Christ in Saturnalia – A Postscript

Posted on December 29, 2013 by davidgrose

(See also previous post) I came across a reference to Saturnalia whilst reading an historical novel. There was a passing comment about a slave owner who decided to free his slaves at Saturnalia. The slaves who were looking forward to a week of being served by their owners were not best pleased with the timing. They thought the owner was being a cheapskate. (Probably true.) Yet when we are offered freedom in Christ our reaction can be similar to those slaves, we think of the worldly pleasures that we are being asked to forego for a short time rather than be grateful for being saved in eternity. Not only does this stop people from accepting Christ in the first place, but too often we look back like Lot’s wife. James also refers with disdain on those who are “double-minded.” All too soon our fire cools down to Laodicean lukewarmness. We hear endless talk of revival, but few today know what that would entail, when one studies the histories of genuine revivals there has been a single-mindedness of purpose of those who were responsible for their initiation, often praying intensely for weeks on end before revival manifested itself. These days there seem to be too many distractions that prevent us from being of that mindset. I am guilty as anyone else of this, so do not look to me as to how to overcome this, I am struggling myself.

David Rose, 2013.

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Christ in Saturnalia.

Posted on November 24, 2013 by davidgrose

The title of this post is chosen deliberately to raise a few eyebrows. Especially from those Christians who oppose the celebration of Christmas because it is based on a pagan festival. The pagan festival in question being Saturnalia. How can Christ be associated with a festival named after the pagan god Saturn and associated with drunken excess? It seems mad to many Christians these days that this should have “Christianised” into Christmas. However one has to understand something of the importance of Saturnalia in the Roman Empire. The civilisation and economy of the Roman Empire was based on the institution of slavery. During Saturnalia the roles of the slaves and their masters were reversed and for one week in the year the owners and their families served the slaves. This became an important safety valve in the social order of the Empire preventing many Spartacus style slave revolts.
When the second person of the Trinity who was involved in the Creation of the universe was born in the form of a human baby he came to act as a servant and not as the master of the universe. So there is a sense that when we see Jesus in the Gospels we see Him in the reverse of his role in eternity. Just as if a visitor to a household in Roman times came during Saturnalia he might get the wrong impression as to who was the slave and who was the master. How many Christians today treat Jesus as if he was just a servant? When we pray it is all too easy to pray for our will to be done and just add Jesus’ name at the as a cipher. Compared with the vastness of eternity the thirty odd years that Jesus spent on this earth as “The Suffering Servant” was only a short blink. We get a glimpse of the ‘normal’ Jesus in Exodus chapter 24 verses 9-10:- “Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.” As Scripture says elsewhere that no one has seen the Father then this must be the Son. Then again during Jesus’ time on earth in his ministry there was the Transfiguration mentioned in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew chapter 17, etc.) where His glory shone through. Finally, in Revelation Chapter 21, verse 23, The city does not need a sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of the God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” It is all too easy for us to misunderstand the verse in Hebrews Chapter 13 that says “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever” thinking that it refers to Jesus in the context only of his earthly ministry. Equally, when we read or hear that familiar passage from Philippians chapter 2 that starts “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the nature of a servant, . .” we find it difficult if not well nigh impossible to comprehend exactly how many orders of magnitude he humbled himself to die for our sins on the cross. It is mind-blowing.
We can all feel uncomfortable when we read of Jesus when he washed the disciples’ feet, because we find it difficult to humble ourselves to do likewise. It is convenient for us to ignore how far he humbled himself. Maybe some of those who say they do not celebrate Christmas have the same difficulty that many Jews of Jesus’ time on earth who could understand the concept of the “Suffering Servant,” and that is the real reason they feel it is inappropriate to celebrate the Lord’s birth at a time of year when the masters served the servants?
True that December 25th was probably not the actual date of Jesus’ birth, with many who reckon that it took place at or near the Feast of Tabernacles in the autumn. Yet there is a connection with Saturnalia after all.
David Rose, 2013.

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Biblical Diversity.

