Obedient Love

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
John 14:21 NLT

“Accept and obey”, Jesus said. The trouble is, too many people will accept the veracity and appropriateness of His commands, but when it comes to obeying them, it’s a different story. So much of what Jesus taught is counter-cultural and, consequently, life-changing if it is followed. Take for example the Beatitude, “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth” (Matthew 5:5). The secularists in the workplace will promote the opposite, saying things like, “Those who shout the loudest will reap the rewards”, or, “If you don’t push yourself forward you’ll miss out”.  There is no humility present on the promotion ladder. A bit further on in the Beatitudes, we read, “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” Matthew 5:10). Those people with the courage to defy the authorities by standing outside an abortion clinic, doing right by silently praying for those who enter in, are persecuted, arrested and, if the politicians have their way, will soon be incarcerated just because of their prayerful thoughts.

As we read further through the Sermon on the Mount,  we find commandments that are impossible, humanly speaking, to keep. In Matthew 5:21-22 we read, “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell”. The Pharisees claimed that they were ok because they hadn’t murdered anyone. Jesus said different. Another thorny area is what Jesus said about judging others. “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2). And as for lust and divorce … but we won’t go there.

How do we show our love for Jesus by keeping His commandments, not just accepting them? How do we follow all His teaching? Jesus said to His disciples, and as recorded in Matthew 19:26, “Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible”“. In John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments”. But here’s the thing – straight after He said this, He said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you” (John 14:16). Jesus recognised that in their humanity, the disciples were never going to be able to keep His commandments, so He asked His father to send His indwelling Holy Spirit who would empower His followers to be obedient to all He had said. 

Thankfully, we pilgrims have Someone who is praying for us, as we tramp ever onwards towards our Heavenly goal. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have a Saviour who forgives us as we confess our sins, and as we allow the Holy Spirit to refine our lives day by day. We have a win-win faith because God sacrificed Himself for our salvation. No other religion comes anywhere close to this.

Dear Father. We can only bow before You, the God who saves, in deep gratitude and worship. Amen.

Spiritual Orphans Never

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
John 14:18-20 NLT

The word “orphans”, meaning a vulnerable and parentless young person, is mentioned regularly in the Bible, and usually in the context we read in Psalm 82, “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute” (Psalm 82:3). James 1:27 reads, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you“. In a society with a low life expectancy, it was commonplace to find a child without a parent and those more fortunate in the society were encouraged to help and support them. But orphans were abused and exploited by unscrupulous men and women, and God warned them of the consequences.

So against this backdrop, Jesus reassured His disciples that He would not abandon them “as orphans”. Jesus had been a spiritual Father to His disciples for the previous three years and they had learned so much about the Kingdom of God. This motley bunch of fishermen, a civil servant, zealots and others had seen and experienced miraculous signs and healings with the Man who claimed to be the Son of God. A Man who regularly pointed to His Father in Heaven but who also warned His friends around Him that soon He was going to leave the world and return to His home in Heaven. But Jesus was concerned for those He was going to leave behind. And the disciples would remember what Jesus had previously said about the way they would be treated, “But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me”Matthew 10:17-18). 

But in today’s verses from John 14, Jesus clearly stated to His disciples that He would soon disappear from the world around them. He could see His trial and death sentence coming, snatching Him away from His friends, but He then reassured them that He would reappear as a living person, alive once again, and soon afterwards. Although an orphan would be left hopeless and helpless by the death of their parents, Jesus promised that this would not happen to His disciples. The events of His death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven, would act as a backdrop to the first Day of Pentecost, where His disciples and others would be gifted with His presence through the Holy Spirit. They were going to be alright, He knew, and His few words of reassurance and comfort would be remembered by them over the dark days ahead.

What about us pilgrims? We have the assurance that we have a Heavenly Father who cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you”. That in itself is a reminder that we are not orphans. But we also know that Jesus is interceding for us; Romans 8:34, “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honour at God’s right hand, pleading for us“. And we are also blessed with God’s presence through the Holy Spirit, the Gift that accompanies our Christian birth. Acts 2:38, “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. So we pilgrims are not spiritual orphans, regardless of our human circumstances, and never will be. Praise be to God!

Dear Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is amazing and mind-blowing to have such a Parent. With deeply humble thanks we worship You today. Amen.

Greater Works

Posted on by Adrian Clark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Father and Son

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.””
John 14:6-8 NLT

How many times have we looked at a man and a boy, perhaps playing together, kicking a ball around. And then we’re struck by the similarities between them. The same nose, or an identical laugh. Mannerisms that show those around them that they are related. An expression often applied to someone is that they are a “chip off the old block”, meaning that a man is behaving in a way similar to his father, or a woman to her mother. We of course, in these enlightened days, know all about genetics and hereditary factors and understand the process, well, the scientists think they do. Such parent/child similarities can be very positive but there are also negatives, in that a child can take on their parents’ bad characteristics as well. 

There are people who blame their proclivities to sin on their parents, or grandparents. And some Christians would perhaps feel relieved of personal responsibilities when they read Exodus 20:5, “You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me“. A generational curse can be used as an excuse. But if we dig deeper we find that this was a specific warning from God to the nation of Israel over idolatry and in any case, we know that sinful behaviour is dealt with through repentance. Blaming our parents for our sin is no excuse before God. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:21-24, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy”. 

Well, Jesus said that by knowing Him, His disciples would know His Father in Heaven. One distinction between Jesus and any other child is that there were no bad traits. There was no sin in Jesus that could then be attributed to Father God Himself. We of course know and believe that God is good. And that goodness was, and is, displayed through His Son Jesus. Everything Jesus did was 100% in line with His Father’s wishes, and God’s goodness and mercy was displayed everywhere Jesus went. In John 10:32, we read, “Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me”“? There were of course times when Jesus confronted and exposed the sinful attitudes and behaviour of some He encountered, particularly the Pharisees. But His anger with them was never sinful. 

We pilgrims are children of God. So, do we display the characteristics of our Heavenly Father? Would someone observing us see anything of God in us? Paul wrote, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering” (Romans 8:14-17). In 1 John 3:9 we read, “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God”. And a last word from Romans 8:29, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters”.

Do people know by the way we live and what we say and do, that we are children of God? And do they see Jesus, our elder Brother, in our family traits? Hmmm…

Father God. We do indeed call out “Abba, Father” because that is who You are. We praise You today. Amen.

Jesus is the Life

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 NLT

We have looked at the two previous statements that Jesus made about Himself – “I am the Way”  “I am the Truth”, and we now consider the last, “I am the Life”. We note, that of the seven “I am” statements made by Jesus and recorded in John’s Gospel, five of them refer to “life”. 

In John 6:35 we read, “Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”” Obviously, this reference to “life” is about spiritual life, and the “bread” to which Jesus refers is spiritual food. A person’s spirit has to be fed and the only true and valid “food” is Jesus. Many attempts are made to substitute this “food” with other sources but they never last or satisfy for long. So, there will be some who focus on cerebral activities such as mindfulness or yoga. Others might look for “food” in a beer glass or sex or drugs. But in the end only Jesus has the real “food” that satisfies the yearnings of our souls. It was interesting that Jesus, on two occasions, supernaturally and miraculously fed a large number of people with no more than someone’s packed lunch, one that included the staple diet of the day, bread. By so doing, He demonstrated for all time that He had the power to supply man’s physical needs, and, by inference, their spiritual needs as well. 

Then we read Jesus’ words in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” As we know, Jesus did in fact voluntarily lay down His life on the Cross at Calvary, but on the third day He rose from death, resurrected to prove that he had authority of life and death. “Life” in this context refers to physical life and we all know that one day our natural lives will come to an end. Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 20:28, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many”. Jesus died to save many people, but in the process refused to save His own life, even though He had the power to do so. John 10:17-18, “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded”. 

In a conversation with Martha (the sister of Lazarus), we read, “Jesus told her, “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). And as we read further in John 11, we find that Jesus had the power to raise a man from the dead, even four days after he had been buried. 

The deliverance He was about to provide was not a political or social deliverance (which most of the Jews were seeking), but a true deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death, to a life of freedom in eternity.

Dear Father God. Jesus encouraged us to be born again, a spiritual rebirth based on repentance and a belief in Jesus. And we look to You, with grateful acceptance of Your offer of eternal life. Thank You. Amen.

Jesus is the Truth

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 NLT

We can understand that Jesus is the only Way into God’s presence. Only He has the key that unlocks the door into Heaven. But why did He add that He is the Truth as well? In John 8:31-32, we read what Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” So what Jesus taught was truth. In John 17:17, we read in Jesus’ famous prayer, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” So, we find that Jesus endorsed God’s Word, the Bible, as truth. Often, Jesus preceded what He was about to say by emphasising its truth, for example, as we read in Matthew 11:11, “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!” And then there was that time when Jesus was before Pilate. We can read the conversation in John 18:37-38, “Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime.” 

Pilate, the pragmatist, a man probably well used to the challenges of governing the Jewish people, with their religious customs and beliefs, basically and cynically asked the question, “What is truth?” And that is a question that we can ask today as well. We find ideologies that demand recognition for their own particular “truths”. For example, there are those who believe in the self-determined “truth” that a man can become a woman and vice versa. There are also those who believe in the “truth” that the world is flat. On social media, many people take a particular situation and explain it away by posting “truths” based on misinformation. Often these fringe “truths” come head to head in conflict with Biblical truth, resulting in the persecution of Christians. Sadly, some branches of the established churches have abandoned Biblical truth so that they can accommodate the beliefs and actions of people who choose a life style blatantly opposed to God’s Word. 

Our world and societies are riddled with “truths” that are, for the great majority, only relative. Relative truth is conditional, subjective, varying and contradictory, so it’s capable of changing over time. But we pilgrims know that God is eternal and unchanging, and the truth that Jesus declared is absolute. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. 

Just as Jesus is the only Way to Heaven, he is also the only Truth that matters. Those who oppose Jesus and His truth, the people who follow their own “truths” that they have concocted to satisfy their own feelings, will find out that He is the only Truth one day. Thankfully, our Holy-Spirit-inspired consciences will guide us into the truth Jesus taught about.

Dear Lord Jesus. In this topsy-turvy world full of conflicting “truths” we are so grateful that we can stand on the only Truth that matters. And so we search the pages of God’s Word to find Truth and build our faith as we follow You. Amen.

Trust in Jesus

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
John 14:1-3 NLT

At the end of the previous chapter, Jesus had just prophesised that Peter was going to betray Him soon, in fact, before the rooster had crowed three times. But He swiftly moved on, and, perhaps seeing the distress building in the disciples’ faces, Jesus started to talk to them about the future. In this chapter, and the following two, Jesus spoke many words of comfort, including what was going to happen in the coming month and years, and beyond, and about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Then we have Jesus’ prayer, leading up to His arrest in the garden. Wonderful words of comfort that must have sustained the disciples’ through the coming turbulent times.

Jesus started by saying “Don’t let your hearts be troubled”. Don’t be sad or worried, He said; rather, “Trust in God, and trust also in me”. These words have had a timeless impact in the lives of the followers of Christ, and still do today. We look around at world events and issues we are facing and the words of Jesus hang in the air before us, as He says, “trust in Me”. What are we pilgrims facing today? Do we need encouragement? Well, Jesus has the answer. No-one else can supply the security and assurance for the future than Jesus. All the disciples, except John, were to suffer a violent death, prematurely ending their lives. I can almost hear the thinking going on in their minds, as they faced into a horrendous series of events unfolding around them. The words of Jesus to not be anxious and fearful, and to trust in Him, would have been with them, providing comfort in their times of need.

But what does it mean to trust in Jesus? These are not just words of comfort. They are living and real, and we find in the Bible all about why we should trust Jesus. We overlay the Bible and its truths over world events and find practical advice and instructions that will never disappoint. In Jeremiah 17:7-8 we read, “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit”. 

So, fellow trees, we are truly blessed as we trust in God. There is no other person or circumstance in this world, and never will be, worthy of our trust. 

Dear God. In You we trust. Forever. Amen.

Before the Rooster Crows

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.” “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.” Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
John 13:36-38 NLT

Events on that fateful evening were starting to accelerate. So much had already happened, with the shared meal, the bread and wine, Jesus humbly washing His disciples’ feet, Judas leaving to look for an opportunity to betray Him, and Jesus giving His disciples a new commandment – to love one another. Within a few hours Jesus would be tried in an illegal court, whipped, and then crucified. In less than a day He would be dead and buried. God’s plan for salvation was almost complete. The devil just did not know what was coming.

Peter was his usual impetuous self, and had committed himself to die for Jesus, but then came the ominous reality – Jesus could see what was coming and He knew that Peter wouldn’t stand by Him when the time came. But what was the significance of the crow of a rooster? There in the middle of Jerusalem the sound would pierce the air, as the dawn started to appear. In our 21st Century world, knowledge of the time of day is everywhere, with almost everyone having a wrist watch or some other access to a clock. Time zones have been in place for many years and scientists have measured the unit of time to an infinitesimal part of a second. But in Peter’s day, knowledge of the time was uncommon and natural events had to be relied on. No wind up mechanical clocks – they didn’t appear until 1300 years later. So the ubiquitous rooster served Jesus well. 

We don’t know what Peter’s response was, to being told that he would soon deny his relationship with Jesus, not once but three times. He would have been devastated, but events were moving so quickly that he didn’t have too much time to process what he had been told. 

We pilgrims also have to beware of denying our relationship with Jesus. There will be occasions when it is easier to go with the flow and follow the crowd. Perhaps in the workplace, or at a social event. Sometimes we will be needled and tormented by a family member or neighbour. But at such times we must stand strong and lift Jesus high. We must proclaim His place in our lives and ignore the consequences. Jesus made an ominous warning, when He said, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). But we pilgrims are overcomers and realise that by publicly declaring our faith in Jesus, may lead to another seeker after salvation finding their Lord. There may be a personal cost to our declarations of faith but we know that God has our backs and has reserved a place for us when we need it.

Dear Lord Jesus. We speak Your name over the lives of our friends and families, knowing that by so doing we release Your Spirit in power. We praise and thank You today. Amen,

‭

Love One Another

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:33-35 NLT

Jesus poignantly told His disciples that He was about to leave them. The sadness hidden behind His “Dear children” was clear – perhaps Jesus could see in His Spirit what they would have to face into in the years ahead, without being there in person with them. And then Jesus made a statement that puzzled His friends, that although they would look for Him, they would be unable to follow Him to the place where He was going. Well, not yet anyway – they would join Him in Heaven soon enough.

Because Jesus was leaving them, He gave them a new commandment, that they were to love one another. This wasn’t a wishy-washy, sentimental sort of love, but one that would bind them together in unity. A love so counter-culturally obvious that the people around them would take note that these men had been disciples of Jesus. A love that set them apart from societal expectations. Jesus repeated His commandment to the disciples in John 15:12-13, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. Paul picked up this theme, relating it back to Jesus Himself, “Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:7-8). That was the sort of love that Jesus commanded when He said, “love each other”.

Sadly, the “love for one other” that should be a feature of the Christian faith is far from obvious. In fact, in-fighting and denominational rivalries portray a picture to the world of Christians who are no better than anyone else and certainly not proving their status as followers of Christ. The media will always try and find a situation where Christians have fallen out with each other and secular journalists will relish stories of strife and love-less behaviour. The many occasions, where Christians do exhibit the love for one another that Jesus commanded, go unnoticed, conveniently overlooked in a Godless world.

The Apostle John wrote, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). Believers look outward into their communities, looking for opportunities to show the world what God’s love looks like. They cast aside the “what’s in it for me” worldly attitudes and instead do good to others without expecting anything in return. And such an attitude must especially be present in our churches and fellowships. John continued to write, “We love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:19). That was John reminding his readers what Jesus said all those years before, “Just as I have loved you, you should love each other“. There is no other way.

Dear Lord Jesus. Your love for us is limitless and available to all who believe in You. Please be with us as we love others. In Your precious name. Amen.

The Time Has Come

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.”
John 13:31-32 NLT

The exit of Judas from that upper room, where Jesus had been sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, started a train of events that have had profound and eternal consequences for the human race. Most of the Jewish nation lived outside Jerusalem and they wouldn’t have known much about what was going to happen over the next few hours. But Jesus did, and He told His disciples that “the time has come”. By saying that He was going to “enter into His glory“, Jesus told His disciples that he was about to return to be with His Father in Heaven. Many old songs, like Woody Guthrie’s “This Train”, refer to Heaven as Glory. But the glory of God is His perfection, in all the attributes we recognise such as His love, grace, mercy, holiness, and many more qualities besides. And Jesus was returning to His Heavenly home to be a part of it. John recorded in His Gospel, “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:14). Those who had lived with Jesus during His ministry years had discovered the perfection that John called His glory. Through Jesus they received a glimpse of the glory of God. 

Jesus’ time on Planet Earth was coming to an end. The glorious climax of God’s rescue plan for mankind, through Jesus’ sacrificial and unjust death on a cross at Calvary. Redemption from the consequences of sin for all who believed in Jesus and repented of their sins. A pivotal moment that changed the course of history. “The time has come”. 

I looked out of my office window as I was writing this, to see the heavy and dark clouds, full of water and thundery menace, briefly part and expose a small patch of blue sky. Most of our fellow members in society are living under permanent clouds of doom-laden peril, unaware that they have an opportunity to look up and see the glory of God. Their clouds of sin can be parted in an instant by the simple act of repentance and belief that Jesus’ time two thousand years ago provided an opportunity to join God in His glory one day sooner than they think. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, “As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvellous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation“. But most people in the secular West prefer to live in permanent doom, under clouds of sin, rather than move house into a world of light, saved for eternity.

Who do we pilgrims know today, someone who needs to look up and accept that “the time has come” for them? A loved one, a workplace or school colleague? We pray for just the right opportunity to show whoever it is that glimpse of Heaven up through the clouds. The place where God’s glory can be seen. 

Father God, as we look to the future and the paradise awaiting us, we thank You and ask for Your help in our daily lives as we continue our journey. Please help us too encourage others to join us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.