IF THERE be for him an angel … Job 33.23 JOB lived a long time ago.  No one knows precisely when.  That he did both Ezekiel (Ezekiel 14.14-20) and James (James 5.11) testify.  He lost nearly everything – his wealth, his family and his health (Job 1 & 2).  He struggled to understand why?  So much anguish gripped him that he cursed the day of his birth (Job 3).  But he did not renounce God. Neither his wife or friends could help him answer the question that bugged him: Why?  Why did God take him into such a deep period of sorrow and sadness?  God has the answer.  After his friends Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu had tried to provide an explanation, God spoke to Job (Job 38-41).  God taught him that in this life we will not fully understand why we face times of difficulty and stress.  Why is that?  Because God’s ways are beyond our understanding.  Ultimately all things work for our good.  Thus, instead of not being satisfied with having no answer to our problems we are to trust God.  He invites the troubled and weary to turn to him and ask for help.  Those who do find it is freely given. Though his friends did not have the answer to his troubles that does not mean that all of their advice was unhelpful.  For example, the youngest of the four, Elihu, reminded Job about how God communicates with us.  You will find his speech in chapters 32-37.  In chapter 32 he rebukes Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar for condemning Job who cannot explain his troubles.  Then in chapter 33 he remin

CAN I AVOID SIN? BUT I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5.16 How do I avoid sin?  Sin is what we are inclined to do.  Can I stop?  The words of Paul above point to the answer.  They set before us a rule for us to keep each day.  We are to “walk by the Spirit.”  What does that mean?  To answer that question we should seek to grasp: (1) the source of sin; it is the desires, the lusts, of our flesh; (2) the source of life; it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to truly live; (3) the negative part of our duty ; we are not to gratify our desires; and (4) the positive part of our duty; we are to walk by or in the Spirit. (1) The source of sin. What is sin?  John says it is lawlessness (1 John 3.4).  Why do we defy God and ignore his will?  It is because, by nature, our minds are set on the flesh (Romans 8.7).  We neither desire God nor his will.  We are hostile toward him.  We do not and cannot submit to God’s law.  We cannot please God (Romans 8.8).  Does that mean there is no hope for us?  No, it does not.  God freely offers us life; life in all its fulness. (2) The source of life What is the source; more correctly; who is the source of true life?  Paul says it is God the Holy Spirit.  Without his power, as James the brother of our Lord writes, the desires we conceive usually give birth to sin.  We commit sins.  Sinning leads to death (James 1.15).  Those who know God are given his “life-giving Spirit” (1 Corinthians

IF I Fall Will I Be Restored? Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,  v2  and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  v3  And this we will do if God permits.  v4  For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,  v5  and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,  v6  if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.  Hebrews 6.1-6 How are we to understand verses 4-6 of Hebrews 6, which have been described as being “one of the most startling scriptures in the whole Bible”! The author speaks in verses 4-5 of a person who has had five spiritual experiences. (1) He is enlightened (verse4).  That is, he has discovered some truths about Jesus. (2) He tastes the heavenly gift (verse4).  That is, he has discovered that Jesus is the only one who can save us from the punishment we deserve for our sin. (3) He shares in the Holy Spirit (verse4).  That is, he has discovered that the Holy Spirit is given to a believer and is at work in making believers more like Jesus. (4) He tastes the Word of God (verse5).  That is, he has discovered that God has spoken to mankind and t

DO WHAT YOU CAN WHAT do you need to go to heaven?  “You must,” says Jesus, “be born again.”  That is, God must make you new.  You need to be changed from being a person who cannot love God into one who does.  Only God can make you new (John 3.1-8).   Does that mean you should wait to see if he will?  No.  Though you cannot make yourself what God wants you to be, your duty is to love God with the whole of your being. Faith comes by hearing; by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10.10).  Hearing God’s Word is the means God uses to make you new (1 Peter 1.23).  There are activities that you can and should do.  What are they? 1 You can listen to God’s Word What was said of unbelievers in Ezekiel’s day?  That if God had sent Ezekiel to them they would have listened (Ezekiel 3.6).  If what Jesus did among Jews had been done among unbelievers in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented (Matthew 11.21).  And the people of Nineveh, who turned to God when Jonah proclaimed to them God’s Word, put unbelieving Jews to shame (Matthew 12.41).  Unbelieving Herod heard God’s Word gladly (Mark 6.20).  And pagan Pharaoh asked Moses to pray for him (Exodus 8.28).  They are things you can do. 2 You can respect rather than reject God’s Word What do we do?  Because we are sinful we suppress the truth (Romans 1.18, 2.8 and 2 Thessalonians  2.10).  We cannot help but do it.  The evidence that we do is seen in the fact that we fail to honour, love and obey God.  We refuse to acknowledge that Jesus i

TURN AND LIVE SOME 600 years before Jesus, GOD used Ezekiel to summon the people to “turn and live.”  They were told to cast away their sins and make for themselves a new heart. “Why will you die?”, they were asked (Ezekiel 18.30-32).  Two questions arise for us.  (1) Does God ask you to do the impossible?  And (2) What does God want you to know? The Impossible? The call shows that the people were not right with God.  They had turned away from him.  God wants them to turn to him.  Those who do shall live.  A great promise is joined to a solemn command! Can you turn to God and live?  Most people respond with a resounding yes.  Why?  Because we do not like to think we lack power.  How does Jesus see you?  He says to religious people, “How can you speak good when you are evil?” (Matthew 12.34).  And he tells us that it is “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  The implication is clear.  A good tree may produce good fruit (see verse 33), but you cannot make yourself what God created you to be.  Why not?  Because “you are evil,” Jesus says (verse 34).  It seems then that God asks you to do the impossible.  Is that the case?  And, if it is, is it fair? How much power do you have?  We are created to exercise three types: physical power, moral power, and spiritual power.  Physically you are able, health permitting, to do great things.  You can breathe, lift, push, pull, run, and squeeze.  You have some physical strength.  And you can use it. You are also able to

KEEP YOURSELF DO YOU know your duty?  Your duty, that is, as a Christian. Jude puts before us three related duties.  We are (1) to build ourselves up in the faith; (2) to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit; and (3) to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 20-21).  Each is important.  Every child of God will benefit from thinking through the meaning of each.  On this occasion I share with you some thoughts on the instruction to keep ourselves in the love of God. Here is the first point to note.  Jude’s use of the imperative tense, the tense of command, tells us that this is a duty.  It is a duty we are expected to fulfil.  It is not an optional extra.  Nor is it mere advice.  Jude, inspired by the Spirit of God, in his short letter reminds Christians that, as well as growing in faith and praying in the Spirit, they are to keep themselves in the love of God.  It is an obligation laid upon us by God himself.    Secondly, the focus is on God’s love.  A Christian is a person who loves God.  Jesus teaches that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22.37).  That is with all our being.  Such is the responsibility of all people.  But we do not do what we ought to do.  A Christian is a changed person.  His or her natural hostility to God is replaced by love for God.  The new desire to love that can be seen in Christians.  What motivates a person to love God?  The Bible provides a definitive answer.  It is the love of God for us.  We love, s

COMMUNION WITH GOD WHAT or who is a Christian?  A person who has eternal life.  Jesus tells us that God sent him to this world so that you and I may enjoy eternal life.  That is what all who believe in him are promised (John 3.16).  The promise does not just refer to life after death. Who are you?  You are an enfleshed soul.  Human beings have a body and a soul.  What happens when you die.  Your body and soul are separated until the day of judgment.  Your body will be laid in a grave, if you or your loved ones choose burial.  Your ashes, if you are cremated, will be buried or scattered.  But your soul will live on forever.  Jesus tells us that on the last day; a day known to God; he will come again to this world.  When that happens our bodies will be raised from the dust of the ground.  They will be reunited with our soul.  And every person shall stand before his judgment throne.  Those who believe on Jesus in this life will enter the new heaven and earth.  There they will enjoy eternal life with him.  Believers enjoy a foretaste of that life now.  Jesus says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3.36). A key word in that statement is the word has.  Jesus does not say will or may.  He says a believer has eternal life.  So, if you are a person who follows and loves Jesus; if you rely on him alone for acceptance with God, your are a special person.   It is not every one who has eternal life. What is eternal life?  Jesus tells us.  He says that those who have

THE EVIL A BELIEVER WOULD NOT DO; IF HE COULD A letter from John Newton to Lord Dartmouth dated March 1772. My Lord, I think my last letter turned upon the apostle’s thought, Galatians 5:17, “You cannot do the things that you would.”  In the parallel place, Romans 7:19, there is another clause subjoined, “The evil which I would not do, that I do.”  This, added to the former, would complete the dark side of my experience.  Permit me to tell your lordship a little part, (for some things must not, cannot be told) not of what I have read, but of what I have felt, in illustration of this passage. I would not be the sport and prey of wild, vain, foolish, and vile imaginations; but this evil is present with me!  My heart is like an open highway; like a city without walls or gates.  Nothing so false, so frivolous, so absurd, so impossible, or so horrid, but it can obtain access, and that at any time, or in any place!  Neither the study, the pulpit, nor even the Lord’s table, exempt me from their intrusion. But if this awful effect of heart-depravity cannot be wholly avoided in the present state of human nature, yet, at least, I would not allow and indulge it; yet this I find I do.  In defiance of my best judgment and best wishes, I find something within me, which cherishes and cleaves to those evils, from which I ought to be horrified by, and flee from, as I would if a toad or a serpent was put in my food or in my bed.  Ah! how vile must the heart (at least my heart) be, that ca

WHAT A BELIEVER WOULD DO; IF HE COULD A letter from John Newton to Lord Dartmouth dated February 1772. My Lord, I have been sitting, perhaps a quarter of an hour, with my pen in my hand, and my finger upon my upper lip, contriving how I should begin my letter.  At length my suspense reminded me of the apostle’s words, Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. These are contrary the one to the other; so that you cannot do the things that you would!”  This is a humbling but a just account of a Christian’s attainments in the present life, and is equally applicable to the strongest and to the weakest.  The weakest need not say less.  The strongest will hardly venture to say more.  The Lord has given his people a desire and will aiming at great things; without this they would be unworthy of the name of Christians; but they cannot do as they would.  Their best desires are weak and ineffectual, not absolutely so (for He who works in them to will, enables them in a measure to do likewise) but in comparison with the noble mark at which they aim.   So that while they have great cause to be thankful for the desire He has given them, and for the degree in which it is answered, they have equal reason to be ashamed and abased under a sense of their continual defects, and the evil mixtures which taint and debase their best endeavours.  It would be easy to make out a long list of particulars, which a believer would do if he could but in w

A LETTER TO HIS WIFE written while she was in London and he in Olney, Bedfordshire I pray God to bless to you the ordinances and fellowship which you are favoured with in London, that you may go into Kent filled with the spirit of truth and love. When you are there, I hope you will make good use of the Bible, and throne of grace, to preserve you from being infected by the spirit of the world. Ah! what a poor vain thing is the world!  We have both found it so at times, (though we once loved it) and shall find it so again.  But may the Lord keep us alive to a sense of its vanity, before more evil days return to extort the confession from our feelings! Sickness and pain, and a near prospect of death, force upon the mind a conviction of the littleness and vanity of a worldly life. But there is a more pleasing way of learning this lesson, if we pay due attention to the Word of God, and pray for the light of his countenance.  If he is pleased to make his face to shine upon us, all that the world can offer to bribe us, will appear insignificant and trivial as the sports of children. He who has given us this desire, will, I trust, answer it, and unite our souls to himself forever.  What a happy state we are in!  We have peace with God, by Jesus Christ; liberty of access to the throne of grace; a saving interest in all God’s promises; a sure Guide along the way; and a sure inheritance at our journey’s end! These things were once hidden from us!  We were so blinded by the god o

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS If God spoke all the words of the moral law (the Ten Commandments), several duties are enjoined upon us.  If God spoke all these words then: (1) We must HEAR all these words. The words which God speaks are too precious to be lost.  As we would have God hear all our words when we pray, so we must hear all his words when he speaks.  We must not be as the deaf adder, which stops her ears.  He who stops his ears when God cries, shall cry himself and not be heard. (2) We must attend to them with REVERENCE. Every word of the moral law is an oracle from heaven.  God himself is the preacher, which calls for reverence.  If a judge gives a charge from the bench, all attend with reverence.  In the moral law God himself gives a charge, “God spoke all these words!”  With what veneration, therefore, should we attend!  Moses took off his shoes from his feet, in token of reverence, when God was about to speak to him (Exodus3.5-6). (3) We must REMEMBER them. Surely all which God speaks is worth remembering.  Those words are weighty, which concern salvation.  “It is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life” (Deuteronomy 32.47).  Our memory should be like the chest in the ark, where the law was kept.  God’s oracles are ornaments, and shall we forget them?  “Does a young woman forget her jewelry?  Does a bride hide her wedding dress?  No!  Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me” (Jeremiah 2.32). (4) We must BELIEVE them. See the name of God writte

Who are we? Ten unpopular facts we ought to know 1. We are created by God God, who made all creation, created mankind. Then God said:  Let us make man(kind) … So God created man(kind) …         Genesis 1.26 and 28 We are not the product of chance.  And we are distinct from all other living creatures.  There may be some similarities but we are not the same.  Other created beings may have a skeleton, internal organs and a circulation system but they are not human.  Birds are birds, animals are animals and fish are fish.  Humans are human. 2. We are created in the image of God Unlike other living creatures, mankind was created in the image of God. Then God said:  Let us make man in our image, after our likeness … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him …         Genesis 1.26 and 28 Many wonder what it means to be created in the image of God.  God is Spirit.  He does not have a body like us.  So our likeness to him is not a physical likeness.  What is it?  Think of what God is like.  He thinks, chooses and speaks.  He has made us able to think, choose and speak.  He is the Creator.  He has made us able to create and to be creative.  He rules and reigns.  He has made us to rule. Then God said:  Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth …         G

Why sing the Psalms? WHY DO you sing psalms?  It’s a question that is often asked.  Especially by those who are not familiar with them.  If you have ever attended a place of worship where psalms are chanted in old English, you may have found trying to sing them was not easy.  In fact you may have even found yourself asking, ‘How is it done?   How does one know when to vary the note and how many words should be sung in one phrase?’ Those are important questions.  However our concern is not to answer the question of how we should sing the psalms.  We want to address a different topic.  Should we sing the psalms? It seems that many churches gave up on singing the psalms some while ago.  Modern hymns and choruses with catchy rhythms and beats appear to be the order of the day in some places.  And the louder the bass beat is, the better. We shall argue that we should sing the psalms.  We shall also say that the psalms ought to come first in our choice of sung items in congregational worship.  But why?, you ask. Let us begin with these three facts. 1. The book of Psalms is a songbook found in the Bible The first part of the Bible, often called the Old Testament, consists of thirty-nine books.  The book of Psalms, being the nineteenth book, comes around about the middle of that testament.  It consists of 150 psalms.  Many were written by David.  One is attributed to Moses (Psalm 90), some to Asaph, and some to the sons of Korah.  Others are anonymous. There are other songs i