Posted on October 27, 2013 by davidgrose

SONY DSCDiversity is one of those words much in use these days, whether it is bio-diversity (the variety of all kinds of life on this planet) or the diversity of lifestyles and beliefs. The former, from a Biblical point of view, can be said to reflect the God’s creative nature. The latter is more problematic because it is used to attack Christianity and Biblical values. So what does the Bible say on the subject? Quite a lot, in fact. Though in the Old Testament the Israelites were always warned about worshipping other gods there was diversity within Israel. The Levites were separated from the other tribes to serve the Lord in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. Within the tribe of Levi the descendants of Aaron were separated to serve as priests. Later during the Temple era some Levites assigned roles such as musicians and singers. Even today in Judaism unity is not mistaken for uniformity. In the Church era the process continued provided one accepted faith in Christ there diversity within the individual assemblies as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians chapter 12:- The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; although all its part are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptised with one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body be an eye where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear where would be the sense of smell be? (verses 12-17). Paul’s view of diversity is under attack today from those outside the Church who hold strong secularist/atheist beliefs. There are also those within the Church who have been affected by this prevalent world view.

Nowadays if an ear is jealous of the eye then they are liable to claim discrimination and invoke equality legislation, just because the eye is better at seeing. Some parts of the Church see traditional structures as wrong and too rigid, a bit like an organ of the body saying to a thigh bone “You are just a big lump of bone.” But inside a thigh bone is marrow which produces the red blood cells. Without these cells the rest of the body will eventually die. There is danger that one part of the body may not appreciate the role of another. The lungs might say to the ribs “You are restricting me, you need to be more flexible.” Failing to understand that the ribs are protecting them. It is easy for someone who is full of enthusiasm for something to see those who urge a note of caution as enemies. Such misunderstandings can easily spiral out of control and lead to division in the Church.

The problem arises when people mistake diversity under God’s sovereignty for diversity from God’s sovereignty.These days people want to believe any weird and wonderful idea. The concept of objective truth is frowned upon. Jesus’ claim to be the Truth in John chapter 14 is anathema to the modern, or should I say post-modern, way of thinking. So it is not surprising that Christianity or any Christian who raises their head above the parapet is under attack. The truth of Scripture is constantly assailed. There is a totally different mindset between the Biblical and the worldly viewpoints. Developed by those who supported the idea of the permissive society back in the 1960s the antagonism shown by those who follow a secularist agenda towards traditional Christian values has increased. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, if that is the case then Josef Goebbels has many admirers today, for they follow his doctrine of telling a thousand lies in order to establish a ‘truth.’ In fact if you tell a lie a thousand times all you end up with is a bigger lie. The truth will win out in the end. To return to the analogy of the body, if one contracts a disease of some sort, whether a virus or bacterium, the immune system comes into play. At least that is the healthy response. In today’s society that sort of reaction is liable to be termed as ‘phobic.’ True the knee-jerk reaction of some Christians is the spiritual equivalent of anaphylactic shock, when confronted with something unbiblical. That does not mean that a measured response to many of the social trends, that seem to question and undermine our faith, should not be made. On the contrary we should. It is just that it is all too easy to be seen as a Don Quixote character tilting at windmills and completely out of touch with reality. Always trying to fight the last war over again, forgetting that weapons and tactics have moved on. Just because God is Spirit and therefore outwith Time, does not give us an excuse to live in a time-warp. Wisdom and insight are required.
A healthy body with a healthy immune system will recover from many ailments in time. But an unhealthy body with a poor immune system can easily lead to a serious deteriorating condition. Likewise a Church fed on spiritual junk food may suffer greatly when challenged by a controversy that a healthy church will brush off. Jesus answered Satan when tempted by quoting Scripture, so we need to make sure that we feed on “that which proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” If we do not then there is a danger that failing to address issues initially can lead from a benign condition becoming cancerous with all the serious implications that involves. Even though it may only be in one part of the body it will affect the whole.
The word ‘tolerance’ seems to have subtly changed its meaning in recent years. In engineering tolerance had been reduced by improved by increased accuracy in production methods that make machines more reliable. Here reducing tolerance is seen as a good thing. But those involved in social engineering argue for the opposite. Vagueness is preferred to accuracy, wishy-washy-ness to the concept of absolute truth, and so on. Everything must be tolerated. Tolerance has become a new virtue. But if the engine parts in your car had the large degree of tolerance that they think society should have then it would make a loud rattling noise if it worked at all. There have been occasional calls for Christian organisations to allow unbelievers to infiltrate them so they can take them over. Surely it is right that a Christian body should defend itself from those who would destroy it. Should a physical body tolerate that which would destroy it? We would say no.
The core values of the Christian Church with the centrality of the Cross and Resurrection must be non-negotiables. The style of worship and music may vary, the locations churches meet may vary, the translations of Bible may vary, etc., There is room for plenty of diversity within the Church, providing that it is under the authority of Scripture, and not diversity from God. If you look at the picture at the top of this post you will see a variety of different colours on the leaves this rowan tree, there is even great variety on many of the individual leaves, but each leaf is still recognisable as being a rowan leaf.
David Rose. 2013

