TRUTH . . . HAS NO FAVOURITES

I wouldn't be surprised if by now you have a big question or two.

How is this crazy old fellow doing today - is he continually flying smoothly at thirty thousand feet? The truthful answer is 'No'. There have been quite a few storms and considerable turbulence.

But that is OK. Where did we pick up the idea that the normal Christian life is a rose garden? Many of us were sold a kind of ideal insurance policy where all we needed to do was stick our hand up in a meeting, mouth the words 'Jesus is Lord', or maybe some other formula, and bingo! . . . we got a free ticket to heaven with a fully paid up protection and comfort guarantee on earth till we reached 'them pearly gates'.

Snatching a few bible texts here and there can easily back up this kind of gospel. Snatching a few texts from elsewhere can give a very different picture, but hopefully we have forsaken text snatching - if we were ever foolish enough to start it. I had years of such an approach with the ever-attendant dark angel of condemnation cruising above, ready to land on my head whenever I failed to live a blameless and thoroughly victorious life. There was always something I had done wrong, not done enough of, or done too much of. Too little prayer, too little study, too much doubt, too much worry. Things went well God got the credit, things went badly I got the blame. It was a no-win situation.

The 'name it and claim it' good news proclaimed by the Health, Wealth and Happiness Brigade, is in fact very bad news. It is not the truth. It is a lie. Such an approach is a good framework for triumphant high-powered meetings, but it can lead to endless heartache in real life when you can't drum up the 'faith' you are supposed to have to claim your promised inheritance successfully.

'He always causes us to triumph' are words attributed to the apostle Paul. Challenging aren't they? It is good to recall that this great hero escaped from Damascus during the dark of night hidden away in a basket. Perhaps he did gently lift the lid and continue to whisper, 'He always causes us to triumph'; I don't know. However he certainly did not expect the sort of easy ride I hear propounded today to folks suffering with cancer, deep depression, horrendous family distress or financial disaster.

One 'Christian' lady told me I had not brought my children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord and that is why my family was suffering so much illness. Another that I should have more faith. Well thanks very much. I was a polite Holy Joe in those days; now I think I would graciously invite these comforters to take a long walk on a short pier! Years later while I was standing in the dole line for benefit payment, I had to listen to the first lady's complaint as to how her husband had served as a shop manager for many years and had now been made redundant. It was so unfair! Since when has life been fair? Ask a butchered child. Why do we think believers are entitled to special treatment? If there is a magic button to cure all ills, why is it so difficult to find?

//Continued