On the 5^th or 6^th of June 2012 you could have bought yourself a silver shade 14 welding glass so you could see the black disc of the planet Venus crossing the sun for the last time this century. By doing that you could measure how far the sun is from the earth, which is an easier way of calculating the distance than those scientists who in 1761 and 1772 traversed the globe in an attempt to sight this phenomenon from all angles. The distance is 93,000,000 miles which is just right for our earth to function with a temperate climate; not too much heat, not too much cold, not too much rain, depending of course upon where we live. God has made all things in balance which enables mankind to flourish and develop the planet.

Some of the leading scientists of the day have therefore come to the conclusion that our globe did not arise from a big bang but a big God. There are too many apparent coincidences in science to believe that life is accidental or haphazard. Those who reject this philosophy stretch our imagination far beyond sense. We are too wonderfully made and by that miracle contradict fortuitous omega inclinations! 93,000,000 is about right, and when the Spirit said “let there be light,” there was light, and the sun hung in space blessing earth with its warming rays according to God’s formula.

If God got that celestial order right he can also get it right with mankind’s soul and its moral universe? Thus our recreated life can grow upward into the born-again likeness of God who sets in order three dimensional distances which allows our salvation-life to develop to maximum fruition? There is a distance associated with God and man which can be measured by the metaphorical depth of His grace, the width of His mercy and the height of His love.  Countless are the scriptural confirmations of this threefold overflowing to us, his children of the Way.

The depth of His grace is revealed by an all embracing acceptance of anybody who calls on His name. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” [Rom 10:13]. No matter the offence or the depths to which anyone has fallen, He will accept and forgive for eternity. His heart is so deep it is bottomless for the sinner, it can never overflow. Whosoever calls will be saved.
The width of His mercy is so embracing “for you have redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;” [Rev 5:9]. Colour is unimportant, for all are welcome in God. His arms stretch around the world reaching all peoples. No one has a longer reach, no one a tighter grip. At times our hold is weak due to trembling faith, but his covenant ensures that He will not lose anyone who trusts in His grace. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” [John 10:28]

The height of His love reaches heaven where he intercedes daily; “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”[Hebrews 7:25]. Christ is in heaven making petition for us; he can get no higher, He is the ultimate authority and help “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” [Heb 2:18]. Further: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,” [Jude 24].

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in His justice,
Which is more than liberty.

There is grace enough for thousands
Of new worlds as great as this;
There is room for fresh creations
In that upper home of bliss.

For the love of God is broader
than the measure of our mind
And the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.

But we make His love too narrow
By false limits of our own;
And we magnify His strictness
With a zeal He will not own.

Was there ever kinder shepherd
Half so gentle, half so sweet,
the Saviour who would have us
Come and gather at His feet?

[F.W Faber]

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” [Rom 15:13 KJV]
Often our Christian profession is diluted by an inability to reconcile the terms ‘joy and peace,’ when our brooding horizon is hazily unclear and the steel-grey future threatens our serenity. Our anxious spirit roams hesitantly and awkwardly in God’s will, like a troubled wind-driven cloud as we hurriedly look for a diversion to circuit the current pathway! Our strenuous exertions to escape this bedimmed way are often more troublesome that our present compliance with the divine route.

The apostle in ending his dissertation in the book of Romans finds it difficult but not impossible to locate the emphasis of his life in grace. There are at least four aspects that are unwittingly exposed in his apostolic thesis as he expresses his theology in full measure – there is the fevour of his zeal, the boldness of his fidelity, the tenderness of his love and his tireless diligence.  These, like four chiming bells, ring out in the steeple of Christian profession, a call to example and a challenge for us to walk similarly. His life was a constant spectacle on the theatre of life, so much so that he is not a whit behind the ‘chiefest of the apostles.’[1]

His earnest endeavours, his uncompromising lifestyle, his stern rebukes, his strict doctrine, and yet his compassionate understanding all combine to reveal a yearning heart for God’s people for their best. He hopes for their maturity, their confidence, their security, and their calm assurance in spiritual blessing in this mortal life.  He emphasizes three things:

The God of hope [vs. 13] “Now the God of hope. . . .”

