They Spoke from God”

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Above all, you must realise that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”
2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT

Peter wrote a very clear statement about Biblical prophecy. He was, of course, referring to messages in what we Christians call the Old Testament, and he said that the old prophets didn’t make up what they said. It was all inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the prophets directly “spoke from God”. There are those sceptics, even Christians, who suggest that Old Testament prophecies are too vague, or could mean anything, or they try to rubbish them in some way. Or just ignore them or even say the foretelling was fiction. But in doing so they impoverish their understanding of God and His care for His people. To take an example, we read in Isaiah 7:14, “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)“. God knew exactly the time when Jesus would come to this planet. He knew the manner of His coming, and He revealed to the prophet Isaiah what would happen. Now there have been people who claim to be Christians but who have denied, or cast doubts on the fact that the virgin birth actually happened, in spite of the Scriptures supporting it. The Anglican Bishop of Durham, David Jenkins, famously said, “I wouldn’t put it past God to arrange a virgin birth if he wanted. But I don’t think he did.” Another minister called Robert Meyers is quoted as having said, “A beautiful, but obviously contrived, tale is the virgin birth, which may have been used to cover a scandal”. And there are other so called theologians who have made similar comments. Why do they so vehemently want to deny Biblical prophecy? Why, when the virgin birth of Jesus, proclaiming as it does the fusion of the Spirit and the human, confirms Jesus as both God and man? Those today who would deny the virgin birth contradict the clear prophetic and factual teaching of Scripture, call into question other miracles recorded in the Bible, and open the door to a denial of Christ’s full deity or His full humanity. 

What do we pilgrims think about such things? In 1 Corinthians 12:10 we read that the Holy Spirit provides the ability to prophesy. It is one of the gracious gifts God provides. “He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy … “. And it is true today. Churches sensitive to the workings of the Holy Spirit will experience all of God’s gifts, including the giving of prophetic messages. There have been some recent examples of God giving a message to His people, but, sadly, there have been many more occasions when a “prophecy” turns out to be nothing more than from their own thoughts. In Old Testament times, a prophet was vulnerable to negative consequences if his prophecy was wrong. Jesus warned us about false prophets. We read in Matthew 7:15-16, “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” 

A true prophet did indeed communicate God’s words and thoughts to their generation, by the power of the Holy Spirit working within them. Jeremiah was called by God to be a prophet. He tried to refuse the assignment, as we read in Jeremiah 1:4-6, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’ ‘Alas, Sovereign Lord,’ I said, ‘I do not know how to speak; I am too young.’” But God wasn’t fazed by Jeremiah’s youthfulness. Jeremiah 1:7-9, “But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am too young.” You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I have put my words in your mouth.” That was the start of a difficulty prophetic ministry for Jeremiah. We read that he was persecuted by his family, whipped, put in the stocks, attacked by a mob, threatened by the king, and ridiculed. And after a 40-year ministry he was reputedly stoned to death, though his end wasn’t recorded in the Bible. 

At a time of great political instability following the death of King Uzziah, Isaiah went to the Temple, a place of prayer and security. But he had an amazing vision of the Lord there, and was immediately struck by his sinfulness. We read in Isaiah 6:5, “Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”” He volunteered to be “a messenger to this people” (Isaiah 6:8), but his prophetic assignment wasn’t to be easy. We read what the impact of his prophecies would be in Isaiah 6:9-10, “And he said, “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.”” Oh dear! Not for Isaiah a low key prophetic message in a church service on a Sunday morning!

We pilgrims have many ways to take a prophetic message to the world around us. We do it by our words and actions. And by so doing, we are the salt and light in our communities in the way that Jesus commissioned us to be. Prophecies don’t have to start with “Thus saith the Lord …”. They start with a relationship with God.

Dear Heavenly Father. May we ever be open to Your Words, and ever willing to deliver them. Amen.

Prophetic Messages

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendour with our own eyes when he received honour and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.”
2 Peter 1:16-19 NLT

The Jewish nation was well supplied with prophetic messages. The great prophets such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Jeremiah and others were all well known in Peter’s day through the accounts recorded in their Bible called the Tanakh. This included three main sections – the Law, the Prophets and the Writings. Jesus referred to the Hebrew Bible in verses such as Matthew 7:12, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets“. Jesus extensively quoted from the Tanakh, at times very effectively as we can read in the account of His temptation from the devil. We pilgrim believers are very blessed in that we not only have access to the Hebrew Bible – we call it the Old Testament – but we also have another set of writings from men who had had a personal encounter with Jesus and which form the New Testament. And in 2 Peter 1:19, Peter wrote, referring to the Mount of Transfiguration event, “Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts“. Peter made the connection between Jesus and the “message proclaimed by the prophets”. 

According to Bible scholars, there were 450 or so prophecies about the coming Messiah made in the Old Testament and Jesus fulfilled over 300 of them at His first advent. The rest are still to come. But the Bible doesn’t say when this will be and even Jesus Himself, when asked by His disciples, confessed that He didn’t know. After laying out a list of End Time signs, Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 24:36, “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows“. Then in Matthew 25:31, we find out the manner of Jesus’ return, “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne”. There are many prophecies about the End Times, but they are all focused around the person of Jesus. It is all about Him.

Peter wrote that because of his mountain experience he had great confidence in the prophetic messages that were woven into the warp and weft of Jewish society. The accuracy of some of those writings looking forward to the first Advent, and given many years before Jesus’ birth, is astounding. We look at Isaiah 9, for example, which builds until verses 6-7, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” Only part of this prophecy has been fulfilled, and we have confidence that the remainder will one day come to pass. In another example of Old Testament prophecy, we read the poignant words of Psalm 22, foretelling Jesus’ death experience. 

In other places the prophets of old warned the Jewish nation that there would be consequences for their bad behaviour. For example, Hosea prophesied that one day the people of Israel would be taken into captivity because of their unfaithfulness. We read in Hose 9:1-3, “O people of Israel, do not rejoice as other nations do. For you have been unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like prostitutes, worshiping other gods on every threshing floor. So now your harvests will be too small to feed you. There will be no grapes for making new wine. You may no longer stay here in the Lord’s land. Instead, you will return to Egypt, and in Assyria you will eat food that is ceremonially unclean“. In Hosea 9:7-9 we read some more depressing details, “The time of Israel’s punishment has come; the day of payment is here. Soon Israel will know this all too well. Because of your great sin and hostility, you say, “The prophets are crazy and the inspired men are fools!” The prophet is a watchman over Israel for my God, yet traps are laid for him wherever he goes. He faces hostility even in the house of God. The things my people do are as depraved as what they did in Gibeah long ago. God will not forget. He will surely punish them for their sins“. Historical events vindicated prophets who were often punished and even killed because of their faithfulness in declaring God’s message.

Of course, prophetic messages were not all doom and gloom. One of my favourite chapters is Isaiah 40. There we read, “Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young” (Isaiah 40:10-11).

So we pilgrims should take note of Peter’s words and the prophetic messages we find in the Bible. Through them we get a wonderful picture of our loving Heavenly Father, and His desire to work out His love in His children, those who believe in Him. Where do we stand with Biblical prophecy? We will be spiritually impoverished by avoiding it. Peter wrote, “You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts”. We too have words that shine in this dark and sad society in which we live. It will be even darker without our presence standing as a prophetic message to those around us.

Dear Father God. Thank You for the faithful men and women who have prophetically declared Your messages in their generation. May we, Your people, do the same in ours. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Work Hard

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:10-11 NLT

‭‭”Work hard” Peter writes, implying that there is a need to work for our salvation. But wait a minute! Aren’t we saved by grace alone? Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God“. In Titus 3:5 we read, “he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit“. But to find out what Peter meant we have to look earlier in the chapter. He started by writing that we have to do something in response to God’s promises. 2 Peter 1:5a, “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. …”. For example, God has promised to give us wisdom but we won’t receive it unless we ask for it. James 1:5, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking“. We may be going through some difficult times and wonder where God is, but again there is something we must do to find Him. Deuteronomy 4:29, “But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him“. 

So when Peter wrote that we must “work hard”, he was referring to the fact that we pilgrims must take an active role in our salvation process. Paul wrote, “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:12-13). I read somewhere that the Greek verb for “work out” means “to continually work to bring something to completion or fruition”. Salvation is a process, often called sanctification, whereby we become more and more like Jesus as we pursue obedience to God’s promises and instructions. In Philippians 3:12-14, Paul wrote, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us“. Paul pressed on towards his goal. He worked hard at trying to become perfect, achieving what Jesus called him to be.

Unfortunately, some might say, there is not a manual of instructions with check boxes for the things we need to do and have completed. Sanctification is a continual, multi-facetted process and I am reminded of the plate spinners in a circus – they start a plate spinning, then another and then another, and so on, but they always have to go back and keep the earlier plates spinning. Our lives as believers can feel like that sometimes, well, that is until we realise that we have a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who I’m sure does a bit of plate spinning on our behalf when we forget. Each plate represents something in our Christian lives that we have overcome. Perhaps an addiction, or a wrong habit. Perhaps some sin or other, that has blighted our lives. However, we have become an overcomer, but always conscious that we could find ourselves lapsing back into our old ways. Thankfully, after a while, we find that God has helped us get to a point where a particular plate doesn’t need to spin any more. But there’s always a new plate ….

Jesus said that when we involve Him in our lives, things are not as hard as they otherwise could be. He said, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). Romans 8:26 reminds us that the Holy Spirit is actively on our case, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words“. So Peter reminds us that we must “work hard”. But it isn’t a drudge to respond to God’s promises and grow in the knowledge of Jesus. In fact, it is a joy to know that we are so close to God as we journey through this life.

Father God. Thank You for Your presence in our lives. Where would we be without You? Amen.

Faith Supplements

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”
2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT

Just to recap, we have read in the two previous verses of how God’s power provides “everything we need for living a Godly life” through our knowledge of Him. This thought in itself must be sufficient to drive us pilgrims to a detailed study of the Bible with faithful prayer, enabling us to try to grab hold of God and all that He is. We need to know Him and know Him more. And in that knowledge we need to extract the resources that result in personal changes leading to the Godly life, that is so elusive at times. Peter also mentioned God’s “marvellous glory and excellence”, attributes of God that have driven His gifts of promises, “great and precious promises” into our sphere of knowledge. Meditation on these promises elevates us above the “world’s corruption caused by human desires”. 

So, Peter continues in his communication, looking forward into a practical application of God’s power and promises. On the foundation of a knowledge of God, Peter encourages his readers to do something. His advice might sound a bit radical to a Christian today, to encourage a personal life-change, or even to cast aside preconceived notions of who God is, so that this new knowledge of Him can turn us into the person God wants us to be. Has anyone ever noticed the number of times a Scripture has been read, only for it to disclose the next time something about God that we didn’t know or had forgotten, something that explodes into our minds and spirits anew, bringing a revelation of Him that threatens to blow apart our pre-conceived assumptions?

But Peter continues with the exhortation “make every effort to …”. This isn’t an optional, if-you-feel-like-it type of suggestion, but an instruction that we cannot avoid or rationalise our way out of. If we pilgrims accept that the Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit, then this is something we must do. And to do it, we must apply the life-changing process of increasing our knowledge of God.

Peter assumes that our faith is sound and well established, and he calls us to “supplement” it. He lists a number of factors that are of value to our faith. Some people call it developing our faith muscles, and the process involves applying life’s lessons to our journey in the Kingdom. Of course, this will not be an overnight process, but as we work our way through his list of suggestions, the Holy Spirit will help us.

We pilgrims are perhaps standing on the edge of a spiritual cliff looking into the distance and seeing where we are needing to go. But finding the courage and motivation to take a jump over the edge into what is perhaps uncharted territory for us may be too daunting an ask. Thankfully, God is there holding our hands, urging us on. And we remember that He will never leave us. 

Dear Father God. As we venture into unknown territory, please lead and guide us every step of the way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God’s Grace

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”
1 Peter 5:12-14 NLT

After a letter full of encouragement and instructions, Peter summarised the contents with the words, “My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you”. The five churches in Asia Minor must have been struggling to survive. The persecution they were experiencing was almost too much for them to bear, and they must have often thought about giving up. So Pastor Peter sent a letter and his “faithful brother” Silas to help them. And with the two messengers, written and living, the early Christians would have been really encouraged. 

Throughout his letter, Peter reminded his readers of the grace of God. In his introduction, he prayed, “may God give you more and more grace…”. In 1:13, he wrote, ” … Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world“. He reminded them in 2:9 that they were “a chosen people” and “God’s very own possession”. And throughout the letter he alluded to Christ’s suffering, but never minimising their own. 

The word “grace” is not uncommon in our society. We are aware of “grace and favour” homes, where tenants are allowed to live for a peppercorn rent, if any at all. We talk about a boorish person lacking “social graces”. But the word “grace” really comes alive when we associate it with God. God’s grace, His unmerited favour, has always been there. Through Moses, He gave the Law, but even that was a gracious act providing a method using animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. God hasn’t changed, even though we now talk about being in a season of grace. The animal sacrifices were replaced by a much greater mitigation for sin – Jesus. He became the sacrifice God demanded as a penalty for our sins. We read in Hebrews 2:17, “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people“. But the Law is still there. Jesus said, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose” (Matthew 5:17). The Apostle John wrote, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

Through God’s grace we can now find life through His Spirit. Romans 7:6, “But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit“. When Jesus came to this earth, He found that God’s intentions through the Law, in showing us our sins, had been turned by the religious leaders into a legalistic stick which they used to beat the people. God’s grace became hidden in a swamp of rules and regulations. But like a breath of fresh air, God’s grace flooded over us through Jesus’ revelation. His kindness to sinful man must drive us to our knees in repentance and gratitude. And there, in a place of worship, we feel what His grace really means. There is nothing we can do to earn it, because grace is a free gift from God. With outstretched hands we accept it. For all eternity.

Father God. Your grace is sufficient for us, today and forevermore. Thank You. Amen.

Elders

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”
1 Peter 5:1-4 NLT

Peter starts the next chapter in his first letter by writing directly to the “elders in the churches”. These men (always men in those days) are the church leaders, the “pastors and spiritual leaders” as the Amplified Bible version explains. What these church leaders are named today depends on which denomination we belong to, but every fellowship of believers will have a leader or leaders. Peter himself explains that he was an elder as well, but one with a special qualification. He walked with Jesus for three years and was “a witness to the sufferings of Christ”. 

The work of an elder hasn’t changed over the years since the first appointments in the First Century. It is a role that can be very demanding and time consuming. It involves interactions, sometimes painful, with the church members, dealing with issues, good and bad. But the elder’s role is essential for the discipline and spiritual growth of pilgrims everywhere. Elders can be involved in decision-making, as we read in Acts 15. In verses 1 and 2, we read how a dispute over circumcision was settled by a meeting of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. An elder is also required to minister and pray for the sick people in the fellowship. We read in James 5:14, “Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.” In our verses from 1 Peter today, we read an elder should, “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to [them]”. So an elder can end up taking services and preaching and teaching, leading Bible studies and prayer meetings, and generally building up the believers in their church. The role of an elder is an essential appointment in a church, as we can see.

Do we pilgrims know an elder? Are we in a church with one or more of them? We may even be elders ourselves. But we must always pray for our elders, because they have a heavy responsibility. We read in James 3:1, “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly”. Many believers have been led astray by false teaching, and even Christian sects have been established and built on a wrong foundation. To take an extreme example, I read about a church that emphasised Mark 16:18a, “They will be able to handle snakes with safety … ”, with apparently disastrous results when they brought snakes into the meetings.

Thankfully, our Heavenly Father is always on hand to lead and guide us. He cares for His children, and we believers must always remember that we have direct access straight to His throne. 

Dear Lord. We pray for the leaders in our churches today, that You will lead and guide them in Your paths. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Insults

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.”
1 Peter 4:14 NLT

Being insulted for their faith was a common problem for the Christians in Peter’s day. Much is recorded in historical accounts of those early years of the Way, the new movement initiated by God Himself through His Son, Jesus. Those new converts turned the world upside down, challenging the status quo and spreading the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. But it came at a cost. We have already considered the “fiery trials”, the persecution experienced by Christians, that frequently resulted in their martyrdom. But there has always been a low level of persecution – name calling, awkwardness in the workplace, and so on – throughout the centuries, then and since. The worldly societies have always resented Christians because they proclaim a life of selfless purity that challenges the selfish and sinful behaviour so prevalent within the cultures of the day. Today, superficially, society seems more tolerant of Christians here in the West, that is, until they emerge from the shadows and make a statement that counter-culturally upsets a “sacred cow” otherwise deemed acceptable. Take the issue of abortion, for example. The Uk society is quite accepting of Christians having a different Bible-based point of view, until they do something about it by standing and praying outside abortion clinics. Then the insults and mistreatment start. 

The question often asked is, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be sufficient evidence to convict you?” The Christian faith is one that, by its very nature, has to be visible to society around us. If it isn’t then we need to ask ourselves if we are truly bearing “the name of Christ”. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden”. But as we know, the godless societies in which we live do not like the “light” that believers shine with. It exposes the dark and evil ways of the society around us and we who shine in this way will attract insults just as the early Christians did in Peter’s generation. However, Peter encourages his readers with the reality (through faith) that any insults directed to them because they are Christians who “bear the name of Christ“, will find that they will receive Heavenly blessings and rewards. In fact, Peter stated that if they were insulted for their faith then it is an indication, even a proof, that the Holy Spirit is with them.

In the evangelical endeavours of those early believers, they promoted a Gospel as Peter himself preached in his Acts 2 sermon. He said, “ … Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. Four things that marked a true conversion, transforming a person from darkness to light. Following their repentance, turning to God, and water baptism, they then received the Holy Spirit. So the presence of God’s Spirit with them and moving in power in their fellowships, would have been a common experience. But fast forward to today. Modern evangelists have perhaps in many cases watered down the Gospel Peter preached and instead have moved the focus away from God’s righteousness to His love. Without the power of the Holy Spirit, who brought the blessings that Peter and the early believers experienced, the Gospel, that is the Good News about God and His Son Jesus, will have little effect and impact.

We pilgrims must always be aware that sharing our faith will often result in insults from those who don’t want to hear our messages of hope. But deep down inside each one of us is a compelling desire to tell others what Jesus has done for us. We can’t keep it inside. We can’t help sharing it. We do so in the knowledge that Jesus commissioned us to, “ … Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15). But we know that when we expose others to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit is within us, and Jesus looks on, uttering a big “Yes” as the hearers face the reality of their sins.

Dear Lord, please help me to show the people with whom I share Your message Your love and attention in a way that they have never seen before. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Spiritual Gifts

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”
1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT

We often associate spiritual gifts with something supernatural, like prophecy or healing. But there is a “great variety of spiritual gifts”, according to Peter. He gave two examples here in his  letter – speaking and helping. But there are many more, of course, and they are to be used for serving “one another”. Peter encourages his readers by telling them that by exercising their spiritual gifts, they “will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ”. But the important message from Peter is that each one of us has a spiritual gift. It was true when he wrote to the believers in what is now Turkey, and it is just as true today. And we know from other Scripture passages that we may have more than one spiritual gift.

So if that is the case, we pilgrims are obliged to determine what our spiritual gift is and then use it for God’s glory and the benefit of our fellow believers. We will, of course, have natural giftings, and will make good use of these generally in our lives. So to use my wife as an example, she has a gift of needlecraft and is always producing one garment or another, often with complex patterns, for the benefit of the family. But when she uses her gift for others, using it well, with the Holy Spirit helping the process, then it will become a spiritual gift. What potentially might have been a naturally lengthy and difficult process somehow becomes easier and more joyful when the Holy Spirit is involved in the process.

In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul wrote in some detail about the spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:4, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all”. In verse 7 of this chapter he wrote much the same as Peter did, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other”. And Paul finished this section with “It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have” (1 Corinthians 12 :11).

So how do we know what spiritual gift we have? There are various helps around that can focus our thinking and come up with an answer, but most times we can find our gifts through prayer, encouragement from those around us, who observe us functioning in our spiritual gift, and by asking the Gift-giver, the Holy Spirit Himself. We must of course avoid the temptation of seeing someone else moving in their gifting, and decide that we want to have that gift as well. I remember a young church member who decided that they had a gift of worship leading. So they learnt a few guitar chords and asked the pastor if they could lead worship one Sunday. But, sadly for them, the gift just wasn’t there and they ended up frustrated and demoralised. Thankfully, the pastor was able to lovingly and sensitively help them find out what their true gift really was. 

We must remember that the spiritual gifts are not for our benefit but for the benefit of others and for the glory of God. And Peter ended his thoughts excitedly exclaiming, “All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” A good place to finish, giving glory to God.

Dear Father. Thank You for the gifts You have given us. Each one fits exactly with the person You want us to be. So all we can do is give You all the glory. Amen.

Christ in Heaven

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honour next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.”
1 Peter 3:22 NLT

After the resurrection of Jesus, He spent time with His disciples for a few weeks and then there came that day when they all went to the Mount of Olives, one of their favourite places. The disciples asked Jesus when He would free Israel and restore His Kingdom – we can read the account of what happened in Acts 1. But after His final words we read from the Acts 1 account, “After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “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!”” (Acts 1:9-11). We of course do not know where exactly in the Heavens Jesus went to, but from Peter’s words in 1 Peter 3:22 we know that God the Father is there, together with “all the angels and authorities and powers“. We note that Jesus didn’t rise into Heaven as a spirit, but bodily as His disciples watched Him. So we can draw the conclusion that he is still in that body now, but without all the limitations that an earth-bound body has.

In Matthew 26:64 we read, “Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven””. There are other Scriptures too that record Jesus’ place seated at the right hand of God. And then there is the amazing record of a conversation between Father and Son as recorded by David in His prophecy in Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honour at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet””. However, there is one Scripture that records Jesus standing next to His Father, which we read in Acts 7:56, “And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honour at God’s right hand!”” I can just imagine Jesus getting to His feet and cheering Stephen on as he finally called the Jewish leaders to account for their dreadful involvement in Jesus’s death and the other crimes Stephen accused them of. 

So Jesus may be in Heaven but He is still with us through His Spirit. He told His disciples that after He had returned to Heaven ” … I will send you the Advocate —the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me” (John 15:26). We read in Acts 2 the spectacular event that happened ten days after Jesus’ ascension. “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability” (Acts 2:2-4). Nowhere in the Bible can I find a reference that documents the Holy Spirit’s return to Heaven, so we must assume He is still with us.

In Acts 1:11, we read that one day Jesus will return to this planet. We can read some specifics in Revelation 19 and Zechariah 14. But we don’t know when this will be. But with His Spirit within us, we are in a truly favoured time. Jesus Himself may be in Heaven, but He is still with us, day by day, hour by hour, as we continue our pilgrimage through our earth-bound lives.

Dear Father God. Not for us a dead religion with a god who died. We worship the living God, who is still with us today. Thank You. Amen.

Spirits in Prison (2)

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 3:19-21 NLT

In a previous blog we asked ourselves three questions – what was the message that Jesus preached, what happens to our spirits after we die and why select just this particular group of spirits. We have considered what happens to our spirits when we die, and concluded that they go to one of two “compartments” in a place called Hades or Sheol. This is the holding place for spirits pending God’s final act of judgement, and believers end up in a compartment called Paradise and unbelievers in another compartment which seems to be a most unpleasant place, and is perhaps a taste of what hell will be like. 

But now taking the first question, what message did Jesus preach? Theologians seem divided on this and some have concluded that He made an announcement to a group of either demons or humans from the time of the flood. But what would be the point of an “announcement”? God will provide that soon enough on Judgement Day. Another suggestion is that Jesus preached in the spirit through Noah at the time of the flood, but they rejected His message. Yet another possibility is that Jesus preached the Gospel to a generation, now represented by their spirits, that otherwise could rightly complain that they were short-changed and unfairly treated. But literally, Peter wrote that there were people who were disobedient to God during the time leading up to their drowning in the flood and Jesus preached a message to them.

While on earth, Jesus devoted His teaching to the message of salvation through repentance of sins. The mechanics of how that message would apply to the spirits of dead people is a mystery, but there is no other logical explanation. The fact that His audience were imprisoned indicates that they were in a place that wasn’t the Paradise promised to the penitent thief. C S Lewis wrote a book called The Great Divorce which fictionally described a spiritual holding place, “hell”, from which the spirits, or “ghosts”, were given the opportunity to travel to Heaven, where salvation became an option for them. But it was of course fictional without any Scriptural basis.

We don’t know anything more about Jesus preaching to spirits in Hades, so we must draw our own conclusions. But we do know about the preaching Jesus did while He was here with us on Planet Earth. Faithful disciples recorded His many messages, often illustrated in a way that everyday people in His generation could understand. And Jesus underpinned His messages with practical deeds, such as healing the sick or raising the dead. As far as we aware, there is no post-death opportunity to hear the Gospel message in the world of spirits. If there was, what was the point of Jesus delegating the preaching of His Word to His followers? And people would become even more complacent than they are. Acts 1:8 reads, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth””. We pilgrims are at the sharp end of spreading God’s grace and love to those around us. The Holy Spirit will bring conviction of sin and repentance. So we must be ready and willing to share all that God has done for us.

Dear Father God. Please bring us to people who don’t know You. Please prepare the ground we pray and give us just the right words to say. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.