Is Our Lord’s Day A Sign?

Posted on by November 10, 2013
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Ezekiel 20:12 –Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.

Another of my occasional “Sabbath” series.

Ezekiel 20 seeded a couple of thoughts for me. One I wrote about yesterday, was about the dangers of ignoring God’s warnings. The second was this one about the significance if the Sabbath — or in the case of a Christian, the Lord’s day — as a sign.

God gave the Israelites the Sabbath to show them three things.
First, the Sabbath is a sign of the adoption of the Israelites as a special people, separated to The Lord. The second is a sign that there are privileges as well as obligations that flow from the law. The Sabbath is a weekly rest, and — perhaps more importantly — a sign of the rest that is to come. Finally, the Sabbath is a sign for the Israelites to use to show to whom they belong. JFB says, “Virtually it is said, all sanctity will flourish or decay, according as this ordinance is observed in its full spirituality or not.”

Let’s translate this to how the Lord’s Day is a sign for us. I have quoted what the Baptist Faith and Message says about The Lord’s Day — but it bears repeating:

The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. Activities on the Lord’s Day should be commensurate with the Christian’s conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

First, the Lord’s Day is a sign of the rising if Christ, and of our adoption and redemption. The second is a sign that for us, too, there are privileges as well as obligations that flow from the law. The Lord’s Day is a weekly rest and — perhaps more importantly — a sign of the rest that is to come. Finally, the Lord’s day should be a sign for us to use to show to whom we belong. For us too, all sanctity will flourish or decay, according as this ordinance is observed in its full spirituality or not.

This is a key question for Myra and me. Could people tell the difference between us and non-Christians if they looked at the things we do and don’t do on Sunday? I think the same must be true for the church in general. We should be challenged to be different, but not exclusive.

There must be a clear line between the world and the church. That line should be especially clear on the Lord’s Day — but I’m not sure that it is ..

Myths and Fables

Posted on by November 9, 2013
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2 Peter 1:16 — For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Myra and I have reached Ezekiel in this year’s trip through the Bible. The last verse of Ezekiel 20 has the prophet saying to The Lord that the leaders of the people are rejecting his warnings as parables. Peter is obviously dealing with the same problem. “Look”, he says, ” we’re not just dealing in fairy tales here”.

The blossoming of the internet has vastly expanded the opportunities for those who want to “discredit” Christianity. Here’s a fine example:

The “Word of God”, far from being inerrant, has ever been a work in progress. Biblical morality is archaic and savage. It reflects a barbarous, pitiless age. The priestly “protection racket” required the criminalizing of the whole of humanity through the doctrine of Sin. The gospel yarn began not with the testimony of a disciple but with the musings of someone who switched the anticipated Jewish Messiah from future hope to “historic past”. (These gems come from a website jesusneverexisted.com)

I’m not seeking to debate the Jesus deniers. Today I am moved by the thought that God doesn’t take attacks on His character lightly. His response to Ezekiel was to give him a second word for the leaders of Israel. They, it might be said, got off lightly — Israel and Judah went into exile but were, eventually, restored.
In Peter’s time, the deniers were a larger group. The Jews, of course, had committed the ultimate betrayal. But now there were the Gnostics, the pagans … God’s response was much more dramatic. Jerusalem was destroyed. “The glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome” crumbled, though it took much longer.
So what of today? Denial is commonplace. Outright mockery is common. What will that mean for us? What is the future like for a society in which it becomes normal to believe that God’s Word is myths and fables and that God’s men are speaking parables — pretty fairy stories with no meaning? I think we can see …

Do you trust your government to do right by you? Don’t hold your breath. Like the evil shepherds Ezekiel describes in Chapter 34 of his book, governments are increasingly devoted to their own interests — and woe to the sheep.
There is no moral principle that is held sacred. What do you care about? Marriage, children, truth, contracts? Be ready to fight for them.
Paul was clear sighted about where we find ourselves when he wrote to the Romans “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:18) And he lays out the consequences a little later in the same chapter — “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (28-32)

Look, there’s nothing we can do to stop this. Most of you reading this have read the Revelation. You know how it’s going to go – but we still have an obligation to do what we can. If you’ve got friends who haven’t got the message yet tell them “the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

It’s not parables, myths or fables.