God has many titles not least the ‘God of hope,’ we can add many more that appear to be foremost of his character; the God of peace, the God of patience, the God of all consolation. This does not mean he is subject to these emotions but is conscious of them in his body, the church. Without hope in him we remain hopeless and helpless.

Without hope, joy and peace are empty wishes and wild dreams. God Without hope, joy and peace are empty wishes and wild dreams. God is not only the source from which all hope must flow but also the object to which all hope centres.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” [1 Pet 1:3]. Like faith, hope is a gift of God by the animating power of resurrection. It highlights our eternal future. It is that fact we must keep our eye on, for in this materialistic culture the world is too prominent. It is God who makes other worldly things attractive and fastens our eyes on eternal issues. Left to ourselves we would be earthbound and carnal but God has raised our expectation to look outside our limited viewpoint, so the psalmist says, “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.”2 He has put within us anticipation of winged flight to a divine tapestry of glory in regions beyond.

Hope is dependent on the working of His dispensations for the Quester says “he has made everything beautiful in His time.” 3  The merging seasons, the fractured images of love, the convolutions of harmony, and the intricacy of unity in destiny, all mingling and outworking the plan of the ages, that is beautiful, so very beautiful. What more can be done, what more can be said, for in Him all things hold together?  The universe spins to his revolutions and God’s shadow moves everything into place.  Therefore hope is kindled in fretful hearts as we see a pattern emerging that belies belief and moves us into submission.

[1] 2 Corinthians 11:5

[2] Ps 119:49 KJV

[3] Ecclesiastes 3:11

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr gave a speech on the 28th August 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. which is recorded in history as one of those spectacular dialogues that time and memory will not forget. It still rings true today. Here is part of it: –

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ‘. . .  I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today that one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”

Such was the impact of that oratory that it has lasted the years. His dream has been partially fulfilled, and as I thought of that momentous discourse I turned on the recording I had made of the Glass Cathedral where Dr. Robert Schuller was speaking about the future, and mentioned that he would be 80 that year. The executive committee of the church had conferred on him the title of Founding Minister, and transferred the title Senior Minister to his 51-year old son, also named Robert.

With this development he was outlining his four aims for the future or, if you like, his developing dream. One part was to be the oldest preacher at the cathedral when he is 100. Knowing all he has achieved, and the longevity genes in his family, that may well happen, although our life destiny is in God’s hands. We cannot boast of tomorrow, but we all must plan past tomorrow.

Modern-day preaching emphasises a dream culture. Everyone must have a destiny, and follow it through to completion. There is no problem with that, for too many people just drift through life, but what if the dream doesn’t come to fruition. Some dreams of course will not be fulfilled by the person holding it, but by another who carries on the vision.

The sad thing is that there are many people in church life who have no dream or if they had it has died. Often the unwitting pressure from pulpits on congregations is immense. They are exhorted to be daily overcomers, have peace that passes knowledge and harbour joy unspeakable and full of glory. They are to have impeccable relationships, peerless marriages and self-satisfying employment. They are to be fruitful and rich, and come to spiritual maturity very early. A great deal of this is unrealistic and often borders on the impossible; it’s Iike me saying that at 81 I am going to break the world record in the 100 metres dash at the next Olympics.

The sad state is that many church folk have bad marriages, employment that bores them to tears, financial difficulties and debt. Their peace evaporated with the latest problem, and joy flew away so long ago they cannot remember what it feels like. Their vision statement is little more than how to get through another day. I believe that although the Bible says ‘I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me,’ (Philippians 4:13) there must be a sense of responsibility and sanity about it all. Glib talk fools no one and fills many with regret and sadness.

There are those people striving to be what God never intended, having allowed their personal desires to overtake spiritual sensibility. Indeed there are miracles of grace where God does the impossible through empowering an individual, who with tenacity, diligent application and a large dose of God, achieve what can only be called a dream of amazing proportions.

However, check your dreams against clear objective considerations and not like one person I met who wanted to enter the deliverance ministry but who was a schizoid paranoiac.   God is more than able to help us through to our destiny, but ensure that it is God who is calling and appointing, and remember that often God wants people to do mundane ordinary things as part of His divine programme. Believe that you can do more than you think you can, but also there was only one Martin Luther King, Jr, amongst billions.

