devotional

Clinton and Jesus

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In the other night’s third US presidential debate, Clinton and Trump were at it again. If you didn’t listen in, you didn’t miss much mud that hadn’t already been slung. Lord have mercy on America.

In my last post I focused on previous comments made by Trump and compared those to the Sermon on the Mount. I do something similar in this post, this time focusing attention, not on Clinton’s horrifying comments about matters of sexuality, gender and life[1], but on something small Clinton said that was actually [falsely] profound:

I think it’s really up to all of us to demonstrate who we are and who our country is, and to stand up and be very clear about what we expect from our next president, how we want to bring our country together, where we don’t want to have the kind of pitting of people one against the other, where instead we celebrate our diversity, we lift people up, and we make our country even greater.

America is great, because America is good. And it really is up to all of us to make that true, now and in the future, and particularly for our children and our grandchildren.[2]

Now if Clinton meant by “good” Americans are nice people, in many cases I’d agree, I know a lot of amiable Americans. However, what she really meant (which is the naive and optimistic view of humanists) is that humans (in this case Americans) are intrinsically good and that given the right conditions they would truly flourish as good moral beings. Yet, if this were the case [which it is not] America would be much better than it is by now surely, given the time, resources, etc, it has had at its disposal. America is not “one nation under God” nor do they in their totality act on their slogan “in God we trust”; therefore how can it be said “American is good”?

In contrast to Clinton Jesus said, “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Why would he say that if humans were already essentially good or perfect? It is because Jesus acknowledged elsewhere, “No one is good except God alone.” (Mk 10:18). We are not morally good from the outset and can only become so by receiving Christ’s imputed righteousness (2 Cor 5:21) and so receive the sanctifying gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Thes 5:23). It is only then that by God’s grace we can be viewed with favour in His sight, and be so transformed so that when we meet Him He may have mercy upon us and say, “well done good and faithful servant.”

Let’s not be spiritually naive and keep pretending; but spiritually wise in accepting God’s solution for our evident sin.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

[1] Clinton is a huge supporter of the LGBTI agenda and pro-choice.

[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/us/politics/third-debate-transcript.html?_r=0

Donald J. Trump and the Sermon on the Mount

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I must confess, that because of its importance to not only the United States, but the world, I have been following the American presidential election. Like many Christian voters I could not in good conscience root for either candidate. If they are weighed in the balances of the Bible they both come out wanting (c.f. Dan 5:27). Mrs. Hillary is a sly fox, whereas Mr. Trump is an arrogant bear, which is likely why many are bewildered by him but forgot about Hillary. We ought to pray for America, and pray that Christians in that land would look to the Lord for their salvation and not their government (Prov 29:26).

When I was watching the last presidential debate I was struck by how blatantly Trump spoke against Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. When replying to a question about his lewd comments about women he went on the offensive:

TRUMP: It was locker room talk, as I told you. That was locker room talk. I’m not proud of it. I am a person who has great respect for people, for my family, for the people of this country. And certainly, I’m not proud of it. But that was something that happened.

If you look at Bill Clinton, far worse. Mine are words, and his was action. His was what he’s done to women. There’s never been anybody in the history politics in this nation that’s been so abusive to women. So you can say any way you want to say it, but Bill Clinton was abusive to women.[1]

I have underlined the bit that stood out to me, the words that contrast with what Jesus said:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:27-30 ESV)

This also reflects the same principle put forward under a different teaching regarding hatred and violence (Mt 5:21–26).

What Jesus is getting at is that sin is ultimately a heart issue. It doesn’t matter if you don’t act but only think, for “from the heart comes all kinds of evil” (Mt 15:19). This is where Trump is dead wrong, falsely believing that because he only used words (one step further than thoughts) and Clinton acted, that somehow makes him better. According to Jesus that doesn’t cut it.

The solution? How are we to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” (Mt 5:48) even in one’s heart? Part of the intent of the lofty ideals laid down in the Sermon on the Mount is to impress upon us just how imperfect we are, how unrighteous, how sinful, and just how much we need the perfection and the righteousness that only Jesus can give to the one who shows a contrite heart. To that person Jesus promises to transform our hearts by giving us completely new ones! (Ezk 36:26). So let’s stop blaming others and own up for our sinful hearts and seek the Lord.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/10/us/politics/transcript-second-debate.html?_r=0

Rejoice in the Lord always

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Rejoice in the Lord always.