Just Do It

Posted on by November 8, 2013
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Romans 12:6 — Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

I had a new experience yesterday. I was asked to record a “voiceover” for a video being created by a ministry that Myra and I think well of. I was asked because my English voice will sound a little “different” to an American audience. I am reasonably well-spoken (I’m not being immodest, but acknowledging the gift will help me to make my point — but I can balance the observation by admitting that I’ve been told I have a good face for radio.)
It was such a small thing to do. Less than half an hour of our time. But it made me think about how I react when people ask me to do things.
I have to say I’m generally flattered when people ask me to do something “ministry-related”. I’ll almost always try to say “yes”. Then there are personal requests. Maybe not quite so flattered, but generally willing. Then there’s the little “would you just”s at work … There’s a bit of a tendency to feel put upon when some of those come along!
I started wondering about how I should react, and why I was reacting the way I was. I came to the following Biblically-based conclusions.

  • God has given me some talents. They are for using, not burying. As a general principle, if someone asks for help, I should give it. (Luke 19:11-27)
  • I am meant to be a good steward — of my time, as well as my talents. I should not commit myself to such an extent that I cannot meet those needs that I can reasonably expect to come along. Sometimes that will mean saying “no” — just because I could do something doesn’t mean I should. (Psalm 90:10-12)
  • If I say I will do something, I must do it. (Numbers 30:2)
  • Feeling flattered — or put upon — has nothing to do with anything. Those feelings are probably the enemy at work trying to divert me from whatever I should be doing. (Romans 12:3)
  • Being governed by other people’s expectations, unless I have contractually obligated myself, is just handing over a stick and saying “beat me”. (Titus 2:9)
  • Whatever I undertake to do I should do with all my will, cheerfully. (Colossians 3:23)

    • There’s a proper priority order to our activities. Family first, then church, then work and anything else comes after. Of course not everything in each class has the same importance. But all other things being equal, I need to follow that order. If I do that, God will make it possible for me to prophesy — or at least to witness — to the proportion of the faith given to me in life, work, church and home.

    Giving Marriage A Chance

    Posted on by November 7, 2013
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    Hebrews 13:4 — Marriage is honorable in all …

    This is heavy on my heart just now. I have heard of more than one struggling marriage, and I know that no marriage fails without a bitter fall out.

    Some of you may know that before The Lord introduced me to Myra I had a previous marriage, that failed after thirteen years. Over the years I’ve reflected on why that was, and been blessed by some very good Biblical teaching.

    Did you ever have that feeling … “I wish I could let these kids know now what I didn’t know then.”?
    There are so many things …

    I learned that what the Bible says is true — men need respect, and women needs to be loved. Shaunti Feldhahn has written some wonderful research-based books, starting with “For Women Only”. The books provide statistical support for what the Bible identifies as the biggest emotional drivers we all deal with.

    I learned that love isn’t (just) something you feel, or something you fall into. Did you notice that Jesus never tells us to fall in love, or to be loved? He tells us to love God, and love our neighbors. Love is something we do, not something we fall into. There’s a couple of verses that follow naturally from this — Ephesians 5:21, “submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” and Romans 12:10, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another”. These have really big implications in marriage — Every time I make a decision I have to think, “what works best for my sweetheart?”

    Can I be honest, though? There’s a really big thing that I learned that I haven’t got a really good scriptural reference for. It’s this: Before getting married, talk through the big issues and make sure you’re on the same page before you rush to the altar.

  • Are we both Christians?
  • How are we going to manage our finances?
  • How do we resolve conflict (there will be conflict)!
  • Are we going to have children?
  • What do we think our life will look like in 5 years time…10…20?

    • I know there are many more. (And no, I’m not going to provide answers in this piece).
    I wonder, did you and your spouse (if you are married) sort these things out before you got married? If you’re planning to get married, do you plan to resolve these issues before you do. If you did address the questions, or if you plan to, before marriage congratulations — you are in a minority. Most of us work it out as we go along. Or (as in my first marriage), we never get it worked out!

    In the end it dawned on me that I was making the same mistake as a lot of other people. I was looking for the Bible to answer every question in detail, instead of looking for the principles and applying them. Once the light dawned, I looked for the principle to apply and I found it in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” Now we have to be careful not to point at this verse and say “see, that proves Christians and non-Christians shouldn’t ever marry”. It doesn’t say that specifically. What it does say is that believers shouldn’t habitually mix with non-believers in their regular activities. When we mix our church, family, fun, hobbies and business activities with those of unbelievers we’re asking for trouble. But from the general principle, the particular follows — it’s dangerous to marry someone whose faith doesn’t line up with yours, and who doesn’t think the way you think. If that’s clear, maybe the detailed questions can wait.

