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Ancestral Mistakes

Posted on by korgrocker

“I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptised as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that travelled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.”
1 Corinthians 10:1-5 NLT

We all have ancestors, and genealogists try their hardest to source a person’s origins, even analysing DNA to determine where a person came from. Occasionally, a set of bones emerges from the ground or another burial site, and the owner of the remains is tested for DNA, and even their facial features are reconstructed. Their age and manner of death are worked out, and we end up marvelling about what has been found. But none of that determines the state of the person’s soul, something that will continue to be a mystery. Most people can only look back over two or three generations before their ancestors become lost in time. But one thing can be guaranteed, and that is their choices in life would have determined their ultimate home. Ever since Jesus walked this planet, the importance of making the right decision has been apparent. However, for those of our ancestors who never heard about Jesus, there is no escape clause, because we are all made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). This means that people will instinctively know right from wrong. Paul wrote, “They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right” (Romans 2:15). Paul also wrote, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” (Romans 1:20). See also Acts 17:30. Of course, we worship a righteous God who will judge fairly. 

Paul reminded the Corinthians that the Israelite slaves followed Moses out of Egypt, and were effectively “baptised” as they passed through the Red Sea on dry land, and were then led through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Paul used the analogy of the cloud and the sea as baptismal indicators, but regardless of that, most of the Israelites did not please God. He was warning the Corinthians that just ticking all the liturgical boxes did not mean that they were then behaving as Christians should. Baptism is all about making a public declaration of faith, a faith that displays the belief that when a person is baptised, their “old man” is left in the baptismal tank, and their “new man” rises up to start their journey as a born-again believer. However, just because a person is baptised does not mean that God will always then be pleased with them. Their subsequent behaviour could be sufficient to make Him displeased, resulting in some form of discipline, because God loves them and wants what is best for them. 

The message to us pilgrims is the same. When were we baptised? Are we now growing in the faith day by day, reading our Bibles, praying to our Heavenly Father, witnessing to our friends and families, and anyone else who stops to listen? Are we dealing with sin in our lives through confession and repentance? The Christian walk of faith is not one of grumbling and sin, as displayed by those ancestors long ago in the wilderness. The Israelites had remarkable indicators, miracles performed before their eyes every day, but they still failed to walk in the shadow of God’s provision. As a consequence, most of them failed to enter the promised land that God had prepared for them. The journey from Egypt to the Promised Land should only have taken a few weeks at the most, but our patient God allowed them to wander around the wilderness for four decades, due to their disobedience and lack of faith. 

Of course, we pilgrims would claim that had we been with them at the time, then we would have behaved differently, but this would not necessarily be the case. Are we disobedient sometimes? How is our faith in challenging times? Do we grumble too much when things don’t go our way? Of course, we are guilty of such things, but thanks be to God, He forgives all those who come to Him in repentance. He dusts us off when we fall and stands us back on our feet. That’s what we call God’s grace. Through Jesus, we have a Friend and Saviour who, by His Spirit, is with us on our journey through life. And so we are so grateful. We may not have a pillar of fire leading us, but we do have God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. 

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your grace and mercy, always there, packaged with Your love. We worship You today. Amen.

Run to Win

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t you realise that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT

The Corinthian society was highly competitive, and the ancient Olympic Games were founded in Greece in the eighth century BC. The modern Olympic Games were founded on the same principles and were restarted in 1896. The predominant race in ancient Greece was known for its prowess in running, and Paul used that analogy in the verses we are reading today. But Paul was not suggesting that Christianity was an athletic sport in which there was only one winner. Neither was he implying that there was some competition among individual believers. Instead, Paul was referring only to the effort and dedication exhibited by the athletes: that was what the believer should duplicate in their pursuit of Christ. 

