Labor Day

Posted on by September 2, 2013
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September 2, 2013

Ecclesiastes 3:22 — Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

Labor Day. Ironic, in a way, that a holiday should be called “Labor Day”.

Labor Day has an interesting history. Some trace its beginnings to the socialist Robert Owen, who claimed May 1, 1833, as the day for the beginning of the millennium. But the first May Day or Labor Day celebration occurred in Paris on May 1, 1889. Most of the countries that observe a labor day do so on May 1. In the Soviet Union it is an official holiday. Canada and the United States have fixed the first Monday in September as Labor Day, and in these countries it is a national holiday in which all classes, not simply workingmen, participate.

The official line on Labor Day in the USA is that it is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886 Congress finally passed an act on June 28, 1894 to make the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

So what’s the Biblical perspective? How might we use this special day to praise God?

  • I thank God for the foundation of work. On this one, I’m following the official line. The social and economic achievements of American workers have created the foundation on which those of us working now can build. I would be ungrateful indeed not to acknowledge it.
  • Personally, I thank God for the gift of work. Work adds extra purpose to my life. Now you might say that to worship The Lord and love my family should be purpose enough — but there is an added dimension when I work.
  • I thank God for the ability to work. I am not a practical man. My hands are not gifted. I would be denying God’s generosity, however, if I denied that He has given me a brain, and creativity and imagination. I can work.
  • I thank God for the fruits of work. By His goodness, I am able to provide for myself and Myra, to contribute to our church, and occasionally to support other good causes.

    • With all that I have to be grateful for, I do not simply follow the Preacher and say that there is no more for me to do than to rejoice in my own works, not knowing what shall be after me. That is the world’s perspective — “eat, drink, and be merry – for tomorrow we die.” Time after time, the Preacher repeats that he is describing how it is “under the sun” — in the world. But as a Christian I don’t live in the world, under the sun. I live under the headship of Christ, and that adds two perspectives to my view of work …

    First, I know that the work, the ability to work, and its fruits, may be temporary. They may all be gone tomorrow. It does not matter. I don’t depend on them. My dependence is on God. He will provide for me, and if ever I forget that I’ll be in big trouble.
    Second, I don’t need to worry about what will come after me under the sun. When I got saved I stopped worrying about the future. Certainly I’m going to have troubles in this life. They could be horrible. Being a Christian doesn’t prevent that. If you think it does, try reading 1 Peter for a reminder. But it does change the game. After this life I have a great eternal future — because of the saving work of Jesus Christ.

    So that’s my take on Labor Day. I am grateful for all it represents under the sun. But much more, I am grateful that a Christian view of work places it under the Son!

    Do You Love The Lord’s Day?

    Posted on by September 1, 2013
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    September 1, 2013

    Leviticus 19:3 — Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

    Let me say at the start that in this devotion I do something I generally shy away from. I am taking something that was clearly given to the Jews and applying it to today’s church, and what is more, reinterpreting an ordinance for the Jews into one for us. If you feel that applying many of the commands commonly applied to the Lord’s Sabbath to the day we now observe as the Lord’s Day, perhaps we must part company for today, and I will hope to see you back tomorrow!

    The command to keep the Sabbath Day holy is often repeated, and Sabbath-breaking severely punished. The man who left the camp to gather sticks on the Sabbath was stoned to death — you can see the story in Numbers 15:32-36. But The Lord’s Day is not some fearful day of obligation, but a day to be loved and cherished — Jesus Himself said “The Sabbath is made for man, and not man for the Sabbath”. Here are some other things to know about it.
    Keeping the Lord’s Day is a mark of God’s people. We are often reminded of the instruction recorded by the writer of Hebrews not to “forsake the assembling of ourselves together” but we also find in Hebrews 4:9 that “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”
    The Lord’s Day is a blessing to His people. We find it so described throughout the Bible, from Genesis to the Revelation. Isaiah 58:13-14 makes the promise glorious:
    If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord;
    There is a special reason to love the Lord’s Day. It’s the Lord’s Day! Robert Murray M’Cheyne put it this way …

    All days of the year are Christ’s, but He hath marked out one in seven as peculiarly his own. “He hath made it,” or marked it out. Just as He planted a garden in Eden, so He hath fenced about this day and made it his own. This is the reason why we love it, and would keep it entire. We love everything that is Christ’s.