~Phillipians 4:4a~

Ever wonder about the history of the harvest festival? Traditionally harvest was celebrated in church on August 1 to mark the beginning of harvest. It was called Lammas (loaf mass) because of the fresh loaves from new wheat that were presented to the church. Henry VIII abolished this custom. The last day of harvest was September 29, or Michaelmas Day (named after the angel Michael who cast Satan from heaven [Rev 12:7]). Michaelmas used to be a “term” holiday for schools! In the end it was the close of harvest, and not the beginning, that came to be celebrated as harvest the first Sunday in October.

Harvest is a time of rejoicing and of thanking the Lord for the good gifts He has blessed us with (itself a custom falling by the wayside). In the olden days a good harvest was reason to be thankful as it meant food for another year. Today, harvest is an occasion to give thanks for much more than just the harvest and the wonder of creation. We can express thankfulness for family and friends, jobs, wellbeing, etc. Yet we must not forget that the object of harvest—then and now— has never ultimately been the harvest itself or the things we are thankful for. If that is all it is harvest has failed. How silly would it be to rejoice in the gift and forget the gift giver! Ultimately we rejoice in the Lord who is the giver of all good gifts (Jas 1:17), we rejoice in the character and goodness of God. That is how Habbakuk (3:17–19) was able to still praise the Lord even when the physical harvest had failed. When the Lord is our focus we can always rejoice whether we have much or little, beholding the Lord as our all in all.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

A Faith Like Hannah’s

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Today our chronological reading plan has brought us to the book of Daniel. What an incredible book about the sovereignty of God and of His people trusting Him exclusively. These are two truths that the church in exile here in England deeply need to know. The latter point also brought my attention to another great figure of faith outside of Daniel who exemplifies a similar unapologetic faith in the Lord, Hannah.

Hannah’s well known story kick starts the book of Samuel. She is childless (both an old-age security worry but also a burden upon any would be mothers’ heart). As a result she comes to the tabernacle (the temple had not yet been built) to cry out to the LORD (and a priest happens to be watching her):

She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. (1 Samuel 1:10-15 ESV)

Hannah was on a mission, she had an appointment to meet with her God. She was troubled in spirit and poured out her soul before the Lord. In the process she was misinterpreted and chastised for being drunk! Oh how genuine faith is often the subject of scorn by the unbelieving and religious, by those whose jealousy for what Hannah has lead them into spiteful action rather than to adopt a similar posture before the Lord

Today, be like Hannah. Do not be afraid to live out your faith. Live it fully, live it boldly.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

Materialism vs. Christ-centred Contentment

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In the face of the materialist idols Satan so tempts the world of today with, Proverbs 30:8b–9 provides us with great alternative wisdom to the mainstream of 21st century British culture:

Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

Jesus says that it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven because their great wealth can blind them to seeing their physical and spiritual need of Him. Sadly, their wealth can corrupt their souls so they boast not in God but their wealth. On the other extreme is the person who is so poor that they sin by taking what is not theirs. They too fail to trust God to provide and take their salvation into their own hands. What is the best state to find oneself in according to this proverb? It is to have one’s daily bread, to have just enough, to be content (cf. Mt 6:11, 31–33; 1 Ti 6:6–8; Heb 13:5), and more so to be content knowing that if one has Christ they have more than enough.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

It is because of the vast spiritual treasury available to the believer in Christ that Paul could say in Philippians 3:8, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all [material] things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

Unfeeling like fat

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In a recent reading in our Bible plan we came across a verse that may have made you chuckle but when you examine it more closely speaks great truth. Psalm 119:70 says,

Their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.

“Their heart” is referring to the inner disposition of the wicked toward the LORD. Such people are “unfeeling like fat.” Fat by definition is “the naturally oily substance found in animal bodies.” It often protects vital organs and is also used to store unneeded energy for future occasions. If you have ever carved some meat or performed minor surgery you’ll sense the reality behind the saying “unfeeling like fat.” Fat jiggles but that is about it. There are no nerves in fat as there are in other bodily tissues and so fat is without ability to feel. It simply is. Fat is a picture of the heart without God, it is selfish and dead, without any positive spiritual inclination towards God. It is descriptive of every human without a personal knowledge of the LORD and it is a state that cannot be altered unless God graciously intervenes.

BUT! Enter one of the big buts of the Bible, “but I delight in your law.” The verse follows a similar pattern to Eph 2:1-9. Verses 1-3 recall being “unfeeling like fat” and verses 4-9 the gift of grace and faith that enables the dead to be brought to life through Christ so as to “delight in your law.”

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Once the Lord has worked grace in your heart we are enabled to feel, and what we feel is a delight towards the Lord, His word and His ways. One immediately sees the stark contrast between their old life and their new life. Deadness is replaced with life, pride with humility, ugliness with beauty, unfeelingness with delight.

Fat is uncomfortable and the unfeeling hearts of those I know who have not come to know Jesus grieves my heart. They are so cold to the things of the Lord, things that are beautiful, things that give life, things that cause me great personal delight. Chief among the means of grace the Lord has given to the Church is His word. It is a despised piece of dead literature (or at the very best simply a noteworthy piece of human literature to be examined) to those who are as unfeeling as fat, but to those who have been given the gift of faith, the Bible becomes the living word (Heb 4:12). By itself it is just a book but because the Spirit inspired its words He enables those who approach it with fear (Isa 66:2b) and prayer to meet God, know Him, be known, and guided in the way of righteousness. Because the Bible is the word of God, in ever growing degrees, Christians should feel an ardent attachment for all that it contains and represents. We should relish the opportunity to read from it, study it, and hear it proclaimed. It should be to us spiritually what bread is to us physically.

Just the other day as I sat down to read the Bible, and before I had even opened it, the Lord flooded my heart with a passionate delight for His law. I am eternally grateful that the Lord has inclined my heart towards His law, to delight in Him, and that He uses that to shape me to be more like Christ. That degree by degree I am not what I once was but more and more am what I should be.

May you come to delight in the law, and if that is a struggle for you I pray that the Holy Spirit would open your eyes, that you may behold the wondrous things out of His law. (Ps 119:18).

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

Who was Shamgar the Judge?

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Who was Shamgar the Judge?

As we read through Judges we came across a number of famous individuals with well-known stories such as Samson and Gideon. But right near the beginning of the book, which is overall descriptive of “the dark ages” of early Israelite history, we find this passing reference:

After him [Ehud] was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel. (Judges 3:31 ESV)

Who on earth was Shamgar? Why was he remembered? Why does he receive such sparse attention?

Let’s begin with what we know followed by what he might teach us.

Shamgar’s name in Hebrew likely means “sword.” He was the son of a man (or perhaps of a family group) named Anath meaning “answer” [i.e. an answer to prayer]. Taken together these provide a fitting name that links to his role, as a deliverer and judge (there are also possible overtones in his name to the Canaanite culture, which may indicate how Canaanized the Israelites had become).

He is remembered for killing 600 Philistines. The Philistines consisted of a nation along the Mediterranean coast who had arrived in Canaan about the same time as Israel and represented a continual military threat until they were subdued by King David. In an impressive feat Shamgar was enabled by the LORD to strike down 600 Philistines using only a primitive weapon known as an oxgoad.

oxgoad

An oxgoad, or simply a goad, is used with oxen as a prodding tool. Historic examples include those pointed with metal (or not) and also variants that had an additional point which curved backwards developed to maximize the drivers ability to poke the oxen.

Using only this everyday agricultural tool as a weapon, in one battle or perhaps as a tally of all of his encounters, he struck down 600 Philistines and thus provided a measure of deliverance for Israel (though the nature and extent of that deliverance is not presented).

The only other verse that adds information to this story comes in the song of Deborah who tells us that:

In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travellers kept to the byways. (Judges 5:6 ESV)

Life as Israel had known it, a life of peace and prosperity under the rule of and faithfulness to the LORD, had ceased. In its place had come national insecurity and distress.

What then are we meant to take away from these two verses about Shamgar? There are several possibilities but let me elaborate on just one of them.[i] Shamgar obviously did something very great in Israel to the extent that he was remembered as he was. The modest account we are left with struck me as a great reminder that our motivation to serve the LORD should not be to receive a lengthy entry into the annals of the faith but rather to please the LORD, irregardless of whether such service is acknowledged publically or not.

Jesus said as much in Matthew 6:5-6 (ESV):

And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

And similarly a few verses on in Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV) He said again:

And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Believers such as these are truly “unknown, and yet well known…poor, yet making many rich (1 Cor 6:9).