The point of participating in a race is to win, and winning takes work. Athletes who hope to be competitive must exercise significant control over themselves in all that they do. This would include not just physical training, but also strict diets, regular sleep schedules, abstaining from harmful substances, and exercising caution in their behaviour. Through it all, they would keep their focus on winning the race and getting the prize: a wreath. At the games in Corinth, a pine wreath was placed on the head of the winner, much like a crown. If Paul were writing this today, he might refer to the gold medal of the modern Olympics. 

However, the wreath sought after by the Greek athletes was perishable, Paul wrote. The prize a Christian aspires to win is imperishable; it is eternal. To accomplish that, Paul indicated that considerable human effort was required to win the award. This all sounds logical, particularly to people who are naturally competitive and able to train hard in whatever discipline they choose, be it athletic or something else. But then we stop and think for a moment. We don’t have to strive by human effort to win the prize of eternal life, because Jesus did that for us. The Amplified version of Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, “For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favour drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]”. Put simply, it is through faith that we will receive eternal life, and certainly not by our own efforts. 

So what is the point that Paul was making, and how does that impact pilgrims like us today? Paul’s metaphor of an athlete in training did not apply to his desire to get to Heaven one day, but instead to the service he was conducting in spreading the Good News about Christ. Paul was totally focused on his mission to see souls saved for the Kingdom of God, and to achieve that, he put his body through much hardship to achieve his goal and win the prize. His efforts for God eclipsed everything else that he did, even at times impacting his basic life needs. He was afraid that his efforts would have been insufficient to win the race and disqualify him from achieving his goal. Paul was a driven man, totally focused on his mission and the goals that it contained. 

And so we turn to us pilgrims. What are we focused on? Is there a “race” that we are trying to win for God? And if so, what is our personal race? Many believers do little outside of attending church meetings. There, they have the faith to believe in Jesus, but do little with that faith. In Ephesians 2:10, we read, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. We note that Paul wrote that we are not saved by our good works but saved for good works. So, we pilgrims must ask ourselves about the “good works” that Jesus prepared for us to do. Many Christians work in charities and other organisations to share God’s love with less fortunate fellow citizens. A friend of mine works part-time in his retirement at a food bank, assembling packs for those unable to afford the basics of life. Other people will do what they can to be “salt and light” in their communities. Even others engage in philanthropic acts of kindness, such as what happened to my niece, who was financially supported through college by a benefactor. James wrote, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17), and so it is.

We pilgrims must pray for God’s guidance in the “good works” that we do. It is easy to burden our lives with things that God doesn’t want us to do, with poor results. We have all been granted at least one gift (Matthew 25), and we must use the gifts we have been given for the benefit of the church or fellowship to which we belong, as well as for our neighbours and friends. To ignore our gifts is not an option in the Kingdom of God. 

Dear Heavenly Father. We thank You for the fullness of life that You have granted us through Jesus. Please guide us in the ways You wish us to follow, and the works of service You have pre-ordained for us. We love You and thank You for Jesus, and for all that He did for us at Calvary. We worship You today. Amen.

Gospel Blessings

Posted on by korgrocker

“When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.”
1 Corinthians 9:22-23 NLT

Paul sought to be all things to all people to try to “save some”. Only someone with a strong and secure character could do this, as there is always a risk of becoming attached to the role they assume. For instance, visiting the local pub or wine bar to attract converts carries the danger of alcohol dependency. The human mind has an extraordinary ability to rationalise its way out of situations, justifying all manner of unwise and even sinful behaviour. However, as we noted earlier, Paul was a driven man, devoted to sharing the Gospel—the Good News about Christ—with everyone he met. He did that for their benefit, of course, because he wanted everyone to experience a living relationship with God just as he had found that momentous day on the Damascus Road. But Paul said there were blessings for himself as well. 

Responding to the Gospel by believing in Jesus brings numerous blessings. Let’s look at a few of them:

We have the primary benefit of salvation and eternal life. We know the verse from John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. This is a blessing that we will not immediately experience in this life, but one day we will be with Jesus in Heaven, blessed beyond even our wildest dreams. Paul wrote in his Philippian epistle, “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live” (Philippians 1:21-24). Paul was drawn to the benefit of leaving this life because by so doing, he would join his Lord and Master, Jesus, in Heaven.