    There was time Myra and I didn’t take care of the Lord’s Day the way we should. Over time we became convinced that is was our duty to obey the Bible’s teaching. As we obeyed, so we fell in love with with what we were obeying. Do you love the Lord’s Day? If you’re not taking proper care of the Lord’s property, maybe now’s the time to start. I promise you’ll fall in love as well.

    The Time Is Now

    Posted on by August 31, 2013
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    August 31, 2013

    Luke 12:20-21 — But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

    The word yesterday was “straightway”. Today’s word is almost the same — it is “now”. Do it now! Yesterday I talked about the urgency with which some of our role models attacked the challenges of life. Truly, imitation should be a motivating factor but there is another — imminence. There are things that may happen at any time and if they do we will have no more chances to do the right thing.

    The first imminent circumstance is our own death. I know it’s not necessarily a cheerful thought but our lifespans are limited. At any moment we, like the rich man in Luke’s Gospel, might find our souls being required of us.

    The second imminent circumstance is our judgment. James reminds us in his letter that “the judge standeth before the door”. Jew or Christian, saved or not, death is followed by judgment. There are no exceptions.

    The third imminent circumstance is the return of Christ — first to gather his church to him and take it to heaven. In the Revelation He promises the church in Philadelphia “Behold, I come quickly”. Then, as Paul writes, “We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
    The last imminent circumstance I want to mention is the end of days. Peter tells us “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” A wonderful and terrible warning — and wonderful advice of what to do about it! The Lord Himself confirms the warning in the Revelation, saying to John “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”

    There are other prophecies of imminent events. All of them will be fulfilled soon. You can rely on it. But don’t waste your time trying to pick the exact date to put in your calendar. Nobody knows the day or the hour.

    So there it is. The end of times, or the rapture, will be soon. Our own death may be sooner. So what are we supposed to do? Don’t waste any time. There are tasks crying out for our attention. We are called to witness, to give, to help, to work, to minister. There is no guarantee that any neglected opportunity will come again.

    Do it now!

    Straight Away!

    Posted on by August 30, 2013
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    August 30, 2013

    Mark 1:18 — And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

    Straightway — ???????? (eutheos) in Greek — at once, immediately, straight away. It’s a key word in Mark’s Gospel, and it should be a key word in a Christian life.

    I love the Bible. But there is so much of it that I find there are times when I find myself spending a lot of time in one part and neglecting others. I sometimes visualize it as a vast and wonderful landscape — the mountains of Isaiah, the refreshing waters of the Psalms … the long road through Kings and Chronicles. The Gospels are great cities, each different in character, looking towards the great and glorious city that is the Revelation. (Hint to parents and Grandparents, don’t you think modeling that landscape would make a great kids project?)
    This morning I found myself in a neighborhood I hadn’t been in for a while. In the Gospel of Mark, at the beginning.

    The Gospels, those four great cities of The Word, each have their own character and perhaps a special audience:

  • Matthew’s is the Gospel of the legend, that places Jesus, the Messiah firmly in His Jewish heritage. It tells of the coming of the King and His rejection “by his own”.
  • Luke’s is the Gospel of ideas, perhaps written especially to the Greeks, who loved to have their ears tickled with new ideas!
  • John’s is the Gospel of mysteries and love, for the mystics everywhere, but perhaps for those from the East.
  • Mark’s is the Gospel of action — especially, perhaps, for the Romans. It speaks especially of Jesus the man, the very human God-man.

    • Mark starts right in with the action — not for him preludes of genealogy or creation or even the circumstances of Jesus’s birth. Straightway to the action! Once the action starts it never stops. Just read through the first chapter of Mark and see how many times “straightway” or some variation occurs. See how Simon and Andrew left their nets — straightway. Reading it again today made me think about Jesus. How many times did He wait to do the right thing until He felt like it? How many times did He leave it until the “right moment”. I can’t find many. Actually I can’t find one — because, of course, He didn’t! But I do … Do you?

    I’ve always been thrilled by the pace of Mark’s Gospel, and missed the point behind it. Christians should be “straightway” people. If the opportunity to witness presents itself, witness at once. If the Holy Spirit says “Repent”, don’t wait. If somebody needs prayer, oh don’t say “I’ll put you on my prayer list, I’ll pray for you” — Be instant in prayer!
    If somebody needs help, do it now.
    Join the straightway club.

