George Harrison: "If Not For You"

What a lovely love song this is. There's no selfishness in true love and neither is there pomposity. Listen to the song here.

If not for Christ, we would have no hope of eternal life. As Paul wisely observed in 1 Corinthians 15:19 (Bible in Basic English), "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most unhappy."

Because our Lord rose from the dead, we know that God has accepted his sacrifice for our sins. As we read in 1 John 2:1 and 2 (BBE), "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may be without sin. And if any man is a sinner, we have a friend and helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright one: He is the offering for our sins; and not for ours only, but for all the world."

Though atheists try to disprove Christ's resurrection, he did rise and many witnesses saw him. As Peter testified in Acts 10:40 and 41 (BBE), "On the third day God gave him back to life, and let him be seen, Not by all the people, but by witnesses marked out before by God, even by us, who took food and drink with him after he came back from the dead."

Jesus is all things to us. He's our Lord for one thing. As he said in Matthew 24:44 (BBE), "Be ready then; for at a time which you have no thought of the Son of man will come."

We also follow his example of humility. As Christ said in John 13:13 and 14 (BBE), "You give me the name of Master and Lord: and you are right; that is what I am. If then I, the Lord and the Master, have made your feet clean, it is right for you to make one another's feet clean."

We await his coming like a bride awaits her groom. As Jesus said in Luke 12:35 and 36 (BBE), "Be ready, dressed as for a journey, with your lights burning. And be like men who are looking for their lord, when he comes back from the bride-feast; so that when he comes to the door, it will be open to him quickly."

If this hasn't happened by Thursday, I hope to feature a reggae song which reflects the world's attitude to life.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

This is one of Christ's warnings regarding those followers who aren't watchful for his coming. The five foolish friends of the bride groom were careless and foolish. They figured they wouldn't need oil in their lamps. I suspect that they assumed the bride groom would come when it was light. Perhaps they also were careless about being ready.

Whatever  the case, this parable warns us to be alert and not fall into an attitude of complacency. As we read in Matthew 24:44 (BBE), "Be ready then; for at a time which you have no thought of the Son of man will come."

But why are some believers blase in regard to Christ's return? One reason is the anaesthetic of money and possessions. Paul warned in 1 Timothy 6:17 (BBE) regarding rich believers, "Give orders to those who have money and goods in this life, not to be lifted up in their minds, or to put their hope in the uncertain chances of wealth, but in God who gives us in full measure all things for our use;"

Jesus also told a parable about a farmer whose enemy spread tare seeds, a weed which looks like wheat, into his field. The farmer didn't want the servants to uproot those plants lest the good ones would get pulled up too. In Matthew 13:40 (BBE), Christ explained how these look-alike churchgoers would suffer on Judgement Day.  "As then the evil plants are got together and burned with fire, so will it be in the end of the world."

Jesus likewise told a parable about four sorts of ground on which the seeds of the gospel were sown. He explained the kinds of people those soils represented. Mark 4:16   and 17 describe those who are believers only for a while. "And in the same way, these are they who are planted on the stones, who, when the word has come to their ears, straight away take it with joy; And they have no root in themselves, but go on for a time; then, when trouble comes or pain, because of the word, they quickly become full of doubts."

Then there are those who are stunted in their spiritual growth. Mark 4:18 and 19 (BBE) says, "And others are those planted among the thorns; these are they who have given ear to the word, And the cares of this life, and the deceits of wealth, and the desire for other things coming in, put a stop to the growth of the word, and it gives no fruit."

This is why Bible study is crucial. Without the knowledge of the scriptures, believers become stunted spiritually or distracted from growing in the Lord.

It's why I want to write my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? I feel deeply grieved when people attend only Sunday services and just read devotionals. Believers miss so much when they neglect studying the Bible.

On Saturday, I'll post about a lovely rock song and the wonderful world God promised his faithful followers.