An Outburst of Praise

Posted on by korgrocker

“I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.”
Psalm 18:1-2 NLT

The preamble to this Psalm records that David wrote it “on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul”. But David didn’t just write it, he sang it. David was an extraordinarily gifted man, able to govern wisely, a giant killer, a musician, song writer and singer, and all because he was favoured by the Lord. If David was asked about all his gifts, I’m sure he would have pointed to Heaven and say it was all because of His Lord.  In these first two verses of Psalm 18, look at the words David used in his song of praise and thanks. He wrote that the Lord was his “strength“, his “rock”, his “fortress”, his “Saviour”, his “shield”, and he finishes with the Lord being “the power that saves [him], and [his] place of safety”.What an accolade! David would have been the sort of person who you wanted to have around in church, encouraging people in their faith.

There was a time when David lived for a time in a cave, an account which we can read in 1 Samuel 22, but the first two verses read, “So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men“. There was something about David that drew people to him, and even his oldest brother, Eliab, who was recorded as saying to David, “But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”” (1 Samuel 17:28). There were some interesting family dynamics in David’s life!

But David was quick to credit the Lord with all His blessings so freely poured out on him. God was there for David through some difficult times and David was quick with his thankful responses to his Lord and God. Note though, that God didn’t take away the circumstances that David encountered in his life, but He did keep David safe within them. It is the same with all His people. We live in a sinful and wicked world, but that is how it is for human beings. Because of sin this world is a hostile place for God’s people, but as Jesus said to His disciples, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Think of all those people who have fallen away from the faith because they mistakenly thought God would save them from all their troubles. Instead of saving them from their troubles, God will save them within them. David knew that and we know from previous Psalms that he was always ranting about the wicked people, his enemies, who continually caused him grief, but in this Psalm David is singing his heart out with a song of praise and thankfulness.

What about us pilgrims? What problems are we facing into at the moment? Financial issues? Worries about our families? Anxieties about the state of the world, with the wars and famines? When Jesus said that he had “overcome the world” He proclaimed that He was bigger than anything we will find in this life. And in faith we can start to thank God for being for us all the things He was to David, who lived in a much more dangerous time than we do. So today, can I hear a chorus of praise and thanks to God, a song penetrating the dark fogs of 21st Century Planet Earth? Of course I can. We all can. Because we are the choir, practising for the time when we will indeed spend eternity praising the One who saved this sad, bad world.

Dear God. You have the world in which we live snuggled in the palm of Your hand, and in spite of all its sin and wickedness. Thank You for the assurance that You are standing with us through every circumstance. Amen.

The Vanished Faithful

Posted on by korgrocker

“Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!”
Psalm 12:1 NLT

We move to the next Psalm, another written by David, and the title includes instructions about how it should be accompanied when sung. His perception was that “the Godly are fast disappearing” but was that real or imagined? As we read the Old Testament, however, we see that there is an ebb and flow in the number of God worshipers in Israel. For example, the book of Judges often laments those who have abandoned the Lord. Verses such as Judges 3:7 identify the problem, “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot about the Lord their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles”. ‭‭We also read about Elijah’s sadness with the thought that he was the only God-fearing man left. Elijah had journeyed to Mount Sinai and we read, “There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”” (1 Kings 19:9). His response in the next verse was interesting, “Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”” God recommissioned Elijah there on the mountain, and reassured him, “Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”” (1 Kings 19:18). ‭

Often the perception of the numbers of believers in our country is fuelled by a press hostile to believers, but there are problems within some denominations. For example, here in the West of Fife, where I live in Scotland, there is a decline in the numbers of Churches of Scotland, with congregations dwindling and buildings being sold. This is a theme often emphasised in the media, always willing to promote a secular narrative. But John Stevens (National Director of FIEC) is credited with saying, “The decline of denominations like the Church of Scotland, which have largely abandoned the gospel, is not the full story of UK Christianity. Evangelical churches that faithfully preach Christ are consistently seeing slow and steady growth overall – both conversions and transfer growth through migration”. John continued, “The UK is not turning from Christianity but rejecting empty folk religion that was never true Christianity in the first place. The major decline is in allegiance to the Church of Scotland – and this is inevitable given that it is a liberal denomination that affirms same-sex marriage. Liberalism in the church proclaims its own irrelevance to the culture because it has nothing unique to offer that can’t be better delivered elsewhere.” So there we have it. A Church of Scotland member would, most likely, pray the prayer over their church straight from David’s Psalm 12 prayerbook, mourning his perception that the church is in decline, but without taking a step back and consulting God Himself.