A Happy What? Why bother with Christmas THE makers of cards cater for us all.  They print them with different messages.  Some say Seasons Greetings; some mention the New Year; others mention Peace and Joy; some are blank; and some include the more traditional greeting, Merry Christmas.  The options, it seems, are numerous. WE do not hear people wish us a Happy Winter Festival.  A few may say Happy Winter Solstice.  And some, because they want to be politically correct, merely wish us a Happy Holiday. Confused? What do you make of it all?  Can you separate fact from fiction? Some claim that Christians took over a festival celebrated on 17 December each year by the citizens of the ancient Roman Empire.  Over time the revelry associated with Saturnalia extended from one day to as many as seven days.  But to say that Christians took it over is to assert something that cannot be proved.   Others point to a third century Christian who died on 6 December 343 AD.  His name was Nicholas and is also known as Nicholas of Bari.  He was born on 15 March 270 AD.  He became Bishop of Myra, an ancient Greek city of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).  His parents were wealthy and died when he was young. Being a follower of Jesus, he took seriously the advice given to a rich young ruler.  In response to the ruler’s question about eternal life, Jesus said that, ‘if you will be perfect, sell what you possess and give to the poor’ (Matthew 19.21).  Nicholas used all that he inherited to help

All Are Welcome WE USE the word universal in two ways. One, we use it to describe God’s purpose.  People from every nation, race and tribe are invited to seek and enter his kingdom.  The good news of Jesus Christ is for all people everywhere. Two, we use the word to describe a belief some people have.  We call those who think that every person will go to heaven universalists. No one questions the first use of the word.  All people are to be encouraged to seek God while there is time.  None should rest until they have found him. What about the second use of the term?  Will all human beings be for ever with God in heaven?  We know what people would like.  After all no-one takes any pleasure in the thought that one of their loved ones will spend eternity separated from God.  The idea of hell unsettles us. The big question though is not, What do people think?  Rather, it is, What does God say?  Has he made known to mankind the answer to the question: Will everyone go to heaven?  Yes, he has. It is a little known fact that the person who says most about judgment and hell in the Bible is Jesus Christ.  Many think of him as gentle, meek and mild.  They do not imagine that he would ever send a person away from God’s presence.After the time of the apostles, in the early centuries, some taught that, because God shall restore all things when Jesus comes again to judge us all (see Colossians 1.18-20), God will take away all that gets in the way of all individuals knowing and enj

A Different Way; lessons from John Knox ON Monday 27 November the last Christian Institute Autumn lecture for 2017 was given by Iain Murray. His subject was John Knox, the one time priest whom God transformed into a powerful preacher of the gospel in Scotland, Berwick upon Tweed and Newcastle upon Tyne and other places in England and Europe. People seem either to love or hate Knox.  David Fleming, a distinguished Scottish historian (1849 -1931), called him ”the greatest person Scotland has produced.” Charles Warr (1892-1969), a chaplain to George VI and Elizabeth II, had a different opinion.  His view was that Knox was a man who had few Christian virtues. Murray began with a brief resumé of Knox’s life.  He then provided three lessons from the life and ministry of John Knox. Preaching The first concerns preaching.  We tend to see preaching as teaching.  As a result in some churches an emphasis on getting people to attend a course of training exists. We want Christians to know what the Bible teaches.  A failure to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is to go against the teaching of the apostles (see 1 Corinthians 8.7; 2 Peter 1.2 & 3.18).  However it is not intellectual knowledge alone that is needed.  There is a more pressing need to know in our spirit Christ and his truth.  Mere assent to the truth is not true faith.  Faith also entails trust.  Those who rely on Jesus are those who know his love, his joy, and his peace in their own heart (Rom

Valuing All God’s Children A NEW edition of Valuing All God’s Children has just been published. The first was issued in 2014.  It provided guidance to Church of England schools about how to stop same-sex life-style people from being bullied. The new edition gives guidance on how to deal with those who bully people who think it is a valid life-style choice to have sex with a person of the same sex (homo-sexuals), with both men and women (bi-sexuals), and those who want to change sex (trans-sexuals).  The guidance calls such bullying HBT bullying. Helpful The guidance affirms the commitment of the Church of England to see provided in church schools an education that enables every pupil to flourish (pages 1, 3 and 5).  And it reminds us ”bullying of any kind” can have a devastating effect upon any child or young person (page 7). We endorse the aim to ”eradicate” and ”combat” in church schools all bullying including HBT bullying (page 5).  And we are grateful for the way the guidance seeks to provide a summary of existing laws, as well as model policies and templates (see Appendices A to G). Hazards However there are at least two areas of concern, neither of which is insignificant.First, the guidance lacks a proper robust theological foundation.  It fails to provide a summary of what the Bible teaches about mankind.  Such is essential.  Why?  Because our first duty, irrespective of who we are, is to God.  We need to know how he would have us behave both personally and tow

AN EARNEST PLEA THEY REFUSED TO LISTEN.  As a result they were left to do as they thought best.  That is what happens to those who do not listen to God. Paul knew that.  Those who ignore God have futile thoughts and do not   understand.   But that is not all.  God gives them over to indulge the lusts of their own hearts (Romans 1.21-24).  Some 1000 years before Paul a singer discovered the same truth. Asaph lived in the days of King David.  With Ethan and Heman, he was put in charge of the singing in the House of the Lord.  His name is found in the title of twelve Psalms.  They were either written by him or for him. In Psalm 81 Asaph calls us to sing out loud to God.  We are to shout with joy for what God does.  He loves his people.  He sets them free.  And he calls them to make him known to the peoples of the world.  They enjoy great privileges.  They are given many and great promises. Those who enjoy these blessings are called to be faithful and true to God.  They are to love, serve and worship him alone.  There is to be no foreign god among them. Tragically and sadly things did not go as they should have done.  In ancient times those who said “We were God’s people” failed.  Asaph saw that their failure to love and serve God as God would have us do could be traced back to pride.  They proved stubborn and did not obey God (Psalm 81.12). We shall consider the consequence of this in a moment.  But before we do so, we want to explore the way in which our pride express

GO AND MAKE WE DO not forget  the last words of those we love.  On the contrary, we treasure them.  Why?  Because they remind us of them.  That is especially true if their last words are uttered as they take their last breath here on earth. Matthew wrote about the last words of Jesus.  He tells us that they included a call.  Just before he left this world he told his disciples to go. They were to go to the people of world.  They were to go to them with a specific aim in mind.  They were to teach them.  To teach the people, that is, about Jesus Christ. We know why.  It was so that their hearers would become disciples of Jesus.  That is, that they would turn to him,  come to know him, love him, listen to him, learn from him, follow him, and live for him. We read these last words of Jesus at the end of Matthew’s gospel (see chapter 28 verse 19f).  You have probably read them.  Or it may be that you have heard them read. I ask you to spend a few moments thinking about what Jesus Christ calls his people to do.  What I would like you to do especially is to think about why Christians are to go and teach the people of the world about Jesus Christ. We shall not say every-thing that could be said.  But we will say that there are at least six reasons why you and I want to heed Christ’s words.First, Christians tell others about Jesus because it is what they are commanded to do.  At this point some will say that the words recorded by Matthew at the end of his gospel were spoken by

BEING HAPPY It is not hard to see that people want to be happy.  But happiness is not easy to find. The problem is we look in the wrong place.  And our search for it yields little real fruit.  But it does teach us a vital lesson.   When we try to make ourselves happy we often make others sad.  The reason why is not hard to find.  Misery always follows when our focus is on what we want. Some turn to drink or drugs, hoping they will make them cheerful.  But visit most courts or hospitals in the United Kingdom and you will find that the lives of many have been made miserable by drink or drugs.  Many end up with a criminal record.  Some find that their loved ones leave them.  And others need long-term medical help. So where is true happiness to be found?  If it is not in drink or drugs, sex or sleaze, books or betting, hobbies or holidays, where can we find it? History shows it is not found in doing what we want.  That is what Adam and Eve, our first parents, found.  What did Saul, the first king of Israel, find?  When he stopped doing God’s will he lost a kingdom! Happiness is found in doing God’s will.  Joseph obeyed God.  What followed?  He became the second most important person in Egypt!  He faced many difficulties.  His brothers sold him to passing slave traders.  He was falsely accused by his employer.  And he was put in prison.  But, God loved Him.  God never stopped caring for him.  And so he found happiness even in times of sadness.  Is that not what you want?

A GODLY LIFE They see us.   They do not under-stand how God loves us.  But they see what we do.  And they judge our moods and speech. The peoples of the world have us in their sight.  What do they say about us?  Is it good or bad?  That is a reasonable question for us to ask. What should the peoples of the world see?  Let us begin with a saying of Jesus Christ.  He said that we are to let our light shine; people are to see our good works (Matthew 5.16). Jesus Christ is the Light of the world (John 1.9f; 8.12).  He does not just show us the way to God.  He also teaches us the way of God.  If you want to know how God wants you to live then learn from the teaching of Jesus.  He teaches us how to live with God and for God. However more than listening is needed.  The reason why that is so is because without Christ we have no power to do God’s will.  Without me, he says, you can do nothing (John 15.5).  What more is needed?  We need to be united to Jesus.  We need to abide in him and he in us (John 15.4).There are two essentials needed if you would know Christ living in you and you living in him.  They are repentance and faith. First, there is the need of a new attitude towards Jesus Christ.  By nature, we see him as no more than a man who led a group of followers for some three years.  Yes, some amazing events have been attributed to him.  And yes, he taught people about God as well.   But we resist all talk of him ruling our life.  We do not want to let go of the control

SHOULD I VOTE? WHY do we vote?  To choose our leaders.  We do so (at least) once every five years. Why?  Because we need to be kept safe.  Order is better than disorder.  Without it people feel insecure.  They feel safe where order exists. Does that mean mankind invented government?  Let us distinguish between the idea of government and types of government. The people may choose their leaders or those who lead may impose their rule upon them.  We talk of democracy when we have a choice.  And we call those who demand that we do what they want dictators. Democracy and tyranny are two types of government.  There are more.  What they all have in common is that they are designed by people.  But the idea that we are to have a form of government is not a human invention.  It is God-given.  That is why the apostle Paul wrote that we are to be “subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God” (Romans 13.1).  The emphasis is on the need for government. Usually we see three levels or spheres of government described.  There is the need for order in the family, in the church, and in the state.  We can look at what God has revealed about the family and church on another occasion.  Now we focus on the state or country in which we live. The opening chapters of the first book of the Bible, Genesis, point to important facts.  They tell us that God is a God of order rather than disorder.  And they teach that o

WHAT IS FAITH? FAITH is a gift.  Some reject that idea.  Why?  Because we are told to repent and believe (Acts 2.38). Let me show you why faith must be a gift given by God. First, let me show you from where the notion that faith is a gift comes. Paul speaks of it.  He does so in Ephesians.  There we read: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2.8) And in Philippians he writes: For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. (Philippians 1.29) Some argue that the words it is the gift of God refer only to the words for by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2.8).  It is not to be doubted that salvation is freely given by God to all who believe.  Nor is it to be doubted that it can never be deserved or earned.  There is nothing that you, or anyone else, can do to free yourself from the wrath of God and the eternal misery you deserve.Paul says God gives salvation through faith.  Salvation and the personal experience of salvation are intimately connected.  Because that is so, faith must be a gift.  If it is not how can Paul say that salvation is by grace?  Paul reminds the Christians of Ephesus that every part of their salvation; including their faith; is a free gift from God.  It is all of grace. This way of understanding Paul’s words is supported by his use of an important word in his letter to the Christians of Phili

WHAT IS HIS WORTH? WE USE the word yet struggle to describe it in just a few words. What is worship? Tom Wells helpfully calls it a response to greatness.  I say helpfully because his brief definition of worship points us in two directions. First, it directs us to the one who is great.  The sons of Korah begin a song with these words: Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised.  (Psalm 48.1) The same words can be found in Psalm 96. (verse 48)  David says the same in Psalm 145 (verse 3).  And, in the book Malachi, we learn that God’s people will say, Great is the LORD, when they see him judge the ungodly (Malachi 1.5). Those who worship Almighty God heed the call of Moses to ascribe greatness to our God (Deuteronomy 32.3). Secondly, Tom Wells draws our attention to what we are to do.  We are to respond to the greatness of Almighty God.  That is what worship entails.  But how are we to respond?  What are the essential features of true worship?I would like to suggest that a good place to start is the introduction to public worship that Archbishop Cranmer gave us nearly 500 years ago.  There is something timeless about it.  Here is part of it: the Scriptures move us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of Almighty God, our Heavenly Father; but confess them with a humble, lowly, penitent and obedient heart, to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by h

THREE STEPPING STONES DO YOU ENJOY a ramble? The hills, streams, flora and fauna can excite us and fill us with awe.  But  rambles are not always easy. A stream or river may block the way.  Stepping stones could help.   They do on the Wallington estate in Northumberland. There you can find a set in the River Wansbeck.  They provide a safe route across when the water level is not too high. Many have found themselves in need of guidance.  Once made aware of their plight, questions flow.  Is there anyone to show me the way?  How can I get from where I am to where I ought to be? Happy for us, there are some sure stepping stones upon which we can safely tread.  But, before I tell you what they are, I will tell you why we need them. Put simply, there is a gulf between us and God.  Though created in his image and able to enjoy intimate fellowship with God, we no longer do.  Adam, the first man, ruined it for himself and us.  How?  He did not obey God’s command.  He thought he knew better.  Better that is than the One who made him from the dust of ground. Adam imagined that he would not be judged by God.  He made the wrong choice.  He chose to listen to the deceit and lies of Satan, the one who leads rebel angels. He did not help his wife, Eve.  He failed to encourage her to stay faithful to God.  He did nothing to stop her from doing wrong.  And then he made things worse, by also blatantly defying God and his Word. Adam’s sin did not just affect him.  In the plan of God Ad

CHRIST AND THE STATE “RENDER TO CAESAR the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22.21).   Christians turn to these words when they ask the question: How are we to live?  They provide vital teaching about living in the world. Three Spheres We all live in two spheres: a family and a state (a nation).  Most of us grow up with our parents and even with a brother or a sister.  We may have grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins.  The family is important. There are many families in the world.  What we find is that the families of an area have a common language.  In France they speak French, and in England English. We also find that people of a country have a political system.  They may be led by a monarch, a president or a tyrant.  And they make rules or laws to help them live together.  Is there a limit to the power of the state? Whilst it is true that people live in a family and a nation there is a third sphere which is important for Christians: the Church.  Christians are called by God to love one another as Jesus Christ loves them.  They are to live as God’s people is this world. It does not take long for us to realise that the different spheres; the family, the church and the state; may present us with competing demands.  Thus some members of a family may want to go to the beach rather than to a church meeting.  Or the state  may require a church to obey a law which Christians believe to be wrong.  For example, is it right for