“In a survey revealed in a national newspaper it has been discovered that about one third (33%) of Britons believe that Jesus rose from the dead. The findings of a national poll contradict the picture of a secular society where Easter is little more than a chocolate-eating holiday. Women are more devout than men, according to the findings, with 37 percent believing in the resurrection compared to 29 percent of men; and Wales is the most Christian region with 43 percent saying they believe that Jesus rose from the dead.” [1]

Nevertheless Easter congregations have been declining since the late Sixties. In the Church of England in 1970, there were 1.63 million Easter communicants. In 1980 this had dropped to 1.55 million and to 1.37 in 1990. The Roman Catholic Church does not collect statistics but has endured a similar decline in Mass attendance.  However, on a normal Sunday there are now more at Mass in Britain than the Anglican Church.

So there we have it, as the belief of people in the resurrection of Christ seems optimistically high, their personal attendance at church is depressingly low. This means that either the service vicars offer is irrelevant or that the belief people hold does not equate with conviction. It could be both.

The scriptures say that the “devils believe and tremble” but it doesn’t make them saved. We can believe what we will, but in reality we will only do what we really believe. I sincerely believe we should take a cold shower for 10 minutes every day, come rain, hail or shine, I really do believe that, but you won’t get me near one, be assured of that!

What we really believe is shown by what we do, not what we say. That has always been the case. Although Wales seems to indicate they are the most committed, I have found it to be the most spiritually dead.  The Elim churches in that region are the smallest and the weakest. Nobody wants to be posted there, not even the Welsh! They had a revival in 1904 and can’t stop talking about it, but during the succeeding 100+ years their passion for God has virtually dissipated.

Sardis, one of the seven churches in Turkey, was a church that had a testimony of life but in reality they were dead. This is what these latest statistics reveal. The most important events for the Christian are the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. His glorious return is important for both the Christian and the world!   Those who don’t celebrate those fundamental Christian pinnacles of witness, yet profess a spiritual basis of life, are little more than the heathen, and probably worse off. There is no passion in their profession because there is no basis in their possession.

It could mean, of course, that the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church are losing their members to the Pentecostal Church!   In some cases that is correct, but it is not the whole answer, for the ‘Church’ population of Britain is inexorably declining. If a third of the people in Harrow believed that Jesus rose from the dead, and really believed it, we would see 71,000 attend church today and there would not enough buildings to hold them.

Old Albert and his equally old dog, Rosie, were walking towards me. I asked “What make is your dog?” “A thoroughbred Retriever” he replied. “So, she fetches things” I said. “Does she by heck, throw a ball and you fetch it yourself,” he replied.

Her nature belied her breed, a little like those statistics above. Let me take it one step further: there are those Christians who sincerely believe that prayer, praise and worship are very important to them, but they are late to the services and absent from the prayer meeting, simply because they don’t really believe what that they say they do. Jesus said: “By their fruits you shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20), and never a truer word was spoken. Perhaps we have a few thoroughbred retrievers in HICC?

Lastly, there is a passion born of the Spirit – I like the word ‘passion’ it expresses what is really inside. Too few have passion; it is another word for love. When passion has gripped your soul and fired your heart, it transforms everything about God into a dynamic drive that centres all on Him. In the early days of our conversion, passion was an automatic word to describe our experience, but as time passed life has whittled away that fervency, until a very lukewarm residue has been left. This is not so with everyone, but certainly so with many.

You can argue all you will about the church not being in touch with the modern world and the leaders being deficient in a multitude of ways, but where there is real life with passion our churches will be full – every week.

[1] Daily Telegraph

There are some sisters in Good Counsel Hill, Mankato, Minnesota who seem to have gained the edge over the rest of mankind in mental and physical health. The Covent of the School Sisters of Notre Dame have been studied with a pioneering brain-science experiment by David Snowdon of Sanders-Brown Centre on Ageing and the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

The study was conducted into the mental health and ageing in general of 678 Catholic sisters recruited in 1991 between that ages of 75 –107.  Their miraculous longevity – they boast seven centurions and many others well on their way – is attributed to their impeccable lifestyle. “They don’t drink or smoke they live quietly in community, they are spiritual and calm and eat healthily and in moderation.”

