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!

Needs or Wants?

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Philippians4:19NLT

Like you, I have many things on my list of wants. Our culture is driven by the marketing industry who convince us that we can’t live at our best without their products. It can be anything from a sultry perfume to a high performance car, and everything in between. They throw the line and we bite, hook, line and sinker. We are a fickle people.

The best part is when they convince us that these are not luxuries, they are needs to keep pace with everyone around you who probably have these things already. There’s nothing worse they suggest than being left behind. There are so many Jones’s to keep up with, we can’t possibly catch up unless you start now, they say.

We only really know what we need when hit with some kind of serious problem. It could be a health issue, or a financial debt, or a wayward child, or the decision to ask a Nursing Home what they could do for an ailing parent. At the head of all, there is the death of a loved one. At any of these points we are able to tell the difference between the things we need, and the things we want. We can live without the luxuries and we don’t need a marketing guru to tell us otherwise.

The Bible is so true when it tells us clearly, so why is it the last place we look for help?

Pride

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

There was a grand Pride parade in London, and other cities across the UK recently, and all those who took part were proud of who they are and what they represent. It has been 50 years since homosexuality began to be legally recognised in the UK as ‘normal’ and walls began to fall year after year, until now when we have a hijacked rainbow and a lot of over-proud pride demonstrators. What started as a small movement has grown into a very large, hostile group of people who are still not satisfied. It’s not enough that the LGBTQ community can get married in law, and in many, if not most churches. It’s not enough that primary school children as young as 7 can be taught that it is fully normal to be ‘gay’, or even ‘non-binary’. Yes, that applies to the masses of children who don’t know if they are a boy or a girl, and our NHS is starting to consider providing surgery for teens who don’t like their body, and want to be the opposite gender. You couldn’t make this up.

We certainly have come a long way in 50 years, and for my part it makes me nervous for the generations to come. There is clear evidence within the group that they want to extend the LGBTQ to include ‘P’ for Polyamory which as the name suggests is the acceptance of several sexual partners and ‘N’ for ‘N’on Binary Gender for those who do not know what they are. Right now I am left with the question: Where will it end? LGBTQPN etc etc..

We go through a week of celebration of all things homosexual, gay, and all other deviant sexual acts. The LGBTQ community have never had it so good with free advertising, and even the ad-free BBC have got in on the act. Ordinary folks are only known by one letter, and that is ‘N’ for Normal. There is no acceptable deviation from the ‘Straight’ line, and the natural relationship between one man and one woman for life.

This movement has even set about dividing the church into those who accept and believe the Bible as The Word of God, and those who see it as a book of recommendations with no accountability. This attitude goes right to the top of many denominations, and why? Why would a God fearing, Bible believing community of believers bow to the celebration of any act that is unBiblical, unnatural, and abnormal? Good question, and one I have grappled with recently. Have you seen the TV images of gay pride marches? Do the people taking part look normal to you? No matter what you or I think, they are taking centre stage while ‘N’ormal people stand by, and are making the most of their freedom to be sexually deviant. In a strange way, speaking your mind against this is seen as opinionated, intolerant, unChristian, and downright uneducated. And they say we have freedom of speech? Maybe we should celebrate that freedom, and use it more!

Quoting Bible verses and passages do not help because they can be used and twisted against the obvious truth no matter which version you use. Having said that, one thing is clear from Scripture and that is I must love the one who engages in these sexual acts, and perhaps especially those who celebrate them, and each other. But not ever the sin. Never!

Open Wide

Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge.                 Proverbs 3:5 ERV

The stronger the prescribed medication, the greater the warning to follow the instructions carefully, not to exceed the dosage, or refrain from driving, and the list of cautions go on. However, when you buy something for the sniffles over the pharmacy counter, your relief might come with the words, “take as required”.

You feel unwell and you want to get better, so you make an appointment with your local doctor. You trust him or her to treat your symptoms correctly and prescribe the medication to make the sickness go away. The instructions clearly say, “Take after a meal”, so that’s what you do. Why? Because you trust the advice given and you want to get better.

Why then, do we get the idea that we know better than the Great Physician when it comes to the welfare of our souls? The necessary medication, tailored to our own need, might be: Read the Bible more, but we ease back. Find more time to pray, but we ignore the advice. Make sure you get to church each Sunday to worship, but we don’t always like the way they do it any more so we watch a service on TV instead. Get the picture?

The Bible as the Word of God is full of good advice about how best to be healthy believers. Our sin sick souls deserve no less, so it is important that we follow the Great Physician’s advice. After all, because God is fully qualified in this field, and we can trust Him fully! We probably heard the best advice in Sunday School when we sung the chorus, “Read your Bible, pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow”. Somehow we think these children’s songs no longer apply. How wrong we are! As our earthly dad would say, “open wide and take your medicine, it’s good for you”. So too says our heavenly Father! Amen.

Pride and Joy

Jimmy was a well liked man, who had an good job which he did well, a wife and family whom he loved, and they loved him right back. He lived by good principles, like not being in debt and only paying for something he could afford. Jimmy’s two small sons wanted for nothing, but at the same time they didn’t have many of the ‘extras’ their pals had. They didn’t mind because they had something much more valuable. Each other.

Jimmy’s place of work was some 20 miles from home, and he took the train week in and week out because they didn’t have a car. They couldn’t afford one and he wasn’t about to go into debt for one when the train was reliable. One particularly stormy morning his wife Mary started a conversation and sowed a seed in her husband’s mind. She suggested if they saved up slowly, maybe they could afford a small runaround used car, and that way she continued, you wouldn’t get soaked walking to the train station so often. The seed was sown and Jimmy thought about it all day at work. With his wife’s backing, and the excitement of his sons, they decided to pull together, to save money where they could, and in some months or a year down the road, they could be the proud owners of a real family car. Not a new car, but one that was all theirs!

Some months later, the big day arrived, and Jimmy had his prize possession in the form of a bright red mini. Next to his family, it was the apple of his eye, and having taken so long to get one, he took great care of his car. The family lived on the 12th floor of a high rise block of flats, and did not own a garage, so he could look out of his window to see that his car was still there. Of course it always was, but he didn’t like it when it rained and the car got wet. So he would rush down to the car park to dry off his car. After all, it could get rusty he reckoned. To further protect his investment, every week Jimmy was found washing and polishing his car. It was the brightest and shiniest example of automotive engineering you would ever find.

On one of the family’s regular car journeys into the very hilly Scottish countryside, the unthinkable happened. It was a perfect storm. With a loud bang, the car shuddered to a dramatic halt at the side of the road pouring smoke and steam into the air and fortunately everyone was safe. Mary was distressed, and the boys thought it was an adventure, but Jimmy was worried about the safety of his dear wife and sons. After calling the AA, they sat tight on the embankment a safe distance away from the lopsided, still smoking car, at the side of the road. It didn’t take long for roadside assistance to arrive and figure out what was wrong. Then came the embarrassing questions. “When was the last time you put air in your tyres?”, “When did you last check your oil level, and the fluid in the radiator?” Jimmy’s car was lovely to look at, but wasn’t healthy under the bonnet.

Jimmy’s problem, and possibly ours too, is that he never referred to the owner’s handbook. If he did, he would have avoided the perfect storm of a tyre blowout, low oil level, and little coolant in the radiator. I wonder which of life’s essential lessons we miss when we don’t consult the handbook we have to avoid those storms, or if we can’t avoid them, to be prepared for them! We have the freedom to own and read the Bible, but are we like Jimmy who made sure his car looked good, but he didn’t read the very book that would have helped keep him and his precious family eternally safe? Jimmy now reads his car manual, but it took a near disaster before he knew how important it was. How about us, and I include myself in this? Have we neglected the best and only set of instructions for this life on earth? Do we give the Bible the prominence it needs and deserves in our lives? We might not be able to avoid all those near disasters that life throws at us, but we can be better prepared for them. Our owner’s handbook shows how important it is to look after our interior in these words:

What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with ….all sorts of impurity. Matthew 23:27 NLT

Mine or Minefield?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV

For the Christian, when choices and differences arise (and they do) the Bible is our place to go for the answers. However, there is no guarantee that we'll find something that ‘fits’ with our preconceived notions. The Bible when used as a tool to rebuke us is a real minefield, and we must be prepared to be opposed in our thoughts and manner through its pages.

However, the Bible is also a mine of good and useful advice to the seriously seeking Christian. The rebukes become a source of teaching and correction to our self seeking and wayward lifestyles.

I think it depends on how devout and serious we are about the life we lead and the example shown. Although Scripture is the final authority on all things spiritual, somehow we can still find our favourite verses which cover and confirm our point of view. Then we can hold our head high and say those words which effectively shuts down any other view, “The Bible says, and I believe the Bible every time”. If that is true, then by definition, one person’s interpretation and use of any verse is the only correct one, and until you line up with that Biblical view, you are in error. That is when Scripture becomes a minefield of epic proportions and cannot always be countered successfully, or with the needed grace.

I love the old Scottish observation of the proud mother of her son in his first military parade, who was heard to say, “Look, a’body’s oot o’ step but oor Jock”. It might be funny in that story, but not in matters of Scriptural interpretation. So, what is the Bible to you and me? Is it a minefield of rebuke, or a mine of welcomed training in righteousness?

Berean?

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:10,11 NIV

I’m one of those annoying people who treats their faith as important. It is important on a surface level as I sit in a pew, sing the songs, pray, and soak in the sermon which has been prepared by a Godly pastor. But it’s more than that. If I am going to believe in the Gospel that my church teaches, and that it is truth, then for me it is important enough to know why I believe it. So, the theology behind the doctrine is important too because it must be in harmony with the Bible.

The result in my case is that I will look into the beliefs closely, and check them against Scripture and only then what other commentators say. The reason is simple. When we do anything else in this life, or buy into any secular scheme, we do it with much care. This is more important than choosing my next car, so it must be even more important that I get my theology right.

So far, so good, but there can be a problem that comes with the quest. While chasing up, and checking out the truth of doctrine, I find myself asking other pastors and leaders whom I respect, what they think, and more importantly, believe. This can come across as questioning their own faith, and that is far from the truth. I am not in college or university, so I don’t sit at the seat of learning to sharpen my faith. I have to do that part by bouncing my thoughts off other human beings, and I try to choose carefully. Unfortunately, I have found to my horror that I have unwittingly offended as I chase the importance of my church’s theology.

After all, each church has its own take on interpretation, so do I just stick a pin in a sheet of names and go there? Do I blindly accept the doctrine of the church I attend, or do I find out why? Eternity is real, so my thinking is that the articles of faith I accept are important. I trust I will be like the Bereans and examine the Scriptures first and foremost.

Question: How do you and I confirm the beliefs that are important to us and our church?

Starting Small

Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes. Song of Solomon 2:15

It always starts in a small way. Perhaps unnoticed at the beginning, but slowly grows until it becomes too big to stop. So it is with church, its doctrines and practices.

We have seen the reports of some of the world’s biggest churches, bow to the practice of accepting gay marriage, including blessing them, and officiating in the god-less unions. The Church of Scotland, United Methodists and Episcopalians are just some who have already given in to secular pressure, and reinterpreted Scripture to suit their own political ends.

It started small, with the academics leading the way by suggesting that we need to accept and be an inclusive church. That means not demonising the gay community, and making them feel loved and accepted. It takes just a few small steps for that to grow into full integration and membership of their church congregations. From there, it is another short step to inclusion into the leadership, ministerial and pastoral. At this point it follows that anyone in the gay community can be ‘married’.

