Prayer

Keeping Body and Soul Together

Keeping Body and Soul Together

Physical and Spiritual Necessities

 

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).

2. 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

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Darker Days of the Soul

Darker Days of the Soul

When the hour goes back at the end of October each year, the daylight begins to get shorter, and the long, dark nights return once more. I have to confess that, whilst each season of the year has its compensations, this is my least favourite time of the year. A bit of me almost envies those animals that are able to hibernate until the brighter days of Spring! Living in the UK though, we cannot avoid dark days – the days when the clouds don’t go away, and the whole atmosphere seems uninviting and gloomy.

Physical darkness is one thing, but what of the dark days of the soul? How do we cope with the darker seasons of our lives – the times of sorrow and suffering, disappointment, discouragement and depression which come upon all God’s people at some time? Consider the following thoughts from the Bible:-

The Providence of God

The Bible teaches that darkness is part of God’s created order. Darkness therefore – both physical and personal – is not accidental but providential. It is ordered by God Himself. ‘God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions’ (Shorter Catechism). The Bible reminds us ‘While the earth remains … summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease’ (Genesis 8:22). ‘Thou makest darkness, and it is night …’ (Psalm 104:20). And in Isaiah 45:6,7 God Himself pronounces ‘‘I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness …’’ Remembering then that the dark days of our lives are as equally from God as the bright ones makes them much easier to accept. God is on the throne of the universe! He is infinite in His wisdom and love. He knows how to balance both the seasons of nature and the seasons of the soul for our ultimate blessing and His eternal glory.

The Purpose of God

The Puritans used to say that ‘Grace grows in Winter.’ Darkness necessitates our walking by faith and not sight. We do not always know what God is doing in our lives – but He does, and He is infinitely worthy of our trust. With Job we may affirm ‘But He knows the way that I take … What He desires, that He does. For He will complete what He appoints for me … (Job 23:10,13,14). What is dark and puzzling to us is as clear as day to Him Who is all-knowing. Hence David’s confession that ‘even the darkness is not dark to Thee, the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light with Thee’ (Psalm 139:12).

The Presence of God

The Bible assures God’s children that He will never leave them alone in the dark. He is a God of covenant faithfulness, Who stands by His people through thick and thin, through light and darkness. His love will not let us go! There is a well known hymn which includes the lines:-

Days of darkness still come o’er me

Sorrows paths I often tread

But the Saviour still is with me

By His hand I’m safely led.

The comforting presence of God with us in our darkness is surely superior to any explanations. And in His Word God promises ‘I will never fail you nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5). Small wonder then that the promises of God in the Bible are often pictured as a welcome light in a dark place. ‘Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:105). ‘You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts’ (2 Peter 1:19).

The Praises of God

The Bible teaches that it is actually possible to sing cheerfully even in dark times, that is, to delight to continue to give God the praise He alone deserves. He ‘gives songs in the night’ (Job 35:10). ‘At night His song is with me’ (Psalm 42:8). We recall a certain dark, dingy, dirty, dank and disgusting prison in Philippi. Two Christian prisoners were once held captive there. Acts 16:25 though tells us that ‘about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.’ It goes to show that it really is possible to sing during dark and dreary days. The God of the Bible has not changed. He is ‘unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth’ (Shorter Catechism). In dark days He is still the God ‘Who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will’ (Ephesians 1:11). And even in dark days the truth still stands that ‘in everything God works for good with those who love Him’ (Romans 8:28), for His love towards His people cannot be extinguished by any darkness. When we realise these precious truths, a song of praise and thanksgiving is elicited from our hearts. By His grace we may ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (Philippians 4:4). Behind a frowning providence He surely hides a smiling face. So we may trust and praise Him on both cloudy days and clear days, in day time and in the night.