Another blessing we receive from the Gospel is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 1:13-14, we read, “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him”. 

When we believe in Jesus and respond to the Gospel through repentance, we achieve right standing before God because Jesus gives us His righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ”. That is truly amazing, that a sinner estranged from a relationship with God can become like Jesus in His eyes, and in the process, join His family as an adopted son or daughter. Ephesians 1:5, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure”. 

As human beings, sin is always lurking at the door of our souls, and we strive to keep short accounts with God through repentance when we get things wrong. We may have to repent daily or even more frequently, as the Holy Spirit reveals to us things we do or say that are wrong and ungodly. However, Paul wrote, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:1-2). 

There are many more blessings, of course, for a believer in Jesus. Paul continually experienced the blessings of the Good News and shared them with those he met at every opportunity. But we pilgrims do as well. We will always encounter people in our daily lives and find opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus with them. Our hearts, empowered by the Holy Spirit, cannot keep all the blessings to ourselves, and like Paul, we share them with the needy and lost in our society. Our wonderful God works through us with words of comfort, grace and love. Only Jesus has the words of eternal life, something that is too important to squirrel away just for our own benefit.

Dear Father God. Please lead us by Your Spirit to those whom You have pre-ordained to hear the Gospel. We thank You for Your grace and love, and pray that You keep us close to You in this sinful world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Save Some

Posted on by korgrocker

“When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.”
1 Corinthians 9:21-23 NLT

There was a film released some years ago about a catastrophic event that would hit the world in which we live, an apocalyptic situation in which the US Army was instructed to do what they could to “save some”. In a sense, we pilgrims, too, find ourselves in a similar situation, with the world in which we live facing the End Times, which increases the urgency to tell people about Jesus and do what we can to “save some”. Not everyone will respond to the Message of Christ, but just in case, we must look for opportunities to set before people the gravity of their situation. In Matthew chapters 24 and 25, Jesus gave His disciples an answer to a question about the end of the world. Matthew 24:3, “Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?”” These two chapters would be grim reading for those who do not believe in Jesus, but such people most probably would not have a Bible on their favourite bookshelf in any case. But as we read down Matthew 24, we see many of the signs happening today that Jesus talked about, signs that are brought to a crescendo with verse 30, “And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”. In verses 37-39, Jesus said, “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realise what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes”. 

In Genesis 6:9, we read, “This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God“. God used Noah in two ways. The first was the witness regarding the building of that boat. He built it on dry land in a world that had never experienced anything like what was to come. Imagine the conversation with people who had probably never seen a boat and asked Noah what it was for. To be told what was about to happen made no difference, and the response that Noah received was probably one of ridicule. He was perhaps labelled crazy and shunned by those in his society. It took a great deal of faith to build that boat, as it was large and not something that could have been completed in a short time. In fact, the Scriptures seem to indicate that it took one hundred years to build. The second was that God used that boat to save all the animals and Noah and his family. Today, many dismiss the story of Noah as a fable or even a falsehood, despite evidence of a primordial flood all over the world, as documented in geological and fossil records. 

Paul wrote that he tried “to find common ground with everyone, doing everything [he] can to save some”. In our imaginations, we can picture Paul driven by the fear and expectation that Jesus would return very soon, putting an end to the world as he knew it. Thankfully, God, in His grace, has delayed the return of Jesus. Romans 11:25, “I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ”. How many is “the full number of the Gentiles”? We don’t know, but we discern the times. We see some of the signs that Jesus warned His disciples of in Matthew 24, and conclude that His return is closer now than it was two thousand years ago. Jesus said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, who had asked Him for a miraculous sign from Heaven to prove His authority, “ … You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!” (Matthew 16:2-3). The “signs of the times” are with us, dear fellow pilgrims, and we must wake up and do what we can to “save some”. 

