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Christianity is No Myth!

Christianity is no myth

 

I suspect that Dan O’Neill’s column concerning the ‘myth of Christ’ was written with his tongue firmly in his cheek (Echo, December 12th). The historical reality of the One born at Christmas  is confirmed every time we write the date. We currently live in the year 2012, or more fully, 2012 AD – that is, the ‘Year of our Lord’, 2012 years after the birth of Christ.

Dan also states that Matthew’s account of Christmas is based on ‘myths predating Christianity.’ This is not so. Matthew himself was one of the twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus. The information for his Gospel was thus gained first-hand, ‘at source.’ As a former tax officer, Matthew was used to the careful handling and presentation of hard facts. Matthew’s account of the first Christmas is complemented by Luke’s Gospel. Luke himself was a medical doctor. He was thus a scientist who only dealt with empirical evidence – and this he wrote down in his Gospel, after careful research.

What next of the aspersions Dan casts on Christ’s ‘virgin birth’?  The virgin conception of Christ is revealed in the Bible as a matter of fact, and  contained in all the historic creeds of Christendom. Whether this is believed or not depends on our presuppositions. If we believe in God, miracles such as the virgin birth of Christ present no difficulty, as the Almighty is not subject to our human limitations – ‘For with God nothing will be impossible’ (Luke 1:37). Interestingly, the fullest account of Christ’s virgin conception is contained in Luke’s Gospel. Dr Luke was not incredulous. The likelihood is that he gained the intimate details from Mary herself when he gained her confidence and, as it were, ‘took her into the surgery.’

All the above, of course, is of no concern to many, as the recent census reveals a decline in religious affiliation. A significant Christian minority however is still with us. These alone know the joyful reality behind Christmas –  the ‘Good News of a great joy … a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:10,11). A cursory scan of the Echo shows that we all need a Saviour. The Christian Gospel proclaims that the Christ Who was born at Christmas is God’s own gracious provision for our deepest need.

 

Dr Timothy Cross

18 Virgil Court

Grangetown

CARDIFF CF11 6PE

 

Tel. 02920224856

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Apologetics, Bible

Dealing with Hurt and Offence

DEALING WITH HURT AND OFFENCE – WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

 

A hazard of the boxing ring is the distinct possibility of getting physically hurt. Every boxer, professional or amateur, knows the risk of, for instance, a broken nose, a cut eyebrow, being winded by a body punch or even being knocked out cold, risking long-term brain damage.

A hazard of life generally though is also the distinct possibility of getting hurt it some way. Here, I am not referring to something as unsubtle as a black eye, but to the more insidious pain  of inner hurt, and that crushing feeling of  inward offence. To be human is to be sensitive. Being on the receiving end of a deliberate or accidental offence and consequently feeling hurt inside can be a great problem for us all at sometime. What do we do at such times? Does the Bible – God’s Word – address this issue? Yes it does. Consider the following:-

 

  1. First of all, it is not wrong for us to feel hurt. Mark 3:5 describes an occasion when the Lord Jesus Himself looked around at them with anger, grieved by their hardness of heart. Then in 2 Timothy 4:14 Paul relates how Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm … If both the sinless Son of God and the great Apostle Paul winced with inward hurt then, we will too. We are only human and we are part of a fallen world. So whilst we do not welcome getting hurt, it is unrealistic not to expect it at some time. How though are we meant to react?

 

  1. The Bible teaches non-retaliation. By this it warns us not to add fuel to the fire and make a bad situation worse. Jesus said in Matthew 6:39 But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And Paul wrote in Romans 12:17 and 19: Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all … Beloved, never avenge yourselves but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ Vengeance then is God’s prerogative, not ours. It is natural, of course, to want to retaliate and ‘get even.’ But the Christian Faith is not natural – it is a supernatural Faith. God’s Holy Spirit, living within us, enables us to live and empowers us to live, think, act and not act, in a way and manner altogether differently from the normal.

 

  1. The Bible often reminds us that we have a Father in heaven to Whom we can turn when we get hurt – or in fact at any time. Call upon Me in the day of trouble (Psalm 50:15). Cast your burden on the LORD and He will sustain you (Psalm 55:22).

In this, we have the positive example of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. How did He deal with personal offence? 1 Peter 2:23 tells us: When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered He did not threaten; but He trusted to Him Who judges justly. In leaving the personal abuse He received in God’s hand, Jesus has given us, His followers, an example to emulate.

 

  1. In praying to God about those who have wounded us, is it wrong to pray that He will take vengeance upon them? Putting my head on the block, I would suggest that it is not necessarily wrong, not that I can ever recall doing this. Many of the Psalms are what are known as ‘imprecatory’ Psalms. In these, the Psalmist prays that God would avenge his enemies. It is certainly infinitely better to ask God for vengeance on our enemies than to take revenge ourselves, for we can be sure that God will never punish unjustly, or too much or too little, or be handicapped by wounded pride and personal prejudice as we are. Remember too that in God’s dealings with us – including the harsher people and providences He sends our way – Psalm 145:17 holds true: The LORD is just in all His ways, and kind in all His doings. Even our pain then will turn out ultimately for our blessing, for Romans 8:28 says that without exception We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

 

  1. Finally, no matter what internal scars we carry, if we are Christians, we must always remind ourselves and rejoice that our Gospel is a Gospel of the forgiveness of sins. Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Your sins are forgiven for His sake (1 John 2:12).

