A weakness for women- Samson

Judges 16

Samson continually shows a weakness for women that is
a) sinful
b) leads him into many dangerous situations.

God graciously provides ways for him to escape and triumph in his marriage, the incident with the prostitute in Gaza, but finally God allows the Philistines to overpower him.

Samson allows himself to love a Philistine woman (again), and puts himself in her power by telling her the secret of his strength. He became complacent and arrogant in his 'strength', forgetting that he is dependent on God and his role as a Nazirite was to be set apart for God. His actions repeatedly went against this role.

But through Samson, God works another victory for Israel- at the cost of Samson's life when he pulls down the temple of Dagon. God's purposes came to pass but Samson often obstructed them more than he fulfilled them.

This is perhaps a warning to us as Christians of the damaging effect romantic involvement with non Christians can have. You can definitely still be a Christian and go out with, even marry, a non-Christian, but in doing so you are obstructing God's work through you. You cannot be as effective for God when you are yoked to an unbeliever (see 2 Corinthians 6). You cannot have a marriage that is a gospel partnership. And you have duties and responsibilities towards your spouse which may reduce your involvement in gospel ministry, because they will not be involved with it too.

We need to constantly examine our hearts to see if we value God above every single other thing (including people) in our lives. If we place a person before Him, even if it's a spouse, then we are not living in the way that He wants us to (see Luke 14:25-27).

Gideon Part 2

Judges 7

God's power and might are shown clearly when He reduces the size of Israel's army to just 300 men, and the Midianites turn on each other. The men of Israel chase them and kill two leaders. It is a thoroughly successful mission, because God is running it!

After all Gideon's indecision, he finally obeys God- with amazing results.

The incident demonstrates how much God wants us to depend on Him, not on our own strength, and how much He deserves all the glory. As soon as God's people forget that they need God they begin to be sinful and disobedience.

It is vital for our spiritual health that we remember who we are and how dependent we are on God for every breath of each day.

Gideon Part 1

Judges 6

The story of Gideon is really remarkable. God punishes the people for turning away from Him, but graciously helps them once they turn back and cry for help.

Gideon doesn't seem to have much faith- he questions where God is in all the misfortunes of Israel, he questions God's command for him to lead the people and he obeys God's command to take down the Baal altar in the dark, because he fears the reaction from others.

In all of this, God marvellously and graciously works to ensure His purposes are fulfilled. He even grants Gideon's requests for the fleece to be wet, then dry, to give him reassurance. God loves His people so much that He does all of this. How amazing!

Judges: worth reading?

Judges has to be one of the most violent, gory and shocking books of the Old Testament. It gives us the famous stories of Gideon and Samson, and yet even these heroic stories are blotted by the flaws of these figures. Gideon is a man who repeatedly doubts God's promises, and his fleece experiments are definitely not an example for us to follow! Samson is meant to be delivering Israel from the Philistines, and yet lets his sexual desires over-rule his calling as he marries a Philistine woman, and later tells Delilah the secret of his strength.

So what is the value of Judges for Christians today? Well, it DOES have value- it is part of the Word of God for starters, and 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking and training in righteousness. Judges probably tells us more what NOT to do than provide positive examples, but it is no less worthy of our attention because of this.

Judges also testifies to the extraordinary faithfulness of God. To put it into context, God has led the Israelites out of slavery to Egypt, and into the promised land. Joshua, their leader after Moses, dies, and not long after this the people begin to do exactly what they were told NOT to do. They do not drive out the other nations completely or break down their pagan altars. God's angel tells them that these nations will be 'thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you' (3). The people weep and offer sacrifices, but it is a sad fact that 'another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel.' (10) Despite the Exodus and establishment of Israel in the promised land, the covenant and the law, they STILL forget God.

As soon as the Israelites worship other gods, they lose their security and are plundered by raiders. But in His mercy, God raises up judges who save them from these raiders (16). The cycle of disobedience and grace, establishing way back in Genesis 3, continues... And yet God is still loving, caring and involved in the lives of His people.

For us as Christians, we perhaps need reminding of why we need the cross of Jesus so much, and why it was such an amazing act of grace for God to send His Son into a world that had rejected Him from its very creation. Judges gives us a horrifying picture of life without God, and motivates us to cling to Jesus, a Saviour who (unlike the flawed judges) brings us perfect relationship with God.

The End of the World

Matthew 25

I remember vividly reading a book at the age of 10 which contained a Notre Dame prediction that the world would end in July of that year. I lived rather fretfully, not really understanding what the end of the world meant, but it sounded bad and I didn't want to be around to see it! But July came and went, and the prophecy came to nothing.

The Bible does teach that the world will end, but we are never told WHEN exactly this will happen. Instead, we are told WHAT will happen and how we should prepare.

Matthew 25 is made up of three parables which Jesus taught, concerning the end of the world. The first is of the ten virgins, which depicts Jesus as a bridegroom who returns to find five virgins ready and waiting, but five virgins who were ill-prepared. They end up being shut out of the wedding feast. This is a picture of Christ returning at the end of the world to collect His people (the Church is often presented as a bride in Scripture- see Ephesians 5). Those who are not ready are excluded.

The second parable is of the talents. It teaches us to use our time on earth wisely- to take our resources (material, educational etc), and use them for our Master's glory. Those of us privileged with a high level of education, wealth, freedom, and good Bible teaching will be expected to use all these things well, and will be judged on how we have used these gifts. So Christians are not meant to hide away in a bomb shelter waiting for Armageddon, but we are expected to use our precious life for the glory of God, spreading the gospel.

The third parable concerns the sheep and the goats. This depicts the final separation of God's people from God's enemies. It is an awesome picture of the end of the world: Christ in glory with the angels, a throne of judgement, all nations before Him. And for God's people, it is a wonderful day- we receive our inheritance, the kingdom prepared for us since the creation of the world (34).

But the real question is, how can you tell a sheep from a goat? At the final judgement, how are God's people discerned? The answer Jesus gives may sound like it's the 'good people' who get to heaven, and the 'bad people' who go to hell. But this does not take into account the rest of Jesus' teaching. Simply put, God's people are discerned because their faith impacts the way they live their lives. Love for Jesus gives us love for the poor and needy. Jesus heavily criticised the Pharisees and other religious leaders for having lots of 'knowledge' about God, but this never impacted the way they dealt with the poor around them. But those who simply 'do good deeds' with no acknowledgement of God cannot be commended either, for they have failed to recognise the heavenly Bridegroom and have not prepared for His coming.

For those outside God's kingdom, the sheep and the goats parable is a terrifying picture of judgement and exclusion. As Christians, then, we should endeavour to make them aware of their situation, and urge them to accept Jesus. It is also a solemn warning to us that our faith HAS to show itself practically!

A summary of David's life

Lessons from David- 2 Samuel 23-24

It is the end of the book, and the writer records David's last words in ch 23 as a summary of his reign and role as king:

- He was a poor man anointed and exalted by God (1).
- God's Spirit spoke through him (2)- we see this in the Psalms and in his godly leadership.
- He ruled in righteousness and fear of God (3), and this points towards Jesus, the ultimate Ruler of righteousness.
- God made an 'everlasting covenant' with him, to keep his house in the lineage for the throne- again this points towards Jesus as David's son and heir.
- David was confident that God would save him and answer his prayers (5). This confidence came from his persistent trust and faith in God throughout his life.
- David avoided evil in his life and always disassociated himself with evil men (6-7).

The added descriptions of David's 'mighty men' further emphasise that this was a blessed time in Israel's history. God had raised up a leader after His own heart, and had given Israel victory over their enemies through miracles and the great courage and strength of those who fought for David. Dai Hankey's book 'The Hard Corps' is an inspiring read based on these heroes who are often overlooked.

The incident of David numbering the army perhaps occurs at the end so that we do not idolise him- he did make mistakes, and his imperfections shown how much we need Jesus, our perfect King.

The account of the plague sent by God, the way He stopped it at the threshing-floor of Araumah, and the way David built an altar there and worshipped the Lord, all point towards God's incredible grace and mercy, rather than David being an inherently 'worthy' person.

David's theology summed up

Lessons from David- 2 Samuel 22

It is coming to the end of David's reign, and the writer includes this amazing chapter of David's raise, that is really an amalgamation of many different Psalms.

The main points are:
Salvation- God is his rock,deliverer, horn of salvation and refuge- from violent men, but also spiritually.

Help- in his worst situations, David could come to Him and be rescued in an amazing way. This parallels God coming down from heaven to deal with our worst situation- hell. Satan is our 'powerful enemy', and God defeated him for us!

Pleasure- it was God's pleasure to save us, because He delights in us (20).

Purity- we need to live obedient lives. We can rejoice because Jesus was perfectly obedient for us (21-25).

Perfection- God is worthy of our praise and worship (31). He sets us free from enemies, and shows us unfailing kindness (51).

Psalms 58-59: Responding to enemies

Lessons from David- Psalms 58-59

Hate their behaviour, don't imitate it
David's rants against unjust men, and calls for God to punish them, may seem unpalatable to modern taste, but at least he does not descend to act like them. In so many films and books, heroes repond to their enemies by treating them in exactly the same way. We are not to be enticed to become like them.

Leave it to God to judge them
David is calling on God to act, not for God to authorise his own vigilante campaign. He recognises that it is God's place to deliver and punish others.

Keep trusting in God and praising Him
'O my Strength, I watch for You;
You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God'. (9)

'But I will sing of Your strength in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.' (16)

David keeps praising God- he doesn't just moan about his enemies all the time! We too need that perspective.

God of wrath, God of love?

"The Old Testament God is a God of wrath. He annihilates entire cities of people. How can you believe in a God like that?"

Ever been asked that question, or asked it yourself? I'm sure we all have.

The Bible is not an easy book to grasp. In the time of history that it spans, there are many events which seem difficult or troubling to the modern mind.

Joshua 11-12 is perhaps one example. Here the Israelite army, led by Joshua, respond to an attack of several cities by completely slaughtering everyone. God hands them over to Israel (6), and everyone back home in the city is put to the sword (11).

'They totally destroyed them, not sparing anything that breathed.' (11)

The author of Joshua makes it clear that Israel acted in obedience to God's command, and God Himself 'hardened ther hearts to wage war against Israel, so that He might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.' (20)

So what are we to make of this?

1. God's mercy is always offered to those who repent... but ONLY to those who repent.
Reading the book of Jonah, we have a situation where an entire city stands under God's judgement, and will be destroyed unless they repent. The Ninevites DO repent, and the city is spared.
This is what these cities in Joshua's time should have done. They had heard about God's miraculous dealings with the people of Israel, rescuing them from Egypt, and they chose to fight against God instead of repenting and worshipping Him (like Rahab). Because of this choice, they are destroyed.

2. God has the right to judge us.
He is the Creator of the universe, the sovereign omniscient Lord of power, and He is utterly and entirely pure. All humans are accountable to Him because of these things. And we all naturally turn away from God and go our own way (Romans 3). This is enough to deserve judgement, even without all the terrible things we think, say and do.

3. The reality of hell.
These episodes of destruction in the Old Testament reflect the eternal destiny of those who reject God: hell. If it's shocking and unpleasant to read about people being killed in war, then we're meant to see how much worse hell is. These accounts are there to shake us out of spiritual apathy and show us how much we need to repent.

4. Only through God's grace can any one be saved.
As the book of Romans in the New Testament seeks to argue, no one deserves God's mercy. It is a gift of His grace. If 10 criminals are released from prison unexpectedly, the public don't say 'Why wasn't every criminal released?' Instead they say, 'Why were 10 criminals released?' It's similar to salvation. Instead of asking why God saves some and not others, we should be asking why He saves ANYONE.

5. Only through Jesus can we be saved.
To say that the Old Testament is about wrath and the New Testament about love is simplistic and naive. The New Testament contains the biggest and most terrifying act of judgement God has ever done: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. On that cross, God's wrath was poured out on His only Son, so that sin could be decisively dealt with and repentant sinners could be saved.
'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' 1 Tim 1:15

6. The whole Bible is linked together by God making promises and fulfilling them.
In Genesis we see God making promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the nation of Israel: to bless them, gie them land and bless all the earth through them. In one sense these promises are being fulfilled in Joshua, as the people claim the promised land. This is a positive thing because it shows the just kingdom of God rightfully replacing the unjust kingdoms of this world, who have usurped His rule over the earth (New Bible Commentary).
But in another sense, it is not until the New Testament that these promises are fully realised in Christ, as Jesus makes it possible for God's people to live under His rule and obey Him, through the forgiveness of the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The lesson of Joshua 11-2 is that God's people need to trust in Him and obey His instructions. The same is true for us today.

Psalms 54-55: Calling out in a crisis

Lessons from David- Psalms 54-55

These two psalms really emphasise God as the One to turn to in a crisis. David is surrounded by enemies and anguish and trouble, yet he can say:
'Surely God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me... I will praise Your Name, O LOrd, for it is good. For He has delivered me from all my troubles.' (4-7)

In faith based on God's character and God's previous actions, David expects to be saved. And so in Ps 55 the tense moves to a continual present:
'I call to God, and the Lord saves me... He hears my voice' (16-17)

David thus encourages the people to exercise the same dependence and faith in God:
'Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He wil never let the righteous fall.' (22)

Don't turn away from God in a crisis- He's the best One to turn to.

Family Problems

Lessons from David- 2 Samuel 13-15

When David sinned with Bathsheba, God said 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you.' (2 Sam 2:11) In this section of the story we see this calamity begin.

Firstly, David's son rapes his virgin half-sister in brutal lust, discarding her straight afterwards. David does nothing, despite his anger. Absalom takes matters into his own ands, and acts in a violent and deceitful way. He is then exiled, and it takes Joab's manoeverings of a 'wise woman' to bring David to a realisation that he damages his family and the nation by the course of action.

