The Bugle Call

Posted on by korgrocker

“Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognise the melody. And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?”
1 Corinthians 14:6-8 NLT

Paul’s message today is rich in analogies, as he compares speaking in tongues with musical instruments. He said that a message in tongues that no one could understand would be useless. Far better to bring a “revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching”, because that would be much more helpful. But then he went on to describe how flutes, harps and bugles, playing musical notes, must be sounded clearly if people want to recognise the melody. The classic one-line joke from Eric Morecambe comes to mind – “I played all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order”. Traditionally, jazz music, with its improvisation and introduction of different notes and themes, can be confusing to those without the necessary “ear” to hear and understand what is being played, and can even become difficult to listen to for long. Such is the speaking in tongues. There may be a message within it that people need to hear, but without the correct communication process, it is a wasted opportunity. 

But underlying Paul’s words is a sense of urgency. Why did he use the analogy of a bugler, with his trumpet at the ready, if he was not thinking of the prevailing sense and understanding in those days of the imminent return of Christ? In 1 Corinthians 7:29a, Paul wrote, “But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short … “. Amongst those early Christians was an expectation that Jesus would return soon. They even expected this to happen during their generation, perhaps due to Jesus’ words in John 21:23, “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””? And we can see this anticipation building with verses such as 1 Peter 1:20, “God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake”. 

Paul’s analogy extended to include soldiers ready for battle. Social instability and frequent battles and skirmishes, even between the separate peoples in the Roman Empire, made the sight of soldiers, with all their weaponry, commonplace. They always had to be on high alert, ready for battle at any time. And the signal to attack was sounded using a bugle, which had to play the correct melody to tell the soldiers what to do. But rather than discount this analogy as for then, not for now, we should pause and think, because we pilgrims are engaged in a battle as well. There is not only the constant battle we have with personal sin, as we grow in holiness day by day. Our enemy, the devil, is always prowling around, looking for opportunities to undermine us with discouragement and accusations. Then we have the battle to share the Gospel with those around us who, otherwise, are heading for a lost eternity. A popular hymn in my younger days was “Onward Christian Soldiers”, a hymn much loved by Salvation Army adherents. The theme of the hymn was taking up the Cross as a weapon to attack “satan’s host”. The third verse starts, “Like a mighty army moves the church of God”, but looking at this “army” today, the militancy seems to be lacking. Instead, so many congregations remain huddled in their monolithic buildings, more concerned about the leaking roof than their lacking witness.

A bugle call is still hanging in the air today, as the return of Jesus seems to be getting closer and closer. Will that be in our lifetime? We don’t know, but we heed the final words of Jesus in His parable about the ten virgins. He said, “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return” (Matthew 25:13). But in the meantime, we have work to do. As pilgrims, our service for the Lord never stops. Age is no barrier either. We must look for an opportunity to reach those in our churches and communities with a Gospel that is both social and eternal, a Gospel that turns the words of Jesus into practical outreach. It may be helping more disadvantaged people or getting involved in charitable work. It may be sharing the love of Jesus with a lonely, lost, hopeless, and unloved person. But whatever we do, we can never say we haven’t heard the bugle call. There it is again – can you hear it?

Dear Lord Jesus. You left this world with a clarion call, commissioning us to make disciples of those around us. Please lead and guide us, so that we can reach the people You want us to reach. In Your precious name. Amen.

Associating with Sinful People

Posted on by korgrocker

“When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.”
1 Corinthians 5:9-11 NLT

It’s a difficult balance. Should we, Christian pilgrims, isolate ourselves from worldly people, thereby keeping ourselves pure, holy and sinless, but in the process prevent any chance of contact with people who desperately need to hear the Gospel? It seems that Paul had written a previous letter about this to the Corinthian church, but it has somehow become lost in the mists of time. In that letter, it appears that Paul warned the Corinthians about sexual sins, but it appears that they chose to ignore his exhortations, hence the weight given to his admonishment about the man sleeping with his stepmother. Paul explained that he wasn’t suggesting that the Christians in Corinth should stop meeting with worldly unbelievers, but that they should shun people who claim to be believers but still behave sinfully, and particularly those committing open and blatant sexual sins.

