Category Archives: victory

It all comes down to this…

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[Mary] turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”) ….. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together….. Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you!” After this he showed them his hands and his side. …. Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples…. These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

(Jn 20.14-16,19&20,30&31)

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Rom 1.1-4)

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith… If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people the most to be pitied.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

(1 Cor 15.12-14,19&20)

How long had the hours been since that dark Friday afternoon, since the centre of all hope had been taken from the cross broken, bleeding and cold? How much deeper the cold in all their hearts as hope had died, and with it all sense of purpose, to be replaced by utter disorientation and despair. What fools they have been; how deeply deceived and now how agonisingly undeceived..

Now the women come to the tomb – released from ritual observance and still eager to honour one whom they had loved, trusted and followed by caring for his dead body as best they can. Now despair is rendered more bitter as the tomb is open, not just open but empty! What new indignity has been visited on the mortal remains of their beloved? There are strange visions of white figures who speak in seeming riddles about death being reversed, but what nonsense is that? Are they all going a little mad in their grief?

And then, as she comes to the end of what she can bear, Mary hears a voice and sees an unfamiliar form. Who is this that meets her as she turns in total despair from the empty tomb? Bewildered and swept away by a tidal wave of joy, she falls to the ground in worship and awe, recognising her Lord, the dead one who is now alive; the cold and disfigured flesh now vibrant and full of radiant life! She doesn’t puzzle over the science of it; she doesn’t worry about how it is possible; she lets the glorious indisputable reality of resurrection flood her heart and mind, restoring light and hope.

If the resurrection is true – and there are many witnesses to it, and many reasoned arguments which give authority to the claims of the apostles – then all that we thought we knew about life and death and life-after-death has to be re-thought. We are in a new realm, a place where the old rules don’t apply. The revolution has begun, and the raising of Jesus from the dead is the great trumpet call which announces the establishing of God’s eternal kingdom and the vanquishing of every rival power which would usurp his throne.

Since the resurrection is true, we also may share in Mary’s experience as our despair and  hopelessness is met with tenderness and the miracle of new beginning; met by a power greater than all that has intimidated and enthralled us, keeping us enslaved to sin, darkness and the fear of death. “Death is dead; Love has won; Christ has conquered!” – so goes the wonderful Easter hymn, ‘See what a morning’ (Townend & Getty, 2003). And that puts it in a nutshell. 

So, what will be your response, and mine? … it comes down to this: will I believe, in the outrageous and world-shattering reality of a resurrected Lord, and thus find life in all its rich eternity-infused fulness? 

Lo, Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb; lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom; Let the church with gladness hymns of triumph sing, for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost is sting.

Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son; endless is the victory, Thou o’er death hast won!

( EL Budry 1854-1932, tr RB Hoyle)

A constant spirit…

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Who would true valour see, let him come hither; one here will constant be, come wind, come weather; there’s no discouragement shall make him once relent his first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

Whoso beset him round with dismal stories, do but themselves confound; his strength the more is. No lion can him fright, he’ll with a giant fight, but he will have a right to be a pilgrim.

Hobgoblin nor foul fiend can daunt his spirit; he knows he at the end shall life inherit. Then fancies fly away; he’ll fear not what men say; he’ll labour night and day to be a pilgrim.

(J.Bunyan, 1628-88)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

(Eph 6.10-18)

Earlier this week, I was privileged to stand at the graveside of a man who had served his country, his community and his saviour with grace, constancy and love for many, many years. We remembered and gave thanks for his life, and reflected with gladness that now he is in the nearer presence of Jesus, and one day, we shall be with him in the new creation, when there will be no more farewells..

He was a man who could have come straight from Bunyan’s great classic of Christian life, Pilgrim’s Progress, and I would have called him Mr Standfast: a man who, once his loyalty was given, remained constant and unwearying in his duty. Like his loyalty to his country as a soldier, his loyalty to Jesus Christ as Saviour was unswerving, once given. He was blest with the happy temperament which never questions a promise, never considers whether it was really meant. Having committed himself to Jesus, he lived simply and contentedly trusting that Jesus would keep the promises  on which faith depends, and therefore there was nothing more to be anxious about!

We sang Bunyan’s great pilgrim hymn at the little church above the loch in Wester Ross, and I remembered my father who shared that same happy temper of complete assurance, and reliance on Jesus to be faithful. How blest we are when such saints come into our lives, reminding us that childlike simplicity is what we are called to, a foundational trust on which a rich and varied life can be built. Some of us are given rather less comfortable temperaments, and suffer from continual questionings, wrestlings and envy of those more stable characters! But the Lord knows each one, and our strivings, weaknesses and strengths are allotted to us as part of his great plan – he makes no mistakes. 

As a soldier, my old friend would have understood exactly where Paul’s exhortation to the saints at Ephesus was coming from – the need to be prepared, to stand firm in who and what we are, with the armour of God’s gifting and also the supreme confidence which comes from knowing we are under the leadership of a victorious captain. Even those of us who lack such constancy can grow steadier as we let the truth of our salvation shape our thinking – the truth of our security and the triumphant return of the Lord at the right time.

Almighty God, Father of our Saviour and victorious captain, Jesus Christ, we pray today for that constant spirit to be our portion. Let us never doubt your promises, but in childlike faith, live by them without fear. 

Let us live to glorify you; to love our neighbours; to exercise our gifts, resources and opportunities to the full in your service – and to enjoy being your beloved, secure and home-coming children. We are pilgrims on your narrow way, Lord God, guard and guide us safely to your arms and our eternal home. For Jesus’ sake we pray, Amen.

Dreams and visions…

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“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days and they will prophesy… And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles.. which God did among you through him.. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him… Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear…. Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

(Ac 2.17&18,22-24,33&38)

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.

(Eph 1.13&14)

I have never personally experienced any of the more dramatic gifts of the Holy Spirit, no prophetic words, or dreams, nothing out of the ordinary. I do nonetheless believe that as a follower of Jesus, I am indwelt by the Spirit; I believe that God himself is the source of my life and is transforming me into the image of his Son. I believe that as I walk by faith down the years that God gives me, I am learning to think, to love and to live more and more according to God’s will – because He is making me new by the work of his Spirit. 

God works through each of his children, their gifts and strengths just as much as their weakness and failures – which is a great comfort. It means that I can rely on the Spirit to direct me in serving and living for God in the place to which I have been called. At the moment, that service primarily looks like making a home, and getting to know a large congregation of people. But I am praying that over time, through daily duties and apparently random encounters, God will be directing me and leading me into the particular tasks which are already prepared. 

I don’t have an agenda; I don’t know what is right yet and many things are good! So I pray for wisdom to discern over time just where to commit time and energy. And yet, there are ideas lurking in my mind which I can’t shake off, and which I am accordingly bringing before God in prayer, asking if these are of his sending.. 

I see in my mind’s eye a packed church, with hundreds of young people praising and rejoicing in their Saviour, committing to serve their God and their community in love and faithfulness… a dream, yes. But also a reminder that God can do anything when He releases people from their bondage to sin and death. I believe that, I long to see it in this place…

And I long to share with other believers from across the town in praying for our community and all the various forms of witness to Jesus which happen within it. When God’s people gather to pray, beautiful things happen – mutual encouragement, strengthened faith, new boldness and expectation that God will break through in transforming power.

Lord God, my loving Father, thank you that I can trust you to glorify your name as I surrender to your will and serve you as best I can. Thank you that you are at work transforming my mind and heart, and for these desires which you have given me – to see our young people, and our whole community reached with the good news. Lord, lead me according to your will, to those with whom I can pray.

Pour out your Spirit in this place and bring transforming power to the lives of those around us. The living death which is exile from you and bondage to sin, cannot resist you since Jesus has broken its power, and how we long to see his victory realised in each and every individual! Your kingdom come, your will be done, in this place as it is in the heavenly realms..

in Jesus’ powerful and glorious name I pray, Amen.

 

How can I keep from singing?*

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You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.

(Ps 63.1-8)

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks, open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock… In the path of your judgements, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.

(Isa 26.1-4, 7&8)

Last week, I wrote very honestly about the weariness and apathy of my spirit, but now I want to remind myself – and you, my readers – of what God’s people have always done as they walk through hard times. They remember, calling to mind the ways that they have seen God working and fighting to regain perspective on reality. Yes, there are many hard things to face: we have concerns about our own spiritual lives, our health and security: we have cares for our families and friends: we see things that undermine our communities and our nation and for all these, we are burdened.

