Words of Eternal Life

Posted on by korgrocker

“The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?””
John 3:8-10 NLT

I wonder what Nicodemus was thinking during his time spent with Jesus that evening two thousand years ago. The conversation was following a path that he never expected. A cosy chat turned into a teaching session that blew Nico’s theology right out of this world. He had never considered the concept of being born again spiritually, but here was a man who he acknowledged had been sent by God to teach the Jewish people, and who was now telling him things that he was struggling to get his mind around. His anguished response “How are these things possible?” just about summed up his dilemma.

Jesus introduced Nicodemus to Kingdom truths that did not fit into his theology and he was confronted with the need to accommodate new God-ideas. Ideas that would set him at odds with his leadership colleagues, and that would change his life forever. He was probably thinking that if he believed what Jesus was saying then his ability to teach the truth was incompatible with traditional Jewish beliefs and compromised his role as a teacher. We never found out what happened after he left Jesus but perhaps he started to introduce what he learnt to his Bible classes. A subtle change in direction perhaps. But we don’t know. 

Over my years as a Christian I have found that God has gently introduced me to truths about Him and His kingdom, and how they must impact my life day by day. Verses from the Bible suddenly illuminate with His life and message. Revelations from Holy Spirit-inspired spiritual nuggets of gold that highlight the difference between the two kingdoms, the kingdom of this world, and the Kingdom of God. A crossroad on my journey to eternal life is exposed, and so often one way seems to go round in a circle and I find myself back to that point, the same crossroad, in my journey once again. 

I often think about Peter’s response to Jesus in John 6:68, “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life””. That was the message for Nicodemus and he had a choice about what he was going to do with the words that he heard. At the crossroads we all experience, perhaps we cry out that the way God wants us to take is too hard. But God is in no hurry and, as He did with the Israelite slaves in the wilderness, patiently leads and guides us to the promised land. Moses set before the Israelites a spiritual T-junction, as we read in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” We have a part to play for our future – life and blessings, or death and curses. What choice will we make today, I wonder?

Dear Father God. Please help us to make the right choices in life, no matter what it costs. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jesus Unrecognised

Posted on by korgrocker

“John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.“
John 1:26-28 NLT

John had a very public ministry and he was known throughout Israel. The people considered him a prophet and, as such, an important man. Such was his fame that the authorities were wary of him. Jesus had a conversation with some religious leaders about John. He asked them a question, as recorded in Mark 11:30-32, ”“Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!” They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. But do we dare say it was merely human?” For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet“. John had some important information for the Jews, about Someone who was far greater than he was, but at this stage in His ministry, the Man of whom John spoke, had yet to be recognised. 

Would we pilgrims recognise Jesus if we met Him one day? Isaiah warned that Jesus would have no great distinguishing features of other attributes. We read in Isaiah 53:2, ”My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him”. Western films portray Jesus as a white male but the reality is that Jesus would have been of middle Eastern appearance. We build in our minds a picture based on His ministries, His compassion, love and so on, but there was nothing that set Him apart physically. But that doesn’t alter the fact that Jesus was, and is, the Son of God. 

If we were able to recognise Jesus and His saving grace, others will too. Someone introduced us to Jesus. We may or may not have been looking for Him. We may have been sadly distorted in our perception of who He was. But He found us anyway and we responded to His love and grace. We came to Him in repentance and received the gift of eternal life. I recently had the opportunity to thank the man who introduced me to Jesus, even though it was quite a while since I had met with him. What a privilege it is when we pilgrims have an opportunity to introduce someone to Jesus. They may not recognise Jesus at first, but through His love and grace they will come to take the first steps into His Kingdom. Jesus made such an impact on the Apostle Paul that he wrote, ”Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ“ (Philippians 3:8). That’s how important Jesus is. 

So do you know Jesus? Can you consider Him your friend? We can all get to know Jesus now, in this life, and we will be in His company forever in the life to come. What a privilege! What a Saviour!

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for coming to this world all those years ago. You are preparing a place for us in Heaven and we look forward to joining You there. Amen.