The problem of association, then as now, with worldly people remains a problem, because to fulfil our Christ-given mission, we must have contact with them. Such people may even be our friends or family members. A bit later on in this letter, Paul wrote, “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” (1 Corinthians 9:22). But he didn’t say that he would participate in worldly behaviour and customs to do the soul winning. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, he wrote, “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?” 

So what should we do with believers like the man and his stepmother, if we find them in our churches? We have covered the question of church discipline in a previous blog, but Paul continued to make this important point in his letter. The Apostle Jude wrote, “And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives” (Jude 1:22-23). We must do our utmost to be merciful to those in our congregations and pray and help them to deal with their sinful behaviour. In his letter, Paul was, I think, referring to persistently unrepentant people in churches who had refused to change their ways of sin, but who still wanted to participate in the church activities, and even claimed to be believers. We find this in churches that tolerate the practices of certain sexual sins, with claims that you can be a Christian but still violate the Biblical foundations of sexual ethics. So a liberal faction is accepting of such people, and traditional and fundamental Bible believing Christians keep them at arm’s length. This leads to the dilemma facing true believers, because such sinful behaviour won’t necessarily lead to the exclusion from public meetings of blatantly sinning and self-claimed believers, but on the other hand, they have to be isolated to avoid their sin from tainting the rest of the believing church. A difficult balance that needs much prayer, grace and wisdom to achieve. 

In these circumstances, we turn to Jesus for guidance. He spent much time in the presence of sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, and so on. We find his grace at work in the account of the woman caught in the act of adultery (where was the man by the way!). The establishment wanted to stone her to death, but the story ended with Jesus refusing to condemn her, instead commanding her to sin no more. We must take His grace and love into our associations with everyone we meet in the world, and in our churches, we must also do the same. There is no other way for pilgrims to behave. We cannot judge people because that is God’s prerogative, but we can separate ourselves from sinful people, because that is His command. We love the sinners, but hate and avoid the sin.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are building a pure and sinless church of which we are a part. We pray that we hear Your Spirit when we come into contact with sin, and pray also that You grant us the wisdom we need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Peter Recommissioned

Posted on by korgrocker

“After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”
John 21:15-17 NLT

After they had eaten together, Jesus put Peter on the spot. Peter would have still been hurting, his conscience shredded, after denying that he knew Jesus, not once, but three times, and after vowing to Jesus that he would even have died with Him. That this was an awkward moment would have been an understatement. The ensuing conversation, involving as it did the use of the word “love” and the different meanings in the original Greek, commissioned Peter for the rest of his life. Of course, sheep and lambs referred to people, human beings who had a relationship with Jesus, and Peter’s pastoral mission has led some to even believe that he was the first pope. Peter didn’t write a Gospel, as did his friend John, but he did write two letters, the first probably about thirty years or so after this “do you love me” conversation with Jesus. 

The first verse of 1 Peter reads, “This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia“. Here he was shepherding the early Christians, scattered around the area East of the Mediterranean, and the encouragement contained within his letters is clear to see and read. The Holy Spirit empowered Peter on the Day of Pentecost and he stood up and preached an amazing sermon straight afterwards, leading to a commitment for Jesus being made by over three thousand people. If anyone ever doubts the power of the Holy Spirit, just consider the change in a man who went from a God-denier to a God-affirmer over the space of a few days. As we read through the early chapters in Acts we see the prominent role Peter played in the birth of the church. And historical accounts record that Peter stayed faithful to his mission right up until he was crucified on a cross many years later.

We pilgrims have been commissioned to tell others of our faith in God, spreading the Good News to the lost and hopeless around us. We probably won’t have the opportunity to preach to thousands, seeing large numbers of people saved, but we might bring someone to Christ who might be the next Billy Graham. Ananias might not have achieved anything else, other than praying for Paul that day in Damascus, but his one act of obedience to God might have been all that he was asked to do. We followers of Jesus are called to be faithful and obedient, and a good prayer to start the day is …

Dear Lord Jesus. What do You want me to do for You today? Speak, Lord, for Your servant listens. Amen.