We start with our friends and families, persistently praying for them, sharing the Good News, and even begging them to make the right decision for Jesus. Where they will spend eternity is too important a decision to leave to chance and hope. God is full of love and grace. He is patient and kind, and is always ready to receive a repentant sinner into His family. In Heaven, we can just imagine a huge counter, continually ticking up as new Christians are born again, always getting closer to the time when God will say enough. To all those who say that a God of love would never send anyone to hell, we turn again to John 3:16, where we read “… whosoever believes in Him will not perish but will inherit eternal life”. We note the terrible alternative to eternal life, which is perishing. There is no other possible place for mankind. And so we pray, and pray, and keep on praying, that God will have mercy on our generation, on our family and friends, with the hope and expectation that we, through God’s grace and mercy, will “save some”. 

Dear Heavenly Father. We name our friends and family before You today, that You will draw them to Yourself as we share the wonderful Good News about Jesus. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Law of Christ

Posted on by korgrocker

“When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.”
1 Corinthians 9:21-23 NLT

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:21 that he obeyed “the law of Christ”. A simple statement, but one that we should look at because anything to do with Jesus must be important. Early in His ministry, Jesus made reference to the Jewish Law of Moses, which described a life of perfect, sinless righteousness that no Israelite had been able to fulfil until Jesus arrived. He said in His Sermon on the Mount, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose” (Matthew 5:17). All through the Old Testament, there are prophecies about the coming of Jesus. They came into fruition with His birth, life and death two thousand or so years ago. Jesus brought a new covenant as we read in Hebrews 8:10, “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people”. In Hebrews 8:13, we read, “When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear”. Hebrews 10:10, “For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time”. With the arrival of Jesus, a transition occurred from the old to the new covenant, an earth-shattering moment when the Light of the world provided a way back to God for humanity everywhere.

So, what is the “law of Christ”? One day, Jesus was asked what the most important of all the commandments was. “Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these”” (Mark 12:29-31). Jesus said that these two commandments form the basis for all the rest, and equally are foundational for the lives of Christians. God, through Jesus, provided the basis for a righteous relationship between Himself and all who believe in His Son, Jesus. And that relationship continues in the way we live with our fellow members of society, and beyond to the world around us. In fact, a world based on these two simple commandments would be totally different to the bad and sad world in which we live, with its wars, misery, and famines. One day, we pilgrims will live in such a world as we know if we read the last pages of the Bible. But in the meantime, the law of Christ is to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.

There have been some who maintain that being without the Law provides an excuse to sin, because sinful actions are covered by God’s grace. However, for the follower of Christ, the avoidance of sin is to be accomplished out of love for God and love for others. Love is to be our motivation. When we recognise the value of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, our response is to be love, gratitude, and obedience. When we understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us and others, our response is to follow His example in showing love to the people around us. Our motivation for overcoming sin should be love, not a desire to obey a series of commandments out of legalistic obligation. We are to follow the law of Christ because we love Him, not so that we can check off a list of commands that we successfully obeyed.

The old Apostle, John, wrote, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:7-10). ‭‭We can only imagine the gracious and loving words as they flowed from his pen, revealing John’s profound understanding of God. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, wanted everyone to experience what he had found and to experience that same love, and, most importantly, to show it to those around them. And so, for us pilgrims, everything that we do should have love for God and for our fellow human beings at its core. I find that this is easy to write, but to work it out in practice requires a lifetime of relationship with God. He will help us day by day as we navigate our way through life, living God’s way.

Dear Heavenly Father. We love You and dedicate our lives to following You in obedience. Please help us when we struggle with our humanity. Please forgive us when we make mistakes and get it wrong. And lead us, we pray, in Your ways this day and every day. Amen.

Compromise?

Posted on by korgrocker

“Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 9:19-21 NLT

In his day, Paul was considered a free man. As a Roman citizen, he enjoyed all the privileges that came with this status. In the first century, Roman citizens held significant legal and social advantages, including the right to vote and hold office, protection from arbitrary arrest and punishment, the right to a fair trial, and the ability to own property and enter into contracts. They also benefited from freedom of travel throughout the empire and could appeal court decisions. We also know that Paul was free from the requirements of the Jewish Law, even though he was a Jew, to the extent of being a Pharisee earlier in his life. How could he make that claim? Romans 10:4, “For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God”. But Paul announced to the Corinthians that, regardless of all his freedom, he was a “slave to all people” and he “obeyed the law of Christ”. Voluntarily, Paul decided that because his role was “to bring many to Christ”, he had to place certain restrictions on his freedom. His first example was how he behaved when in the presence of Jews. We know that when Paul first visited Corinth, he began preaching in the synagogue there. Acts 18:4-5, “Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah”. Where did Paul find the Jewish people in Corinth? The prominent place to start was where they worshipped, and it was there that Paul would have behaved as if he were a Jew. And he didn’t stop at the synagogue door. We read in Acts 18:18, “Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him”. Paul was still prepared to abide by Jewish customs if it meant that by so doing, some Jews would take note and believe what Paul was saying.

In 1 Corinthians 9:21a, we read, “When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ …“. The last thing the Gentiles, the non-Jews, would appreciate was a Jew behaving as one in their midst. Paul must have participated in the Gentile customs, as far as he was able by his faith in Christ, and joined in their meals with foods perhaps not allowed for a Jew to eat. But what else could Paul do if he was going to reach the Gentiles with the Gospel? To a Jew, a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5), associating with Gentiles was not allowed. However, Paul was confident in God’s grace and was able to live the Gentile way, demonstrating in the process that he wasn’t a hypocrite, as he spoke the words but also lived under God’s grace in accordance with the Gospel. 

But let’s consider what Paul was saying in the light of our 21st-century lives. We, too, are governed by the law of Christ, secure in the infinite supply of God’s grace. But do we have the courage to follow Paul’s example and live in a way that allows the people around us to relate to us? Are we prepared to compromise our lifestyles, not our beliefs, of course, to win those around us for Christ? For a Christian, it is much easier to spend time with fellow Christians, enjoying the services and Bible studies, the fellowship meals, and the socialising. It is a safe space where no one will be offended. But are we willing to venture into places beyond our comfort zones so that we can “win some for Christ”? It is a complaint I have heard from Christians that when it comes to evangelisation, they no longer know anyone who is not a Christian. Over the years, their unbelieving friends have faded away, leaving them in a purely Christian bubble. But those of us who are working have unbelieving workmates, so perhaps we could join them in some of their activities. It does not mean that we compromise our beliefs, but it does provide an opportunity to bridge the gap and, in time, deliver the Good News about Christ in a way that our workmates might accept. There are other opportunities, at the school gates or in the supermarket queues. Anywhere, in fact, where a common experience of life presents itself. A Christian man I know calls himself a “space invader”, always looking for a way in which he can invade someone’s personal space to start a conversation and try to find some common concern or topic, and use it to tell them about Jesus.

Paul’s intentions could have been considered a compromise by some, but the lesson we must learn is that neither he nor we should ever compromise our beliefs, our obedience to God, and our love for Jesus. 

Dear Father God. Please lead us to opportunities to share the fantastic, life-saving news about Jesus.  Amen.