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A Question of Sacrifice

Posted on October 20, 2013 by davidgrose

DSC00328As the time of year approaches when the poppy sellers appear, one of the words one often hears in the media is the word ‘sacrifice.’ It  is not a word that is popular today, especially when used in the context of a religious blood sacrifice – an atonement for sin. It is acceptable to refer to the loss of life of members of the armed forces in the service of their country as a sacrifice but how far does this analogy work when we compare it with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross? it does even come close. Under the Mosaic Law any animal to be sacrificed had to be perfect. They may have been defending our freedom by they did not atone for our sin.

The photograph shows part of Kingussie’s War Memorial, one of two panels naming those who died during the First World War listing the names of those who served in the Cameron Highlanders. Most of them having served in the local Territorial Unit (F Company, 4th Camerons). How many people know anything of the individuals named there? Few and far between them. Rather ironic then that Remembrance services claim to remember them. The name on the top is that of Capt. John Campbell, he was killed on the morning of the 18th May 1915 during the battle of Festubert. The 4th Camerons had been ordered to capture a trench some 600-800 yards away, another battalion had been ordered to take positions on their right. They had attacked as it began to grow dark the previous evening. Not long after leaving their trenches they found that the ground they had to cross was intersected with ditches that were difficult to cross. Just before they reached the the German trench they found a deeper ditch that most had to swim across before reforming and storming the German trench. Having captured part of the trench they began to work along it aiming to locate the neighbouring unit unaware that their attack had failed. As dawn broke the men were isolated and the Germans began to counterattack. Soon it became inevitable that they had to retreat. As they began to evacuate the trench Captain Campbell who had already been wounded stayed behind firing his revolver. That was the last that was heard of him. A noble deed, a sacrifice of sorts undoubtedly, but as a sacrificial victim an already wounded man was hardly “without spot or blemish.”

Rqually there is a strong pacifist streak amongst the Christian Church which finds the whole season of Remembrance distasteful at best and repugnant at worst. They find it glorifying war and think that in is nothing that comes close. They are wary that in remembering the fallen that we are creating a cult of the dead as happened in Nazi Germany. Yet on the other hand there comes the time where one has to stand up to evil (e.g. Adolf Hitler) and therefore there are occasions when it is justified. Though for every Second World War there has been a War of Jenkin’s Ear. Though pacifists may cite the verse stating “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks,” to justify their pacifism, but most people are unaware that there is a verse that states the converse. The latter appears in Joel 3:10 whereas the more familiar form occurs in Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3. Is this a contradiction? Rather, I would put it to you that it’s a sign of God’s wisdom – the lesson being that when we take Scripture as a whole, we should always be twice as willing to make peace than war.

How then should we treat this season of Remembrance? Our response has to be a question of balance. We must be wary of exalting those who have died for their country. Yet to forget the lessons of history can only lead to events repeating themselves. Though there are those who will differ i do not see a problem with wearing a poppy if only to remember the dangers of war.

David Rose, originally written in 2012.

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The Emmaus Road.