David calls for Absalom to return, but does not allow him back into the court. This spurs him on to start a conspiracy to take over the throne. David has to flee Jerusalem in order to rally support, and the whole situation escalates.

David himself seems humble enough to let God do His will, without trying to use the ark of the covenant as a talisman for himself (25). 'Let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him' (26). But once more, David is in a position where he is threatened and in much misery (31). Whilst this is obviously being used by God to further hone and refine his character, David needs to become aware of how important his parenting is.

Parents have such a hard job! They ought to instruct their children in God's ways, whilst still loving and forgiving their children when they make mistakes.

If a situation of sin arises and isn't dealt with, terrible consequences can ensue.

Psalm 37: Reasons not to worry

Lessons from David- Psalm 37

Don't worry! Because...
-enemies of God will wither and die away (1-2)
- need to trust in the Lord, delight in Him, and He will give you the desires of your heart (3-4)
- you have committed your way to Him, so believe in His promises (5)
- need to be patient in God's timing (7)
-worrying leads to anger and other sins- cut it off now (8)
-The Lord upholds the righteous (17)
-your inheritance will endure for ever (18)
-disaster will not be your end (19)
- you have a God who blesses, so you can give generously to others (21-22)
- God makes your steps firm (23)
- Remember other believers: God never forsook them, why should He forsake you?
- You are protected forever by God (28)
- You have a future (37)
- You have a salvation (39)
- God delivers all who take refuge in Him (40)

Psalms 20-21: Trusting in God

Lessons from David- Psalms 20-21

These two psalms hold similar messages- we as humans need to recognise our limitations and trust in God completely. He will answer us and help us (1), and as David prays 'May He give you the desire of your heart' in Ps 20, he testifies in Ps 21 that God has done this (2).

The Lord saves His anointed (6), so instead of trusting in chariots and horses, we need to trust in the Lord (7).

Then we will be able to praise God more, as we see His glory more clearly. David spends most of Ps 21 thanking God for granting his requests (4-5)- but more than this, for giving him 'eternal blessings' and the 'joy of His presence' (6). This is the best of all.

Ultimately, David knows that his stability as a king depends not on his own strength but on God's grace (7). And David has the wisdom to look forward to the time when God will return to judge the wicked (8-12). God will be exalted in this as much as in saving the faithful.

Psalm 19: The God who is wise

Lessons from David- Psalm 19

'The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands' (1)

All of creation witnesses to the existence of a generous and wise God. He can create things well- and does so with grandeur. Just look at the sun (5-6), the centrepoint of our universe. God is brighter, everlasting and more majestic than this.

And God's wisdom is also revealed to us in His Word, described here as perfect, trustworthy, wisdom-giving, joyous, radiant and precious. 'By them is Your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.' (11)

How often do we view God's commands as limiting factors on our lives? Instead we should follow the psalmist's example, and humbly come befre God's Word so that our errors can be discerned (12). By coming to God's Word humbly and prayerfully we are asking God to change us to be increasingly blameless and holy.

'May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.' (14)

Psalm 15: The need for holiness

Lessons from David: Psalm 15
This psalm reminds us that God is holy and requires holiness from us. Only one whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous can dwell with Him. He wants us to speak the truth from the heart, be careful not to speak ill of others, and seek the good of others too.

God wants us to honour those who fear Him and keep our promises 'even when it hurts'. If we do these things we will 'never be shaken', and the Bible gives us so many examples of people who were shaken by sin (such as David in his encounter with Bathsheba).

Even though Jesus has saved us by His righteousness, our holiness is important to God. Our conduct should reflect the kind of God He is and what He has done for us- purified us from all sin.

Psalm 24-25: How to search for God... and find Him

Lessons from David: Psalms 24-25

In Ps 24, David reflects on God's purity and majesty and how men can worship Him. Earth belongs to Him (1), He is the King of glory (7), strong and mighty (8). Therefore 'He who has clean hands and a pure heart' (4) can seek Him and worship.

Ps 25 elaborates more on what it means to seek God. It involves trusting in Him (1), and looking to Him for guidance- 'Show me Your way, O Lord, teach me Your paths.' (4)

It involves asking for forgiveness (7) and deciding to live God's way instead (8). But it is not just one-way. God is loving and faithful to those who obey Him (10). He makes His covenant known to us (14), and comforts us in loneliness, and anguish (16-17). He actively rescues us and gives us refuge (20).

It is a relationship to wonder at and rejoice in.

Psalm 29: Do you have a right view of God?

Lessons from David- Psalm 29

'ascribe to the Lord glory and strength... the glory due to His Name, worship the Lord in the splendour of His holiness.' (1-2)

Do you have a right view of God? This is a life-changing question. And as we look at this psalm, life-changing truths emerge.

We are to give God the attributes of glory and strength. We are to recognise His transcendence, His blazing light, His mighty power that can do anything we could imagine, and much more. Our purpose in life and future glory is to give God the glory due to His Name. Life is not about raising yourself to a higher salary and better living standards, but raising awareness of God and seeing more people praise Him.

Do we have any idea what the splendour of holiness looks like? Probably not, because we are so sinful. But God's blinding purity is the most beautiful sight for sinful men. It is the sight we can be granted only in heaven when we ourselves have been purified.

In v3-9, many great verbs and adjectives are used to describe God's glory: thunders, powerful, majestic strikes, breaks, shakes, twists, strips. He is 'enthroned as King for ever' (10). But even more fantastically, He 'gives strength to His peole' and blesses them with peace (11). We are shown grace from this God of glory, and that is our greatest motivation for worship.

Psalm 51: What to do when you mess up

Lessons from David: Psalm 51
David wrote this psalm after a series of disastrous events in which he demonstrated a spectacular lack of godly leadership and went from one sin (adultery) to another (murder). He had dishonoured God. And his attitude in this psalm is one we can copy when we too dishonour our Lord:
-Ask for mercy (1)- not because you deserve it, but because God is loving and compassionate.
-Acknowledge your sins (3)- particularly that they are against God (4)- and God's right to judge you.
-Ask for cleansing (7)- only God can make you 'whiter than snow'.
-Ask for joy and gladness (8)- which stems from an assurance of salvation (12).
-Ask for God to give you a pure heart (10)- only through His enabling can you be pure, along with His Holy Spirit's help (11).
-Share God's desire for purity with others and encourage them too to receie forgiveness (13).
-Praise God (14-15).
-Understand that instead of rituals or outward gesutres ('I'll go to churh more' etc), God wants a 'broken and contrite heart' (v17).
-Praise God that through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, we can come to Him for cleansing with confidence.

A big mess-up

Lessons from David: 2 Samuel 11-12
Things were going so well for David. He was experiencing the fulfilment of God's promises to him (he had rest on every side from his enemies), and was leading Israel to victory in every battle (through God's grace). The problem with things going well is that we become complacent and arrogant. This seems to have happened to David.

He decides not to go off with the other kings to battle, but to have a rest at home. And the story is well-known: he views Bathsheba bathing, orders for her to be brought to him, sleeps with her, then tries to deal with her subsequent pregnancy by giving her husband too much wine and trying to make him go home to sleep with her. When Uriah refuses to do so, David arranges for him to be killed in battle. He abuses his power as king to take something that is not rightfully his.

Nathan's parable illustrates the selfishness and brutality of David's actions. Faced with the ugliness of his sin, he repents- but must take the consequences (his son's death).

God's grace, though, is shown in His desire to forgive David. The incident shows us how perfect Jesus is by comparison, why He is our true King, and reminds us that we can't hide our sin from God. The best thing to do when we have big mess-ups is to go straight to Him and ask for forgiveness. The spiral of sin David found himself in is one that we are all susceptible to.

Psalm 22: When David saw Jesus

Psalm 22

I've been looking at the connection between David and Jesus, and Psalm 22 is a pretty massive connection!

It's a psalm which David wrote, and it clearly prophesies about Jesus' death on the cross, an event which would not take place for hundreds of years.

On the cross, Jesus cried out v1: 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?' This showed that at that point in time, the Trinity was ripped apart as God the Father poured out His wrath for sin on His Son, the innocent and perfect atoning sacrifice.

But Jesus' quote also pointed His observers to what was happening. The psalm contines in v3-5 to talk of God's sovereignty, and the way He has always saved those who trust in Him. Those watching Jesus die see Him as one rejected by God, and their words virtually repeat v8: 'He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue Him.'

The people could not see that Jesus was enduring the shame of the cross so that they could be saved if they believed.

Jesus also quoted the psalm to show how prophecy was being fulfilled. Being poured out like water, being parched, being pierced in hands and feet, having garments divided- all these details came to pass.

Ultimately Jesus quoted this psalm to remind Himself of the promises of God-
'He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one' (24);
'The poor will eat and be satisfied' (26);
'All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord' (27). 'They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn- for He has done it.' (31)

On the cross, Jesus thought of us. When He proclaimed, 'It is finished', He died knowing He would be raised... and so would all those who died in faith.

David could not have known this, but God's Spirit rested on him, and in this psalm, he had a glimpse of Jesus. How much more privileged are we, to have the full picture in the New Testament!

What is the connection between David and Jesus?

I've been posting recently about the lessons we can learn from David's life- through the narrative in 1 & 2 Samuel and his prayers and songs in Psalms. We have seen how David went through many trials, and his prayers can be a great help to us when we are going through tough times too.

But having just read Graeme Goldsworthy's 'Gospel and Kingdom', I've been reminded of the importance of David's connection with Jesus, and the dangers of misapplying David's experiences to our own lives. For example, Goldsworthy writes that to apply David to ourselves in the story of David vs Goliath is probably not that helpful, because in that incident, David was acting as God's anointed one to save His people. I still think David is an example of faith to us, as I wrote in my blog-post, but I think Goldsworthy's point is very important. We can identify a lot more with the stunned and ecstatic people of Israel than with the giant-slayer! After all, the gospel is all about what God has done FOR us in Jesus Christ:
- Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience for us
- Jesus died taking our punishment for us

Jesus was pre-figured in David, because David was a king after God's heart. David was not a perfect king. But Jesus is! David points us towards Jesus as the ultimate King, the ultimate One anointed by God to save His people. David, in 2 Samuel 5-6, leads Israel to victory (as their king), and defeats the Philistines through God's power. David saves the people from the Philistines. Jesus, however, saves God's people from their sins -past, present and future. It's a whole different scale!

Later in 2 Samuel we will see God's promise to David that his descendant will reign for ever- a prophecy that sees fulfilment in Jesus. Seeing how Jesus is the culmination of all God's promises is a fantastic spur to worship Him more whole-heartedly, I've found this week.

Psalms 13-14: Dealing with depression

Lessons from David- Psalms 13-14

The Psalms cover every aspect of human experience, and Ps 13 focusses on times of depression and despair. It would be unrealistic of us as Christians to be surprised when we encounter these emotions. The Bible never promises that life will be easy. We could be going through tough times- we could even be medically diagnosed with depression as an illness. It is very hard to stay joyful when the chemicals in your brain aren't allowing you to get out of the trough of despair.

But God is faithful through good times and bad. As a Christian, the important thing is to follow David's example and keep trusting in God's 'unfailing love' and rejoicing in His salvation. This doesn't necessarily mean being happy, but it means that you can be assured that God has done everything to solve your biggest problem: separation from Him because of sin.

Ps 14 particularly cuts to the heart of the human condition. 'All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no-one who does good, not even one.'

But God has planned for salvation and made provision for it in the cross of Jesus Christ- that is the thing we can always reflect on to make us glad.

Going the extra mile

Lessons from David- 1 Samuel 23

What do you do when you see someone in trouble? Do you deliberately ignore them? Do you actively help them? Or are you too obsessed with your own problems to even notice?

In this chapter, we see two very different responses to a troubled situation. Keilah, evidently a walled city and a vulnerable population, is being looted by the Philistines. David's reaction is to ask God what to do. Saul's reaction is to make a plan to besiege David at Keilah.

God gives victory to David, as He promised, and answers David's prayers concerning Saul's plans. It is in a sense a hollow victory, because God tells David that the people he saved would give him up to Saul.

From the highpoint of victory, David is forced into the desert hills to hide from his pursuer. Saul is so obsessed with finding David and killing him that he ignores everything else- at the end of the chapter he is forced to face a Philistine attack. Saul is so deluded he even thinks he can bless people in God's Name for giving him the information he wants. He has followed his obsession and become so far steeped into his sin, that he has lost the ability to see what's plainly in front of him: he is being a rubbish king and a rubbish believer.

It's only when we depend on God for victory that we can be truly successful. And successful in Bible terms does not always mean luxury comforts (David wasn't getting any of those), but a close intimacy with God. That's what we should all crave and aspire to.

Psalm 68: God of power, God of the poor

Lessons from David- Psalm 68

We've all seen people on the street, pictures of starving children in Africa, and we've all felt a certain level of helplessness. Tim Chester, author of 'Good News to the Poor', defines modern poverty as not simply about material wealth (or lack of it), but exclusion from society. To be poor is to be helpless, disadvantaged, lacking in education or other means with which to provide for yourself and integrate into society. When we look at the world we see big problems with poverty of various kinds, and it's hard to know, as a Christian, what difference we can make.

Well a good start is here in this Psalm- God. David's Psalm rejoices in God's magnificence- His triumph over enemies (1-2) and His amazing wonders, displaying His power over creation (7-10). He has tens of thousands of chariots (17) and is worthy of praise from princes (27). He rides the ancient skies above, and thunders with a mighty voice (33). All the kingdoms of the earth should praise Him (32).

Great, but how is that relevant to the homeless guy in the bus shelter? Well, the Psalm gives an unexpected twist. God cares for the very opposite of His power- for the social outcasts and rejects. He is
'A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows... (He) sets the lonely in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing' (5-6).

He provides for the poor (10). He daily bears our burdens and saves us from death (19-20). David knew all about this, being a poor shepherd boy, chosen by God to be the next King of Israel, and having to depend on God to provide food and shelter for him as he ran away from Saul's jealousy.

This is the nature of God's character: He is kind, loving, merciful, caring, not proud or distant from our lives. He can provide for our every need. It is never God's pride that separates us from Him, but our own. We need to open our eyes to see our complete poverty before Him. What can we offer Him? Nothing but broken hearts. And that's exactly what He wants from us.

We need to check ourselves- if we are materially wealthy, has that become a barrier for our dependence on God?

And we also need to realise that if God cares so much for the poor, then so should we! Even if we just go and have a cup of tea with a lonely neighbour, we can play a vital role in our communities to comfort the poor, and in doing so show God's care and love for the marginalised.

Psalm 70-71: True hope

Lessons from David- Psalms 70-71

True hope in a situation of despair, like David's, can be found only in God. Note how David:

a) knows God can rescue him from ANY situation v1

b) knows God will protect him in any situation-
'Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go' (3)

c) knows that God will definitely save him from hell and give him eternal life-
'You will again bring me up' (20)

d) accepts that God knows what He's doing, and his job is to trust and praise Him-
'But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You' (4)
'You have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From my birth I have relied on You.' (5-6)
'My mouth will tell of Your righteousness, of Your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.' (15)
'Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter, You will restore my life again' (20).

Psalm 34: Experiencing God's goodness

Lessons from David- Psalm 34

'I will extol the Lord at all times,' David cries (1), because 'I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.' (4)

The context for this Psalm (David's encounter with Abimelech, when he feigned madness and managed to escape) shows that it is a testimony of a time where David sought God and God answered. It is an experience of God's goodness that leaves David jumping for joy with praise to God, despite his otherwise troublesome situation (being on the run from Saul).

And what is the point of our faith unless we experience God's grace for ourselves? Unless the joy of being in a relationship with Jesus penetrates our attitude and daily life, we can have no true faith.

This psalm calls us to experience God's goodness personally:
'Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him' (8).

Note that it says 'takes refuge'- that implies that things will be difficult for us. We will have troubles, and we will need refuge. Experiencing God's goodness is not, then, about having a sunny problem-free existence, but about coming to God in the bad times as well as the good, and still praising Him- because there is always something to praise God for.

The Bible gives us great promises that are REAL! We can know God's grace now and even this side of heaven, we can discover that 'those who fear Him lack nothing... no good thing' (9-10).

We need to turn from evil and do good (14) if we want to know true blessing, but the best thing is that the Lord redeems us. No matter how sinful we are, 'no-one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him' (22). This is the amazing truth of the Gospel.

When God doesn't intervene

Lessons from David- 1 Samuel 21-22

It seems that this whole situation has really brought out the worst in Saul. While David is reduced to nibbling on consecrated bread and feigning insanity, 85 priests are killed by Saul's sinful rage. This could all have been prevented if God had killed Saul and made David King. But God did not intervene in this way. Why not?

He had good reasons! He is perfectly good and all His ways are just. He wanted to teach David more about trusting in Him, and whilst we may not always understand His ways, we need to trust that He is in control and knows what He's doing.

The scenario with the priests gives us two important lessons:
1. Don't be spiritually complacent- Saul was anointed by God... and now he's a killer.
2. Don't obey an evil request- the king's officials were right to disobey him.

Overall, there may be many times in life when we don't understand what God is doing. He may allow things to happen that we don't like. But we need to trust that He is doing everything for our benefit, because He loves us, and for His glory, because He is great and good.

Psalms 6-7: Turning to God in a crisis

Lessons from David- Psalms 6-7

Even in his darkest moments of gut-wrenching sorrow (6-7) David turns to God and asks for mercy and healing (2). He does this because he trusts in God's unfailing love (4), and affirms his belief at the end that God will answer his prayer.

In Ps 7, a more detailed picture is given of God- showing us why David (and we) should trust Him. God is someone to take refuge in, because He can save and deliver us from deadly foes (1-2). God is a God of justice (6), who is righteous and searches minds and hearts, to bring an end to the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure (9).

He saves the upright in heart (10). We should echo David in saying:
'I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the Name of the Lord Most High.' (17)

Pursued but not alone

Lessons from David- 1 Samuel 19-20

David's situation in these chapters is not good. In fact, it is dire.

For a while he lives precariously in Saul's house (again evading Saul's deadly spear), and runs away to find Samuel- the prophet who anointed him. Why? To reaffirm his calling? To ask what God was doing? To be with someone Saul feared and respected? Maybe all these things.

It is understandable that so many Psalms speak of anguish, but affirm a trust in God. Even in dark times, David saw evidence of God's hand providing for him and protecting him:
-the warnings he received from Jonathan and Michal
-Jonathan's intervention
-the Spirit working on those who came to capture David, even Saul himself
-the arrows signal

God provided Samuel and Jonathan to comfort, reassure and help David to escape Saul's wrath. They were able to affirm his innocence ('He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel... Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David' 19.5) whilst still giving glory to God.

Jonathan particularly stands out as a model of sacrificial friendship, placing his relationship with his father on the line to save David. He doesn't think of his own satus and power, but of David's- he evidently believes and supports God's anointing (20.15).

Jonathan loves God, and his care for David is an outworking of that. David has to face a time of lonelienss and persecution, but Jonathan will be praying for him.

100 things to do before you die... the search for fulfilment

Dave Freeman, the 47 year old author of '100 Things to do before you Die', died this week from hitting his head at his home in California. John Harlow & Roger Waite wrote an article in 'The Sunday Times' entitled 'Life as a List', discussing why the concept of 100 Things became so popular. Freeman opens his book saying:

'Life is a short journey. How can you make sure you fill it with the most fun and that you visit all the coolest places on Earth before you pack your bags for the very last time?'

That is very much an attitude treasured in modern culture. We want to live life to the full while we can.

Well the Bible talks about living life to the full too- but in a different way. The Bible tells us that life is not just the 80 or so years you have on earth. Every human being has an eternal soul, and the life you have after death is actually a lot more important than the life on earth, because it is eternal.

Jesus said,
'I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.' John 10:10-11

In dying on the cross, Jesus was laying down His life in order that human beings could enjoy life to the full. You see, all of us are born with an invisible ball and chain around our feet. We go through life pretty unaware of it, but when we die, it's because the ball and chain finally caught up with us.

The ball and chain is sin. We are weighed down by our guilt for turning our backs on God, and the only way to live life to the full is to have the ball and chain removed.

On the cross, Jesus took the punishment for our guilty rebellion. He has the key to unlock your chain... but you have to ask Him. You have to acknowledge that the ball and chain exist. You need to realise how much you need Jesus.

Once you come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness, you experience true freedom. The ball and chain are taken off and flung away, and you are free to live life to the full now, and in eternity. The Bible talks about heaven, not as a fluffy white-clouded place, but about a real home for God's people where we can be with God forever with no suffering or pain (see Revelation 21). It puts our earthly life into perspective.

You see, the paradox of Freeman's 100 Things philosophy is that you can't ever get real fulfilment from doing really amazing things here on earth. Simon Reeve is quoted in this article as saying:

'because we all have such limited free time we rely on planes to whisk us to a place where we've been told we can have an extraordinary experience. Usually that just involves standing alongside a thousand other tourists.'

My family recently went to Lake Garda in Italy and this is certainly what they said! (Although of course it is very beautiful there.)

Even Freeman himself admitted that spending all your time hunting for Eden can ruin paradise for you.

The message of the Bible is that you can't find fulfilment anywhere else except in God. He offers us everything we need- Jesus explained this once by using a metaphor of water:

'whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' John 4:13

We were created to have a relationship with God. Only when that relationship is restored through our forgiveness in Jesus, can we truly be made whole. That is where true fulfilment lies.

Psalm 16: The joy of knowing God

Lessons from David- Psalm 16

'apart from You I have no good thing' (2)

David here shows a single-minded devotion to God, treasuring Him above all else and recognising Him as the source of all goodness.

Next to God, David delights in the saints (3) as the people of God. Christians have an unshakable bond with other believers, because we all share the same secure lot and delightful inheritance in heaven (5-6). We have all come to realise that there is nothing but sorrow in pursuing other gods (4). How much do we cultivate deep relationships with people at church, regardless of their age, job or background?

David praises God and sets Him before himself (7-8). His heart is glad and he is secure (9), because of the hope of resurrection (10). How much more (post-Jesus) can we rejoice in this hope!

'You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.' (11)

Subjected to jealousy

Lessons from David- 1 Samuel 18

It's good to be reminded of what David endured before he became King. Having been anointed by Samuel, and defeated Goliath, David is subjected to Saul's jealousy and suspicion. His God-given success (5) is a reminder to Saul of his own depravity.

David is unfairly treated, from being targetted with a spear (10), to being trapped with Saul's schemes. Saul had promised to give whoever slayed Goliath one of his daughters in marriage; now he seeks to avoid keeping his promise or, worse still, use it against David (21).

But God's blessing is such, that He even uses Saul's threatening challenge (24-25) to bless David, as he completes it successfully. This chapter highlights David's success -a gift from God- and God's faithful protection even when he is in mortal danger.

Psalm 4: Giving Him the glory

Lessons from David- Psalm 4

The secret of David's success against Goliath was that he recognised that God deserved glory, and Goliath was trampling that glory. David trusted that God would act for His own glory, and this Psalm explains more about how this relates to our relationship with God.

David's prayer shows that God is a righteous God who demands righteousness from His people. He gives relief from distress and mercifully answers prayer (1), but expects men to give Him glory and worship Him instead of false gods (2). The Lord has set apart the godly for Himself (3)- they are His and He defends them.

So if we seek to glorify God, we experience His protection and care. If we ignore Him, then we forfeit this blessing, and true joy. Our sin becomes a barrier between us and the God of holiness. This is why David says:
'In your anger do not sin... Offer right sacrifices (for us this means believing in Jesus) and trust in the Lord' (4-5).

Only God can show us what goodness is (6), and only He can give us soul-satisfying joy and peace:
'You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.' (7)

A daring act of faith

Lessons from David- 1 Samuel 17

The story of how David killed Goliath is well-known, but what is made pointedly clear by the writer of this book is that it was not a victory of skill and strength, but of faith. It's easy to miss that in the thrill of the story.

Saul and the Israelites were 'dismayed and terrified' (11) of Goliath's stand-off challenge. But look at David's reaction:
'Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?' (26)

Is David being young and foolhardy, or conceited as his brother accuses him (28)? No, David knows his God! He sees the 9ft tall armoured giant... then thinks of his God, who made the universe and formed the stars with His hands. No comparison!

David was filled with God's Spirit since his anointing by Samuel (16.13). He spoke with faith and courage from God's Spirit, who reassured him that the God he trusted in would not fail him. In earlier battles with lions and bears (34-36), David learnt the grace of God's protection and strength:
'The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.' (37)

But more than Saul or anyone else, David recognises (in Spirit-given wisdom) that this is more than a physical battle. God's Name stands trampled by Goliath's pride- he has 'defied the armies of the living God' (36) in his challenge. And God's people needed to act to glorify God's Name. It is no testimony to God's power and might when His people run away in fear.

When he faces Goliath, David does so for God's glory, in God's strength (not his own):
'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the Name of the Lord Almighty... This day the Lord will hand you over to me... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel'. (45-46)

In humble simplicity, David the shepherd defeats Goliath the warrior- all through God's strength and power. It is notable that God uses the humble, lowly David rather than Saul the King or even Eliab the elder brother, because out of all of them, only David had faith that God would act to defeat Goliath and glorify His Name. We need the same faith.

Never judge a book by its cover...

Lessons From David #1- 1 Samuel 16

This is our introduction to David: he is a young shepherd boy, not counted as important and certainly not the future king Samuel was looking for. He is described as 'ruddy' with 'handsome features'- nothing to dislike, but nothing to impress either.

'The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' (7)

This is immensely encouraging for us! We are not sized up by God in terms of height, muscles or social stature. He just looks at our hearts. God is not impressed by how much money or stuff we have- all He wants from us is a 'broken and contrite heart' (See Psalm 51). That means humility- we should recognise our need for Him. We don't need anything else, because God can meet all our needs anyway.

This is shown clearly when David is anointed and the Spirit of the Lord came on him in power (13). This then has the knock-on effect of being the reason for David entering Saul's service:
'He is a brave man... And the Lord is with him.' (18)

David's harp-playing gives Saul peace- already pointing towards Saul's defects as a king and how David is a better, more godly man. But it's notable that David starts small- he doesn't become king straight away. He has to wait, and go through a lot of troubled experiences first. God has much to teach him. And, through his experiences, we have much to learn too.

How can I trust the Bible? #2

How can you trust the Bible when it's so unscientific?

I've been asked this question so many times.

The idea that the Bible is unscientific probably comes from people's perception of the Genesis account of creation in six days, which contradicts their evolutionary science education.

There are several different Christian responses to the whole question of creation-evolution, and I don't want to tackle that issue now. Firstly, I want to combat this common stereotype that the Bible is 'unscientific'.

Christians believe that the Bible is the 'Word of God'. This means that although men wrote it, the words they were writing were given to them by God. They were 'inspired' by the Holy Spirit. God ensured that what they wrote was free from error.

Now God is the biggest, greatest Scientist in the universe! He INVENTED science! He created this incredibly complex universe and all its natural laws and delicate eco-balances come through His design.

So it's unsurprising that the Bible contains various comments that reveal an awareness of science far beyond its historical era, pointing towards God's authorship behind the human writers.

Look at Job 38:31: 'Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion?'
Only in the last 30 years have we discovered what this verse means- scientists found that Pleiades is a loose cluster of stars, whereas Orion is a tight cluster. God thus is speaking to Job about His formation of the stars, something Job would not have understood but was led to write down.

Job 26:7 states 'He hangeth the world upon nothing', a bold statement regarding the gravitation of the earth that means it doesn't have to be supported by anything physical. At the time, ancient Greeks believed the world was held up by Atlas, and the Muslims believed the world was held up by a bull. The Bible was right.

Isa 40:22 says that earth is spherical: 'He sits upon the circle of the earth'.

And to top it all off, Job 38:14 states that the earth is spinning: 'The earth takes shape like clay under a seal'. What does that mean? Well, a Hebrew seal was a cylinder that you rolled along the parchment- it rotates on its axis. Here is a perfect picture of how the earth moves through space.

Luke also shows that the earth has different timescales, a concept unknown to the people of his day. Luke 17:24-25- 'I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.'
Jesus is talking about His Second Coming, and we know there will only be one Day of the Lord. But what do these verses say? Two people are in bed, sleeping- it must be night time. But two women are going about their daily work in the daytime. Thus this shows that when Jesus returns, half the world will be in daytime, and half in night time.

These are just a few examples of how the Bible makes scientific statements that are way ahead of its time. But really, you need to read it for yourself to see how amazingly practical a book it is. Unlike the Qu'ran, which is a collection of Mohammed's sayings, the Bible is a collection of 66 inspired books, which vary in genre from history, poetry, letters and law. You need to be aware of these differences in style when you read it.

This book, 'Dig Deeper' by Nigel Beynon and Andrew Sach, is really helpful in explaining how to read the Bible:

Helping Christians who are married to non-Christians

Recently I posted a series of articles on Christian attitudes to dating and relationships, including the principle that Christians should not go out with, or marry, a non-Christian.

But what happens if you become a Christian AFTER marriage? Or what if you DID marry a non-Christian? Perhaps you know a Christian who is married to a non-believer. What help can you give?

Well I'd like to recommend John Dickson's 'Promoting the Gospel'. I found this book, which covers evangelism in all areas of life, particularly enlightening on the subject of mixed faith marriages. He looks at 1 Peter 3:1-2:
'Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.'

This is what he says:
'Peter plainly says that people can be won to Christianity through behaviour. Am I saying that faith in Christ can come about without hearing the gospel? No... people cannot put their faith in Jesus without first learning the gospel about him. However, this does not mean that hearing the gospel is the only cause of faith...
Peter's words in 1 Peter 3:1-2 are not intended as a "let-off" for those who are shy about Christ, but as an encouragement to those who find themselves in situations in which speaking about the Faith is difficult or inappropriate. The marriage relationship (the specific context of Peter's words) is a classic example...
[Be reassured that] the Lord of the harvest can win over our loved ones without a word (from you) by the power of a godly life.' (p100-101)

In other words, if your spouse is not a Christian, you need to:
1. Pray for them to be saved.
2. Continue as a Christian yourself- keep going to church and join a small group, or find a Christian friend of the same sex as you who you can meet up with for prayer and support. Don't struggle alone- get help! Finding someone else in the same situation could be really helpful for both of you (again same sex as you applies).
3. Live a God-honouring life before them, to point them towards Jesus.
4. Share the gospel with them when the opportunity arises, in a gentle and respectful way.
5. Don't nag them!
6. Guard yourself against lust and jealousy for Christian marriages in your church. Pray against discontentment. God has put you in this situation for a reason, to teach you new things, and He is in control. He works everything for the good of those who love Him, so trust that He knows what He's doing (Rom 8:28).

1 Corinthians 7 is really relevant to this situation:
'If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him.'

In Corinth, people were becoming Christians, and then divorcing their unbelieving spouses. Paul says this is wrong! God is a God of faithfulness, who hates divorce. That is never what He wants you to do. Instead, God 'sanctifies' the unbelieving spouse- in other words, God makes special provision for His children who are married to unbelievers. He does not automatically convert the spouse, but He blesses the children of a mixed faith marriage.

Of course, this passage is not a justification for Christians, who have the choice of who they marry, to marry non-Christians. The question 'how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?' is a verse of encouragement to those in a very difficult situation, not a mandate to enter this situation. Paul makes it clear in this very chapter that if a Christian has the choice of whom they marry, they should definitely marry another Christian (v39). The whole point about retaining the place in life to which God has called you simply means that you can't get out of your marriage bond when you become a Christian.

Being a Christian married to a non-Christian is very tough, and no Christian should ever willingly choose this situation. But, as I can testify from witnessing it with my own eyes, God can certainly bring much blessing to those who seek to remain faithful to Him within a mixed faith marriage. The church needs to be particularly pro-active in supporting these marriages, particularly the Christian spouse, who can easily become isolated. Churches also need to be aware that a Christian married to a non-Christian will have to be sensitive to the needs of their spouse, which may mean a reduced involvement in serving in church life. If you are a Christian who is supporting a friend in a mixed faith marriage, or you are in a mixed faith marriage, keep praying for God to give you wisdom. I'd very much appreciate any comments you can make to share from your own experiences. May the Lord bless you!

How can I trust the Bible? #1

The Bible was written millennia ago and is translated from the original languages. There must be some element of human error within its pages.

Have you ever thought this? Or maybe been told this by someone else?

The trustworthiness of the Bible is really crucial -not only for my blog, which is based on what the Bible says, but it has huge implications for our lives.

My blog is called 'Treasuring Christ', and there is absolutely no reason why anyone should base their whole life around doing this, unless the Bible is true.

The reason that I treasure Jesus, is because the Bible teaches me that:
1. I'm separated from God by my sin
2. I've been rescued out of this separation by Jesus' death on the cross
3. I now have a place in heaven because of what Jesus has done for me

If you can identify with these three things, I'm sure you'll agree that it's essential to be able to show other people why you believe in Jesus. If you can't identify with these three things, I'm sure you're wondering why or how I can believe them. The reliability of the Bible is a key element in this discussion.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Bible far outweighs any other historical document in terms of reliability, as the table below shows:

Ancient Manuscript Date Earliest Copy No of Copies
Julius Caesar- Gallic Wars 100-44 BC 900 AD 10
Tacitus- Annals of Roman History100 AD 1100 AD 20
Plato- Tetralogies 427-347 BC 900 AD 7
Sophocles 496-406 BC 1000 AD 100
Aristotle 384-322 BC 1100 AD 5
New Testament c. 50 AD 130 AD 24, 633


We do not question the reliability of the works of Caesar, Plato and Aristotle, and yet we question the Bible when the statistics are far ahead in favour of it.

In 1947 the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, after being preserved for 1900 years. The text of Isaiah in the scrolls and in a text written 1000 years previously, only 17 letters were different- and these were mere spelling errors. No substantial changes had occurred, and the meaning was not affected. This testifies to the incredible accuracy of the Bible manuscripts. As a matter of fact, when copying Scriptures the Jews had very strict rules to abide to, such as:
The breadth of the column had to be 30 letters, length 48-60 lines
No word, letter or even a yod was to be written from memory
Only authentic copies were to be used as an exemplar
No one should take any notice of even a king when writing God's Name.

There are many more rules, and what they amounted to was not only incredible accuracy in copying, but exact spacing, so that they could instantly tell if the copy was incorrect, and if it was it would be rejected.

I thoroughly recommend this book by Amy Orr-Ewing if you have further questions about this:

How can I change my feelings?

I've been posting recently about relationships. I know this is a really tough area of life for many Christians (I certainly found it so, before I got married). I thought I'd use this post to deal with the whole issue of Christians falling in love with non-Christians. I know what it's like, because I've done it myself, but the way I dealt with it was pretty rubbish. I'd love to encourage you not to make the same mistakes.

So, the situation could be that you're a Christian, you're at school or at work, surrounded by non-Christians. At your church, there's a lack of people your own age of the opposite sex. In your daily environment, you're developing friendships with people naturally, through spending time with them, and gradually you notice yourself feeling something more than friendship for one of the guys/girls you know.

What do you do?

Well in practice there's several options:
1. You let things develop and you go out with this person.
2. You sit on the fence, telling the person that you can't go out with them, but you don't make any effort to avoid them or end the friendship. Things kind of hang around in the air uncomfortably- and something might happen.
3. You back off.

What are the consequences of these various courses of action?
With (1), you could end up marrying them, or break up with them. Neither of these options are very desirable. With marrying them, you might have 'followed your heart' but you won't have treasured Christ above the relationship. Your faith will probably suffer. By breaking up with them, it'll probably be really difficult and you'll both feel hurt and unhappy. During the relationship, you could also have made mistakes and gone too far. That's an added pain.

With (2), your witness as a Christian is not going to be that of a shining star (see Philippians 2:15). You run the risk of being flirtatious and leading someone on, which is cruel and unfair, and also of something happening unexpectedly due to the build-up of tension. If you've decided not to go out with someone, you need to make it clear by following through with your conduct... and this involves backing off.

With (3), it's definitely not going to be easy. You have to go against your feelings, and there may be some awkwardness with friendship groups and where you hang out etc. But (3) is the best option if you want to put Jesus first. (3) is the only option which makes it clear to the other person that you've made a decision that you're going to stick by. (3) is the only option in which people can see that Jesus means more to you than anything else... even your feelings. (3) is an option where God will be faithful, and help you through the pain and difficulty, because you're doing it to honour Him.

If you do choose (3), I strongly recommend that you get someone on board to help you. Find a trustworthy person at church, tell them about the situation, and ask them to pray for you. With their help and encouragement, you can get through it.

And believe it or not, you will find that your feelings follow your decision. It may take a while, but this is not the only area of life in which you shouldn't let your feelings dictate your actions. The Christian life is not based around feelings! It's about BEING something... being saved by grace... being loved by God. Our feelings take a while to catch up with those realities.

How should I approach relationships?

Personally, I've had so much grief in the area of relationships that I really want to post something about what I've learnt (the hard way). I wrote yesterday about the importance of Christians not going out with non-Christians -I can testify that this never helps your faith, and leads you down some very sticky paths. But there has to be more to a Christian perspective on relationships than this 'don't go out with a non-Christian' principle. And there is!

We have such an opportunity in our romantic relationships to show the world how different we are, now that Jesus has changed our lives. Our most important relationship in the world is with Him, and He is always faithful and will never break our hearts! Hooray for that!

If you really want to treasure Christ above all other things, then whoever you go out with needs to help you love Jesus more. The only thing that really matters when you consider whether to go out with someone or not, is this: Do they love Jesus? Could I love them?

God is amazing. He created chemistry, and He brings people together for marriage who complement each other perfectly and completely click. I'm not saying that anyone should simply pick a Christian, any Christian, and ignore their attraction (or lack of it) to that person. What I'm saying is that it's a mistake to prioritize physical attraction above how much a person loves God and wants to please Him.

There are some great books on Christian relationships out there which I have read (see bottom of page for recommendations), and three principles have emerged from all of them:

1. Don’t date for fun.
The common idea in our culture that you need to ‘have fun’ while you’re young and have one-night stands, or kiss random people in clubs, or just go out with someone ‘casually’, is all extremely opposite to God’s standards in the Bible. God cares deeply about all people, and wants us to do the same. We should never ‘use’ people for physical pleasure, or to look good to our friends, or just to combat loneliness. 1 Corinthians 16:14 says ‘Do everything in love’, and chapter 13 defines love as patient, kind, not envying, not boasting, not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, forgiving, not delighting in evil but in the truth, protective, trusting, hopeful and persevering. Therefore if Christians do have relationships, they are not to be shallow, but should follow the Bible’s definition of what real love is.

2. Guard your heart.
Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” There is a powerful demonstration of the impact of relationships on a person’s life. Whenever you have a close romantic relationship, it’s like gluing two pieces of paper together. When the relationship breaks up, it’s like trying to tear those pieces of paper apart. It’s messy, and in real life, it’s a painful experience. This is why the world’s idea about having lots of relationships before finally ‘settling down’ is a bad one. It means that by the time they finish university, the majority of people have slept with a number of people, and had several romantic involvements. This gives people a lot of emotional ‘baggage’ which then creates issues when you do want to get married.

For Christian teenagers who are nowhere near ready to get married, it’s often wisest to guard your heart and not let yourself get too involved romantically with anyone. Be careful not to spend too much time alone with someone of the opposite sex, if they are not seeking to honour God in the way that they treat you.

If you really like someone, bring it to God in prayer and talk about it with someone at church. It’s always good to get wise advice about such things.

3. Be pure
'Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.' Philippians 4:8
In the way that you think about members of the opposite sex, be pure.
In the way that you act around members of the opposite sex, be pure.
In the way that you speak to members of the opposite sex, be pure.
Whether you're in a relationship or not, your thoughts and behaviour matter! God wants you to be absolutely spotless, and He has cleansed you through the blood of Jesus from all of your sins. Don't defy your new status as purified by God, by returning to the mud again.

Lust- wanting something that does not belong to you (usually in a sexual sense)- is a very pervasive sin. It can manifest itself in X-rated thoughts, in addictions to pornography, or in hungry kissing that leads on to more.

Do what Joseph did- run away from it! Don't give yourself any opportunity to fall. Don't have an internet connection in your bedroom. Don't be alone with your boyfriend/girlfriend in a room together with the door closed.

Do what Job did- make a covenant (promise) with your eyes, not to linger on people and treat them as objects. Avoid parts of a supermarket which stock men's magazines. Bounce your eyes away from unhelpful billboards. Look away from a cinema screen if there's an unexpected sex scene.

Pray and depend on God for strength to fight this sin in your life. It CAN be beaten through the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you're not accountable to anyone in your church, find a trusted Christian there who will ask you candid questions about how you're doing in this area, and ask them to pray for you. Don't think you're the only one who struggles with this. Everyone has some form of struggle with lust in their lifetime.

Below are some books I recommend which deal with this whole area: