What do you think about dying?

The subject of “assisted dying” has been exercising the minds of many people these days, writes Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall. Truly death and dying are serious subjects, but not just for discussion or decision by others in Parliament, but rather for each of us to prepare for it before it comes our way as it surely must. Death is one of the few certainties associated with life.

Unsurprisingly the Bible has a lot to tell us about death and indeed how to prepare for it. Of course it also tells us a lot about life and how to live it well for however many years we may be given. But uniquely and authoritatively its pages describe to us what comes next, after death. It unveils the beauty and bliss of heaven for all who have chosen Jesus Christ as their saviour from sin. It gives to believers the assurance of being with Him for all eternity freed from all the troubles of this life whatever these were. A Christian’s death is described as “dying in faith”, and “departing to be with Christ which is far better”.

The ‘If’ question!

When someone questions our ability to do something, it can provoke a sense of pride that wants to prove them otherwise. Some have stretched themselves to perform reckless acts with varying degrees of success. The Bible says, ' Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.’ God is never guilty of pride, which is on a list of things that the Lord hates.

People have been heard to say, ‘If God would do this or that… I would believe.’ But God does not try to ‘prove himself’ on our terms. Faith in God is not about what we want Him to be or do but about accepting who He is and what He has done.

One day, the devil came to Jesus saying, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ Jesus was in the desert and had been without food for some time. The suggestion was that He satisfy His hunger and thereby prove His power. But the Lord Jesus had not come to perform miracles to gratify His own desires nor to showcase His power for popularity. His works were always for the glory of God. On another occasion, Jesus said, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.’ The work of God, His Father, was more important to Him than physical food. Pleasing God was food for His soul.

Where will it all end?

 

Are you frightened about the state of the world at the moment? Many people find it very scary, as every day brings another disaster. Murder seems to be so commonplace! Daily, we hear of someone else going on the rampage and killing people! Individual acts of terrorism are on the increase, resulting in the tragedy of people being deprived of their loved ones by an act of violence. Yesterday's events seem so long ago as we wake up to hear of another tragic evil act being perpetrated.

I find it all very distressing, and sadly, I can see the inevitability of how the world is going. The Bible teaches that conditions in society will get worse and worse as time progresses. Paul, an old man, wrote to Timothy, a young man – ‘but understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with deceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power,’ 2 Timothy 3:1-5. I think what the Bible says in these verses is staring us in the face. Do you recognize a description of our society?

If we reject the moral compass of the Bible, there are ultimately consequences. In effect, morality becomes subjective and personal. There is no absolute standard of right and wrong. Everyone does what is right in his or her own eyes. This is not a new problem. It happened in Bible times and many times since, but every time it happens, the results are disastrous. The old book says ‘there is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death,’ Proverbs 14:12. 

Live forever - are we just biological computers?

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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.

Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side.

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John Milton was born in London in 1608 and educated at St Paul’s School, followed by the University of Cambridge. He knew at least ten languages, and was enormously well-read in literature, history, theology, philosophy and natural sciences. Milton’s Commonplace Book, in which he made notes on his extensive reading, is now held at the British Library.

In February of 1652 Milton went completely blind. Many great artists have suffered blindness, but the twist in Milton's case is that he went blind before he wrote his best works, including the immortal epic poem Paradise Lost. Milton had written a few great poems before 1652, but he was not a famous poet by this point.  In fact, Milton was more famous as a servant of the government of Oliver Cromwell, the "Lord Protector" of England during the period between the kings Charles I and Charles II. 

When John Milton went blind, he must have felt like modern athletes feel when they suffer a career-ending injury. You spend your whole life working toward a goal, pour your heart and soul into practising, and then some uncontrollable event or freak accident puts you back in the shoes of a regular person.  John Milton's life plan was to be of service to God. He felt he could best achieve this goal by using his intelligence and especially his writing. In the days when Milton was alive, it was very hard to write when you had no sight. He was entirely dependent on other people to write down his work and read to him. Thankfully, Milton's blindness was not as crippling as he thought it would be, and he eventually adapted to the condition enough to write some of the world's great works of literature.

What if life could be different for you?

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One of the most famous hymns must be “Amazing Grace” written by John Newton in 1772. It has been covered by dozens of famous singers over the years and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies, no doubt making many rich in the process.