    I wish I could share this with the kids … and have them believe me.

    Ten Words

    Posted on by November 6, 2013
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    Exodus 31:18 — And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

    Every day I get a Christian Joke of the day emailed to me. It’s not always really Christian (it’s not always very funny, either!) — but it’s always fit to print. Sometimes it’s a collection of kids wisdom. This one came the other day and really made me smile — and then it made me think:

    Moses came down with the Ten Amendments, which were God’s Bill of Wrongs.” – Susie F., age 7

    How seriously do you take the 10 commandments?
    I must confess I didn’t always take all of them as seriously as I should. Of course I never went around looking for people to kill, or things to steal, or even other men’s wife to commit adultery with. But I was bought into to the general view that “more is better”. I had no problem with coveting, if not my neighbor’s ass, then at least his Porsche or Ferrari!

    When I became a Christian, I began to take a more serious view of things. After all, this was the Word of God, delivered in a personal appearance. I needed to take the “Ten Amendments” seriously and amend some things in my lifestyle. But I still don’t think I really “got it”. Why were some of these — obviously very important — laws so very important?
    My problem was that what I didn’t “get” was the principle that underlies the Ten Words. Now it is often said that the first four commandments are about our dealings with God, and the other six Our dealings with man. In one sense that’s true — but in another, it misses the point. The same principle underlies all ten words, and it’s found in Deuteronomy 6:5, “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

    Let’s consider some of the later commandments in that light:

  • “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” The parent/child relationship is a picture of our adoption by God. Dishonor your parents and dishonor God.
  • “Thou shalt not kill.” God has a plan for every one of us. Unlawful killing is rebellion against His plan. It doesn’t actually defeat His plan, nothing can … But the effort is enough.
  • “Thou shalt not covet”. This is the one that Paul describes as a form of idolatry in Colossians 3:5. As well as that, covetousness is ungrateful, and untrusting. God provides. Who am I to want anything more?

    • I’ve skipped some big ones, of course — but you get the point. Every time we break one of the Ten Commandments, the ten words that make up God’s “Bill of Wrongs”, we are guilty of pride in that we doubt God’s judgment. We are lacking in faith. We are in rebellion. We are not loving God as we should!

    I get it now. The Ten Commandments are vital.

    Christian Confidence

    Posted on by November 5, 2013
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    November 5th, 2913

    Psalm 42:5 — Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

    When we are lonely or depressed, or discouraged, it’s time to meditate on God’s kindness and love, for in the end, our only hope is in him.
    There is a hymn written by a German lady with the wonderful name Catharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel and translated by a Scottish lady, Miss Jane Bothwick. It’s inspired by Psalm 42:5 and Psalm 43:5 – which are actually the same. The first and last verses are:

    Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.?Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.?Leave to thy God to order and provide;?In every change, He faithful will remain.?Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend?Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
    Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise?On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;?Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,?So shall He view thee with a well-pleased eye.?Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine?Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

    The psalmist and the inspired hymn writer both take themselves to task. Those of us who are, from time to time, depressed – and I am one – have some things to consider. I like this list from Albert Barnes (I’ve shortened it a bit!):

  • There are two sides to the events which occur, and which seem so discouraging to us – a dark side and a bright side.
  • In certain states of mind, we are prone to look only on the dark side, to see only what is gloomy and discouraging.
  • This often becomes in a sense voluntary, and we find a melancholy satisfaction in being miserable, and in making ourselves more unhappy, as if we had been wronged, and as if there were a kind of virtue in dejection and gloom
  • We are often guilty, of putting away those consolations which God has provided for us.
  • It is the duty of the people of God to look at the bright side of things; to think of the past mercies of God; to survey the blessings which surround us still; to look to the future, in this world and the next, with hope; and to come to God, and cast the burden on Him.