Our sin offends almighty God, but in Christ He had mercy upon us. Every Christian is a recipient of the mercy of God – a full and free forgiveness, gained by Christ’s undergoing the punishment for our sins, in our place, on Calvary’s cross. Surely, if we know that God, in Christ, has forgiven us all our sins, our attitude towards others will be that much more merciful. Hence Paul exhorted in Ephesians 4:32: Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

So, in this wonderful, but at times painful world, it pays to fix our eyes on Jesus and His redeeming love. The cross of Christ  keeps everything that happens to us in its right perspective:-

 

Give me a sight O Saviour

Of Thy wondrous love to me

Of the love that brought Thee down to earth

To die on Calvary

 

O wonder of all wonders

That through Thy death for me

My open sins, my secret sins

Can all forgiven be

 

O make me understand it

Help me to take it in

What it meant for Thee, the Holy One

To bear away my sin.

 

TC.

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Miscellaneous, Prayer

Keeping Body and Soul Together

KEEPING BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER: PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL NECESSITITES

 

When the Apostle Paul found himself both in a Roman prison cell and approaching the end of his earthly life, he wrote the following request to my namesake Timothy: ‘When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments’ (2 Timothy 4:13). The request divides neatly into two. i. Paul requested his ‘cloak’ for his physical well-being and ii. Paul requested ‘the books and … the parchments’ for study – for his mental and spiritual well-being.

 

  1. The Cloak

 

‘When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas …’ The cloak referred to here was a heavy, outer garment, made of Cicilian goats’ hair. Simple in design, it would have been sleeveless and circular in shape when laid flat, the only notable feature being a hole for the head. 2 Timothy 4:21 suggests that winter was approaching. Paul’s prison cell would have lacked our central heating! His thick cloak would have helped maintain a degree of bodily warmth and comfort.

According to the Bible, we are ‘bi-partite’ beings. That is, we are constituted of body and soul. Almighty God made us this way. ‘The LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being’ (Genesis 2:7). We should take care of our bodies, as they are the vehicle in which we glorify God our maker. This will always be so, for the ultimate Christian hope – that is, our confident expectation based on the sure promises of God – is not the salvation of the soul, but the resurrection of the body. Even now though, we should be good stewards of the bodies God has given us. They are actually – if we belong to Jesus – the temple of God Himself. ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? … (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Food and clothing are basic requirements for our body well-being. The Lord Jesus – God’s own Son – assures us that God our Father will ensure that His adopted children will never lack  either whilst their earthly life lasts. Jesus said ‘Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? … Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?’ (Matthew 6:26,28-30).

 

  1. The Books and the Parchments

 

‘When you come, bring … the books and above all the parchments …’ The consensus is that Paul was here requesting the Holy Scriptures that were extant in his day – our Old Testament which foretold the coming of Christ, and perhaps the sayings of the Saviour which had been written down, similar to the kind utilised by Luke when he researched and compiled his Gospel (Luke 1:1-4). ‘The books’ refer to papyrus scrolls. ‘The parchments’ refer to the more expensive animal skins on which the scribes carefully and reverently copied the sacred Scriptures.

It is evident from our verse and its context that the Apostle Paul prized the Scriptures very highly. He knew that they were no ordinary writings but the very Word of God written. He had stated to Timothy a little earlier ‘All Scripture is inspired by God (that is ‘God-breathed’) and profitable …’ (2 Timothy 3:16). Paul was aware that his remaining time on earth was short. Nevertheless, he wished to use the time had had left profitably – and nothing was more profitable to Paul than the Scriptures. He was a life-long disciple of Christ – and the name ‘disciple’ means ‘learner.’ Thus Paul, vastly experienced in the ways of God though he was, never lost the desire to learn in the school of Christ.  Paul loved the Saviour. Paul longed to know the Saviour better and make Him better known. The means by which he did this were the Scriptures – ‘the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 3:15). The inspired Word and the incarnate Word are, of course, distinct. Yet in our Christian experience they co-alesce and are less distinguishable. Jesus Himself said that ‘the Scriptures (are) they that bear witness to Me’ (John 5:39).

So one of Paul’s final requests on earth was for i. A cloak for his bodily warmth and ii. The Scriptures for the warmth of his soul. His desire for the Word of God surely finds an echo in every believer. A desire for and love for the Bible is one evidence that we have been truly born again. A new life has to be fed and sustained. Hence Peter – Paul’s colleague in the Faith – could write to believers ‘As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby’ (1 Peter 2:2, KJV). If we love the Saviour, we will love the Book which draws us closer to Him. As clothing is essential for our physical well-being, so the Bible is indispensable for our spiritual well-being. It will be so until we see the Saviour fact to face, and the Word in Person renders the Word in print obsolete. It is only when we see Jesus that we will need our Bibles no more.

 

Timothy Cross

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Miscellaneous

Look at the Birds of the Air!

‘LOOK AT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR …’ (Matthew 6:26).

 

My parents have recently acquired a bird feeder for their back garden. These are full of seed, and hang from their apple tree. Now that they no longer have a cat, it is fascinating to notice the increase in feathered friend visitors to their back garden, which can be viewed through the kitchen window. Did you know that birds feature right through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation?

 

Divine Creation

 

On the fifth day of creation, Genesis 1:20 records that ‘God said … let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.’ And God’s word brought about His will. He created the birds of the sky, designing them in such a way that they could fly. Creation is one of the foundation stones of the biblical revelation. The Bible teaches intelligent design, that is, Almighty God’s infinite intelligence is the only ultimate explanation behind the intricacy of the created order, of both animate and inanimate objects.

 

The Divine Flood

 

In Genesis 8:11 we read of the dove. This dove was sent forth from Noah’s ark after the flood, and returned to it with ‘a freshly plucked olive leaf’ in its mouth. Ever since then, the dove and olive leaf have been viewed as a symbol of peace.

God judged the world with a universal flood. But now His judgement was over. The olive leaf showed that a new beginning had begun. Romans 5:1 says that ‘Therefore since we are justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ On the cross, Jesus was judged by God in the place of sinners. He exhausted the divine wrath against sin which was their due. Hence when we put our faith in Jesus, we are delivered from judgement and have peace with God. Colossians 1:20 tells of Christ’s ‘making peace by the blood of His cross.’

 

Divine Providence

 

Moving to the time of Elijah the prophet, we notice that when Elijah was away from civilisation with no physical means of support, some ‘ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening’ (1 Kings 17:6). God had said ‘I have commanded the ravens to feed you’ (1 Kings 17:4) and the ravens obeyed His word. Elijah was therefore provided for miraculously – the ravens fed him. This is remarkable as Leviticus 17:15 tells us that the raven was an unclean bird …

Elijah’s being provided for through the instrumentality of ravens reminds us that God provides for His own children. He provides for us through natural means, or, if He sees fit, He can provide through supernatural means, as He did for Elijah. He is in charge of the great planets, and He is in charge of the birds of the air. He can use any means He wishes to accomplish His will. The Shorter Catechism states ‘God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions’ (Q. 11). Hence, in Elijah’s day, the ravens did His bidding.

 

Divine Care

 

When we turn to the New Testament, we see that the Lord Jesus used sparrows to illustrate God’s care for His children. In Mathew 10:29 ff. He said ‘Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.’

God’s eye is on the sparrow. All His creatures are the object of His care and concern. But Jesus said of us ‘You are of more value than many sparrows.’ He was reasoning from the lesser to the greater. If the birds of the air are objects of God’s providential care, what of God’s own children? Unlike the animal kingdom, they are made in His image, able to know and love God. And unlike the animal kingdom, God sent His own Son to redeem them. Christ’s redeeming work has adopted His redeemed into the family of God. They are able to call God ‘Abba, Father.’ This Father cares for His children and loves them with an everlasting love. It is unthinkable that He will not undertake for their earthly and eternal well-being. ‘He cares about you’ (1 Peter 5:7). A tongue in cheek ditty brings this out well:-

 

Said the robin to the sparrow

‘I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so.’

 

Said the sparrow to the robin

‘Friend, I think that it must be

They have no heavenly Father

Such as cares for you and me.’

 

Finally

 

Finally and formidably, when we turn to the last book of the Bible, Revelation 19 takes us to the final battle at the end of time. Here, God will overthrow all His enemies and all that is contrary to His kingdom of righteousness and peace. His enemies will be slain by the sword, and Revelation 19:21 tells us that the birds of the air will gorge on their dead flesh. It is horrific reading, and makes Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds seem quite tame. The biblical reality is though that God’s patience has a time limit. One day, He will right all wrongs. One day, He will condemn all unrepentant sinners to eternal judgment. It is this which gives the Gospel its imperative. How vital it is that we know Christ as our Saviour. He alone can deliver us from the condemnation we deserve. Scripture assures us ‘There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1).

 

Timothy Cross

 

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Prayer

Strengthening Ourselves in God

STRENGTHENING OURSELVES IN GOD

 

At an especially difficult and fraught time in the life of David, all seemed lost. An enemy force had  taken his family captive and rampaged the town in which he was residing. Then, to make bad matters  worse, even David’s own people turned against him and threatened to stone him dead. The Bible though records that at that time, David did not give in to despair, but rather ‘David strengthened himself in the LORD, his God’ (1 Samuel 30:6). Foes, friends and fears notwithstanding, David knew that whatever his circumstances, Almighty God – ‘his God’ – was in ultimate control, and that His purposes could not be defeated and His plans could not be thwarted.

In ‘strengthening himself in the LORD his God’ David has given us an example to emulate, especially when we too find ourselves ‘up against it.’ But how exactly do we do this? We do it by applying the truth of God’s Word to ourselves and our situation. To be more specific, we take hold of at least four truths revealed in Scripture.

 

  1. We are accepted with God through Christ

 

Ultimately, all is well with us, as the finished work of Christ at Calvary cannot be undone or rescinded. Through Christ’s merits and mediation, we are acceptable to God and will never be separated from Him. The Gospel of justification by the grace of God in Christ has great pastoral and practical implications:-

 

Justification is an act of God’s free grace wherein He pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone’ (Shorter Catechism).

 

Truth be told, if we are united to Christ, we could not be more acceptable to God, for our acceptance with Him is not based on who we are or on what we do, but on who Christ is and what He has done. ‘A man is not justified (reckoned righteous) by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 2:16).

 

  1. God’s grace keeps pace with whatever we face

 

The Bible reveals a God of sustaining grace, as well as saving grace. When Paul was in excruciating pain – a pain from which he prayed earnestly to God to be released – God’s promise to him was ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). From this we may reason that if our Father in heaven does not see fit to remove our burdens from us in answer to our prayers, He will most certainly give us a stronger back to bear our burdens. If the path He has laid down for us is a stony one, He will surely provide us with protective shoes! His grace will prove to be as sufficient for us as it was for Paul:-

 

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater

He sendeth more strength when the labours incrase

To added affliction He addeth His mercy

To multiplied trials His multiplied peace

(Annie Johnson Flint 1866-1932).

 

  1. God promises wisdom to those who ask Him

 

‘Wisdom’ may be defined as ‘sound judgement in relation to life and conduct.’ How we all need wisdom in this complex world, so that we know how to act and react aright. But what do we do when we don’t know what to do? The Bible’s answer is ‘Ask God.’ God promises to give wisdom to those who humbly ask Him for it. ‘For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding’ (Proverbs 2:6).  ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him’ (James 1:5). The Bible also states that ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom’ (Proverbs 9:10). Thus, if our sincere desire is to please the Lord and if our deepest horror is causing offence to Him, He will surely make the way ahead for us clear.

 

  1. ‘He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength’ (Isaiah 40:29).

 

When we feel impotent, it is easy to forget that our Father in heaven is omnipotent. He is almighty God! Scripture abounds in reminding us of God’s absolute, sovereign might. He has no problems. He only has plans:-

 

‘Is anything too hard for the LORD?’ (Genesis 18:14).

‘Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is anything too hard for me?’ (Jeremiah 32:27).

‘For with God nothing will be impossible’ (Luke 1:37).

 

The wonder is that this God – whose might is such that He could merely speak the universe into existence – actually puts His power at the disposal of His needy children. Hence the Psalmist could testify ‘My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth’ (Psalm 121:2) and hence Paul could conclude on the encouraging thought ‘Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think’ (Ephesians 2:20).

 

External appearance apart, Christians are no ordinary people. We are the adopted children of God! Yes, difficulties, disappointments, trials and traumas come our way in the will of God in this fallen world – but God’s will, will be done, for He ‘accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will’ (Ephesians 1:11). If we belong to Jesus, when we are ‘up against it’ we have the privilege of bringing our difficulties and impossibilities to the Lord. He can handle them better than we can! When you are tempted to despair of yourself and your circumstances therefore, strengthen yourself in your Faith by asking yourself  the rhetorical question ‘Is anything too hard for the LORD’ (Genesis 18:14).  How we need to trust Him more than we do.

 

Is the burden intolerable?

Is the task impossible?

Is the grief inconsolable?

Not with the Lord

 

Is the darkness impenetrable?

Is the sky unpierceable?

Is the tear undryable?

Not with the Lord

 

Is the joy irrecoverable?

Is the state irreversible?

Is the case irretrievable?

Not with the Lord.

(Anon.)

 

Timothy Cross

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible Characters, Prayer

O Timothy (1 Timothy 6:20)

O TIMOTHY … (1 Timothy 6:20).

 

The Apostle Paul addressed two of his New Testament letters To Timothy, my true child in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2). The Timothy in question was a young, Christian Pastor. The New Testament letters to Timothy and Titus are known as ‘The Pastoral Epistles.’ They deal primarily with matters pertaining to the ‘nitty gritties’ of local church life  – I am writing these instructions to you so that … you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth (1 Timothy 3:14,15).

The differences in age and Christian maturity notwithstanding, Paul obviously valued young Timothy’s friendship a great deal. 2 Timothy is the last letter Paul ever wrote. At the time of writing, he was incarcerated in a Roman prison, aware that his death – his promotion to glory – was imminent. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:6,7). But Paul’s love for Timothy was such that he was adamant that he see Timothy again before he died – I long day and night to see you, that I may be filled with joy (2 Timothy 1:4). And so he pleaded Do your best to come to me soon … Do your best to come before winter … (2 Timothy 4:9,21).

 

i. Timothy’s Faith : His Conversion

 

We first encounter Timothy during Paul’s second missionary journey. He was from Lystra (Acts 16:1) in the province of Galatia – modern day Turkey. He was the product of a ‘mixed marriage’, as Luke relates A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek (Acts 16:1).

It is difficult to ascertain the exact moment when Timothy came to conscious, saving faith in Christ. That he belonged to Jesus there is no doubt, but it is possible that even he himself did not know the precise time of his conversion:-

In the providence of God, Timothy was blessed with a Christian mother and grandmother who surrounded him with their prayers and Christian example. In 2 Timothy 1:5 Paul wrote I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you. It would seem that Timothy’s mother and grandmother nurtured Timothy in the Christian Faith, and taught him the Scriptures from his earliest days, for in 2 Timothy 3:15 Paul wrote how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15).

In 1 Timothy 1:2 however, Paul refers to Timothy as my true child in the faith. This suggests that, under God, it was Paul’s own influence which was instrumental in bringing Timothy to the new birth. Timothy’s conversion then was perhaps similar to many who have been brought up in a Christian family: Acquainted with Christian matters since early childhood, perhaps sometime in our teens, ‘the penny drops’ and we trust in Christ as our own personal Saviour. It is as though we have gone over in ink what has already been written in pencil.

Timothy then was a true Christian convert. He belonged to Jesus. He had entrusted his eternal welfare to the crucified, risen and reigning Saviour. His conversion though is a reminder that whilst Christ is the only Saviour, there is more than one road which leads to the Saviour. Timothy’s conversion was different from Paul’s, but no less authentic. That we are ‘in Christ’ now is more important than being able to give a dramatic Christian testimony of how we came to Christ in the first place.

 

ii. Timothy’s Fidelity : His Commitment

 

When Paul first encountered Timothy, he immediately perceived in him enormous Christian potential as regards the service of God and the spread of the Gospel. Luke relates that Timothy was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium and Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him on his missionary travels (Acts 16:1,2). The great apostle thus chose Timothy to help and accompany him on his missionary endeavours. He saw him as both useable and useful material for Christ in relation to God’s eternal purposes of grace. And his assessment proved to be absolutely right. A little later on , when Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, he praised Timothy to the hilt saying how I have no one like him, who will be genuinely anxious for your welfare. They all look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But Timothy’s worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the Gospel (Philippians 2:20-22).

The overriding and overarching concern of Timothy’s life then was the interests … of Jesus Christ. If he had had a motto, it surely would have been:-

 

Only one life, ‘twill soon be past

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

Timothy’s chief concern was not his own personal glory or career, but that the Lord Jesus Christ should be glorified in the salvation of souls and the building of His church. When it came to actual practice, the welfare of Christians and the glory of Christ were somewhat blurred in his thinking and action. Serving Christ and serving His people were one and the same for him. He loved above all else to see sinners saved, and Christians better grounded, founded and established in Christian truth. Whilst initially, we could perhaps think of Timothy as Paul’s apprentice in mission, it was not long before Timothy graduated, and Paul had full confidence that he could undertake Christian work on his own. Hence Paul sent Timothy from Athens to the persecuted church at Thessalonica – we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the gospel of Christ, to establish you in your faith and to exhort you (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Hence Paul sent Timothy from Ephesus to the church at Corinth – I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church (1 Corinthians 4:17).

Eventually, Timothy settled down as a permanent Pastor in Ephesus. Paul’s letters to him are an exhortation and encouragement to press on in the work of being a pastor and preacher there – attend to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching to teaching … Practise these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress (1 Timothy 4:13,15) and Preach the Word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching … As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry (2 Timothy 4:2,5).

 

iii. Timothy’s Frailty : His Condition

 

Timothy was a walking sermon illustration on the text of 2 Corinthians 4:7: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.

                We tend to look up to our Christian leaders. We tend to think of them as being in a higher league from ourselves. It is as though they are made of ‘stronger stuff’ than we are. Timothy was a Christian leader and was ordained by God to be such. Yet the Bible reveals that Timothy was made out of the same frail flesh and spirit of which we are made. Scripture reveals that Timothy was no ‘muscular Christian.’ Yet Scripture also reveals that God used Timothy for His glory and the building of Christ’s church.

Paul addressed Timothy with the high compliment But as for you, man of God … (1 Timothy 6:11). Timothy was a man of God! Yet although this was true, Timothy was also, like Elijah – another man of God – a man of like nature with ourselves (James 5:17). Scripture reveals that Timothy battled against both physical and mental handicaps. Until he reached glory, he had to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12) against enemies both without and within.

 

Timothy’s Physical Constitution

 

Timothy was not endowed with a robust physical constitution. In 1 Timothy 5:23 Paul advises him concerning your stomach and your frequent ailments. This is a reminder that every Christian is not yet fully saved! The final Christian hope is the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). This will occur when Christ comes again in glory – we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will change our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power which enables Him even to subject all things to Himself (Philippians 3:20,21). Until that day, every Christian, no matter how godly, will be subject to sickness and pain to a greater or lesser degree, and will eventually suffer physical death. Timothy then was physically handicapped. Yet he still worked for the kingdom of heaven within the physical limitations imposed on Him by God – and the blessing of God was upon his labours in spite of his physical limitations.

 

Timothy’s Psychological Condition

 

It would seem that young Timothy was less than robust psychologically as well as physically. Paul’s letters to him betray the fact that he sometimes lacked confidence and was prone to discouragement. Timothy by name and timid by nature! Paul’s letters to Timothy were letters of needed encouragement exhorting him to ‘keep on keeping on’ in the Christian ministry – looking to God Who is greater than all the opposition without and discouragement within, and can accomplish His will and purpose through us in spite of our physical and psychological handicaps. Hence the many exhortations in the ‘Pastoral epistles’ which were applicable to Timothy personally and relevant to Christians and Christian leaders in all ages:-

Do not neglect the gift you have … (1 Timothy 4:14).

Rekindle the gift of God that is within you … for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self control (2 Timothy 1:6,7).

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1).

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3).

As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5).

Paul thus urged Timothy simply to be faithful to God in his particular and peculiar circumstances. We are to be the same. We are to do what we can, where we are, with what we have, and to leave the results to God. God calls us to be faithful, not necessarily successful.

 

O Timothy!

 

 

No doubt, if you saw Timothy, and were aware of his physical ailments and nervous disposition, he would not strike you immediately as a great Christian leader. It goes to show that God’s ways are not always our ways and that the laws of the kingdom of heaven can differ from the laws of this world (see Isaiah 55:8,9). God often sees fit to use frail, redeemed sinners to accomplish His almighty purposes. In this way, His work cannot be explained rationally, or explained away with a human explanation. In this way, He Himself gets all the glory. And the goal of the universe is, after all, the overriding and overarching, unsurpassed and unsurpassable glory of the one true God – To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).

A medical missionary of many years experience once wrote:-

 

God delights in using weak people, because it shows how big He is … the Lord gave me wisdom far beyond my own resource to help people medically. Whatever aspect of the Lord’s service it be, I have found that my weakness is but an opportunity for the Lord to display His power. ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9b).

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Bible Characters

The Shortest Verse in the Bible

THE SHORTEST VERSE IN THE BIBLE

 

Did you know that John 11:35 is the shortest verse of all the 31,173 verses which comprise the Bible? John 11:35 is easy to memorise, as it consists of just two words. The verse states succinctly Jesus wept. Whilst John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the entire Bible though, it contains depths which even the greatest of theologians cannot plumb. The verse tells us that Jesus – the eternal Son of God – actually wept – He experienced grief and sorrow, and could not but give physical expression to it.

Meditating on John 11:35, the shortest verse of the Bible, note:-

 

1. The Humanity of our Saviour

 

Jesus wept. John 11:35 reveals the real, tender humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was and is as truly human as He was and is divine – the eternal Son of God. Jesus wept. Grief is a human emotion. It is experienced solely by those made in the image of God, made up of both a body and a soul. In the Lord Jesus Christ then, God actually became man:-

 

Christ the Son of God became man, by taking to Himself a true body and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin (Shorter Catechism).

 

John 1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Hebrews 2:14 explains Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same nature … The humanity of the Lord Jesus is important. Eternal deity cannot die. God is immortal. Christ took upon Himself our humanity as an integral part of God’s eternal plan of salvation. He became man so that He could die and so pay the wages of the sin of His people. The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3).

 

2. The Sympathy of our Saviour

 

Jesus wept. Every text has its context. The context of John 11:35 is the death of Lazarus at Bethany, and the consequent grief of Martha and Mary his sisters. Jesus’ tears were tears of deep sympathy. John 11:33 records When Jesus saw her (Mary) weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

                John 11:35 then reveals the sympathy of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will all go down into the depths of suffering and sorrow at some time in our lives. God in Christ has experienced those depths too. The God of the Bible is no remote, passive, removed, unfeeling deity. Isaiah foretold that the Lord Jesus would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that in the Lord Jesus we have not a high priest Who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but One Who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Isaac Watts wrote:-

 

With joy we mediate the grace

Of our High Priest above

His heart is made of tenderness

And overflows with love

 

Touched with a sympathy within

He knows our feeble frame

He knows what sore temptations mean

For He has felt the same.

 

3. The Glory of our Saviour

 

Jesus wept. Paradoxically, the same Bible which reveals that Jesus wept  also reveals the Lord Jesus as the great dryer of tears. John 11 records Him drying Martha and Mary’s tears. Their tears were caused by the death of their brother Lazarus – but Jesus raised Lazarus back to life again, confirming His claim in John 11:25,26 that ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. ‘

                If there was no sin, there would be no tears. Sin has brought misery in its wake. Sin brings God’s judgement, and ultimately death and eternal separation from God’s love – unless it is dealt with. On the cross though Christ died for sinners. He dealt with our sins, so that when we believe in Him, our sins are forgiven, we are reconciled to God and promised an eternal, tear-free existence with God, in His nearer presence.

Tears for the Christian are real. We live in a fallen world. Christians are not immune from suffering. Yet tears for the Christian are only temporary. The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). Better, glorious days are surely coming, because of the grace of God in Christ. The Apostle John was actually given a prophetic glimpse of this glorious time promised to all God’s children – and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he wrote it down. In Revelation 21:3 ff. we read: Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them; HE WILL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.

                Jesus wept. The shortest verse in the Bible reveals Jesus’ real, tender humanity and sympathy. It also reminds us to keep trusting Jesus, for if we belong to Him, one day, all our tears will be banished forever!

 

Timothy Cross

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Miscellaneous

The Middle Verse of the Bible

THE MIDDLE VERSE OF THE BIBLE

 

It has been calculated that the Bible contains 31,173 verses. Of these 31,173 verses, Psalm 118:8 has been calculated to be the exact middle verse – the exact centre verse of the Bible. Psalm 118:8 reads:-

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

                Here is a verse which almost encapsulates the message of the whole Bible, for the thrust of the Bible’s message is that we put our trust in God alone – His grace, His providence and His promises – for trust in anyone or anything else will ultimately let us down.

 

Negatively

 

Negatively, Psalm 118:8 is a warning against having a false confidence in any created being. Fallen human beings will let us down, as – as the late Bishop JC Ryle used to say – ‘the best of men are men at best.’ It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Other Scriptures contain a similar warning. Isaiah 2:22, for instance, reads Turn away from man in whose nostrils is breath for of what account is he? Jeremiah 17:5 is more forceful still, for it states Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the LORD.

                Biblical history reveals the glaring faults, foibles and frailties of even great and godly men: Abraham lied; Jacob cheated; Moses could not control his temper; David could not control his lust; Simon Peter had his notorious moment of cowardice etc. Recent history has shaken the confidence of many in man. Here in the UK we have lived through a parliamentary expenses scandal which has revealed that the politicians we voted into office have not always been characterised by integrity. Many are now disillusioned with politics. Then almost everyday we hear about the failings of celebrities – film stars, pop stars and sports stars – who had been put on a pedestal. They are not immune from temptation, and not immune from giving in to temptation and making a shipwreck of their lives. And, truth be told, we cannot really rely on ourselves. Who knows what tomorrow may bring? We can be at ease and full of confidence one day, and then illness, accident or redundancy cuts us down to size, and makes us realise our frailty and vulnerability. God can knock all the human props away from us in a moment. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in man. The next verse is a little stronger in emphasis, for it states It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in princes (Psalm 118:9), that is, to put confidence in the best of men. Psalm 146:3,4 explains: Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. When his breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish. The folly of trusting in mortal man!

 

Positively

 

Positively, Psalm 118:8 – the middle verse of the Bible – is an exhortation to put our trust in God – specifically, in ‘the LORD’ – the One Who has revealed Himself in the Bible as the God of creation, the God of the covenant and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Again, many Scriptures amplify this point. Jeremiah 17:7 states Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. And Psalm 34 ends by affirming that none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

 

Trusting in the Grace of God

 

The Bible exhorts us to take refuge in God’s grace for our eternal salvation. How is a sinner saved? By trusting in God’s grace; by availing him/herself of God gracious provision in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Faith of the Bible is distinguished by the fact that salvation is God’s work for us and in us, and not what we do ourselves: To one who does not work but trusts Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness (Romans 4:5). Martin Luther said:-

 

When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares that we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: ‘I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentence to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One Who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where He is, there I shall be also.

 

Trusting in the Providence of God

 

The Bible also exhorts God’s children to take refuge in God’s providence. Our God is on the throne. He is at the helm of our lives. The circumstances of our lives are not accidental but providential – divinely ordained. We can trust in God’s providence – the providence of God and the God of providence – for He is all-wise, all-loving and all righteous. God knows best! This God – His way is perfect (Psalm 18:30). Hence We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him who are called according to His purpose.

                The Christian then abandons and abhors all human confidence. Our strong refuge – our place of eternal safety – is in God Himself. He cannot fail. He does not disappoint, for ‘His love is as great as His power, and knows neither measure nor end.’  He is Almighty God, our refuge from both earthly and eternal danger. As the middle verse of the Bible puts it: It is better to take refuge in the LRD than to put confidence in man (Psalm 118:8):-

 

All my hope on God is founded

He doth still my trust renew

Me through change and chance He guideth

Only good and only true

God unknown

He alone

Calls my heart to be His own

 

Pride of man and earthly glory

Sword and crown betray his trust

What with care and toil he buildeth

Tower and temple turn to dust

But God’s power

Hour by hour

Is my temple and my tower.

 

Timothy Cross

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Miscellaneous

The Elements of Prayer

THE ELEMENTS OF PRAYER

 

I have been told that the way to embarrass any Christian is … ask them about their prayer life. Every Christian has the privilege of access to God in prayer, yet surely all Christians feel their prayer life is inadequate, and would dearly like to be better at prayer. Truth be told, if human beings are made in the image of God, and find their chief end in fellowship with Him, our times of prayer are the happiest, highest and holiest times on earth. Prayer, being what it is – spending time in God’s presence – is an end in itself and not just a means to an end. According to the Lord Jesus, one secret of prayer is prayer in secret. He said ‘But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you’ (Matthew 6:6).

To understand something, it is often helpful to break it down into its basic elements. One of my college textbooks was entitled The Elements of New Testament Greek.  Prayer also has its basic elements. I shall enumerate these now, trusting that they will be of help to my fellow apprentices in Christ’s school of prayer:-

First of all, in prayer, look up.  That is, look up to God and realise who He is, as He has revealed Himself both in creation and His Word. Then worship Him reverently. He alone is God. ‘God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth’ (Shorter Catechism). God is holy. God is majestic. God is on the throne. God is all powerful. God is all loving. We know the latter because He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and sent Him into the world to be our Redeemer. ‘God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8). Through Christ we are reconciled to God. Through Christ we can know God as our loving Father in heaven and address Him as such in prayer. Look up – and then bow down in worship.

Secondly, look inside.  That is, look within ourselves in the light of God’s light. He sees us as we are. ‘Before Him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do’ (Hebrews 4:13). Understandably, we can feel uncomfortable in God’s presence – matters can lay heavily on our conscience, for in His presence our sins and failings are exposed. We are forced to agree with 1 John 1:9: ‘If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.’ But the next verse contains a wonderful promise: ‘If we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9). We have then the privilege of confessing our sins privately to God and knowing His cleansing and forgiveness and the restoration of intimate fellowship with Himself. Look up in worship. And look inside at yourself and confess your sins and failures to God.

Thirdly, look around you at others. We all come across people in various kinds of need. Our priestly duty is to bring them to the Lord in prayer. The ‘priesthood of all believers’ is a very practical doctrine. We come then to the matter of intercession – interceding to God for those around us who are in special need of His help and care: family, friends, those we encounter day by day, those responsible for the rule over us – our Queen and government. You cannot actually do anything better or kinder for someone than pray for them – that is, bring them to God Himself and lay them at the feet of Jesus in prayer. A friend has lost his job, a friend has lost a loved one, a nephew is sitting exams which may decide his future, a lady in the church has been taken into hospital, a neighbour we get on well with shows no interest in the gospel and no awareness of a life beyond this one … God’s grace is surely sufficient for all these needy people. In prayer we entrust them to His care and mercy. Look up, look inside, look around.

Fourthly, look back. When we look back with the benefit of hindsight, and view God’s dealings with us, our hearts are sure to overflow with thanksgiving to Him. He is our maker, provider, protector, leader and guider. ‘All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me’ goes a hymn. We worship God for who He is in Himself. We thank God for all the blessings – temporal and eternal – which He has bestowed and continues to bestow on us. Praise and thanksgiving are distinct, but they often blend in our prayers, as God’s good gifts lead us back to the God who is a good and gracious giver. Hence Psalm 103:1,2: ‘Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits …’ Finally, in prayer, we may:-

Look ahead. Here we come to personal supplication – our own hopes and fears which weigh upon us. There are responsibilities to undertake in the days ahead. There are burdens to carry and tasks to perform. There are disappointments, perplexities and frustrated plans to encounter. The future is unknown to us – I might lose my job, I might lose my health, I might lose a loved one, I may struggle financially … But fear is incompatible with the conviction that we are under God’s good, wise, loving and all-embracing providence.  In prayer, we supplicate Him to supply what we need to live and cope and bear with whatever circumstances He sees fit to send our way. His grace will surely keep pace with whatever we face! So Paul exhorts us that when we look ahead to the sometimes foreboding future ‘Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God’ (Philippians 4:6). God knows our needs. Our difficulties are actually blessings if they make us draw near to Him with the request that He meet those needs. When we do, we find that He never fails or forsakes His children.

So there are the main elements of prayer, from a fellow struggler on the journey. Look up in worship. Look inside and offer confession. Look around and intercede for others. Look back and thank God for His goodness. Look ahead and seek God’s grace for whatever He sends your way. ‘Lord, teach us to pray …’(Luke 11:1).

 

Timothy Cross

Posted by Site Developer in Prayer

The Shortest Chapter of the Bible

THE SHORTEST CHAPTER OF THE BIBLE

 

Did you know that Psalm 117 is the exact middle chapter of the 1,189 chapters which make up the Bible? Did you know also that Psalm 117 is distinguished by being the shortest chapter in the entire Bible? The Psalm consists of just seventeen words in the original Hebrew.

Psalm 117 is part of a group of Psalms known as the ‘Hallel’, from which we get the word ‘Hallelujah’  – praise the Lord. The ‘Hallel’ is always sung as part of the Jewish Passover celebrations. Psalm 117 itself is a clarion call to worship the one, true God. The two verses of Psalm 117 read:-

1. Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol Him all peoples! 2. For great is His steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD!

 

We see here, first of all The Call to Divine Worship. Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol Him all peoples! Notice that the call to worship is a universal one, for the God of the Bible is the God of the whole human race, not just the God of the Hebrew race. Paul quotes this Psalm in Romans 15:8 ff. He views it in the light of the universal conquest of the Gospel of Christ. God has His elect in every nation, and He will ensure that these people hear the Gospel of Christ crucified and put their trust in Him and so be eternally saved. Says Paul in Romans 15:8 ff.:- I tell you that Christ became a servant … in order to confirm the promise given to the patriarchs and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. As it is written …’Praise the Lord, all Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him …

                The universal plight and peril of humanity is sin. The universal provision of God for this universal plight is the Gospel of Christ. The Lord Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The universal response of the redeemed on their reception of God’s saving mercy in Christ can only be that of praise and thanksgiving. To praise and to extol are synonyms. Praise the LORD all nations. Extol Him all peoples. Note then Psalm 117’s call to divine worship:-

 

Worship is the declaration by the creature of the greatness of his Creator. It is the glad affirmation by the forgiven sinner of the mercy of his Redeemer. It is the united testimony of an adoring congregation to the perfection of their common Lord. It is the summit of the service of the angels and the climax of the eternal purpose of God for His people. It is mans’ supreme goal here and the consummation of his life in heaven (HA Carson).

 

Secondly, Psalm 117 gives us The Causes of Divine Worship. Praise the Lord … For great is His steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. The Psalmist then is praising God for His steadfast love, sure love and specific love. Great is His steadfast love toward us, he says. ‘Us’ is specific, not general. The Psalmist is saying that he has been ‘loved with everlasting love, led by grace that love to know.’ The wonder of wonders is that the God of the universe actually singles out individual sinners for eternal blessing!

God’s steadfast love  is actually just one word in the Hebrew – the word ‘Hesed.’ Hesed is difficult to translate. It refers to God’s covenant faithfulness; His reliable, dependable love; His grace and mercy; His goodwill and kindness – a love that will not let His people go, but will save, keep and satisfy them for ever. Humbly, we can say that we know more about God’s steadfast love than the Psalmist did, as, unlike him, we have a complete Bible. We know what he didn’t know. The crowning expression and demonstration of God’s love was His sending of His Own Son into the world to procure our salvation. God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). He … did not spare His Own Son but gave Him up for us all (Romans 8:32).

God’s faithfulness cannot be separated from His steadfast love. God’s faithfulness reminds us of the reliability, dependability and loyalty of His love. He will fulfil His everlasting covenant of grace. He will save His people and bring them to glory. We can relay on Him. He cannot be thwarted or frustrated. Great is Thy faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23). ‘His love is as great as His power, and knows neither measure nor end.’

 

Finally, Psalm 117 ends by giving us The Command to Divine Worship. Its final words are a summons: Praise the LORD!

                Divine worship is the highest occupation in which we can engage. For the believer, worship is both a duty and a delight. ‘It is very meet, right and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God …’ (Book of Common Prayer). We owe almighty God an infinite obligation. He is our Maker, Sustainer and Saviour. He alone is great and worthy to be praised. He alone is God. For great is the LRD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods (Psalm 96:4).

It is the worship of God which distinguishes humans from animals and Christians from no Christians. Worship depends on worth – and God’s worth is infinite. It is the heartfelt worship of God which unites the church militant on earth, with the church triumphant in heaven.

So there is Psalm 117. It is the shortest chapter in the Bible, but it will never become obsolete or need to be revised. The redeemed in heaven – a great multitude from all nations – are one with the redeemed on earth in their praises of God. Both can fittingly employ the words of Psalm 117 in its brief but pungent clarion call to worship God, and the reasons for so doing:-

Praise the LORD all nations! Extol Him all peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD!

 

Timothy Cross

Posted by Site Developer in Miscellaneous