Posted on September 15, 2013 by davidgrose

I have touched on this subject in Reflections on the Cross Part 5 but in this post I intend to look further into this incident in Scripture. This passage records an incident that happened after the Resurrection. “Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking to each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognising him.” Luke 24 v13-16. Lets pause here and consider what things. If we go back a few verses we find that the tomb had been found empty by the women who had gone there with spices, an angel had told them he was risen. But this had been met with disbelief by Peter and the other male disciples, except John who being younger than the others seems to have kept his belief in the Resurrection rather quiet. Now then when Jesus engaged these two people in conversation only Cleopas spoke with Jesus. This is consistent with the culture of the day if the other person was his wife and not another man. Mary the wife of Cleopas/Clopas is mentioned as being one of women who witnessed the crucifixion along with Mary Jesus’ mother. There have been many preachers over the years that I have heard state that these disciples were two men. Wrong, I fear that such an assumption is sexist, and if you are going to continue along that line of reasoning then as they were obviously cohabiting there is the danger of somebody concluding wrongly that they were a gay couple. When Jesus asked “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” Their immediate reaction was to stop still and looked downcast another version says they looked grief-stricken. They would have been extremely wary, wondering what he might have overheard, just in case he might betray them to the authorities. Using my imagination I think that the conversation may have gone something like this:- Cleopas; “Now Dear, there must be a logical explanation for all this.” Mary:”Such as?” Cleopas: “I mean people just don’t rise from the dead everyday, do they? Somebody must have taken the body.” Mary: “That does not make sense as the Authorities sealed the tomb to make sure the body stayed there.” Cleopas: “They might have changed their minds?” Mary: “The angel said He has risen?” “Are you sure it was an angel?” etc. So when Jesus appeared along side them Cleopas would have been concerned that the stranger would think his wife mad for claiming to see an angel. Cleopas asked him if he was the only visitor to not know what had happened in the last few days. When Jesus gave the reply “What things?” Now I can imagine Cleopas giving his wife Mary a sideways glance and Mary giving him a gentle dig in the ribs to say “spit it out then.” Scripture says “they replied,” in my imagination I can see Cleopas starting the reply by saying “About Jesus of Nazareth.” But every time he hesitated to give some detail his wife would have chipped with her details, especially about the empty tomb because she had probably been there. They must been have shocked when he rebuked them for the foolishness  of their unbelief. I suspect that Mary, though she had been to the tomb and may have believed in the Resurrection she still did not understand the why of the Crucifixion. She might have argued that she was closer to a full understanding of the truth than her husband, but Jesus’ rebuke did not differentiate between them.  Therefore we should equally be wary of presuming that just because we are closer to a full understanding that we are beyond rebuke and criticism. All believers are on a journey and it is easy to criticise those who are in an earlier stage of the journey than yourself, especially if you have come from a theologically sound background.

One question that arises from this passage is as to they did not recognise him. Was it because the Crucifixion had so altered Jesus appearance that they failed to see who he really was or did he disguise his appearance in some way? It is a question I have asked myself over the decades and generally tend to the latter. If the former had been the case they might have too frightened by his wounds and disfigurement to engage in conversation.

When they arrived at their home Jesus made as if to go on. Jesus does not force himself upon us. He requires us to invite him into our lives. What would have happened if they had not invited him in to eat? We will never know, because they did.

And when they did Jesus revealed himself to them. Then even though it had been getting late they ran back to Jerusalem. Now Jerusalem was a walled city with gates. These would be closed at night. So they must have run pretty fast, unless they were given supernatural power, there in time. Now we know that among those the Lord appeared to were members of his family such as his brothers, therefore, they were probably related to Jesus’ family in some way. There is a tradition, whose authenticity I cannot vouch for, the Cleopas was the brother of Joseph the husband of Mary. If so, those depict Joseph as an old man (as in Old Masters) because he died before Jesus started his ministry, then they have to explain how Cleopas was able run all that way, in that time, some thirty years later when he would have been even older than Joseph was when Jesus was born? It seems unlikely.

When they arrive back with the other disciples Jesus appears as well shortly afterwards. Before he leaves he states to the disciples:- “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” If Cleopas or his wife had recognised Jesus they would never have listened to what he had to say and rushed back to others. One wonders how much of the teaching of the early church came from the original Emmaus Bible School. How much of Stephen’s speech before Sanhedrin, and Paul’s letters first saw the light of day on the road to Emmaus? Luke, in whose Gospel this passage occurs, was the companion of Paul might well have heard this story referred to time and time again as the source of teachings.