    How Does That Work?

    Posted on by August 29, 2013
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    August 28, 2013

    Job 2:10 … What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? …

    How does that work? A Pennsylvania girl is struck down with a horrible disease, but it looks like she might survive. A Florida boy contracts an awful illness and dies. How come some innocent children get these things and others float through childhood with never a scratch? How come Sarah Murnaghan gets a lung transplant and Zachary Reyna gets to be an organ donor after his brain is destroyed by a brain-eating amoeba? Are you ready for my answer?
    Here it is. I don’t really know!
    I do know that the answers usually offered to those who are suffering, or whose loved ones are suffering, are not much help. Even when Biblically sound, they are without value unless addressed to those of solid faith. Often the only proper response is to “weep with them that weep” as Paul directs in Romans 12:15. We are created with a sense of eternity. The loss of a loved one leaves a gap in our lives which seems unnatural and painful — even when we know that they have been removed to a better place. It can seem so much worse when joy and suffering seem to strike randomly and the platitudes people offer to mask their own discomfort don’t really help. Believing jthis, I offer what follows not as a consolation, or suggestion about how to give it. It is just my way of dealing with suffering and loss.
    I do believe Job had it right. Faith is not a ticket to fortune. We cannot expect God just to be a provider of “good things”. But I do believe that what we receive at His hand is intimately related to His character. There are three things I believe about God. He is all good. He is all powerful. He is all knowing. Somehow, suffering flows from that.
    Applying our beliefs to the seeming randomness of life leads me to some slightly uncomfortable conclusions.
    Firstly, none of the terrible things that happen take God by surprise. An all knowing God knows what is going to happen.
    Secondly, God could prevent any of the appalling things that happen to our loved ones. He is all powerful. Earthquake, plague, famine or fire, accident, sickness, death … God could prevent them all.
    Lastly, as God is all good, whatever happens must in the long run be for the best. There can be no better eternal alternative. He chooses to allow things to happen. They are, at the very least, permitted. It is in that part of the nature of God that I feel the deep truth lies. God possesses and grants free will.
    An all-protecting God could wrap us in cotton wool and keep us from all earthly harm. He could only do it at the expense of denying us the ability to choose eternity. We would come to take safety for granted, and miss the need for salvation.
    The painful truth, to me, is that suffering, modeled by His son, is yet one more gift from a loving God to an eternal family.

    How To Be A Lover

    Posted on by August 28, 2013
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    August 28, 2013

    Ephesians 5:25 — Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

    I love musicals. Oldish ones — the ones with plots, tunes, and good songs. I don’t mind if they’re sentimental nonsense. I’m soft enough to go along with the flow. So I’ve got a soft spot for “Camelot”, even if it is more than 40 years old. There’s a song in it that really speaks to my soft spot, sung by Arthur and Merlin:

    “How to handle a woman? There’s a way,” said the wise old man, “A way known by ev’ry woman Since the whole rigmarole began.”
    “Do I flatter her?” I begged him answer. “Do I threaten or cajole or plead? Do I brood or play the gay romancer?”
    Said he, smiling: “No indeed. How to handle a woman Mark me well, I will tell you, sir: The way to handle a woman Is to love her…simply love her… Merely love her…love her…love her.”

    It’s not often, nowadays, that a Broadway Musical takes such a Biblical line.
    Now Myra and I are flattered that many people who see us know that we’re in love. But sometimes people ask how we manage it. So just in case you don’t know — or you’ve got someone you want to get a clue — here’s a guide to our secrets!
    It starts by working at it! We know that love is not something that happens to you, or something you fall into, it’s something that you do. We work at it.
    The next thing is communicating. All the time. An interesting challenge and one I’m not very good at. There are three parts to communication. Listening up, speaking up, and shutting up! Knowing when to be quiet, and knowing when to listen is important. But also — especially challenging for us men — you have to be ready to talk about things you really don’t want to talk about.
    Be ready to be wrong, sometimes even when you’re right. Infallibility is very irritating. If you’re a man, especially, be prepared NOT to solve problems and not to provide answers.
    Never let the sun go down on your wrath. Another verse from Ephesians — 4:26 this time: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath”. It’s harder than it looks. Settle your arguments before you sleep. We’ve had a few late nights … but by God’s grace, so far, we have never slept with an invisible wall of silence separating us.
    Don’t insist in your own way. Another wonderful, and neglected, scripture — “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another;” (Romans 12:10).
    There. That’s not so hard is it? There’s probably a bit more to it. Picking the right person has something to do with it, for sure! I know I was really blessed in that department.
    Kiss. Hold hands. Say the words …
    Oh … and one more thing — The way to handle a woman Is to love her…simply love her… Merely love her…love her…love her.”