Preach the Good News

Posted on by korgrocker

“Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.”
1 Corinthians 9:16-18 NLT

Paul was a driven man, driven by his zealous desire to preach the Gospel, the Good News about Christ, at every opportunity. In fact, this desire was so strong that he was prepared to do it without receiving any reward at all. Even though he had a right to be paid, he never demanded that his right be satisfied. Paul was unique in that God channelled his zeal, previously focused on eliminating the new followers of the Way who were appearing everywhere, into being a preacher of the Good News all over the Middle East. A total “U-turn” if ever there was one. We could ask the question, “Where are the Pauls today”? However, looking back through British history, we can see how God has raised up men and women who did something significant for the Kingdom, often at great personal cost, including the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. We think of two “Johns” – John Bunyan and John Wesley. There is another “John”, John Knox, in Scotland. William Tynsdale translated the Bible into English. William Booth founded the Salvation Army, and we mustn’t forget Smith Wigglesworth and Charles Spurgeon. But there are many more who God had commissioned in previous centuries. In modern times, I think of John Lennox, Derek Prince, David Pawson, and others, all of whom have made significant contributions to the work and life of Christians. But there has never been another Paul. 

Paul’s zeal and mission were laser-focused on preaching the Gospel. It was more than just a few words that he spoke. In Athens, his approach is clearly evident. “He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there” (Acts 17:17). And he fearlessly took on the great Greek philosophers of his day, as we see in the next verse, “He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods””. Although he experienced ridicule and insults, Paul made a sufficient impact to be invited to the city’s high council, the Areopagus, to explain himself. He started his address, “So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way” (Acts 17:22). His introduction got their attention right from the start, and after a masterful and persuasive speech, he achieved a mixed outcome, that, importantly, included some of them becoming believers. Acts 17:33-34, “That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them”. Paul shared the Gospel with people at all levels of society, but that was his commission from Jesus. We read in Acts 9:15 something Jesus said to Ananias, “But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel”. There was King Agrippa of course, as we read in Acts 26:2,28, “”I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, … Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?“” Did Agrippa eventually become a Christian? We don’t know, unfortunately, but he could never stand before God claiming ignorance of the Good News about Christ.

We pilgrims are also commissioned to preach the Gospel. Mark 16:15,”“And then [Jesus] told them,”“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone””. His message was to His disciples, but it equally applies to us today, as it has to every believer who has ever lived. So how do we do that? We can take an example from Jesus,””“The time promised by God has come at last”” he announced.”“The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News””” (Mark 1:15). Paul wrote to the Romans the following,”“For“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say,”“How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news””” (Romans 10:13-15).

Some Christians I have met promote the old saying, “Preach the Gospel and if necessary use words”, justifying the thought that they don’t need to preach the Gospel because anyone seeing their good lives will convert to a belief in Jesus. But nothing can be further from the truth. Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ”. There is a need for our lives to mirror what we say about Jesus. We mustn’t be like the Christian who had a bumper sticker promoting Jesus but regularly exceeded speed limits.

And so we pilgrims regularly pray for divine appointments, so that we can share and preach as Jesus has commanded us, always remembering that there is a party in Heaven every time someone becomes a believer in Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus. Your Gospel is the only news worth hearing in this sad and bad world. Please help us to share our faith at every opportunity. In Your precious name. Amen.

Boasting

Posted on by korgrocker

“Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge. Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!”
1 Corinthians 9:15-16 NLT

Paul said he had the “right to boast about preaching without charge”. Isn’t that a strange thing to do? However, I don’t think Paul was a man who would boast, because his humility and zeal ultimately overshadowed any personal accomplishments. He was just making the point that boasting was something that he could do if he wanted to. But what is “boasting”? A dictionary definition is “excessively proud and self-satisfied talk about one’s achievements, possessions, or abilities”. In that context, we are all familiar with many boastful individuals. If we stop and pause for a moment, we can see several world leaders who fall into that category. And if an election looms, we will hear politicians everywhere making boastful, idealistic, and plainly undeliverable claims about their abilities, their political party’s past achievements, and what they will do if elected. There are one or two examples of boasters in the Bible. Nebuchadnezzar was one of them, as we can read in Daniel 4:30, “As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendour’”. If we read on in Daniel 4, we will find out what God thought of such a boaster!

