"Though ... Yet"

One of the distinctive things about the Christian faith is that in it (and in it alone), we have the God Whom we worship actually speaking to His children.   Now think on that for a moment!  Unlike every other God, our God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the speaking God.  Do you hear Him?  What is He saying to you?  Have you heard Him speaking to your heart as you read the Scriptures?  When you sat in church listening to a sermon, have you heard God speak to you personally?  Our God is the speaking God. 

To sit and listen to the Lord talking right into our hearts is as strange as it is astonishing.  It’s not strange that God speaks, but it is somewhat strange that He should speak to the likes of us.  Yes, He speaks!  And every time He speaks to us, He accomplishes something significant in us – He either softens our hearts to love Him more – and that’s what we want; or, He hardens our hearts so that when we read His Word, we do not hear Him speaking to us – and that’s what we do not want!  It all depends upon our attitude when we approach Him in the Scriptures.

In His providence, He brought my mind to Habakkuk 3:17-18, and through these verses, He spoke to me.  ^”Though the fig tree shall not flourish, neither shall fruit be in the vines: the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat: the sheep shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no bullock in the stalls.  Yet I will rejoice in the Lord: I will joy in the God of my salvation.” 

The prophet had to learn the lesson that despite our circumstances, even if we lose everything, we can still rejoice in the Lord.  Even if all things go against us, we can still rejoice in Him. We also need to learn that same lesson.  Yet, it’s a lesson we do not want to learn.  We are so desirous of our possessions and the things (and people) we hold dear that we want them more than we want the LORD.  Totally understandable, of course.  We do not even want to dare the Lord to take everything from us, in case He might take us at our word and grant us just that!  Yet once we learn this valuable lesson, we will be truly liberated, and enabled to rise above our circumstances, for that’s where Jesus actually is.  And we will “joy in the God of [my] salvation.” 

The KJV brings this out beautifully when it translates the first word as “Although” and the beginning of v.18 with “Yet.”  This highlights the “although” and the “yet” of Christian faith.  “Although” for one reason or another, we are currently going through tough times, “yet” we will rejoice in the Lord...  We must refuse to allow the ‘although’ of adversities to quench our faith or extinguish our living hope in Christ.

How wonderful are these words. If nothing in life flourishes and no fruit comes of our labours; and although the animals fail to produce, this is not the end of the world for us.  If we lose all that’s precious to us, our relationship with our precious Saviour is not one whit diminished.  If the worst happens, “yet” will I “rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Only the true Christian can say this from the heart.  Can you?

Christ's Gentleness With His People

One phrase stands out above all others in the email about a godly man’s passing into glory is “the Lord has been very gentle to us.”  How we need to see the Lord’s dealing with us in terms of His tenderness and gentleness towards us when we need that kind of ministry most.  When believers experience the tenderness of God in the midst of their personal suffering, what great confirmation that brings of their interest in Christ and His in them!  To feel his gentleness with us and towards us, like a nursing mother with her little baby (cf. 1Thes.2:7), is so comforting.  To see the Lord as the One Who cherishes His own children is mind-blowing.  To think of the Lord being our gentle Shepherd to lead and guide and nourish us is amazing.

And that is the kind of Lord Christians have! How He loves us and cherishes us and delights in us. What greater experience is there than to know that the Lord has that kind of interest in us as His children! To have His Spirit witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, is something altogether amazing. 

Do you know this? Is this your experience? Have you actually experienced the Lord's gentleness with you? Has this made you love Him more? 

Our Amazing Christian Faith

The Christian faith truly is amazing; and it is most practical.  The Christian faith ‘works’ when you need it most; the Lord is with us when we really need His presence.  And this faith ‘works’ because it’s true – it’s not true because it works. 

Let me relate to you a situation that will make the point.  It was in an email I received this morning from a very dear brother and ministerial colleague from Norwich, England, in which he wrote to tell me that his “dad died and entered into glory in the early hours of this morning.”  Now only a true Christian can say that.  This is the believer’s sure conviction, based, not on airy-fairy thinking or some kind of a false belief system, but on the truth of Holy Scripture.  That truth was made real in this Christian man’s life, hence the certainty of where the deceased now is.  Margaret and I had the privilege of knowing him for several years, and enjoyed the family’s warm hospitality on many occasions.

The family knew for a number of days that the end for father was drawing near.  His son continued, “We have our sadness but the Lord has been very gentle to us.  We have over a period of time been made ready for his departure.  By yesterday I think we were all ready. Indeed mum said that she prayed that the Lord would take him to himself last night and he heard her prayer.”

This is a reality that we have experienced over many months since Margaret’s illness, and we know what they are talking about.  The Lord really does answer His people’s prayers.  How kind He was to our friend, and especially to his dear wife and family, when He answered her prayer for her husband. 

“We have seen the Lord's hand marvellously at work over recent weeks.  We have experienced his providential care, we have been upheld by his strength and we have known his peace.”

This is normal Christian experience – knowing the hand of the Lord on us in every situation, especially the challenging ones.  We have seen Him intervene in ways that were barely noticeable, but after the event we saw so clearly His good hand upon us.  Knowing yourself being upheld by His strength is the most wonderful of experiences.  And it’s all normal Christian experience.

“Dad was clearly at peace when he died and was ready to leave to higher realms.  We have been greatly comforted by the scriptures and by the encouragement of the Lord's people.”

Drugs can give the impression that someone dies in peace, masking what is really going on as they are about to leave this life and stand before God the righteous “Judge of all the earth” (Gen.18:25). But having been with quite a number of Christians as they died, this is a wonderful experience because we can see the peace of God in their faces, a peace that is no different really from the peace of God they enjoyed in life.  Our brother died in that peace.

This wonderful message confirms our faith in a remarkable way.

What is it that guarantees that a sinner dies in the peace of God?  Only one answer: that they were at peace with God.  No one can have the ‘peace of God’ if he is not at ‘peace with God.’  And how does someone come to be at peace with God?  Again, only one way: by a personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, joined to genuine repentance toward God for a life of sinful rebellion against His holy Person and Law.  Our octogenarian friend was at ‘peace with God’ for the past two decades or so, hence he died in the ‘peace of God.

Think of this: how will you die?  For one out of one dies.  Not a great statistic, is it?  How will you die?  In the ‘peace of God’ because you are at ‘peace with God’?  Or, will your death be one of infinite horror that has been masked by powerful drugs?  Will it be heaven, or will it be hell? 

Paul says, “Be reconciled with God” (2 Cor.5:20).  “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Ac.16:31).  Jesus said, “You must be born again” (Jn 3:7).  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16).

"Follow No Divisive Course"

To the ordinary person, this sounds like very good counsel. Within Christian circles, we are to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," (Eph.4:3). We are to pursue "peace with all men,...." (Heb.12:14). The writers of these wise words knew full well that it is simply not possible to be in good terms with everyone because all do not hold to the historic Christian faith. So their own experiences and the experiences of fellow apostles and disciples of the Lord demonstrate that these words are not to be taken at their face value.

But some churches do just that! They counsel their ministers not to follow any divisive course. Now you know what that means in practice. They are never to take a decision that would tend to cause disharmony within the congregation even though the congregation is made up of the converted and the unconverted. They are to keep in with the unconverted members of the church, and do or say nothing that would cause them to be offended. As one former theological college principal told a young colleague, "Say what the people want you to say and do what they want you to do." This is what even the professedly purest reformed churches are doing in practice, the most theologically orthodox, the separatist churches.

When it comes to sacramental discipline, they are bound to accept as Christian members those covenant children and young people who are requesting church membership, provided their behaviour does not undermine their profession. The policy seems to be that if a potential church member's behaviour does not contradict their profession, the church presumes that they are regenerate, so admits them to full church membership. If it creates a mist on a mirror that is placed under its nostrils, and its parents are already members of the church, then baptise it - just to keep the peace. Whatever you do, do not ask about whether or not they are born again, or saved, or converted to Christ. Why? Because that is liable to cause division in the congregation.

But perhaps the worst manifestation of this is in the case where the Gospel is not preached with anything resembling clarity by the minister. Problems arise when the minister preaches a clear biblical Gospel. But problems ought to arise where the minister simply does not preach the Gospel clearly and biblically and to the consciences of the members. In fact, problems ought to be caused in any church that does not preach the Gospel. Elders have an awesome responsibility to God and to those who worship in the same church to ensure that the Gospel is preached with power and conviction, and that hearers are left in no doubt as to their spiritual condition and what God requires of them if they are to escape the wrath and curse of God due them for sin. How will they answer to the Lord when while on earth they knew the gospel is not being preached in their church, yet they took no decisive action to have this unacceptable situation rectified? Such elders have now come to accept that it is OK for the churches not to preach the everlasting Gospel. And what can be more divisive than a minister who does not preach the Gospel. What can be more spiritually dangerous than a man who claims and is accepted to be a Gospel minister in a 'Gospel' church refusing to preach the Gospel? That is massively divisive. But it is not deemed to be divisive because no one creates a stir about a non-Gospel preaching minister. And the church authorities are content to tolerate such a situation.

And all because their church requires of them not to follow a divisive course. What if Luther, who preached from the Bible as we are supposed to do, had have taken that approach to church life; would the reformation ever have taken place? Had Calvin been content to let things go on as they had done, would the reformation ever been organised? What if the Huguenots and Covenanters and Puritans had taken this advice and 'followed no divisive course,' where would the church have gone?

Ask yourself this: if every church member and elder was like me, how long would the Gospel survive in your church?

Pray On!

It’s amazing how much the Lord teaches us about Himself when we’re faced with an illness as serious as cancer.  He proves His faithfulness in every situation.  He demonstrates that however things appear to the contrary, we can still cast our burdens on Him (1 Pet.5:7), and not be disappointed.  In fact, we feel ourselves being carried along, upborne, and blessed.  He manifests Himself to us in various ways – in normal ways through the kindness and support of Christian people and also, as a testimony to God’s common grace, of non-Christian people.  He also demonstrates His love for us in much more personal ways, as when He draws really near to us by His Spirit and assures us that we are His children by new birth and also by adoption (we’re doubly His!).  During family devotions when He comes right into our room and leaves the unspeakable impression that we have been in the presence of the great King Who is our Father, we know we are His and He is ours (Song of Songs 2:16; 6:3; 7:10).  How sweet are these precious lessons.  What He teaches us in the dark places and in the valleys of life cannot be learned out of a book or even by listening to sermons.

But it’s also amazing how much He teaches us about ourselves – and most of that is not always nice; but it’s needed.  One of the big lessons He has taught us is that head belief will certainly not get an individual through the challenge of a life-threatening illness.  Having all the right words and repeating them will just not ‘cut it’ when faced with the ultimate.  We need more than that.

What we need, however, are the right beliefs that have found their way into the heart, beliefs that have warmed the heart and melted the heart, and beliefs that have motivated the will to give our all to the Saviour.  It is the head that understands (and we need biblical understanding), but it is with the heart that we believe. “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom.10:10).

Looked at from another angle, Jesus is our Prophet, Priest and King.  True faith lays hold of a whole Christ.  So true faith is believing Christ as our Prophet, trusting Christ as our Priest and submitting to Christ as our King.  All three must be present otherwise we have ‘faith’ in only a partial Christ – which is no faith at all.  When all three are present, our head, our heart and our will are all engaged in our faith.  And remember, no one who has submitted to Christ the King will live in daily disobedience to Him.

This lesson was reinforced to us during this period of challenge.  How true it is.  And how necessary it is when we come to pray.  Praying with the mind only is not enough; nor is praying only with the heart, or with the will (however that may be done!).  That’s why we need that knowledge of God that comes only from the Bible.  But if our hearts are cold when we approach the Lord, then of what use are right words?  And if we are not motivated to surrender our all, our life, to Him, then the mind and heart roles are redundant.

Remember what old John Bunyan said: In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.  Make sure your prayer comes right from your heart.  Charles H. Spurgeon added: “Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.”  So be deeply encouraged, and pray on.  Let us come as whole persons to a whole Christ and we’ll see even greater things happen.

               Are we weak and heavy laden,

               Cumbered with a load of care?

               Precious Saviour, still our refuge;

               Take it to the Lord in prayer.

               Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

               Take it to the Lord in prayer!

               In his arms he'll take and shield thee;

               Thou wilt find a solace there.

Trusting in Christ Alone For All

Trusting is about rolling our all onto Christ, and leaving it there – easier said than done.  It’s about depending upon Him to do what’s right and best.  We have no one else really in whom we can trust always.  Trust in the sovereign Lord is not a vain thing.  I know how easy it is to become all theological and say all the right things, and I also know how hard it is at times to put all this trust into practice.  We fail so often; and it’s then that we have to cast ourselves unreservedly on our Lord for His mercy and grace.  Thankfully, it is we who fail, not our faith (Lk.22:32); because it is our faith that takes us straight back to our glorious Lord and Saviour, our only hope and refuge. 

The good thing is, this is true however we feel.  How futile a thing it is to trust in our         feelings!  We have feelings and feelings have their place; but they can be so deceitful if    allowed to rule us.  In dare not act on the basis of my feelings just now because these         could encourage me not to trust the Lord.  Wasn’t Edward Mote (1797-1874) quite correct when he penned those immortal words:

        My hope is built on nothing less

        Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

        I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

        But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

        On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

        All other ground is sinking sand.

If I were to trust “the sweetest frame,” I’d be undone.  It’s a case of “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mk 14:38).  Our Lord shows that there is a distinction between the lack of faith and the weakness of the flesh.  No matter how clearly we see and understand the teaching, yet when faced with situations we cannot control, we feel fearful.  God understands our human frailty and has made provision for it by reminding that His greatest servants of old were mere men like ourselves – Abraham, Jacob, Noah, Elijah, Elisha, David, Peter, Paul - I could go on.  So how wonderful it is to know that human fear combined with God’s unerring Word is then order of the day. 

Why am I writing these things?  To teach myself those precious truths that will minister to my weakness and fear, and overcome them.  It’s to get my mind and heart fixed afresh on Christ, and to “Wholly lean on [His] name.”  It’s about re-gaining spiritual perspective, and moving on from there.  It’s about standing on Christ the solid Rock Who will never let us down, whatever His plan is.  So we rest content in this.

Everlasting pre-occupation with God

One year ago yesterday, Margaret had her mastectomy and lymph node clearance in Antrim hospital. Today, one year on, she had her surgical review which involved examination by medical staff, another mammogram and an ultra-sound scan. She was told that it will be three weeks before the results would be sent out to her GP. But as it was, a doctor was there and when he read the negatives, he assured her that he could see nothing wrong.

You can hardly imagine the relief that this brought, particularly to Margaret, but also to me, and to our sons. This was no surprise for a number of reasons; first, there were no indicators to suggest that there was anything wrong; second, Margaret’s general state of health was good; but most importantly, thirdly, God’s people were praying for God’s blessings upon her as she had her surgical review, and He answered your prayers. 

Does prayer work (a clumsy question, I know, but a good one nonetheless)? Here again is the proof. When you pray, God answers. Let that encourage you to the highest heavens.

Dr A. W. Tozer wrote, “We can afford to suffer now; we’ll have a long eternity to enjoy ourselves.” How true this is. Whether the suffering is physical or emotional or mental or spiritual, God has laid up for us in heaven what has never entered the mind of man to conceive. Tozer: “We are called to an everlasting pre-occupation with God.” And isn’t it great that He honours us with the privilege of pre-occupation with Him here and now! 

What a joy it is to be taken up with Him in His goodness and grace and love and mercy. Only the Holy Spirit can enable a fallen and rebellious man to worship God in Spirit/spirit and in truth. This is a miracle of grace. To be lifted up into contemplation of His glorious Person is the next thing to heaven on earth. This is what He does to those who seek Him. Oh, seek Him, my dear friends, and go on seeking Him until you are, in Charles Wesley’s wonderful words, “Lost in love, wonder and in praise.” Let the Lamb have all the glory.

God really does astonish His children by the things He does. The Christian barrister, William Cowper, sings,

Sometimes a light surprises

The Christian while he sings,

It is the Lord who rises

With healing in His wings.

How true it is that the god of modern day evangelicalism rarely astonishes anybody. He never rouses, never comes down, just sits back and allows everything to go on as before. He is so well-behaved that you’d like such a god in your church every Sunday; He never causes a stir, is very denominational and always very much one of us, such a tame god. I’m not interested in a god like that and I find it hard to have much respect for such a being.

But our God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is so different. You just never know what He will do in any situation; and that’s what brings so much excitement into the Christian life. Today, He surprised us by His grace and lifted our hearts up to Him in grateful praise and thanksgiving. We could see His hand so clearly at work. He raised His Son, the Saviour of the world, from the tomb, so there’s nothing He cannot do, all praise to His Name. Oh, to get to know God better! To be taken up with Him 24/7! To see His glory and dominion and power in everything! Now, that’s a God worth having and worshipping; but the other god, no, thank you.

I think that twenty-first century evangelicals have succeeded in taming their god so much that we hardly ever notice Him when we are at church. There’s nothing striking about Him. We have lost any sense of His majesty and as a result we no longer stand in awe of Him. And we’re the losers.

But, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is so different. He’s alive and reigning and acting and moving all over this world. Seek to know Him move in your life, and you’ll know the difference.

Praise God for answering your prayers for Margaret. Our God is so good that He deserves our all, now and always.

Praise Him for stooping down and hearing your prayers;

Praise Him for His love and mercy that He shows to us daily;

Bless His Name for not forgetting His poor children;

Worship Him for stepping in to the situation today and giving Margaret the results today rather than in three weeks time;

Just spend time worshipping Him for Who He is – our great Saviour and Lord. Make this a time of worship for you and your family. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you, James 4:8. Do you really want to meet God? Then draw near to Him. But beware; you never know what He’ll say or do to you!