Of course, Jesus had some words to say about His church. In Matthew 16:18 we read, “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it”. So, any perception that the church is in decline is in denial of the words of Jesus. And we can look back over two thousand years and see that Christianity has not declined. There have been times when the church has lost its way but God has always raised up men and women to bring things back on track. Today there is an estimate that one third of the world’s population practise some form of Christianity. That’s over 2.3 billion people. 

So what did David mean when he said “the Godly are fast disappearing”? His snapshot of society in his day may have been skewed by his knowledge of his society and friends and family. But today, we pilgrims sense that there are exciting times ahead. One day the church of Jesus Christ will be joined with Him in marriage. Revelation 19:7, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honour to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself“. We don’t know how far away in time the wedding service will be. We don’t really know what it will look like. But we do know that it will come one day, probably sooner than we think. And Jesus will be there welcoming all those who make up His “bride”. Jesus’ bride won’t be an anaemic, powerless, lukewarm group of pew warmers in a dying denomination. It will be glorious and clothed in white. It will be populated by true Christians, sold out for God, filled with His Spirit and excited about the day yet to come. Are we counted in that number?

There is an old Gaither song to finish with today:
What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see
And I look upon his face
The one who saved me by his grace
When he takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land
What a day, glorious day, that will be.

Dear Lord Jesus. What a day that will be indeed. We echo the words that we find at the end of Your Book, Come Lord Jesus. Amen.

The Given Ones

Posted on by korgrocker

“Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
John 17:24-26 NLT

A poignant end to Jesus’ High Priestly prayer. In human terms it could have been prayed by a parent concerned for their children and forced to leave them behind before they embarked on a long journey. Of course people want their loved ones to be with them wherever they go. But Jesus wasn’t praying about some future event – He wanted His disciples to be with Him in the present. But they were right there in the Garden with Him, weren’t they? In the language used it is sometimes easy to confuse the natural and spiritual lives and I’m sure the disciples were a bit confused. As well as being a Man standing before them on the Mount of Olives, Jesus was also the second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God, and He had been with His Father “since before the foundation of the world”. John 1:1-2, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God”. But Jesus continued in His prayer, desirous that His friends would also see His glory

Jesus had previously told His disciples, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:1-3). In another Bible translation, the “rooms” or “places” become “mansions”, but whatever was being planned, the disciples knew it would be a wonderful place. If we read on in John 14, we find the profound response of Jesus to Thomas’s question – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me“” (John 14:6). 

The disciples had been chosen by Jesus after he spent a night in prayer, and in our John 17 verses He confirmed that it was His Father who had given them to Him. They were a motley crew, if ever there was one. Fishermen and a tax collector just to name two professions amongst them. But even though they had been chosen and given by Father to Son, they still had a choice to make. They had the benefit of knowing Jesus, and that implied a relationship based on faith and trust, in that they believed He was who He said He was, the Son of God. And we know that these men had spent a turbulent three years with Jesus, being trained for what was still to come. But they still had to choose to follow Jesus, regardless of what that meant. Some disciples on the periphery of Jesus’ followers found that His teaching was too hard for them, and we read in John 6:66, “At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him“. After this we read, “Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God”” (John 6:67-69). They were faithful followers, even though one of them would later turn away from Him and betray Him. 

We pilgrims have been chosen by God. Ephesians 1:4, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. ... ”. So God has kept His promise to us. But there is a choice also to be made from our side. We cannot just hear God’s call and then turn our backs, as many do. Instead we turn our faces towards Him, embracing whole-heartedly His love for us. As Jesus said, it is only Him that has the words of eternal life.

Father God. We respond to Your love and grace with grateful hearts, full of gratitude and worship. Amen.

