The Folly of External Beauty: Lessons from Isaiah 3

Posted on by Adrian Clark
Woman in worn, tattered clothing standing solemnly behind a sign that reads Jerusalem Day of Reckoning

“The Lord says, “Beautiful Zion is haughty: craning her elegant neck, flirting with her eyes, walking with dainty steps, tinkling her ankle bracelets. So the Lord will send scabs on her head; the Lord will make beautiful Zion bald.” On that day of judgment, the Lord will strip away everything that makes her beautiful: ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and veils; scarves, ankle bracelets, sashes, perfumes, and charms; rings, jewels, party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses; mirrors, fine linen garments, head ornaments, and shawls.”
Isaiah 3:16-23 NLT

What was going on in Judah? The previous verses in Isaiah 3 paint a picture of corrupt leadership, oppression of the poor, arrogance, social disorder, and, sadly, spiritual rebellion against God. But now Isaiah turned to the “daughters of Zion”, referring to wealthy and influential women in Jerusalem who reflected the culture’s pride and luxury. In his vision, Isaiah described Zion, Jerusalem, as being like one of the affluent women who resided there, a woman who flirted with her eyes, with a mincing walk just sufficient to bring attention to herself with the tinkling of ankle bracelets, and he went on to describe a long list of their possessions. So the woman could be seen to be wealthy, obsessed with outward appearance, and oozing with excessive luxury. 

But Isaiah continued the next section with “On that day of judgement”. All the woman’s finery would disappear when the Lord stripped everything she owned away. And he related all of this to his beloved Jerusalem, the city on the hill that he loved. So much in Jerusalem was just like this woman, full of luxury and finery, but none of it would survive the judgment of the Lord. 

What was going wrong? The people of Jerusalem had become guilty of the sin of pride, outwardly beautiful but spiritually impure. The warning was that external elegance could not save a society that was morally collapsing. The people were cultivating an image of luxury and pride in its appearance while ignoring justice and holiness. They had forgotten verses like 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’”. God doesn’t look at how people present themselves externally. He looks directly into what is in their hearts, what they are thinking and how they view God and the people around them. Jesus warned the people about the Pharisees in a lengthy discourse in Matthew 23. Here is a selection of verses that record what He said, “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. … What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! … Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23: 5, 25, 28). 

For Christians, God’s people, today, does that mean we must dress sombrely and even poorly, without jewellery or any other embellishments? In days past, religious groups such as the Puritans dressed in sombre colours with styles designed to be modest and unrevealing, and there is nothing wrong with that unless it becomes an obsession. The Bible never forbade finery, with Rebekah being blessed with “… a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists” (Genesis 24:22b). The virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 “… dressed in fine linen and purple gowns” (Proverbs 31:22). And of course, we mustn’t forget Lydia in Acts 16. The issue is when appearance becomes an idol, luxury becomes pride, and wealth blinds people to justice and to God.

Peter wrote, “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewellery, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God” (1 Peter 3:3-4). Isaiah 3 speaks powerfully to modern culture, obsessed as it is with image, status symbols, social media presentation, consumerism and valuing appearance above character. If we pilgrims are caught up in any of this, perhaps we should pause and ask, “What are we really trusting in”? Another question perhaps is “How much energy are we expending in our outward appearance or the way we present ourselves, to the neglect of God and His Kingdom”? For the woman in Jerusalem, Isaiah had a stark reminder that beauty fades, and status could disappear at a stroke. The message to both them and us today is that Godly character lasts forever.

Dear Heavenly Father. A sober reminder today about our relationship with You and how so many worldly and temporal things can get in the way. Please forgive us for our pride and arrogance, and lead us in better ways, we pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Heavenly Courtroom

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“The Lord takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people. The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: ‘It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.”
Isaiah 3:13-15 NIVUK

A courtroom scene emerges in Isaiah’s vision, and the people are in the dock. Initially, the Lord “enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of His people”. And the indictment includes vineyard ruining, plundering the poor people in the land, “crushing [God’s] people” and “grinding the faces of the poor”. Isaiah’s vision was presented with non-legal, pictorial language, and we have to unpack it to determine what the charges meant for the Judahites.