    • I’m reminded that whenever I’m feeling down, I should be asking myself “why?”. The word “disquieted” is especially evocative. It speaks of the noise that a disturbed and roiling sea makes, a moaning not unlike the growling of a bear. What should I do, instead of wandering around like a bear with a sore head?
    The psalm says what I should be doing — “Hope thou in God”. That is, trust Him, and hope that he will interpose and restore to me the privileges and comforts previously enjoyed. When all other hope fails He can and will aid us.
    “For I shall yet praise him” – I need to remember that troubles will not last forever, and I will have the chance to thank Him again.
    “For the help of his countenance” – I will always be in His presence and He will approve me.
    If the promises in these psalms, beautifully interpreted in the hymn, we’re not enough there are many others in the Bible. Here’s some places to look:

  • Psalm 34:7
  • Jeremiah 29:11
  • John 14:27
  • Romans 8:28
  • 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
  • Philippians 4:13
  • 1 Peter 2:9

    • And one of my favorite scriptures, Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
    “Why art thou cast down, O my soul.” Indeed.

    Transformation

    Posted on by November 4, 2013
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    November 4th, 2013

    Corinthians 3:18 — But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

    On Friday, I wrote about the need to take joy in the journey, and to focus on no destination except the final destination. There are more aspects to journeys though … Keith and Kristin Getty are wonderful purveyors of what I might call traditional hymns with a modern flavor. This morning I heard Kristin Getty singing these beautiful words by Margaret Becker:

    Jesus draw me ever nearer as I labour through the storm. You have called me to this passage,and I’ll follow, though I’m worn.
    May this journey bring a blessing, may I rise on wings of faith; And at the end of my heart’s testing, with Your likeness let me wake.
    Jesus guide me through the tempest; Keep my spirit stayed and sure. When the midnight meets the morning, let me love You even more.
    Let the treasures of the trial form within me as I go – And at the end of this long passage, let me leave them at Your throne.

    It’s that sentence at the end of the second sentence that really fell upon my ear: “And at the end of my heart’s testing, with Your likeness let me wake.” The verse at the head of this piece says so many things … but the message is that we are being changed into the very image of Jesus.
    Some of how we should think about this depends on looking closely at the original language. “by the Spirit of The Lord” could well be translated as “from the Lord the Spirit” — the implication is that the Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus to initiate the transformation in us. Our journey is leading to our transformation into the image of Christ … it is the journey from justification through sanctification to glorification. God said “Let Us make man in Our image”. Our reflection of that image is flawed, but the Spirit of The Lord is taking us on a step-by-step journey back to the image of Christ.

    This is so wonderful to me. I can hardly take it in — but the song says it for me: “May this journey bring a blessing, may I rise on wings of faith; … Let the treasures of the trial form within me as I go”. I pray that any vestiges of pride can be washed out of my character, that I can fully surrender and learn to accept the blessings of the journey to the throne.

    A Good Life

    Posted on by November 3, 2013
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    November 3rd, 2013

    Micah 6:8 — He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

    This morning — almost in a throwaway comment in the middle of a message based on the miracle at the pool of Siloam – our pastor said something along the lines that “the challenge isn’t to give of your best, but do do the impossible”. The reference was to Philippians 4:13 — “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” It reminded me of something I was contemplating in my quiet time this morning.
    The Christian life is deceptively simple. Micah states God’s requirements — deal well with your fellow man, and with God. Paul says, in Acts 24:16 which was the base for yesterday’s piece, that he sought to “have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.” So there is is. Simple. The Christian life is just a matter of keeping right with God and man.
    Even Jesus made it clear how easy it is to live the Christian life. When He was asked which was the great commandment, He laid it out: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37-39). Easy. No! Wait! What does that say?
    “Love God with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy mind”. Just how easy do you find it to be 100% committed to loving God with all of your being all of the time? One of my favorite commentators, William Barclay, puts it like this: “It means that to God we must give a total love, a love which dominates our emotions, a love which directs our thoughts, and a love which is the dynamic of our actions. All religion starts with the love which is total commitment of life to God.” Are you there yet? I have to be honest. I’m not. I want to be, but it might just be impossible. At least, without God’s help it might be impossible — which is where I came in.
    “Love thy neighbor as thyself”. Can I be honest again? There are times when I don’t love myself that much. There are times when I’m not sure some of my “neighbors” are all that likable — never mind lovable! I needs God’s help to see myself, and others, as He sees them. Barclay, again: “… men and women are made in the image of God. It is for that reason that human beings are lovable. … Take away the love of God, and we can look at human nature and become angry at those who cannot be taught; we can become pessimistic about those who cannot make progress; we can become callous to those who are cold and calculating in their actions. The love of humanity is firmly grounded in the love of God.”
    The Christian life might just be impossible without God’s help. Micah nails it. Do justice and love mercy — and look humbly to God for help with the assignment.