David Rose  2013.

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Having Seen Better Days.

Posted on August 17, 2013 by davidgrose

ImageThe other day I managed to photograph a common blue butterfly, a name which seems to be a misnomer as I have rarely seen one. I caught a glimpse of one last year but I was never close enough to photograph it. So even though I could see that it has seen better days it is still a thing of beauty. I might never get a chance to take a better picture of one. We live in a world where the perfect appearance is valued, especially for the young. Sometimes it is right for a photographer to eschew taking a picture because it is imperfect. But when one aims to photograph wildlife there will be many instances for which there is no guarantee that another opportunity will be repeated under better conditions. When I look back at my life I have to admit that there have been numerous times when I have delayed speaking to somebody about Christ hoping for a better time that never came. I am a shy person and it is all too easy for me to keep quiet. No doubt there are consequences for these missed opportunities in Heaven. But when I look at myself I have to admit that I am no longer young and have seen better days like that butterfly. But at least I have started to share my beliefs on this blog.

Returning to the picture it is all too easy to see the imperfections in others as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7 v3) “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
David Rose 2013

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Some Seed Fell on Stony Ground.

Posted on July 16, 2013 by davidgrose

ImageThis photo was taken recently of a leaf that was part of a plant protruding from a dry-stane dyke near Lochan Eilein, and the recent dry weather has distressed this leaf turning it red. In the parable of the sower, sometimes referred to as the parable of the soils, there is the seed that fell on stony ground, it sprang up as the plant that this photo had sprung up but when the sun dried out the ground its lack of roots withered it so that it died. What seemed a good place to germinate during the rains and we have had until recent weeks a wetter than average year, with only a few days of rain in the last month or so, coupled with a late spring that delayed growth, suddenly many plants have found themselves without sufficient root systems to sustain themselves. So let us make sure so make sure that we are rooted in the Word of God.

David G. Rose. 2013.

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A Two-edged Sword Cuts Both Ways.

Posted on July 16, 2013 by davidgrose

Paul writing in the letter to the Ephesians (6:17) refers to the Sword of the Spirit. The writer to the Hebrews refers to the Word of God being sharper than a two-edged sword (4:12). Connecting these two statements is 2 Timothy 3:16 which states that all Scripture is God-breathed, that is, inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not contradict Scripture and Jesus when tempted by the Devil answered him with the statement “It is written.” Many Christians when they hear of the Holy Spirit being likened to a sword think “Great, I can use it on my enemies.” Unfortunately this tends to include many of their fellow Christians. This is clearly a misunderstanding as the role of the Holy Spirit is build up believers rather than attack and destroy them. Ephesians chapter 6 is about spiritual weapons beings used against spiritual enemies. But a two-edged sword cuts both ways. When you study the history of revivals, outpourings of the Holy Spirit, they usually start with a small nucleus of believers who humble themselves before God. They find themselves becoming hypersensitive to sin. Personal agendas are put aside. The Sword of the Spirit was cutting them to the very bone spiritually. It is only then that revival breaks out. Revival, genuine revival at least, does not but break out by one group of Christians slagging off another group of Christians, or even unbelievers. Unity of purpose is another key factor in revivals. Though every revival has had its detractors from other sections of the church who will descry it. With allusions to Matthew 7:3-5, people see the Sword of the Spirit cutting out the speck of sawdust out of their fellow believer’s eye rather than the plank out of their own eye which the Holy Spirit sees as the bigger problem. A two-edged sword has to cut both ways.

David G. Rose, 2013.

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The Sign of Jonah.