The little foxes spoiled the vines, or to put it another way, the little concessions and compromises inevitably led to the end result. The Bible is not up for negotiation to suit our requirements. Yes, we must love everybody. We are all sinners, and stay that way until saved by grace. Wouldn’t it have been better if the first ‘little foxes’ were confronted and discounted before any harm was done? Maybe that’s all too simple for the top minds in our churches, who have one eye on the political situation, and think they will be left behind if they don’t go with the flow.

It comes down to this: As Christians do we accept the Bible as The Word of God, or a book of recommendations and suggestions? The answer determines if you turn a blind eye to the ‘little foxes’, or let them run riot in the chicken coop. That question is equally valid for the Christian in the pew, as it is for our church leaders.

The SIV Bible

The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves. Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner. Proverbs 13:5,6

Figs might not grow on the fig trees, and grapes might not grow on the vines. Olives might not grow on the olive trees, and food might not grow in the fields. There might not be any sheep in the pens or cattle in the barns. But I will still be glad in the Lord and rejoice in God my Saviour. Habakkuk 3:17,18

Do you like the ‘good’ verses in the Bible? You know the promises of heaven for the faithful, and the miracles of healing, and feeding the hungry? Yes, me too. In fact I admit to thinking sometimes that our salvation is ‘sweetness and light’, but sadly, it isn’t, because we go through some dark times when the way ahead is not clear. To make matters worse, we look at the bad things that happen to some of the good people we know, and find ourselves asking the age old question, “why Lord, why”?

There are many Bible translations, and we can misuse the SIV (Selective Information Version) at our own peril. As you read the whole Bible, and see what happened to the children of Israel during their time in the desert, you can’t help but see that everything did not always go well. In fact, more often than not, theirs was a troubled journey. As is ours!

When we are tempted to ask ‘why’, can I remind you of something I learned (again) this week? When the people of God are faced with deep and unfair trouble, they don’t lose sight of their faith, or Who their faith is rooted in. I have watched a Godly family go through the kind of trouble we would not wish on anyone, and did they become bitter, or hard, or shout ‘why’ at God? No, a thousand times no! They rested in the fact that above everything that had happened to them, none of which was their own doing, they thanked God for His faithfulness.

I become humbled when I talk to God’s faithful. Whether in good times or bad, they ooze the Holy Spirit in such a way that the witness is unmistakeable and certain. This was a very personal problem which dug deep into the very fibre of the family unit, and yet as the verse in Habakkuk says, and is worth repeating: “Figs might not grow on the fig trees, and grapes might not grow on the vines. Olives might not grow on the olive trees, and food might not grow in the fields. There might not be any sheep in the pens or cattle in the barns. But I will still be glad in the Lord and rejoice in God my Saviour.”

If you recognise yourself, thank you for your constant witness to the overall sovereignty and authority of our great God who will continue to use you for His glory, and the benefit of His Kingdom. It is my pleasure and blessing to have you in my journey of life.

How Good?

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

It’s called the ‘good book’ for sound reason, after all the Bible has been around for centuries, and despite many attempts to discount it, burn it, disprove it, sneer at those who believe it, the sacred Word of God lingers and lives on in the hearts and minds of Christians around the world to this day.

It is without question that the Bible has survived this long because it contains the words of life to all Christian believers, but I wonder how good a book do we think it is? I mean really think it is? Here’s the challenge: Do you read the Bible? I don’t mean reading it from the overhead screen on a Sunday. I mean reading it for yourself? But be careful, you might become a changed person!

The Scriptures will continue to survive with or without our help, whether we read it or not. Wouldn’t it be better if we had the courage of our convictions and not only lived by its principles, but read it. Often and regularly? Can we call ourselves ‘Christian’ and NOT read the Bible regularly?

God’s word is alive and working. It is sharper than the sharpest sword and cuts all the way into us. It cuts deep to the place where the soul and the spirit are joined. God’s word cuts to the centre of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. Hebrews 4:12

Read This First

Buy a new piece of electronics kit or a flatpack piece of furniture, and there it is. A slip of paper with the words “Read This First”, so what do most of us do? We carefully set it aside in the sure and certain knowledge that it will not be needed, and common sense will see us through. Off we go, and we start well. The pieces fit nicely and we become smug that we knew all along that we were up to this simple DIY job. Almost there so time for a cuppa.

