Nothing but…

Nothing but …

I’ve been thinking that after 3 years of Covid (or thereabouts), I’ve been living a more reclusive life, than before. (Join the club do I hear you say?)

As those years have passed – and maturity increases (using such terminology is a way of avoiding the idea of old age) – I suddenly am more fully awake to how much more of the ‘rope’ of normality has slipped through our fingers. Like some released anchor plunging into the sea.

“What are we plunging into?” would be the question.

The world is embracing more and more abnormality. The tragedy is, regardless of how it is packaged ‘positively’ (as something to be desired), presented with words of man’s fallen reasoning – the new normal is the abnormal.

I’ve always been slightly fascinated by man’s inability to communicate. Communicate in a perfect way. So that I know exactly what you mean and you know exactly what I mean.

Nuances in each others communications, are missed by us all.

I may have written about this before – but I know by the odd comment I receive, purporting to agree with what I have written – that in fact, the person is not on the same ‘song sheet’ as I.

I noticed this lately when I commented on one person’s blog post. Asking in essence the name of their ‘god’.

The name and title of my Lord and my God is: ‘Jesus Christ The Lord.’ Acts 4/

Jesus is 11 “the stone you builders rejected,
    which has become the cornerstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Notice the ‘no other name’ part. In my mind it is easily established that ‘no other’ means ‘no other’.

Not ‘no other plus – other no others’. Just plain simple ‘no other’. Not hard to grasp is it?

He – The Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour (as in ‘no other’) – He came to give mankind – lost and at sea – drowning in sin – and in the sorrow it brings – a way back to intimacy with God.

There are many so called ‘gods’ but…I Corinthians 8/

5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

Sometimes I think I prefer folks who disagree (maybe as in atheists or agnostics) – than those who think I am speaking their language – as though God is the god of all religions or new age philosophies.

It is my ‘duty’ as a Christian to embrace with respect all human beings. But I am also called to hold fast to what is good and true. I Thessalonians 5/

21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

To test all things and the necessity to do so, tells me that not everything is acceptable and I am to reject all lies and embrace the Person who is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. (John 14/6)

It may seem to be a pleasing and seemingly reconciliatory idea to embrace and love all, and their points of view, regardless of their religious beliefs or particular creed. But how is that possible when there is only one truth?

‘You have your truth and I have mine’, sounds worthwhile and agreeable.

But one and one will always be two.

We can be friends and show respect to each other, but I cannot agree with you if your truth says: one plus one is three.

Sorry – hope we will not fall out and reject each other as fellow human beings. But the fact is, we do not speak the same thing.

It may seem like we are on the same page – after all (we might reason) it’s all mathematics anyway –  but no, sorry, we don’t agree.

I notice therefore, after this ‘reclusive’ time, that I seem to be coming to a greater realisation of how much the language used by Christian and non-Christian may sound increasingly similar, but in fact has basic fundamental differences which cannot be reconciled.

Pilot at the crucifixion of The Lord Jesus Christ said ‘What is truth?’

There – in front of him – stood the personification of all truth and he couldn’t see it, but nevertheless, had to admit to the perfection he also observed in The Christ. (…“I find no fault in Him at all). John 18/37:

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all”.

Lines of communication are becoming increasingly blurred with the use of similar words but which do not have the same meaning.

Deception is increasing. Believing lies is becoming the increasing norm. Separating truth from error is becoming a bigger and bigger task and challenge.

Thank God for His Word – the purest and truest communication on earth.

My final illustration and example of this dilemma is the fact that I now need to say:

“When I speak of the Pure Word – I am referring to the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible”.

All the above may grind/grate on the ‘pan-everything-ists’ (Pantheists) – as utter dogmatism – but I’m afraid dogmatically – one and one will always be two.

Which message?

Which Message?

Throughout history, messages for their time – have sometimes made a resounding difference to what took place subsequently.

Most of us ‘ordinary’ folks, are not going to make such speeches or write such messages.

One immediately thinks of Martin Luther King. Television has given us snippets of his famous speech, periodically, ever since it was delivered.

As I am not from USA, I hazard a guess that the message means more to Americans than the rest of us. Even though we can appreciate it’s contents, and how historic etc. it was.

Churchill’s famous radio speech(es) during war time, is/are another example.

Perhaps the best speech you have ever heard was when your teacher drew you aside and gave you an exhortation about behavioural matters, or presented you with a different mental outlook than the one you carried up to that point in your young life. You were never the same again.

Maybe a circumstance arose that meant you had no choice but to travel a certain career path, and it led unbeknown to you at the time – to a lucrative lifestyle. And the proverbial ‘haven’t looked back since’ came into play in your life.

Maybe you were going well astray into crime, and a caring policeman went the extra mile in showing you interest and concern. So that through his counsel you found a path to wholesomeness.

A good example was the influence the Preacher Man David Wilkerson made on a young Nicky Cruz. You can read the whole story in the famous book: The Cross and The Switchblade’.

Different deliverers of the message, different content, different times, words in season, when you needed to hear them.

Proverbs 15:23

A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!

Isaiah 50:4

“The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.

So is there a word for you in this season? Think of the enormity of the messages flying around the internet. Think of the enormity of the messages being posted as we speak.

Think of the ‘Likes’ you will hit, if you spend time reading posts. Each blog a different message.

Messages, photos, communications, philosophies, religions, teachings on ‘how to’, humour, zaniness, etc. etc.

All come at a certain time, or season.

According to Proverbs 15/23 we can have joy by what we say, by what message we pass on. Even ‘Hello how are you?” Given at the right time to the right person, can help.

In Isaiah the writer tells us that God can actually give teaching to us. Messages from the heart and mind of the Creator, written in the many books compiled into what we have named the bible.

The writer, given the tongue of learning. With the purpose that he should speak the right word at the right time.

Now all we need is a willing heart ready to act on what we have read or heard.

James 1:

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer…

Cheated

CHEATED (2020)

Colossians 2/

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

The above scripture meant a lot to me when I first encountered Christ. (still does).

It showed me clearly that, whether by my own invention or the influence of others who had ‘invented’ before me – I had been cheated and robbed of the answer to life and the after life.

‘Cheating’ can involve fraud or deception.

Deceived into holding on to the theories of mankind, birthed in his own imagination alone.

What Paul describes here as ‘philosophical’, is the fruit of ‘empty deceit’. That which comes out of the very basic principles of the world, the unspiritual, the unaided intellect of man. The outcome being the concealing or misrepresentation of true truth.

The result too, that man is left to his own devices with that which he affirms as being correct having no infallible certainty.

No supreme authority to arbitrate between opinions. Only opinion versus opinion versus opinion.

Beware lest you are cheated from true spiritual reality, beware lest you are cheated and robbed of true-truth, as provided by and in the Person of the Son of God.

Don’t let anyone deceive you, or rob you, or cheat you, from pursuing the source of all wisdom and knowledge.

Proverbs 16:25

There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Notice – ‘seems right’. Most of us will stand for something we believe. We affirm most emphatically at times, that we are right.

We are good at this.

But though it seems right. We can be completely wrong because what we conclude and affirm regarding spiritual matters comes out of our fallen intellect.

We are no different than all those who have gone before. We have the same minds used in the same way to ascertain truth.

We think we have dreamt up something completely and totally new, but really it is simply history repeating itself.

Someone, somewhere, before you and I, has come to the same conclusions in keeping with the traditions of men,

We need a higher authority than man to step in and give us something.

Guidance, spiritual revelation, demonstration of Divine Power, only this affirms what is absolute.

All the philosophies that clutter the internet or as it used to be the bookshelves, fall short miserably, if they are [in the words of this telling phrase], of scripture:

…not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily

We are on sinking sand, with our conclusions outside of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Whether you or I like it or not – unless, when it comes to spiritual matters – our conclusions are based on and according to the words of Christ we are cheated, and robbed of what only He can supply.