The Pre-eminence of God

Finally, the Bible teaches that, for the Christian, dark days and night time are only temporary. ‘The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day’ (Proverbs 4:18). Christians alone are children of light. ‘He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son’ (Colossians 1:13). On the cross the Lord Jesus suffered both physical, spiritual and eternal darkness. He bore our sins and God’s judgement upon them so that all who believe in Him may bask in God’s eternal light one day. So if we belong to Jesus, better, brighter and glorious times are coming. Yes, this world has its darkness. But in God’s kingdom darkness will be banished, and banished eternally. In God’s kingdom it will always be light. ‘And night shall be no more; they need no light or lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever’ (Revelation 21:5).

So, dear Christian friend, do not be surprised if you experience dark days. They are part of God’s all-wise ordering of the universe. Remember that the Lord Jesus is ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12) and seek His grace to live with whatever circumstances He sends your way. And never forget that brighter days are surely coming, for ‘the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us’ (Romans 8:18). Your testimony will yet be ‘the LORD my God lightens my darkness’ (Psalm 18:28).

Timothy Cross

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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.)

 

This post copyright by Timothy Cross

 

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O Timothy

Timothy

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).

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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).

 

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The Faith of Christ Crucified

 

The apostle Paul takes us to the heart of the Christian gospel when he writes, ‘We preach Christ crucified’. Nothing could be more central and fundamental to the Christian Faith than ‘Christ and him crucified’ (1 Corinthians 1:23; 2:2).

 

But the expression contains an astonishing paradox — a paradox readily understood in the 1st century, but perhaps less so today — for the expression ‘Christ crucified’ contains at the same time both something gloriously wonderful and something indescribably horrible.

 

The Christ of Calvary

 

‘We preach Christ crucified’. The title ‘Christ’ or ‘Messiah’ was one which warmed the hearts of Jewish people. The Old Testament is replete with promises that one day God would send his Special Agent into the world to save his people and put its wrongs to right.

‘Messiah’ and ‘Christ’ both mean ‘God’s anointed’. It has a wide area of meaning and connotation. It speaks of a longed for deliverer and redeemer. It speaks of God’s own prophet, priest and king. It speaks of the ever-blessed Son of the ever-blessed God. It speaks of God’s suffering Servant — ‘Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights’ (Isaiah 42:1).

Jesus’ title of ‘the Christ’ thus speaks of all that is wonderful — the fulfillment of the promises of God; the satisfaction of deep human longing; the deliverance from sin that we so desperately need; God’s own special envoy, sent from heaven to earth on a mission of divine mercy; God’s incarnate Word.

‘Christ’ is a word and a reality of indescribable wonder.

 

The cross of Calvary

 

In our verse, though, the apostle also declares, ‘We preach Christ crucified’. Crucifixion — simultaneously and paradoxically — speaks of all that is horrific and horrendous, for crucifixion was a barbaric and ghastly form of capital punishment invented by the Romans.      It would not have been talked about openly in polite circles. Crucifixion entailed the victim being stripped naked, nailed to a plank of wood, and losing control of bodily functions — of being hung up to die a slow, degrading, agonising death by asphyxiation.

So while Christ is a wonderful word, crucified is a horrible word. It evoked visions of pain and agony; abject misery; screams of horror. It evoked shed blood and broken bodies; public humiliation, scorn and ridicule.

For the Jew, though, crucifixion meant something even worse than the horrors to which we’ve just alluded. It spoke of the very curse of God. The law of Moses was clear: ‘If a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is accursed by God’ (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).

‘We preach Christ crucified’. Here, then, is the paradox which lies at the heart of the Christian Faith. Little wonder that, according to Paul, this gospel of ‘Christ crucified’ was ‘a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles’. Knowing what we know about crucifixion, we can understand why this was so.

 

The comfort of Calvary

 

Why then are Christians so enamored with both the cross of Christ and the Christ of the cross? Why is this the overarching theme of Christian preaching and Christian praise? Paul’s very next verse — 1 Corinthians 1:24 — tells us why.

Having said, ‘We preach Christ crucified’ and stated that this message is a stumbling block (a scandal) to Jews and folly to Gentiles, Paul continues, ‘But to those who are called [that is, enlightened by God’s Holy Spirit] both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God’.

In the crucified Christ, then, we experience the power of God. The blood of Christ shed at Calvary is potent enough to cleanse us from all our sins and make us fit for heaven. Through the divine condemnation of Christ at Calvary we actually escape from divine condemnation, for he has ‘redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us … that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith’ (Galatians 3:13-14).

Christ’s suffering has wrought our salvation; his agony has bought our atonement; his blood has brought our blessing; and his death has secured for us eternal life.

In the crucified Christ we also see the wisdom of God. God has to punish sin, for he is infinitely just. He is incapable of overlooking the slightest infraction of his law. Yet if God condemned all sinners to hell, where would be the mercy and love which is also integral to his nature?

In his wisdom, God solved this dilemma at the cross of Christ. At Calvary, God both condemned sin and pardoned the believing sinner. At Calvary, God’s love and justice met. Calvary then is the supreme manifestation of the divine wisdom — ‘to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus’ (Romans 3:26).

 

The centrality of Calvary

 

‘We preach Christ crucified’. Here, then, is a statement of both wonder and horror. Humanly speaking, the cross of Christ was and remains repulsive. Yet to an enlightened Christian, the cross of Christ is the most attractive of all sights.

Every Christian has experienced the attraction of Calvary and been drawn personally by God to the foot of the cross — enabled by grace to trust the crucified Christ for full and eternal salvation. Jesus actually prophesied that this would be so, for he said ‘I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself’ (John 12:32).

‘Christ crucified’. Christ’s person and work are inextricably bound. His worth affects his work. His divinity secures the vitality of his cross — ‘for by one offering he has perfected for ever’ those he has set apart for himself (Hebrew 10:14).

None but the eternal Son could offer his life as an atoning sacrifice to save sinners. The Bible says there is no other Saviour — ‘There is salvation in no one else’ (Acts 4:12). Nor can there be any salvation that by-passes the cross of Christ. With Thomas Kelly we are constrained to say:

 

We sing the praise of him who died,

Of him who died upon the cross.

The sinner’s hope let men deride,

For this we count the world but loss.

 

Inscribed upon the cross we see

In shining letters ‘God is love’.

He bears our sins upon the tree,

He brings us mercy from above.

 

© Timothy J Cross; originally published in Evangelical Times, reproduced with kind permission.

Posted by Site Developer in Prayer, Providence, Worship, 0 comments

When Illness Strikes

Tablet-pack

I am writing this while recovering from Shingles. I don’t recommend Shingles. It’s painful. I have been prescribed five anti-viral pills a day, plus some strong pain killers, for which I am very grateful. Illness can strike any one of us of course, but is there a Christian perspective on illness?

 

1 Christians get ill

At the risk of stating the obvious, Christians get ill. Whilst we are guaranteed perfect health in the life to come, we are not guaranteed it in the present world, for this world is fallen and imperfect. Sin has affected us totally – spiritually, morally and physically. Christians, although redeemed in soul, are yet part of this fallen world. So we get sick. ‘Epaphroditus … was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him’ (Colossians 2:27). Timothy, we are told, suffered from ‘frequent ailments’ (1 Timothy 5:23). Then in 2 Timothy 4:20 Paul writes ‘Trophimus I left ill at Miletus.’ So Christians are not immune from illness. Illness is not something we want, but it is something we should expect from time to time.

 

2 The Providence of God

Christians are encouraged to view whatever happens to them as coming from the hand of God Himself – including days of sickness – for God rules the universe by His providence. And His providence is all-embracing:-

 

‘God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions’ (Shorter Catechism).

 

If we believe in the God revealed in the Bible, we will believe that nothing happens ‘by chance’, but that everything has been prearranged according to God’s perfect plan. ‘For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things’ (Romans 11:36).  Who are we to order the Almighty as to how He should govern our lives? ‘Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?’ (Job 2:10). Then there is Romans 8:28. The words are familiar to most Christians, but they take on a new reality during a time of difficulty and trial: ‘We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.’ The ‘everything’ here is all-encompassing. It includes our steps and our stops. It includes days of good health, and it includes days of ill health. Nothing lies outside of God’s sovereignty. ‘The LORD has established His throne in the heavens and His kingdom rules over all’ (Psalm 103:19).

