Falling Asleep

Posted on by korgrocker

“After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
1 Corinthians 15:6-8 NIVUK

Paul outlined a series of events that occurred after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. According to Paul, the first person to experience the risen Lord personally was Peter, and the last was himself, “as to one abnormally born”. But, sadly, the first person to really see Jesus and the empty tomb was a woman, yet she wasn’t mentioned in Paul’s list. “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance” … “At this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise that it was Jesus. He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned towards him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means ‘Teacher’)” (John 20:1, 14-16). What an experience for Mary, who loved Jesus so much. In those heady days after the resurrection, many men and women would have seen Jesus, but Paul just listed the men according to the customs of his day. 

Some of those who had seen Jesus in the flesh had died in the interval between His appearance and Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church. Paul said they had “fallen asleep”, a lovely alternative to the finality of the word “death”. But believers do in reality just ”fall asleep”. Through the faith of us pilgrims, we are assured of eternal life, resurrection, and an eternal relationship with God. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God knew who would accept His Son, Jesus, as their Lord and Saviour. “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:4-5). Just think for a moment. Before God created the universe as we know it, He had each of us in mind. Our names were before Him. Every aspect of our characters and physical make-up was there in His plan. And all because He wanted the pleasure of our company forever. This is mind-boggling stuff, folks!

“God loved us and
chose us in Christ to be holy
and without fault in his eyes”.

So we won’t really die. Jesus said to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, “ …I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” (John 11:25-26). So there is a process by which we leave this life, leaving behind our physical bodies, which we no longer have use for. Anyway, most people’s physical bodies have worn out by this time, and all that is left for our loved ones to do is to ensure that the remains are given a decent burial. But our souls live forever. They go on, as Jesus said to the thief on the cross next to Him, to a place called Paradise. At the right time, God will provide new bodies for us. 2 Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands“.

I love this thought from the story of Lazarus in John 11. He got sick and died, regardless of the valiant attempts of his two sisters to nurse him through the sickness. In accordance with Jewish customs, he was prepared for burial and interred in a tomb, all within a very short time. But then, four days later, Jesus showed up and asked to be shown the tomb. It was a cave with a stone rolled across the entrance. But we know the story. Jesus told the people gathered there to roll the stone aside, which they did despite Martha’s protestations, “ …  Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible” (John 11:39b). However, the next thing that Lazarus heard was the sound of Jesus calling his name. If we apply this thought to our own end-of-life experience, once we have “fallen asleep” in the Lord, will the next thing we hear be Jesus calling our name? Just a thought.

Father God. There can be no place better to fall asleep than into Your Heavenly arms. Thank You. Amen.

As the Scriptures Said

Posted on by korgrocker

“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve.”
1 Corinthians 15:3-5 NLT

“Christ died for our sins,
just as the Scriptures said”

Paul was a messenger who referred to Old Testament scriptures, the prophesies about Jesus, and also to fellow believers that Paul knew, people who had confirmed them. Isaiah wrote, “Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5). Jesus took the punishment for our sins that we deserved, “just as the Scriptures said“. The punishment for sins that Paul and those in the Corinthian church deserved. The same punishment that everyone who has ever lived deserves. “Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said”, wrote Paul. Why did Jesus take on the punishment that we deserved? 1 Peter 3:18, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit“. And we know from John 3:16 that God gave His Son that we might receive the gift of eternal life. So how is that going to work? No believer has ever returned from Heaven with a testimony that all their sins committed in this life were forgiven through their faith in Jesus, something that they would only find out when they reached the “Pearly Gates”. Of course, we have no measurable evidence available to us. But we know what Jesus said, and we believe, O how we believe! That is what faith in Jesus is all about. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Paul wrote to the Corinthians that he had passed on to them some important things that had been passed on to him, and, although the Gospels were not available to him, Paul knew all about God’s grace and love, and, implicitly, the contents of John 3:16. As an aside, note that there are only two outcomes from this very well known verse – “perishing” or “eternal life”. In faith, we believers have made the right choice, but most in the world around us are defaulting to a place reserved for those who are “perishing”. So, Paul passed on to the Corinthians the Good News about Jesus, that He had “died for our sins”, “just as the Scriptures said”.

“He was buried, and
He was raised from the dead on the third day,
just as the Scriptures said”

Paul also wrote, “He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said”. There are several Old Testament prophetic Scriptures about this. We have Hosea 6:2, “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence”. The Book of Jonah also has a reference to the third day: Jonah 1:17, “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights”. This was a Scripture Jesus referenced in Matthew 12:40. Paul, being a devout Jew before he met Jesus on the Damascus Road, would have known these Scriptures well. We pilgrims are familiar with the story of the empty tomb. Psalm 16:10 is taken as a prophetic reference to Jesus’ resurrection. “For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave”. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 provide incredible details about Jesus’ death, and they include references to His life beyond it. The Old Testament is full of Scriptures about Jesus, because the central theme running through it is always about God, His love, His plan for the salvation of mankind, and the ultimate sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.

For us pilgrims, “just as the Scriptures said” is the bedrock of our faith. The Bible is a treasure trove of spiritual nuggets, and Paul described its worth in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work“. And so we pilgrims constantly read the Bible because it contains God’s Word to His children to keep them safe on their journey to be with Him in Paradise. We neglect the Scriptures at our peril.

Dear Father God. We thank You for the wonderful resource that You have provided for us. We pray that You open the Scriptures to us and reveal Your will and purposes today and every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Behaviour in Church

Posted on by korgrocker

“Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings.”
1 Corinthians 14:34-35 NLT

In today’s UK society, women and girls are under attack and often feel unsafe and marginalised. If we pick up a newspaper, it won’t be long before we find an article or report about a crime, or attempted crime, against a woman. And if that is not enough, we now have the offence of men wanting to be women, in many cases, to get access to a woman’s personal space. But treating women in this way is nothing new. Misogynistic behaviour is rife today, as it has been since life began. Patriarchal societies that mistreat women are still with us in other parts of the world, and immigration to the UK has brought with it some of the problems they experience. And because of the way men treat women, the feminist movements have grown, and they have been successful in pushing back the boundaries that some men want to penetrate. In recent years, it has been the feminists who have fought for the rights of women. At the same time, Christians have stood by, apparently paralysed by indecision and the reluctance to offend, even though the Bible is clear about how men and women are the only two distinct sexes, and how they should treat each other. 

But here in our verses today, Paul writes that “Women should be silent during the church meetings”. What did he mean, because earlier Paul said, “But a woman dishonours her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head” (1 Corinthians 11:5)? So it seems that Paul was contradicting himself, on the one hand he taught how women should pray and prophecy in public, and on the other he said that women should stay silent. So we have to dig a bit deeper and consult scholars who have themselves puzzled over 1 Corinthians 14:34. 

The consensus seems to be that Paul was referring to married women, wives, and their chatter in the meetings, perhaps following prophecies. This would be in line with Paul’s teaching on submission in Ephesians 5:24, “As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything”. But then the next verse in Ephesians 5 says, “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her”. In the order of submission, perhaps the men in the church, who also failed to remain silent in the meetings, would have been told to do so by the church leaders. The leaders themselves, of course, would have been accountable to Jesus Christ Himself. In 1 Corinthians 14:33, we read, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people”. 

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace“

Paul suggested that wives wait until they return home before asking their husbands about prophetic words delivered during the church service. But what about the single women, the unmarried and the widows? Or those wives without saved husbands? The thrust of Paul’s instructions would be that they should ask someone about issues raised, but not in the meeting itself. But regarding the men with questions, they should bring theirs to the church leadership for resolution, if necessary, returning to their wives with the answers needed. So, in the interests of order in church meetings, it is important that both men and women keep silent when they have questions or disagreements. These occasions should be resolved between them, and if necessary, with the help of the pastor. 

One thing is certain, however. Men should not use 1 Corinthians 14:34 in a way that belittles or is harsh toward women in the church. Love is the driving force. Remember what we read in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged”. We believers, both men and women, have a duty of obedience to Christ because, in the end, it is all about Him. We look to Him, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, for guidance and assurance. He died for us at Calvary, paying the ultimate price so that we can be in His presence forever.

Dear Lord Jesus. Yes, it is all about You, Lord. Whenever we take our eyes off You and look at ourselves, we will soon get into trouble. Please forgive us for our sins, we pray. Amen.

God of Peace

Posted on by korgrocker

“But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from the Lord, the one who is speaking must stop. In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can take turns. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.”
1 Corinthians 14:30-33 NLT

Paul continues with his theme about orderly worship in church meetings. These verses from 1 Corinthians 14 refer to the gift of prophecy and how it should be used in a public setting. Such thoughts seem a bit unrealistic in today’s meetings because it is unusual, at least in Western churches, to have so many words of prophecy that there would be a need to queue up to bring them. Some years ago, I remember a Charismatic conference where the leaders invited people to share words of prophecy they felt God had given them. They came, one after another, in good order, and the leadership tested each for relevance and whether they were from God. But I have never experienced such a time since. Today, church leaders would have mixed feelings, should a prophetic message be given in a church service. Some would be dismayed that the order of events was being disrupted. Others would stop the proceedings to hear what was being said, and, if necessary, change course to accommodate the message. The problem today is what it has always been: is the prophetic message a genuine word from God, or is it something someone has made up because it seems to fit the occasion?

But back to Paul’s order of service. He encouraged people to bring prophetic messages in an orderly way, “so that everyone will learn and be encouraged”. He went on to explain that “ … the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Corinthians 14:32 KJV). In other words, if someone was speaking, then the prophet should hold onto their word until it was a suitable time to bring it. And Paul then reminded the believers in Corinth that no disorder originates from God, because He is a God of peace. 

Thinking of people today, chaos and disorder dictate many a life. Stories of a chaotic lifestyle emerge all the time in the news and elsewhere, and people who work in communities that lack social cohesion have many tales to tell about the predicaments people get into. Such tales often arise because people lack a moral compass to guide their lives, or because bad parenting propagates the same problems in the next generation. For others, they find themselves in a situation through no fault of their own. But in church life, there will be no disorder, and God’s peace will be found. Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Paul said to the Colossians, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). So immediately, we can draw a conclusion. If there is chaos and disorder in a church meeting, then perhaps Jesus and His peace are absent.

“The peace of God,
which transcends all understanding“

But for us pilgrims, living in a world that is never far from chaos, we have words of comfort left to us by Paul in another epistle. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). We are citizens of God’s Kingdom, where there is no disorder. In fact, it is the most ordered environment we are ever likely to find. These two verses must be engraved in our hearts and minds, and they will help us navigate any situation we are likely to encounter. The world around us may be falling apart, with people generally paralysed with fear and anxiety, but we stand strong, guarded in every way as we remain in Jesus.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your peace in our hearts, always there by Your grace and all that Jesus has done for us. Thank You. Amen.

Orderly Worship

Posted on by korgrocker

“Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarise. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.”
1 Corinthians 14:26-28 NLT

Paul set out the liturgy for an orderly meeting in these verses from 1 Corinthians 14, and today, many churches adhere to it. He didn’t specify the order in which these things should happen, but the simplicity of a Pauline worship service is refreshing in comparison to the liturgies applied in established denominations. I’m writing this blog on the first day of Advent, and the Anglican order of service includes a typical Holy Communion structure, beginning with an introductory rite, a processional hymn, the lighting of the first Advent candle, and readings from scripture such as Isaiah 2:1-5 and a gospel reading like Matthew 24:36-44 or Mark 13:24-37. The service also features psalms, prayers, a sermon, and communion. All good stuff, I’m sure, but what happened to the simplicity that marked Paul’s instructions? In the Pentecostal church I attend, the service starts with an opening prayer and some initial thoughts from the person leading the meeting. This is followed by a time of worship, during which several songs or hymns are sung, after which there is an opportunity for additional prayers and prophetic messages. A sermon will follow, including readings from the Bible, then a final song and a closing prayer. But at any time, there are opportunities to vary the order of service to focus on the Holy Spirit. A Spirit-led meeting is essential. That may be possible with a fixed liturgy, but it is perhaps a bit more difficult.

In some social gatherings today, there is what is called an “Open Mic” night, where those present take turns to sing or play a musical instrument, for the entertainment of all. Not everyone joins in, but it is an ordered time, usually convened by the host or another person in authority. This seems to be much of what Paul is advocating, with people taking turns to bring a song or hymn, possibly taken from the Psalms, another bringing a message in tongues, as long as there is someone there to interpret what is being said, a prophetic message that Paul called a “special revelation”, and a time of teaching, the sermon. Perhaps the Corinthians already had something similar in place, but without the order that Paul proposed.

But the thread running through all that Paul proposed had two important and intertwined aims. These were, first and foremost, an order of events honouring God in a place where the Holy Spirit could move, coupled with the need to edify the body of Christ, the church. The order of Paul’s service was not a dusty and lifeless liturgy that had lost its Holy Spirit spark many years before, a religious event lacking spontaneity and relevance. Instead, it was infused with the expectation that the believers were about to meet God, in a time full of love and a desire to build up fellow believers through events and opportunities all led by the Holy Spirit. 

The believers wanted Jesus.

At the end of Acts 2, we find a few verses that describe how the first converts to Christianity spent their time together. Acts 2:42, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer”. And Acts 2 ends with “ … the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved“. There was something about the simplicity of those early days. The believers didn’t want a liturgy. They wanted Jesus. In Acts 2:42, we read, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts“. We should note two things here: the believers engaged in corporate prayer and worship as they met together in the Temple, and they shared Jesus with each other in the more intimate settings of a home group. Perhaps today, we should seek a return to the early Church model, and once again put Jesus before all other considerations.

Dear Father God. Please help us return to our first love, those days when we discovered Jesus for ourselves. We’re so grateful for all He did for us at Calvary, and we praise and worship You today. Amen.

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.

New Year Message

Posted on by korgrocker

“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:14 NLT

A new year always brings a mixture of emotions—hope, excitement, reflection, and sometimes a little uncertainty. When the calendar turns, we feel the invitation to begin again, to reset our priorities, and to realign our hearts. We even make a “new year’s resolution” or two. But this year, as many Christians look around at world events—wars, moral confusion, economic shakiness, and spiritual darkness—some are quietly wondering, “Are we getting close to the end times?” While Scripture reminds us that only the Father knows the day or the hour, we also recognise that many signs Jesus spoke of seem to be intensifying. Yet here’s the beautiful truth: God never intended end-time awareness to create fear in His people. He intended it to produce readiness, hope, and deeper trust. So as we step into this new year, let’s do so with hearts anchored in God’s promises, strengthened by His presence, and confident in His plan for our lives—no matter what unfolds in the world around us.

“Because of the Lord’s great love
we are not consumed…
His mercies never fail.
They are new every morning”

One of the most encouraging truths we can hold onto is this: every new day—and every new year—arrives wrapped in God’s mercy. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed…His mercies never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23). God is not stingy with mercy. He doesn’t ration it out in tiny portions. He gives it freshly, fully, and faithfully. Even if last year held disappointments, failures, or valleys, this year begins with God’s mercy meeting you at the door. Whatever lies ahead, His grace will be enough. We serve a God who steps into the future ahead of us. Calendars, circumstances, or global events do not restrict Him. “You crown the year with Your goodness” (Psalm 65:11). Notice that the psalm doesn’t say some years or only easy years. It says the year. The whole year. Every part of it. Even in a world groaning with end-time signs, God still crowns the year with His goodness. He still guides. He still protects. He still provides. Nothing coming in the next twelve months is unknown or unplanned to Him.

Jesus spoke openly about end-time signs—wars, deception, persecution, natural disasters—but He also said: “See to it that you are not alarmed” (Matthew 24:6). Isn’t that amazing? He didn’t say these things so we would fear the future, but so we would trust Him through it. Prophecy was given not to make God’s people anxious, but to make them anchored. So as we step into this year, we must keep watch, stay prayerful, and remain alert, but we are not shaken. We are held by the One who rules over every era of history. End-time awareness should never lead us into passivity. Instead, it should fill our lives with greater intention and greater urgency. This is not the year to shrink back. Instead, this is the year to shine. Let this be the year we step into our calling more fully than ever before.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the
God of my salvation!

One truth echoes through Scripture: the people of God are never without hope. Even in the darkest seasons of history, God’s presence shines brightest through His people. Jesus promised: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Not until things get difficult. Not until signs start appearing. But all the way to the end. We carry a hope that inflation cannot touch, that political chaos cannot shake, and that global uncertainty cannot dim. This year’s strength will not come from our plans but from His presence. Regarding the forthcoming invasion from the Babylonians, Habakkuk wrote, “ … I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” (Habakkuk 3:16b-18). Habakkuk’s security was not in temporal things but in the Lord Himself. While the world fears the future, believers look forward with expectation. Christ’s return is not a threat to us—it is our joy, our rescue, our victory. The early church greeted one another with the word “Maranatha”, meaning, “Lord, come quickly.” They lived with eyes lifted, hearts ready, and hope unshaken. Let this be our posture in the new year: watchful, hopeful, joyful, expectant.

As this new year unfolds, remember this: We are not stepping into the unknown because we are stepping into God’s known. He has gone before us. He stands beside us. He will carry us. And He will strengthen us for every challenge and every blessing ahead. The world may be trembling—but we are not of this world. We are children of God, chosen for such a time as this. So this year we walk with courage, with purpose, with faith and hope, and in it all we walk with our eyes lifted, knowing that the One who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it.

Maranatha. And Happy New Year in Christ.

Dear Father God, we pray as John did at the end of Revelation, Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Love and the Spirit

Posted on by korgrocker

“Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.”
1 Corinthians 14:1-4 NLT

“Let love be your highest goal”

Paul finally sums up the previous chapter in 1 Corinthians by writing, “Let love be your highest goal”. But then he adds that the believers in Corinth should also desire the gifts of the Spirit. It isn’t an either/or, but love and the gifts work hand in hand, supplementing each other. Someone who loves without the Holy Spirit will lack the focus to determine where their love will be most effective. Someone with Holy Spirit gifts but without love can potentially undermine their effect.

Paul highlights the gift of prophecy as being the one to desire. But he picked out the tongue speakers for a gentle correction. It must have been the case in Corinth that everyone was speaking in tongues in the meetings, yet failing to be understood, resulting in a chaotic situation. So Paul explained that speaking in tongues was only a personal thing, between the person and God. Only He would understand what their tongue-speaking meant. Just as a reminder, there are three types of tongues. The one Paul was referring to was the Heavenly language given by the Holy Spirit for personal devotions. In Romans 8:26-27, we read, “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. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will”. Perhaps we have reached a blockage in our prayer lives, and fail to understand what we should really be praying for or about. But as we speak in tongues, our spirits are communicating with God, with the Holy Spirit filling in the gap in our knowledge and understanding. 

The second type of tongues is for a public meeting or other setting, where someone present can interpret the message. Some tongue speakers can interpret their own message, with the interpretation revealed to them as they speak. Both the first and second type of tongues sounds strange to a hearer because it is in the form of spoken syllables that make no sense to a hearer and probably not to the speaker either. The gift of tongues is, as Paul wrote, a mystery that will only be revealed when the Perfect comes. This is a faith gift because no rational explanation can be applied from a human perspective. Language is something that we gain from hearing our parents speak when we are just a baby. I have been in the privileged position of hearing a child start to speak at the age of about two. His words started with attempts to mimic those around him and were closely followed by understanding as a patient mum and dad explained and encouraged. As a result, almost daily, new words and phrases began to develop. Speech became clearer, and understanding followed. But our Heavenly language of being able to speak in tongues is indeed a mystery, but it is a Holy Spirit gift that strengthens the personal life of a believer, and in the second context, it is a gift that strengthens the church.

The third type of tongues can be seen in the Acts 2 setting, where the speaking in tongues was in a language unknown to the speaker but was understood by someone of a different nationality. We read from Acts 2:7-8, “They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!” This form of tongues is less well known today, but is still sometimes heard, as the Holy Spirit grants the gift.

But back to the first verse of chapter 14. There is a synergy between the quality of agape love and the Holy Spirit’s gift of prophecy. Each without the other lacks the potential that can be achieved by both working together, and Paul completes verse 4 with the assurance that those who prophecy build up the church.

Dear Father God. With Your Spirit empowering the church and its believers, we can grow from strength to strength in love and grace, becoming more like Your Son, Jesus. We worship You today. Amen.

Faith, Hope and Love (2)

Posted on by korgrocker

“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:11-13 NLT

We continue to look at the three eternal qualities that will surpass the spiritual gifts that Paul has been writing about in 1 Corinthians 12. Yesterday, we briefly considered the first, faith. Today, we move on to consider the quality of hope, something that is misunderstood in today’s secular society. We may start a holiday with the thought, “I hope it won’t rain at the beach”, or we might walk into the exam hall with the thought, “I hope that I pass this exam”. There is a rather depressing verse in Ecclesiastes, “It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway” (Ecclesiastes 9:3). The author of this Book, traditionally thought to be King Solomon, was referring, I think, to people who had no eternal God-perspective in their lives and, like lemmings, they were rushing on to a sure death and eternal misery. But Solomon quite correctly went on to say that hope is only for the living, and it is through our lives that we are able to live a life of hope. In Hebrews 11:1 we read, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see”.

The Biblical view of hope is defined as being without doubt. Our examples above imply that it might rain or we might fail the exam, building in an element of doubt, but hope lived out God’s way does not doubt because it is underpinned by faith. Worldly hope is just a shadow of what our hope in God really means. In Psalm 16:8-9, we read verses that are permeated with a Biblical hope, “I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety”. There is an assurance contained within these verses that is unshakeable and an eternal statement of hope. So what is it that we hope for?

“I do believe, but help me
overcome my unbelief!”

We pilgrims hope in God for eternal life, including forgiveness of our sins and being with God forever. This hope also includes the future resurrection of the dead, being transformed into the likeness of Christ, and the ultimate redemption of both believers and all of creation. We also hope for strength, guidance, and completion in our spiritual journey through the Holy Spirit’s power to live a life that honours God. There is no room for doubt with such a hope, and we pray the same prayer as the father of the evil-spirit-possessed boy did, “ … I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Therefore, biblical hope is a confident expectation or assurance based upon a sure foundation for which we wait with joy and full confidence. In other words, “There is no doubt about it!”

The third eternal quality from the last verse of 1 Corinthians 13 concerns love. This is something that we considered a few days ago, and Paul reminds the Corinthians believers that this is the greatest of the three eternal qualities. So in conclusion, we read the last verse in 1 Corinthians 13, with the knowledge that “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love”. Of course, we desire the spiritual gifts because God has provided them for us, to build up, encourage, and serve the community of believers, known as the body of Christ, for the common good and God’s glory. But underpinning them all are the qualities of faith, hope and love, and particularly love. Without them, the spiritual gifts will not be of any use.

Dear Lord, we love You, praise You and worship You today. Please forgive us for the times when we have failed to love others. Amen.

Childish Reasoning

Posted on by korgrocker

“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:11-13 NLT

At first sight, was Paul saying to us that the spiritual gifts were “childish things”? Looking back over the previous chapters, we find theology that has shaped much of modern Christianity, with its references to the Holy Spirit and His spiritual gifts given to believers, gifts that have continued the ministry of Jesus and His presence to believers ever since. So, saying that the gifts were “childish” could not be further from the truth. In the context of this chapter, we see that Paul was referring to the time of perfection, a time when the use of spiritual gifts such as prophecy and tongues will no longer be necessary. So, who or what will “perfection” be? It can only be the time when Jesus returns. Eventually, the church will mature to the point that we reach the “fullness of Christ.” This will happen only after He arrives, but it is the course we currently pursue. The gifts are needed to help, edify, and encourage us until He comes; then they will no longer be required.

So, the childish reasoning in 1 Corinthians 13:11 refers to Paul comparing the time of a child growing up, when their worldview is totally different to that of an adult. We know that, of course. A small child has a simplistic and protected view of the adult world around them, reaching conclusions that change as they grow up. For example, a small child will believe in a fantasy called Santa, going along with the deception of writing letters and putting out signs in the street. He or she will hang up their stockings and go through the charade for a while until reality dawns and the bubble bursts. But they then continue the story for the benefit of younger friends and siblings. As a small child, I had no idea of the politics of the post-war years, but, in hindsight, I can remember my parents being concerned by events that had the potential to suck them back into more conflict. Today, my worldview is totally different from what it was as a child.

The gifts of knowledge and prophecy
provide only a partial glimpse

The season of the gifts of the Holy Spirit will come to an end one day. Now we see “puzzling reflections in a mirror” or, as the King James translation puts it, “through a glass, darkly”. The gifts of knowledge and prophecy provide only a partial glimpse of the world that God sees, but I’m sure that God, as with a child, protects His people from seeing more than they should. There was the story of Habakkuk, who cried out to God about the injustice, the violence, the evil and misery that was taking place in his day. But God knew that this prophet could be trusted to handle the message of what was about to happen. Grim and devastating times were on the way, and God said to Habakkuk, “I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands” (Habakkuk 1:6). But Habakkuk knew that what God was about to do was righteous, and he said to God, “O Lord my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal— surely you do not plan to wipe us out? O Lord, our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins” (Habakkuk 1:12). The vision horrified Habakkuk, and after hearing God’s plans, he finally wrote, “I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” (Habakkuk 3:16-18). 

“I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!“

We pilgrims may cry out to God with a similar complaint. The world around us is still riven with injustice, violence, sin and evil, and there will come a time when God will say enough is enough and deal with it. Jesus gave John a Revelation of what was to come, and it makes grim reading. As in Habakkuk’s day, most people will disregard the warnings and carry on living their lives of evil and wickedness until the final calamity occurs. God said to Habakkuk, “This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed” (Habakkuk 2:3). 

The End Times,
seen “through a glass, darkly”

The End Times knowledge that we have is only a partial glimpse of what is to come. Prophetic messages have added to the mystery and uncertainty, but they all lack the detail and timing that only God knows about. We see at present only “puzzling reflections in a mirror” that provide a hint of future events. If you like, we have a childish view of the End Times, with only as much as God has chosen to reveal to us, perhaps for our own protection. But one day, and many think it will be soon, Jesus will return, bringing perfection with Him. And so we pilgrims look for opportunities to warn the people around us, as Habakkuk did by writing God’s message on tablets (Habakkuk 2:2) for messengers to carry to the people of Israel. We meet people in the office and on the street, and have the opportunity to invite them into Jesus’ kingdom. The time is short, folks, so we must be prepared, as we look forward to the time when we will grow up and see what God sees.

Dear Father God. You are our loving Parent, who looks after His children. We thank You for Your grace and love, and we give You all the glory for what You have done and will be doing soon. In gratitude and in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen