Sometimes you wonder if the information you get is actually true, writes Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall. With the advent of AI, and the ease with which images can now be altered and manipulated, along with the deliberate spread ofmisinformation on social media, how can you be sure of the truth of a matter?
Life can be challenging and often presents unexpected obstacles. I am currently in Aberdeen attending the wedding of a young man and his bride, whom I have known since he was born. He is the youngest son of dear friends. Unfortunately, his grandfather passed away suddenly just over two weeks before the wedding. They are a very close-knit family, and they would have loved for him to be present at this special occasion.
I feel the need this month to reach out to those of you who are struggling. Unfortunately, life often involves suffering, and we all grapple with this reality. It's common to feel angry when life presents us with such complex challenges. As hard as it may be to accept, the Bible teaches that nothing in life is random or without purpose. Nothing happens without God's permission. This doesn't mean we understand why things happen or believe they are fair.
We recognise that some events in life are a result of our own actions or the actions of others. Often, challenges arise simply because we live on a flawed planet, making life far from perfect. The Earth was damaged by the great rebellion of the first humans. The Creator (God) warned that their choice to disobey Him would have long-term consequences, summarised in one word: 'death.'
Perhaps now you are recalling some of the days of your life: the day you started school, the day you left school, the day you were married, the day you graduated from university; of course none of us remembers the first day of our life and eventually the last day will arrive for “life at best is very brief”. There have been happy days, of laughter, and sad days, of crying. There are days we recall with great joy and others are painful as we remember the passing of loved ones which left an aching void in our lives. What a variety of days we experience in a lifetime: days of success and applause, and days of failure and embarrassment. Life is the aggregate of all these days and God has numbered our days and set bounds to our fleeting lifetime. We too are advised to “number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” Psalm 90.12. Let us never forget that we will not be here forever; for there is “a time to be born, and a time to die” Ecclesiastes 3.2.
So, as planet Earth gradually tilts our northern hemisphere away from the sun, let's enjoy these long (but shortening) days of summer while they last.
The Bible speaks about days, but these are not always 24-hour periods; instead, they represent a set period with a definite beginning and end. For example, this is the "day of grace" when God offers complete salvation from sin to everyone through personal faith in Jesus Christ. It has lasted for a long time, for roughly 2000 years in fact.
There will also be a day of judgment, when "every one of us will give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12). This day has not arrived yet.
When we see so many wicked things happening in so many parts of the world - exploitation, corruption, deception, destruction and the like - sometimes we wonder why God does not stop it all and bring forward the day of judgment? The Bible explains that it is because "God is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
This "day of grace" will come to an end sometime, perhaps soon. Please ensure you don't miss God's offer of salvation before it's too late. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved now.
Written by a Guest Blogger
We get a lot of bad news these days, writes Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall. Apart from international conflicts and worries, there is plenty to be concerned about here at home, with so many wicked things happening in what was meant to be a civilised society. We hear about disruptive behaviour and violence in schools, bullying in playgrounds and workplaces, neglect and cruelty to children in families, partners being murdered, physical and sexual abuse of children and vulnerable young people in care settings, knives and guns on the streets, overcrowding in prisons and more. Some public figures in sports, politics, and church organisations who should have set good examples do the opposite. Their behaviour is disgraceful and unlawful in financial, moral and sexual matters. Nowhere seems to be exempt. Promises to “clean it up” and “learn lessons for the future” are not convincing. It can be pretty depressing but be assured that God will ultimately deal righteously with crime and wickedness in His ways of perfect justice.
Have you ever thought about how many doors you use daily? asks Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall. Try counting the number of doors in your house, including cupboard doors you need to open and doors you go through, and the number will soon be doubled. And if you go out and travel anywhere, what about car doors, bus doors, train doors! Doors are almost too common to wonder about, but we would be in trouble without them.
This blog post was written before Russia invaded Ukraine. It is, however, very pertinent as President Putin of Russia obviously feels that he has the power and right to invade a peaceful nation to expand his territory and create another iron curtain between him and 'the West'.
History is replete with men who strived to be recognized as God. The ultimate power sought by many is to rule over other men and women and be worshipped by them. They may not use the term ‘God’ but it is self-evident that crave the power and glory that only rightly belongs to God.
Before Jesus had reached His second birthday, He had already become the target of an assassination plot by King Herod, the ruthless and paranoid ruler of Roman-controlled Judea. Joseph and Mary, prompted by a dream from God, took the baby and fled to Egypt.
Egypt's history was one proud and glorious procession of kings spanning thirty dynasties and nearly 3,000 years. Egyptian kings--the pharaohs--were powerful figures and rich beyond imagination. They wielded wealth like a weapon, built sprawling cities and commanded huge armies.
All photos courtesy of Unsplash
In February 2022, Ukraine quickly came to dominate news reports worldwide. People who disagree about all kinds of things are united in sorrow at the heart-breaking turn of events and in sympathy for the men, women and children who are suffering so much. Many have worked hard and given generously to help alleviate their plight.
The sad comment of one Ukrainian MP was that “history is just repeating itself time and time again, and I don’t understand what is wrong with us humans and humanity, why we don’t learn from the lessons.” That is true, and in His Word, the Bible, God tells us that we should take heed to and learn from events in the world. We will consider three obvious but vitally essential lessons from the current situation in Ukraine, which will be for your eternal blessing if you pay heed to them and act upon them.
We know that life is constantly changing and that nothing lasts forever. In many ways, this is a harsh and sad reality. Most of us find it hard to accept that we will grow old, that loved ones will pass on, and that children will grow up and leave home. You know the types of things that I am talking about. Sad but true!
Please read on, as I have good news for you. The Bible teaches that God made us with an eternal soul. The soul is the real person, the real you. Although the body stops living upon our physical death, the soul lives on. Many people don't believe this anymore. The late Stephen Hawking, a British Physicist and author, dismissed the notion of an afterlife. He once said 'I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers. That is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark'.
This argument sounds very feasible, especially when proposed by such an intelligent man. However, it ignores that we are not just biological computers. It ignores man's consciousness, which the best of brains have grappled with but have to admit is beyond their explanation. Consciousness cannot be defined in purely physiological terms. Add to this the evidence for the supernatural and the spiritual, and you have many questions that we will struggle to answer unaided.
One of the methods that I use to communicate the message of the Bible is a podcast. You can access it through my webpage - seekthetruth.org.uk. One long-running series I have recorded is called 'Life Questions'. It started when I was asked by a Christian radio station in Canada (Hope Stream Radio) to produce some material for them. People have many questions, and the Bible is the creator's (God's) book of answers. It is a unique book in that the men who wrote claim that they did not write of their own volition 'instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit,' 2 Peter 1:21. This is why you will often read in the Bible, ' Thus says the Lord' or 'This is what the Lord says’ and it is why I suggest that this timeless volume is well worth a read.
Questions are the primary means of learning. Rudyard Kipling's famous poem, 'I Keep Six Honest Serving Men,' reminds us of the natural curiosity that is often most evident in children.
I KEEP six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
I give them all a rest.
Maybe it is not so amazing, but usually, when everything is going well, and the world is your oyster, we have plenty of friends. Many are willing to help as long as you do not need too much! Others are willing to listen if you are not too depressed, but when the chips are down, such friends are often ‘posted missing’.
Three things mark a true friend: a compassionate heart, a strong shoulder and a listening ear. Such friends are scarce, but if you have one, thank God for them; they are like gold dust. Yet even the best of friends have their limits. They can sympathise and are also available, but they have a life of their own, and sometimes, they need the help they so readily give others. Perhaps you are thinking, 'Is there any other kind of friend?' the answer is ‘Yes’. There is one who has a heart full of compassion, and you mean so much to Him. He will never turn you away, and He never tires of listening to your cry. His shoulder is strong; He can carry you when you cannot take another step. He can lift you up when you have fallen, or others have knocked you down. Furthermore, He can change your circumstances or outlook so that things do not seem as bad as they first appeared. Best of all, He will be with you whether you’re ‘on top of the world’ or you feel the ‘world is on top of you’.
Someone may say, 'Why would He be interested, for nobody cares about me?' If that is what you think, then you are wrong, for this friend cared so much that He gave His life for you, and no one loves you quite like Him. His name is Jesus, and He is God’s Son who came into this world to seek and save lost and lonely people.
By the time you read this column, the summer will nearly be over, and many people will be heading back to work, children to school and young adults off to university.
Many years ago, in farming communities, the end of the summer, the harvest's completion, and the crops' gathering was a great social event. It was often seen as a time of new beginnings, a fresh start, and when the cycle of life began again.
The Bible develops this idea by calling people to enjoy a fresh start in their relationship with God. Jeremiah, one of the ancient prophets of Israel, wrote the following words - ‘The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved,’ Jer. 8. 20. Jeremiah is often described as the ‘weeping prophet’. A prophet in Bible times was a man who brought God’s message to the citizens of his country (and sometimes other nations). He was commissioned by ‘the Almighty’ to communicate a straightforward and specific message. Jeremiah had been doing this for a long time. He had become discouraged and downhearted with the lack of response from the nation he spoke to. It is recorded in Jeremiah chapter nine verse one that the Prophet was brokenhearted and wept over the state of his nation - ‘If only my head were a pool of water and my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night for all my people’[1].
Any thinking person should be very upset at the state of our nation. We live in days when there is no absolute right and wrong, truth is traded for lies, people are free to do what is right in their own eyes, and we are often very self-centred. I believe God is very upset that we have moved so far away from the morals and values He designed us to live by.
It could be said of us - ‘The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved,’ Jeremiah 8:20. As a society, we have lost our way.
However, as individuals, we still have an opportunity to make things right. God is calling our nation to repent of our evil and the pain we have brought upon each other by breaking God’s moral law. This change of mind and heart starts with individuals!
We can be saved and rescued from God's judgment against our sins. This is the very reason Jesus came. The Bible unequivocally states, ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,’ 1 Tim 1.15. This is a message of hope and encouragement that should fill us with optimism.
If we follow the advice of scripture and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, realising that he died and rose from the dead to take the punishment for our sins, and if we accept him as our Saviour and Lord, we will be saved.