Then the inconceivable happens. The next part doesn’t fit properly, or we discover that the order of assembly is very important because otherwise an essential piece will just not fit, no matter how much we push, pull and wiggle. Maybe next time, we will read the instructions, but for this occasion it’s too late.

Why then do we treat our instruction for life as a second thought? The Bible has stood the test of time, and over centuries has shown the best way to fit the essential pieces of life together. In spite of a 100% positive track record, we still think we know better, and common sense will get us through. Then we are horrified when one of the pieces doesn’t fit. This can happen at a critical time, like illness, poverty, divorce, or even the death of a loved one. We can’t blame the Bible instruction if we haven’t used it, and only a fool would ignore it from that time on. I would suggest that the really wise will use the Bible as a “Read This First” instruction, and so avoid the shocks of life as they come. And make no mistake, those ill fitting pieces will come!

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16,17

Responsibly

We are all adults, and we know that we must act responsibly, but have you noticed (if you haven’t, you are numb from the neck up) that our Radio and TV are choc full of adverts for alcohol, all the way from alcopops to the real hard stuff. Every advert finishes with the words on the screen, “please drink responsibly”. Why do you think they say that? Yes, it is a legal requirement, but why was the industry made do it against their will? Firstly it’s because it’s a good idea, and secondly, and I see this as more important, there are many many people who do NOT drink responsibly. In fact the vast majority of drinkers do NOT drink responsibly, they just want to get drunk, and there are lots of bad news reports when drink is involved. Ask any policeman, nurse, doctor, or social worker. If you live in Scotland especially at New Year time, you will know what I mean!

You might smile at the adverts for alcohol, but what if we took this to another level, and when it comes to the Bible, it should read, “please read responsibly”? At this point, you may be raising your eyebrows while asking yourself, where is he going with this? A very good question. In just the same way that the warning is needed for those who might abuse alcohol, a similar warning is required for some who might just over-egg, or over-do, or over interpret Scripture verses. I accept that we all have our favourites, but we should never misuse the Bible to read the way we want it, and to our own ends or agenda.

Not reading the whole Bible responsibly can result in ‘non-mainstream’ beliefs, and that same misuse can pit one group of believers over and against another. If we take a few verses in isolation, we can just about justify anything. However, if we follow the instruction to “please read responsibly”, we will avoid any extreme pitfalls and live a balanced Christian life. After all, the Bible contains the very words of life! The whole canon of Scripture is essential to our understanding, ALL of it, not just a few chosen verses!

All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. 2 Timothy 3:16

Loose Living

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise (fools) but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15,16

The longer I am a Christian, and the more I move in circles of Christian people, I am seeing a division of opinion as to what living the Christian life looks like. On one side I am privileged to share fellowship with those who want to follow the way of holiness, and take every opportunity to be like Christ, and bear His name with reverence and fear. They are Christians in the best sense of the word and would never think of themselves as an elite or special group.

As time passes, I see some christians being ‘clever’ with interpretation and diluting the Word of God. Sin has changed its meaning, and so too has the fear and reality of hell. Some would go as far as to say it either doesn’t exist, or it is not an everlasting torment. When sin and hell have been ‘downgraded’ we have the perfect storm which satan brings on the people who claim to be saved. Saved from what? Not sin, if it has been redefined, and certainly not a fear of hell, if at its worst it is not everlasting.

Loose living is my way of saying that some in the church have already sanitised the reality of sin, and it shows a group of people claiming to be Christian, but living a lifestyle like those who would never think of being in church, except for a christening, wedding, or funeral service. Have you noticed that everyone who dies seems to go to heaven? The funeral service has even been sanitised to give the family comfort in their time of grief, when that is the last thing they need in this life while there is time. It is already too late for the one who has died, but those who live and breathe can hear the gospel and repent. Is the church up to  the job? More importantly, are you and I up to the challenge of NOT being in a ‘Loose Living’ relationship with God?