Firstly, the vineyard referred to God’s people, those who were governed and led by the “elders and leaders”. It has been estimated that there were about 100-120 thousand people in Judah at that time, people mainly involved in various forms of farming, and in Jerusalem, there was a royal administration and religious institution from which the people were governed. But according to Isaiah’s vision, they weren’t doing what they were supposed to do very well at all. In fact, it was worse than that because the vision continued with a reference to plunder. Instead of protecting God’s people from harm, these leaders had become the harm. They were the ones who had devoured the people’s resources. This could mean that they had taken the food from the people as a tax. The shocking statement regarding the “plunder from the poor” meant that the leaders had taken what little the poor people had into their own homes. Instead of protecting the poor, they were using their power to take from those who already had so little to provide for their own households.

The next part of the vision was perhaps inspired by the picture of a mill, grinding grain into flour. The kernels of wheat or some other cereal would have been crushed and ground between large and heavy millstones, and the Lord became indignant, angry even, with His charge that the elders and leaders were doing exactly the same to the people of Judah. We can imagine that Isaiah’s vision would not have been very popular with the higher echelons in Jerusalem!

So what do we pilgrims make of all this? Here in Western societies, there is not the same theocratic or authoritarian form of government that was present in Judah, Israel or most other nations at that time. Even today, there are authoritarian governments subjugating their people, such as in China or North Korea, Iran and elsewhere. Although some limited attempts at democracy emerged early in the 6th Century BC in Greece, modern democracies didn’t appear until the 18th Century. So there is not the same opportunity to suppress people as in the way they were treated in Isaiah’s vision, at least in nations such as the US and UK. But having said that, people in the West are arguably treated unfairly in more subtle ways, through unfair laws and taxation systems. Mostly, these are meant to ensure social cohesion, but they can be applied excessively. 

But the Lord gets angry if a country’s leaders treat their ordinary citizens unfairly. In Romans 13, Paul exhorted the Roman Christians to fully obey the authorities. He wrote, “For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4). But does that include the same level of obedience to a corrupt leader or government? Are they God’s servants as well? 

As we can see from the courtroom example in our verses today, there will come a day when bad leaders will have to face God’s judgement, and it will be a time of terror that precedes eternal punishment. But that doesn’t let the people off the hook, because they, too, can behave badly and will end up facing God’s judgement. We pilgrims are responsible for the way we treat others, so we put love at the forefront in our interactions with others. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” … And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37, 39). Who is my neighbour? Well, Jesus answered that question in the parable of the Good Samaritan, as being the person who showed mercy to the man mugged and injured by thieves. Everyone we meet in our daily lives comes into the category of “neighbour”, and we treat everyone with respect and love in a way that shows how God would treat them. Yes, they may look different, dress differently, behave in a different way, and so on, but how does God see them? With love and compassion, and so must we. After all, He sees something that we don’t – what is in people’s hearts.

Dear Heavenly Father. We know that there will be a day of judgement for bad leaders, but we do not concern ourselves with that for now. Please help us to behave in ways in our societies that show Your love and compassion to everyone we meet. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Fate of the Godly vs the Wicked: Insights from Isaiah 3

Posted on by Adrian Clark
Winding stone path with glowing edges leading through rocky mountains at dusk under stars

Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! But the wicked are doomed, for they will get exactly what they deserve. Childish leaders oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you; they send you down the wrong road.”
Isaiah 3:10-12 NLT

A gleam of light emerges in Isaiah’s vision, as he sees reassurance for all those who are Godly. There were Godly people living in Judah at that time, but their righteousness was hidden behind the brazen and disgusting sins of the majority of the people. And Isaiah passed on what he received from the Lord, that their Godliness would see them all right in the end. They would one day receive the reward that they deserved. But Isaiah quickly returned to the wicked because they will one day reap what they have deserved as well, and will be doomed to destruction. Notice that everyone in those days, and as is still the case today, will receive “exactly what they deserve”. God is righteous and fair, and no one will ever be able to complain about their treatment on that terrible day when they stand before Him.

Isaiah continued in his vision with two contentious statements. The first condemned the leaders who, God claimed, were childish, and they oppressed God’s people. Childish leaders are often characterised by their reactive, ego-driven and lack of emotional regulation. They may show signs of whining, blaming others, avoiding responsibility, and needing to be the centre of attention. They deflect blame and never take responsibility for their actions. Such were the leaders in Isaiah’s day, but do these characteristics sound familiar when we consider some of our politicians and other leaders today? 