 

  • Blessing from buffeting?

 

Whilst we don’t welcome illness, with Romans 8:28 in mind, we can surely expect blessing from times of illness. Psalm 119:71 reads ‘It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn Thy statues.’ But what are the blessings of illness?

Illness forces us to slow down and stop. In Psalm 46:10 God says ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ It is easy to get carried along on the merry-go-round of day to day living – working, commuting, shopping, leisure, emails etc – that the temporal drowns the eternal. Illness forces us to be quiet. Illness brings us to a halt. It is therefore the ideal time to regain an eternal perspective and seek the presence of the God who is the fount of every blessing. ‘Be still and know that I am God.’

Illness teaches us lessons in human sympathy. If we were never ill, we would be in danger of thinking that everyone else should be as fit and strong as we are, and able to cope with our schedule! Illness though brings us down to earth. The Lord Jesus was characterised by sympathy and compassion for others. Illness may thus be sanctified to us, making us more like our Saviour.

Illness reminds us of our human weakness and total dependence on God. We are not self sufficient. Only God is. He is ‘the God in whose hand is your breath’ (Daniel 5:23). ‘In Him we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17:28). It is good – if not always pleasant – to have the pride knocked out of us, and humble ourselves before God, telling Him of our dependence on both His saving and sustaining grace.

 

3 The best is yet to be

Times of illness wean us off the passing things of earth which can clutter up our lives and hinder our walk with God. Illness prevents our getting too comfortable in this world, and makes us long for the age to come promised in God’s Word. ‘The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us’ (Romans 8:18).

Illness is a reminder that even the best Christian is not fully saved! We are saved in soul by the redeeming work of Jesus, but we are not saved in body. Illness, one day, will certainly be no more for the believer, but this full salvation will not be known until Jesus comes again, bringing in the new heavens and the new earth, and raising His people to immortality, in glorified, resurrection bodies. Perfect blessing and bliss will be known only then. Then only will we be able to serve God free from all that hinders and handicaps us now. Then will Isaiah 33:24 be fulfilled: ‘No inhabitant will say ‘I am sick’; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.’

So Christian, take heart! Whatever your circumstances, God is in control. His grace is sufficient, and His grace will yet prove all sufficient for every one of His children.

 

© Timothy Cross, 2016

Image credit, http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/

Posted by Site Developer in Prayer, Providence, Suffering, 0 comments

John Knox on Prayer

John Knox Wikipedia ImageWhen John Knox, the Scottish Reformer, was laid to rest in his grave, the Regent of Scotland said of him ‘There lies he who never feared the face of man.’ This reminds us of the paraphrase of Psalm 34: 9, which reads:-

Fear Him (that is, God) ye saints and you will then

Have nothing else to fear

Make you His service your delight

Your wants shall be His care.

I came across the following gem of a quote from John Knox. It concerns John Knox’s view of prayer. John Knox defined true prayer as:-

 

An earnest and familiar talking with God, to whom we declare our miseries, whose support and help we implore and desire in our adversities, and whom we laud and praise for our benefits received (cited in the Evangelical Times book review of August 2015).

 

Let us ponder and unpack this definition a little further:-

 

Talking to God

 

Prayer is ‘An earnest and familiar talking with God …’ said Knox. If that is true, it is indescribably wonderful and astonishing. If relatively few of us are granted the privilege of an audience with the Queen or the Prime Minister, how on earth can we ever get the ear of Almighty God – He who is the highest, unsurpassed and unsurpassable Authority of all? The Bible’s answer is that we can ‘through Jesus Christ our Lord’ – specifically ‘through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received our reconciliation’ (Romans 5:11). Jesus, by His death on the cross for our sins has reconciled all who believe in Him to God Himself. He has dealt with the enmity and alienation which separated us, namely our sin. ‘He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree’ (1 Peter 2:24). Amazingly, ‘through Him we … have access in one Spirit to the Father’ (Ephesians 2:18). Perhaps even more amazingly, through Christ, we are able to know and address God as ‘Father.’ ‘Adoption’ is one of the Bible’s many synonyms for Christian salvation:-

 

Adoption is an act of God’s free grace whereby we are received into the number and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God (Shorter Catechism).

 

One of the Christian’s ‘adoptive privileges’ is being able to talk to God in prayer, coming to Him confident in His love, just as an earthly child comes to its father.  Prayer then is, as Knox said ‘an earnest and familiar talking with God.’ Christians know Him as ‘Father.’ The word ‘Father’ connotes authority, and the word ‘Father’ also connotes dependence, intimacy, affection and love. The God of the Bible is never reluctant to hear His children’s prayers!

 

Receiving from God

 

Secondly, according to Knox, in prayer ‘we declare our miseries’ to God and ‘implore and desire His support and help in our adversities.’ John Know himself certainly lived through difficult – even perilous – times and circumstances. But he turned to God in his difficulties and knew His help, support and mercy in and through them. Every Christian will also know difficulty and experience troubles. Ease is guaranteed in the next life, but not this life! It is ‘through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God’ (Acts 14:22). Yet in all our difficulties and troubles, we have a God to whom we can turn for help and support. His wonderful invitation still prevails: ‘Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify me’ (Psalm 50:15).

Our God and Father is more than able to deliver us from whatever ails us. If though, in His superior wisdom, He sees fit not to do so, He will surely give us grace to live within the boundaries of the providence He has ordained for us. He has promised ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). Prayer is a chief means of ‘tapping in’ to the all-sufficient sustaining grace of God. Finally, according to Knox, true prayer is also a matter of:-

 

Giving praise and thanks to God

 

When Knox states that prayer entails ‘lauding and praising God for our benefits received’ he was reiterating the teaching and exhortation of Scripture. The Psalmist wrote ‘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’ (Psalm 103:1,2).

If we were to write down on paper all the benefits which almighty God, the ‘fount of every blessing’ bestows on us, we would be in danger of clearing the world of trees! Our God has given us life. Our God has sustained our lives to the present moment. He has fed us, clothed us, protected us and led us. He has bestowed on us infinite earthly blessings – and if we are Christians, we know that He has bestowed on us eternal blessings: the ‘solid joys and lasting treasures which none but Zion’s children know.’ We refer here to ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’ (Ephesians 3:8) – the benefits which accrue to us by the death of Christ at Calvary: the forgiveness of sins, His imputed righteousness, peace with God, the sure hope of eternal life ET CETERA! God Himself is the one ‘whom we laud and praise for our benefits received.’ And when we numerate our blessings, we realise that we have just cause for doing so.

John Knox then knew a thing or two about prayer. His definition is not the final word on prayer, but it is well worth weighing and pondering. Let us have it in full again. True prayer is, he said:-

 

An earnest and familiar talking with God, to whom we declare our miseries, whose support and help we implore and desire in our adversities, and whom we laud and praise for our benefits received.

 

© Timothy Cross

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Apologetics, Prayer, Reformation, Worship, 0 comments

The Dark Days of the Soul

When the hour goes back at the end of October each year, the daylight begins to get shorter, and the long, dark nights return once more. I have to confess that, whilst each season of the year has its compensations, this is my least favourite time of the year. A bit of me almost envies those animals that are able to hibernate until the brighter days of Spring! Living in the UK though, we cannot avoid dark days – the days when the clouds don’t go away, and the whole atmosphere seems uninviting and gloomy.

