Author: Adrian Clark

“The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.”‭‭
Psalms‬ ‭2:7-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”
Ephesians‬ ‭1:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Through the Spirit, did the Psalmist record a prophetic invitation to Jesus, Father to Son, making available to Him the salvation of the nations as His inheritance? There for the asking? I’m so glad that through His love and grace He gladly and willingly accepted the offer, bringing into fruition our inheritance and salvation, uniting us with Him as His brothers and sisters, all through His death at Calvary for our sins. But this wasn’t a spontaneous act, it was planned out in advance, with a people chosen “before the foundation of the world”. And regardless of circumstances, God makes it all happen, just as He planned it.
How are we feeling today? Do negative thoughts and emotions flow through us as we adapt to the constantly changing society and circumstances around us in our Covid communities? We have no need to be anxious though; we can rest in His presence. In, as Spurgeon once said, His “arms that change the world”. He loves us so much that whatever is before us He is going to fulfil His plan for each one of us. No crisis. No drama. Just His wonderful grace and love.

“He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there,
She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.
Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.”
‭‭John‬ ‭20:5-6, 12, 18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In John’s account of the Resurrection of Jesus, the experiences of the first to arrive at the empty tomb couldn’t have been more different. Peter and John saw an empty tomb. Mary saw a vision of angels. And the differences continue afterwards – the men return to their lodgings, Mary hangs around and sees the risen Jesus.

I don’t believe for a minute that women are more spiritually sensitive than men, though that may be the case sometimes. But I’m sure there’s something in these experiences of the early disciples that apply today to us all. Perhaps we should all be more diligent in expecting the unexpected. What do we expect when we pray or read the Bible? What do we expect when we meet together as a community of faith? You never know – the Holy Spirit might show up in a totally unexpected way if we wait in His presence. We might even find an angel or two next to us or in our midst. Or even the risen Jesus. We must never rule out what God can do in response to our prayers, within our seemingly ordinary life experiences. He is the God of the unexpected.

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2:20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Who I was isn’t alive anymore. The old “me” died because it was crucified with Christ. And now I am a new “me”, a new creation, home to Christ. But why do I keep trying to resuscitate the old “me”. A difficult situation crops up and instead of trusting in Jesus, so often my first thought is to open up the grave, take the lid off the coffin, and pull out this corpse in the mistaken expectation that it can solve my problems. And when I find that it can’t I become depressed, worried and anxious. Only then, when the damage is done and when suitably chastened, do I reach out to God. How daft is that? Yet, I’m sure we all do it. Or am I the only one? We have this wonderful Saviour, unlimited in grace, love and wisdom; He loved us so much that He died for us yet too often we choose to live our lives without Him, the old way. Hmmm….

“So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:12-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When we identify with Jesus and His death, joining Him in His Kingdom outside the world’s “city gates”, our residential status changes. Our spiritual passports record that we are now “Citizens of the Kingdom of God”. This world has become our temporary lodgings. A place where we are just passing through. And in the world’s eyes it may involve “disgrace” as we suffer the same rejection that Jesus did. 

You see, through Jesus’ blood we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that [we] may declare the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His wonderful light.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:9‬. Folks, there’s no going back to a monochrome dark existence when we have a technicolour world waiting for us in the age to come. But why would we want to? 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In a world, a society, a culture, that is constantly changing, the reality that we worship an unchanging God is a welcome, counter-cultural place to be. We have a solid rock on which God has put us (Psalm 40:3), where we can be unshaken and unmoved by the vagaries of life. We need to beware of allowing new ideas that have been birthed in our secular society, even if promoted by our political leaders, to gain an insidious foothold in the Christian church. But we have grace, freely given by God, to give us strength in our Christian lives, and a confidence that will withstand any attempts by the enemy to infiltrate the church with “strange new ideas”. All glory and praise to Jesus, who “is the same yesterday, today and forever”. Amen!

“Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”” Hebrews‬ ‭13:5-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

With a God who never lets us down we can approach any situation in life with boldness. With confidence. Fear of man in this context is irrational and debilitating. So the question I ask of each one of us, including myself, is, “Who or what am I afraid of”? Forty years or so ago, as a young Christian, I kept very quiet in the house groups I attended. My favourite strap line was, “It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than open my mouth and remove all doubts.” Today, I want to proclaim Jesus and His saving grace. I want to speak out and pray. I want to declare what the Bible says about this awesome God we worship. At times it has not gained me popularity, particularly in the workplace. But as the Scripture says, “What can mere people do to me?” And what can they do to you?

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Romans‬ ‭10:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes we try and over complicate things. We build complex structures, thought patterns. We look for ways to try and please God by what we do. And yet it is so simple. Belief and declaration. One from the heart. One from the mouth. One in our thoughts. One in our speech. A combination guaranteed to succeed, assuring our righteousness in God’s eyes and salvation bringing us one day into His presence. The Gospel really is Good News. Who are you going to share the message of hope with today?

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.“
Hebrews‬ ‭6:19‬ 

I once watched as an Atlantic storm from the North West battered a small boat anchored off some rocks on a North facing shore. The anchor was inadequate and slowly but surely, the poor boat ended up being battered to small pieces on the rocks, disappearing from sight. And after the storm, all that could be found were a few metal items on the seabed and a piece of decking caught between two rocks.
Where are we anchored? Can we withstand the storms of life or will we end up shipwrecked on a reef of worldly cares and struggles? Do you remember the old hymn, “Will Your Anchor Hold”. Anthem for the Boys Brigade and, apparently, the Dollar Academy in Clackmannanshire.

The first verse is,
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

And the chorus goes like this, 
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.

It’s where we need to be, Folks. Let’s sing the hymn together; after three now…

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 
2 Corinthians 4:8-9

The sleet-laden gusts were stirring the tree tops, rocking them back and forth, stripping away any dead wood or unwelcome detritus from the branches that were starkly contrasted against the early morning, rain-filled, clouds. The saplings bent flexibly in the breezes, their root systems immovable. And when the storm had passed they were still standing, just as their Creator had intended.

How are we when the storms of life gust their way through the branches of our souls? When all of sudden, the car needs an expensive repair, or a friend passes away. When the boss suddenly announces that our services are no longer required. Do we sink into a pit of misery, shouting out, “Why me, God?” or do we remain strong and resilient, seeing sunshine after the rain? Thanking God for His grace and mercy. Trust and faith in Him firmly rooting our souls. Remembering that He is an ever-present help in times of trouble. Still standing just as our Creator had intended.

The storm we are currently in will pass. Pandemics don’t last forever. Lockdowns will end. And in the meantime the sun is just below the horizon. Don’t forget, God’s mercies are new every morning.

“But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

Remember Bob Dylan? Well, back in 1979 he released a song called “You Gotta Serve Somebody” and the chorus goes,
“But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Yes indeed, you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well it may be the devil
Or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”

As our Western culture becomes increasingly secular – some have even called this age “post-Christian” – it is even more important that we stand up and be counted, living out the counter-cultural teachings of Jesus, opposing the ways of the kingdom of the world, and spreading the good news of His message of hope. In these dark and depressing days of political squabbling and point scoring, of lockdown and depression, of pandemic-induced social instabilities, I’m not going to get sucked into a mindset of serving the wrong “somebody”. As for me and my family – we will serve the Lord! How about you folks?