    What Will They Remember?

    Posted on by November 2, 2013
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    November 2nd, 2013

    Acts 24:6 — And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.

    In my quiet time recently I’ve been dipping into a book by Harold Sala, founder of Guidelines International Ministries. It’s called “Profiles in Faith: Inspirational Readings Based on Lives of People Who Changed the World”. In one of the profiles he raises the question as to what kind of reputation we will leave behind … what kind of memories will people have of us?
    Some of the great figures in the Bible left wonderful reputations behind them. Consider David, of whom Luke said “… he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”
    Think of Moses. He was described as a man of God, a servant of God and, best of all as a friend of God. Exodus 33:1 says “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” Surely not a bad epitaph.
    There are so many others. Some of them we know very little about. There’s Enoch — all we know of him is in Genesis 5:21-25 and a comment in Hebrews 11:5 that “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” There’s Dorcas whose reputation is encapsulated in a single verse in Acts 9, “Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did.”
    So how about you? What do you want people to remember about you? I’ve been thinking about that myself. I’ve come to what might seem a perverse conclusion. I don’t care what they say about me when I’m gone! Why should I? I’d rather be like Paul and focus on not giving offense to God or man.
    There are some wonderful verses at the start of Chapter 44 of the book called Ecclesiasticus (also known as The Wisdom of Sirach), in the apocrypha. (So for us Protestants it’s not canonical, but it still has a lot of wise words.)
    It starts by praising those who have gone before … but then verses 9 and 10 say “And some there be, which have no memorial; who are perished, as though they had never been; and are become as though they had never been born; and their children after them. But these were merciful men, whose righteousness hath not been forgotten.” Sirach calls out this group — nobody remembers their names, but their good deeds live on. They have no earthly reputation — but I think their heavenly reputations are secure. I wouldn’t mind being in that group! If people remember anything, let them remember any good things I might do. Nobody needs to remember the name …

    Joy On The Journey

    Posted on by November 1, 2013
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    November 1st, 2013

    Luke 24:13-16 — And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

    A year or so ago the wonderful school attached to our church selected “joy in the journey” for a theme. For some reason it popped into my mind when Myra was taking me to work the other day — and a bunch of attached ideas have followed it.

    I think I’m being reminded that there’s only one destination that matters, and that everything else is the journey. All the things in life that seem like end points are really only waypoints — markers that might show direction, but really aren’t destinations.

    Think of Cleopas and his companion, on the way to Emmaus. Did they know that they would have a very special fellow traveller? There’s no doubt that what happened in their journey changed their lives in a way that their arrival at Emmaus never could have done. Then there’s the eunuch from the court of Queen Candace, returning to Ethiopia. His visit to Jerusalem had, perhaps, been a little disappointing — he had not gained the spiritual certainty he was looking for, but the encounter with Philip on the road home brought him all he was looking for, and more!

    It’s not always quite that dramatic though. A few years ago, Myra and I started a very special journey. We were called to serve a ministry we felt passionately about, and were excited to start raising our support so that we could take up our new life. Two years later, we were told that our fund-raising was going two slowly, and we were out. We were devastated. What happened? We never got to the destination. Now I’ll be honest — it still hurts. We are both still mystified about why the Lord started us down that path, but didn’t pull us through. But looking back, I cans see that God gave us some wonderful gifts along the way. We grew much closer. We gained some great friends. We learned a great deal about the lives and struggles of many people we talked with. Perhaps most valuable of all, we learned that our faith could stand up to massive disappointment. I have come to believe that sometimes God sets us on journeys rather than pointing us to destinations.

    Of course we don’t always see the value of the journey. We don’t learn the lessons — not even in hindsight. Like all those Israelites. 40 years in the desert and they still didn’t get it. And that’s interesting to me. When it seems like life’s journey is long and hard, maybe it’s time to look around and see what the benefits are. Are you learning anything, strengthening any relationships, building any character? Rejoice. Take joy in the journey.