John Testified

Posted on by korgrocker

“John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”“
John 1:15 NLT

John knew who Jesus was, that day on the banks of the River Jordan. And it wasn’t just his knowledge that Jesus was his cousin. It was the reality that God had sent His Son to this world, and John recognised Him as its Creator. He exists eternally, and for a brief few years He walked amongst His people embodying “grace and truth”, discarding eternity for time, a throne for humanity. John testified about “Him“, Jesus the Son of God, the Messiah they had all been waiting for. Did anyone else at that time know who Jesus really was? Or was it only John? There was certainly much in the way of expectation, going back hundreds of years, but no Messiah had emerged onto the Israel landscape. Had there been false messiahs and false prophets in the years before Jesus? He Himself warned about such a phenomenon, as we read in Matthew 24:24, “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones“. Whatever the people were expecting, however, a baby in a manger would not have even occurred to them. And a man like themselves would have been difficult for them to accept, as Jesus found out when He was teaching in the Nazareth synagogue. “When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. … Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”” (Luke 4:16,22). But Jesus knew how difficult it would be for the people to accept Him as Messiah. Jesus said to them, “But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown” (Luke 4:24). If Jesus had burst into the Middle East, leading a huge army, then they would have accepted Him as their Messiah, but an itinerant preacher and teacher who could do a few miracles would not have been on their radar.

“John testified about him”, we read. But how did John know that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah? Later on John had doubts, because after he had been imprisoned by Herod, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Matthew 11:3). But on the banks of the Jordan, John had no doubts. The Holy Spirit within him left no room for any other possibility. The crowds there heard his message, his testimony about Jesus. 

In the world around us, in our communities and societies, there are many who could possibly relate to John and his message. In those days, people went to the Jordan, perhaps encouraged by their friends, who told them about this wild prophetic character with his Messianic message. Today, in the frantic information glut that surrounds us, the message of a Messiah quickly gets drowned out. But we pilgrims have a message about the Son of God and what He has done for us. There was that time when we were re-born into God’s family. And since then there have been occasions where the Holy Spirit has helped us sort out the life problems that we call sin. Like John we have a testimony. We experienced a life-changing event that put us on the road to eternal life with God Himself. The world around us is desperate for good news. We have it, and lots of it. We pray for opportunities when we can share what God has done for us. We won’t necessarily find crowds like John. But we will find opportunities to tell our stories of a Messiah, Jesus Himself. And what a wonderful story it is!

Dear Lord Jesus. As we follow You, day by day, please lead us to those who are waiting for Your message of Good News. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Light and Life

Posted on by korgrocker

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
John 1:1-5 NLT

Continuing our theme concerning the Word of God, who is Jesus Himself, John wrote that He is Light and Life. We read back in Genesis 2:7 how life was birthed, “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person“. And ever since, life has been ubiquitous, taken for granted even and the Creator of life ignored by most. Jesus Himself proclaimed His illuminating presence as we read in John 8:12, “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”” So why is it so hard for people to realise that they do indeed walk in darkness? Stumbling around in the gloom is not a new phenomenon, limited to the 21st Century. At a time of national peril in 700 BC, Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah. Isaiah 9:1-2, “Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” People today are living in a perilous time, of “deep darkness”. The wars in Ukraine and Palestine continue to dominate the news. Terrible floods in Australia and an earthquake in China have found their way into the news headlines. And there are many more disasters and conflicts waiting in the wings of world history and still to emerge to darken the world even more. The people of this world are truly living in dark times.

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus proclaimed the mission for His followers, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father“. The people around us need to hear Good News. God’s News of a Man who brought Light and Life into this world. A Man who set aside His Godliness and came from Heaven because of His love for a world that was without hope and heading for a lost eternity. The Man was the Son of God Himself. We pilgrim believers carry torches that burn with God’s eternal glory, the message of hope that Jesus left us to share with our friends and communities. We are torch bearers in a relay race that has extended over centuries.

A carol we sing every year has this second verse. The lyric writer, Charles Wesley, and obviously a John’s Gospel reader, wrote it in 1739:

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Risen with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the new-born king”

Dear Lord Jesus, we proclaim Your light and life to all those around us at the start of this New Year. Your light is eternal, and is never extinguished. Your life is available to all. We worship You today. Amen.

Scoffers

Posted on by korgrocker

“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.””
2 Peter 3:3-4 NLT

‭‭The resurrected Jesus had a conversation with Peter where He asked three times if Peter loved Him. Towards the end of this we read in John 21:21, “Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?””, referring to the disciple John. “Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” So the rumour spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”” (John 21:22-23). Soon after, on the Mount of Olives, we read the account of Jesus’ return to Heaven and we read in Acts 1:11, ““Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”” 

There was an expectation in the early Church that Jesus was coming back to Planet Earth, and this was going to happen within a generation. The problem was that as time went on, He didn’t re-appear as expected, and people died without seeing Him again. But apparently there were some “scoffers” who tormented those early believers by asking them, “Where is He?”. “What happened to the promise?”, they said. And they pointed out that the world around them was as it always had been. The seasons still took place. Crops grew. Rain fell. Mountains remained. Lakes were still full of water. People were born and eventually died. Nothing had changed. 

We still have the “scoffers” today, and there seems to be so much more to scoff at. Science, technology, the internet and social media seem to have combined to bring about a plethora of theories and ideologies, each with their own adherents and opponents, evoking a sometimes violent clash, as opposing sides scoff at each other. And as for those who believe in a Man who was crucified two thousand years ago and who said He was coming again, such a “theory” is so implausible (to them) that the “scoffers” say it isn’t even worth scoffing at. Generations of “scoffers” have never left this earth. Regarding my faith, I have been asked frequently, “You don’t really believe that stuff do you?” We pilgrims have all met then “scoffers”, I’m sure.

There was a character in John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress” called Atheist. He once claimed that he was a pilgrim believer, but apparently he left his country out of curiosity and intrigue, not to find relief from a burden of sin or to escape the wrath to come. He sought for evidence of God’s existence and for the hope of eternal life, but finding none, he resolved to give up and go back to his country. And he became a scoffer, renouncing the gospel. He became a person who rejected all forms of religion and turned into a “scoffer“. From the book, 
“So this man drew nearer and nearer until he came right up to them. His name was Atheist, and he immediately asked the pilgrims where they were going.
Christian said, “We are going to Mount Zion.”
Atheist burst into howling and scornful laughter. He said, “I cannot but help laugh on account of it being so obvious that you are both ignorant persons; for you have committed yourselves to a very tiring journey that will provide you with absolutely nothing for your trouble, other than a fruitless journey.
Christian said, “Why man, do you think it possible that we will not be received at our destination?”
Atheist said, “Received! But there is no such place that you dream of in all this world.”

I once worked with a man like Atheist. He was brought up as a Catholic, but sometime in his journey through life, something happened to make him change and turn on his previous belief in God, and he never missed an opportunity to scoff at me for my faith. Incidentally, it was a bitter-sweet experience for him, because part of my testimony for becoming a Christian was because of him and his atheistic and humanistic ideologies, forcing me to confront my agnosticism and reach out to God instead. So while I had the opportunity I replied to his scoffing with a word of thanks,

So how do we pilgrims deal with “scoffers”? Psalm 1:1 is a good place to start. From the Amplified Bible version, “Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favoured by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example], Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers)“. About this blessed person, the next verses read, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity]” (Psalm 1:2-3). The Bible has several references to “scoffers”, but in God’s Word we can find the words we need to bolster our faith and keep us spiritually strong on our journey through life.  No “scoffer” will ever stop God loving us, and His strength will keep us from withering in a land of Godless ideologies and “scoffers”. There will come a day when the “scoffers” will find that God isn’t impressed by their foolishness, and they will suddenly realise that Jesus really did come to this world to save us.

Dear Father God. Thank You for the purity of Your Word and its power, shining like a beacon in a cynical world. Amen.

Wholesome Thinking

Posted on by korgrocker

“This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Saviour commanded through your apostles.”
2 Peter 3:1-2 NLT

This is Peter starting to wrap up his letter, reminding his readers in Asia Minor what the purposes of his letter were. In fact, his first letter had the same purpose as his second – making and encouraging disciples. He wanted to strengthen their faith so that they could stand on their own spiritual feet by themselves. If there was anyone qualified to write this letter, with its encouragements and wisdom, its warnings and scope, it was Peter. The fisherman from Galilee, impetuous, outspoken, but with a special place in church history. Jesus said to him, “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” (Matthew 16:18). So as a trusted disciple with a trusted mission in the future of Jesus’ church, the local representation of this church in the five provinces of what is now modern Turkey was important both to him and to God. In fact he referred to his readers as “dear friends” perhaps indicating that he knew them all personally. 