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, “For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred” (2 Timothy 3:2). Was that the church people he was writing about? It might have been, because in verse 5 of this chapter, we read, “They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” We will find people who have a tendency to boast in all parts of society, including our churches and fellowships, and we pilgrims will need to be wary in their company, because boasters want those around them to affirm their identity and listen to their hubris. Mostly, people boast about their quantity and quality of their “stuff” but they often forget that they can’t take anything with them when they die. And even those who have little to boast about sometimes tell everyone who will listen about a “celebrity” whom they happened to meet on some occasion.

Paul wrote earlier in his first letter to the Corinthians that no one should ever boast in God’s presence, because they were not in a position where boasting was an option. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God”. And so we pilgrims are never boasters (with one exception), and instead we present the Gospel to those around us from a position of grace and humility, dispensing God’s Word with love.

One of my favourite hymns is “When I survey the wondrous cross” and verse 2 reads, 

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

We sing this hymn every Easter season, and it touches even the hardest, boastful heart present, with Isaac Watts’ gracious lyrics. But he was right. If we feel a tendency to boast, there is one thing that we can boast about, and that is what Jesus has done for us. The world may consider it foolish, but my hero is Jesus, and I will boast about knowing Him whenever I can.

Dear Heavenly Father. Your Son is indeed our hero, and we worship and praise Him whenever we can. There is no one greater and no one better than Jesus. We love You, Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Command

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t you realise that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge.”
1 Corinthians 9:13-15 NLT

It seems like a logical idea that the preacher of Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. The same principle should surely be applied to teachers and lecturers and anyone else who has knowledge of a particular subject and can help those around them with his or her knowledge. Of course, knowledge of anything can be acquired in several different ways, not just by listening to someone expounding what they know. To take a simple example, I could ask a bus driver the time of the next bus to a particular town, a piece of knowledge that he would probably have in his head. However, I could acquire the same information by consulting a bus timetable, which may exist in various forms, including both paper and internet versions. However, Paul was someone special, and he possessed knowledge that would have been unique in his time. He travelled to cities everywhere in the Middle East and mostly found virgin territory for his knowledge and understanding of the Good News about Christ, where people had never heard about Jesus and His saving grace, and had no means to get that knowledge in any other way, because the New Testament had not yet been written. 

Of course, the message of the Gospel is a free gift from God, and the priceless treasure that is available to all who believe in Jesus is eternal life. We know that from Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord“. We also know that because Jesus made no reference to cost when He said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life“. Responding to the Gospel is not a monetary transaction. Instead, it is one where Jesus Himself bore the cost on our behalf. 

There is an account in Acts 8 of Peter and John visiting the town of Samaria and the converts there who had only been baptised in the name of Jesus. We pick up the story in verse 19, “Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit”. However, a man named Simon, who had previously been a sorcerer but was now a Christian, made a request of the Apostles. We read in verses 18 and 19, “When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”” Peter’s response was emphatic. Verse 20, “But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought!”

There is a convergence between the two kingdoms, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world. A person who shares the Gospel is a human being with basic needs that include food, drink, clothing and shelter. Most Christians work to earn a living and so do not need to be supported with the basics of life while we share the Gospel with those around us.  However, there are men and women whose occupation is in a full-time capacity as a minister, pastor or missionary, and they still have to be paid somehow. Paul was in that capacity, and, for some reason, it appears that the Corinthian church was reluctant to support him. He also said something that would have resonated with the Jewish members of the congregation, in that the priests who served in the temple were able to live based on the gifts brought to the temple and its altar. Paul then suggested that he should have the same benefits.

The challenge for all church members is providing financial support to our leaders. They work tirelessly, supporting the people, with visits to the lonely, the sick, and the wayward. They prepare sermons and support other church activities, such as children’s work and youth clubs. In fact, if our leaders withdrew their labour, the church would soon descend into chaos, as many find when they are unable to replace their pastors or ministers after they leave or retire. Although such financial support is not mandatory, it is a recognition that our leaders need some form of reward. Near the end of his life, Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’” (1 Timothy 5:17-18). 

We pilgrims thank God for His servants who give up so much for the Gospel. It is neither a well-paid nor an easy vocation to be a pastor. They often get little in the way of thanks, but nevertheless persevere in building their churches and fellowships as God leads and guides them. And so we pray for them and support them with our finances. As a result, a thriving fellowship of believers will see the grace of God manifested in their lives, and new members will join as they hear the Good News about Christ.

Dear Father God. We pray for our leaders that their needs will be met in every way, spiritually and physically. And we pray that you show us how we can support them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Obstacles to the Gospel

Posted on by korgrocker

“Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.”
1 Corinthians 9:11-12 NLT

There was only one priority in Paul’s life, and that was spreading the Gospel, which I’m sure he would do even if he had to sleep on the streets without food. Paul had nothing but a few possessions that he could carry with him. No “stuff”. No excess baggage. In Hebrews 12:1, we read, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us”. ‭‭It may as well have been Paul who wrote that, because his focus was on converting as many people as possible to the faith about which he was so passionate. 

We now fast forward to today, in Western countries that are overburdened with possessions and swamped with information and gadgets. How much of this is an obstacle to sharing “the Good News about Christ”? Regardless of all of this, I believe that a Paul today would still be the same, sold out for Jesus and delivering His redemptive message wherever he could. When Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples, He told them, “Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveller’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road” (Luke 10:4). Paul literally lived out this command of Jesus, but would we today?

But regardless of all our wealth (we are wealthy compared with Christians in Paul’s day), do we let it hold us back in sharing the “Good News about Christ”? What hindrances do we face in sharing our faith with others? Well, there are a few, and mostly centred on who we are. Take, for example, the fear of rejection. We worry about what people might think of us, and so we remain quiet when an opportunity to share the gospel with someone is presented. Or we might be in a bit of a hurry and think we don’t have the time to stop and talk. Perhaps we are unsure of the Gospel, or haven’t yet worked out in our minds how we could present our testimonies. Or we just can’t be bothered, too caught up with our own problems. Perhaps on this particular day, we were late getting up, didn’t have time to spend a few minutes in prayer and reading the Bible, and were feeling depressed, weighed down by our sins. 

I had a coffee recently with someone I once knew thirty or so years ago, but with whom I had lost touch. He confessed to being a frustrated evangelist, never seeming to find an opportunity to share his faith. However, during the conversation, we discussed some fundamental verses in the Bible that he was unable to reconcile with the prevailing societal beliefs. Issues such as sexuality and gender, and an apparent conflict, to him, between our God of love and hell. And sadly, his mind had become confused and clouded with noise that was drowning out the simplicity of the Gospel message that “Heaven is real, hell is hot, and Jesus saves”. That simple message resonated in our lives when we found Jesus and His saving grace. We weren’t struggling to understand the lofty theological concepts found on the bookshelves of a seminary with our minds. We just knew that Jesus was the real Son of God, as the Holy Spirit revealed Him to us. 

Paul was one hundred per cent focused on sharing the Gospel. His testimony was well polished and convincing. His journey in life was driven by the goal of saving as many people as possible before he died. He wrote to the Philippians, “ … But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 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 3:12b-14). The race that Paul referred to wasn’t about himself at all. Perfection was a byproduct of his character, honed by his ministry and message. And the crown before him was all that mattered.

It might be a good time for us pilgrims to review our lives, to see if there is anything getting in the way of the “Good News about Christ”. We must pray that God will reveal anything that is lurking in the deeper recesses of our minds, things that are distracting us. And we ask for His help in clearing out the dust and cobwebs. David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24). It’s a dangerous prayer to pray, but it might have some dramatic results!

Dear Father God. Help us, we pray, as we bring our lives under Your penetrating gaze, and please help us not to dodge anything that bubbles to the surface. In Jesus’ name. Amen.