But there are also many things which are good, which show God’s abundant care and divine sovereignty over the power of evil; there are many reasons to persevere and trust in his loving providence.  If, like me, you are prone to looking on the gloomy side of life, the process of realigning your thinking to focus on the positive can feel difficult, and even dishonest. But the evidence of scripture and of thousands of years of God’s people living faithfully, is that this is the best way to deal with the evil one when he tries to bind us in the dungeon of despair, or keep us in byways of introspection and apathy.

So what am I giving thanks for? God’s faithfulness over the 9 months of our time without work, without much idea of the future, living almost day-to-day – our marriage has survived, we have made new friends and had time to rest deeply, so that we enter this new chapter refreshed. God’s timing for us in all of this has been perfect. Our family has seen blessings in the arrival of a new grandchild, the provision of work, places to live, faith sustained and bonds strengthened. There are young people committed to living for Jesus today whom it was our privilege to share life with during their teenage years. And, through all the difficult times of these last months, I have always known that I was held tight in the arms of my Father God, have never felt abandoned or betrayed, and perhaps I have learnt in new ways just what it means to live in His strength, not my own. God is my help, He always has been, and I trust, He always will be. I can sing, because I am within the shelter of his wings.

By all means, be honest with God (He knows your heart anyway!), but then be willing to start counting your blessings, looking at your reasons to be thankful – large and small – and emulate the example of God’s children in receiving God’s providential care with songs of praise.

*This is actually the title of an old and lovely song with many versions, which expresses that desire to honour and respond to God’s faithfulness in a fitting way. I invite you to look it up on the internet and sing along!

My life flows on in endless song; above earth’s lamentation,
I catch the sweet, though far-off hymn that hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear that music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul— how can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die? I know my Saviour liveth;
What though the darkness gather round? Songs in the night He giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I’m clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heav’n and earth, how can I keep from singing?

The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart, a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am His— how can I keep from singing?

(R Lowry, 1869)

Hope in the face of despair

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‘Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord, You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth, and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

You are the Lord God, who chose Abram.. You found his heart faithful.. and you made a covenant with him. You have kept your promise because you are righteous. You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt.. You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them.. laws that are just and right…. but they became arrogant and stiff-necked,.. they refused to listen.. but you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, Therefore, you did not desert them..

You gave your good Spirit to instruct them.. You gave them kingdoms and nations.. they revelled in your goodness. But they were disobedient and rebelled against you.. They killed your prophets who had warned them to turn back to you.. You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant… For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them.. yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighbouring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them.. for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all [our]hardship seem trifling in your eyes… In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly…. but see, we are slaves today..’

(Neh 9. extracts between v 5&37)

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” but the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God”, he said,” since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you , today you will be with me in paradise.”

(Lk 23.39-43)

For in my inner being, I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

(Rom 7.22-25)

The truth is that we are broken; our history is littered with things of which we are ashamed and we let ourselves and others down all the time. It is uncomfortable to acknowledge that we are powerless to change the situation, not least because we are the problem – is there then no hope? Humanly speaking, the evidence from history is that even with all our advancing sophistication and knowledge, our capacity to wound, destroy, distort, damage and pollute remains undiminished – even though we claim to know what is good, we cannot do it.

The people of Israel, responding to the Law, confessed their own rebellion, both historic and recent. They recognised the fatal weaknesses which made them incapable of keeping their covenant with God.. their only hope is in the character of the Lord their faithful God, and they simply beg for mercy.

So also the criminal hanging in agony beside Jesus, who made confession of his sin and did not try to justify himself but asked for mercy, by that very act confessing that in Jesus, he recognised the One who had power to deliver, to set free, to make new – the promised Messiah.

And the great apostle, in his wrestling with the deep roots of the glorious gospel which he proclaims, reminds his readers that no amount of zeal for the law and for God’s glory ever enabled a person to overcome their bond to sin – even in his most devoted days as a Pharisee, Paul had known this struggle. BUT now he is set free from that power, and it no longer rules him – he is no longer a slave to sin, but a slave to love and what a transformation that brings!

This is the power of the cross, sealed and delivered as Jesus rose again triumphant over the powers of this world, leading his people into freedom from slavery to the corrupting weakness of sin, and crucially, empowering them by his spirit to live in that freedom.

In the face of our own sins – past and present – we can have hope, because our God is merciful, loving and compassionate. We are forgiven, we have the Spirit within us and new hearts pumping with the love of God, hearts free to choose obedience, loving worship and devotion, hearts which though still overshadowed by human weakness, are no longer bound to fall into rebellion. Our sin is no longer fatal, but a reminder of how much we need to cling to Jesus and trust in his love and saving work on our behalf.