Many Believed

Posted on by korgrocker

“Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs.”
John 11:45-47 NLT

Why did John record that many of the people who were with Mary came to believe in Jesus? Why not those with Martha? Perhaps Mary was the sister who was popular in the community, while Martha was the stay-at-home introvert who enjoyed nothing else than the house keeping. But regardless, both the sisters had faith in their friend Jesus, and enjoyed His presence in their home. However, the important message was that many “believed in Jesus” because of the miracle that had taken place. Jesus had restored to life a man who was graveyard dead, something unheard of in that age or any other, come to that.

John recorded that many believed, but obviously not all did. Faced with such a miraculous event, why did some people not believe in Jesus? What would it take for these people to believe? What was stopping them? Worse, when the religious leaders were told what had happened they didn’t believe in Jesus either. In fact, they were so disturbed by what had happened that they called a meeting of the High Council, the Sanhedrin. This was serious stuff, because this assembly of leaders was the ultimate Jewish court. To many of the people, and collectively by the leading priests and the Pharisees, to change their religious system to instead follow a Man who called Himself the Son of God and who even proved it by performing amazing miracles, was just not going to happen. 

So what was stopping a universal belief in Jesus? In Matthew 22:14 we read that Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen”. The sad thing is that in every age since Jesus died for our sins, the clarion call of salvation has rung out but only those with hearing ears have responded. In Jesus’ day, the devil had blinded the eyes and ears of those who stubbornly refused to accept the evidence before them, instead deciding to maintain the status quo. People were spiritually deaf and such deafness continues today. God said to Isaiah, “ ... Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing” (Isaiah 6:9-10). Hardened hearts are still the default state of mankind today. Hearts resistant to anything that will lead to spiritual understanding are all around us. But God will warm and soften those whom He has called.

Today, we pilgrims are believers in Jesus. We have heard the call and responded wholeheartedly to the One who has the words of eternal life. 

Dear Father God. There was a time when, like Wesley, our hearts were “strangely warmed”. Thank You for the call through Your Son Jesus. Amen.

Do You Believe?

Posted on by korgrocker

““You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.
John 9:34-38 NLT

Jesus’ compassion was such that He wanted to make sure Mr Blind-no-more was alright. After his mauling in the Pharisees’ court, with its subsequent punishment of excommunication, the man found his euphoric, sight-restored, bubble pricked and deflated, leaving him devoid of the social contact and help he would now desperately need. But he had a future and a hope by believing in Jesus. And he was found by Jesus, his new Lord and Master, who lifted him up into a new bubble of belief in the Son of God. One day that man would find himself somewhere where the Pharisees couldn’t go. 

Jesus was consistent in His message that only those who believe in Him will enter a spiritual realm that includes God Himself. We have of course the much-quoted verse 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”. He said much the same in John 5:24, “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life”. In John 6:35, Jesus said, ” … I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus’ message of salvation through believing in Him expanded to include His teaching for the new believers. It was hard teaching at times, but the results came to fruition on that day when the rushing wind and tongues of fire empowered the early church founders to continue in obedience to what their Lord and Master said to them. The Holy Spirit brought to their remembrance the truths expounded during their years spent with Him. 

We don’t know what happened to Mr Blind-no-more after his encounter with Jesus. After such a miraculous healing, he probably became a disciple and follower of Jesus, and may have even been in the upper room when the Holy Spirit fell on those who were gathered there. He certainly never lacked the boldness necessary to stand up to the Pharisee. In his shoes I would certainly like to think that I would become a follower of the Man who healed me and restored my sight. We are told that after he met Jesus again, Mr Blind-no-more worshipped Jesus after confessing that he believed in Him. And we can almost hear the gates of hell clang shut behind another person who had escaped its clutches. We pilgrims too have been redeemed from the sins that otherwise would have entangled us, and we now enjoy our status as followers of Jesus in the Kingdom of God. Perhaps one day we will catch up with Mr Blind-no-more and will be able to ask him about his amazing experience.

Dear God. You are truly amazing and Your power has not only enabled countless miracles to take place, but it has also opened the door for sinners to enter Your kingdom. We are so thankful. Amen.