    Stay On Your Perch

    Posted on by August 27, 2013
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    August 27, 2013

    Proverbs 3:1,4 — My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

    What do you do when your world is rocked — and not in a good way? It happened to me today. I was told that I had upset a customer by something I’d said. Now the fact is, I hadn’t. And even if I had, you would find it really hard to understand why anybody would be so upset by what I am supposed to have said. I’ve been prevented from approaching the customer and trying to deal with the issue … and the whole thing might turn ugly enough that I lose my job over it. But that’s not the point.
    How do you react when your world is rocked? I’m working through it. I was initially very distressed, and I’m still pretty upset. But aren’t I supposed to be joyful in all circumstances? I was talking with Myra as we drove home. “It’s natural,” she said, “your perch has been shaken. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t react.” That seems true. I thought about some Biblical heroes who definitely wobbled when there perch was shaken.
    Take Elijah. He was definitely a hero. In 1 King 18 he despatched the prophets of Ba’al in one swoop. What happens next? In the very next chapter we find him heading for the hills as Jezebel threatens his life. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
    Then there’s Peter. One of my all time heroes! He goes from hero to zero in no time flat (well, from Mark 14:31 to Mark 14:72 anyway!) He goes from swearing eternal loyalty to denying all knowledge of Jesus in less than a chapter …
    So it seems that even the Biblical greats were shaken when there worlds were rocked. But what happened next? Elijah rallies and faces down Kings Ahab and Ahaziah and calls down fire from heaven 50 soldiers at a time. Peter goes on to be the rock on which the church is founded and finds a martyr’s death.
    How did the heroes of old steady themselves when life wobbled their perches? That’s the clue I’m looking for. I think I’ve found it in the “journal” of a man whose world was rocked more than most. The psalms of David show us how he reacted under pressure. Take Psalm 3, for instance, when Absalom drove him out of Jerusalem —

    Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

    Thou, O Lord, are a shield for me … I will do my best to keep your commandments and trust you for the outcomes of the events of my life.

    Pay Back!

    Posted on by August 26, 2013
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    August 26, 2013

    2 Timothy 1:2, 2:2 — To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. …
    And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

    Did you ever start a Bible study, and as you got on discovered it wasn’t working out? I saw a note about Moses in a commentary on Exodus. I saw another note about Joshua. They seemed to go together … So I started a word-study about a word that seemed to mean “babe” or “young man” and also carried a sense of “vulnerable … Needing care”. As I dug in, though, I found the words were not the same at all. But something was still tugging at me …
    Yesterday, our High School Pastor preached a fine sermon on the first chapter of 2 Timothy. For the record, his point was about relighting the fire inside us. But somewhere along the way it reminded me of my word-study to nowhere. The threads came together around the notion of mentoring.
    Have you been mentored? Have you been a mentor? I haven’t been on either end of a formal mentoring.
    relationship and I know that I have missed out.The best I can offer is some time spent nurturing younger colleagues — some of who, I’m glad to say, have passed well beyond me. But I’m conscious of a failed responsibility.
    There are some good examples of mentoring relationships in the Bible. The best is probably Paul and Timothy — which is where the words at the start of this devotion come from. There are others, though. Another is Moses and Joshua. That might be an even better example because Joshua did pass on to Caleb what he had learned from Moses. Then there’s Elijah and Elisha. Mentoring involves the mentor working, and often sacrificing, to benefit the one being mentored. It involves loving and having faith in the value of the one being mentored. Elijah was the supreme Old Testament example. Look at his briefing: “And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel–meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.” (1 Kings 19:15, 16 KJV).
    There is One, of course, who was the Great Mentor. Jesus was more to His disciples than their Rabbi, their teacher. He was the friend, their servant, their master and their mentor. Read, especially, the Gospel of Mark, and see how intentionally he mentored Peter.
    With all those great examples in front of you, if you get the chance to be a mentor, please grab it. The pay is small, but the rewards are great!

