Different Bodies

Posted on by korgrocker

“It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.”
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 NLT

I’m always fascinated by the life cycle of a moth. There are four stages: an egg, a caterpillar, a pupa, and then the adult moth, which lays more eggs, and the process continues. But the fascination to me is that the caterpillar eventually forms a cocoon, where it metamorphoses into an adult moth. But we are all aware that the caterpillar looks nothing like the final moth, an insect that, for some species, is really beautiful with the colours and design of its wings. Within the caterpillar is everything required to produce the moth, DNA and all, and the transformation that takes place is nothing short of a miracle, designed and created by our amazing God.

When human beings are conceived, another miracle takes place. The unique fusion of a male and female cell provides everything required for the birth and growth of the resulting human being. But within each human being, as well as the physical or material part of the body, there is an immaterial part we call a soul or spirit (some maintain we have both). A surgeon’s knife will never find the spirit within a person because it is not a physical entity. Such a division between body and spirit is described several times within the Bible, with scriptures such as Ecclesiastes 12:7, explaining what happens after death: “For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it”. We also have the reference to the cutting-edge nature of God’s Word, as in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires“.

In Genesis 2, we read about how Adam was created, “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person” (Genesis 2:7). What is the “breath of life” other than God putting within us something unique to humans, which is God’s spirit? In the Genesis account, we find no reference to a similar spiritual content being placed in the animals God created. 

So we have a physical body, containing all the body parts that a surgeon can find, and a spiritual part, which is our intellect, will, conscience, mind, emotions, etc. But here’s the thing. Our spirits never die; they live on forever. The Apostle Paul came to a point in his life when he faced the very real prospect of his death. There he was, chained to two Roman soldiers in a prison, and he wrote, “I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live” (Philippians 1:23-24). Paul had no doubts at all about the eternal nature of his spirit. 

So in our verses today, Paul points out that we have a physical body and a spiritual body, and the latter continues eternally, in glory and strength. Of course, we look after our physical bodies, with food and drink supplying all that our bodies require. We wear clothes to keep us warm. A vast industry has developed to heal any of the body’s ailments, and hardly a day goes past without some new discovery of a drug, a new piece of equipment, or a procedure that can fix a physical body’s problems. But inevitably, there comes a day when our physical bodies can no longer sustain life, and we die. However, our spirits continue to live, living in a way that depends greatly on how we looked after them while they resided within our physical bodies. 

Do we feed our spirits? Most people are aware of their spiritual side and do much to please it in various ways. When distressed, people engage in visits to counsellors, or undertake some “retail therapy” or consume a quantity of alcohol or drugs, in the hope and expectation that they can do something about the hunger pains in their spirits. The spiritual state they are aiming for is a “high” that permeates through their physical bodies, bringing feelings of well-being. We refer to this state as “happiness”.

“Give us this day our daily bread”

But Christians are aware that their spirits need to be fed in the way that God intended, using the “food” that He has supplied. Following their new spiritual birth, a believer must feed their spirit so that it may grow. 1 Peter 2:2-3, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness“. But it is no good heading for a supermarket for a bottle of “pure spiritual milk“. We have to look to God Himself, because He is the only Source of the spirit-food that we need. Just as He supplied food called manna to the Israelite slaves in the wilderness, a food so complete that it contained every element and vitamin necessary to sustain human life, God also supplies the food necessary to maintain our spirits. Where will we find it? In His Word and in His company, spending time with Him through prayer and meditation. Like many things about God’s Kingdom, there is no instant solution.

Dear Father God. We pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”, and testify to Your goodness in supplying all that we need, body, soul, and spirit. Thank You. Amen.

Sparkling Eyes

Posted on by korgrocker

“Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.”
Psalm 13:3-4 NLT

David, once again, is giving God a hard time. Is he getting frustrated with God for a lack of answers to his prayers, or a lack of action to sort out the problems he is having with his enemies, whoever they are? But whatever the issue, David does seem to be trying to twist God’s arm, by telling Him that unless He does something about the situation then He will lose the “man after His own heart” that He had already installed as King, or, if the Psalm was written in the days when David was on the run from Saul, who was the King designate.

David prays that God will “restore the sparkle to [his] eyes, or [he] will die”. It has been said that our eyes are windows into our souls. And it is true that when we look into someone’s eyes we see life. We see a living person with eyes that tell what is going on within them. If someone won’t look us in the eye then we know they have something to hide. In their eyes, we see their mood, be it happy or sad, anxious or self-assured. David obviously suspected that his eyes were giving out signs of worry about his enemies, or stress about the situation in which he was in. And, understandably, he wanted to return to that state of health and vitality, where his eyes sent out a message of positivity to those around him. 

In Matthew 6:22-23, we read what Jesus taught about our eyes. He said, “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” What Jesus was saying was that someone with a healthy eye was a person who understood the things of God and who could discern right and wrong, and knew all about living God’s way, saved by His grace. Conversely, a person with an unhealthy eye represents most people around us, who know nothing about God and don’t want to know anything about Him either. They want to continue to live in their sin, effectively living with unhealthy eyes in a world of darkness. These are spiritually blind people and, sadly, we can even find them in our congregations and fellowships, people who Paul warned Timothy about, “They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” (2 Timothy 3:5).

So, dear fellow pilgrims, how are your eyes this morning? Sparkling or dull? Bright or dark? David seemed to imply that it was God’s responsibility to make his eyes sparkle. But is it? We can obviously pray as David did, for restoration, and God will indeed answer our prayers, perhaps by taking us to a cross at a place called Calvary. There His Son died for our sins, taking on the punishment that we deserved instead. And as we stare into His loving face, we feel “the things of earth [going] strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace”. We will find that our eyes are sparkling again, our spirits revived, perspectives restored, sins forgiven.

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You that we can look forward with sparkling eyes, to a life with You for all eternity. We pray that those around us can see in our eyes a reflection of the Heavenly shores, twinkling in the distance. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mary’s Tears

Posted on by korgrocker

“Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
John 20:11-13 NLT

Our first thoughts are probably about which Mary this was, but further down in John 20 we find that it was Mary Magdalene. Different people grieve in different ways and Mary was at the tomb, returning there after she had told Peter and John about the rolled-away stone. She was breaking her heart because of her loss, probably wondering how Jesus could have been taken from His friends so quickly and so barbarically. Trying to get her mind around a future without Jesus. Feeling pain inside her, but through all her tears she took a peep inside the tomb and found two angels there, sitting either side of where Jesus’ body had been placed. They asked her why she was crying and clearly and succinctly she said, “Because they have taken away my Lord, … and I don’t know where they have put him.” 

People often need a grave to visit after the death of a loved one. Walk around any graveyard and you will find bunches of flowers, freshly laid, or, occasionally, single people or families just standing there by the gravestone, silently reflecting or praying. There is something special with the thought of being near the remains of a loved one, ever though the life that was once enjoyed has gone. In my early years, there was a family tradition to go to my grandfather’s grave several times during the year to tend it, cut the grass and reflect. Today, more and more people are being cremated and the place of memories replaced by a favourite garden, somewhere at sea, where the ashes are scattered, and a gravestone replaced by a plaque on a park bench. 

But how did Mary, or John who wrote the account, know that the two figures in the tomb were angels? Many people today do not believe that angels exist, consigning them to the domain of fairies and the like. But there was something about the two men in the tomb that convinced Mary that they were indeed angels. It could have been their attire. Or the fact that they had never been seen in that area before. Perhaps their features and clothes were glowing. We don’t know, but Mary was convinced about what she saw, and John as well, because he wrote it down. 

We pilgrims will inevitably experience the death of a loved one. It may be expected, after or during an illness. It may be, as in the case of my father, due to old age, when he just slipped away in his sleep. A friend of mine has just lost his 103-year-old father-in-law after a chest infection. The saddest occasions are when a young person or baby dies, unexpectedly and tragically. Families are left in turmoil, whatever the cause of their loss, and the grieving process starts, the tears fall, an emptiness remains. But there is something about the death of a believer, because the believers left behind know where they have gone. Their bodies may end up in a tomb but their spirits live on in the presence of the Lord, and there is always the prospect of a reunion one day. Because of this, we pilgrims must make every attempt to evangelise our families. While the person is still alive they can make a choice of their ultimate destination, their new spiritual home. Those who fail to believe will still live on through their spirits, but in a place where they find they don’t want to be.

Mary was weeping because she didn’t have a tomb where she could grieve the loss of Jesus. But as a preacher once said, “It may be Friday, but Sunday’s a-coming”. Mary was about to find something better than an empty tomb – the risen Jesus Himself.

Dear God. Jesus could never stay in a grave and we thank You that He is alive today. We worship You. Amen.

Creation is Waiting

Posted on by korgrocker

“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.”
Romans 8:19 NLT

Paul makes another bold statement in his letter to the Roman church, a statement that would have seemed new and controversial to his readers. He follows his warning about suffering with a reference to “all creation”. Now that isn’t just the human content of God’s masterwork for Planet Earth. It includes the word “all”. So we look around at the created plants and animals that populate our world. And Paul gives them a personality by saying that they are waiting to see who God’s children “really are”. 

How can that be? Is that daffodil over there thinking to itself that it wishes God will bring a revelation to the world about His children? Once again, we look at the natural world around us through our limited physical vision, and with the scientific knowledge that assumes vegetation and non-human animals have no soul and no awareness, of what things should really be like. Of course, no matter how hard they try, our scientists can find no evidence of a spirit or soul within a person or any other created plant or animal. They may find evidence of spiritual activity through someone’s behaviour, but a spirit or soul cannot be dissected on a laboratory bench somewhere.

We pilgrims have to take Paul’s statement at face value. When we ponder over his words, there is no reason why we should dispute them, just because we have no evidence to the contrary. In God’s Heavenly Kingdom things will be very different to our experiences today. In Isaiah 55:12, the prophet wrote,  “You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands”. In his prophetic vision, he saw even inanimate objects singing, and trees with hands. In Psalm 148:7, the Psalmist commanded the sea animals to praise God. We read, “Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths”. He goes on to refer to, “mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds” (Psalm 148:9-10). We can’t reduce God’s creation to the level of our limited understanding. 

Perhaps these scriptures will give us a different insight into God’s creation. After all, perhaps we should treat that weed that has popped up in our flower bed with a bit more respect.

Dear God. Your creation is wonderful. please open our eyes to see what You have made through Your eyes and not our own. Amen.

Heaven’s Door

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and Someone sitting on it.”
Revelation‬ ‭4:1-2‬ ‭NLT

In our pilgrimage through the book of Revelation, we now find ourselves in chapter 4. The messages to the seven churches are behind us, and now Jesus wants to show John something else. He wants to give John a glimpse of that is inside this place we call Heaven. A door opens. And a very loud voice, sounding to him like a “trumpet blast“, grabs John’s attention. Why a “trumpet blast”? In those days it would have been a common way of grabbing people’s attention, at least those who were out and about in the market places or the town square. So it would have certainly grabbed John’s attention, particularly as it was from what seemed to be a speaking trumpet. A trumpet wasn’t the only way God spoke to mankind. God’s voice sounded like thunder in John 12:28-29, “Father, bring glory to your name.” Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him”. In 1 Kings 19:12, Elijah heard a still small voice, a whisper. In Psalm 18:13, God’s voice was accompanied by natural events, “The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals”. 

But I was thinking about today – our lifestyles don’t tend to revolve around public places, so how would God grab our attention today? I don’t know, but what I do know is that God will tailor-make a way of grabbing the attention of those who want to listen. As we see in the John 12 verse, some interpreted the voice of God as thunder. Others as the voice of an angel. We hear what we want to hear because we have a tendency to try and rationalise things we don’t expect or understand. If the sacrifice of God’s Son on a Roman cross at Calvary doesn’t grab the world’s attention and get a response, then I don’t think people are listening. Jesus ended each of the messages to the seven churches with the verse, “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches”. 

John received an incredible invitation from Jesus. He opened Heaven’s door for John and invited him to join Him there. What a privilege. But what a responsibility. Don’t forget that John was languishing in a prison cell, in exile on the island of Patmos. We know it was the Lord’s Day and John was lost in worship. Little did he know that day that he would be invited to join Jesus in Heaven. John was instantly transported into a spiritual world. Prison cell and exile forgotten. And he received a glimpse as he peeped through the door of Someone, of God probably, sat on his throne.

What else John saw in Heaven unfolds in the Revelation pages. And it’s quite a story!

Dear Lord. We thank You that there is nothing dull in a relationship with You. Please help us to get so lost in worship to You that we too get lost in a Heavenly place. And I’m sure the things of the world will go dim in comparison. Thank You Lord. Amen.

Praises

Posted on by korgrocker

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise.”
Psalms‬ ‭47:1, 6-7‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

Imagine a whole nation clapping its hands! And shouting joyful shouts! All to our wonderful God, our Creator. But in our secular society, clapping and shouting is retained for sporting events or concerts, temporal activities that provide a brief time of pleasure, soon to be replaced by the more humdrum activities of everyday life. In our church we are sometimes encouraged to offer up a clap offering to the Lord, or make a vocal contribution in praise. But a whole nation…?

The Psalmist goes on to encourage his readers to sing praises to God. And he provides a reason – God is King over all the earth. Praising God produces a peculiar effect within us, because it lifts us out of ourselves into Heavenly places with Him. I recently heard a quote saying, “Praise is the spark plug of faith”, and that is true because you cannot praise God if He isn’t who He says He is, doing the things He says He does. And in the praising process our faith grows and something changes within our spirits.

Saying that God is King over all the earth is disputed by most people. They ask questions such as, “How could a loving God allow that accident to happen?”, or “Why does God allow such evil people to flourish?” And many more similar questions. But in our sin-soaked world, where mankind seems set on self destruction in so many ways, there is still a King behind the scenes. A loving King who breaks His heart over the rebellion of mankind, a righteous King who has to allow man to make choices, no matter how devastating they can be. A faithful King who continues to supply all we need for human life. And a redeeming King who sent His Son to die for us at a place called Calvary, where He took on the sins of the world, past present and future.

So as His people what else can we do other than praise Him? Other than shout our praises to a wonderful God, the King over all the earth. In the quiet of my early morning prayer walks in Dean Woods I sometime shout out the name of Jesus, listening to the echo from the created world around me. Listening to the trees and plants joining with me in a time of praise. I’m not alone in singing my psalm of praise to my wonderful God.

So will you, my reader, join with me today, clapping your hands, shouting and singing your praises to God? If you have never done so before, give it a try. And feel the lift in your spirit as you connect with our wonderful creator God.

Panting

Posted on by korgrocker

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalms‬ ‭42:1-2‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

I must confess that I have never seen a deer panting for water. Having said that I must also confess that I have never been physically thirsty to that extent either. But I have been in a place where I have been spiritually thirsty. A place where God seems far away, where circumstances have been overwhelming, where prayers are seemingly unheard and ineffective. A place where I have cried out to God for His grace and mercy. But I can also say that in time God has appeared to me with a solution to my distress. To my spiritual loneliness. To my thirsty soul.

Where are these spiritual deserts? They could be anywhere. In the middle of the night while tossing and turning in sleepless anguish. In a hospital bed fighting sickness or enduring pain. Reflecting on the news or some piece of information just received. During a conversation with workmates. Even in a church service. Whenever possible, during those dry times, I take a walk and ask God to speak to me, humbly trusting that He is there and able to pour out those streams of living water into my thirsty soul. And eventually He always turns up with words and thoughts full of love and reassurance. Just because my feelings tell me that He isn’t open for business that day doesn’t mean that this is a fact. It just means I need to search diligently for that spiritual oasis in the middle of the desert. Because there I will find God. It means that in the process of the searching I must clear out the blockages that are stopping me from seeing Him. Those proudful thoughts and attitudes. Those unconfessed sins. And then I must continue to search for God, believing in faith the verse that says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:13‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬). I will find God. He will pour out the spiritual water that I need in my time of thirst. And I will respond in a hymn of praise and thankfulness, refreshed once again.