He Is Old Enough

Posted on by korgrocker

“The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.””
John 9:18-23 NLT

How old is “old enough”? In orthodox Jewish practices, a boy reaches manhood at the age of 13, and a girl at the age of 12. We find Jesus in the Temple at the age of 12 – we read in Luke 2, “And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. …. And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”” (Luke 2:42, 49). In Exodus 30:14, the age of 20 was proposed as the minimum age allowing someone to present a sacred offering. In modern UK society, there are various age restrictions. At 14, a teenager can get a part time job. At 16, they can claim benefits, drive a moped and order a passport. 17 is the age when a driving licence for a car can be obtained. At 18, alcohol can be purchased and you are allowed to vote or get married without a parent’s permission. At 21, all age restrictions are removed and adulthood is reached. But in all this, there is a big difference between what is permitted and what a young person is capable of. One thing there is no restriction on is the age when a child or adult can decide to follow Jesus. Many children make a decision for Christ in their primary years and set the scene for the rest of their lives from that point. 

In our account in John 9, the parents of Mr “Blind-no-more” failed to take any responsibility for their son’s healing and the events that followed. They gave the Pharisees the facts as they knew them, that their son had really been born blind, that they were not involved in his healing, and, they said to the Pharisees, “Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself”. This puts Mr “Blind-no-more” at least at an age of more than 13, but in reality the impression was that the man was a mature adult, who was forced to beg for a living. John also records that the parents of the man were afraid of being excluded from the synagogue, something that could have had a serious and detrimental effect on their ability to do business and be an effective member of that society. The Pharisees had one trump card in their hold over the people, and that was synagogue membership, and they leveraged this by saying that anyone who went on to believe in Jesus and affirm that He was the Messiah would be excommunicated. 

We pilgrims, like everyone else, are on a journey through life. However, we have one clear distinction over unbelievers, in that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. We are God’s children, and can enjoy all the benefits that Kingdom membership brings. God has children of all ages, and no-one is excluded because they aren’t old enough. In Matthew 19:13-14 we read, “One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children””. There has always been a special place in God’s heart for children. Anyone who is old enough to understand about Jesus and what He did for us can decide to follow Him, and there is no fear of being rejected at the foot of the Cross because of age. God will never turn away a repentant sinner, regardless of how old they are. 

Father God. We thank You for the Gospel and how it includes everyone regardless of age, race, skin colour, and ability. Whatever our age was when we came to believe in Jesus, we know that You never rejected us. Thank You. Amen.

The Request For a Sign

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ””
John 6:28-31 NKJV

At first sight, this seems to be a disgraceful response to Jesus. ”Give us some proof about Your credentials, and seeing as You claim to be the Son of God, make sure it is a miraculous sign”, was their demand. Those people on the Galilean shore even had the audacity to specify the miraculous sign they were looking for. They suggested that Jesus provided manna, the food that sustained the Israelite slaves through forty years of wandering in the desert between Egypt and the Promised Land. In other words, they enjoyed the meal of bread and fish on the other side of the lake but they suggested to Jesus that He kept feeding them, just as their ancestors were in the wilderness. But all Jesus was requesting was that the people believed who He was, a simple response surely, but they knew then, as people know today, that believing in Jesus will require a change in beliefs, behaviour and a different approach to their otherwise sinful lives. Jesus called that change “the work of God”. 

It is doubtful that any number of “signs” would have convinced the people of His day that a belief in Jesus was necessary for their spiritual health and well-being. Seeing the sick healed would have been an entertaining spectacle, especially to those who were not personally involved. Perhaps they thought that miracles had been performed before by the great prophets. Their heritage was steeped in miracles. Manna in the desert. Water from a rock face. Walls tumbling down. Giants slain. Their scriptures contained accounts of many such miracles. So what’s new here might have been their thoughts. But none of those prophets claimed to be divine, as Jesus did.

Jesus was offering the people a relationship with Him. Not a detached gratitude for the miracles, but a pathway through miraculous signs to believing in Him. In another scripture we read, “When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee?“ (John 7:40-41). Some of the people were convinced about Jesus, acknowledging that He was the Messiah. But did they go on to believe in Him?

There are people today who will engage in a one to one conversation in which they will profess a belief in Jesus. But back in the office, with others around, they lapse back into the ways of those around them. James wrote, “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do” (James 1:6-8). This is a warning to people who say that they believe in Jesus but have yet to make a transition into being a true believer. Miraculous signs may help some to believe in Jesus, but it is the Holy Spirit today who brings a new believer into a relationship with God.