GOD’S WORD AND TRANS-GENDER an edited version of an article by Dr Peter Saunders of the Christian Medical Fellowship YOU may think there are few things more self-evident than the fact that humans are of two distinct types, male and female. Females have XX chromosomes, female hormones and distinct sexual organs.  Males have XY chromosomes, male hormones, and very different sexual organs.  Don’t they? But now we are told that gender is simply a social construct, the product of a biased society; that gender has no biological basis at all; that gender roles are forced upon people.  That it’s all simply a result of the way that people are being brought up.  And that gender is fluid. When feminist and same-sex icons like Germaine Greer and Peter Tatchell get called ‘trans-phobic bigots’ and are barred from speaking in British universities for expressing the view that ‘trans women’ are not real women then the situation is serious. Real pressure is being put on people (1) to adopt a new ideology, (2) to use new language, (3) to affirm the beliefs of trans-gender people and (4) to take part in surgical and hormonal gender reassignment.  Some lobby groups want these things to be legally enforced. The problem is increasing.  A family doctor in a British university town recently told me, “I’m seeing one gender conflicted teenager every day.  They all want to be referred to the gender reassign-ment clinic in London and they are all on anti-depressants.  What should I do?”There has

SEEK, SEEK, SEEK To seek God is our chief work.  Why?Because mankind was created by God for God. It may not be what all or most people think.  But it is what God tells us.  He does so at the beginning of the Bible (Genesis 1 & 2). However what we think and what we do may differ.  You can believe God exists, and that you should seek him, but you don’t.  Those who have faith believe that God exists.  They also believe he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11.6). The word seek is important.  It occurs elsewhere in the Bible.  God’s promise is that if we seek him we will find him (Deuteronomy 4.29).  David, faced with great  troubles, sought the Lord (Psalm 63.1).  The Lord Jesus calls all people to seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6.33). We are told who to seek: the Lord (Psalm 105.4).  We are told  how to seek: earnestly with all one’s heart and soul (see Deuteronomy 4.29; Psalm 63.1)).  We are told what to seek: the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6.33). We are told when to seek: continually (Psalm 105.4).  And we are given a reason to seek: we will find (Matthew 7.7). The Puritan preacher, Thomas Manton (AD 1620-1677) is right: “The whole course of a Christian” he says, “must be a seeking after God. … this seeking must be our work, our business.”  It must be “the great employment of our lives.”  (Thomas Manton, By Faith, pp329 & 330). Manton is right for the reason that mankind was made by God and for God.  We can never be truly ha

LIVE OR DIE The choice is simple.  We either do what we want or what God wants. The result will not be the same.  Those who do what they want will die.  But those who do what God wants will live.  Put simply, it is a life or death choice. That is what Paul taught.  Inspired by God, he imparted that fact to people in Roman (Romans 8.13).  He did some-thing similar to people in Colossae.  I say similar because to them he gave an instruction (Colossians 3.5).  He calls them to put to death all that is contrary to God’s will. That raises two important questions.  Why do you do wrong?  And, what can you do to keep yourself from doing wrong? Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3.4).  It is a breaking of God’s law.  Naturally speaking that is what all people are inclined to do.  We cannot help it.  No matter how hard we try to keep God’s commands we fail to love and serve him as we should.  Although made new by God, Christians can still sin.  And they often do.First, I would like to explore with you some reasons why Christians sin.  I shall mention three. (1) We are inclined to neglect our duty.  What is our duty?  Paul provides a neat summary.  We are to put to death all that displeases God and we are to put on all that pleases him (Colossians 3.5-17).  These are not optional extras.  They are commands.  Commands, that is, that we are under an obligation to keep just as the early Christians were.  For, what God inspired Paul to say to believers in that ancient Greek city, God says to

WHAT IS FAITH? Without faith it is impossible to please God. It is not just the author of Hebrews who says it is true  (Hebrews 11.6).   Leaders from the past, men like Abraham, Moses, Samuel and David, believed it.  So too did Paul, Peter and James in the days of the apostles.  And Christians affirm it is true today. Clearly, then, it is in your best interest to discover what it means to have faith.  For if you do not know what faith is, how can you begin to know whether God is pleased with you? The 16th century Reformer, John Calvin, describes faith as being “not a distant view, but a warm embrace of Christ.”  In other words it is not mere mental assent to the idea of there being a God.  Nor is it just accepting what a church teaches.  Calvin specifically mentions Christ.  He does so because true faith is centred on him. A believer is a person who receives Christ.  He or she welcomes him whole-heartedly.  It is with warm affection that Christ is embraced by faith.  What else does faith do?  I ask you to consider the following. First, William Gurnall, in The Christian in Complete Armour, says of faith that it “cannot but pray.”  He describes prayer as “the very breath of faith.”  And he asserts that “as a baby comes crying into the world” so it is that a believer prays. Gurnall learned of the connection between prayer and faith from the Bible and from experience.  A feature of believers in the Bible is that they pray.  That is true of Abraham, Moses and David.  And it

THE PROMISES OF GOD THE PROMISES OF GOD are great and precious.  Why? Because, says the apostle Peter, those who believe them escape from the corruption of the world and are made partakers of the divine nature.  (see 2 Peter 1.4) What is a partaker of the divine nature?  Peter does not mean that believers become part of the being of God.  That idea is taught by mystics.  They have existed for a long time.  They were common in Peter’s day, and can be found today. Peter has in mind God’s original design.  He made you to know God.  That is not the only purpose he has for you.  But it is the most important.  You are to look after God’s creation, and you are able to share with others in your family, in the world, and in the Church.  God does not want you to engage in those activities apart from him.  He created you to enjoy fellow-ship with him.  His promise is that he will provide you with all that you need as you seek to know and serve him. God wants you to know the way by which you can come into a living relationship with him.  It is by believing the promises he has given.  They are about how you can know life and enjoy it in all its fullness.  Here are some of the great and precious promises God has given. He says that he will blot out your sins and remember them no more (Isaiah 43.25); that he will forgive your iniquity (Jeremiah 31.34); that he will plead for you with the Father (1 John 2.1); that he will put a new heart and a new spirit within you (Ezekiel 36.26); that

WHAT is the BIBLE? HOW CAN ANYONE know that the Bible really is the Word of God?  Is it a God-given book?  And if it is, what is the extent of its authority? We shall begin with a very important observation.  God is.  He exists.  He always has done.  He always will.  Therefore, if he is our Maker, and if he has made us able to speak with each other, it is not unreasonable to assume that he is able to speak to us.  There is no reason to say that such a possibility cannot  or does not exist.  And it follows that every person should accept that it is within God’s power to reveal his will to us should he choose to do so. Now let us consider evidence that supports the claim that God has spoken.  I want you to specially note that the evidence is both rational and reasonable.  Christians do not indulge fantasies.  Theirs is not a world of make believe or pretence.  On the contrary, their faith in God is based on actual historical events. First, consider the claim of the prophets.  I think especially of men like Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah and Ezekiel, to name but a few.What do they say?  They say that God spoke with and through them.  They all assert that they had a word from the Lord.  That claim is either true or false.  There is no other option. The evidence is sound.  What they prophesied came to pass.  Their predictions about Jesus came true.  They are all fulfilled in him.  We can safely conclude that God gave messages to them.  God used them to make known his will to ot

HEAD and  HEART I CAN almost smile now to think you once classed me among the Stoics. If I dare speak with confidence of myself in anything, I think I may lay claim to a little of that pleasing, painful thing, sensibility.  I need not boast of it, for it has too often been my snare, my sin, and my punishment. Yet I would be thankful for a spice of it, as the Lord’s gift.  And, when it is rightly exercised, it is valuable. I think I should make but an awkward minister without it, especially here. Where there is this sensibility in the natural temper, it will give a tincture or cast to our life as a Christian. Indeed I often find this sensibility weakest where it should be strongest.  And I have reason to reproach myself that I am not more affected by the character, love, and sufferings of my Lord and Saviour.  I do not feel as I should my own personal obligations to Him. However, my views of religion have been, for many years, such  as   I   supposed   morelikely to make me deemed to be an enthusiast than a Stoic. A moonlight head-knowledge, derived from a system of sentiments, however true in themselves, is in my judgment a poor thing.  On the other hand, I am not an admirer of those rapturous sallies, which are more owing to a warm imagination than to a just perception of the power and importance of Gospel truth. The Gospel addresses both head and heart. Where it has its proper effect, where it is received as the Word of God, and is clothed with the authority and e

Dear Reader, You know that many people decide to make changes at New Year.  Some choose to stop a bad habit.  Others opt to start something new. According to some historians it is possible that the practice of making new year resolutions began in Babylonian times; some four thousand years ago.  That, it seems, is the earliest record that has been found. What did they do?  They made promises to their idol gods.  The promises they made were about debts or possessions.  Those who had borrowed an object from a relative or friend promised to return it early in the new year.  And those who owed money made a pledge to settle their debts. Nearly a 1000 years later the Romans did something similar.  They made promises to their idol god Janus.  The name for the first month of the year, January, reflects that pagan practice. Not all new year resolutions were related to religious beliefs.  During the Medieval Era (usually taken to be the period from the 5th to 15th century) knights ended the Christmas season with what came to be called the Peacock Vow.  Simply stated, it was a time when they reaffirmed that they would uphold the rules of chivalry. and horsemanship. Many Christians are wary of making new year resolutions.  They do not  support pagan or superstitious ways.  That we understand.  And with that we agree.  For Christians are to be, as the apostle Paul says, those whose thoughts are focused on God (see Romans 12.1f).  They have given up and turned away from the religious

It was probably in the year 1672 that Henry Scougal put pen to paper and wrote the book for which he is best known today.   Although written to and for a friend, the book was seen and read by Gilbert Burnet.  He asked Scougal to allow it to be published.  Scougal agreed.  It was printed in 1677, but without the author’s name.  A year later, in 1678, Scougal died.  He was aged 27.The book deals with an important subject.  In fact it is no exaggeration to say that it is probably the most important matter you can ever consider.  The title sums it up neatly.  The matter that Scougal wanted his friend to clearly understand is The Life of God in the Soul. He begins with a consideration of what religion is.  You do not need to read more than a page or two of the text to discover how Scougal uses the word religion.  Today it often refers to a belief system (for example, Hindu, Sikh, or Islam).  Some-times it is used to describe the state or way of life demanded of or adopted by those who follow a particular set of beliefs. When Scougal uses the word religion he wants you to think about your relationship with God.  He shows that true religion is true faith.  And he describes true faith.How does Scougal begin?  He provides a summary of what many think religion is.  There are, he says, three prevailing ideas. First, some think that religion has to do with what you understand.  That is, what you think about God.  The key faculty, they argue is the understanding.  And the main issue i

For what do you hope? I assume you hope for something.  Most, if not all of us, do. Some hope they will enjoy themselves.  Some want to succeed.  Others want to have a long life.  Christians understand such concerns.  In fact, they readily accept that there was a time when they had similar hopes!Now they have a new hope: a better hope (Hebrews vii.19), a blessed hope (Titus ii.13), a living hope (1 Peter i.3).  Because it is also a sure hope (Hebrews vi.11) it encourages Christians to be  both bold (2 Corinthians iii.12) and confident.  It helps them to remain steadfast even in times of testing and trial (Colossians i.23; 1 Thessalonians i.3).  Why?  Because hope is an anchor (Hebrews vi.18-19) and a helmet (1 Thessalonians v.8) for the soul. God wants you to have hope.  He wants you to know that he comforts and supports all who turn to him.  He wants you to know that he keeps his promises, which are sure and certain.  He wants you to know that he loves his people with an everlasting love.  He wants you to know that those who wait for him shall renew their strength.  They shall run and not be weary.  They shall walk and not faint (Isaiah xl.31). There are two words that help us understand what hope involves.  The words are expect and wait. The hope God’s people have is not wishful thinking.  Many of our hopes are little more than that.  For example, you can plan a holiday, a trek, or a family party months ahead.  When you do so you have no firm idea of what the weather w

How, when, and with whom should I pray? The Bible provides answers to those questions.  I would like to begin with the with whom question. Stated briefly, the answer to it may be given in two parts.  First, there is a place for private prayer.  The Lord Jesus teaches us to pray in secret (Matthew vi.5-6).Secondly, there is a place for  social prayer.  I refer to prayer with others.  The people of God in ancient times prayed together.  They met for worship.  Note the call given at the beginning of Psalm 95: O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation (Psalm xcvi.1).  It continues: O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker (Psalm xcvi.6). The temple is called a house of prayer (Isaiah lvi.7).  The same term is used by Jesus (Matthew xxi.13).  The Lord’s Prayer begins with the plural pronoun our, and includes the word us four times and the word we once (Matthew vi.9, 10-13).  Paul instructs the Christians in Thessalonica to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians v.17).  And in Hebrews the people of God are taught not to neglect meeting together (Hebrews x.25).  It is difficult therefore not to conclude that social prayer, along with secret prayer, is a feature of the life of a believer. Are you a Christian?  Do you pray?  How often do you pray in secret?  When did you last go to a prayer meeting?  I could press the question further and ask, Do you meet with God’s people each week?  Do you make it y

Can you know you will always be kept safe and secure? At some point in our lives it is probable that we all ask this question.  Sadly many quickly dismiss it.  They think the answer must be: No! John did not think that way.  He knew that Christians can know they will always be kept safe and secure.To show you how I shall take you to the First Letter of John.  In it the apostle says: Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself (1 John v.10). The testimony of which John speaks is sometimes called the inner witness.  It is derived from the infallible testimony of three witnesses.  I say infallible because John says that the three agree (1 John v.7-8). On what do they agree?  Their testimony is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  They also agree that everyone who accepts that testimony, and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, receive from God a gift; the gift of eternal life (1 John v.11). The three giving the same testimony, says John, are the Spirit, the water and the blood.  How are we to understand what he says?First, he speaks about the witness of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit.  In heaven, God the Father, by the Holy Spirit, testifies that the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is true.  But here on earth, it is the Spirit, the water and the blood that testify Jesus is the Son of God.  The Spirit does so by enabling an individual to (1) see, and (2) accept that truth. That such a work by the Spirit is needed is b

All Christians share the same gifts.  Here are three. One, all true believers have the same map.  Two, they have the same compass.  And three, they are on the same journey. Their map is the written Word of God, the Bible.  It is their guide and rule in all matters of belief and behaviour.Their compass is Jesus Christ.  As a sailor navigates using the sun and the polar star, so a believer knows Christ as the one who keeps him or her on course. Their journey is from where they are now to what God has prepared for them to enjoy for ever.  They belong to God and will dwell with him in the new heavens and earth which he will reveal when he makes all things new on the last day. However, though believers share these in common, it is also true that their experiences are not exactly the same.  God, according to his wise purposes, takes each of his children through different circumstances and trials.  It is “through many tribulations” that we “enter the kingdom of God” (Acts xiv.22).  No matter how intense a trial may prove to be, God never lets go of those whom he loves.These things being so, care needs to be taken that you do not err.  Some err when they make the experiences of other believers a (or worse, the) rule for daily living.  Avoiding that danger, others err when they make their own experience a (or the) rule for other believers.  Sadly these are not uncommon mistakes.  And, as many wise Christians have warned, such mistakes if not corrected may lead to further errors.