In Peter’s day there was no New Testament as we know it. The Apostle’s teaching was the gold standard for those early believers and it was only through the letters written by them, or by personal visits, that the Gospel message was propagated. Peter was executed about 68 AD and his second letter was probably written a year or two before that. The Gospels may have been written just after this, though we can’t be sure. So those early believers were particularly vulnerable to false teaching and error. But Peter carefully “tried to stimulate [their] wholesome thinking and refresh [their] memory“.

What did Peter therefore wish to remind the early believers of? A disciple of Jesus Christ builds his faith on the foundational truths of the Gospel, truths laid down by the Apostles, the men who had been with Jesus. The men who stood up in the Sanhedrin and confounded the Jewish leaders with their boldness and wisdom. Acts 4:13, “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” What a tremendous accolade – being noticed as having been with Jesus. Do those around us make the same connection? Hmm..

Jesus’ first disciples were giants of the faith. They had experienced the tongues of fire at Pentecost. They were men driven by their love of Jesus and the Holy Spirit within them. The words of Jesus never forgotten, words still ringing in their ears. And words they now repeated over and over again to anyone who would listen and who would embrace the Saviour as they had done. Words of eternal life, of the Kingdom of God, of Jesus Himself. 

What is the “wholesome thinking” that Peter referred to? Paul’s words might help us with an answer, because he reminded his readers of how they should align and renew their thoughts. We read in Ephesians 4:21-24, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy“. Those early believers weren’t on their own because they had the Holy Spirit within them, bringing to their remembrance what they had been taught. Bringing to their minds “wholesome thinking” from the teachings of Jesus.

What do we pilgrims think about such a reminder from Peter’s letter? Don’t need to hear it? Or something we take on board and remind ourselves to once again open the Bible, perhaps to a section we have neglected.  There are many distractions in our world and our thoughts can quickly rush off to irrelevancies and even untruths. We are constantly exposed to information, most of which is unwholesome and can even draw us away into wrong thinking. We, like those early Christians, need to “refresh [our] memories”. Regularly, and frequently. And against the timeless truths of Scripture, the things of the world grow strangely dim. We need to become, and stay, close to Jesus – only He has the words of eternal life.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways; reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find, in deeper reverence, praise. Amen.

Being Vulnerable

Posted on by korgrocker

“They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception.”
2 Peter 2:18 NLT

‭‭It’s a big transition, moving from the kingdom of the world into the Kingdom of God. From a monochrome darkness into the glorious technicolour of God’s presence. And the devil doesn’t like it because his mission is to kill and destroy anything God has made. We read in 1 Peter 5:8, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour“. The time when a Christian is most vulnerable, comes after they have been born again into God’s Kingdom. They, like a natural baby, will lack the defences they need, and will often rely on others to protect and nourish them. 

The one person a new Christian comes to trust in is their pastor. He or she may have brought them to faith and a dependency, at least initially, can result. But our pastors sometimes have their baggage, and they can bring with them their own world views and ideologies that may or may not be helpful for a new Christian. But Peter was going further then that. He was concerned with teachers whose curriculum extended beyond the purity of the Gospel and the teachings of Jesus. These false teachers had come up with their own version of the gospel and it wasn’t always “good news” for a new believer. One of the things a new believer has to face into is how to deal with their own behaviour and habits, and the Holy Spirit will gently bring conviction to start the baby Christian on the road to maturity. So imagine the scenario where a teacher says something is acceptable when God says it isn’t. Peter mentioned in his writings “twisted sexual desires”, but this is only one area of potential error. 

Jesus said, “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). The world is full of spiritual traps and enticements. The society around us has adopted an “if it feels good then just do it” philosophy and to stand firm against such an inward looking ideology takes courage and fortitude. For a person to move kingdoms will mean, as Peter wrote, them leaving behind a “lifestyle of deception”. A believer must therefore be firmly anchored in the truth, discerning and recognising the snares that may be disguised as appealing opportunities. Only then can they avoid replacing one sinful lifestyle with another.

Some years ago, someone in the church I was a member of asked me a basic question about our faith, and I gently asked what the Bible said. To my surprise, they admitted that they didn’t have a Bible, let alone read it. I gave them my own, and suggested that it might be a good idea to go away and read it, because only in God’s Word would they find the answer to the questions about faith and the Christian life. A Scripture I often quote is from John 6:68-69, “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”“. We must shift our allegiance and dependencies away from total dependency on another human being, no matter what their status is in life, and onto our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Of course, God uses pastors and teachers to help us in our journey of sanctification, but we must always check out what they say by reference to our Bibles. One church I attended was criticised for preaching sermons based on a book, but not from The Book. Instead of the purity of God’s Word they used a work from an author, albeit one well respected in Christian circles. We need to hear God for ourselves, because only He has the Words He wants us to hear.

Psalm 119 begins, “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths” (Psalm 119:1-3). When we pilgrims do that, there is no room for false teaching to muscle in.

Dear Father God. Indeed, only You, and You alone, have the words of eternal life. As we reach out to You today we pray that You will keep us safe from the evil one and his ploys. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Free or Slave

Posted on by korgrocker

“For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.”
1 Peter 2:16 NLT

Here is a paradox, if ever there was one! How can we be enslaved and free at the same time? But from a spiritual perspective, we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. We can’t be both. Romans 6:16, “Don’t you realise that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living”. The problem is that we look at the word “slave” from a natural perspective and an image forms in our mind consisting of prison cells, or chains, or oppressive authoritarian controls. Here in the West we consider ourselves to be free to do what we want, and consequently we are not slaves. But is that really the case? We are bounded by the laws of the land, which are mostly there for the benefit of the citizens, but we can also be restricted by our natural abilities, or lack of them. For example, someone who has lost the use of their legs, forcing use of a wheel chair, may consider that they are slaves of their disability. 

Peter, in our verse today, was writing about spiritual freedom. And his fellow Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:17-18, “Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living”. Paul really had a gift of clarity, and in Romans 6:19 we read, “Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy”. And Romans 6 finishes with the well know reason for why we need to choose very carefully who or what we allow ourselves be enslaved to. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). 

The internet throbs with testimonies of people in slavery but who are really some of the most free people we are likely to meet. People living in prison camps, or being persecuted with their homes burnt down, or excluded from all but the most menial of jobs. People who are trafficked to other countries where they are forced to work long hours as slaves. A quote from gotquestions.org, “Slavery has come to mean degradation, hardship, and inequality. But the biblical paradigm is the true freedom of the slave of Christ who experiences joy and peace, the products of the only true freedom we will ever know in this life”.

In John 8 we read what Jesus said about slavery. “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:34-36). In Christ we have the freedom we were designed to have. A life enslaved to sin is a life counter to God’s creation plan, but a life enslaved to God guarantees us a life that will never end. A final word for us pilgrims from Romans 6:4, “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives”. Faced with such a stark choice, we pilgrims have chosen the way of eternal life. There is no other way.

Dear Father God. We thank You that You have laid before us a choice, made possible through Jesus Your Son. Please help us to echo Joshua’s declaration, “…as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord”. Amen.

Powerful Preaching

Posted on by korgrocker

“They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.”
1 Peter 1:12 NLT

Peter knew all about the Good News. He lived with its Author for over three years learning all about it and even getting the opportunity to practise it. After a “wobbly” at Jesus’ trial, and his subsequent restoration over a breakfast of fried fish, he stayed largely below the radar until that momentous day, the Day of Pentecost. And then he came forward with the other Apostles, and announced the Good News. He provided a foretaste of what happens when a preacher dispenses his or her message of Good News “in the power of the Holy Spirit”. Not for Peter, or any of the other Apostles, was the preaching going to be a message full of flummery. It was the raw truth of the Good News.

Peter commenced his preaching by quoting the prophecy of Joel 2, which ends, “But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). His accurate quotation of an Old Testament Scripture, was the first evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit, bringing to his remembrance just the right verses at the right time. Jesus of course said this would happen, as we read in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” But Jesus also warned His disciples that when faced with a stressful situation in front of the rulers and authorities of the day, the Holy Spirit would help them with what they should say. We read in Matthew 10:19-20, “When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you”. So Peter probably amazed himself with the words that came from his mouth – it wasn’t him but the Holy Spirit bringing words of power and conviction.

There is no shortage of opportunities to find out what the “Good News” actually is. The internet is a source of such information of course. And we have the wayside pulpits outside traditional church buildings and more besides. The sincere seekers after the truth of the “Good News” will find it. But for everyone else there is a lethargy, a fatigue, when it comes to things of God. We pilgrims of course look for opportunities ourselves to share what God has done for us, testimonies that are real and relevant. But we pilgrims are not all preachers. Or so we think. We may think of a preacher being someone dressed in a white gown and delivering a formal message from a piece of church furniture we call a pulpit. An ornately carved wooden construction usually elevated in a corner of the building and accessed via a number of stairs hidden behind a wooden façade. And a message is delivered but is it “Good News”? That of course depends on Peter’s assertion that the “Good News” must be “preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven”. Without the Holy Spirit’s presence the announcement will usually fall flat and will be largely ineffective.

Before He left this world, Jesus gave His disciples an instruction. “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15). There is a different dynamic if the preaching includes the Holy Spirit’s power, however. We read in Acts 4:31, “After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness”. Something called conviction ensures that the message is powerful. There has been many a preacher without a personal relationship with Jesus who nevertheless has preached the Gospel. But those who know that Jesus is their personal Saviour have an even more powerful message.

We pilgrims of course may not grace a pulpit with our presence. But we do have a message to share about what Jesus has done for us. In the pulpit of life we have the words that can make a difference to where someone will spend eternity. Romans 10:14, “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”? We are “someone tells them” pilgrims. Let’s not miss any opportunity that comes our way.

Dear God. Please forgive us for when we make simple things like sharing what Jesus has done for us, so complicated. Your words of eternal life will reach any receptive hearts and we pray for the same boldness that the early disciples had. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Trials and Testing

Posted on by korgrocker

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT

Life for a Christian must have been difficult in the five provinces in those days. Peter wrote about “trials”. We don’t know what they were but we can imagine. News reports today of the trials experienced by Christians in other countries dominated by hostile religions and governments will give us a good idea. For example, in India today, Christians are under attack, and the violence against them has been steadily increasing over recent years, with 2023 the most violent so far. So Christians endure arrests, beatings, and killings. Churches are burned down and pastors arrested and thrown into gaol. That would have been the life for those early believers living in the first Century Turkish societies.

Peter encourages the believers, saying that they “must endure many trials for a little while”. Why? Because there is “wonderful joy ahead”. Peter continued in saying the these trials are necessary to refine faith and ensure commitment is genuine. And as he pauses with pen raised, a picture before him of a worker in precious metals purifying gold comes into his mind, a picture that he immediately connects with the process of refining faith through trials. You see, no one is going to falsely claim to be a Christian for long if it is going to cost him beyond what he is prepared to pay. The trials, Peter was saying, will shake out anyone who is not prepared to pay the price for being a Christian.

The recent Covid pandemic with its lockdowns here in the UK saw church attendance plummet and, for many, it has not recovered. The Church of England has claimed attendance at weekly church services is down by a third. And that is without all the trials Peter was writing about. But regardless of pandemics and the like, there is still a substantial cost involved in being a Christian. We pilgrims are not running our own lives anymore, in accordance with our own sinful and selfish desires. We look to God for guidance and try and follow His ways which are often contrary to our own human viewpoint. 

Jesus once made a statement to the crowd of people following Him that was extraordinary in its implication. He said, “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27). Strong words but they contain a message about the commitment required to be a follower of Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:15, “He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them”. 

So we pilgrims, mostly sitting in the comfort of our lives, look around us and reflect with the question – if this was all taken away would I still be a follower of Christ? My wife and I were faced with an extremely painful situation when we were called to discuss the prognosis and treatment for our seriously ill daughter. We were told that she would be unlikely to survive her illness and that we should prepare for the worst. I can remember that in our prayers we believed that God would heal her. But we also had to face the reality of what we do if she was taken from us. We concluded that we would still praise Him, follow Him and trust Him. Thankfully He did heal her but perhaps we briefly experienced the trials Peter wrote about. Many disciples stopped following Jesus because of His hard teaching, and as they disappeared over the horizon Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked them if they wanted to leave as well. We read in John 6:68, “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life”. We have before us the short-term cost of being a Jesus follower, but longer term we will find ”much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world”. When will that be? We don’t have a date but we do know that one day Jesus will return to this planet.  Let’s not forget that. We need to get ready for His return because it could be tomorrow.

Dear God. We know that eternal life with You is the only goal we should consider. Please help us in our journey, we pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.