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You that You cared enough to come to this world at just the right time. We worship You today. Amen.

Working the Works

Posted on by korgrocker

“Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.””
John 6:27-29 NKJV

The people having a conversation with Jesus, the Jews who had followed Him around the Sea of Galilee, had a noble but potential mission statement – working the works of God. These people had a good understanding of the God of the Old Testament, and wanted to do what He wanted them to do, at least they said they did. But over time their view of God had become mired in rules and regulations, and perhaps they had replaced Him with a “God” more of their own construction. They wanted a God who once again would interact positively in their affairs, feeding them with “manna” and helping them win battles over their belligerent neighbours, or, in their own topical situation, extracting their nation from the clutches of the Roman Empire. So to the Jews, the concept of doing God’s work focussed on the doing. But Jesus once again pointed out the most important “work” – believing in the One standing before them, that He was God’s Son, sent to redeem the people from their sins. 

There was another occasion when someone asked Jesus about what they should do and we can find the story in Matthew 19. A rich and religious man came to Jesus to ask what he should do to inherit eternal life. By the Galilean shores, Jesus told the Jews in the crowd to shift their labour, their doing, from working for natural foods to instead working towards eternal life. The rich man was aware of the importance of eternal life but felt a bit unsure about how to get there. To him, Jesus suggested he keep the commandments, going further to spell out which ones. But the rich man still wasn’t satisfied, and asked what else he should do because he had always been diligent in keeping the commandments. There was something inside the man’s heart that lacked the peace and joy that can only come from a relationship with God. Jesus told him to get rid of all the things that were holding him back, selling his “stuff” if necessary, but then we read the poignant conclusion, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Matthew 19:22).

To the Jews by the Sea of Galilee, they had very little “stuff” in the first place so all Jesus asked them to do was to believe in Him. Once they had overcome that hurdle they were on the right path. The same question is hanging in the air today. Many people accept that Jesus came to this planet, but very few in our Western cultures actually believe in Him. And what about us pilgrims? Are we cultural Christians, warming the pews, arranging the Sunday flowers, and enjoying the social interactions, or are we a people who believe in the One sent from God? There is a world of a difference, and to get to a point of really believing in Jesus is a choice often riven by doubts.

The declaration of faith we call the Apostles’ Creed starts off, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord …” And it continues with statements of truth that add up to Jesus’ invitation to “believe in Him whom He sent”. But even then it is possible for people to just go through the motions, paying what is called a “lip service”, saying the words but not really believing them in their hearts. Believing in Jesus is a decision that leads to a lifetime of relationship with the One sent by God. 

To say we believe in Jesus is a counter-cultural statement and leads us to a position in society that sets us apart from those around us. Believers have a choice to make – to follow God’s ways or those of the secular society around us. But that is not to say we cut ourselves off from all contact with the lost and helpless. The ethos of showing God’s love to others, regardless of faith, is at the very heart of what God would have us do – showing His love and grace to a lost and dying world. There is no-one else to do it, and, for a believer, there is no-one better equipped.

Dear Lord Jesus. You came to seek and save the lost. There are many such people around us, so please help us to hear You clearly so that we can bring Your message of hope to them. In Your precious name. Amen.

Stay Alert

Posted on by korgrocker

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT

We may not like to think about this, but we pilgrims have an enemy. We may feel safe and secure in our Western societies, but look on in alarm at the wars and strife taking place in other parts of the world. As I write today, the war in Ukraine continues unabated, and the response by Israel to the Palestinian terror attacks is working out on the world stage, dominating the media. Even God’s chosen people, the Jews, are under attack and many of them fear for their lives. Who or what causes so much hatred and distrust between individuals and nations? Well, we have the answer in today’s verse – our “great enemy, the devil”. Peter wrote that he “prowls around like a roaring lion”, spreading evil and wickedness wherever he goes. The churches that Peter was writing to were themselves experiencing persecution of terrible proportions, and his encouragement contained both a warning and the means to combat it.