In his letter to Christians in Rome Paul states that he is not ashamed.  To be more precise, he says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans i.16). Put another way, he asserts that he is not embarrassed by the good news about Jesus Christ.  To see just why  he  does not shy awayfrom making it known we need to see what the good news is.  It concerns what God has provided for you and me. Before I tell you what God has done I have to tell you about yourself and all other people.  If I fail to start there I risk leaving you unclear about what the gospel of God is. So let me tell you what Paul says about mankind.  It is not a happy message.  It will not cheer you up if you are unhappy.  Nor is it a message that lets the happy stay happy. The first point to note is that, by nature, we suppress the truth.  That is, the truth about God.  As we look at ourselves and what exists around us, Paul argues, two facts emerge. One is that there is something amazing about the universe and everything in it.  The words complex, finely tuned, and delicately balanced are appropriate.  They indicate that what we see was designed, created and placed.  More than that, it appears to be held in place.  Consider, for example the tides and stars.  We can work out when the next high or low tide will be; what the orbit of each planet will be; and when the next lunar or solar eclipse will take place. This tells us that there must be a designer.  It also tells us that the designer must be powerful. 

“A great prophet has arisen among us.”  And, “God has visited his people.”  So said the crowd. That was their reaction.  And it is not difficult to see why.  They had just seen a miracle.  A young man was brought back from the dead. The event took place in Nain.  As far as we know, 2000 years ago it was a town located not far from Nazareth, in Israel.  Today it is a village of less than 2000 people. Picture the scene.  Luke gives us the details (Luke vii.11-17).  A woman led the way to a grave.  That is what usually happened.  The chief mourner was at the front.  Then came the bier (a plank of wood or a wooden frame) upon which the dead person was placed.  Behind would be family and friends and other mourners. On this occasion the chief mourner was a widow.  The dead person was her only son.  And many from the town, Luke says, went to the grave with her. The widow, no doubt, had great cause to weep.  And weep she did.  She did so for at least three reasons. First, her only son was dead.  Secondly, being a widow, she had no husband to support her.  And thirdly, her future looked very bleak. In those days it was usual for a woman to be looked after by her father (if she was not married), by her husband (if she was married), or by her son (if she had one).  We know that she now had no husband and no son.  It is therefore probable that she had no one to protect and to provide for her. As she made her way to the grave; it would have been outside the town; she met a man.  In

“I have never found any mention of sexuality in the records of our dear Lord’s teaching.”  So says Joy Dawson in a letter in the Church Times on 9 September 2016. She goes on to assert that Justin Welby’s comment that a bishop’s “sexuality is completely irrelevant to his office,” should put an end to the unseemly discussions about the bishop’s claim to have a male partner. Is Joy Dawson right?  Is the Archbishop of Canterbury right? On the surface Joy Dawson is right in saying that we cannot find a specific record of Jesus using the actual word sexuality.  However he does speak about sexual immorality (Mark vii.21).  And he clearly says that, like theft, murder, deceit and envy, it is an evil that defiles mankind (Mark vii.22). So, what is sexual immorality (porneia)?  Does it include same-sex sexual intimacy? Like so many, we would prefer not to speak of these things.  Sadly we cannot remain silent.  Why not?  Because some want the church to change.  They want her to accept same-sex relations as normal and right. The traditional view may be simply stated.  All sexual intimacy with a person other than your (male) husband if you are a woman, or your (female) wife if you are a man, is contrary to the revealed will of God. From time to time this teaching has been ignored or rejected.  More recently it has been hotly questioned.  As a result, in Europe and the USA; but not just in the Western world;  it is now believed and taught that sexual intimacy with another person is

THAT is what the Reformers (of the 16th century) and the Puritans (of the 17th century) say.  You can read those words in the Geneva Bible. The Geneva Bible was the main Bible used by Christians in England in the 16th century. During the reign of Queen Mary (1553-1558), some Protestant scholars fled to Geneva in Switzerland.  There they were safe from the persecutions for which Mary became known.  The group included William Cole, Myles Coverdale, Anthony Gilby, Christopher Goodman, Thomas Sampson and William Whittingham. In Geneva they enjoyed fellowship with and received  spiritual guidance from Theodore Beza and John Calvin.  But it was Whittingham (he returned to England in 1560 and was made Dean of Durham in 1563) who supervised the production of a new translation of the Bible.  That translation is known as the Geneva Bible. The first complete edition appeared in 1560 but it was not printed in England until 1576.  The very first Bible ever to be  printed in Scotland was a Geneva Bible.  It was published there in 1579.The translators worked from the Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) scriptures.  However the English used was based upon earlier translations  by William Tyndale (c1494; 1536) and Myles Coverdale (c1488-1569).  More than 80% of the language used in the Geneva Bible is from William Tyndale.  Over 150 editions of the Bible were issued, the last probably being issued in 1644. The Geneva Bible was used by John Knox (one time preacher at St Nicho

THE QUESTION above is one we all ask.  It is one of what are called the Big Questions of Life. Where have I come from?, Why do I exist?, and What happens when  I die? are similar. To answer the question, Who am I?, we need to  start near the beginning.  That is what our parents and grand parents did.  In fact that, it seems, is what all people in all cultures have always done.  But things change.  We live at  a time when much has and is changing.  And the pace of it is quite fast. Who am I?  Most people begin to answer the question by stating their name.  Names are important, for two reasons. One, our name, when spoken, usually elicits a response from us.  We do not ignore it.  Instead we sit up, listen to and answer the one who calls. Secondly, our name usually tells others that we are a boy or a girl.  For example, Andrew, John and George are boys’ names.  Whilst Andrea, Joanna and Georgina are girls’ names.The names we are given depend upon our sex.  I refer to our biological sex.  At the moment of birth for the vast majority of us we were seen to be either a boy or a girl.  And that is what was expected.  Hence the question asked is usually: Is it a boy?  Or, Is it a girl? It is important to note that, although accepted by people, this way of behaving is not a social construct (something invented by people).  Rather it is a natural response to the way things are.  Put another way, a mid-wife or doctor does not determine our sex (boy or girl).  He or she simply descr

Does Going to Church Make You A Christian? THE FOLLOWERS of Jesus Christ were first called Christians in Antioch.  That Luke tells us in Acts 11.26.  The people of Syrian Antioch were known as lovers of pleasure.  They were also known for the concise and pointed or sarcastic sayings they invented and used.Christian was such a word.  It is possible that it was a word of derision.  But it is also possible that it was mainly a descriptive term.  Deciding between the two is difficult. We can quickly see why it could have been invented to describe the disciples of Jesus Christ.  Those who rely on him for acceptance with God love him, live for him and make him known.  They do not just speak to him but also about him.  These facts were known by those who saw Christians in action. We can also see how the word Christian could be used to mock men and women of faith.  It is used only three times in the Bible; in Acts 11.26, Acts 26.28 and 1 Peter 4.16.Peter’s use of the word in his first letter (1 Peter 4.16) indicates that it was in common use at the time of writing.  In or about the year AD 63 he taught the followers of Jesus not to be ashamed if they were to suffer for no other reason than the fact that they loved him. King Agrippa’s use of the word, though descriptive, also seems to have a ring of contempt to it (Acts 26.28).  Yes, he knows and uses the word Christian.  But how did he intend Paul, and others to interpret his meaning? Was he sincere?  Possibly.  Was he annoyed?

An Iranian Woman’s Testimony AN IRANIAN WOMAN, who grew up in a Muslim home and attended an Islamic school, soaked up the religious texts of Islam.  Why?  Because she  wanted to learn about what she was taught to believe. What happened?  She left Islam.  Why?  Because, she says, she discovered teaching that completely obliterates any argument which claims that Islam is a religion of peace. In saying that she risks her life.  Why?  Because of what she discovered.  It explains why she wants to remain anonymous. She grew up in a “moderate Muslim” family.   In many ways she was just like other girls.  However she is a person who asks a lot of questions.  There is nothing wrong with that, you may say.  But it got her into trouble. At one point, as a result of asking questions about her religion, she  was given 80 lashes.  Such a punishment was in line with the Iranian government’s Islamic law. She says that it was not “Muslim extremists” or anti-Islam teaching that prompted her to risk life and limb to become a Christian.   It was  the teaching of Islam!“I am the victim of Islam,” she says. “I am an Iranian woman who was born into a liberal Muslim family.”  But the more she thought about what she read, the closer she got to the point when, she says, “I could not accept the religion.” On the day she was arrested and given 80 lashes she made a promise.  She promised that she would do whatever she could to save the non-Muslim world from Islam. The eye-opening verse that expla

A debate about our life as a church by Julian Henderson Bishop of Blackburn from the Church of England Newspaper 1 July 2016 It is with reluctance and yet conviction that I sense the need to enter the current debate about human sexuality in a more public way, but from a personal point of view, rather than with a diocesan or Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) mandate.  The recent publication, Journeys in Grace and Truth, written in preparation for General Synod, gives an account of evangelicals who have come to view the Scriptures differently from the traditional understanding.  This requires a response from those in the evangelical constituency who hold to the traditional view, so that the church can listen to all the voices in the Shared Conversations (a series of discussions organised by the Church of England at which people discussed same-sex relationships). Three introductory things about these conversations.  First, they must be clear in their use of words and terminology.  Different contributors in this book use the same word to mean different things. Secondly, there must be no room for hatred, rudeness or violence towards anyone regardless of their sexuality.  Legislation against those with same-sex attraction, purely on the basis of their sexuality, must be strongly opposed.  The Orlando massacre is rightly to be deplored.Thirdly, the conversation must be with an open mind on all sides to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church today through Sc

SIGN AND SEAL “THERE IS perhaps no subject … about which such differ-ence of opinion exists.” It is with those words that Bishop Ryle begins an essay on baptism.  The subject is associated with disputes, divisions and strife.  People disagree as to (1) what it is, (2) who should be baptised, and (3) the way that baptism is to be administered.  We shall focus mainly on the first: What is baptism?  Let us begin with some basic facts. One, baptism is mentioned about eighty times in the New Testament.  Clearly, then, it is important.  Two, it is a practice taught by Jesus Christ.  His disciples are to teach the gospel of God and baptise in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28.19).  Three, in his first sermon, Peter called people both to repent and to be baptised (Acts 2.38; cf 10.47).  Four, it entails the use of water.  And five, it is a means of grace. Of those facts the most contentious are the last two.  Some think baptism should only be by total immersion (the whole body goes under water).  Others believe that it is not the amount of water that is important but baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  They argue that way because the meaning of baptism is more important than the amount of water used.  Let us explore further.We can answer the question, What is baptism?, in three ways. First, baptism is the outward and visible way by which people become members of the church.  In saying that we do not contradict the teaching of Christ. 

HE SHALL COME HAVE you ever asked: Why is Jesus Christ so precious? Much can be said about him.  We could talk about his person.  He is God in human form.  As John the apostle says: “the Word was made flesh” (John 1.14). Who is the Word?  John tells us that he has always been.  He was with God.  He is God (John 1.1).As well as writing about his person I could write about his teaching.  What did Christ teach?  He taught about the kingdom of God.  Mark tells us that he went into Galilee (in north Israel) “proclaiming the gospel of God”.  He preached “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1.14f). I could write about his works.  A doctor called Luke did that.  He knew that others had written about Jesus.  It seemed good to him to do the same.  So he looked carefully into the events that had occurred and wrote two books.  The first, Luke, is about the life, teaching and miracles of Jesus.  The second, Acts, is about what happened after he rose from the dead (Luke 1.1-4; Acts 1.1f). I could write about his death.  That is what Paul did when he became a Christian, that is a person who is in Christ.  He preached Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1.23).  He wanted people to hear about “the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3.8).  Why?  Because his driving concern was for everyone to learn about God’s plan.  A plan that is centred on Jesus Christ. I could write about Christ’s return.  That is what I shall now try to do.  Why?  Because, as J C Ryle said, it is a doctrine

Five Guiding Principles J C Ryle (1816-1900) was convinced that not all principles are of enormous value.  But some are. The question to ask, then, is: Which?  Which principles should we see as being exceedingly good and useful? Some shy away from talk about principles.  They think it is just for deep thinkers, academics or philosophers.  But that is to miss something very important. We all have ideas.  We all have views about how things ought to be done.  We think we know how to distinguish between right and wrong.  In other words, we all have principles. But some ideas, thoughts, and rules are bad.  For example, to think that it is all right to tell lies is not a helpful principle.  Why not?  Because it would mean that people were unable to trust each other since they would never know if a person was telling the truth or a pack of lies.  We therefore define such a principle as evil or bad. By what principles are you to live your life?  Which principles can you describe, to quote Ryle, as being of “enormous value”? In the sixteenth century a new way of thinking swept across Europe.  The ideas were not new.  They had been taught for at least 1500 years.  What was taught by prophets before Jesus Christ was born, was taught by him and his followers. Men like Paul, James and John travelled far and wide making known what God had done.  They taught that He had made himself known to mankind.  He, out of undeserved love to rebels, had provided a Saviour.  The way by which an

How Do You Know? Do you know right from wrong?  Or truth from error?  Are you sure what you think is right is right?  Is what you think wrong actually wrong? Is every thing up for debate every day?  Are there no fixed points?  Are some actions moral whilst others are immoral? These are important questions.  They arise every day. Confusion would reign if no one told the truth.  You could never trust your neighbour.  And each one would do what we think right in our own eyes. There was a time; not long ago; when sex before marriage was taboo.  So was adultery.  And so was divorce.  We could add to the list.  Public opinion has shifted.  The so-called tolerant generation of today is seen to be more understanding, more enlightened, and more correct than those of earlier days. All is made more complicated because you are seen as being a bigot if you do not treat others as having acceptable beliefs and practices.  Here is the problem.  How can two contradictory ideas both be right? We come back to our first question.  Can we know for certain the difference between right and wrong, truth and error, moral and immoral?  The answer is a resounding, Yes, we can. Here are three facts. First, public opinion changes.  What one generation accepts another may reject.  In an earlier age the death penalty was deemed right for those who commit murder.  At the same time, except when a mother’s life was in danger, abortion was outlawed. Who is right?  Those today who reject capital punish

Let Us Discuss Let us discuss holiness.  What is it?  It is a subject of first importance. How do I know?  Because: (1) God calls you to be holy as he is holy (Leviticus 11.44, 19.2, 20.7, 26 and 1 Peter 1.16);  and (2) without holiness you shall not see the Lord (Hebrews 12.14).Let us define the word.  What do you understand the word holy to mean.  It may be only four letters long, but many books have been written about it.  And even more sermons have been preached on the theme. The words perfect and pure help us grasp its meaning.  God is perfect.  In him there is no blemish or flaw.  He always thinks, says and does that which is perfect and true.  He calls you to be like him.  He calls you to be holy. God is pure.  In him there is no blemish or impurity.  There is no mark or spot that renders him defective in any way.  He is always honest and righteous in all that does.  He calls you to be like him.  He calls you to be holy.Let us describe a Christian.  There are three key words that must be mentioned.  They are repent, faith and holy.  Taken singly or together, they show why holy living is so important. First, a Christian is a person who has had a change of mind.  That change has in turn led to a new way of life.  By nature, that is before the new birth, you reject Christ.  You rebel against him, and adopt a lawless way of life.  You have no desire or inclination to follow him.  You may try to be good and do good, but the reality is, unless you are made new, Jesus

First Things First Many matters are important.  To hear God’s Word, to keep the Lord’s Day holy, and to worship God should be listed amongst your priorities.  But the one that should come first is prayer. Communion with God is what we are made to enjoy.  It is a necessity.  Do I exaggerate?  Not at all. Why did Jesus tell a story of a persistent widow?  Because we are to pray and never lose heart (Luke 18.1).  What did Paul teach Timothy?  That in every place we are to pray (1 Timothy 2.8).  And what did Paul say to people in Thessalonica?  Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5.17). Why is prayer so important?  I offer the following reasons. First, those who pray are saved. Faith comes by hearing.  God’s Word needs to be preached.  And people need to listen.  The importance of hearing God’s Word proclaimed in public cannot be stressed enough.  Nor too can the importance of hearing his Word in private.  Too many neglect the private reading of the Bible.  But when you hear God’s Word what are you to do? Your responsibility is to speak to God. It is those who call out to him who are saved.  That is what Joel, Peter and Paul all taught (Joel 2.32; Acts 2.21; and Romans 10.13).  And each of us knows it is so. No one can expect to be saved by an unknown god.  To have such a hope is to take a leap in the dark.  It is to indulge in wishful thinking.  But those who hear the message God has for us do something very different.  They respond to God’s good news. We know that t

What Is Needed? Different but the same.  Those four words apply to all of us. We are either male or female.  We come from different parts of the country or world.  Some have blue eyes, others green or brown.  Some are tall, others are short.  We could add to the list of differences.  Instead, we want to focus on the two facts that unite us. First, we do not do what we are meant to do.  We are created to love God.  To love him with all our heart all of the time.  Yet not one of us does. Secondly, we cannot make ourselves do what we are created to do.  We can try, but we do not succeed.  We never will. These facts humble us.  They are meant to.  When we see and feel the truth of them you cannot but be humbled by them. All Christians admit that is so.  For example, in 1837, at the age of 21, J C Ryle came to see  that he did not truly love God.  He also realised that he did not have the ability to do what he ought to do. A Choice Imagine a person who has fallen into a deep pit.  How will he get out?  In one of two ways: either he will manage to do so all by himself, or he will do so with the help of others.  He could try to climb out all by himself, or he could accept help offered by someone else. Now think about the spiritual state of mankind.  What is it?  By nature we rebel against God.  We cannot help it?  Can you change from being a rebel to being a friend of God? You could try to change your ways.  You could say to yourself that you will start to love God.  You m

Why Is He So Special? What matters most?  For some it is who you are.  For others it is what you have. Are you from the north or the south?  From Newcastle or Sunderland?  From the the east or the west end of the city?  The answer you give may affect the way you are treated.  It may decide whether you are liked or disliked, rejected or made welcome. This is not new.  Such questions were important 2,000 years ago in Paul’s day.  Dip into his letters and you find he talks about Greeks and Jews, slaves and free people, men and women, and whether a person is circumcised (see Galatians 3.8 and Colossians 3.11).  Why does Paul do that? Let us take a closer look at Colossians 3 verse 11: there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. He makes two statements.  First, he tells us what is no longer important.  And secondly, he tells is what is most important ; or perhaps we should say, what is of supreme importance.What is no longer of first importance?   Your pedigree.  Where you are born.  Who your parents are.  To which country you belong.  What type of job you have.  What religion you were brought up to follow.  All these are not the most important matters in life, Paul asserts. No one doubts that they are issues that can be deemed important.  If you want to travel the world you will need a passport.  And it will need to say what your name is, have a photograph of what you look like, and declare wh

Helpless and Needy Let us talk about sin.  You would prefer not to do that.  I know why.  You do not want to be troubled with guilt! Guilt-ridden people have one main need.  The need to be forgiven.Let us remind ourselves why sin is never trivial but always very serious.  Three reasons come to mind. (1) A person who commits a sin defies God. (2) A person who commits a sin stands guilty before God.  And, (3) a person who commits a sin, if not forgiven by God, is separated from him for ever. Those aware of the seriousness of sin, and those who know the extent of their guilt before God, know the need to be forgiven. There are other questions you should ask.  Are you aware of the power of sin?  Do you realise how sin grips you, and how you refuse to let it go?Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones says, “A sinner does not decide for Christ; the sinner flies to Christ in utter helplessness and despair.”  Is he right?  Yes.  Every true believer agrees with him.  Why is that so?  Because a Christian feels the power of sin.  The more he takes an honest look at himself the more he realises that no good thing dwells within him.  He sees that what he says and does reflects what he is like at heart.  He sees that at heart he loves wrong things.  He loves sin rather than righteousness. Let us take a closer look at how this is the case.  What happens when we begin to realise that what we do is not what God wants us to do?  We shall take swearing as an example. Before a person becomes a Christian h

Is Sin Really Serious? What happened in 1837?  J C Ryle came to see that sin is serious; very serious. That truth seemed to flash before his mind.  It came into “strong, clear, and distinct relief.”  As a result, his understanding of sin changed.  It changed radically.  He also saw that the only way to be forgiven is through faith in Jesus Christ.Ryle realised that in the past his thoughts about sin had been defective.  They had been for the first 21 years of his life.  That all changed in late 1837. You get a glimpse of how radical the change Ryle experienced was when you see what he came to know.  God taught him that those who have faith have a right understanding of sin.  It is at the root of all true faith.  Ryle came to see that the first thing God does, when He makes a person a Christian, is to show him that he is a guilty sinner. You hear people speak of ‘sin’ and ‘sinners’.  But do you know what the words mean?  Are you able to correctly define them?  What is sin?  What is a sinner? A good definition of sin can be found in Article 9 of the 39 Articles of Religion.  The 39 Articles set out in summary form what the Bible teaches.  The Articles are used by Anglicans across the world.  They neither displace nor replace the Bible.  Rather they go alongside the Bible.  They help us grasp the core message of the Bible.  But the Bible must always be put first. What does the 9th Article say about sin?  That sin is “the fault and corruption of the nature of every” person.

Principles and Practice What we do reflects what we believe.  What we do reflects what we think.  J C Ryle wisely said: “Guard your thoughts, and there will be little fear about your actions”. Ryle was born in 1816.  He died in 1900.  He was heir to an estate, valued today, of over £40m.The business he was due to inherit would yield him today an annual income of £15m! Ryle got neither the estate nor income from his father’s business.  Why not?  When Ryle was but 25 years old his father lost everything.  It happened because of bad deals arranged by one of his bank mangers.  That was in June 1841. Happily, four years earlier, in 1837, Ryle became a Christian (see A Complete Change, 3 April 2016).  At that time, he said, “certain truths seemed to flash out before my mind.”  He also called them “principles.”  Why?  Because they controlled his actions.  What he believed controlled his behaviour.  The principles determined what he practised. A question we therefore want to ask is: What were the truths and principles that gripped Ryle? In 1873 he wrote a biography.  Obviously it did not cover all his life.  In that year he was only 57.  Nor did it describe all of those 57 years.  Instead he restricted himself from his birth (1816) to the death of his second wife, Jesse, in 1860.  It covers the first 44 years of his long life.  He wanted his five surviving children, the oldest of whom was only 13 in 1860, to know about his childhood and life as a preacher. One thing that he es

The Bible is a special book.  Although it is one book it is made up of 66 books.  Some are long (e.g. Isaiah); others are short (e.g. 3 John).  Together they form a unique book. What makes the Bible special?  Something of its uniqueness is hinted at in the longer title that we see used.  Often the word holy is added to form the title Holy Bible.  The word holy is important.  It helps us to appreciate that the Bible is different to any other book ever published. In what does its holiness consist?  To answer that question we need to consider (1) its Author, (2) its message and (3) its purpose. Author We know that men like Moses, David, John and Paul had a part in its origin.  There are writings within the Bible attributed to them.  John, for example, wrote a gospel and three letters.  Paul also wrote letters, whilst David wrote many songs or psalms. Over a period of more than 1500 years people of differing age, background, and character wrote parts of it.  But they did so under the  unseen guiding hand of Almighty God.  Ultimately God is its Author.  He is holy, and all that he does has the stamp of holiness upon it. The word holy refers to the perfection and purity of God’s being.  Because he is perfect what he does is perfect.  Because he is pure what he does is pure.  It therefore follows that the actions of a pure and perfect God must also be pure and perfect.  The Bible is therefore holy.The apostle Paul reminded Timothy that the Bible did not merely have its origin

That a special day existed before Jesus Christ was born to Mary is not disputed. The first full day for Adam and Eve was the one on which God rested from his creative work (Genesis 2 verse 2).  It was a day set apart by God.  It was to be different from the other six. When God spoke to his people at Sinai he gave them ten words or commands.  They are a restatement of what mankind knew from the beginning.  Hence word four teaches us to remember the weekly day of rest.  It is to be kept holy. Those who were given the commands knew what that means.  The word holy conveys the idea of being set apart.  It includes the notion of con-secration.  Thus the people of God learned that one day in seven was to treated as sacred.  It was the day of the week on which they would be free to dedicate themselves to God, free from the pressures and responsibilities of everyday life. It comes as no surprise to us therefore  to discover that down the years God’s people learned that: (1) they are to delight in the sabbath day (the day of rest); (2) they are to honour and use it as God would have it used; and, (3) the failure to do so incurs God’s displeasure and wrath. You will find, for example, all three lessons impressed upon us in Isaiah (chapter 58.13f). What about today?  Does a sabbath still exist?  If so, which day of the week is it?  How is it to be kept?  And who is expected to honour it?  These are important questions.  People had different opinions as to how they are to be ans

Jesus told parables.  A parable is an earthly story that teaches heavenly truth. The parables vary in length.  The parable of the lost son and the parable of the sower are two of the longest.  But the parables of the hidden treasure, a precious pearl, and a net are short.  All three are told in the space of just seven verses (Matthew 13.44-50)! What truths are to be learned from them? I suggest that the three parables of the hidden treasure, precious pearl and net are told to teach us two very important lessons about the church. First, the Lord Jesus wants us to know that a Christian is a person who will give up everything to know Christ and enjoy eternal life.  This is surely the lesson taught by the first two. In the parable of the treasure we read of a person who finds that which was hidden.  He does not steal it.  Instead he sells all that he has and buys the field in which the treasure is hidden.  We are not told that he was looking for the treasure.  The impression given is that he just happens to find it. It is different for the merchant.  In the parable of the precious pearl we learn that a merchant searches for a fine pearl.  He actively engages in that activity.  It is as though he goes to traders to see what they have.  He eyes with care all that is on offer.  He is keen to spot a pearl of special value.  What does he do when he finds one?  He also sells all that he has.  He does so because he wants to be able to buy the precious pearl he has found. The diff

Speak Lord How does God speak to us?  Samuel heard God speak.  In the place of worship the Lord spoke to him three times. He did not realise it was God.  He thought it was Eli, a priest.  Eli knew it was not him.  He realised it must be the Lord.  So Eli told Samuel that if he heard his name called again he was to reply, saying, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3.8). Was Samuel’s experience the norm?  Or was it something special?  We can find examples of similar encounters with God in the Bible.  Adam (Genesis 3 verse 9), Moses (Exodus 3 verse 4), and Paul (Acts 9 verse 4), are among the most obvious.  But the evidence definitely points to these experiences as being the exception rather than the rule. So how does God speak to us? That is an important question.  And it is important to find the right answer.  The wrong one invariably leads to confusion or delusion; and even to heartache or heartbreak. As we listen to the message of the Bible we can begin to find the answer to our question.  The more we hear its message the more we realise God spoke to some and through the some to the many. Take Adam as an example.  Before God created the first woman, Eve, the first man was informed that he was “to work … and keep” the garden.  He was also told that “he may eat of every tree of the garden” but not “of the tree of the knowledge aof good and evil” (Genesis 2 verses 15-17).  We are not informed that the same instructions were given directly to Eve.  Instead we

When Terror strikes The pictures cause you to jolt.  The shock etched on the faces of those led to safety from a Parisian supermarket shocks us.   Add to that what happened a day earlier in the offices of a newspaper and on the streets of Paris.  Questions arise.  Many probably begin with the word Why; others with the word What. Why, on 8 January 2015, did Said and Cherif Kouachi shoot dead 12 cartoonists, journalists, police officers and visitors?  And why, the next day, did Coulibaly, a former Coca-Cola bottling plant worker, shoot his way into a supermarket frequented by Jews and 4 of his hostages end up dead? We cannot ask the criminals.  All three are dead.  They probably thought that, if their shootings sprees ended with their own deaths, they should be seen as martyrs.  There is evidence to say that is how they saw themselves. What were these men?  Can their deeds ever be justified?  If not, why not? A former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, gave this response.  He said “War has been declared on France … by barbarians who deny the very idea of civilisation.” Who is right?  Is it the religious zealot or the politician?  And what lessons are there to be gleaned from this horrific series of events? France has for a long time held dear three principles.  They are expressed in its national motto: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (Freedom, Equality and  Fraternity).  It seems that all three gunmen questioned all three principles. At least two of them questioned the li

20/20 vision In the 1860s Hermann Snellen, a Dutch eye doctor, developed a chart.  Many variations have been created since.  His remains the classic example of an eye chart. Usually a chart consists of 11 rows of capital letters.  The top row has one large letter, often an E.  The remaining ten rows below gain a letter in turn until you have row 11 with 11 capital letters. The chart is designed in such a way that those who can read the letters on the row fourth from the bottom are said to have “normal vision”; also known as 20/20 vision. 20/20 vision means that you can read at a distance of 20 feet a letter that people with ‘normal’ eyesight can read.  Those who can only read the top row are said to have 20/200 vision.  That is they can only read what people with normal vision can see at a distance of 200 feet. Eyes are amazing organs.  And eyesight is a precious gift.  It is tempting to take it for granted.  The wise avoid making that mistake. The wise also see the need to look at events, problems and even life itself in the right way.  But that statement begs a very big question.  Is there a right way?  And if there is, how are we to define it? 2015 When we look around at how people live it seems obvious that we should conclude that there is no right way. It is true that we all think some acts are wrong (murder, dishonesty and theft, for example) and that some are right (such as, to show care and kindness to others).  And it is the case that we live in a world in w

Jonathan Edwards was a leading figure of the Evangelical Awakening in the 1740s.  Among his many writings we find one piece with the following title: An Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of God’s People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth.  It is frequently shortened to An Humble Attempt. Although the title is long, Edward’s aim is simple. It is to encourage Christians to pray.  He wanted to see God’s people come together to pray in a concerted and specific manner. He believed God calls his people to such action. He found justification for such in the vision we find in Zechariah 8.20-23. There we read: > Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favour of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’ > > Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the LORD. > > Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’ Zechariah describes, Edwards argues, the attitude, the agenda, the impact and the means for mobilizing such movement for prayer. ATTITUDE The attitude of those who pray is earnest, serious and sincere. They meet wi

Why are we here? Who are we? And what are we to do? We all ask such questions sooner or later. They are simple yet vital questions. Those who cannot answer one or more of them are likely to struggle. That is certainly true if you do not know what to do! SERVE Why does the Church exist? Our question does not concern buildings. It is about the people of God. There is one word we expect to see included in an answer, namely the word serve. In fact we can say the Church is here to serve God, Christians, and other people. And we can go on to speak of worship, support and witness. Let us explore further. WORSHIP First, the Church is to serve God through worship. When we speak of worship we do not limit ourselves to the meetings held each week on the Lord's Day. They are included, of course. However we are aware that our whole lives are to be a lively sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God. That is so because God created us to know and enjoy him for ever. We know the first man, Adam, was given a specific task. He was to care for the good creation in which he was placed. He was not to rape or ruin it. Rather he was to be a good steward or manager of it, working it well (Genesis 2.15). Furthermore he was not left to do it alone. God provided a helper, Eve, the first woman (Genesis 2.18ff). Together they were to go about their God-given task. And they were not alone. We are not suggesting there were other people at that point to help them. But they were not alone. God was

Words matter. Rude words offend. Kind words encourage. Carefully used words aid clarity of thought and action. PURPOSE Why do we use words? The usual answer is because they help us communicate. They have that function in every language. The letters may differ. The pronunciation may also be very different. The purpose is similar. We use words to convey ideas and thoughts. We use words to distinguish objects (a cat is not a dog). LANGUAGE Mankind is different. Although there are similarities with animals we are not animals. We are people created in the image of God. This is not a result of Evolution but Creation. God made us capable of rational thought. He made us able to communicate one with another in sophisticated ways. He made us to speak and use words. In these respects we are like him. Paul reminds us that in eternity, before the creation of the cosmos, God made choices (Ephesians 1). He discussed and decided matters in himself. We can do the same. GOD HAS SPOKEN Throughout the Bible we discover that God has spoken to mankind. He has communicated with us about himself and his will for us. He is the Creator who always is. He is all-powerful and sovereignly rules over all. No one and no thing can thwart his purposes. He is compassionate, gracious and kind. He has made us to live for him. We exist not to please ourselves but him alone. The God who has spoken is the God who still speaks. Because he is all powerful we recognise as God spoke face to face with Moses (

Paul uses three words to describe God’s people: chosen, holy and beloved (Colossians 3.12). Each is a source of great comfort. CHOSEN To know you are chosen helps you see that your eternal well-being is grounded in God’s purposes. It is not dependent upon you, your desires or your efforts. God’s plan is to have a people who are his own. Paul says this plan was devised by God ‘before the foundation of the world’ (Ephesians 1.4). What God purposes he brings to pass. His people then are secure. HOLY The idea of security emerges again when we consider the second term used by the apostle. The word holy refers, first, to the fact that God’s people are set apart from the rest of mankind. There are two types of people in the world. Those who have been changed by God and those who have not. Christians are people whom God has made new. By nature we are all inclined to rebel. This rebellious inclination is some-thing we cannot control or conquer. We must be changed and empowered by God if we would enjoy victory over it. That is why Jesus told a leading Jew, Nicodemus, we ‘must be born from above’ if we are to see the kingdom of heaven (John 3.1ff). When God visits an individual with regenerating power that person is made new and is, from that moment, set aside as belonging to God. He is a holy person; a set-apart-one. And from that moment a Christian begins to grow holy as God is holy (Leviticus 11.44; 1 Peter 1.16). Thus he is a person who is holy (set apart) and, at the same

In time of war we are expected to do our duty for Queen and country.  It does not matter if you are not on the front line. All are called to serve. To support those facing the heat of battle is vital. Christians expect much.  We often find them described as those who hope. That does not surprise us for God is the God of hope (Romans 15.13). The words used in the Bible help us see what hope is. Take for example two used by Job. In Job 6 verse 8 he speaks of his request for help as his hope. The word conveys the idea that he longs for God to do something for him in his time of need. A little later, in chapter 13 verse 15, Job tells us that, even though God kill him, he will wait for God to help him.  The act of waiting is nothing less than an act of hope. When we turn to Romans 15 verse 13 we find Paul telling us God enables us to look forward with confidence. He means that God’s people can expect to enjoy good things from God. The summer is all but over. Autumn is upon us. Soon it shall be winter. September sees the start of a new school and college year. Those going to university or returning to school will enter the next phase of their education. They will expect to progress. That their knowledge and skills will develop during the year is a hope and longing they will have. It is not just scholars who expect good developments and results. Christians do as well. For what do they hope? GROWTH IN KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE The Holy Spirit is given by God to those who have faith

The word gospel is used 97 times in the Bible.  Paul uses it most; some 64 times in his letters. The most frequent occurrences are in Galatians (13 times) and Romans and First Corinthians (11 times each). More important than the number of occurrences is the meaning of the term. The gospel writers Matthew and Mark both speak of Jesus Christ proclaiming the gospel.  This he began to do in Galilee (Matthew 4.23; Mark 1.14). But he also preached in Judah, most notably in the temple in Jerusalem (Luke 20.1). Paul tells us he was set apart for the gospel (Romans 1.1). He calls it the gospel of God. Mark uses the same term (Mark 1.14) but also calls it the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1.1). Matthew prefers the title gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 4.23, 9.35, 24.14). These three terms point us to the author (God), the substance (God’s provision in Jesus Christ), and the consequence of the gospel (enjoying God and his rule). THE GOSPEL OF GOD When Paul said goodbye to the leaders of the church in Ephesus he reminded them about his calling. It was to finish the work given to him by God. That work was to testify to the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20.24). It was an exceedingly joyful work. It was also solemn and serious, as the Greek word translated testify indicates. How is it that the work of making good news known is solemn? Because it needs to be understood in context. In fact, failure to appreciate the plight of mankind results in a distorted and wrong view of the gos

Words mean different things to different people. The word faith is frequently used in different ways? It can refer to the confidence a person has in a friend or colleague (John is trustworthy). It may be used to describe a set of beliefs (Judaism, Islam etc). Or an individual may say he is a person who has faith (I believe in …). Christians recognize that in the Bible the word faith is used in a specific way. The words content and commitment come to mind. As do the terms belief and behaviour. And so too do the words reality and relationship. Each pair helps us grasp something important about the specific meaning of the word faith. In fact in the Bible the word faith includes both elements of each pair. It does not refer to one element at the expense of the other. Faith in the Bible is never just a matter of belief. It also entails behaviour. Yes, there is a body of belief to be believed (the content or facts of the faith). But there is also a way of behaving to which every believer commits himself. The way believers behave reflects their enjoyment of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. BELIEF, CONTENT, REALITY A distinctive feature of faith is its focus upon God and Jesus Christ. It takes seriously who God is and what God has revealed. It accepts God has given to mankind a definite record of his revelation: the Bible. The Bible consists of sixty-six separate books. There are thirty-nine in the first part and twenty-seven in the second. The first part is often ca

What does it mean to be a Christian? We shall focus upon the basics. A good place to start is the Bible. Christians call the word of God. All Christian groups make this claim. Why? First, and very importantly, because of the claims made by Jesus Christ. See (1) what he did when he was tempted by the Devil (Matthew 4); (2) how he used the Bible in debates (e.g. Matthew 19.1ff, 21.42, 22.29); and (3) his claim that specific events were predicted in Scripture (Matthew 26.54-56; Luke 24.27). The way he used the Bible on each occasion shows he was convinced that the 39 books which make up the first part of the Bible (commonly called the Old Testament) are (a) God-given, and have (b) a unique authority. Secondly, because of the claims made by the apostles. Peter describes the letters of Paul as God-given Scripture (2 Peter 3.16); Paul frequently mentions the authority of the Scriptures (Romans 4.3; 9.17, 10.11, 15.4, 1 Corinthains 15.3f, Galatians 3.8 & 22, 4.30, 1 Timothy 4.13, 5.18); James does something similar (James 2.8 & 23, 4.5); and Paul asserts all Scripture is breathed out by God’ (2 Timothy 3.16, cp 2 Peter 1.21).  In other words, the origin of Scripture is God and not mankind. Thirdly, because of the testimony of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus teaches his people will listen to his voice (John 10.16). He also says the work of the Holy Spirit is to take what belongs to Christ’s and make it known to his people (John 16.14). Furthermore the consistent witness of Christi

Courage The Christian of all people needs courage and resolution. There is nothing he does as a Christian, or can do, which is not an act of valour. A cowardly spirit is beneath the lowest duty of a Christian. Is he to ‘be strong and very courageous' that he may stand in battle against warlike nations? No, but that he may ‘observe and do' all the law which Moses God's servant commanded (see Joshua 1:7). It requires more prowess and greatness of spirit to obey God faithfully than to command an army of men. A Christian is to pray. The Christian in prayer comes close to God, with a humble boldness of faith, and takes hold of him, and wrestles with him. He will not let him go without receiving a blessing. He does all this in the face of his own sins and divine justice. There is no duty for a Christian who walks with God that is not lined with many difficulties. What then is the Christian to do? First, the Christian is to wage war against his bosom sins; that is against those sins which lie near his heart. What courage and resolution does this require? It means ridding yourself of your lust, your dearest love, the sin which has caused the most joy and laughter from which you have promised yourself the greatest pleasure. You are to lay hands on it and run the knife of mortification into the very heart of it. This you are to do freely and joyfully, and before you embrace again. Who is able to express the conflicts, the wrestlings, the convulsions of spirit the Christian

A righteous God abhors the very thought of sin. We had no strength to keep his laws, no hope his love to win. We had no righteousness with which to approach his throne. The stench of sin, our guiltiness, the fault is all our own. We had no grace to boast, yet in eternity the Father, Son and Holy Ghost conspired to set us free. Our Christ came from above; he saw our plight and woe. To mortal man he pledged his love; he conquered sin, our foe. He did it in his life. He did it in his death. He was the perfect sacrifice and we go free, God saith. He drank the bitter cup; on him our sin was laid. His life he willingly gave up; the penalty is paid. The work complete, he died. This righteousness we wear. With garments for us thus supplied, what need have we to fear? The righteous wrath of God our Christ has fully met. Our risen, ascended, holy Lord at his right hand is set. He for us intercedes; he is our great High Priest. He knows our fears and meets our needs, the greatest and the least. Plunged in this blood of Christ, washed spotless, purged and cleansed, he has done all.  It does suffice, and us to heaven he sends. This precious, precious blood, through countless ages told, is ever there, a crimson flood, it’s blessings manifold. © RJS 2013

Under the rule of Satan Every soul in a state of sin is under the rule of Satan; under which point these two things must be inquired. First: the reason sin is described as darkness. Second: how every one in such a state appears to be under the devil's rule. First: The reason sin is described as darkness. 1. Sin may be called darkness, because the spring and common cause of sin in man is darkness. The external cause [is] Satan, who is the great promoter of it; he is a cursed spirit, held in chains of darkness. The internal is the blindness and darkness of the soul. We may say when anyone sins, he does he knows not what, as Christ said of his murderers. Did the creature know the true worth of the soul which he now sells for a song, the glorious amiable nature of God and his holy ways, the matchless love of God in Christ, the poisonful nature of sin, and all these, not by a sudden beam darted into the window at a sermon, and gone again like a flash of lightning, but by an abiding light, it would spoil the devil's market. Poor creatures would not readily take this toad into their bosom. Sin goes in a disguise, and so is welcome. 2. It is darkness, because it brings darkness into the soul, and that naturally and judicially. (1) Sin bring darkness into the soul naturally. There is a noxious quality in sin offensive to the understanding, which is to the soul what the eye and palate are to the body; it discerns of things, and distinguishes true from false, as the eye whit

Much Power We all want to see the Church grow. It saddens us to see evidence of decline. Tragically it is not just a loss of numbers that causes concern. The problem goes far deeper. There is little respect for the Bible. And many struggle to accept there is a way of life that all people should adopt. Instead personal choice reigns. Therefore it does not surprise us the church no longer enjoys the influence it once did. But there is something more concerning. The church of today lacks some of the features of the church of the apostolic era. Let us take, for example, the church in Thessalonica. The apostle Paul begins his first letter to its members with a comment about power. He reminds them of what God did. Paul told them about God, his plans and promises. When he did that there were startling consequences. He summarises them. A single clause is used. The word of God, the apostle Paul says, came to them ‘in power and the Holy Spirit and with full conviction’ (1 Thessalonians 1.5). This is at the same time both a revealing and challenging statement. It is revealing in that it highlights what we can and should expect. And it is challenging in that it prompts us to ask questions both about ourselves and church life today. To appreciate the force of what Paul says it will help if we mention two other facts about church life in his day. Prayer First, prayer was a central feature. At the end of his letter Paul instructs the church to pray without ceasing (1

An eternal weight For what are we being prepared? Our question, of course, assumes we recognise something lies ahead? Or, to put it another way, this life is not everything. There are people who see this life as all there is. We come into existence by chance. We get out of life what we strive to get out of it. And then we die. And when we die we cease to exist. For such people the only thing that matters is how they use their time now. It is spent with the focus on themselves, their aims, their efforts and their hopes for this life. Sadly, they soon discover many of their hopes turn out to be wishful thinking, many of their efforts prove fruitless and their aims mere aspirations. It is for these reasons that some become bitter and cynical, others grow angry, frustrated and jealous, and yet others slump into depression. Life, it seems, is both unfair and meaningless. Two ways We can approach life in one of two ways. We can focus on what we can do. It is our capacity to think, to experiment and to invent that comes first. Our preoccupation is with ourselves. The solutions to our problems lie with us. Or we can start with God, to whom we owe our existence. And it is not just we who have been created by him. Everything about us in the natural world has been brought into existence by him. Moreover he preserves and sustains all things. That includes the planets and the stars, as well as life on earth. It is no doubt clear to us that the first of these two approac

Two Questions History and experience teach the same lesson. There are two questions that need to be faced and answered. The first is: What is the Church? And the second is: What is a Christian? It can be safely said that failure to arrive at a correct answer to these questions results in confusion and decay. Some see such a claim as extreme. Is it? What is the Church? Some provide an all-inclusive answer to this question. They say that Jesus died to repair mankind's broken relationship with God. He has done that. As a result all of mankind now belongs to him. We all are members of his church. It is true some do not yet own or follow the teaching Jesus gave. At present they may follow a different set of beliefs and morals. But it is what Jesus has done that matters, and not what we believe. Thus in due time we will all be embraced by him no matter what belief system, philosophy or religion we follow. Others provide a narrower definition. They think the church consists of all who claim to be Christian. So it does not matter, they say, if you are Anglican, Coptic, Free Church, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Protestant or Roman Catholic. These are just different expressions of the same body. And yet others provide a more precise answer to this essential question. In the Westminster Larger Catechism of 1647 we are informed that “the visible church is a society of all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion and of their children” (Answer

Made New “For many years I thought I was a Christian when in fact I was not. It was only later I came to see that I had never been a Christian and became one. But I was a member of a church and attended my church and its services regularly.” Such is the testimony of a young doctor. Why did he speak as he did? For two reasons: (1) his personal experience, and (2) the teaching found in the Bible. Experience Although brought up in a respectable family he became increasingly aware his life was driven not so much by external as by internal influences. The more he probed his actions and motives the more he saw the ruling principle of his heart was self-centredness and self-interest. And the more he analysed the character and nature of that ruling principle the more he became convinced he was not in a right relationship with God. He also recognized he could do nothing to effect a change. Self-will dominated and reigned supreme within. It was proof positive he had a fallen nature. He was not what he ought to be. But he knew he was not alone. All human beings are the same. Put simply we do not love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (see Deuteronomy 6.5 & Matthew 22.37). That means we are sinners. We are those who miss the mark of being what God wants us to be. We fall short of doing his will. We break his law. It does not matter how respectable a person is. If he does not love God and live entirely to his glory he sins. Sin, the apostle John reminds us, i

Choice We make decisions every day. Most are not life-changing. For example, those to do with clothing or food are usually everyday matters. Occasionally, though, an important issue arises. That happened with Ruth. Ruth was from Moab, a country which once existed to the east of Judah. It occupied a mountainous plateau broken by grassy valleys, many of which ran into the Dead Sea. Two nations The Israelite and Moabite peoples shared a common ancestor, Terah the father of Abraham. However, by Ruth’s day (around 1300 BC), the differences between them were marked. They were two distinct nations. What is more important the people of Israel worshipped the God and Father of Jesus Christ. The Moabites did not. They served gods of their own making. During a period of famine in Israel a couple from Bethlehem (Elimelech and Naomi) and their two sons (Mahlon and Chilion) relocated to Moab (Ruth 1.1-3). There they settled and, after the death of Elimelech, the boys married Moabite women (Orpah and Ruth) (Ruth 1.4). Three widows Some ten years later tragedy struck. Oprah and Ruth were widowed (Ruth 1.5). At or about that time Naomi decided to go back home to Bethlehem. It seems her return journey was triggered by two events. One, God was kind to Israel. The famine ended. And two, apart from Orpah and Ruth, Naomi had no family in Moab. All three women set out for Judah together (Ruth 1.6f). A threefold plea A short while later Naomi pleaded with her daughters-in-law. Sh

Loved Some claims amaze us. John Lennon declared The Beatles to be more popular than Jesus Christ. He also said the followers of Jesus were thick and ordinary, and that Christianity will disappear. Cassius Clay asserted he was the greatest boxer. Some 2,400 years ago the Jews were told they were loved. They faced misery. Their country and Jerusalem were left in a mess by the invading armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Many people were taken away to Babylon. When they returned, decades later, it was back-breaking work they had to do. The city and temple needed to be rebuilt. And yet, in the face of this great hardship, God had a message for them. It was short and very sweet: I have loved you. Timely It is with these words that God began his message to his people through Malachi (Malachi 1.2). What the people heard they needed to be told. Sadly their love for God was not what it should have been. Many kept up an outward show of love for God. But the reality was different. Their hearts were far from him. Need The people had two needs. God addressed both. First, there was the need to remind them of who they were. And secondly, they needed to recognize what they should do. Who were they? They were a people loved by God. In other words they were special; indeed, very special. How is that fact conveyed? God mentions Jacob and Esau. These boys were brothers. They were twins, the twin sons of Isaac. That being so, it would usually be expected they would be equal. But that was not

Ideas matter We are born to think. It is not the only thing we do. We eat and sleep; and we walk and talk. But, as we do so, we use our minds. The mind matters. And how we use it matters. We can use it to focus on right things. And we can use it to think about wrong things. We can grow in our understanding of people and events; but we can also be led astray by misunderstandings. A failure to think things through can lead to disaster. One crucial topic in our thoughts concerns God. Do we have right ideas about him? Our understanding of God determines how we live. A person who imagines God does not exist lives as though he does not. Whereas a person who believes he does is influenced by his understanding of who God is. So, who is he? What is God like? Our notion of him matters. Two As or Os Many use two terms to describe God. Those who like long words resort to words such as Omnipotent and Omniscient. Others prefer simpler terms like All-powerful and All-knowing. Whatever your preference, the first; omnipotent / all-powerful; is usually taken to include a reference to creation as well as history. God spoke the cosmos in existence. No human has the power to do that. And God is working his purposes out as the days and years come round. We do not doubt God created the world. But is God as Creator the most important notion we can have of him? Many think it is. Are they right? Force Let us see where the idea of God as Creator can lead. It may result in thinking

Power The term ‘power of God’, when used to describe a person or an object, is used three times in the Bible. It is used once of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1.24); and twice of the gospel (Romans 1.16; 1 Corinthians 1.18). Clearly the power of God is alluded to or spoken of in many other places. The term ‘LORD of hosts’ points us to the mighty power of God. God is said to prolong life by his power (Job 24.22). He gives power and strength to his people (Psalm 68.35; Ecclesiastes 5.19). Their faith is to rest, not ‘in the wisdom of men but in the power of God’ (1 Corinthians 2.5). The ‘kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power’ (1 Corinthians 4.20; cf 2 Corinthians 6.7). And the apostle Paul sought to speak of nothing except what God accomplished by the power of his Spirit (Romans 15.17). But what is the gospel? It is the power of God for salvation’ (Romans 1.16). And to those ‘being saved it is the power of God’ (1 Corinthians 1.18). Twice this term is given to it. Why? Surely it is because God wants us to know the central part the gospel is to have in our lives. Gospel What is the gospel? Many make the mistake of thinking it is the message that Jesus Christ died in the place of sinners. And that is the message we are to invite people to believe. Moreover they see it as the way to become a Christian. In other words it is what is needed at the beginning. Once we have that we can move on. But move on to what? We do want people to know that Jesus

Sarah She made mistakes. Some were big mistakes. Yet she is commended as an example to follow. We are not taught to make the mistakes Sarah made. Rather we are to learn from what she did. In particular, we to see that Sarah’s unbelief was replaced by belief. Promise It is her faith which is commended in Hebrews 11 verse 11. What did she come to believe? That God is faithful. He gave a promise. Sarah reckoned he would keep it. We shall take a closer look at her faith in a moment. First we need to consider the mistakes she made. The reason we do so is simply stated. We need to see how she changed. The best way to do that is to compare what she became with what she was. As indicated above, Sarah’s life on some occasions was marked more by unbelief than faith. Ours can be the same. Sarah was Abraham’s wife. Like him she started her days in Ur of the Chaldees, an important city-state located in the part of the world we now call Iraq. It was some 4000 years ago she, her husband and other relatives began the long journey west to Canaan. When she did so she was aware her husband had been spoken to by God. She therefore knew of God’s existence. That he had made himself known and revealed his will. Sarah and Abraham were to love and serve him. They were to depend upon him at all times, knowing he will provide. Provide This last point; trusting God to provide; is very important. It lies at the heart of faith. We therefore need to ask what place it has in our lives

Abraham WHAT do we need to know about Abraham. There is much that could be said about him. The Bible shows him to be a key figure in the history of God’s dealings with mankind. And he is a central person in the history of the Jews. The writer of the book Hebrews wants us to focus on three facts. Abraham was (1) a man of faith; he (2) obeyed God; and (3) he knew what God will do. All three are stated in Hebrews 11 verses 8-10. We shall focus on points two and three. But we shall do so noting them to be key features of those who have faith. Obey Abraham grew up in a part of the world where pagan practices, such as moon worship, prevailed. He left Ur of the Chaldees and travelled, via Haran, to Palestine. Ur was a Sumerian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia. Today that area is part of Iraq. Why did Abraham leave his homeland? Because God issued a command. He was told, rather than merely invited, to travel hundreds of miles westward to “a place that he was to receive as an inheritance” (verse 8). The command, then, was joined to a promise. Abraham heard both. The information imparted to him by God was clear and unequivocal. God, of whom he had been previously ignorant, revealed himself to Abraham. We are not told Abraham had a vision. We are informed God spoke to him. You can read further details of his call in Genesis 12.1ff. The facts given are instructive. They point to the main means of communication used by God. He speaks. He wants us to hear his word. He al

Did he? It is an important question. Why? Because if he was not raised our faith is futile. And so too is all preaching. So says Paul (1Corinthians 15.14). What evidence is there? There must be some, for it is not unreasonable to believe. In fact the evidence is so compelling it demands a verdict. Predictions Three strands may be identified. Individually each is strong. Intertwined they provide a convincing foundation upon which we may safely and securely build. First there are the predictions given over many years. These may be found in both parts of the Bible. In the first section, commonly called the Old Testament, we find the resurrection of Jesus Christ foretold by prophets. Isaiah provides the most obvious example. Chapters 40; 53 are often called the chapters that describe the Suffering Servant of God. They clearly do. The most obvious place to look is chapter 53. Verse after verse points to the horrendous suffering he would face. He would be, we are told, ‘despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows acquainted by grief’ (verse 3). He would be ‘stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted… Wounded for our transgressions; …crushed for our iniquities…’ (verses 4f). ‘Like a lamb’ he would be ‘led to the slaughter’ (verse 7). ‘By oppression and judgment’ he would be ‘taken away’ and ‘cut off from the land of the living’ (verse 8). And his grave would be made with ‘the wicked and a rich man in his death’ (verse 9). But, very significantly, we are also to

Noah Like Enoch, he ‘walked with God’ (Genesis 6.9). Noah, who is also known as a ‘herald of righteousness’ (2 Peter 2.5), lived a blameless life. He was different. Around him there was great wickedness. ‘Every intention of the thoughts of’ each person’s ‘heart was only evil continually’ (Genesis 6.5). By contrast Noah was a man of faith. The comparison is stark. The word faith is found twice in Hebrews 11.7; once at the beginning and once at the end of the verse. The author is keen to impress upon us three facts. As he walked with God, Noah loved God, lived for God, and looked to God. In what ways did Noah’s faith show itself? Listen First, it is clear he did not do what most do. He did the opposite. When God spoke he listened. Hearing precedes heeding. He was ready to hear what God said. In particular, Noah listened to what God revealed to him about ‘events unseen’ (Hebrews 11.7). The news given was not good. It concerned coming judgment. Some only want to hear good news. They find bad news depressing. Not so Noah. The bad news he heard spurred him into action. Such was the response of one willing to listen. His listening was an act of self-denial. Mankind by nature is turned in on himself. We prefer to focus on and pursue our own desires and interests. Or, to use an everyday term, we like to do our own thing. Jesus, when he walked on earth, taught his followers to deny themselves. In the days of Moses and Joshua believers were taught to do the same.

Enoch The details given intrigue us. We refer not so much to his family nor the length of his life. Four other facts about him provoke questions. Walked with God First, Enoch walked with God. We are told this twice (see Genesis 5.22 & 24). Clearly it is something important. It indicates Enoch was different. Just how different becomes apparent the more we discover about him. What does it mean to walk with God? The term speaks of intimacy. Enoch, the son of Jared and father of Methuselah, enjoyed a close relationship with God. He knew him and loved him. And he did so for a considerable number of years. He lived no 365 years here on earth! To walk with God entails two desires: (1) a desire for God; and (2) a desire to please God. In Hebrews 11 verse 6 we find two features of faith. Those of faith believe God exists. Secondly, they also believe God rewards those who seek him. Verse 5 states Enoch was a man of faith. These two features could be discerned in him. Those who cherish such beliefs inevitably have a desire for God. Enoch did. It led him to seek God and, having found him, to keep close to him. How does a believer live his life? How does he maintain close fellowship with God. The Lord Jesus says those who love him keep his commands (see John 14.15 & 21; and 15.10). Enoch did. He walked with God. Thus, as well as desiring to know God, those who have faith also desire to please him. The obedient are those who provide evidence their profession of faith

Motherhood It is universally accepted that the mother; child relationship is special. The reasons are not difficult to find. The child is very much part of her. Able to conceive and give space for baby to grow in safety within her body for up to nine months, a mother is also uniquely equipped to continue the necessary nurture process immediately after birth. This does not mean that a father cannot enjoy a special relationship with his child. He can. But there is something different about it. Although some duties are shared and similar, fatherhood is not the same as motherhood. A father can never be a mother (a biological impossibility) and a mother can never father a child (another biological impossibility). Suffragettes Traditional ideas of motherhood have been challenged in recent years. The suffragette movement was active in the early years of the 20th century. One hundred years ago (June 1013) Emily Wilding Davison stepped on to the Epsom race track and was struck by Anmer, King Edward’s horse. Four days later she died from her injuries. She is buried, near her home, in the graveyard of Morpeth Parish Church. Feminism Later in the 20th century full-blown feminism proved influential amongst some. In fact so influential has it been that some mums feel guilty if they choose to take a career break to care for their child(ren) in their early years. Recently a young mother, who claims to be a feminist, expressed her dismay on national radio at being treated in t

Abel Though dead, he speaks. This, the last of four facts, is found in verse 4 of Hebrews 11. All are about Abel. The others are: (1) he was commended by God; (2) he offered a more acceptable sacrifice than his brother; and (3) he was a man of faith. The latter is repeated. Clearly the author seeks to underline the reason why Abel behaved as he did. Abel: Who was he? He was the second son of Adam and Eve. Cain was the first. As adults the boys were farmers. Cain grew crops. Abel looked after sheep (see Genesis 4.1f). Both men believed God exists. And both sought to draw near to God. However they did not do so in the same way. Abel got it right. Cain got it wrong. The mistake he made many make today. How do we know the brothers believed God exists? Because ‘in the course of time' both made offerings to God (Genesis 4.3). Cain brought the fruit of the ground. Abel offered the firstborn of his flock. Neither would have done what he did if he had not recognised God as Creator and Carer. The special covenant name of God used in Genesis 4.3. It speaks, not just of God’s power as the maker of all that exists, but also of God as the One who provides for and cares for his people. Abel: What did he do? We need to take a closer look at what the men did. Why? Because we are told Abel’s sacrifice was more acceptable. Naturally we ask how? Both men were responsible for their actions. They were no longer under the care of their parents. Their duty was to love and ser

Faith: confidence and conviction What is faith?  The question is important for three reasons. First, Christians are men and women of faith.  Secondly, Christians seek to see others come to faith.  Thirdly, those who say they have faith need to check whether their claim is true or false. Concern The author of the book Hebrews is keen to see his readers persevere.  He does not want them to turn back.  To help them keep going he instructs them not to throw away their confidence.  Instead they are to focus on what God has promised (see Hebrews 10.35-39). To help them remain constant under pressure he reminds them of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah and others (see Hebrews 11.1-40).  These people, he says, kept going.  They did so as they looked forward to what God promises his people shall enjoy. The writer makes a great claim.  Faith, he says, is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11.1).  He makes no mention, at this point, of the Lord Jesus Christ whom all people are called to love and serve.    Nor does he refer to repentance which, though distinct from faith, always accompanies it.  What then is his aim if it is not to provide a complete definition of faith?  It is to highlight two key features of the faith that trusts and does not give up. Confidence First the author speaks of assurance.  Older translations (e.g. the Latin Vulgate and King James) use the term substance'.  The word in the original Greek is fou

Cursed How strange. That is what many think. They just cannot see why anyone wants to read words that speak of damnation. They also think a person odd if he thinks he will be damned. We can turn to the opening section of John Bunyan's famous book, Pilgrim's Progress, to illustrate the point. It begins with a man dressed in rags in distress. He cries out, What shall I do? What troubled him? Why was he in anguish? Because he was burdened. Burdened by what? The fear of ruin and torment. What caused him to be afraid? A book, and especially what he read in it. He saw he was guilty; guilty, that is, of putting his wants first. It told him his choices were wrong. The book also told him he could do nothing to make things better. There was no way for him to get rid of his guilt. He knew he deserved damnation and would experience it if he was not forgiven. All this left his family amazed. They thought he needed a rest. A good sleep, they said, would make him feel better. But the next day they found him worse. His sense of guilt was greater. He was convinced he would be punished and rejected on the day of judgment. Most people do not think that way. They are more interested in finding ways to be happy. The idea that one should read a book that speaks of curses is far from their minds. Commination We do not hear the word commination often. It comes from a Latin word meaning to threaten. Thus the Commination found toward the end of the Book of Common Prayer is an act of worshi

The State of the Nation No one should rejoice; yet some are.  All should express concern; yet some do not. The vote in Parliament on Tuesday 5 February 2013 is alarming.  Why?  Because it shows that no less than 400 of our elected representatives do not know the difference between right and wrong. In the 1990s Prime Minister John Major wanted the nation to get back to basics.  In effect he argued for traditional morals to hold sway.  Yet in private he cheated on his wife. Now, in the 2010s, we have a Prime Minister who believes he is leading the people of this nation to be more tolerant, more loving and more open.  The rhetoric is beguiling.  The logic is flawed.  We need to explain. What happened on 5 February?  There was the second reading of a bill, the effect of which will redefine marriage for all of us.  Some 400 MPs voted in favour.  Yet less than half of the Conservative Party did.  Mr Cameron is on a mission.  He wants to modernise his party.  And he wants to change the world.  In the end he will do neither. We could focus our attention on the main arguments the pro voters use.  Arguments, that is, about equality and love.  For the moment we shall do something else.  We shall ask why government exist.  Our question then is: What is government to do? Some would immediately say it exists to put in place its policies.  A political party puts together a manifesto.  It is done before an election.  We are invited to opt for the ideas of one party rath

Seeking God Actions and motives differ.  What we do and the reason for our action vary from person to person.  Let us explore this theme further.  And let us do so with a single focus.  We could look at how we behave with our loved ones, or with friends, or strangers.  Instead we shall limit our inquiry to church.  Why do we go to church? Habit Some attend out of habit.  They were taken to church as a child.  They kept up the practice.  They continue in it. Some go because their friends go.  Many a young person started to attend a youth group or church meeting after an invitation from a friend.  At first they may have been anxious not to be called discourteous by turning the invitation down.  Or they may have been curious as to what happens in a place of worship.  Whatever the reason they went and still go. Needs Others attend because they have a need.  They are troubled, worried, or stressed.  To whom can they turn?  Who will provide guidance, help or support?   Perhaps, they think, someone at church will.  After all, Christians are meant to be caring and loving people. Some go for spiritual reasons.  They feel guilty.  They are aware they are not right with God.  Others have a deep sense within that they must answer to God one day for all that they think, say and do.  Yet others seek for meaning.  Who am I?  Why am I here?  Why do I exist?  What happens when we die?  There are many questions we ask.  The big questions of life often lie behind the reason

Does it matter? Who was Junia?  Or should the question be: Who was Junias?  Does it matter? Male or female Junia is a name.  It is the female form of the name.  When given to a boy it becomes Junias.  Some claim the male form of the name is virtually unknown.  For that reason they insist the person mentioned with Andronicus in Romans 16.7 is a woman and definitely not a man.  They may be right.  We cannot put it more strongly than may be. Andronicus and Junia, it is suggested, may have been husband and wife.  As Paul also calls them his ‘kinsmen’, it is thought they were his blood relatives.  We cannot be sure.  Paul may have used the term for another reason. What we can be sure of is this: some use this reference to Junia to support their view that women should be made bishops.  In fact some like James Dunn (one-time professor at Durham University) insist what Paul says about Junia (along with his way of understanding verses in 1 Corinthians 12 & 14 and 1 Timothy 2) means “conservative Evangelicals cannot justifiably claim the authority of Paul for their unwillingness to recognize that God may today be calling women… to the episcopate” (Church Times,  18 January 2013). Junia or Junias? We shall consider Paul’s use of the word ‘apostle’ in a moment.  In the meantime let us focus on  Junia.  The name could be either feminine or masculine.  We cannot tell from the spelling alone.  Do we have any clues?     The answer is yes.  It may be that only three other i

Providence Words and deeds reveal.  They are a window on our soul.  In other words people discover something about us from what we do and say.  As the Lord Jesus taught, it is “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12.34). Oliver Cromwell is a misunderstood man.  People hate or love him.  Rarely do you find someone  neutral in their attitude toward him.  Sadly few bother to discover what made him ‘tick’.  Why did he do what he did?  Was he a man who sought greatness?  Or was greatness conferred upon him? Clearly Cromwell was an inspirer and leader of men.  He did not become a military leader because he lacked skill.  But our concern is not to examine his military prowess.  Rather it is to explore why he opposed King Charles I, why he was prepared to put himself in danger at the front of a cavalry charge, and why he accepted the position of Lord Protector during the years of the Commonwealth when the nation had no monarch? We want to examine this theme not because we are interested in matters historical.  No, our concern is to discover what we can learn from the example of Oliver Cromwell. Providence is key.  You will never understand this man whom Milton describes as “our chief of men” if you fail to see that he was convinced God is sovereignly working out his purposes amongst us here on earth.  The earth belongs to him.  We are made in his image not to amuse ourselves but to love and serve him.  God deals with individuals.  He calls each

Thorns and Thistles Did they suddenly appear or were they already there?  Are they a consequence of the fall of mankind into sin?  Were they created and given by God as an element of his judgment on mankind after the Fall?  Or were they pre-existent   and given a specific role or function after the Fall? These are reasonable questions.  We say that for two reasons.  One, this is the first time thorns and thistles are mentioned specifically in Scripture.  And two, they are linked directly with the punishment handed down to Adam after his act of defiant disobedience. These are also questions we may find ourselves asked.  How, then, are we to answer them?  Are we to say with some that thorns and thistles did not exist prior to God’s judgment on mankind?  Or are we, with others, to provide another explanation? Textual Considerations Let us begin with some textual observations. (1) That which God creates is described as ‘very good’ (Genesis 1.31 cf. vv10, 12, 18, 21 & 25).  The implication is that amongst the “vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its own kind” (Genesis 1.11) there was nothing adverse and nothing to cause hard toil. (2) The syntax of verses 17; 19 seems to imply that the appearance of thorns and thistles was not part of the original design.  The four key elements of the narrative are: you listened and ate; because you did so the ground is cursed; you shall experience pain, th

Taking Stock What is done by businesses at the end of a tax year we may do for ourselves at the end of a calendar year.  For there is much to be gained when we get a measure of what we are like.  The person who knows himself is in a better position to deal with faults as well as challenges that come his way. Oliver Cromwell is “one of the best known and least easily understood of all great men of history” (John Morrill).  He is usually remembered for his ‘mistakes’ rather than for who he was and what he tried to do. Who was Cromwell? First, he was a Christian.  We do not know exactly when he came to a personal experience of and faith in Jesus Christ.  Born in 1599, it seems we cannot date with certainty his conversion before the 1630s.  By 1636, though, we find him describing some within the church as ‘the enemies of God’s truth’.  His desire at that time was to see good faithful preachers supported.  To that end he appealed to George Storie, a cloth merchant, to maintain his sponsorship of a lectureship in Godmanchester, near Huntingdon.  This is an act of a believer.  They support gospel preaching. Secondly, he knew he was forgiven by God.   To be precise, as he informed Parliament in 1656, he knew those who belong to Jesus Christ enjoy ‘the remission of sins through the blood of Christ and free justification by the blood of Christ’.  He held fast to this belief to his death in 1658. Thirdly, he knew that the ‘members of Jesus Christ’ are ‘to him as the apple

Wiser Some people make great claims.  Cassius Clay (known as Mohammed Ali) said he was the greatest heavyweight boxer.  The writer of Psalm 119 told God he had more understanding than all his teachers (verse 99).  Though young, he was sure.  He knew why.  He knew God's Word. Important issues We face many questions.  For example, When does life begin?  Is it at birth?  Is it at some point in the womb?  Or is it at the moment of conception?  Why do we exist?  Is to live as we want or to glorify God?  Who are we?  Are we mere a form of animal life or special to God?  What does it mean to be a man or a woman?  How are the sexes to relate? These are all important issues?   Those who love God and strive to understand his Word answer  them in a different way to others.  They do not rely on the ideas of people.  Nor do they allow feelings or mere reason to dictate an answer.  Their concern is to know what God says.  It is to discover what he has revealed.  Having done that, it is to embrace and make known God's truth. Important claim David Cameron, Prime Minister, claimed on 7 December 2012 he believes in marriage.  If he had said just that he would not have upset many.  But he also said he does not want same-sex couples  excluded from this €œgreat institution€. Important question Is he right?  To many his aim seems reasonable.  It does if one is indoctrinated with the thinking of the equality agenda of today.  But those who know God's will for mankind know this th

Why bother? “I do not like them,” say some.  “I love them,” say others.  That is how people react to the letters included with cards at Christmas.  It seems they are like marmite.  They are either loved or hated. Some enjoy catching up with what their extended family and friends have done in the last year.  Others, like the writer Lynne Truss, find the updates on high-achieving children and exotic holidays annoying. And then there are those who get irritated by the references to Jesus.  They take exception to being reminded he is the reason for the season.  Some protest there was revelry at this time of year long before Christians began to celebrate Christmas on 25 December.  People, in northern climes, have long sought to cheer themselves up in the season of short days and long nights! Thus, some want to see references to Christ left out?  Just let us enjoy ourselves, they say. The argument appeals to more than a few.  But many are reluctant to admit it.  They do want to upset the children.  So they put up with a bit of religion but concentrate more on special events like a trip to see Father Christmas, a pantomine or street decorations! But that is to live in a world of make-believe and entertainment?  We do not want to be kill-joys.  But we do want realism. Who are we? We know truth is suppressed.  However it does not alter three basic facts.  One, we are God’s special creation.   Two, we are created to live for him.  And three, we are created to en

A Testimony and Law It is tempting to leave tasks to others, or at least hope someone else will do them.  That is especially the case when boring routine chores need to be done.  It is also the case when we do not like a job or feel ill-equipped to do it. Neglect There was a time, not that long ago, when it was popular to send children to Sunday School.  The parents or carers, however, did not attend church themselves.  Some did this so they could have time to themselves.  Others did it because it was what others did. Whatever the reason, the practice begs important questions.  Just who is responsible to teach children?  What do the duties of parents include? Psalm 78 provides an answer. The author begins with a plea.  He wants the people to listen.  ‘Give ear’, he says in verse 1.  But give ear to what?  To his teaching.  To what teaching?  To teaching about ‘the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done’ (verse 4). The Psalmist then talks about a testimony, a law (verse 5).  He describes it as ‘established’ and ‘appointed’ by God.   Furthermore he insists it was given to God’s people.  What does God tell his people to do? In a word, God says it is our duty to teach the next generation about him, his wonders and his works.  The mention of ‘fathers’ in verse 5 implies this task is to be undertaken especially, but not exclusively, by men.  It is not to be left to mothers or the female members of the church.  In each house

Assumptions If women can lead a church why are they not allowed to be bishops?  That question is often asked.  Many think the Church of England inconsistent.  How should we react? Agree First, we should agree.  Yes, the church did act oddly both in the 1980s (when it allowed deaconesses to be made deacons) and in 1992 (when it approved the ordination of women to the presbyterate).  Many, at the time, pointed out that things were wrong.  They correctly argued that decisions about the ordination of women should begin with a discussion on whether women may be made bishops.  What were they told?  In the words of Archbishop Robert Runcie, that “was a fence too high.”  In other words he knew it was something the church would not approve.  At the time he was right. So what happened?  The reformists opted for a step by step approach.   We will get what we want, they thought, by starting from the bottom. We will work up and get there in stages.  Thus they argued it was wrong for deaconesses and lady parish workers to be excluded from the House of Clergy in the synods of the church.  After all, they said, they receive an allowance just like the clergy.  Why are they in the House of Laity?  Some said we did not need to make them deacons.  Instead there could be a section of synod for those on stipends.  But that would not do.  And so deaconesses were made deacons.  The march toward women being bishops began. Accept Secondly, we should accept two or more wrongs do not make a th

The Programme Now we know.  There is a programme to be followed.  Any lingering doubts about its existence have been removed.  Church members, politicians and journalists speak of it.  They have done so especially since the defeat of a measure to make women bishops in the General Synod of the Church of England on 20 November 2012. Reactions The comments are stark.  George Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, says the church rule book should been torn up.  Rowan Williams, the out-going archbishop, thinks the church has lost credibility and needs to explain itself.  And Justin Welby, who succeeds him in 2013, believes the decision marks a very grim day for the church. In the political world the Prime Minister sees the church as out of step with the equality agenda of the 21st century.  It needs to get with the programme.  Sir Tony Baldry thinks the Church of England no longer looks like a national church but more like a sect.  Diana Johnson believes the church is outdated, eccentric and frankly irrelevant.  Whilst Chris Bryant argues there should be no nomination of any future bishop without the feminization of the church. Similar reactions have been found amongst journalists.  Perhaps the most risible is that of Caitlin Moran (The Times).  She admits she does not know church history or doctrine and yet denigrates the decision. Response What are we to make of all this? First, we need to know what happened.  The synod was not asked to vote on whether women should be