Physical darkness is one thing, but what of the dark days of the soul? How do we cope with the darker seasons of our lives – the times of sorrow and suffering, disappointment, discouragement and depression which come upon all God’s people at some time? Consider the following thoughts from the Bible:-

 

The Providence of God

 

The Bible teaches that darkness is part of God’s created order. Darkness therefore – both physical and personal – is not accidental but providential. It is ordered by God Himself. ‘God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions’ (Shorter Catechism). The Bible reminds us ‘While the earth remains … summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease’ (Genesis 8:22). ‘Thou makest darkness, and it is night …’ (Psalm 104:20). And in Isaiah 45:6,7 God Himself pronounces ‘‘I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness …’’ Remembering then that the dark days of our lives are as equally from God as the bright ones makes them much easier to accept. God is on the throne of the universe! He is infinite in His wisdom and love. He knows how to balance both the seasons of nature and the seasons of the soul for our ultimate blessing and His eternal glory.

 

The Purpose of God

 

The Puritans used to say that ‘Grace grows in Winter.’ Darkness necessitates our walking by faith and not sight. We do not always know what God is doing in our lives – but He does, and He is infinitely worthy of our trust. With Job we may affirm ‘But He knows the way that I take … What He desires, that He does. For He will complete what He appoints for me … (Job 23:10,13,14). What is dark and puzzling to us is as clear as day to Him Who is all-knowing. Hence David’s confession that ‘even the darkness is not dark to Thee, the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light with Thee’ (Psalm 139:12).

 

The Presence of God

 

The Bible assures God’s children that He will never leave them alone in the dark. He is a God of covenant faithfulness, Who stands by His people through thick and thin, through light and darkness. His love will not let us go! There is a well known hymn which includes the lines:-

 

Days of darkness still come o’er me

Sorrows paths I often tread

But the Saviour still is with me

By His hand I’m safely led.

 

The comforting presence of God with us in our darkness is surely superior to any explanations. And in His Word God promises ‘I will never fail you nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5). Small wonder then that the promises of God in the Bible are often pictured as a welcome light in a dark place. ‘Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:105). ‘You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts’ (2 Peter 1:19).

 

The Praises of God

 

The Bible teaches that it is actually possible to sing cheerfully even in dark times, that is, to delight to continue to give God the praise He alone deserves. He ‘gives songs in the night’ (Job 35:10). ‘At night His song is with me’ (Psalm 42:8). We recall a certain dark, dingy, dirty, dank and disgusting prison in Philippi. Two Christian prisoners were once held captive there. Acts 16:25 though tells us that ‘about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.’ It goes to show that it really is possible to sing during dark and dreary days. The God of the Bible has not changed. He is ‘unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth’ (Shorter Catechism). In dark days He is still the God ‘Who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will’ (Ephesians 1:11). And even in dark days the truth still stands that ‘in everything God works for good with those who love Him’ (Romans 8:28), for His love towards His people cannot be extinguished by any darkness. When we realise these precious truths, a song of praise and thanksgiving is elicited from our hearts. By His grace we may ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (Philippians 4:4). Behind a frowning providence He surely hides a smiling face. So we may trust and praise Him on both cloudy days and clear days, in day time and in the night.

 

The Pre-eminence of God

 

Finally, the Bible teaches that, for the Christian, dark days and night time are only temporary. ‘The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day’ (Proverbs 4:18). Christians alone are children of light. ‘He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son’ (Colossians 1:13). On the cross the Lord Jesus suffered both physical, spiritual and eternal darkness. He bore our sins and God’s judgement upon them so that all who believe in Him may bask in God’s eternal light one day. So if we belong to Jesus, better, brighter and glorious times are coming. Yes, this world has its darkness. But in God’s kingdom darkness will be banished, and banished eternally. In God’s kingdom it will always be light. ‘And night shall be no more; they need no light or lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever’ (Revelation 21:5).

So, dear Christian friend, do not be surprised if you experience dark days. They are part of God’s all-wise ordering of the universe. Remember that the Lord Jesus is ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12) and seek His grace to live with whatever circumstances He sends your way. And never forget that brighter days are surely coming, for ‘the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us’ (Romans 8:18). Your testimony will yet be ‘the LORD my God lightens my darkness’ (Psalm 18:28).

 

Copyright, Timothy Cross

 

 

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Prayer

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

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