Let me leave you with this thought. What kind of church do you want to attend? Is it one where the lines of Holy Living have been relaxed to a culture of Loose Living, or one where the Word of God is held high as the prime example of Godly Living, and Loose Living is neither preached from the pulpit nor lived in the pew? Is it worth taking the risk when the Bible warns us to be alert with words like:

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude v4

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31

Which Bible?

At the start of each Sunday morning service, the congregation stands, hold their Bible in their hands, and say together “This is God’s Word to me. I am who it says I am, and I will do what it tells me to do”. I have a couple of thoughts about this. First of all, when I look around, I see many people of all ages holding their Bibles, and secondly there is a clear identification with the need for it’s truth in our lives.

We live in a modern age, where most of our children, youth and senior adults, own and use a smartphone or tablet of some kind. Many, if not all, of these same folks when at this church, use a paper Bible, and not any kind of electronic device they will most certainly own. So why bring a Bible in traditional book form to church? I know most will use their tablet to read and study Scripture during the week, so there is no aversion to the use of modern media itself. More thoughts.

It is a witness when you carry your Bible to Church, and speaks volumes that an iPad will not, and cannot show. Your iPad is not a witness that you are headed for church, just that you have an iPad.

A Bible can be leafed through, underlined, margined etc much faster than any tablet. Oh I know it can be done, but my own opinion is that a well used, dog eared, personally marked Bible is a testimony to the person who owns it. On that same theme, without being morbid, I have my Dad’s Bible, and count it a privilege and treasure of his Christian life. It was handed down. You can’t do that with an electronic device of any kind (if it lasts that long, that is!).

It is personal. It is solely used for the purpose of reading God’s Word, unlike the tablet etc, where the Bible is nestled between games and facebook. And anyway, when you are in church, you know 100% when someone is reading the real Bible, but it is too easy to ‘zone out’ for a while and check your status on Facebook on your phone. Don’t tell me the temptation is not there.

So, the electronic media generation is great, but for me, first place must come to my real, personal, unique Bible in church. I don’t know what the future holds, but right now, give me paper over electronics. Having said all that, let me finish with this thought. If you have to make a choice, and you will only (it is an act of will, not finance) use a tablet or iPad, then please don’t feel bad. It is not wrong. In the final analysis, it is better to read the Bible in any form, than not at all. All that is different is the act of open witness and testimony. But then if you don’t carry a Bible in any form, you don’t have that question to answer. It becomes another simple question, ‘why not’?

God's Word?

Our Christian faith stands or falls on what we do with the Word of God. In the 1600s it was only the learned church priests who had the authority to read and explain the Bible to ordinary men and women, and then along came two things which changed everything for ever. The Reformation movement believed that God’s Holy Word could and should be made available to all, and just about the same time the printing press was invented. Then it became possible to print the Bible in mass numbers, and place them into the hands of the ordinary population in England who could read. The Roman Catholic church of the day protested and even became violent because they believed this was a book which could not be trusted in the hands of uneducated people, even if they could read. However, almost overnight, the Bible was accepted by a hungry people, and the Word of God was read, and acted on. The nation was in the throes of a revival, and all because the Bible was freely available.

We have moved on since then, but we still have the Bible as the authoritative Word of God, and is still held in high esteem by these same Reformed Churches, right? Well, maybe not so much. After all, we can read, but we can also ‘read-into’ the pages of the Word now, so some church leaders, professors and Bible colleges are open to liberal thinking which says that maybe Adam and Eve were not real people. Maybe the Garden of Eden is an allegory. Then there’s Noah’s Ark. Did it really exist? Could all those living animals get onto a boat and in pairs? And what about Jonah? Surely a big fish couldn’t have swallowed him and spat him out after He accepted God’s command to preach? I mean, really?? Of course, the virgin birth, and later resurrection of Jesus is a bit far fetched, and ‘way too unscientific! Ah ha...maybe that’s the problem, we have become  scientific now, in fact evolution is waiting in the wings to be accepted in place of creation, at least in part, of most seriously minded, thinking Christians. By that definition then, anyone who accepts the Bible as the inerrant and literal Word of God, is not to be taken seriously.

If we go back to the 1600s, where the Roman Catholic Church of the day was the stumbling block to ordinary people receiving the truth of the Bible, would it be true to say that in today’s world, it is the turn of the Reformed Church leaders and academia to convince us that we cannot take the whole Bible as inerrant? We have redefined sin, and reinvented the plain words of Scripture to suit ourselves, and so it appears that the Word of God can only be trusted (once again) in the hands of those very learned professors of major Colleges and Churches who can translate it properly for us. If you have read this far, well done, but you are probably saying it doesn’t apply to ‘my Church’ anyway. Oh really? Are you sure? Have you checked lately? Just saying.

Whose Church?

The well suited, bowler hatted, orange sash wearing official angrily said, “No one will tell me which road I can or cannot walk to church”. The words stuck in my mind and I couldn’t shift the image of the angry man who was on his way, with his marching band  to his place of worship. Or was he? A little while later, in order to maintain the peace, the police tried to reroute the orangemen away from a possible flashpoint. But why stop trouble from the enemy, when you can make some of your own. After all, they didn’t really want to march, they wanted to fight, and fight they did.

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Luke 10:29 NIV

A modern day parallel would be where a protestant orange marcher, seeing his catholic neighbour hurting (that could be physical or emotional) would leave the marching band and try to look after the catholic. After all, the orangemen were on their way to church, right? If only it was that simple, or easy. But it isn’t because we have complicated it.

You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:43-45 NIV

The man who was on his way to church had been walking behind an open Bible, a symbol of the faith he possesses, but it is evident that his Bible doesn’t have these passages, or if it did, he had missed them somehow. The resulting yob, mob violence against the police was inexcusable on every level. One of their ‘own’ MPs was even knocked unconscious as he tried to intervene, but a mob has no ears, just very angry voices, and wielding a big stick (or two!). Was I dreaming, or did Northern Ireland host the recent G8 summit, and receive all sorts of praise for the progress they had made in achieving peace across the sectarian divide? In the words of the ancient sage, ‘aye right!!’

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:21,22 NIV

In the interests of accuracy, could we rename the euphemistically titled ‘marching season’ to the ‘fighting season’, or maybe the ‘angry season’, or even the ‘hate season’? At least until that church going angry man, and others like him, can find these passages in the Bible?

Reading and Quoting

I like good quotes, and use them often. The ones I can remember, that is! Little soundbites can put into meaning and perspective some thoughts we have, but can’t quite describe adequately ourselves. So we can relate to little phrases that bridge the gap between our thinking, and our understanding. I have some of my own favourites, and you will have yours.

However, a little quote doesn’t tell you much about who said it, does it? We don’t know if the words came from a literary genius or a numpty, but we take the words given us at face value. Recently it has become more obvious that we use the Bible a bit like a book of quotes. Of course that has great advantages as we remember some of the very many promises God has scattered within the pages of His Word, but there’s that big BUT! So, right there I have to stop and rethink because other, less faith based, or Christlike folks, can (and frequently do) use little quotes, out of context, to ‘prove’ a narrow point. I don’t think there is anything that can be done about that.

This thread of thought brought me round to the need, and yes urgency of reading the Word of God in its entirety, and not just falling into the trap of using it as a ‘promise box’, good as that is to the Christian. The thing that differentiates the ‘quoter’ from the ‘reader’ is, and always will be, the knowledge of the truth behind those few words. Not only that, but that we get a glimpse of the physical writer of the text, but also the overall author and His heart. You don’t get that kind of depth from a quote, and you will never get it from someone whose only intention is to use some words taken from the Bible, to try to disprove and discount its worth. So, can I encourage you to read the Bible often, then you will be armed with more meaningful quotes which have a real background of understanding? Happy searching for those deeper nuggets of gold, because they are there for the reader, but not the casual quoter.

... you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:15-17

Bible Loving

Scotland was known many years ago as a ‘Bible Loving’ nation. This was as a result of great spiritual awakenings or revivals which took place across the land in the late 1800s, and early 1900s. The effects of these days lasted for many years afterwards, and left a legacy of spiritual awareness across a couple of generations. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case, and Scotland, the place where I found my faith in Christ, can no longer be called ‘Bible Loving’. On the contrary, the pendulum has swung, and we are enduring a society which is thumbing its nose at God and all things moral, never mind spiritual. The laws of the land display how far we have fallen from grace as a once Godly nation.

There is an awakening in some third world countries, where Christianity had been suppressed, and when freedom of religion eventually happened, these societies have all grown in faith very quickly, and sometimes at great personal cost, even life itself. This is evident, but not limited to countries like Russia, China, South Korea, South America. It seemed to me that all of the established once Christian nations were in decline, just like Scotland, but I was in for a nice surprise.

The ‘Bible Belt’ of America consists of some States to the West and South of the Carolinas, down to Texas. These States were greatly affected by great revivals and spiritual awakenings in the late 1800s, just like Scotland. Christianity is alive and well across the USA, but especially so in these southern States. Churches seem to be thriving, and still growing. The outreach programs into the communities are ongoing, and I have personal knowledge of such work in the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex area. The Church of God is exciting and moving, and to cap it off, as if to prove the point, I noticed three brand new church buildings under construction in the 20 minute drive to church from my family’s apartment. These are mainstream new churches, launched and supported by ordinary Christians of different denominations who find their faith relevant and important.

The significance was not lost on me. Why does Christianity survive well in one nation, and yet be in decline in another? Both Scotland and the USA benefited from great spiritual awakenings and revivals brought about by Godly men and women under the influence of a Holy God. I know some will play down the whole American church because of a few ‘extreme’ TV evangelists, but these same people will probably not have experienced the true and real Christianity of the ‘Bible Belt’ areas, lived out by many ordinary people whose lives have been changed, and are testimony to God’s workings.

My questions are simple. Like it or not, my Bible Loving Scotland no longer exists, so why did this happen? What changed? Perhaps a more important question is, why did we let it happen? (Do you think my view is all wrong, or unbalanced? Don’t seethe in silence, speak your mind by clicking on the comments box at the bottom of the Blog Post! If you agree, you can say so too!!)

Books and Reading

Schools, colleges and universities around the UK are alarmed at the number of students who cannot read properly, and who certainly can't write in good basic English grammar. There is a certain age of person who can remember the strict teaching of written and spoken language. It wasn't easy or even likeable, but it was seen as important. Not now. It seems our schools system want the lessons to be nice and easy, and with little emphasis on simple things like spelling, handwriting or the written word.

We live in a world of the 'text message' and email, where a sub culture language all its own has emerged. The theory is, as long as it is understood, it is acceptable. The result is shorter, misspelled words, and an inability to string too many of these words together to make a sensible sentence.

My point? The inability of our youth (in general, not in particular, so please do not be offended) to write or spell, is due to another underlying cause. Reading, or to be exact, the lack of it. Reading a book is not an acceptable pastime, or hobby, and is certainly not cool. Why do you think libraries are closing down all over the country?

If books in general are not being read, in favour of computer screens, and 'text-speak', then it would follow that the Bible as a book is no different. Scripture is not promoted in schools, and in the face of falling literacy, the Bible must also be a reading casualty. Please tell me if I am wrong, but I fear the coming generation will know about the Bible, but will not really know the content and importance of the Bible! If that is true, and it is only a thought, we have much to fear in the future loss of our nation's moral compass.

To end on a positive note, the Bible can be downloaded onto smart phones, and tablets. I know of only one person who uses this in church to follow the Bible reading, although not in my own fellowship. I think this is a great idea, but is this a common practice? Please let me know if you use a smart phone or similar to read the Bible in Church? (By the way, the phone is switched off during Church, just in case you wondered!)