Posted on June 16, 2013 by davidgrose

Despite the many miracles performed by Jesus he was approached by the Scribes and Pharisees and asked for a sign so he could prove who He was. “He [Jesus] replied: “only a wicked and adulterous generation would ask for a miraculous sign. No sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. He was in the belly of a large fish for three days and nights. In the same way, the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will stand in judgment on this generation and will condemn it, for they repented when Jonah preached to them. Now one who is greater than Jonah is here among you.” He added: “The Queen of Sheba will speak in judgment on this and condemn it. She came from far away to hear Solomon’s wisdom , and now one far greater than Solomon is here among you.” In part Jesus was predicting His death and resurrection but there is more to it than that. When Jewish rabbis quoted from the Scriptures they did not just refer to the quote itself, but the context of the quote. So let us remind ourselves of the story of Jonah. Jonah was called upon by the Lord to preach a message of repentance to the people of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, who were the enemies of the Jewish people. He refused and fled to ‘Tarshish’, believed to be modern Spain. Apparently he thought that the authority of the God of Israel was limited to near the borders of the Promised Land. So God disabused him of that error and Jonah found himself in the middle of a storm at sea that threatened to sink the ship he was in. He admitted to the crew of the ship that he was responsible for the storm and that they should throw him overboard. They were reluctant to do so and tried to row to land but were unable to make headway. So they threw Jonah overboard and he was swallowed up by ‘a great fish,’ traditionally a whale, it would seem that he died but the fish vomited his body up on the shore and he came back to life. A second time God called Jonah to preach to the Ninevites and this time he went. He preached that unless they repented the city would be overthrown. The people from the King down repented in sackcloth and ashes, so the Lord relented. This upset Jonah who started to sulk. The book of Jonah ends with the Lord rebuking Jonah for not having compassion for the souls of the Ninevites. Therefore part of the sign of Jonah must refer to the attitude of the Jews to the Gentiles, and Jesus’ further mention of the Queen of Sheba supports this as she too was a Gentile. The question then arises as to whether he was referring to the attitude of the Jewish people, the Jewish religion or the Jewish church? The answer is all three to some extent or other. The Jews’ attitude to Gentiles did not change when they believed in Jesus as their Messiah. Jesus is predicting that the Church would expand to the Gentiles and that the Jewish response would be less than enthusiastic to say the least. This negative attitude to the Gentile believers in the nascent church is no reason for anti-Semitism both in the past or even today. Despite the Great Commission to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth the early church was slow to put that into practice. It was only after persecution broke out after the death of Stephen did the church start preaching to the Samaritans. Equally, despite the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles at Cornelius’ house Peter had to justify his actions to the rest of the Church back in Jerusalem.
One cannot help wondering whether one of the Pharisees who questioned Jesus included Saul of Tarsus. This would have been ironic, but God does have a sense of humour, that His chosen instrument for bring the Good News to the Gentiles was present. His attitude before his conversion would have been similar to Jonah’s, but the years he spent in obscurity seems to have brought about a change. Even though Ananias had prophesied that he would be sent as a missionary to the Gentiles, Saul initially would have shared views similar to the Judaisers that he would later oppose.
Yet we criticise the Jewish attitude to the Gentiles at our own peril, because how often we as Christians are reluctant to share the Gospel with unbelievers, especially those believers who are beyond the social pale, so to speak. Like Jonah we are afraid that God will be merciful to them. We would rather poach some believer from another denomination than go to those who are in danger of throwing their lives away by their poor lifestyle choices. The sad thing is that ‘decent’ folk see no need for a Saviour, it is those who are about to step over the edge that see the necessity of repentance (See post – Repentance= About Turn.) Those sheep that graze within sight of the fold think there are fine even if they ignore the call of the Shepherd to return before nightfall. The sheep that have strayed far away and are totally lost welcome the efforts of the Shepherd to find them more readily.

To return to the sign of Jonah, any time Jesus mentioned or even inferred that his mission was not just to the Jews but the Gentiles he received a negative reaction. Paul whom God sent as an apostle to the Gentiles received more than his fair share of opposition. Even when he was arrested in Jerusalem there seemed to be little effort made on his behalf by James and the Jerusalem church to get him released. Those parts of the Church that take the Great Commission seriously have often been looked at with suspicion by, if not outright opposition from, more respectable parts of the Church. We have to remember that have only been grafted into the vine and not natural branches lest we be guilty or the sign of Jonah will be applicable to us too.
The book of Jonah ends with God telling Jonah of His compassion for the young innocents of Nineveh, those who cannot tell their right hands from their left, Jonah said nothing. Sometimes it is better to let God have the last word.
David Rose. 2013.

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“Is There Not a Prophet of the Lord?”

Posted on May 26, 2013 by davidgrose

In the Book of 1 Kings when King Ahab asks King Jehoshaphat to help him to retake Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat was sympathetic but thought they should first “Seek the counsel of the Lord.” A succession of prophets were brought forth to predict victory, but King Jehoshaphat called for a true prophet of the Lord. Reluctantly Ahab agreed to call Micaiah son of Imlah (“But he only says bad things about me”) who foretold the death of King Ahab and all Israel would be scattered. Today, likewise when ones reads a newspaper or watch a news or current affairs programme on the television there are many issues when I would wish there could be someone who could speak truth into the situation. There are a number of issues where traditional biblical values are under attack today. O that the secular media would give a fair crack of the whip to those who uphold the truth of Scripture. If any airtime is given it is usually accompanied by sneering scepticism. It is saddening to see Church leaders questioning the authority of the Bible in order to placate secularists and lobby groups with an anti-God agenda. The temptation is to give the King Ahabs of this world the message they want to hear. Even when the Church is not giving in to its enemies its record on the prophetic is not very great. There are many who call themselves prophets but how many are just playing to the gallery? How many prophecies just reflect the prejudices of those who make them? Doom to our perceived enemies and blessings to our friends. Have they genuinely inquired of the Lord on such a matter? And if they did, did they like the answer they got? I suspect not. One only has to look at the subject of eschatology and the attempts at trying to identify the antichrist over the centuries. Each generation had had its favourites who have invariably died with the second coming still being awaited. 200 years ago people thought the antichrist was Napoleon Bonaparte. In the 1940s people thought it was Hitler or Stalin. As not even Satan knows when Jesus will return he probably does not know who the antichrist will be. (He might have a short list in case the rapture comes tomorrow, but he has no control over when that might be.) Why have they been so wrong? Possibly, because we see through the lens of the culture that we grow up in, we fail to look beyond it. How do we seek the counsel of the Lord? The Bible is not known as the Word of God for nothing. We need to know the truth of Scripture. “All Scripture is God-breathed,” Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Tim. 3 v16), though he was referring to what we now call the Old Testament it is equally applicable to the New Testament. There is an old saying that a text taken out of context is a pretext. Anybody can select a verse or two of Scripture and use them to argue against orthodox Christian doctrine. We all know of people who are capable of arguing that black is white and white is black. It is part of human nature to justify of own actions that we would condemn others for. It is important for Christians to read all of Scripture so that we know the context of a verse or phrase. All too often our reference point is the very nature of God. It is not for nothing that the meaning of theology is the study of God. There is great pressure from some quarters for churches to compromise with continual siren like voices demanding that they must accept their atheistic world-view. There are those who are disciples of Josef Goebbels who famously stated that if he told a lie a thousand times it would become the truth. Of course, an obvious lie will be contested so they make dubious statements which are repeated ad infinitum. Their arguments are deceptive saying that the church is in decline because they are out of touch with the modern world and therefore need to abandon traditional biblical values, but ignore spiritual dimensions, such as the role of the Holy Spirit in convicting a person of sin, and confusing church attendance with actual belief. Reducing a church to a mere do-gooding social club. When Jesus said:- “For God so loved the world,” He did not mean that we should be worldly, but rather that the Godhead looked beyond themselves to provide a way of salvation to fallen mankind. We are called upon to make disciples of Jesus and not spiritual clones of ourselves. To love others who are different from ourselves that we might reach them for salvation, but not by watering down the Gospel so far that it might deny them the very thing that we aim to give them. That would be cruel indeed. But we live in an age where objective truth is denied so that it is not surprising that there are those who hate the One who declared himself the Truth. We live in an age where we are asked to tolerate sin but be intolerant of the truth because it offends the sinner. King Ahab only partially believed what Micaiah had said, he still went to fight for Ramoth Gilead but went in disguise as an ordinary soldier, but an arrow found a chink in his armour and he died. Partial obedience was not good enough for him and it is not for us today.
David G. Rose 2013.

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