the little things which mean a lot as the old song says.

If we are really fortunate we might stumble across a small thing which will make big differences, and those new and better big changes will start to fall like dominoes. We have to look no further than the words of Jesus, and where better to start at the new year. His words have eternal value, and it does us good when we heed them, so how about this little change for starters? While you are at it, take good note of the words “new” and “must”. Obviously Jesus thought this new command was important, and we should treat it as important too.

I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. John 13:34

Are you up for it? Let’s give it a try. Better still, let’s give Jesus a try in our lives and see the difference a little love in the right attitude makes. Have a Happy New Year 2017!

The Truth of the Matter

It is election time in the UK. The Scottish parliament elections for a new group of MSPs and the in/out EU Referendum are constantly in our media streams, and if I hear the words “The truth of the matter is…”, I will not be responsible for my actions. Whose truth? These words are spoken with passion and conviction by all sides, and about the self same question or situation. No wonder we are confused and switched off.

Politicians are famous for doing it, but we do too. Truth is bandied about like a shuttlecock in a badminton game. It becomes a tool to be used to make a point, and the meaning of the word is completely lost on us. So how can we know what the truth is? I suppose the truth, or part of it, is hidden in among the arguments used but it is disguised by the lies and half truths that surround it, so where to turn? We have some serious decisions to make, but we are left to our own devices on what to do. We certainly can’t trust any of the politicians. None!

But is the truth a ‘what’, or a ‘thought’ to be figured out? I don’t believe so, but I am convinced the truth is not a ‘what’ but a ‘who’ in the form of a person who cannot lie or tell half truths, or even mislead to suit his own ends. Having said that we must be prepared to hear the truth, and recognise it as such. Jesus tells us directly in John 14:6,  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, the next time you hear a politician, or anyone else for that matter, say the words, “The truth of the matter is…” don’t ask where the information came from, ask yourself if they are the kind of person who is close enough to Jesus to know that truth for themselves? Then and only then will you and I have the truth to the question being asked and answered!

Similar?

Picture the scene. There is a disturbance and your life is threatened, so you call the police to step in and stop the gang fight right outside your house. A crowd is gathering to watch and some are stepping in to take a side, and then the police arrive. Only now you realise the police are also dressed like the brawling gangs, so when they try to stop the fighting no one knows who is who, and the criminals escape while the police sort out who is on their side. It’s so much easier when you can tell the lawbreakers from the lawmakers, right? That’s a very good reason for our emergency services wearing a uniform. You know who they are.

Why then do Christians try their best to fit in with the rest of the world and be like them? We try to be one of them, because we don’t want to scare them off we argue. A similar discussion follows with dress code, music, places we go, movies we watch, magazines we read, what we drink, and the list goes on. In the meantime, we see our declining church attendance, and continue to think being the same is the answer, so when one similarity fails, we try to add another, and we find that doesn’t work either.

If you want a different answer, you have to try a different approach. Doing the same thing time and again, gives the same result time and again. The Christian life makes us different on the inside, and so we should be different on the outside too. What will the enquiring, unsaved person think when they look at us, and see a mirror image of themselves? If we are going into the world to fight against the evils of sin, shouldn’t we be seen as different?

We are called to be a sanctified (set apart) people, with an obvious love for the Lord and each other. That means seekers of truth should be able to know where to turn, and who to turn to because they should see Jesus in us. Churches do not need to copy the clubs and pubs in the world with lights, music, and feel good speakers who do it better than us anyway. We should be preaching the gospel of repentance and salvation, not cosying up to people and groups who already may know where the truth lies, but all they can see in us is a shallow form of Christianity. May we never be like the church group mentioned in Matthew 23:27 when Jesus says “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of …….all uncleanness.