    Destination Station

    Posted on by August 25, 2013
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    August 25, 2013

    Ephesians 5:23 — For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.

    Last week I was occupied by thoughts of the Last Judgment. I want to start this week with what comes after — with heaven. I’m thinking that my theology might not be defensible — but my heart is leading today, not my head!
    Have you ever thought what place you will occupy in heaven? Myra and I do, from time to time. It’s a light-hearted discussion. Perhaps we are not serious enough, but have you ever wondered about it?

    Mrs Cecil Frances Alexander’s hymn, “All Things Bright And Beautiful” was first published in 1848. It is said that the intent was to cast light on the opening of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” That’s not my focus today though. It occurred to me in the light of my theme …
    I have a soft spot for the third verse. It’s politically incorrect, I suppose, nowadays — some of you might even think it positively Un-American! The English Inner London Education Authority — a generally socialist bunch — actually banned it in 1982! It goes like this:

    The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate, God made them, high or lowly, And ordered their estate.

    Now perhaps these sentiments won’t do for today’s world — but I think they say something very real about heaven. There are ranks in heaven, and we shall each have our allotted place (and be happy in it, of course).
    In 1883, 35 years after Mrs Alexander’s hymn was published, a chap called John Eadie wrote, in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians,

    All that we know is, that there is foundation for the main idea—that there is no dull and sating uniformity among the inhabitants of heaven—that order and freedom are not inconsistent with gradation or rank—that there is glory and a higher glory—power and a nobler power—rank and a loftier rank, to be witnessed in the mighty scale. As there are orbs of dazzling radiance amidst the paler and humbler stars of the sky, so there are bright and majestic chieftains among the hosts of God, nearer God in position, and like God in majesty, possessing and reflecting more of the Divine splendor than their lustrous brethren around them.

    Mr. Eadie was writing about the angels, of course, but I can’t help thinking it applies with just the same force to us. Ephesians 5:23 says “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” It describes an order. Order is the very essence of the Kingdom. For each one of us there will be a perfect place. God will make us high and lowly, and order our estate!

    Judgment Failed?

    Posted on by August 24, 2013
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    August 24, 2013

    Genesis 1:28 — And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

    My mind has been running on judgment and testing this week. Perhaps it’s fitting that at the end of the week it has run on to the last judgment.

    I fear the last judgment. Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t. You should fear it too.
    I don’t fear punishment. I fear that there are rewards piled up for me that I will never claim. But much more than that I fear the lacerating pain of the look in my Father’s eyes as He explains to me where I missed His best for me … where I failed to follow Oswald Chambers hint to offer my utmost for His highest.

    I’m starting to feel that God’s instructions in Genesis are one subject I’m going to fail in the final exam. God gave Adam and Eve two instructions — have children, and manage the earth. Well, I’m not to worried about the children bit … that’s really not in my control! It’s the other part that worries me. I can’t help feeling that we’re doing a terrible job of looking after the garden! Now, I don’t feel that it’s my job to fix it all. But I’m saddened when I think of England where I was born. It might once have been William Blake’s “green and pleasant land” but once, long ago, it was a land of mysterious forests where wolves, bears and stags roamed. I’m saddened when I think of this beautiful state of Florida in which I live today. It’s beautiful but dreadfully scarred. We have all but driven the Florida panther into extinction, and the manatee population is recovering only slowly. It is only now that the foolishness of draining the Everglades is being recognized … Was this really what God meant when He told us to subdue the earth and have dominion over every living thing that moved? Elsewhere, the Brazilian rain forests — vital lungs for the world – are being cut down, and we are in danger of driving the great apes, the tigers, and the lions into extinction.
    “Now hang on”, I hear the kinder amongst you say, “that’s not your fault Ian. You can’t be expected to take responsibility for all that.” Well, maybe not. That would be taking a grand view of myself. But I’m wondering what I should do — because I don’t think doing nothing is helping.

    So I fear the sadness of the last judgment. But it’s still a joyful kind of fear — because I have a promise to hang my hat on! In Isaiah 54:10 The Lord says, “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.” No matter how much of a mess we get His world into, God is never going to stop loving us … but we might be missing the fullness of what He wants to give us.