A Sad Day

And Jesus Called A Little Child Unto Him

Someone has rightly said that if you take a text out of its context it becomes a pretext. My heading is taken from Matthew ch.18:1 to 3 which reads, “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” I will come back to that passage later on.

Around 6.30am on Wednesday 25th. February, six year-old Ivan Cameron, eldest son of David and Samantha Cameron died in Hospital in London. This little boy whom his father described as “My beautiful boy” had suffered from birth with Ohtahara syndrome, a form of cerebral palsy that has epileptic consequences. To see the grief expressed on the faces of his parents as they left the Hospital shortly after his death said it all; this little boy with all his disabilities was loved intensely by his family.

Between 9am and 10am a phone-in program on BBC Five Live was interrupted with an announcement from the Conservative Head Office telling of the death of the Conservative Leader’s son. The subject for the phone-in was immediately dropped and the remainder of that program and others that followed were taken up with this breaking news.

A Press release reported in the Daily Telegraph read, 'Mr Brown's offer to cancel Prime Ministers Questions had been accepted with "gratitude" by Mr Cameron's office despite William Hague, his deputy, being ready to stand in for the Tory leader'. The last time it was dropped was after the sudden death of the Labour leader John Smith in 1994. Mr Cameron's office later announced he would take two weeks compassionate leave to spend time with his wife and two children Nancy, aged five, and Arthur, aged three, who have been told that Ivan has "gone to heaven".

Once again the conscience of the nation was awakened to the value of life, the value of medical care at the point of need, the value of family where true love is right at the centre for everyone in the home.

It struck me quite heavily that this little boy, Ivan, his life and the cessation of it, has accomplished more in speaking to the nation (and possibly the world) than the majority of us will ever do, either politician in Paliament or preacher in pulpit. This defenceless, helpless little fellow has jolted us to realise that there is quality of life even in suffering, and there is a better life in Heaven for those capable of trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, and also those like Ivan that are too young, or incapable of doing so.

I believe David Cameron has every right to tell Nancy and Arthur that their elder brother has gone to Heaven. This is not an empty hope based upon sentiment but upon the unerring Word of God.

In the Bible we read of another father named David who sorrowed the loss of two sons, one a baby, the other a man. The loss of each son was equally grievous for David, he mourned for both, though he knew that one went to Heaven and the other did not.
Bathsheba’s baby lived a short life and died, David said “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” (2Sam.12:18) The man who wrote Psalm 23 knew where he was going and he knew where his child had gone.

The other son that died was Absalom; he was an adult and tried to usurp the throne from his father. His rebellious life was ended by Joab and one of David’s men reported to the King, “The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2Sam.18:32)

The difference between King David’s two sons was that the baby had not reached an age of responsibility; Absalom had and had turned against God. What a salutary lesson that is for all of us!

Coming back to the text in Matt.ch.18, the corresponding text in Mark ch.9:36 says, “And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them.”

Three other things that Jesus ‘took’ are these. In John ch.6 He took loaves from a lad and fed a multitude of people, He used a lad to be the means of blessing to thousands. May Ivan’s death do the same! In John 13 He took a towel and washed their feet, teaching us a lesson of humility in service. In Mark ch.8:22 He took a blind man by the hand and led him to a better life.
Our text in Matt.18 and Mark 9 tells us that Jesus called a little child unto Him and He took a child and set him in the midst.

What did the Saviour teach us from this? He was showing us that unless we are converted, and we come to Him in childlike faith, trusting Him emphatically for our souls eternal salvation and being with Him in His everlasting Kingdom, unless we do that we shall never get to Heaven, to be received into the loving arms of the one who gave His life on a cross for us. God bless.



Stan Burditt (View from the Pulpit March 09)

Snowy days

We all enjoy the snow apart from when sadly it brings hardship and problems. Quite right too! It is great to have fun and to enjoy the excitement of sledging and snowball fights.

One of the oldest books in the Bible also talks about snow. It teaches lessons from nature so that we will learn that God made our planet to educate us and point our minds and souls to Him.

Lesson 1.

Job 6:16 - Snow melts - How obvious! The lesson is - life is brief.

Lesson 2.

Job 9:30 - Snow was used as an agent of cleansing in the ancient world - We all need cleansing as sin and wrong has defiled us in the sight of a holy God.

Lesson 3.

Job 24:19 - Snow evaporates in the heat - it becomes seemingly insignificant as it disappears. We might feel like that but the word of God tells us that if God counts the birds that die and the hairs on our head we are very important to Him.

Lesson 4.

Job 37:6 - Heavy snowfall is dangerous - we know this too well but nature reminds us that we are unable to control our circumstances so we had better learn that we are mortal and turn to God who is over all, blessed for ever.

Lesson 5.

Job 38:22 - There is an inexplicable dimension in nature. God says "have you been to see the stockpile of snow or hail in the sky". No you say it doesn't exist. You are right but the designed earth produces snow and hail from clouds. Now how is that for a spectacle! God is great in creation and great in salvation.

"The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World"

Facing Death

Today was an unusual one. I went to the funeral of a Christian gentleman. He was old and had been married. He lived a simple life, not much money but he had always seemed to be happy and content. We were told by the preacher that he had been an angry man once, it sounded like he had almost verged on abusing his wife. He had found it impossible to control his temper.

One day he met a family who seemed to be different. They were kind and considerate and had a happy lifestyle even though they were not very wealthy. They explained to him that the source of their contentment was not based on what they had nor an extra-ordinary strength of character but because they had been introduced to God and that they knew His presence and power in their lives.

That day my friend decided that he wanted what they had. They explained that God was offering to everyone the same deal. Simply put - admit your guilt and need before God, confess your inability to live to perfection on your own and accept the offer of forgiveness from God and he will keep his promise to 'save' you. They explained that the offer was genuine because God is the creator and we are answerable to Him but more than that God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth 2008 years ago. All the details of His life point a thinking mind to this fact - God appeared on earth and in person (the person of His Son) paid the price for sin by His death. The factual historical record of the resurrection of Jesus confirms the claims that He is the Son of God and dealt with sin and transgression by His death. God raised Him from the dead by the Spirit of holiness.

Our friend responded when he heard about the offer of forgiveness and the power of a saved and changed life. Will you? Please let us know if we can help you.

Stephen

Signposts to Jesus

Why are Christians are so convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Well you might ask, it's an excellent question.

Our belief is laid on a very solid foundation. First of all we believe in divine revelation not just human discovery. In fact to learn about something outside of our sphere of experience we all accept we need information from a trustworthy source. If you are serious about discovering the truth - check the Bible out. It is a trustworthy source. Read it, check it's sources, speak to those who believe it, look at it 's accuracy in every sphere it touches. There can only be one answer to the question of the origin of a book that was written over one thousand five hundred years by forty different authors, many of whom did not even know each other. The Bible is God's message to mankind.

Secondly check the facts concerning Jesus Christ. There are over three hundred signposts (biblical predictions/prophecies) which point to him. The chances of them all being fulfilled precisely in the life of one person, at the right time, in the right place are mindblowing odds apart from this fact - God planned it and implemented His plan in a person - His Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible predicts the mode of his conception, the place of his birth, his exile into Egypt, the slaughtering of the innocents, the gifts from the magi and lots more.

Finally look at the prediction about the way that Jesus would die. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 52 describe the horrific death of God's Son a cross. Death by crucifixion was unknown when Psalm 22 was written about 1000 years before the death of Jesus but God knew that was the way that His Son would die.

In closing please listen again to the words of the angels who announced the birth of the Lord Jesus 'For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord'. Is he your Saviour? He died 'for our sins'. He suffered 'the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God'. Will you rest by faith on what the Lord Jesus did to save your soul?