Some of the sisters have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, but many have avoided any kind of dementia and senility. A strange occurrence is that one sister who lived until she was 104, in a post-mortem showed no signs of excessive ageing in her brain, whereas other sisters who showed no outward signs of senility were discovered to have brains apparently ravaged by dementia!

A common denominator amongst them was they each had the right amount of the vitamin folate, early verbal ability and positive emotions which showed in essays they wrote in their twenties when they took their vows. They engaged in several activities such as crosswords, knitting and exercising holding to the adage “use it or lose it.” Their spirituality was also a contributing factor. As one nun said: “Think no evil, do no evil, hear no evil, and you will never write a best-selling novel!”

There are several recommended ways of improving your brainpower as you age. It is said that: “you are what you eat” and your brain is the greediest organ of your body, with some specific dietary requirements. The first essential is eating breakfast, for the brain is best fuelled by a steady supply of glucose. That does not mean eating sugary cereals like kids do, for they apparently perform at the level of a 70-year old, it seems that beans on toast is a far better meal, for they have proved that a high-fibre diet improves cognition.  The Bible says: “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Ps 34:8). The best diet?

It is also suggested that music may tune you up your thinking, but you cannot just crank up the volume and expect to be a genius. Frances Rauscher of the University in Wisconsin has proved that for rats, at least, a Mozart piano sonata seems to stimulate activity in three genes involved in nerve cell signalling to the brain. Researchers think that music makes you feel better, more relaxed and stimulated all at the same time. They also found that six-year old children who were taught music for two years as opposed to drama scored up to 3 points more in their IQ test. Keep singing the hymns! “They lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” (2 Chr 5:13-14).

The brain’s short-term information storage system is the workbench for the solving of mental problems. It is called the working memory (WM) and the amount of information it can hold relates to general intelligence. If this WM is trained they have found that in children their IQ can leap as much as 8 percent. It is thought therefore that memory training can unlock brainpower. The Bible says “Thy word have I hidden (memorised) in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11).

Lastly, sleep on it. “If you have been awake for 21 hours straight, your abilities are equivalent to someone who is legally drunk.”  Also, two or three late nights and early mornings do the same. More or adequate sleep periods enable people to concentrate better and respond to mental stimuli. “Attention is the base of a mental pyramid,” says Sean Drummond from the University of San Diego. Professor Biggs of Cambridge says that no one can study (undisrupted attention) realistically for more than 20 minutes at a time. Whilst we sleep the mind goes into problem-solving mode.

There’s a thought of resting that sleep implies and the Bibles again comes to our aid: “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret . . . (Ps 37:7). If we feed and simulate the brain and keep active, cut out smoking and drinking, and take up knitting who knows how long we’ll live; best to start now.

At the height of Roman Britain, the Empire included all of Britannia, the Latin name for Great Britain (first invaded by Julius Caesar in 55 BC). People living in the Roman province of Britannia were called Britanni. The Emperor Claudius paid a visit while Britain was being pacified and was honoured with the agnomen Britannicus as if he were the conqueror. But, the noteworthy thing is that the island of Great Britain has never been completely conquered, even in Roman days.

Britannia was personified under Hadrian and Antonius Pius and depicted as a beautiful young woman, wearing a Centurion’s helmet and wrapped in a white toga with her right breast exposed. She is usually shown seated on a rock, holding a spear, and with a spiked shield propped beside her.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Britannia lost most of its symbolic meaning until the rise of British influence and later, the British Empire.  As British power and influence rose in the 1700s, Britannia became an increasingly more important symbol and a strong rallying point among Britons.

By the Victorian time, Britain renewed Britannia. Still depicted as a young woman with brown or golden hair, she kept her Corinthian helmet and her white robes, but now held Poseidon’s three-pronged trident and often stood in the ocean, representing British naval supremacy. She also usually held or stood beside a Greek hoplon shield, which sported the British Union Jack: also at her feet was often the British Lion, the national animal of England. Another change was that she was no longer bare breasted, due to the prudishness of Victorian Britain.

In the Renaissance tradition, Britannia came to be viewed as the embodiment of Britain, in imagery that was developed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Britannia first appeared on the farthing in 1672, followed by the halfpenny later the same year; the female model used, then and later, was Charles II’s mistress, the Duchess of Richmond, who appeared on the penny coin between 1797 and 1970, and on the 50 pence coin since 1969. When the Bank of England was granted a charter in 1694, the directors decided within days that the device for their official seal should represent “Britannia sitting looking on a Bank of Money”

With the disestablishment of the British Empire there have been moves to remove Britannia from the back of our 50 pence coin and portray an image more current to our society, and this led me to muse on the symbols of Christianity, and the current day tendency, through aggressive materialism and atheism, to reject the public wearing of a cross.  I was wondering therefore how these old-age symbols could be changed in keeping with the present manic trend of being politically correct and reflecting the contemporary trends in church society. Instead of a fire we could have an iceberg, instead of a cross, a personified saint indicating another way to God.

The old adage “if it ain’t broke don’t mend it” comes to mind. Why must we change anything, just because world systems and values become undermined and corrupted? The image or representation of Christianity is a cross and a fire: the one indicating Calvary and the other Pentecost. The death of Christ speaks of forgiveness, supreme love, and eternal life and the upper room outpouring of the Holy Spirit testifies of quickening and gift impartation. In reality the church is now known by the fire rather than the cross, as the book of Acts has not closed, but the fire and the cross are unshakable to Christianity.

“Ah!” You say, “That’s a sign of age,” well, thank God for that. If youth and middle age means we throw everything away that speaks of value, and undermine foundations of greatness, then may I be the only dissenting voice. The reason Billy Graham, now over 90 is honoured world-wide, is because he has never changed his message. He refuses to be political, although he has advised most Presidents over the last forty years. He preaches the simple unadulterated gospel; good news to all, repentance from sin, acceptance of the cross as the only means of salvation. Who can doubt the supreme importance of the cross and the fire-intensity of his life?

Politicians may be able to remove Britannia from our coins and England from the map, but they can’t rub out the marks of Christ in an individual life. Theologians may try and subvert the church, but they cannot change one sinner to resemble Christ, but the Holy Spirit can. He puts his indelible stamp on the coinage of Christendom.

I have written down 15 reasons why we should attend a worship service. It could be more, but we will leave it at that number. This knowledge can be used as an evangelising tool as the reason we gather together weekly but not weakly! It is always wise to have a reason for the faith we hold and the practise we adopt. Here they are:

1. Because people who attend church usually find a sense of peace and spiritual refreshment not found in a worldly atmosphere.
2. Because those people who are really saved enjoy the fellowship of other Christians.
3. Because they are able to hear God speaking in and through the prophetically preached word.
4. Because they can participate in true worship with others as preparation for that great and final all-eternity everlasting praise time.
5. Because it is a place where they can partake and be part of supernatural surprises.
6. Because it is a place where God can speak to their heart about destiny and guidance.
7. Because it is a living testimony to their neighbours that we are committed Christians.
8. Because it is a place where communion is dispensed and they remember Christ’s death, resurrection and second coming.
9. Because people who attend church usually live longer [a proven fact].
10. Because God commands it – “do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together” [Hebrews 10:25].
11. Because it is a place where healing, renewal and revival occurs.
12. Because it is a place where multinational unity exists as opposed to the frictional world system. It is a microcosm of heaven.
13. It is a place where money is not worshipped and greed is discouraged and advice is given on how debt can be conquered and cured.
14. Because it is a place where fellowship can grow into friendship and friendship into relationship.
15. Because it sets a right example to our children [If we have any] and helps brings them up in the way of God in their formative years. They will do what you do not what you say!

Recently, I read an article entitled “Why a rest is as good for you as sleep.” It was a synopsis by Louise Atkinson who analysed a book by Dr. Matthew Edmund, The Power of Rest, she extracts various facts and concludes the article like this “Praying has similar benefits. U.S. research has shown that people who regularly attend religious services live longer than those who do not.” This is the point I made in No. 9 above! I had already discovered that fact in my own research several years ago. It is the best longevity pill on the Market!

We have to ask therefore why there are possibly more Christians outside the church than in it. Perhaps it is because they have forgotten that the principle of the tithe also includes their time, which amounts to 16.8 hours weekly freely given to God for his worship and service. The New Testament Christians realised this and set an example that is hard to follow. Hear God’s word:  “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple,” [Acts 2:46]. The result was this: “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” [Acts 2:47]. The example of the early disciples was such that it attracted a multitude of people who saw that their faith was real; so real that it was manifested in a daily expression of congregational unity and worship.

I ask myself if the modern Christian understands what Christ has really done for them; the complete and wonderful salvation, with sins forgiven, and destiny secured. Have they marked-time in their growth seeing Christ only as a Saviour, failing to embrace him as the ‘beloved?’ Perhaps their faith is just a cursory appreciation of his help in kicking the sin habit, or even less than that?  I ask myself the question: ‘maybe my salvation is different from theirs?’ but wonder how that could be, because we are one family with Christ as head of the body. I know that one day it will be church for eternity, so in the now I want to be prepared for that by attempting to mix with people I will see in that future time.

“In fact, he taught only by illustrations (parables) in his public teaching.“ (Mark 4:34 – TLB). Thus was the ministry of Jesus. “The word parable signifies in general a comparison, or a parallel, by which one thing is used to illustrate another. It is a likeness taken from the sphere of real, or sensible, or earthly incidents, in order to convey an ideal, or spiritual, or heavenly meaning.” “He that has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:9). It is taking simple or common objects to cast light on spirituality or religion. It has been well said of the parable that “truth embodied in a tale shall enter in at lowly doors.” It abounds in events and daily figures and is connected with two words the root meaning of which is “likeness.”

I was once worshipping on the front row of the church and saw two things connected with the platform and projector. These could be called parables. The first – an access hatch on the platform adjacent to the pulpit which covered the baptistery had been recently lifted and reset and the carpet nap was in the wrong direction and therefore showed darker than its surroundings. I asked two of the male singers to lift it for me and replace it the right way and sure enough it blended into the uniform colour of the platform carpet. The lord said to me, “It was in the right position but was facing in the wrong direction, like some leadership,” who are in the rightful setting but their vision can be in the wrong direction.

The second instance – as I looked at the two screens to read the worship words I noticed that one was out of focus – you could clearly read the words but the picture was elongated as it pushed past the edge of the screen. Again I sensed God speaking to me to the effect that “Vision should not only be clearly seen like the worship words, but also have boundaries, it should not over-sail like the songs on the screen.” Thus, vision must have a boundary lest it becomes fanaticism. It acts as a limitation that keeps it within focus and a fact of possibility.

Here is one parable which I think has great significance in today’s frenetic world. “One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration (parable) those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz” and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class yelled, “Yes.” He replied, “Really?”

He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. He reached for a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.

Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good.” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!” “No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point.

The truth of this allegory is, ‘If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.’ What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life, time with loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you’ll never get them in at all. Therefore, ask yourself this question, “What are the ‘big rocks’ in my life?” Then, put those in your jar first.

Britain’s war years sponsored a frontline song favourite, which was eventually adopted and adapted by the world system – “Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag, and smile, smile, smile.” Hide your problems and pretend to be happy. Look at the positives, ignore the negatives and so make it buoyantly through life. Don’t be sad, try never to be too serious, and only mourn if you have to. Unfortunately the same philosophy is often applied to sin. Gloss it over and it’ll be okay!

The structure of most human living – whether by the primitive or sophisticated, the wealthy or the poor, the educated or the uneducated – is based on the seemingly incontrovertible principle that the way to happiness is having things go your own way.

The world system believes that sidestepping negatives is necessary before the other things can bring cheerfulness. Throughout history a basic proverb of the world has been that favourable things bring happiness, whereas unfavourable things bring unhappiness. The principle seems so self-evident that most people would not bother to debate it.

Yet, godly mourning brings godly happiness, which no amount of human effort or optimistic pretence, based on possibility thinking, can produce. In the routine of ordinary day-by-day living, the idea of mourning to get happiness seems absurd, but Jesus steps in and confuses their maxim.

The epitome of His teaching is paradoxical – seemingly contradictory.   What he promises from what he says seems incongruous or inappropriate and certainly upside down in the eyes of the natural man. The assumed inconsistency of the second Biblical beatitude is obvious – (for ‘beatitude’ read blessedness or happiness). What could be more self-contradictory than the idea that the path to happiness is through sadness and that the way to rejoicing is in mourning? “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” How can I be happy when the chances are against me?

When we face great sorrow, disappointment, disillusionment, tragedy or failure, we wish that we could escape it as we escape a thunderstorm by running inside, but comfort from the troubles of life is much harder to find than shelter from rain. The deeper the sorrow, the harder the pressure and the worse the despair, the more elusive comfort seems to be. Avoiding pain, trouble, frustration, hardships, and other problems, in the estimation of many, will bring happiness.

The average Christian in this modern age fights against a false sense of assumed piety, which gives the impression that to be religious is to be miserable – how sad and weird! There is also the co-joined error that to attract people we must be deliberately upbeat and jolly.   It is this apparent superficiality and slickness that works against us because it is unintelligent and certainly illusory. Perhaps that is the reason the church is so unimpressive because in today’s climate of spirituality everything must be kept at a level that fails to produce seriousness and concern over real issues.

The love of God is offered as the answer; He is depicted as one who would never in any way harm us and that is basically true. It is thought therefore that everything should work for our benefit, and so it does, but not in the way we think. As an Arab proverb says: “All sunshine makes a desert.” There are certain things that only rain will produce otherwise the land becomes arid and dry. California seems to have an ideal climate but it is brown for many months.

The real meaning of what Jesus is saying is simply this: “Blessed [happy] is the person who is desperately sorry for their own sin and their own unworthiness.” That is the meaning of Biblical mourning, and the comfort that comes from that tearful confession is the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding . . . [which will] guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7).  Another interpretation says: “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” [1]  (Matthew 5:4). God helps us lose things that are counterproductive to our spiritual ascent.

[1] The Message by Eugene Peterson

Recent polls tell us that we no longer know what love is; we don’t recognise it and cannot work out what it is for.  We are “fearful of its complications, perplexed by its obligations, and wish it would simply go away.”  In spite of that mournful response the amount of money spent on February 14th on cards, flowers and chocolates, makes it the most expensive celebration next to Christmas.

The history of Valentine’s Day suggests it revolves around Bishop Valentine, a Roman priest who assisted the martyrs during the persecution and who suffered under the rule of Claudius II. The emperor found it difficult to recruit the male populace into joining his military leagues, believing that Roman men were averse to leaving their loved ones or their families. He therefore cancelled all marriages and engagements within the City of Rome.

However Valentine and Saint Marius continued to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. When it was discovered that they were defying the emperor’s decree, Bishop Valentine was apprehended and dispatched by Claudius to the Prefect of Rome who, being unable to force the saint to renounce Christianity, ordered that he be clubbed, stoned and then beheaded.

Some scholars say that during his stay in prison Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s  blind daughter (whose name may have been Julia), who used to bring him flowers and notes from children. It is said that the day before his execution on February 14th 269 AD, Valentine prayed for his sweetheart and she regained her eyesight. He also wrote a farewell note to her and signed it “From Your Valentine.” Clearly this phrase has become popular amongst lovers and is still very much in vogue.

Traditions
Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine’s Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:

Good morning to you, valentine;

Curl your locks as I do mine —

Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.

In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on that day. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, “You unlock my heart!”

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentine would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day; it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

Some time ago a survey revealed that British males are the most miserable in Europe with 35% expressing unhappiness with their lives.  The romantic side of their lives is especially highlighted. Nearly half of those males attributed their singleness to a lack of confidence – 40%, to fussiness – 29%, to not being attractive enough – 31%. They thought women expected too much of them and weren’t really interested in forming serious relationships. It seems that they need the spirit of Valentine as never before!

They say that the bones of Valentine were returned to Terni, and that that church receives 50,000 letters a year mostly on relationship problems, but the greatest problem solver is the Holy Spirit who can match-make to perfection.  For those who are willing to take His guidance they will find that he chooses the one who both complements and fulfils our natural desires and needs. It is very rare that relationships in marriage are without some strife, but the growing war of the sexes has highlighted the differences and depleted the likenesses to their own loss.

Singleness is escalating as people become bewildered and picky, looking for that mysterious perfect partner only to find they don’t actually exist. People leave it so long now to tie the knot that they are too set in their ways to change, and are encouraged to take that independence to limits that prohibit life-long union. It takes courage, maturity and tolerance to be married. Perhaps these qualities are no longer encouraged in young people as they grow towards adulthood?