The Lord uses many means, some secret and some public, to bring about his salvation. To some He affords the honour of their deeds being publically acknowledged, while to others He grants the even greater blessing of acts of service being known only to Him in secret.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

[i] Some others might include that Shamgar used what was available to him to serve the LORD and this was sufficient. It also demonstrates how the LORD in His providence uses ordinary people (a farmer like Shamgar) as means to bring about extraordinary works of salvation.

Hanging on His Words

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Palm Sunday is now behind us and we have entered into Holy Week, the week where Christians remember the week of Jesus passion (or the events leading up to His death).

We were reminded of the Easter story by a storyteller who visited us last night to share Barabbas: An Easter Story and as I introduced us to the passage we will be studying this Easter at chapel, Isaiah 53. We also put up a giant cross at our local intersection to remind others that this coming week and holiday weekend are not merely about nicer weather coming (though we are grateful for that) nor simply a coming vacation but rather a time to remember and be affected by the work of Christ.

One that note I wanted to recommend a spiritual discipline that I will be taking up this week in addition to our chapel chronological Bible reading plan. Perhaps this will be something you might choose to join in on our do something similar in the week after Easter focusing on Resurrection passages.

Beginning yesterday with Luke 19:28-40 and the triumphal entry I began reading and meditating upon a passage from Luke’s Gospel that builds up to the cross. To get it all in I have roughly broken these chapters of Luke into a morning and evening reading plan.

Last night’s reading included Jesus cleansing the temple and I was struck by the fact that while the religious leaders’ annoyance of Jesus had grown to a breaking point, still they could do nothing for all the people were hanging on his words (Lk 19:48).

In whatever way you are able to buck the trend of not focusing on Christ this Easter, may we as His people be different from the world, and set the example, in whatever way we choose to observe it, by hanging upon all that Christ did that first Easter.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

Isaiah 53

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This Easter we are going to be studying Isaiah 53. Whether you are a Christian yet or not this chapter should change your life forever! Here is why. It is the best known Old Testament prophecy written about the coming Messiah. Though written hundreds of years before He ever lived, died or rose again, it predicts the life of Jesus and the events of Easter perfectly. What are the odds of that!
Speaking of odds did you know that the odds of …Odds
 Becoming an astronaut are 13,200,000 to 1
 Becoming a pro-athlete are 22,000 to 1
 Being injured by fireworks are 19,556 to 1
 Getting a hole in one are 5000 to 1
 Having twins are 90 to 1

But the odds that only eight of these prophecies from Isaiah 53 were fulfilled in Jesus are 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 to one, or 1 in 1017! That is incredible! It would take the same number of two pound coins to cover the state of Texas. Now imagine walking out into the middle of the state and picking up the correct coin. What would be the odds?
Jesus said He did all He did to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah so we might come to acknowledge he was crushed for our transgressions for all we like sheep have gone astray.
That Jesus fulfils this prophecy against all odds attests to the Divine inspiration of the Bible and confirms that Jesus was who He said He was, the Son of God and Saviour of the world.
As we approach Easter may this divine precision cause us to marvel at God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ. May the believer marvel and the sceptic come to believe. The fulfilment of this prophecy against all odds makes up the undeniable case for Easter and a sure reason to celebrate.
Happy Easter!
Pastor Chris

Morning by Morning

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As I cycled into chapel this morning, a routine I regularly look forward to, I was delighted to feel the brisk English morning rush against my face and sense the sunshine beaming down (November and December were mostly rainy with a village in Wales counting 81 straight days of it). This morning, however, was -1 degrees Celsius. It was absolutely refreshing, even if my eye lashes froze, at least to a Canadian living in the land of the warm. The sun shone down across the fields glistening with the morning frost. What could be more beautiful?

20160119_092318[1]

[the field beside Cromhall Chapel]

I was reminded of the lyrics from the refrain of an old hymn:

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”   Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—     “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

Those words are taken from Lamentations 2:22-24:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

They are new every morning;

Great is your faithfulness.

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

What fantastic truths! I do not know what you woke up to today or what awaits us throughout the coming hours but I do know this. As we hope in Him, the LORD’s faithfulness is behind us, beside us and before us and so we can go confidently into this new day trusting He will be our portion.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris