All Done!

When our children were very young, after clearing their plate of dinner, they would lift both hands and say with a look of pride and achievement, “all done”. Christmas Day is all over, and in a way it is all done, but does it have to be? The turkey is almost finished and you are on to leftovers, wrapping paper is in the bin, the tree starts to look a little lost in the room, the carols don’t have the same ring now, and having eaten much more than you should, some plain, ordinary food is now needed. Christmas feels “all done”.

From early December, people were noticeable brighter, happier, and more likely to stop and chat than before. There is the anticipation of Christmas in almost every head whether a believer or not. Let’s face it we all like the feeling that Christmas brings, even if some do not accept the baby in the manger. It is impossible to miss the fact that something big is going to happen, and it means a lot to most people, if not everyone.

For the believer, Christmas is NOT a one day event celebrated once a year. It is, or should be, a way of living every day. The baby grew up, became a man, and was killed for doing good at the hands of a baying mob of his own people. He was unfairly and unjustly treated, and murdered. If the story stopped there we have no hope, and the baby at Christmas would be just like any other baby born at that time. But the story doesn’t stop there, this same baby who grew up, destroyed death, folded the grave clothes neatly, and left the tomb. From being very dead, to being very alive, He became our Saviour.

This makes us want to live like every day is Christmas, giving us a hope for the future and a spring in our step for all to see. So why did the baby come in the first place? One of the reasons is all wrapped up in Jesus’ words in John 10:10: I came to give life—life that is full and good. So, let’s make every day of the year our very own Christmas celebration.

Ignorance Is No Excuse

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. Hosea 4:6

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Isaiah 1:18

There seems to be a ‘go with the flow’ mentality in our society where we accept what others think and say because we don’t want to stick out as different. Peer pressure is a powerful force in young people, but what reasons or excuses do older folks have for not thinking some important things through?

The biggest question we face, whether young or old is whether there is a God or not. We live in a nation which at least claims to be Christian, but we skim over the meaning, don’t we? Once we answer the first big question to our own satisfaction, and after careful reason and thought, we are best placed to decide what effect it will have on our lives.

God makes it plain that we need to gather knowledge about Him, and use reason to fully understand our place in His creation. We cannot do that by forming a committee, or joining a help group. We must do it by ourselves. Great care must be taken because He says we will be rejected if we don’t give it due diligence. Don’t decide there is no God based on the shallow thoughts of a few friends who seem sincere. Trust me, they may be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong. Of course there is a lifestyle price to pay, and most of us don’t like that prospect. What, change my ways? Really? I know it doesn’t feel like it, but in spite of what your pals say, the changes we make when we find God (actually He has already searched us out) will be for the good every time. Give it some thought. It can’t hurt, right?

Every Thing

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven... He hath made every thing beautiful in his time. Ecclesiastes 3:1,11

The writer of this old book was wise, very wise, and he makes the point over again, that ‘every thing’ has it’s time in our life and also that He makes everything beautiful. It doesn’t always feel like it, but we are talking about the inspired Word of God, so it must be true.

The word ‘purpose’ is forgotten or missed, but it is important to remember that in God’s work nothing is by chance. Everything has a purpose, and it is part of a God ordained plan that only He can see at that time. We do not always like what’s happening, but in the months or years to come, it can become obvious. For that reason, God’s will is always best.

There is an old and well worn phrase which we might not always like to accept that says: “God is good all the time. All the time God is good”. When the going gets rough and tough, it is worth keeping in mind that God IS good, and His ways are perfect. I love the way this same wise man expresses the theme in one of my favourite passages in Scripture…..

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5,6 Msg

Search, Study, Stand, Reason

Search the Scriptures John 5:39

Study to show thyself approved unto God... rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Like most Christians I have little devotional books which I read on a daily basis. The kind that gives a short text, followed by a little lesson on how to apply that Word to our lives. These are good aids and should be used regularly, but is that what the apostle John and the young preacher Timothy are meaning in the verses above?

The answer lies in the words used. Searching and Studying are not passive. They show action in learning deeply, and not on a surface level. A few years ago I was asked by a friend if I had ever read the Bible like I would read any other book, from the front, all the way through to the back, skipping nothing? Sadly, having been on the way for a number of years, I had to say I hadn’t. I relied on other people’s devotionals which could easily be done in 5 minutes flat!

When you read a book, or a magazine, or a newspaper, you read for more than 5 minutes, and if you are interested in the subject you are reading, you read from the beginning to the end. Cover to cover is how it is usually described. So, why not with the Word of God? The Bible was printed and put into the hands of the common man many years ago, to take the power of the Word out of the hands of the clergy of the day, and placed into the life of ordinary people to read. And read it they did. Not in 5 minute convenient slots during the day, but read earnestly. Like a sponge soaks in water. They had been given the gift of life, and they read it as a book, from Genesis to Revelation.

This simple action of reading, searching and studying the Scripture caused a revolution in the lives of the readers, but also in the churches of their day. They searched, studied, then stood on the promises they found, and it changed the course of their lives and their country. Do we do that? Do I? Let’s take the Bible down from the shelf and start to read it like never before. Search it, study it, and then stand on the authority of God’s Word. You know it makes sense to use your head, so what better way to finish with than these wise words…..

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18