But the next observation from Isaiah’s vision concerned women, and in the context of our verses today, it would seem that women ruling in the Judaean society was not a good thing. This must seem to be a contentious verse in today’s society of equal rights for all, male and female, but in the misogynistic Jewish society, this was a terrible state of affairs. Bible commentators suggest that women had to step up into a leadership role because of the weakness of their male counterparts, and this, of course, might indeed have been the case in Judah nearly three thousand years ago. In a verse from Paul we read, “So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach”. Should leadership in society and in the church just be a male sanctuary today? Perhaps, but this is not an area which is easily decided, regardless of the Scriptures. Today, there are successful women in leadership positions just as there are successful men. But in both cases, there are bad ones as well. 

But returning to the Godly receiving their “rich reward”, do we pilgrims have that assurance, that one day we will indeed hear the Lord say, “Well done …”? Paul wrote, “But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:13-14). He also wrote, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:14). Our ultimate reward for a life of belief and trust in Jesus is eternal life, as He promised in John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”. 

In our verses today from Isaiah 3, we read that there is a “But” separating the Godly from the wicked. We pilgrims know which side of the “But” we fall on, and at every opportunity, we try to persuade those around us to make the transition as well.

Father God. Thank You for our salvation and the reward we will one day receive. And we give You all the glory for this wonderful life that You have given us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Consequences of Sin: Lessons from Isaiah and Sodom

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“For Jerusalem will stumble, and Judah will fall, because they speak out against the Lord and refuse to obey him. They provoke him to his face. The very look on their faces gives them away. They display their sin like the people of Sodom and don’t even try to hide it. They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves.”
Isaiah 3:8-9 NLT

A very serious accusation appears in Isaiah’s vision. The Judahites are speaking out against the Lord, refusing to obey Him and “[provoking] Him to His face”. And “the very look on their faces gives them away”. Isaiah continues with a reference to the sin of the people of Sodom.

In a conversation with Abraham, we find the Lord confiding in him one of the reasons why He was calling that day. “So the Lord told Abraham, ‘I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know’” (Genesis 18:20-21). Flagrant sin. Sin so visible as to be abhorrent. No shame. No morality. In Genesis 19:5, we read what the sin of Sodom was: “They shouted to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!’” Was every male in Sodom guilty of that sin? We don’t know for sure, but what we do know is that Abraham had a conversation with the Lord about it, even saying, “Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25). 

Do we pilgrims ever have a conversation with God in that way? It seemed almost irreverential on Abraham’s part to speak to God like that. But we do pray, and we do ask God to change things, and for the better. Some people even pray that God would indeed destroy all the wicked people in the world, a prayer probably rooted in a personal experience of a crime as a victim, or someone looking at the wars started by evil men. But the reality is that there would be no one left in the world if God answered that prayer affirmatively because, as Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). God always answers our prayers, but not always in the way we ask him to.

But back in Isaiah’s vision, we find that the Jews are heading, like lemmings, to their destruction. They had forgotten the fate that they were warned about through their ancestors. There were plenty of examples of God’s judgement on those who did wrong. As an example, I’m reminded today of the sin of Achan, who had taken certain items from Jericho, even though he had been expressly forbidden not to do so. We can read the story in Joshua 7. Things didn’t end well for Achan, and he and his family and all their possessions were burnt and ended up under a “great heap of stones”  in a place called the “Valley of Achor”, which means trouble. Sooner or later, God’s judgement will fall on sin.

In the Judahites’ case, and because of their sin, their destruction was coming, because they had “brought destruction upon themselves”. So sad that they had treated God in that way. Do we pilgrims treat the reality of sin positively? Or will we make excuses for ourselves or others, perhaps referring to “white lies” or “boys will be boys”, thereby rationalising the sinful behaviour? Will we think of convoluted reasons for behaving in the ways we do, perhaps deferring remedial action before God until later? The problem with sin is that it creates a barrier between God and us, thereby destroying the relationship we were meant to have with our wonderful Creator. And there is always the ultimate question – will we bring “destruction upon ourselves? Sins are not gradeable, meaning some are less serious than others. That was the trap the Pharisees fell into. Yes, they may not have committed adultery, or committed the sins of Sodom, but did they look lustfully at another man’s wife? (Matthew 5:27f).

But I’m sure we pilgrims know all about this, and we are diligent to maintain short accounts with God, so that our sins never create a barrier to our wonderful God. “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:7-8). Our forgiveness cost Jesus His life at Calvary. We must never forget that sacrifice He made so that we could spend eternity with Him one day.

Dear Lord Jesus. You died so that we might have life, and life with You forever. Thank You. Amen.

Reviving Moral Leadership in a Troubled Society

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“I will make boys their leaders, and toddlers their rulers. People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbour against neighbour. Young people will insult their elders, and vulgar people will sneer at the honourable. In those days a man will say to his brother, “Since you have a coat, you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of ruins!” But he will reply, ‘No! I can’t help. I don’t have any extra food or clothes. Don’t put me in charge!’”
Isaiah 3:4-7 NLT

The verses this morning describe a society that has collapsed into chaos and dysfunction. Boys and toddlers are obviously unsuitable leaders in society but that seems to be the only option left because, as we read in the previous verses, all the competent people had been removed from Judah by the invading armies. When Isaiah wrote this, he could see in a vision what was to come, but history recorded the fact that it actually happened. The Jews ignored his words and ultimately discovered that God spoke truth through His servants. 

There was no social cohesion following the initial exile and no remedy for the crimes of insults and oppression. Faced with no restrictions the true colours of a sinful people started to emerge, with neighbours trying to benefit themselves at the expense of their fellow neighbours. With young people behaving terribly to their elders, and “vulgar people [sneering] at the honourable” amongst them, things were going from bad to worse. The vacuum in leadership was very apparent and people who had even some insignificant and trivial benefit, such as a coat, were promoted as a leader, only to find that they subsequently refused.

But as we read these words today, we see parallels with society today in the UK. Attitudes and beliefs are polarising in a society that contains many different people groups. The cohesion that is present in a God-believing society has all but collapsed in our secular environment, forcing the government to bring in legislation that enables our overstretched police forces to implement moral laws. Hate crimes are now common place and even Christian pastors are being arrested while they preach the Good News about Jesus in public places, all because what they have to say “offends” someone. “Free speech” now seems to be a thing of the past. And our political leaders lack the ability and vision to lead the country through difficult times, putting the “Great” back into “Britain” in the process.

Thankfully, there are still many Christians in the UK who pray for their communities and government faithfully. Churches still hold services. There are Christians amongst our politicians. We pilgrims pray for a Godly society, one in which peace, justice and love prevail. Such a society is committed to God’s values, particularly those that honour the sanctity of life, is fair, and looks after the vulnerable. Justice and reconciliation between different people groups, coupled with just generosity, must be there, but in it all the roots of the society we need is based in God’s Word, the Bible. All we need for society in the way that God planned is there.

So we pilgrims pray. And keep on praying. We refer to our mission, that we are here “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Jesus said early on in His Sermon on the Mount, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:13-16).

But before we go on a rant about how bad our government is, we note what Paul’s wrote in Romans 13. “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God” (Romans 13:1). A little further down the page, Paul wrote something else that is a bit contentious, “Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do” (Romans 13:6). We do not have to take matters into our own hands and rebel in some way, because there will be a time when our leaders and tax authorities will be called into account before God’s throne. God will bless us when, or if, we are badly treated by the authorities, because the treasure that matters is being stored up for us in Heaven.

So we pilgrims pray, and keep praying, for our leaders and anyone else in authorities, because that is must what we do as “salt and light” in our society. We are the “glue” that bonds our dysfunctional society and aligns us with God’s will and purposes for our world.

Dear Heavenly Father. Please help us to be Your witnesses in the places where we live, leading us and guiding us as You desire. Amen.

The Perils of Turning Away from God: Insights from Isaiah

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water, all their heroes and soldiers, judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders, army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers.”
Isaiah 3:1-3 NLT

Isaiah starts chapter 3 with a stark outline of what is going to happen when the Judaites would be exiled. The basics of life would go first, bread and water, and then followed by all the people they consider to be important. But notice that this list includes two categories of people that were expressly forbidden to be amongst the Jews – “skilled sorcerers and astrologers”. Deuteronomy 18: 10b-11, 14): “… And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. … The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things”. Astrology is a form of divination and can be found today in horoscopes and among those who suggest that the alignment of stars and planets has some spiritual meaning. Astrologers were commonplace in Old Testament writings, and frequently mentioned such as in Daniel 2:1-2, “One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep. He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed …” Of course, they couldn’t help the king, but Daniel could through his relationship with God, as we read the following verses. It was a sad state of affairs that the Judaites had come to depend on the quacks and frauds, rather than turn to the One who was their Source.