But firstly, we must consider who the devil is looking to devour. The devil is against anything to do with God. The devil was thrown out of Heaven for his pride and rebellion, and, because God is so much stronger then he is, he is having to make do with his next priority – God’s precious creation, mankind. So perhaps it would be a good place to start with who the devil is not devouring on Planet Earth. Obviously those people who deny the existence of the devil wouldn’t bother him. They are no threat to him at all. Then, anyone who hates the Jews, God’s chosen people, with their antisemitic language and behaviour, and acts of terrorism, won’t trouble him – in fact he is probably using this group to help him do the devouring. Then there are people who accept that he exists but who don’t cause him any difficulties because of disinterest or even acceptance. As I write this, it is coming up to the season of Halloween and the shops are full of scary outfits and pumpkins. The devil loves it because these people are just advertising his presence. And that leaves God’s children, the “born-again” believers who are willing and spiritually resourced to take the fight to the devil’s kingdom and tell people in his bondage about how to get free. That’s us pilgrims. As an aside, there are many Christians who don’t bother the devil very much at all. Christians who perhaps warm a pew in a church service on a Sunday every few weeks but do little else in God’s Kingdom. Hmmm…

When Jesus came to this world, He became a prime target for the devil. After all, if he could get the Son of God to sin then that would be a major coup. In Luke 4:1-2 we read, “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry”. Jesus was both human and divine, man and God, and the devil tried to tempt Him through His humanity. We can read the three subsequent temptations of Jesus in the next few verses in Luke 4. In Hebrews 4:15 we read, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin”. And that’s the point. I’m sure Jesus suffered many temptations in His short life here in this world, but he withstood them all and never sinned.

The devil will always find a point of weakness in us, and will try and exploit it if at all possible. But we pilgrims need to stand firm in our faith. We note that Jesus used Scripture verses to counter the devil’s accusations, and so must we, by making sure we are using the Bible well. It contains all the resources we need to be able to withstand the devouring tactics of the enemy.

Father God. We pray for Your protection from the attacks of the enemy and deliverance from evil. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Judge

Posted on by korgrocker

“But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We start with the “they”. These are the people who were guilty of slandering their “former friends” just because they believed the Good News about Jesus. These “former friends” were living a life of debauchery, blissfully unaware that one day “they will have to face God“. But we pilgrims know, of course, that it is not just these particular individuals who were at risk. Everyone one day will give an account of their lives to God. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 14:11-12, “For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.” Jesus, replying to an accusation that He was casting our demons by power from the devil, said, “And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you”” (Matthew 12:36-37). Another verse of truth from Paul, “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Peter wrote a strange thing, in that he said the Gospel “was preached to those who are now dead”. In those days Jesus was expected to return before the current generation had passed away, so perhaps Peter was clarifying the salvation status for those who had apparently died prematurely. In our days we still expect the imminent return of Jesus, but God’s timing is exact and the Second Coming won’t happen until the right time. In the meantime we pilgrims march on in obedience to Jesus, sharing the Gospel with those around us. But for all I know this blog may never be read, because its publication will have been overtaken by Divine events.

So the question to be answered is where we all stand before God. We can be counted in the “former friends” group, which will probably make up the majority, or we are one of those who heard the Good News, believing it and applying it to our own lives. There are no other categories of people. No third group made up of people who consider that they have lived a good life, and therefore believe that they are worthy enough, through their own efforts, to enter Heaven. As Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23).

Peter wrote “that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead“. We know that this is the case from what the Spirit revealed to the Apostle John, and as he recorded it in Revelation 20. A “great white throne” appeared with “One sitting on it” (Revelation 20:11), an event so terrible that even the earth and sky “fled from His presence”. But there was no hiding place for anything in creation on that terrible day. We read what is to happen in Revelation 20:12, “I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.” And there was only one possible verdict – guilty – except for those whose names were recorded in a Book containing the names of all the repentant believers in Jesus. Revelation 20:15, “And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Thankfully, believers will not have to face that awful event, and we pilgrims share our stories of God’s saving grace with those around us, in the hope, the expectation even, that the Holy Spirit will bring salvation to all those He has called.

Dear Father God. We pray for our family and friends, that they also will desire to see their names written in Your Book of Life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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