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.

Mount Zion

Posted on by korgrocker

“Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel? When the Lord restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.”
Psalm 14:7 NLT

The place “Zion” produces emotions in people ranging from joy to loathing. The Jews associate “Zion” with Jerusalem, and “Mount Zion” is a hill on the south east side of Jerusalem, where once King David built a citadel. But there are Muslim nations who regard the “Zionists”, the Jews, with contempt, and continue to profess a desire to eliminate them from the face of the earth. 

To the Jews, Zion has both a physical and spiritual meaning. After Solomon built the first Temple in Jerusalem, it became the place about which Jeremiah wrote, “For there will be a day when the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim cry out, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the Lord our God’ ” (Jeremiah 31:6). The Temple acquired a special significance because after its dedication we read, “The Lord said to him [Solomon], “I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built where my name will be honoured forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart” (1 Kings 9:3). Where else could the Jewish nation go to worship God than in the place where He could be found? Isaiah went further and associated the Israelites with the name “Zion” – Isaiah 60:14, “The sons of those who oppressed you will come bowing down to you [in submission], And all those who despised you and treated you disrespectfully will bow down at the soles of your feet, And they will call you the City of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” So many refer to the Jews by their alternative name, “Zionists”. 

There are many references to “Zion” in the Bible but we pilgrims associate “Mount Zion” with the place from which Jesus will rule and reign. We read in Revelation 14:2 something that John observed in his vision, “Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads”. We will one day find ourselves at Mount Zion, “No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering” (Hebrews 12:22). Wonderful things will happen there, as we will find out one day.

So, what do we pilgrims make of “Mount Zion”? Most of us do not have a Jewish heritage, so the geographical place, “Mount Zion”, or the Temple once located in Jerusalem, will not have the same significance. But we look forward, with anticipation, to a future “Zion” where we will find Jesus. John, in his vision, ” … saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). And there will find God Himself, who ” …will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4). We have read the end of the Book and we know what will happen. And so we look forwards and upwards, as the vision of “Mount Zion”, and God Himself, start to appear over the horizon. The Heavenly clock is ticking. One day we will be in His presence, with Him on “Mount Zion”.

Dear Lord Jesus. What else can we pray than the single word “Maranatha – Come Lord Jesus”? Amen.

Going and Coming

Posted on by korgrocker

“Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.”
John 14:28-29 NLT

Once again Jesus reminded His disciples that He was about to go away. Earlier in John 13:33, Jesus said to His friends, “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”. And we remember what followed, “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””(John 13:36-37). The disciples were aware that something terrible was about to happen to their Lord and Master, but Jesus then went on to say, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1). But after He said he was going away, Jesus then said He was coming back again. Were the disciples confused? Of course, but they had trust in Jesus and His Father in Heaven, who had all under control. Imagine what the disciples might have been saying though, “But Lord, …”

With the benefit of hindsight, we pilgrims know what was going to happen. We know all about Jesus’ death and resurrection. After all, the events that were about to happen in Jerusalem were going to be pivotal, not only in our lives, but in society and history ever since. Jesus also reminded the disciples of their love for Him, something that would see beyond the immediate pain and grief, and even rejoice that He was going home to be with His Father. Yes, they were going to feel a sense of loss – their humanity was still with them. After His resurrection, Jesus ascended into Heaven. Perhaps at that point, the disciples remembered what he had said to them earlier in John 14:2. We read, “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?” I wonder what the disciples thought about their coming Heavenly home? What do we pilgrims expect? One thing is for sure – it will be far better than anything we can imagine.

Jesus seemed to accept that informing His disciples that “I am going away, but I will come back to you again” might have been difficult to take in, but He followed this with the words, “I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe“. If they had any doubts or confusion beforehand, these would definitely be dispelled as they watched events pan out on that fateful weekend. But their faith and trust in their Master would carry them through.

We pilgrims know that Jesus came and left, leaving us with the gift of the Holy Spirit. But we still need much faith in God, because there is our own going just over the horizon. Then we will come into Heaven, to be with Jesus for ever. Jesus is not physically present on Planet Earth, but he will come again. Not as a baby in a manger, but as a victorious King. His last words were recorded in Revelation 22:20, “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”. We echo that today and every day.

Dear Lord Jesus. We do indeed say to You “Come”. We look forward to Your return, bring peace and hope to this troubled world. Amen.


The Invitation

Posted on by korgrocker

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.”
John 1:43-44 NLT

Not everyone responded positively to Jesus’ invitation “Come, follow Me”. There was a time when he received excuses as to why He couldn’t be followed, as we read in Matthew 8:19-22, “Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.”“ Reading between the lines we can see that there was a reluctance to follow Jesus, because the cost of doing so was beyond what the people concerned were prepared to pay. 

But in our verses today, we see that Jesus found Philip, not the other way round. People in religious circles often refer to a “calling” and often one of the caring professions is indeed called that. And a minister or pastor also refer to their role as a response to Jesus’ call. In Jesus’ day, the call “Come, follow Me” resulted in a life of potential hardship and we only have to look through the Book of Acts to see what happened to those early disciples. Today, many people who follow Jesus end up in situations that require 100% dedication. People like Jackie Pullinger for example. But for everyday pilgrims such as ourselves, we mostly have just to be available to Jesus with our resources, our time and money. And we follow Him at every opportunity, supporting His mission to grow His church. 

So the invitation from Jesus constantly hangs in the air. It doesn’t go away. Everyone living in the world can respond at any time. And we pilgrims do our best to ensure that the invitation is never hidden or suppressed. 

Dear Lord Jesus. We have responded to Your call “Come, follow Me”, and echo the words at the end of Revelation, “Come Lord Jesus”. Amen.

All Things New

Posted on by korgrocker

“Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.”
2 Peter 3:11-13 NLT

Noah took a hundred years or so to build the ark. He wasn’t in a hurry, obviously! But God patiently waited before He brought judgement on the nations with the Flood. Could Noah have hurried the “day of the Lord”, if he had built the ark a bit quicker? Quite possibly. Peter wrote that his readers should “[look] forward to the day of God and [hurry] it along”. Does this mean anything to us pilgrims? Are we living our lives, as Noah did, in expectation that the “day of the Lord” is just around the corner, and we should be doing all we can to hurry it along? Is such a thing even possible? 

Jesus gave us an indication that once the Gospel has reached every corner of our world then the “end will come”. Matthew 24:14, “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“. There have been extraordinary efforts to meet this goal. The Bible has been translated into many languages. Quote from Wikipedia, “As of September 2023 all of the Bible has been translated into 736 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,658 languages, and smaller portions of the Bible have been translated into 1,264 other languages according to Wycliffe Global Alliance“. But that in itself won’t satisfy Jesus’ statement because the Good News, the Gospel, has to be “preached”. But it’s a start. Will this goal ever be reached? With God’s help it will be, and we can’t be far from when “the end will come”. 

We will certainly know when the Gospel has been preached throughout the world, because Peter told us what would happen next. Fire will destroy the heavens and the earth. That will really be global warming on steroids! But there will be nothing left, paving the way for the “new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness”. To find out all about this we turn to Revelation 21:1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.” Peter wrote that the existing heaven and earth was destroyed by fire. John just noted in his vision that it had “disappeared”. But either way, the earth and sky we know was replaced by a new heaven and earth. If that was not enough, though, we read on in Revelation, “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband“. What a creation! More details can be found in my book, “The End Times”. 

We pilgrims know how the story ends, and that must change our world view. We may perhaps come to the conclusion that saving the planet is a pointless exercise, if it is going to be destroyed by fire anyway. Peter wrote that we must hurry along the coming “day of the Lord” and look forward to the new heavens and new earth that “He has promised”. We pilgrims take the long view as we lift our eyes above the horizon and see coming the glory of the Lord. Is there a hint of a glow I see just over the hill?

Dear Lord Jesus. Please help us as we preach Your message of Good News to those around us. Maranatha! Amen.

Day of the Lord

Posted on by korgrocker

“But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.”
2 Peter 3:10-12 NLT

The phrase “day of the Lord” is often used in the Bible. In the context it seems to indicate an event during which an act of God brings about some outcome in accordance with His plans and purposes. An example can be found in Ezekiel 30:2-3, “Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the Sovereign Lord: “Weep and wail for that day, for the terrible day is almost here— the day of the Lord! It is a day of clouds and gloom, a day of despair for the nations“. The phrase is also often associated with the return of Christ, as we read in 2 Corinthians 1:14, “even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you“. There is usually a sense of imminence in the verses about the “day of the Lord”, but near or far, no-one knows when it will be. Peter graphically describes the day as coming “as unexpectedly as a thief”. In Matthew 24:42-44, Jesus said to His disciples, “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected”. Paul picked up the theme as well, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night“. 

If we pilgrims allow our minds to elevate into Heavenly themes, we can perhaps imagine carrying on what we are doing at this very moment and then, suddenly, something far reaching, catastrophic even, happens. Our eyes suddenly look up and we see what Jesus said would happen in Matthew 24:29-30, “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory“. Sometimes I believe it is that close, and, in their day, many in the Old Testament thought the same. Joel 2:1, “Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the Lord is upon us“.‭‭ 

Most people in our societies today have no idea that there will be such a thing as the “day of the Lord”. The situation will be as Jesus foretold in Matthew 24:37-39, “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes“. But Noah was ready for the flood. It had taken him a hundred years to get ready, but God was in no hurry. And He is in no hurry today, but there will be a day ….

Jesus went on to teach His disciples about being “a faithful sensible servant” (Matthew 24:45). We pilgrims are all servants of God, and He has entrusted us to administer His interests here on Planet Earth. So we are careful to live as He has commanded, in our personal holiness, in our lives at work or school, home or away. And we take every opportunity to warn those around us of the “day of the Lord”. It took Noah a considerable time to build the ark, and we can imagine the ridicule he would have experienced by those around him. But Noah made it into the Hebrews hall of fame (Hebrews 11). We read in Hebrews 11:7, “It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith“. 

So, fellow pilgrims, the “day of the Lord” could come at any moment. Are we ready?

Jesus, we echo the words at the end of Revelation 22 “Amen! Come Lord Jesus”. Maranatha. Amen,

‭‭

Israel Rejected

Posted on by korgrocker

“I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning.  … ”
Romans 11:1-2a NLT

Paul continues his theme of salvation for all, by asking himself another question. Has God replaced the Jews with another nation, rejecting the “nation of Israel” in the process? Such a thought he quickly dispelled, because it would mean that God had rejected him, something that could never be the case after his encounter with the risen Jesus on the Damascus Road. Once again he set out his pedigree, with a family line he could trace all the way back to Abraham. He was one of the “stars” that God invited Abraham to count in the promise about the number of Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 15:5). So Paul assured himself that he was still counted as one of God’s “own people”. 

God’s grace and mercy is unlimited so He will never reject anyone who comes to Him in repentance. But in history there was a time when man’s wickedness was such that God had no choice but to reject and destroy mankind. We read in Genesis 6:5-6, “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart”. These were the days of Noah but before the flood. On another occasion there was the depravity of the people in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and how these cities and all within them were destroyed (read Genesis 18 and 19). Through the times of the Judges, the people of Israel were time and time again overcome by their enemies, because God had turned His back on them because of their sin and rebellion. In it all, however, God’s rejection of mankind is not His choice – it follows wrong human choices. The choices of evil and sinful ways rather than God’s ways will not end well.

We live today in a season of grace. Through Jesus, and because of God’s patience, rejection and destruction of the wicked has been delayed until another time. We know that, because Jesus told us through the old Apostle John (Revelation 20). There will be that awful day when large numbers of people will stand before God, and the same penalty for sin will fall upon them as it did in the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Like Paul, we pilgrims have not been rejected by God. To the contrary He loves us and cares for us. And we remember that as God’s people, we were chosen “from the very beginning“. We read in Ephesians 1:4-5, “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“. There is something warm and secure, knowing that we are God’s children. Sometimes we might look around us and see a distressed world. We ask God where He is in it all. But as God’s sons and daughters we trust Him for our future, regardless of the apparent mayhem. remember – this is a world where God’s grace is available to all, but one day, He will call time. If the world seems evil now imagine what it will be like without God. Second thoughts, don’t bother! It will be too horrible to contemplate.

Father God. We are so grateful that nothing happens in this world without You allowing it. We echo the words at the end of Revelation – Come Lord Jesus. Amen.