Of far more value than all the riches it has made, is the richness of meaning within its words. It starts “Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”

Grace is a wonderful word, it is the counter balance to mercy. Mercy is when we do not get what we deserve. Ephesians 2 states, that God is rich in mercy. God’s mercy means that we do not have to face the consequence of our sin, we can rest on God’s mercy and forgiveness. Just a few verses later we read of the exceeding riches of God’s grace.

Are you satisfied?

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Within the heart of every human being there is a strong desire for something that seems so elusive - true and lasting satisfaction. Satisfaction is rarely found because anything that we enjoy only lasts for a limited period of time. This covers almost all of the things we enjoy whether it is a delicious meal, a holiday away or good times with friends and family, there is a degree of truth in the saying, “all good things must come to an end.” 

 

The Bible seems to back this up, it tells of a man called Moses, a godly man who initially lived in Ancient Egypt who ultimately led the Children of Israel out of slavery. The New Testament records in Hebrews 11:25 that he “choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” The Bible says that the things that we enjoy on earth, whether they are good things or sinful things, they only last for a season. King Solomon, probably the richest man of his time understood this too, he said in Ecclesiastes 1:8: “The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear has its fill of hearing”. That is to say, we never have enough stimulus to keep our natural senses interested. The Lord Jesus said that it was a foolish thing to try and find satisfaction in the material things that are round about us, Luke 12:15 says, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things the things which he possesses.” 

 

When we come to John 4 however, we read a fascinating conversation between the Lord Jesus and a woman of Samaria. The Lord Jesus reveals in v18 that this woman had tried to find satisfaction and purpose in earthly relationships, the evidence indicating that her efforts had failed by the fact she had had five husbands and she was now onto her sixth! The Lord Jesus then reveals why she wasn’t satisfied, she was not a true worshipper of God. She had tried to source her satisfaction and purpose in creation rather than in the Creator. The Lord Jesus says to the person who sources their purpose in God, “I am come that they might have life, and they might have it more abundantly”. There is no other source of true and lasting satisfaction than becoming a worshipper of the true God. Turn from those fleeting sins and place your faith in the Lord Jesus and become a worshipper of the one, true God today.

Looking beneath the surface!

 

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Our Creator can see things in us that other people cannot see. Sometimes people will try to push us down or make us feel insignificant. Sometimes our own thoughts will try to convince us that we do not measure up, but God looks beyond the surface, beyond the mistakes we have made, beyond what somebody said about us and sees our incredible value. 

We may think that we have really messed up, that we have blown it, that we have failed, that we are all washed up.  No, God still sees more in us; God does not just see what we are; He sees what we can become. We may have made mistakes, but God still sees victory on the inside of us. People may have tried to push us down, but God sees us rising higher.

Now, we have got to do our part and get rid of those condemning thoughts. Get rid of what somebody has spoken over us and start renewing our minds. Down deep, we need to start believing that In God's eyes, we can be redeemed, restored, talented and valuable. Even if we have made mistakes believe that there is more in store. God is not finished with us; we are a work in progress.  He looks beyond the surface and sees our potential. If we stay in step with Him, we can watch His plan for our lives unfold.

Within all of us, there exists a strong desire to be known and to know others. More importantly, all people desire to know their Creator, even if they are not professed believers in God. Today we are bombarded with advertising that promises many ways to satisfy our cravings to know more, have more, be more. However, the empty promises that come from the world will never satisfy in the way that knowing God will satisfy. Jesus said, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent"

So, "what is the key to truly knowing God?" 

First of all, it is a must to understand that man, on his own, is incapable of truly knowing God because of his own sinfulness. The Scriptures reveal that we are all sinful and that we fall well short of the standard of holiness required to commune with God. 

We are also told that the consequence of our sin is death and that we will perish eternally without God unless we accept and receive the promise of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. So, to truly know God, we must first receive Him into our lives. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name".  

Nothing is of greater importance than understanding this truth when it comes to knowing God. Jesus makes it clear that He alone is the way to heaven and to a personal knowledge of God: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through  Me"

More about Jesus would I know,

More of His grace to others show;

More of His saving fulness see,

More of His love who died for me.

More about Jesus let me learn,

More of His holy will discern;

Spirit of God my teacher be,

Showing the things of Christ to me.

More about Jesus; in His Word,

Holding communion with my Lord;

Hearing His voice in every line,

Making each faithful saying mine.

Messages with Meaning (04/03/21), written by Peter Francis for Your542Day 

God can really change your life!

 

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It is reported that there are 7.5 billion people living on planet earth today and sad to say not many of them could say that they have never misappropriated something that belonged to another person i.e. that they have not committed theft.  Possibly, the same could be said about lying but that is another subject.  The eighth commandment is “Thou shalt not steal”, the sixth is “Thou shalt not kill” the seventh “Thou shalt not commit adultery”, so God is precise in giving us an exact code of moral conduct for life.  The definition of theft is to dishonestly appropriate property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it.  The word ‘theft’ covers many acts of misappropriation, larceny (theft of personal property), robbery, fraud (identity, benefits, expenses, mortgage, insurance, etc), embezzlement, and burglary.  The writer received six strokes of the cane at senior school for stealing apples from the school orchard, therefore, identifying himself with any other person that has violated the eighth commandment.  Other acts of misdemeanors before my conversion would be too shameful to share.  

Imagine if someone knew all your thoughts?

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We all have times in our lives when we feel that we are just cannot get it right. We all know the feeling of failure and not knowing quite what to do next. Maybe we even know what it is like to take the blame for something that we meant to do for good. Life is often frustrating. It is possible that we wish that people knew the truth about certain things or that they would understand the motives that we had for doing them.

Lost and found in the forest

 

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In September 2021, a man in Turkey was drinking with friends, left them, and walked off into a nearby forest, where he spent the night. The next morning, he noticed a group of people, who told him that they were looking for a missing person. Desiring to be helpful, he joined the search. After some time, a member of the search party called out his name, and he responded, “I am here”. Only then did the truth become apparent to all: his family had reported him missing when he failed to return home, volunteers had set out to look for him, and, by joining one of the groups, he was, without knowing it, trying to find himself!

There were two reasons why it took so long for the man to be found: firstly, he did not know that he was lost, and, secondly, the search party did not know the one for whom they were looking, except for his name. The story is amusing, but for me the smile did not last long, for it soon came to my mind that this man is like many in the world today, whom the Bible describes as “lost”. In fact, that is the natural state of all mankind. Like the man in the story, we have wandered away, not from our friends, but from God. Isaiah 53.6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way”. In Luke chapter 15, to illustrate our lost condition, and our need to be found, the Lord Jesus also compares us to a lost sheep, as well as to a lost coin and a lost son.

What is faith?

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It has been my privilege and very great blessing to have taken hundreds, if not thousands of school assemblies.  These have ranged from nursery school age to sixth formers and even into colleges and universities.  It is certainly challenging to face a hall full of young people - all with their own ideas - no doubt all wishing they could be somewhere else than school listening to a visiting speaker!  It is essentially telling them a story that has a particular point which encourages them to think and reflect about aspects of God and how we can know Him.

Death or Life?

 

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For weeks now we watched the statistics about coronavirus deaths and infections mounting up. They are terrible to think about, and we long to hear of the numbers reducing and eventually disappearing. Worldwide, it is hard to take it all in, and what the eventual totals will be is hard to imagine.

 

The authorities need the statistics to map out the progress of the disease, and from their viewpoint, it’s the numbers that matter. But behind the numbers, there are mountains of grief because each one in that total was someone’s close relative, someone’s dear friend, a life cut short unexpectedly. 

Are you being deceived?

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None of us likes to be deceived, yet we may be subject to some kind of deception almost every day. Perhaps you have been deceived in the purchase of some commodity; for example, if the car you bought was ‘clocked’. That means the milometer (the device recording the number of miles the vehicle has travelled) had been turned back to give the impression that the distance travelled was a lot smaller than the true mileage. Along with this, the price was increased because supposedly you were buying ‘a very nice low mileage car’. Sometimes a soccer player is tackled and the tackler hardly touches him but he rolls around the turf so that the referee is deceived into awarding a ‘free kick’. Many people have been deceived by politicians who promised lots but delivered little.

We remember, when we were at school, the excuses we made because we did not have our homework done. We deceived the teacher. One of the worst deceptions was when we deceived our parents by lying to them about places we had been and the company we were with. As we look back over the past our cheeks blush and we feel most uncomfortable.