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

Out With The Old

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Isaiah43:18NIV

Putting the past behind us is easier said than done. We have a tendency to beat ourselves up over some of the daft things we did during the past year and so we become our own worst enemy. I have found that our true friends have already excused and forgiven us, but in the meantime we sulk in our own self pity. Do you recognise this characteristic? I think we all share it to some degree.

I like the thought that God is already doing a new thing in our lives. That’s a good reason to let go of the past. When God is at work on our behalf, He doesn’t do anything in half measures. He is complete, and thorough. I fully know and understand that we can’t always forget, but we don’t have to rake it up and sift through the rubble, do we? Being a God of Love, He will replace all the negative things in our heart with good, positive improvements.

You have heard the old phrase, “Let go and let God”, well here it is, all clean, shiney and sparkling for the new year. Why not take God at His Word, accept and apply this promise, and I include myself in this resolution too. Paul says it in Romans in a slightly different way. All those difficulties and hard times of the past year(s) will work together to complete His purpose and plan for your life (and mine too). You see, that is a promise for the faithful believers, and that’s us. Let’s go into 2019 with these verses in our hearts and minds!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans8:28NIV

Decisions

We make dozens of decisions every day. Some are important, and some are not. Some are known to others, and some are not. Some may be costly, and some are not. Good decisions which affect others will make you look good to your friends. Bad decisions make you look bad in the eyes of just about everybody. Of all these decisions, which will be remembered clearly by everyone? It isn’t fair, but the good decisions are easily forgotten, but the bad decisions are remembered for ever, or so it seems.

There is another problem with decisions. I think we will all agree that we make good and bad ones on a regular basis, but hopefully there will be a balance and not all one sided. However, you will probably know some folks who consistently make good decisions. They are in the minority, but are looked up to because that’s what makes for integrity. However, on the other hand, we all will know those ones who mostly seem to be making bad decisions, but even more importantly there are those who will suffer directly because of these decisions.

One swallow might not make a summer, but a wrong decision can have a serious and lasting impact on those on the receiving end. In a few weeks, I will be having knee surgery, and I hope the surgeon has a day of good decisions. Just one bad decision in an operating theatre can hold the outcome of life in the balance. But then we do trust the professionals, right? Surgeons, doctors, lawyers, professors get there by making good decisions and maintaining their integrity.

What about us? You and me? Have we made bad decisions? Absolutely we have, and some we would not want to be reminded of because they shame us. In among the many bad ones, there could be one that sticks, and the devil reminds us of it now and again, to keep us away from God. We are too bad. We don’t come up to the grade for a Holy God, and you are right if it was all up to what we did and didn’t do. Thanks to Jesus, our salvation is not earned by default, but it’s the free gift of Grace from a forgiving Saviour. The next time the devil reminds you of your past bad decisions, remind him of God’s grace. He has no answer to that because God is not only forgiving, but patient and His desire is for all to see heaven. There is a catch, because we have to accept the gift because it’s not forced on us. That’s all. It’s down to us to accept or reject! Our choice.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2Peter3:9NIV

Our Own Good

Sometimes we do things for no other reason than for our own good. We don’t have to justify it to anyone because we think it’s the right and best thing to do. We don’t expect someone else to know better, and in a sense we don’t really care what they think.

Have you ever gone on a diet? Not because you were advised by a doctor, but because you thought you needed to shed a few pounds? What about giving up some sweet things, or bread, or starch, or fat? Something that you would benefit from and could see the difference in your waistline? What about cigarettes? We now know that nicotine is highly addictive, so what if we decide to do ourselves some good and cut down or even take all the help available to quit? It even has a spin off to our children and grandchildren who now don’t have to inhale our second hand smoke. Then there’s alcohol. Do you know, or have you ever been close to an alcoholic? One who will spend his or her last penny in the pub, while the kids at home go hungry? Do you think it’s a good thing for that person to do something for their own good? Ask anyone who has lived in a home alongside an alcoholic husband, wife, son or even daughter.

There are fifty two weeks in the year, but some would suggest that you can only do these good things within forty six of those weeks. The other six are out of bounds. Why? Because they are the Lenten weeks in the run up to Resurrection Sunday. If we do anything for our own good and those near to us in these six weeks, and you are a Protestant Christian who believes in the Reformation, somehow we are seen as having sold out to Catholicism by taking part in one of their rituals of giving something up.

I would suggest any of these actions taken for our own good, even during Lent, should be seen as a benefit, and certainly would not affect our standing before God, who after all is the only one who knows our heart, and when and why we are doing this small piece of personal good to and for our own body, and that of others around us whether it is Lent or not!

You want to do some good for yourself, or your family? Then don’t check the calendar first!

What If Church?

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians6:7-9ESV

What is your idea of church? If you are older, and have been going to church for a number of years, you must have seen changes. I am guessing you accepted some, but held your nose with others mostly because church attendance was important to you, and it is Scriptural after all.

There are many denominations within the Reformed tradition, so if you were unhappy with the changing direction of your own doctrine and fellowship, what would you do?

What if church was viewed as a morning or evening out with friends? Or a way to have a nice time? Or to be entertained? Or a social event? Any kind of gradually reducing Spiritual content would then be taken as part of the territory and would be accepted as normal going forward.

A friend from a different denomination made a refreshing comment which warmed my heart. It wasn’t about the programs in his church, or the outreach, or the growth figures. No, he said simply, “all I know is that Jesus is my Saviour, my sins are forgiven, and I am bound for heaven.” I mean, who talks like that anymore? (said with my tongue firmly in my cheek). Seriously, shouldn’t our conversation with Christian friends be more like that, and not our football team, or our latest baking experience, a photo of our dinner plate, or even our latest diet? Just sayin’.

Normalised!

I am noticing more and more that things once held as ‘wrong’ are seen as ‘right’ and the other way around. I also frequently hear the words “who has the right to tell me what is good and bad anyway”? It’s a fact that if you keep on doing (wrong) things for long enough, you get used to it. In fact it becomes normal and accepted not only by individuals, but also by the community and eventually society.

The liberal thinkers will call it progress, but cast your mind back some 20-30 years and ask yourself, have all these liberal changes been good for our youth or have we passed them a poisoned chalice? Whether from local or national government, we have relaxed our views on many things we once felt ‘wrong’ and immoral. It’s not difficult to list some and you could add more:

>Ease of gender abortion.

>Making a district a ‘safe place’ for prostitution.

>Providing clean drug rooms where addicts can inject and ‘stay safe from infection’.

>Movie and TV censorship is now almost non existent, and sex and violence is rampant.

>Unrestricted access to pornography on the unregulated internet.

>Promotion of ‘alternative gender lifestyles’ to appear inclusive, and not cause offence.

>Calls for the decriminalisation of drugs.

>There is no absolute truth. Everything is relative. What is right for you, is not right for me.

I think there is a direct link between the fact that the gospel is no longer preached in many of our churches, and has now been replaced by a feelgood, social psychology message without the need for repentance. Small wonder church attendance is falling. The primary  reason for the church’s existence is no longer known, taught or preached, so why attend? If ever a Holy Ghost revival is needed, it is now!   

Woe, judgment is coming to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20 AMP

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.

Real Love

Your love must be real. Hate what is evil. Do only what is good. Romans 12:9

The source of doing good, is real love. Not an artificial or superficial love, but a deep and genuine love. Christmas is a time when so much good is done by many people. You see it in the nursing homes, hospitals, on the streets, and in every family as we celebrate and enjoy the reason for the good that we do. It’s in the love of the baby in the manger who grew into a young man, eventually giving His life to show us what real love is. He is our example, from the cradle, through the grave, to the resurrection and ascension. Jesus is God, and is now where He started out before coming to earth to be the example and Saviour we needed.

So, while we are hating the evil in the world, remember the source of the ultimate love is Jesus. We are tempted to watch the evil that men do in the name of their false, barbaric religion, but we should never lose sight of love and the force and power it contains. What kind of God do you want to rule your life? A god of terrorism, hate, and death? Or a God of pure love who is the embodiment of goodness? My vote is already cast!

So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. Romans 8:31

Whatever!

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. Philippians 4:8

That’s quite a lovely verse and quoted often, but usually in the safety of our own terms and worldview. I am reminded of the good and selfless street Pastors who stand outside nightclubs to provide Christian support for revellers when they leave. Sometimes it’s a warm cheery smile, sometimes a pair of flip flops and a foil wrap when ladies emerge without their shoes, and are not dressed for the cold night air. Sometimes a word of the Gospel is left with the partygoers, but it is all done to show a Christlike Spirit and example. Who knows the results or eternal consequences of their actions? These people and their actions are indeed praiseworthy.

If you live in Europe anywhere, you will already be sucked into the atmosphere of Euro 2016 football, and you will almost certainly be rooting for your national team probably from the safety of your living room TV set! You cannot fail to have noticed the violence both on and off the sports arena. Drunken brawls, flares and missiles thrown, blood spilled, man against man in acts of war-like aggression resulting in a peak of hospital admissions. And all this requires the police to forcibly disperse rioting fans with tear gas! Now if you are of that mindset, and don’t mind being associated with these actions, then by all means go and take part in the ‘sporting atmosphere’ with all the attendant risks involved. You could be made (in)famous by being beamed across the continent among the hooligan, drunken groups. You could be injured and bring shame on your reputation in the eyes of your family, children and grandchildren. That really is a high risk strategy.

I bring these two groups of people in contrast to make a point. Which group would you think reflects the verse in Philippians 4:8? If a Christian is going to be involved and associated with something which is a window to the world, shouldn’t it mirror the goodness that Paul commands? Paul is near the end of this letter, and has said a lot beforehand, but he starts this part with the word, “Finally”. In other words, “When all is said and done”, or “In the end”, or “above all else” and the rest of the text follows. I leave you with another observation. In the first instance of the street Pastors, they do not enter the premises unless it is to do good works. In the second instance, christians find no conflict, not only going into the ‘games’, but also put themselves and their reputations in harm's way, and have no intention of doing good, witnessing or shining a light among the drunken brawlers.

I leave the defence of the onsite football fans in their own or someone else's hands. Maybe there are examples where Scripture condones and encourages this, but it doesn’t seem to fit with today’s verse. When Jesus ate with sinners, it always resulted in a positive outcome and lives were changed. There is another way the word ‘Whatever’ could be used, and it fits with a youth, who faced with an adult telling them they had said or done something risky, rolls their eyes, tilts their head and says in disbelief and defiance… Whatever!

Evil into Good

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Genesis 50:20,21

The old saying goes, “Bad things happen to good people” and how true. I’m sure bad things have happened to you, but I wonder how we cope and react as Christians? Bad things take many forms from sudden poverty, loss of employment, serious illness, and even the death of a loved one. Christians are not immune, no matter what the so called prosperity gospel preachers tell us.

Joseph had it bad. Hated by his brothers, thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned for years, forgotten by those he had helped. Joseph had every reason to believe that God had abandoned him, but somehow he held on to his faith until he came out the other end of his long dark tunnel. The end of the story sees Joseph reunited with the brothers who had hated him, thrown him into a pit, and sold him to a travelling group. I’m not sure what I would have done, but Joseph was overjoyed, and wept.

He knew the bad stuff had happened for a purpose, and he recognised that reason when it came, even though it was many years later. The lesson is clear. When bad things happen, and we think God has left us alone, hang in there because there will come a time when God will turn things around, and in doing so reveal His eternal plan for your good. Our problem is that we want the answer right away, so how long are we prepared to wait for God to intervene in our broken life? Sadly, we might give up before God’s plan unfolds fully, so let’s determine to stay the course and “wait patiently before the Lord” Psalm 37:7.

But God!

Joseph said to them,”Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid, I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them, and spoke kindly to them.” Gen 50:19-21 (NIV)

You are ready to go out for the evening, and the phone rings. Your plans are left in tatters with news of something which changes everything. You go to the doctor for a routine check up, and leave the surgery knowing that life will never be the same again. A yearly visit to the school to get your child's report, results in you having to reassess their capabilities. We don't take too kindly to our plans being changed. Plans which we felt were for the best, and maybe even had prayed for. But who really knows best?

If you have never read the book, “God Meant it for Good” by R T Kendall, I would recommend you get a copy and read it cover to cover. It follows the story of Joseph, and the verse quoted comes from a key part of the narrative. Maybe you have never done this, but I have questioned God's leading, direction, and wisdom when He has stepped in and intervened in my life. Complaining does no good, and changes nothing. But I don't see the end from the beginning, and I don't see the bigger picture from God's viewpoint, so how can I possibly judge? Joseph was well within his rights to question God's judgement, but he didn't. He said, “but God meant it for good”!

It takes us a long time, sometimes a lifetime, to get to the point that Joseph reached, and he didn't even have the benefit of Jesus' life recorded for him as an example to follow. We do, and still we struggle! I am constantly reminded that I must “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk” if I am to be the kind of Jesus follower who can be called a Christian, by those who watch from the sidelines. Whatever happens in and around my life, there should always be a moment when I realise anew, “but God meant it for good”!