Greater Works

Posted on by korgrocker

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”
John 14:12-14 NLT

On the face of it, Jesus made a remarkable statement. Could we, as His believers, really do greater things than the Son of God? After all, look at the miraculous healings and signs that Jesus performed. He raised men from the dead, He healed all those who came to Him, He walked on the Sea of Galilee. How can there be anything greater that these?

The crime novels major on a combination of three factors needed to solve a crime – means, motive, and opportunity. And in some ways we can apply these three factors to doing the same works as Jesus. But before we do so, what are the “works” that Jesus was referring to? Our human, materialistic minds immediately jump to something that applies to our natural lives. Jesus said, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father”. But would that new car, or new anything, come to that, bring glory to God? So did Jesus just mean works for God’s Kingdom? Perhaps only spiritual works? 

To look at a New Testament example of a “great work“, we join Peter and John as they enter the Temple for the afternoon prayer meeting. At the gate was a beggar who was unable to walk and he asked them for some money. In Acts 3:6 we read, “But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”” Peter had the means – the name of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. He had the opportunity – an encounter at the Temple gate. He had the motive – to bring glory to God – Acts 3:13, “For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him”. 

But as far as we know, the miraculous signs that Jesus performed while He was here with us have never been exceeded. Even His Spirit-filled disciples never fed thousands of people from a packed lunch, or walked across any seas.  One example of “greater works” is possibly how the Apostles and others reached large numbers of people with the Good News of salvation. By the end of the book of Acts, the Gospel had reached most of the Middle East. Jesus only reached the people of Israel, and mainly Jews at that. Perhaps too the answers to prayer falls into the “greater works” category. With the coming of the Holy Spirit, amazing answers to prayers have been realised, as He lives and works through the lives of believers. But the key to performing “greater works” lies with Jesus’ simple requirement – “in my name”. Is what we do or pray for something that aligns with the name of Jesus? And we also must ask the question – does this “great work” bring glory to God?  It isn’t possible to sit down and make a list of “greater works” because it is only through the Holy Spirit’s leading that a “great work” will arise. Sadly, there are many today who believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit died out with the Apostles. But Jesus didn’t say that that was going to happen, and we pilgrims must always be on the look out for a Holy Spirit inspired opportunity to do a “great work” for God.

Mark’s closing verses in his Gospel read like this. “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed”” (Mark 16:15-18). Can there be a “greater work” than this?

Dear Father God. We pray for opportunities to reach the lost around us. And we pray for the courage to reach out in faith by using the gifts You have given us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scripture Fulfilled

Posted on by korgrocker

“I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfils the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’ I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I Am the Messiah. I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”
John 13:18-20 NLT

In these verses today, Jesus quoted part of a verse from Psalm 41:9, “Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.” This was a psalm written by David at a chaotic time in his realm, during his son Absolom’s rebellion. David seemed to have an illness, and there was much plotting going on, even by his trusted friend and advisor Ahithophel – the account is in 2 Samuel 16. But Jesus also saw this scripture as a prophesy of His betrayal by Judas. Jesus told His disciples about this so that they would be forewarned when it happened. And He adds the assurance that this is one more occasion underpinning His claim to be the Messiah.

There were many Scriptures in the Old Testament that foretold the coming of the Messiah, Scriptures that were interwoven within the warp and weft of Jewish religious society. The problem for them was that there were two types of prophesy, some about Jesus’ first coming and others about His second, so from the two the preferred picture emerged of a victorious King vanquishing the enemies of Israel and forming an eternal and autonomous Kingdom where the Jews would live in peace. The Jews looked for a natural physical Kingdom, but Jesus came to establish a spiritual Kingdom where people would live free of sin and wickedness. 

We pilgrims are Christ’s messengers, carrying the Gospel’s torch wherever we go. And by so doing we fulfil the Scripture left us in Matthew’s account of the Great Commission – “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”” There are those, of course, who try to wriggle out of their obligation to make disciples because they claim that this was aimed at the first disciples, those who became the Apostles. But they all died in spite of Jesus saying that He would be with them until “the end of the age”. That phrase in itself implies that the work of making disciples continues from one generation to the next, while we indeed wait for the current age to come to an end. We live in a season of God’s grace, but it won’t last forever.

Dear God. We willingly look for opportunities to share Your Good News of the Kingdom with those who You have chosen. Please help us as we fulfil Your commands in our generation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Power of God

Posted on by korgrocker

““Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.””
John 9:2-5 NLT

That poor man had been born blind in a culture that left him with no option but to be a beggar. A sad situation where the man would have had no self respect and he would have been reliant on others for most of life’s basic requirements. But Jesus assured the disciples that the man’s blindness was not caused by sin. Instead, He implied that on this occasion there was an opportunity to demonstrate that the “power of God” was able to cure this otherwise incurable condition. Should the man be able to see would be a miracle that the Pharisees and the other religious leaders could never be able to explain away.

There is a connection between this man being blind, living his life in a world of darkness, and Jesus being “the light of the world”. In a physical sense the blind man was walking in a dark world that could only be illuminated by the “power of God”. In a spiritual sense, the far more common condition of sin could only be remedied by belief in God and the One whom He sent, Jesus, His Son. There is an immediate connection between physical and spiritual blindness and Jesus demonstrated for that, and subsequent, generations that it is only the “power of God” that is capable of bringing a remedy. 

Jesus told His disciples that there were things to do that could only be done while it was daylight. Once the night had come, these tasks would no longer be possible. Because Jesus was the “light of the world” perhaps He was implying that once He had left the world the opportunities to perform the “works of God” would leave with Him. That would certainly have been the case except for one thing – the sending of the Holy Spirit. We read in John 14, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. …. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognise him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you” (John 14:12-13, 16-17). 

Sadly, there are many Christians today who believe that the “power of God” was only for the apostolic age and they deny that God’s power is manifested anymore in works of healing. But Jesus left us with His Great Commission, and we read in Mark 16:15-18, “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptised will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”” We Christians agree that we must share the Gospel, the Good News about the saving love and grace of God, but the Commission goes on to describe manifestations of the “power of God”. Speaking in tongues, casting out demons and healing the sick were specifically mentioned by Jesus. We have the power of God through the Holy Spirit who lives within each and every believer. And so, we believers have a challenge. The Holy Spirit works through us to do the works of God – if we let Him.

Dear Father God, please forgive us for taking those elements of Scripture that we feel comfortable and safe with, but ignoring or forgetting the rest. We have Your Heavenly resources at our disposal, and through faith we can use it to Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hearing His Voice

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him. So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.””
John 5:15-17 NLT

The sins of the Jewish leaders were starting to mount up. Not satisfied with telling the Pool man off for carrying his sleeping mat, they continue to interrogate him to find out who had dared to tell him to pick up his sleeping mat, violating their interpretation of the Sabbath day rules. When they found out it was Jesus, they sought Him out and John records that they started to “harass” Him. John’s account doesn’t say what form the harassment took, but I expect it was low level and something Jesus just shrugged off, for the time being. There was coming a time when He would confront their hypocrisy, and He would choose this moment carefully. But Jesus told the Jewish leaders that “My Father is always working, and so am I”. A factually correct statement of course, but one not appreciated by the Jews. Who is this person, they thought, who elevates Himself to the same level as God?

Jesus was a counter-cultural figure in the strict religious times of two thousand years ago. In His society, when it came to things about God, the Jewish faith called upon thousands of years worth of rabbinical teaching, interpretation of the Law and prophetic messages, and ended up with a rigid liturgical and belief system that would not tolerate anything that contradicted it. In that society, a religious elite emerged who did very well by leveraging the religious system for their own benefits, and by so doing kept the population in check. So, anyone who challenged their system was inevitably going to end up harassed, and Jesus was the arch-challenger. Everywhere Jesus went during His public ministry had a pharisaical following waiting to pick up on anything they disagreed with, and there was a within the Jewish leadership a faction who were plotting to kill Him. 

The Old Testament prophets were mostly resented by those around them in their times because their God-given messages were designed to challenge the sinful state that God’s chosen people had achieved. Some of those prophets suffered terribly for delivering their God-given messages. For example, Jeremiah ended up beaten and placed in the stocks on one occasion. On another he was threatened with death. Hebrews 11 gives us a good idea of the treatment of prophets. Even today, anyone who stands up and proclaims God’s message to a wayward church is deeply resented. So, a message about the sanctity of marriage and the Biblical basis of it being between a man and a woman is unwelcome in some denominations. Such prophets are accused of not moving with the times. Hmmm…

We pilgrims know God is always working, just as Jesus said. From Psalm 121, we read the encouragement that God watches over us – “He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps” (Psalm 121:3-4). Why do we fret over things that might happen, when our Heavenly Father is constantly watching over us? We wallow in a mess of “what-if’s” forgetting that God is on our side and looking out for us. And Jesus Himself declared that He was always working, like His father. In His public ministry, Jesus never seemed to have a moment’s rest. He travelled much around Galilee and Judea – someone estimated He could have walked more than three thousand miles in the three years between the carpenter’s shop and the cross. His hours of work seemed to consume all of His waking hours. But Jesus never seemed to be stressed out by the demands made of Him. He just did what His Father told Him to do. John 14:31, “but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going“.

There is always God’s work to be done by us pilgrims as well. But we need to do only what God requires of us. And no more. So finding a Christian stressed out by his church duties begs the question if there is someone here trying to exceed his mandate on this earth. But we pilgrims have a mission here on earth, to make disciples of the Master, Jesus Himself. The Great Commission, a high level strategic command, is followed by a tactical relationship between us and God, as the details are worked out in our lives. We listen for the Holy Spirit whispers in our souls, leading us to only “do what the Father requires”.

Dear Father God. We get so caught up in the busy-ness of our liturgies and denominations, that we often miss that still small voice of Your Spirit. Please forgive us, we pray, and lead and guide us where we should go. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

He Who Comes From Above

Posted on by korgrocker

“He who comes from [heaven] above is above all others; he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks [about things] of the earth [his viewpoint and experience are earthly]. He who comes from heaven is above all. What He has [actually] seen and heard, of that He testifies; and yet no one accepts His testimony [as true].”
John 3:31-32 AMP

‭‭There are some potentially difficult thoughts in these verses. John the Baptist was setting out the differences between the inhabitants of Heaven and the inhabitants of earth. And, sadly, he pointed out that no one accepted what the Man from Heaven had to say about what He had seen and heard. Of course, we see the difficulty straight away because we look at these verses from a human perspective. We imagine in our minds a human being from Heaven and an earthly human, but of course this is not the case. Heaven is populated by spiritual beings and earth by natural beings. And the Man that John the Baptist was talking about had left Heaven as a Spirit and had taken on the form of a human being.

The Apostle John started his Gospel with the statement that “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). And a few verses on we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Paul wrote an explanation in Romans 8:3, “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins“. 

We pilgrims all understand that within our human bodies is a spirit, and this spirit connects with our Father in Heaven through Jesus. But this isn’t the case for everyone. Those who don’t know God still have something within them that yearns for a spiritual connection with something or someone. So they try and satisfy that yearning by exploring other avenues. There are of course the other spiritual outlets emanating from the devil – he will always try and counterfeit the things of God. Then there are drugs like alcohol that seem to offer some sort of relief from the emptiness inside, but this is only a temporary solution. Some will try sex in all its deviancies, but find a downward path to oblivion. But John the Baptist knew the answer, and he pointed out that the Man with the solution to the spiritual yearnings, the Man who came down from Heaven, the Word of God Himself, but sadly He was not believed by the people of His day.

So what can we pilgrims learn from this? We too have seen and heard amazing things in the Spirit. We have glimpsed God Himself through Jesus. We have felt His loving arms around us. We have a testimony to tell others, a testimony about our amazing Heavenly Father. But we find that as we share our testimony with those around we are mostly greeted by scorn and derision, by ridicule and rejection. But, like Jesus, we never give up. In the background God works in the hearts of those around us, and we will find receptivity from those open to the truth.

Dear Father God. You have graciously given us a glimpse of Your heart, and have given us the privilege of sharing that with those around us. Please lead and guide us to those You have chosen for Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Gives

Posted on by korgrocker

“John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”
John 3:27-30 NLT

John the Baptist’s statement to his disciples “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven” was in the context of their concern that someone seemed to be taking away their ministry. After all, John had started  the practice of baptising people and now someone else seemed to be copying him. And from the previous verse, (John 3:26), it seemed that Jesus was being more successful, with people going directly to Him instead of John. But John’s humility prevailed and his statement applies to anyone in a ministry, or thinking about starting one, then and now. Unless God is in the plan, then it is pointless even starting it because it will fail. 

We Christians often talk about a “calling”, where someone hears a call from God, often to a difficult situation, in the role of a missionary, or nurse, or something similar. The Apostle Paul was called by God, as we read in Romans 1:1, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God“. An example of a modern day calling would be that of Jackie Pullinger, called to work amongst drug addicts in Hong Kong. God provides a “call” in our lives, seeing within us the potential to achieve His will and purposes, to complete His plans at this stage in the history of this planet. 

What calling have we pilgrims responded to? Perhaps we think that we don’t have one. But that deficiency can soon be remedied, because we only have to ask God. Of course, we might be disappointed if we were expecting a high profile ministry. But while we wait for something tangible, we might have to realise that being a Christian involved a lifetime of training. We, over the years, become more and more sensitive to the voice of God as we spend time with Him. We read about Moses, who was 80 years old when he started to speak to Pharaoh about letting the slaves leave Egypt. “Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:6-7). Moses spent 40 years in training looking after sheep (Acts 7:30) before he was able to carry out God’s calling.

But whatever we pilgrims do, there are two important “callings” that we must recognise. There is the Great Commission – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). And there is the reminder from Jesus in Matthew 5:13-16, “‘You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”. Wherever we are, we remind those around us about our faith. 2 Corinthians 2:15, “Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing“.

Dear Father God. We truly are a witness to You wherever we find ourselves. Please help us shine like a beacon in the community where You have place us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Disciples (1)

Posted on by korgrocker

“The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples.”
John 1:35 NLT

When we read about the ministry of John, there is little to suggest that he did anything other than baptise people for the forgiveness of their sin, and introduce Jesus to the world. We read in Mark 1:4, “This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven”. John seemed to be a preacher with one message, but, more importantly, he made a declaration about the One to come, who would baptise with the Holy Spirit, and who we later find, would Himself be baptised by John. But we read nothing about John‭‭ making disciples until we read he was joined by “two of his disciples”. 

What is a “disciple“? It is a word mainly used in a religious sense, but means no more than a follower. Someone who voluntarily hears and applies the teaching or lifestyle of another person. We pilgrims, believers in Jesus, are disciples of the Master Himself, and we read His Word and apply it to our own lives, as well as assisting Him in His ministry to the world, something that has not ceased ever since He came to Planet Earth two thousand years ago. We have read the Great Commission, those verses at the end of Matthew’s Gospel – “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age”” (Matthew 28:18-20). 

We should note, though, that we are not making disciples of ourselves. We are pointing those we share our testimonies with to Jesus Himself. He is the One to follow, not ourselves. We may assist in that process of course, but Jesus is the Master. A quote from “gotquestions.org”, “A Christian disciple is one who puts Jesus first, obeys the Lord, produces good fruit, loves others, and makes more disciples. Such a one is sure to make an impact in this fallen world for the glory of God.” We pilgrims are disciples of Jesus and Jesus alone, so we should be careful lest we get distracted by a charismatic leader, who might be saying things that we want to hear, and we become his or her disciple instead. Thereby leads the road to disappointment and even a spiritual shipwreck. 

Dear Lord Jesus. Only You are the One to follow. Only You are the “way, the truth and the life”. We are so grateful. Amen.