What can we pilgrims learn from these verses today? I suppose the first thing is that human structures are not infallible or inviolable. Security and well-being that are sought after outside of God and His ways are temporary and precarious. It’s all about the dangers of coming outside His protection, because as we do things God’s way, His favour will be assured. 

Another thing is that God removed all the structures that supported the Judaean society. The good disappeared along with the bad. Not all the “judges and prophets” were corrupt, and the good people could not survive in a corrupt society on their own when it collapsed. This highlights that when a nation turns from God, its economic, political, and cultural supports crumble simultaneously.

The judgment by exile that was coming was a direct consequence of the people’s rebellion, oppression of the poor, and arrogance. It served as a stark reminder that collective unfaithfulness degrades the very systems that allow a culture to thrive. By actively stripping Judah of its societal pillars, God demonstrated His control over nations and history. The ultimate lesson was a call for humility, urging people to depend on God rather than fallible human systems.

So, it is all the more important that we pilgrims are salt and light in our society. By being so, we hold back God’s judgement in this season of His grace. And we pray. In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, we read, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Saviour, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4). I know that, at times, we despair of our leaders rather than feel inclined to pray for them, but pray we must, because prayer changes things. There is much to pray for, as our leaders embark on Godless legislation, but we must persevere.

Father God. We pray today for our leaders, all who are in our governments and councils. Please help them legislate righteously so that we will continue to live in Your favour. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Overcoming Anxiety through Faith and Prayer

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“On that day of judgement they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats, while they crawl away into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. They will try to escape the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty as he rises to shake the earth. Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?”
Isaiah 2:20-22 NLT

The remainder of Isaiah 2 continues with details of what will happen on “that day of judgement” when “only the Lord will be exalted”. The verses list a sobering and depressing series of catastrophes that will impact the Israelites, and all because of their sin, rebellion, and idolatry. It wasn’t just a minor inconvenience now and then, but a series of disasters as their society was dismantled and destroyed. And through it all, “Human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be brought down” (Isaiah 2:17a). Chapter 2 ends with the observation, “Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?” 

The pathetic nature of human abilities can be seen in many national crises over the centuries, as one ruler after another led their people into wars and other catastrophes, often as they chased ideologies that were just as Godless as those the Israelites sought after. And today the practice continues with out-of-touch politicians and business leaders following the sad observation at the end of the Book of Judges – “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). That’s human nature without a compass to lead them in the paths of righteousness. So today in the UK, Godless laws are leaving the stain of sin all over society. Abortion is a crime of the highest proportion and God will not allow such an atrocity to continue for long, I’m sure. The US has largely stepped back from the brink but the UK is even seeking to extend its scope. Then we have the ideologues who are promoting celebrations of all sorts of gender deviations. There are even going to be steps to make “Conversion Therapy” illegal, and I’m sure there will be other attempts to reintroduce Assisted Suicide in the Westminster Parliament. Our politicians surely tick the “What good are they?” box. It is no wonder that mental health, or should it be “mental ill-health”, is an endemic problem. 

We pilgrims must pray and keep praying that there will soon be a time when the wrongs are reversed, and the delusions that have gripped so many in our societies are resolved. But one form of mental illness that is increasing is caused by anxiety. Without a moral compass in our societies, people cast around looking for foundations that are solid and immovable, and, while most are debilitated by their feelings and emotions, some are turning to the Church because it is only there that they find the stability that they are looking for. Bible sales are also increasing, because it is only in God’s Word that something to trust can be found. But anxiety is something that is creeping over our society gradually but seemingly unstoppable. 

Are we pilgrims feeling anxious this morning? As I cast my eyes over the news today, there is much there to cause depression and worry. But God has a remedy, and many scriptures are there to help. The first thing that we do, must do in fact, is pray. Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. We should also turn to Romans 12:2, which reads, “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect”.  

Father God. We realise that as we think and pray Your way, through the help of Your Spirit within us, we are aligning ourselves to Your will and purposes. And we pray for ourselves, that we will grow in grace to be more like Your Son, Jesus. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Podcast Episode: What It Means to Be Born Again in Christianity

Posted on by Adrian Clark

Pip: There is something quietly radical about a site called Being a Pilgrim — it implies you are always in transit, never quite arrived, which is either deeply spiritual or a very honest description of a Monday morning.

Mara: korgrocker's recent writing explores what it actually means to be born again in Christianity — the theology, the experience, and what it demands of a life. Let's start with that question directly.

What It Means to Be Born Again

Pip: The phrase "born again" carries a lot of cultural baggage — it gets attached to political identities and fringe labels — but the post wants to strip that back and ask what Jesus actually meant when He said it was necessary.

Mara: The post sets the stakes plainly, drawing on Luke 9:23: "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me." That is the baseline commitment being described.

Pip: So this is not a one-time event with a certificate. It is a daily reckoning — the cross is not a symbol worn round the neck but a repeated choice about how to live.

Mara: The post builds out what that life looks like across several dimensions. A Christian is someone redeemed from sin, justified by grace rather than works. Romans 5:1 is quoted: "since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us."

Pip: And Ephesians 2:8-9 makes the same point with some force — salvation is framed explicitly as a gift, not a reward, so nobody can claim credit for it.

Mara: Then there is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 describes the Spirit as a gift received at repentance and baptism, and 1 Corinthians 6:19 follows: "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God."

Pip: The upshot is that being born again is not a personality type — it is a described condition with specific characteristics: the Spirit present, the fruit of the Spirit growing, the life being gradually reshaped.

Mara: That reshaping is sanctification — Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The post frames these as produced by the Spirit, not achieved by effort alone.

Pip: And it ends on adoption — John 1:12-13 on becoming children of God — with the Prodigal Son as the image of what that family relationship actually looks like when it goes wrong and comes right again.

Mara: The closing prayer draws on Psalm 139: "Search me, O God, and know my heart." The post treats self-examination not as anxiety but as the natural posture of someone who trusts the examiner.

Pip: What stays with me is that the post refuses to let "born again" be a label — it insists on making it a lived condition, tested daily.

Mara: A pilgrim in transit, as you said. Still walking, still being shaped. More on that journey next time.

Judgment Day: Lessons from Isaiah’s Warning to Israel

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Israel is full of silver and gold; there is no end to its treasures. Their land is full of warhorses; there is no end to its chariots. Their land is full of idols; the people worship things they have made with their own hands. So now they will be humbled, and all will be brought low— do not forgive them. Crawl into caves in the rocks. Hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty. Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment.”
Isaiah 2:7-11 NLT

Isaiah’s prophecy continues with a statement about the materialistic nation that Israel had become. Silver and gold, and treasure reveal that prosperity abounds, and they lack nothing. Warhorses and chariots define a nation that relies more on its own abilities than on God. Such a military buildup was forbidden by God, as we read in Deuteronomy 17:16, “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt’”. The plethora of idols, handmade figures that skewed and violated their desire to worship, sealed the fate of the people. Of course, such idolatry is still alive and well today, with people worshipping their own achievements, ingenuity, and cultural creations instead of the Creator, and that includes even Christians. 

But there is a time of payback coming, Isaiah warned. The “people” include all levels of the Israelite society, and none will escape the judgement that is to come. Pride and arrogance displayed by the people through their materialism and military might will disappear and will be replaced by humility, fear and terror, as the Lord and His glory appear on “that day of judgement”. 

Isaiah’s prophecy preceded the demise of Judah in 586 BC, and the people were exiled to a foreign land, Babylonia. The exile took place in three waves, the first in 605 BC, when royal hostages, including Daniel, were exiled. The second wave took place in 597 BC, when thousands of skilled craftsmen were removed from Judah. Finally, in 586 BC, the remaining people were exiled, and the temple was destroyed by the invading army. They could never say that they had received no warning! What happened to their silver, gold and treasure? Or their warhorses and chariots? Or even their idols? None of them mattered in a foreign land, where they mourned the loss of their native land. Psalm 137:1-2, 4, “Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. We put away our harps, hanging them on the branches of poplar trees. … But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?” A bit late to mourn what they had lost?

Under the Mosaic covenant, God’s judgement took place within a generation or two, but in the New Covenant judgement will be before a Great White Throne at a time we call “the Day of the Lord”. But the warning in Isaiah’s prophecy still stands today. Pride, arrogance and idolatry will one day be judged, and God will deal with such sins in accordance with His Word. The Israelites were humbled by their experience of exile, and they tried to hide in the dust and amongst the rocks, hoping to avoid what was about to happen to them, as the fear and terror of the Lord overwhelmed them. In Revelation 6:15-17 we read, “Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?’” A time of terror where none escaped “from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty”. 

 Isaiah concluded our verses today with, “Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment”. This verse hangs over time as a stark warning that humanity will come to nothing in the face of the Lord’s judgement. Every great man and woman on earth may try to present their wonderful and creative exploits before God, but they will be of no consequence, because one day “…  at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). 

The Apostle James wrote, “… As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. … Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour” (James 4:6-7, 10). We pilgrims must always evaluate ourselves, asking God to shine His light into our very souls. And then we must deal with any pride and arrogance that we find there. There is no other way.

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your grace and patience. We have a tendency to rely on our own abilities instead of on You. Please forgive us, we pray, and teach us Your ways, day by day. Amen.

Walking in the Light: Lessons from Isaiah 2

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord! For the Lord has rejected his people, the descendants of Jacob, because they have filled their land with practices from the East and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do. They have made alliances with pagans.”
Isaiah 2:5-6 NLT

Following an invitation for the “descendants of Jacob” to “walk in the light of the Lord”, we find about their parlous state because the Lord has rejected them. Why is that? Because they have “filled their land with practices from the East and with sorcerers”. And the reason for the Lord’s rejection of them? Because “They have made alliances with pagans”. The Jews were supposed to be a nation set apart and holy for the Lord. God had provided them with instructions for how they must live under the Mosaic Law, and He made a covenant with them to ensure their prosperity as a nation. God promised them a land that extended all the way from the river of Egypt to the great Euphrates river, as the Lord promised Joshua, “I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites’” (Joshua 1:3-4). The exact boundaries encompass all or parts of modern-day Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, so Israel today only possesses about 10% of the land that God promised them. And they lost it all at various times in history due to their continual rebellion against the Lord.

Isaiah was one of several (many?) prophets who emerged in history to warn the Jews about the consequences of their idolatry and sin, and here he presented another prophetic vision, warning the people that, because of their behaviour, the Lord had rejected them. Was God’s rejection of His people permanent? No, as we see time and again how He continued to fulfil His part of the covenant that he had made with them. Over successive generations, it seemed as though one would return to God only for the next to lapse into sin and rebellion against the Lord.

What can we pilgrims learn from all this today, if anything? We live in the days of the New Covenant, which is the promise that God will forgive sin and restore fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him. Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant, and His death on the cross is the basis of the promise. Jeremiah prophesied about the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-33, ““The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord. “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people”. But regardless of living in the new, there is still a place for sin, rebellion and idolatry. The same choice facing the Jews is facing us today. The difference is that God has delayed judgement until a future time rather than bringing about immediate calamities, such as punishments from the peoples and nations around them. 

Of course, there are people today who claim that certain human ailments or national disasters are the result of rebellion or disobedience to God’s precepts, such as the AIDS or Covid epidemics, or floods and earthquakes, but I’m not so sure. His grace prevails, as Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent”. So there is an opportunity for all to repent of their sins even with their dying breaths. But one day there will be a time of judgement and people will face the eternal consequences of their sins. 

But the main takeaway from Isaiah 2 must be that God will reject those who fail to follow His ways. Does that include those who once had a relationship with Him, but who have subsequently turned their backs on Him and returned to their lives of sin and rebellion? Some would say, “once saved always saved” but in Hebrews 6:4-6 we read, “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame”. This is perhaps a sober reminder that we pilgrims must stay the course and complete our journey with Jesus. Yes, we will have times of doubts and difficulties. Yes, we may even lapse into times of sin. But God is patient and kind, and He sees the end from the beginning. We grow under God’s grace and produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives day by day, always in the light of God who helps us every step of the way.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Please forgive us for our waywardness and tendency to drift into places where we shouldn’t be. We declare again, “I have decided to follow Jesus”. Amen.