Tag: christ

Welcome to All New Followers

Here is a brief video thanking all the new followers to the blog and Facebook page. It really is wonderful to be able to share these words with you, and I genuinely hope and pray it blesses and encourages you.

It would help if you would share any posts that you enjoy with anyone you think might benefit from it. I also love getting comments from readers, so again, please do share your thoughts below.

Perhaps most importantly, I would love to have the privilege of praying for you. If you have any requests you want me to pray over, then please do send them in. You can do so by commenting or via the Prayerpage.

May I also ask you to pray for me and other readers of the blog. Believers are meant to support one another, and even if we never meet in person, it will be great to meet you one day in Heaven and thank you for your prayers.

Have a blessed day!

He is Our Rock (Psalm 92 #3)

This is the third and final post on Psalm 92. If you missed them, you can read the first one here – Praise in the morning, praise in the evening– and the second one here – You Thrill Me.

We left off last time discussing that although evil may flourish for a time, it will ultimately be destroyed. The psalmist compares evil to the weeds or grass, which appears rapidly but does not last.

But you, O Lord, will be exalted forever.
9 Your enemies, Lord, will surely perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
10 But you have made me as strong as a wild ox.
You have anointed me with the finest oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.
12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees
and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
13 For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.
They flourish in the courts of our God.
14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green.
15 They will declare, “The Lord is just!
He is my rock!
There is no evil in him!”

Psalm 92:8-15 (NLT)

Exalted Forever

Unlike evil, which has a definite end in sight, God’s praise and worship will continue for all eternity. He is worthy, and eternal exaltation is hardly enough to worship the Living God.

For those who worry that Heaven will somehow be like a never ending worship service, please do not be afraid! IF the thought of just singing for all eternity fills you a sense of dread, then please let me reassure you.

I love to sing, and especially so to the Lord. However, Heaven offers more than just unending choirs and instrumental praise. Worship is far more than singing. Singing is a vehicle certainly, but it is just one vehicle.

We worship God with our very breath. Every day while you work, serve, rest or play, you can worship God Most High. How? We do that by putting Him at the centre of everything we do. When we work, we work to the Lord. When we rest, we rest in His presence. When we walk, we walk with Him. Anything you can can be done with worship in your heart.

Heaven will be life – eternal life – and a life lived in worship and exaltation to our deserving King.

Strong as an Ox

Verse 10 gives thanks to God for giving us the strength of an ox. Interestingly, some translations render this “unicorn” rather than “wild ox,” but the point is the same.

Our strength is found in relationship with God. When times get tough, and they do, we must turn to God and draw on His power. We cannot do it all ourselves or in our own strength. Instead, we must rely on Him and be fully dedicated to prayer.

Do you feel as strong as an ox? If you are like me, then you perhaps must admit to not feeling quite so vibrant most days. My strength fades when I take my eyes off of Christ. After a sleepless night with a child, it is very easy to give in to the temptation of being pitiful, or being snappy or grumpy.

What’s the solution? The latter part of verse 10 tells us. The Lord God has anointed us with finest oil. Oil in the Bible is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit. When our strength is lacking, we must seek the refreshing presence of the Holy Spirit who renews and rejuvenates us. While this can be physical of course, primarily I am thinking of an inward refreshing.

Praise the Lord for sending us His Comforter and Strengthener!

Like a Palm Tree

In verse 7 of this psalm (not quoted above) the evildoer is compared to the weeds or grass, and we should take from this that it is short-lived. Grass and weeds seem to sprout as if from nowhere, and yet a hot summer or hard frost (more likely here in the UK!) and they are gone.

In contrast, the godly are compared to the palm tree or the cedars of Lebanon in verse 12. Times of heat or cold won’t destroy us. For the godly, rooted and anchored in God’s love, we have the staying power to outlast this world and its difficulties.

I love the imagery of the godly trees being transplanted into God’s garden from verse 13. We were all once lost and part of the world, yet God saved us and transferred us into His Kingdom where can flourish in His presence.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

Colossians 1:13 (NLT)

Evil is a temporary weed, but the godly are trees forever transplanted into the court of our God.

The Final Word

The psalm concludes with two key points. Firstly, that God is our Rock. The second that there is no evil in Him at all.

Let’s take the latter first.

God is not evil, nor is there any evil in Him at all. Some accuse Him of this but this comes only from our own human ignorance. I do not mean to sound harsh there, but as verses 5 and 6 remind us – God’s thoughts are very deep, and only those who lack understanding believe that evildoers escape judgement.

When tragedy befalls us, it can be easy to point at God and blame Him. We may say, “If God is so good, then why did so-and-so have to die so young?” These are natural questions, and yet ones that can never be answered satisfactorily. If we knew what God knows, then we would be able to answer.

God’s love is demonstrated at the cross of Jesus Christ. He took on all the pain and suffering of this world, taking our place so that we can go free. That is love!

I am not saying that trouble is easy to cope with, nor that you should not grieve when you lose a loved one. The pain of loss makes us feel all kinds of things, and I would not presume to quarrel with yu over it. However, please do not doubt God’s love.

God is good, and there is no evil in Him. And He is our Rock. Rocks do not change. They are stable. Large enough ones cannot be moved or shifted. Likewise, God does not change, He is stable, and He cannot be moved.

Let us exalt Him this day and sing for joy at the work of His hands!

People are a good use of time (PoW)

Pearl of Wisdom

People are a good use of your time

When our lives get really busy, it can be all too easy to start deprioritising other people in our lives.

We are rushing to get the kids to school, bump into a friend we haven’t seen in a while but don’t take the time to stop and talk. You sense they may need a chat or some support, but the onward rush carries you forward. You intend to call them later, but later never comes.

Sometimes we see people as a distraction from what we are trying to achieve. We can get so focused on ourselves that we neglect other people.

People are always a good use of time. No matter how busy we are, don’t see it as a waste of time, but rather see it as an investment.

Time spent helping someone, or meeting a need, or just listening is usually a much more productive thing to do than anything else we had planned.

Be a Good Samaritan, and keep on the look out for people who might be seeking help. We are not on this Earth to serve ourselves, so leave a positive mark by putting someone else first today.

God bless you.

Note: I have not forgotten that I am in the middle of a short series on Psalm 92. I will pick this up again shortly and finish of discussing that beautiful song of praise. Keep a look out for part three soon!

 

You Thrill Me (Psalm 92 #2)

Yesterday I wrote about the first few verses of Psalm 92, and so today i thought I would just carry on and talk about more of this great song of praise.

You can read yesterday’s post here – Praise in the morning, praise in the evening.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to the Most High.
2 It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
your faithfulness in the evening,
3 accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, a harp,
and the melody of a lyre.

4 You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.
5 O Lord, what great works you do!
And how deep are your thoughts.
6 Only a simpleton would not know,
and only a fool would not understand this:
7 Though the wicked sprout like weeds
and evildoers flourish,
they will be destroyed forever.

Psalm 92:1-7 (NLT)

All He has done

Verses 1-3 encourage us to worship God for particular aspects of His character. It points us toward God’s unfailing love and His faithfulness. Verse 4 turns our attention to the good things God has done as a result of His wonderful character.

I once heard it said that worship is about recognising who God is, whereas praise is about the things He has done. Perhaps the definitions aren’t so rigid, but it is a helpful way to look at it. The psalm, in that case, turns worship into praise.

The New Living Translation, quoted above, uses the word “thrill,” which is a powerful term. God’s work should thrill us! We associate the word thrill or thrilling with something like a roller-coaster or extreme sport. I suppose in some ways our Christian lives can be a lot like that at times!

We are thrilled, or excited, by god’s wonderful works. Think of all He has done for you! We can look at Creation and see its complexity and beauty. We can look at the blessings we receive on a daily basis. Most of all we can focus on the saving work of Jesus Christ and the immense grace shown to us who believe.

Again, we are encouraged to sing in response to the kindness of God. Not just sing though, but sing for joy!

Joy is something I feel I lack. I’m happy, don’t get me wrong, but I find it hard to grasp joy in my inner man at times. Even as I write these words, I hear the Spirit’s whisper that it is because I do not do what the psalmist is instructing us here. I do not consider what God has done often enough. All too frequently I am caught up in the concerns of this life – work, family, or even recreation, and not nearly enough on the things of eternity.

The solution to lack of joy:

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Colossians 3:1-2 (NLT)

Does this apply to you also?

Flourishing Evil

Verses 5-7 are really quite interesting. Verse 5 directs us to consider how deep the thoughts of God are. I am truly humbled by the times I have questioned God or what He has done. How dare I even imagine that I could fathom His reasons or actions with my limited mind?

When my children repeat over and over, “Why, dad, why?” I try to explain as best I can, but sometimes the answer is simply because I know things they do not. I cannot ask my six year old to understand the economic impacts of COVID-19 nor explain to my two year old about genetics or astrophysics. Some things are just beyond them.

The same is true for me. God’s thoughts and ways are sometimes so far above our comprehension, it is rather comical that we try to figure it out. God wants us to use our brain and to understand what we can, but we must also know our limits.

Verses 6 and 7 have some tough words for us. It says that only a simpleton would not understand this – that evildoers may flourish like weeds but they will be destroyed forever.

The psalmist is adamant. He tells us it is as plain as day! Yes evil may well flourish around us and be as abundant as weeds in a neglected garden, but they will not get away with it. Evil will not go unpunished. Why not? Because there is a just God in heaven!

Some people ask how a loving God could punish people in an eternal hell. The answer is simple, if not easy. A loving God must also be a just God. If God were to simply ignore sin and evil, then the result of that would not be “loving” for all. Imagine if someone committed a horrendous crime against someone you dearly loved, and the police just let them go. Would you feel loved? No, you would want justice!

The problem we have though, is that we are all guilty of sin and evil. So God, to be just, must punish us all. But thank God for His mercy and “deep thoughts”!

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NLT)

God has done something astonishingly amazing. He could have just left us to face the punishment of our sin but He didn’t – He had a plan. God came down and became human. We call Him Jesus. He never once failed to do good, and never once sinned against God or man. Yet He took the full punishment we deserve. He became our substitute so we can go free.

This thrills me!

God’s justice is fulfilled in Christ’s death. God’s love is demonstrated in the same way. Only a fool or a simpleton would accuse God of injustice or a lack of love towards His creation.

Evil may flourish for a lifetime on Earth, but eternity is a very long time.

Let the God of love and justice thrill you this day! Sing for joy for the things He has done! And another day we will complete this stunning psalm.

Have a great weekend!

The Blessing

We have been playing a lot of worship music in our house lately. We do normally I suppose, but now that we are all home most of the time, it feels like it is more than usual.

One song in particular has caught my attention, and it is “The Blessing (Live)” and is sung by Elevation Worship, Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes. If you are not familiar with it, I’m sure you can find it on YouTube or your music streaming service of choice! It is essentially a sung version of the “Aaronic Blessing” or “Priestly Blessing” from the Bible.

The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26 (ESV)

This is a beautiful blessing, and so the words also make a beautiful song. I do love worship music which uses the words of the Bible. I really believe that songs have a theology, and where we sing them over and over, it’s important they are biblical words which build us up.

So a worship song which quotes directly from the Bible should be fine, right? Well…

For starters, this is a sung blessing and so the words are sung by the congregation to the congregation. That is fine, and a valid expression of our faith. Worship is of course singing to God, but singing about God to other people is worship in another sense.

While this particular song doesn’t sing words of praise to God directly, worship is implied in the fact that His blessing is so richly sought by His people. If God was not God, then His blessing would not be so valuable.

In a previous post I wrote, called “Christ is… Enough?” I discussed worship songs at some length. I won’t cover that same ground again here, but do feel free to go back and read that one.

One concern I do have about “The Blessing” as a worship song is its construction. It was recorded in a mega-church setting, with many people gathered (not that this is a bad thing). It starts softly, and slowly rises to a huge crescendo at the end. The music, the lights, the smoke etc. all combine to take you on an emotional journey. It’s wonderful on one hand, but is it God?

My worry is this: are we mistaking the presence and power of God for a manufactured experience of worship? What I mean is, is the height of that emotional journey really God’s anointing, or is it just the environment and music which has led us there?

I’ve experienced settings like this in the past, and it is easy to get swept along by the atmosphere and the highly polished presentation. We should always give God our best of course, but participating in worship is not the same as being entertained at a concert.

Imagine that exhilarating feeling of being present at one of these events. Thousands of voices singing, melodic music, hands raised in celebration. Then, you return to your “normal” church setting, and there’s one individual with a piano and no lights, sounds or smoke. It is all too easy to think, “God is not in this church…” And you would be wrong.

Enjoy beautiful music by all means. Don’t however mistake it for the presence of God. These hilltop experiences can lead us to forget that God is with us in the everyday. He is present when we sing in the shower, or hum a tune while washing the dishes. Those who chase emotional mountain-tops will struggle to enjoy God in their ordinary everyday lives. I don’t want that for you.

God will never leave you nor forsake you. Jesus has promised to be with you until the very end of the age.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV, emphasis added)

You will find Him not in the neon lights, but in the still small voice.

Let me leave you with this prayer from the Priestly Blessing.

Heavenly Father,

I ask you to bless every reader, to keep them, and to turn Your face toward them. May You be gracious unto them in their everyday lives, and give them peace.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

Still on Lockdown

Since being on lockdown here in the UK, time has lost some of its meaning. When the lockdown was first introduced, I wrote a post about it. I genuinely don’t know if that was a week ago or three! Today’s post is something of a follow up to that one. 

The post was called – While on Lockdown– and you can have a read of it by clicking the link. 

In that original post, I wrote about us all being very careful about what we allow into our minds during this rather trying time. I advised everyone to avoid too much negative news and influences that would cause us to worry rather than build us up. 

So many of us constantly read the news, and it is rarely positive. If not on the news sites, then chances are we are exploring social media and this is hardly ever more positive. We must be so careful about this. We absorb this negativity in and it cannot help but do our spirits and minds deep harm. Many have commented on the dangers to mental health of an ongoing lockdown, and feeding that with negative influences will only make things worse. 

I suggested a few ways in which we could limit the negativity, and increase the positivity. Limit your news exposure. Turn off notifications from your favoured news app. Don’t engage with social media which only serves to drag you down. 

I did suggest some positive steps too. Aside from Christian disciplines of prayer and Bible study, try to listen to biblical worship music that will trun your heart to praise. Encourage other believers, and friends and family, and in so doing, be encouraged yourself. 

We have all heard the claim that we have more time now we are not going out all the time or commuting to work. This may be true, but what are we doing with that time?

Most of us are filling it with screens. And the one thing we are not doing – is nothing. 

Do nothing. That’s my advice. 

Hopefully you know me well enough by now, if you’ve read the blog for any length of time, to know that I mean something more by this. 

Chances are that, with the extra time you now have, you are filling it with something. Maybe you are wise enough to not be filling it with any old show from Netflix or diving deep into the YouTube rabbit hole… but what are you doing with it?

May I suggest something?

Firstly, an idea from the apostle Paul. 

Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

2 Timothy 2:7 (ESV)

Think. Spend some time just thinking. When was the last time you did that? 

Your brain needs exercise as much as any other part of you. Use it! 

Don’t just let the first thought that comes to you drop into your mind. Think with a purpose. Think about God and His Word. That is what the Bible means when it says “meditation.” 

Meditate on the Word of God. Imagine ourself there, right in the scene, as the narrative is laid out before you. What would it have been like to be present as Jesus fed the five thousand? How about imagining being one who was warming himself by the fire as Peter denied Christ? 

Your mind is a wonderful thing. More often than not these days, we drown out our thoughts with one activity or another. I’m not advising you to be passive, for that is dangerous, but I am urging you to think actively. Discipline your mind and point it in the direction you want it to go. 

If you are not used to it, then you may need to constantly review what it is you are thinking about. Your mind will wander, and you will need to drag it back to the right path over and over again. 

Alongside this, I would recommend you turn off your electronics. Put your phone away, turn off the TV and leave the tablet out of sight. Sit in a comfy chair, inside or outside is fine, and just be still. 

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

When were you last “still”? If you are like me, then it has been a while – a long while. 

I have four children living in my house, and so stillness is not something I’m all that familiar with! Yet it is incredibly valuable. 

Something I have learned is that God will not raise His voice. For me at least, God is rarely willing to shout over my circumstances and make Himself heard over my din. He wants me to sit quietly, and listen hard for His voice. And every single time I do, I hear Him clearly. 

Do you want to hear from God? Then may I suggest you cut out the background noise before you try to listen. 

If normal life is just plain busy, have you found lockdown life any different? Chances are you’ve exchanged one form of “busy” for another. A busy life often makes a good relationship with Jesus rather hard. 

Look at Martha and Mary’s example from the Bible. 

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

While Martha was “busy” getting everything done, Mary was just sitting at the feet of our Lord. Now Martha is sometimes unfairly criticised here, and actually we need hard workers to succeed. However, when we are in the presence of Christ, the work can be put to one side for a time. 

By all means, use any time you have gained due to COVID restrictions. Learn a language, or how to play an instrument. Do that thing you’ve always wanted to do but have never had time for. But don’t try to fill every waking hour. Set aside some time to be – to just be – and then just “be” with Jesus. 

You won’t regret one minute you spend with Him. 

Catch someone (PoW )

Pearls of Wisdom

Delight in catching someone doing something right

Whether it be a celebrity, a politician, or some other high-profile person, there is often a lot of social media activity trying to catch those doing something wrong. The newspapers post photographers outside of nightclubs and parties trying to catch people in a compromising situation.

For some reason, we often delight in seeing others fail or embarrassing themselves. Perhaps in some way it makes us feel better about ourselves if we know the others trip over sometimes.

Today though, instead of trying to catch someone else out, why not try to catch them doing something good?

There are people doing good all around us all of the time. It only takes a moment to mark that. We have seen many examples of this in the recent period of lockdown. People thanking key workers or medical staff with little acts of random kindness.

Just last night, a friend of mine described how he bought a case of beers which he then left outside for those collecting the bins from his house. Now you might choose to show gratitude in a very different way of course, but the point is made. 

If you see someone doing something good, take a moment to tell them. Thank them. If you are able to give them a little gift or encouragement, then it is a great use of resources.

Instead of trying to catch people out, let’s all try to delight in catching someone doing good!

I think you will find the reward far outweighs the effort it takes.  God bless. 

Today You Will Be With Me

Despite the current state of the world, and life here in the UK, I actually quite enjoyed the Easter celebrations. Of course, I was disappointed not to have been able to meet with family or friends, or to gather as a church, but we made the best of it.

I have been thinking about the two criminals who were crucified with Christ – well, one of them in particular.

As I mentioned on Good Friday’s post – Seven Sayings of Jesus at the Cross– we learn that one of the criminals turned in faith to Jesus in his dying moments. Yet Matthew’s Gospel records both of the criminals having hurled insults at Him. This is quite the turnaround for one man, and look at the reward Christ offers him.

Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Luke 23:43 (WEB)

I know that I said this on Friday, but it is worth repeating. It is never too late to turn to Jesus. No matter what you have done, and no matter how far short you fall, God will never turn you away if you sincerely surrender yourself to His Son.

Yesterday I heard of a family friend who sadly passed away from COVID-19. The man was not old, nor particularly unhealthy (although he did have a condition which made him more vulnerable to this virus). The illness started off rather mildly but has now led to his death. It is very sad, but a reminder that none of us know how long we have on this Earth. Whether COVID or not, we must all die some day and we must make sure we are ready to face God.

Are you?

I’ve digressed slightly, but hopefully that is an important reminder for us all.

So, the criminal turns to Jesus and Jesus says these words: “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

English Bibles are translations of the original language. For the New Testament, that was mostly Greek. To emphasise a point, sometimes we read a repetition such as “Truly, truly…” or “Mary, Mary…” This is to catch our attention such that we really take in what Jesus is about to say.

Likewise, here, Jesus says “Assuredly…” Assuredly. Absolutely. Definitely. I guarantee… Jesus is assuring this man in no uncertain terms that he will join Christ in Paradise. Comforting this criminal in his last moments, Jesus confirms on him salvation and a place in eternal life.

Scholars have debated what Jesus meant by “today” here. Does it imply that at Jesus’ and the criminal’s death, they both entered straight into Paradise? Some suggest that Jesus descended into the abode of the dead – Sheol in Hebrew – and still others say into hell itself. If so, how could He or the criminal be in Paradise “today?”

Let me give you my thoughts, for what they are worth!

Today is a subjective term. If I say to you, “I’ll meet you later today,” then we both have a reasonable idea of what I mean. But what if I am in a different time zone? Then “Today” becomes slightly more blurred.

It boils down to physics, and what Einstein called “relativity.” Time is relative to your perspective. It is a physical property dependent on gravity and so when we leave these physical bodies, time no longer applies to us.

God is infinite. This doesn’t mean He has lots of time on His hands, but rather that He is outside of time. The criminal arrived at Paradise that same day to him, but from our point of view, time has carried on as before. It may even be that when each of us die, we all arrive in eternity at the same “moment” because there are no moments on the other side.

Anyway, I don’t want to get bogged down in this, but just want to point out that “today” is a relative thing.

Moe important are Christ’s words after “today” – “…you will be with Me…”

There is no greater thing than being with Christ. There are so many blessings to being a part of God’s family, and yet all pale in comparison to actually knowing Jesus.

Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

Philippians 3:8 (WEB)

These words are truly, truly humbling to me. I love the Bible, and thirst for knowledge of it. I love being part of a church, and certainly love knowing that I will go to heaven when I die. But can I really say, as Paul does above, that I count everything else as refuse (sometimes rendered “dung”) in comparison to knowing Jesus? Not nearly enough.

Let’s spend our isolation doing fruitful things. Let’s make the most of this time. Let’s spend it getting to know Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

What will you do “today?”

The First Step (PoW)

If you don’t take the first step, then you will never take the second.

Every journey begins with the first step. It may not sound all that profound, and is actually rather simple. But it is an indisputable truth.

Sometimes we look at our goals or the end of our journey, and recognise how far they are away. As a result, we refuse to take the first step. Understandable that may be, but it is also illogical. Refusing to take the first step will not get us any closer to our aim.

Take, for example, the writing of a book, or training to become a minister in the church. Such things can take a long time to achieve. We will never get there however if we don’t take that first step.

No matter what God has put on your heart to do, you cannot do it until you start. It may take 100 steps, but you cannot avoid taking the first one. Whatever it is you are putting off, put it off no longer. Take a deep breath, roll up those sleeves, and push that foot forward! It may be a tough road ahead, but if God has called you to do it, you will make it!

The first step may be very difficult, but often we find the second step easier than the first.

What are you aiming for? What dreams are on your heart? What is the first step, and can you take it today?

God bless you on your journey, wherever it leads you.

Resurrection Sunday (audio)

Here is a little bonus post today, as it’s Easter Sunday! A Resurrection Sunday message I gave several years ago. It is still relevant today, and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for listening.

Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday! Hallelujah! He is risen!

You can hear a selection of my other talks and sermons on the Audio page. 

Thanks for supporting the blog – it really means so much to me! God bless you all this Easter!

Folded Grave Clothes

Happy Easter! Christ is risen! Praying you will have an extremely blessed Resurrection Sunday today!

This is the day that we celebrate an empty tomb. On the first day of the week, which was a Sunday, some women went to the tomb of Jesus Christ expecting to anoint His body with spices.

As they walked together, they discussed among themselves who might move the heavy stone which had been placed over the entrance. They had probably expected the Roman guards to help them.

When they arrived, the stone had already been moved…

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky and came and rolled away the stone from the door and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men. 5 The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.

Matthew 28:1-6 (NIVUK)

Many have asked over the years, “Who moved the stone?” But Matthew makes it clear – the angel did. But why?

Jesus did not need the stone to be moved to escape the tomb. We read the following in John’s Gospel:

When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

John 2:19 (NIVUK)

It seems that Jesus’ resurrected body can do things that our mortal bodies cannot. He seemingly went into them, despite a locked door, and so it would be no feat for Him to escape the tomb with the entrance still sealed.

The answer is simple. The angel moved the stone not for Jesus’ benefit, but for the women. He wanted them to see into the tomb and see that Christ was indeed gone. Dead bodies cannot get up and walk away, and so Jesus must have returned to life. We can easily dispute the claim that the disciples stole the body, not least because of the armed guards, but mainly because those same disciples went on to die for their cause. Fraudsters don’t generally do that.

There is another “mystery” I want to touch on before I finish today. Why fold the grave clothes?

Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.

John 2:5-7 (NIVUK)

We were studying this passage at a home group once. I asked about the linen which had been folded up, wondering if this was significant. We discussed a few ideas, including the tidiness of Christ! Years later, I heard another idea which seems plausible to me.

When at a nice meal with several courses, you will more than likely have a linen napkin to use. Between courses, you might keep the napkin nicely folded to the side of your setting so that the waiting staff know you are still using it. When you finish the meal, you might just put it down untidily to signal you no longer need it.

I understand that in the Jewish culture of the time, there was some similar custom in place. Folded linen suggested that Jesus was not quite done yet, and would be returning.

I am not certain how true this is, but it is interesting nonetheless. Jesus may have been signalling to the disciples that they would see Him soon, or perhaps He was pointing out that He would one day return to the Earth.

The point to take away today though is this: the grave clothes were empty – like the tomb. Jesus was no longer dead, but alive! He had risen!

This truth gives us all hope, and that if we put our trust in Jesus, we too will defeat death and rise to new life.

Let this Easter be a celebration of life and hope. He is risen indeed!

Three Days

For us, Easter Saturday sits between the devastating day of the cross on Good Friday, and the joy of the resurrection to come on Easter Day. I prefer the name “Resurrection Sunday” but perhaps that’s a discussion for another time!

For the friends of Jesus two thousand years ago, many of them were not ready or waiting for the resurrection at all. This day would have been a day of loss and grief for them. All of their hopes and dreams had been smashed. They had expected Jesus to evict the Romans and set Himself up as King. Quite the opposite had happened! Their Messiah had been lost. 

Would they have started to doubt themselves? Would they have been asking one another – was this really the Christ after all? They had seen so many miracles and wonder works, yet they had not expected Him to die like a common criminal. 

It may seem somewhat baffling to us that the disciples had not heard the words Jesus had spoken. In advance of these things, He had told them that it would happen. And even beyond His words, the Scriptures foretold it all. But I think we can forgive them for not seeing that in the prophecies of the Old Testament. 

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Matthew 16:21 (NIVUK)

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve.

1 Corinthians 15:3-5 (NIVUK)

The verse above from the Gospel of Matthew shows that Jesus taught His disciples that He would die, and three days later rise to new life. Likewise, Paul (in hindsight of course) shares the same thing. Paul says however “according to the Scripture.” So the Old Testament must have predicted this in advance.

But where?

When reading Old Testament prophecies, we must understand that often they do not merely say “The Son of God will come, and His name will be Jesus, and after dying He will come back to life after three days…” That would be convenient for Bible scholars of course, but we must not forget the Old Testament was written by many people over hundreds of years. Despite this, it really is astonishingly coherent, and clearly shows the hand of the divine behind it. 

The first place I want to point to is the lie – or rather death – of Jonah the prophet. Sometimes called “The Reluctant Prophet,” because he ran in the total opposite direction to where God was sending him, Jonah is a fascinating character. 

You probably know his story from Sunday School, if you ever went, and may well be familiar with his being swallowed by a large fish or whale. 

Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 1:17 (NIVUK)

We see here that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish. Reading on to Jonah 2, I think it is clear that Jonah actually died in the sea or sea creature. He talks about the abode of the dead, or “the pit” so it seems likely he did actually die. If not though, the point remains. 

Bible prophecy is often pattern and not prediction. that means it establishes a pattern of events which will occur again in the future. Jonah’s three days and three nights of “death” are a pointer towards Christ’s own experience of three days in the grave. 

Similarly, Abraham’s sacrificing of Isaac is another picture. I’ve spoken before about this passage from Genesis 22, and personally believe it is a prophecy acted out by Abraham of what God would one day do with His own Son Jesus. 

We read in Genesis 22 that from the time when God gave the command for Isaac to be sacrificed, to the time Abraham arrived at Mount Moriah was precisely three days. 

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

Genesis 22:3-4 (NIVUK)

In the Jewish mind, and so in Abraham’s mind, Isaac was essentially dead from the moment God had given the command. It was a three day journey, as we read above, until the events unfolded and Issac was returned to Abraham. So another son lost to “death” for three days. 

There is more we could explore, but it would and should take an entire lifetime to examine the Old Testament and unveil the prophecies which spoke of Christ’s death and resurrection centuries in advance. 

Many will tell you that you can’t prove God exists, or there is no evidence that the Bible is true, it’s just a personal matter of faith. Not true. A comprehensive study of God’s Word will show you that there is incontrovertible evidence of biblical truth. The more you study it, the more you will realise it is not only true, but the only real truth we can rely upon. 

Jesus died for you. Three days later He rose from the dead. Many witnesses saw it. You don’t have the luxury to ignore it or deny it. So what will you do with this truth today?