Grains of Sand

Pixabay In 1902, E. T. Cassel penned this song: 1. I am a stranger here, within a foreign land; My home is far away, upon a golden strand; Ambassador to be of realms beyond the sea, I’m here on business for my King. Refrain: This is the message that I bring, A message angels fain would sing: “Oh, be ye reconciled,” Thus saith my Lord and King, “Oh, be ye reconciled to God.” 2. This is the King’s command: that all men, everywhere, Repent and turn away from sin’s seductive snare; That all who will obey, with Him shall reign for aye, And that’s my business for my King. 3. My home is brighter far than Sharon’s rosy plain, Eternal life and joy throughout its vast domain; My Sov’reign bids me tell how mortals there may dwell, And that’s my business for my King. Obviously this was written long after the pilgrims of Peter's day had received his letter encouraging them to remain strong and faithful despite the difficulties of their lives ...

Google Images Thirty years of almost complete silence about Jesus comes to an end with the appearance of John the Baptist. Other than His brief appearance in the temple at age 12, we learn little about Jesus during His youth. But the Gospel is the story of a Saviour and that story is about is take flight. It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Such was the situation when John made his first appearance in public. The Ceasars ruled from Rome—a reign both corrupt and malevolent. As the leader leads, so do the followers follow. Alfred Edersheim writes that this was the moment in history for either “ruin or regeneration” ( Jesus the Messiah , p. 177). The rot of Rome threatened to swallow its territories, including that of Palestine. The Jews resisted, but like the Borg’s warning to the Federation in Star Trek: The Next Generation , the message from Rome was this: “You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.” In the midst of decay and desperation, ...

Google Images One of the ongoing concerns that people have about the church is its revolving door, or back door. People come, some stay, others disappear, some look good, others look bad—spiritually, that is. There are complaints about hypocrites, and devastation when a spiritual giant within the congregation turns out to have clay feet. I remember a young man in my youth group—its leader as a matter of fact—who stood up one night in prayer meeting and confessed that he wasn’t a Christian. His profession, his baptism, his leadership was all fake, done to please his parents and others in the church. Looking back I might have picked up a clue on that when, as President of our Christian High School group, he refused to speak at an assembly and left me to do it. The non-Christian kids probably saw through him better than we did! But Jesus warned His followers that in the Kingdom of God there will be real “fish” and plastic “fish” and we might not detect the difference. Sorting those ou...

Reading: John 15-17 Before prayer meeting last night a group of us were commiserating each other on our aches and pains. You see, we are in this difficult transition period between crisp, dry fall and cold, dry winter. It’s rainy and damp and cold. And everything in our bodies is stiff and achy; hands, hips, legs, ankles and even toes. Transitions can be tough. The Apostle John is recording the last mini-series Jesus will share with His disciples before He goes to the cross. While they might not fully understand, they know that somehow they are about to enter into that nether world of transition—Jesus gone and the Holy Spirit not yet come. The Lord has a lot to share with them. Their foggy minds can’t capture all that He is saying now, but later they will remember and be glad that He took the time to patiently explain what they needed to do, and then to pray for them. Chapter 15 tells us that the disciples needed to endure the pruning, abide in Him, obey Him, bear fruit and ...