Take courage friends, you are not defined by your past, or even your present, but by the love which claimed you triumphantly on Good Friday, and brought you eternally into the kingdom which one day will be unveiled before all creation – your hope is secure and Jesus has won!

I will… He will!

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The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? When evil people advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling, he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Saviour. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not hand me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

(Psalm 27)

What are the enemies lined up against you this week, the ones that make your flesh shrink and your spirit quail as you consider their threats and are aware of their power? It is unlikely to be physical foes for most of us, but I don’t think that robs this psalm of all it has to say to us, as believers who are nonetheless on the front line in our faith.

We face the arch-enemy of our Lord, who delights to attack Christ by attacking Christ’s followers, the ones for whom he died and with whom he so closely identifies. This identification is the reason we are attacked, but it is also the reason that we can be sure of our ultimate security and victory. Our Lord Jesus will not let any of his little ones be carried out of his arms by the evil one – NOT ONE, no matter how weak or foolish they may be. As we learn to recognise our assailant – the driving force behind all our very real temptations to despair, hopelessness, cynicism and disobedience to Christ – so we learn to pray with the psalmist to the one who has decisively crushed and triumphed over the enemy.

We affirm our heart’s desire, which is to know and see our God; we look forward to sacrificing with joy and praising his name for his power in our salvation and ultimate deliverance to glory. We affirm our confidence in him as victorious, and as totally good, anticipating that we will see that glorious goodness in our lives and the world around us. As we do these things, we are reminded of who God is, and strengthened to resist the temptations which it would dishonour him to succumb to. Whenever his children look up by faith and say, Lord, for your name’s sake I choose to resist this temptation, then all heaven rejoices!

Almighty God, who for the sake of your dear Son, our Saviour, looks on us with love and delight, we rejoice today in all that you do for us. Thank you that as we face our great enemy, we can pray with David, standing on the solid ground of your character and promises. Lord, sustain your servants as we seek to live godly and Christ-glorifying lives. May we wait with confidence, trust with hope, and rejoice always in who you are. Thank you that you welcome us, though all others reject us; that you set us high upon the rock of salvation and hide us from the destructive power of evil; thank you that you keep us safe unto eternity and the resurrection life you have prepared for us.

I am not myself…

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..if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep…the body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body… “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Cor 15.14&15,20,42-44,55-57)

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him…The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus…offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life.

(Rom 6.6-8,10&11,13)

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again…Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

(2 Cor 5.14&15,17)

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you.. you will be my people, and I will be your God.

(Ezek 36.26-28)

Easter day…Resurrection day…. whatever one chooses to call it, after that day, all the world was changed for ever. The creator had become a creature. God became human, entering into our darkness and despair in order to do the only thing which could restore us to our place as God’s beloved people, for whom the earth was formed, and with whom He desires to live eternally. When God becomes human, anything may happen: the dead are raised to life and the blind see; the ‘rules’ of creation are joyously suspended, so that food is multiplied and the storm stilled at a word. The outcast is welcomed home, and to each and every one, their dignity and worth as God’s child is restored.

The world in those days couldn’t stand it – Jews and Romans, rich and poor, religious and secular, they united against him and condemned him to death. He was unspeakable, worthless, to be despised and destroyed. Today, our world continues to reject him, to cancel him and persecute those who would speak out in his name.

But he broke death…on the first day of the week, he rose, clothed in the imperishable and glorified body which will one day also be given to each of us.

And today, millions around the world will sing ‘Glory to God’, for his power in salvation through Christ – because in spite of thehuman arrogance born of two millenia of ‘progress’, the risen Christ lives in the hearts of his humble people. What does human scorn matter to us, when we have life in all its fulness and the hope of glory to come?  What hope does a godless universe offer us to compete with full salvation, forgiveness, and new life in Jesus?

I found these words many years ago on the internet, and cannot now track an author to give credit to for them. I share them here, because they powerfully express the truth about the lives of God’s redeemed people. I invite you to read them aloud to yourself – often – as you praise God for his grace and salvation today!

I am not myself. I am Christ raised on high. I am not who I was when I stumbled on sin and lost my way, when guilt or fear kept a close watch through the night, when striving to perform or please marked my day.

I am become another, and what a life is now mine. The fullness of the freedom of the blessings of heaven fills my days and velvet guards my dark. Each part of me is welcomed and loved. I am whole. I am one. I am uncluttered by the past. I am done with death dealing and dogma, with mounting stairs to God. I am not climbing, I am here, raised on high.

I am alive with the life of Christ. I have the fullness of God in my veins, the wisdom of God a treasure in my heart. I can live in His glory, I can serve with His splendour. I can know His ways for they are mine. We are one. I have been raised with Christ.

Whose headlines?

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The Lord reigns for ever; he has established his throne for judgement. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

(Ps 9.7-10)

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

(Jn 16.33)

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

(Rom 5.1-5)

It is some years since I stopped watching news programmes on TV, and I mean stopped altogether, not just the late night bulletin which would upset and depress me just in time to go to bed…. all of them. My preferred radio station has the briefest possible bulletins, and no chat shows or analysis programmes. Our family newspaper is only skimmed by me, and I pay more attention to the articles on rugby union than UK politics!

Why? Because I am fully aware of the impact on my attitude to life and to the world around me that the ‘news’ can have. How often do we hear really good news on the radio or TV? When did a headline in the papers last make you think, ‘How really wonderful!’? The sad reality is that bad news sells, attracts and keeps attention, and so our media news channels focus on that – on disagreement, on the dramas of international disputes, on natural disasters and the threats of more.

I know that some outlets are more reliable than others when it comes to an accurate and unbiased reporting; I know that some sources are more likely to take account of all the facts and avoid pursuing some political agenda of their own. But, I also know that since none can actually take a broad, complete picture, they will inevitably distort and fail to convey the full picture.

And so, as a follower of Jesus, I choose to place little weight in the news as reported. I choose instead to rely on the statements by the one who truly sees and knows all, who holds the nations in his hand and sees into every heart, discerning motives and desires which are hidden from the world. I choose to trust God’s headlines over those of the media, and to find in his viewpoint, my security and my analysis of the situation.

There is so much more going on than we ever hear about. There are so many things which are good, and true and beautiful that never make the news. God’s love is in action, all around me people are caring and giving and celebrating because He is, and has loved them. I believe that only eternity will show the full significance of all the apparently ‘small’ good things that are happening all the time. If I am to hold a balanced view, I need to make sure that the reality of God’s love and goodness, of his beauty and power are at the forefront of my mind, balancing the pain, evil and misery which is also part of our broken world.

And what are God’s headlines?

The Lord reigns for ever. He will judge in righteousness. He has overcome this world’s evil, and the victory is given to all who trust in him for forgiveness and eternal life. We are on the winning side! Whenever you are being overwhelmed by the latest tidal wave of bad news, dear friends, take a step back and remember what God says about this world and all that is happening and will take place.

Not only is our Lord reigning already, but he is also present with his people in their journey through this place so painfully compounded of joy and sorrow, light and darkness, beauty and ugliness. This holiness came and lived with our sinfulness. Nothing that we encounter can shock or defeat him. Nothing that the darkness hides goes unseen by him. We never walk alone….

So much good news, from the most trustworthy source imaginable: my friends I pray that we might never lose sight of it, and might indeed discern it every day in the lives of those around us – the faithful love of a spouse for a failing partner; the committed work of missionaries, carers, healthworkers and emergency services; the unselfish generosity of neighbours and the positive community efforts to care for the weakest and least visible in their midst. God’s headlines may not always be the most dramatic, but they will always help me to walk more steadily through our troubled world, and to offer hope to all who will receive it.

The trumpet has sounded…

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The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘See, your Saviour comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.'” …Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendour, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save..”

(Isa 62.11-63.1)

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me..”Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory…

(John 14.1-3)

For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where ,O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.

(1Cor 15.53-58)

On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet…I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw…someone “like a son of man”, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven starts, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance…then he said:”Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

(Rev 1.10, 12-18)

Because HE lives….

This is our Lord, our beloved master, our teacher, sacrificial substitute, high priest, bridegroom and friend; closer than breathing, heart of our hearts, his life beats in our veins. It is his voice which broke the mourning silence in the hearts of his faithful disciples, those women who met him in the garden and heard the beloved voice speak with the added power and beauty of resurrection life.

The voice of the Son has sounded, “It is finished”!! The victory is won and nothing can undo it for all, and any, who will put pride to death and enthrone him in their hearts as the only worthy sovereign; their true security and source of hope.

The voice of the Son has announced the absolute defeat of evil, and the dawning of God’s eternal kingdom of righteousness, justice and peace. Nothing has power to divide God’s blood-bought children from his love, or to steal their inheritance in his glory.

The voice of the Son has promised that we have a place at his side, and that we are the companions he desires to share his glory. We, the very ones whose sin and brokenness are the cause of his pain and suffering, are assured of a future where the guilt and shame will be gone and we will stand tall at his side, full of joy and pride in our Lord.

Let this truth ring in my ears every day, as the base line to every other tune which my life plays. I have a Saviour who died for me, a Father who loves me, and an indwelling Spirit who is making me knew.

Let this truth form the foundation of all my thinking about what life holds for me. The darkness may yet look strong, but it has been fatally weakened, and the light is breaking, therefore I need not fear.

Let this truth never cease to have the power to bring me to my knees in adoration, in fresh commitment to the one who gave his all for me, so that I might hold nothing back in serving him.

O sin , thou art vanquished! Thy long reign is o’er; Though still thou dost vex us, We dread thee no more.

O Sing, Hallelujah, O sing Hallelujah, O sing Hallelujah! be joyful and sing, Who now can condemn us? Christ Jesus is King!

Our Lord Christ hath risen! Day breaketh at last; the long night of weeping is now well-nigh past. 

O Sing Hallelujah, O sing Hallelujah, O sing Hallelujah! be joyful and sing, Our foes are all conquered – Christ Jesus is King!

(Wm. C. Plunket 1828-97)

Quietly, and without ceremony…

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Early on the first day of the week..Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple..and said,”they have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb..the other disciple reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there..Finally [he] also went inside. He saw and believed.. [Mary] turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying..?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him…” Jesus said to her, “Mary” She turned toward him and cried out..,”Rabboni”

(extracts from Jn 20.1-16)

..if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised..[so] our preaching is useless and so is your faith…But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep..as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive..the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.

(extracts from 1 Cor 15.12-20& 55-58)

As far as the civil and religious authorities in Jerusalem were concerned, it was a normal day, the morning of a new week, perhaps a little uneasiness still lingering after the events of Good Friday, but a sense of relief that it was all sorted. There was the small matter of the excited and fearful eye-witness account of the soldiers set to guard the tomb of the Galilean, but sufficient funds and safeguards had made sure that story would not go further..Nothing untoward had happened..

That first Easter Sunday was not greeted by parades, by choral services and rituals, by special robes, or new outfits, by feasts and cakes or special confectionery. It was ushered in on the tears of a mourning woman, and the weariness of bewildered and defeated men who had let themselves and Jesus down so badly, only three days earlier.

Unlike the occasion of his birth as an infant, there was no spectacular heavenly choir to invite witnesses to the event; no astronomical wonders to draw foreigners to worship. While the celebrations at the throne of God must have been spectacular, they were not allowed to spill over into the human realm. Only two angelic witnesses are recorded – and they sit passively in the tomb, awaiting the mourners before quietly disappearing.

This year, as followers of Jesus around the world prepare to celebrate his death and resurrection, we will be denied the accustomed trappings of our high and holy days. There will be no special gatherings at dawn to greet the risen Lord with songs of praise and worship. There will be no intimate communion meals to remember his last supper, to share the bread and cup together. There will be no triumphant processions along village streets witnessing to our communities of the joy of the risen Lord.

What can we do? We will be learning to celebrate as persecuted believers have done for centuries – in private; in quiet; depending upon the word of God alone. While we may be spared the threat of imprisonment for our faith, we are learning something of what it means to worship in spirit and in truth – for all our rituals are stripped away.

Paul’s words to the Corinthians is our encouragement in these days too. We are no less saved, no less sure of our hope for resurrection when we cannot meet our fellow believers in church to sing together. Our hope is sure, Christ has conquered death, and in his resurrection we have our own guarantee of eternal life. In our celebrations at home today, whether joining with an online community, or simply on our own with the Lord, we rejoice in a living hope. We stand firm because our victory has been won by Christ, and that fact – quietly and without ceremony – is the foundation of all our life and hope in this world and the next. We can live without public fanfare, without the ritual and trappings of public worship, but we cannot live without a risen Christ.

O death, we defy thee, a stronger than thou hath entered thy palace: we fear thee not now!

Oh, sing hallelujah, oh, sing hallelujah, oh, sing hallelujah! Be joyful and sing, death cannot affright us – Christ Jesus is king!

(WC Plunket 1828-1897)