Death - Can you really face it with hope?

Death seems hopeless but let me remind you that even in a hopeless situation there is hope to be found in Jesus.

Facing Death

From time to time I visit people who are sick. Sometimes I call at their homes, but often I pop into the hospital to see them. Hospitals can be very sad places. The circumstances and struggles of life and the prospect of facing death are often confronted head-on in a hospital.

Nurses, Doctors, Porters and Cleaners are often amazing people. Their skills and abilities far exceed the basic requirement to clean, transport and provide medical care. Usually, it is these unrecognized people who have a kind word to say and the ability to encourage, amuse and lift a person’s spirit. They are quite an amazing group of people.

What is truth?

 

All images courtesy of Unsplash

The concept of truth has clearly fallen on hard times. 

Pilate posed one of the most profound and eternally significant questions in the Bible. He asked Jesus in His final hour, 'What is truth?' It was a cynical response to what Jesus had just revealed: 'I have come into the world to testify to the truth.' Two thousand years later, the whole world breathes Pilate’s cynicism with good cause.

So, what is truth?

Here’s a simple definition drawn from what the Bible teaches: Truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God. Even more to the point: Truth is the self-expression of God. That is the biblical meaning of truth. 

The Old Testament refers to the Almighty as the 'God of truth,' Deut. 32. 4; Ps. 31. 5; Isa. 65. 16. When Jesus said of Himself, 'I am . . . the truth,' John 14. 6, He was making a profound claim that He was God. He was also making it clear that all truth must ultimately be defined in terms of God and His eternal glory. After all, Jesus is 'the brightness of [God’s] glory and the express image of His person,' Heb. 1. 3. He is truth incarnate—the perfect expression of God and, therefore, the absolute embodiment of all that is true.

Are you prepared to believe the evidence?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

Believing the Evidence

J. Warner Wallace was an atheist for 35 years. He was passionate in his opposition to Christianity, and he enjoyed debating with his Christian friends. He became a Police Officer and eventually advanced to Detective. Along the way, he developed a healthy respect for the role of evidence in discerning truth. When he took time to be honest with himself, he had to admit that he never gave the case for Christianity a fair hearing. When he finally examined the evidence properly, he found it difficult to deny, especially if he hoped to retain his respect for the way evidence is utilised to determine truth. J. Warner found the evidence for Christianity to be convincing.

Polling Day

 

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

Polling day is very near. By putting a cross against a name on a ballot paper, you can choose who or what you think is best for you and for the country.

But you know that a cross, the X, can have other meanings too. Sometimes X shows that we are wrong. Remember school days when our work was returned with some ticks where we got it right, and often a few Xs to show where we had got it wrong? Oh, dear!

Father’s Day

Father's Day first began because of a woman named Grace Golden Clayton from Fairmount, West Virginia in the United States of America.  The story goes that she was inspired to do this after a mining disaster killed 362 local men. Their deaths orphaned more than 1,000 children and Grace wanted to pay tribute to the children’s dead fathers - as well as her own.

Each year in the UK Father’s Day takes place on the third Sunday of June. It is one of those dates we really don't want to forget, but it is often shrugged off by us dads as a lot of fuss about nothing - an attitude which can, possibly, betray something of what we feel about the role itself. On Mother's day we tell mothers how great they are and on Father's day we tell fathers what they need to do to be great fathers - it's almost as if a mother "automatically" becomes great while a father must continually work at it! 

There are a number of "description" given of a father:-

• a person who growls when he feels good and laughs very loud when he's scared.

• a person who gets very angry when the school reports aren't as good as he thinks they should be.

• a person who hurries away from the breakfast table, off to the arena which is sometimes called an office to tackle the dragon with three heads: weariness, work, and monotony.

• a person who gives his daughter to a man who isn't nearly good enough so he can have grandchildren that are better than anyone else's.

Someone has said (and I believe it is true) that "A Boy loves his mother, but he follows his father." That places a tremendous responsibility on fathers.  God truly is the most wonderful Father of all!  The fact that He would love the unworthy, save them by His grace and adopt them into His family proves this.  Add to this the fact that He looks out for His children and takes care of them in spectacular fashion.  I am glad that He is my Father today!

Can we honestly say that we are saved by the grace of God?  Do we know that He is our Father and we are His children.  If we can’t say that, then we need to come to Him right now and call on Him. If we will, He will save us!  He can help us get all our priorities in their proper order.

If we have needs in our lives and need help; there is no better place to bring those needs than to God the Father Himself.  He invites us to come before Him and get the help we need right now.  If we want to know God as our Father and know how wonderful He is, we need to bow at His feet and tell Him just how we feel about Him.  I have a sneaking suspicion that He might like that!

Used with permission Messages with Meaning (21/06/20)

GQ's list of 21 Books you don't have to read - they got at least one wrong!

GQ magazine has placed the Bible on its list of "21 Books You Don't Have to Read." This is quite a ridiculous stance even in terms of literature never mind ethics and morals. 

Here are some quotes from famous people about the Bible - they are not all Christians but they testify to the value of reading the Bible:

Absolute Truth = Absolute Safety! - Ephesians 1:13a

Absolute Truth = Absolute Salvation

Scripture for the Day

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth,

 the gospel of your salvation

Ephesians 1:13a

Explanation

Yesterday we talked about the second part of this verse in the Bible. Today we will look at the first part - we really should have done it the other way round! 

Becoming a Christian is basically a matter of trust. Trust in Jesus Christ. Recognising that He is who he claims to be - the Son of God. Taking Him at His word and relying on His power and ability to save! 

So how do you know that you can trust the Lord Jesus? It's an important and relevant question. You are not going to depend on someone if you don't trust them. You only rely on someone to the extent that you trust them. So why should we trust the Lord Jesus. 

The second line in our verse helps us in this respect. It says that new Christians only trusted the Lord Jesus to save them after they heard 'the word of truth'. I wonder what that is talking about?

It is helpful to research the bible to see if the expression is used elsewhere. In John 17 the Lord Jesus is recorded as praying to His Father. He is asking God to make his disciples holy. As he addresses His Father, God Jesus says 'sanctify them (make them holy) through thy truth, thy word is truth'. We learn from this verse that the word of truth = the word of God. 

So people become Christians when they realise that the Lord Jesus is trustworthy and can be depended upon to save them. They discover that this is the case through listening to and considering the word of God. Another verse in the Bible says 'Faith comes by hearing...the word of God'. Yet again we read in a letter to Timothy in the bible that 'the scriptures (the word of God or the word of truth) are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The Bible sets out the details of the life of Jesus. History will either confirm this to be true or it will prove it wrong. There is more information about the life of Jesus Christ than any other historical figure. You can read all of the 39 non biblical historians to see if the Bible is telling it as it is or spinning a yarn. I am convinced that the Bible is true. History declared Jesus to be unique and different. His conception, his powers, his perfection of character, his death and his resurrection are all based on historical, eyewitness evidence. 

It is the the truth!

No wonder the final phrase in our verse states that this is the 'gospel of your salvation'. It is good news about the saving grace of God. 

How are you getting on? Are you saved? Have trusted Him yet? Don't leave it too late!

This is the big issue!

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.