PREFACE

These Readings are designed for those studying at College/University. They are doctrinal and devotional, but are also to stimulate critical thinking about ourselves and worldviews which discount the Being of God. By comparison with what the world has to offer those in it we shall see the riches of what lies in Christ for those who find Him, who are found by Him. It is good to have something to think about each day in God's world; no-one goes to Heaven without thinking about it on the way.

Rev J.Clark.  BA(hons.) MA. BSc(hons) MSc. MEd. MTh.

NOVEMBER 1

" Who will show us any good ? " Psalm 4:6.

People who say this are missing what matters. They are thinking about what God owes them in life, not of their duty to Him. The Psalmist contrasts his own attitude. He does not judge God by society's standards; he feels his eternal need of God and is not judging Him by any good things ( or lack thereof ) we have received here. He thinks only of his being in a relationship with God; this is secure, and this comforts him amidst any deprivations in this world. People nowadays are not concerned with whether Christianity is true or not, just whether it has beneficial social effects. They measure their gods by what they give to them. Their indifference to truth is fuelled by " the popular point of view that all religions really mean the same thing." ( C.S.Lewis ). This confusion is the conclusion of their laziness to investigate ; ignorance is always an easy course.

When people ask,' Who will show us any good? ' it is a good which they choose and approve of. To think of what God defines as good would involve a search for absolute truth - something they try to avoid ! They limit their question to something socially approved or which gives instant pleasure, ie. they measure things by their effects, - what will make people happy ? They condemn themselves to keep asking this same question, because they continue to reject God's answer to the question, an answer which points to Christ Jesus.

NOVEMBER 2

" The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." Romans 8:16.

It is commendable that many are seeking ways to understand themselves, especially the dark potential that they see within them. Surely the best person to go to, to understand human nature and to repair it, is the One who made us. Likewise, if we want to know what a real Christian experience is we must go to Him who gives it ; He will explain it to us. Thus Paul reminds us that the Spirit will explain, in Words, what He is doing within us. We need no other words or Guide but His. This Witness uses His own words and we are glad to have them ; everyone else, including ourselves, will kake mistakes if they attempt it. And this is something about which we should be afraid to make a mistake, our eternal welfare depends upon it. We cannot go simply by how we feel, our experience must be Biblical.

Some people look for experiences which are outside the realm of Scripture ie. they are not to be found there. But the genuine seek their experience to be according to what this Witness says is acceptable. They have His words to check that they are on the right path, that we have the evidences which He says are marks of His work. They dare not rest on human opinion. If we do not respect what Christ says of our condition, if that faith is not there, " then the Spirit of God witnesses no peace or comfort to that soul...they have a spirit of delusion," ( G.Gillespie) - their peace and comfort must be coming from another source. Such are not led by the Spirit (vs.14). " The promise of assurance is given to those who believe and obey the Gospel." ( B.B.Warfield).

NOVEMBER 3

" There is forgiveness with Thee." Psalm 130:4.

This fact is emphasized in the Bible as we tend to forget it, especially under conviction of sin. Forgiveness makes the difference in lives. It is obtained by confessing sin, not excusing it. It is owning your own sin, not shifting the blame to others or to heredity etc. " The trouble is that what we call ' asking God's forgiveness ' very often consists in asking God to accept our excuses." ( C.S. Lewis ). A free, full and unreserved confession of sin is called for ( 1 John 1:9 ), God is not ignorant of daily sin on earth. A blemish ought to be dealt with, not ignored. " A great deal of our anxiety about sin ( which leads to excuses) comes from not really believing in forgiveness." ( C.S.Lewis). If we really believed in forgiveness we would not waste time and effort skirting around the need to confess.

We are to seek forgiveness on God's terms, not our own ; we need to surrender ourselves to the truth. Moreover, if we are forgiven by God it will make us willing to forgive others ( as the Lord's Prayer teaches). If we remember how much we are forgiven this will supply the motivation to, as it is not an easy matter for us.(NB. God forgives no-one unless they repent, Luke 13:3,5. ) There is forgiveness with God, is there with us ? John Newton had Deuteronomy 15: 15 written on the wall in his study ; it had a great effect on him. What about yourself ? ( cf. the context of this verse).

NOVEMBER 4

" For you have the poor always with you." Matthew 26:11.

Jesus addressed social questions, but they were of secondary importance to Him as they dealt with this world only, not the next. Spiritual and eternal matters were primary with Him. He fed the poor but also reminded them that ' man shall not live by bread alone.' The Word of God is necessary for eternal life, which is more important than just improving our life in this world.Jesus did not come into this world to be a social worker but a Saviour. Taking away poverty will not take away sin. There is something wrong with society which the elimination of poverty will not cure. The corruption is in the heart of all, whether they be social reformers or anyone else. It was the church which furnished the first hospitals and schools in our society, but they did more than that, they spread the Gospel. Nowadays this emphasis has been reversed, and the result is that society has become worse and not better. Social Behaviourism is no substitute for the Gospel.

Jesus grew up in society and He taught us about families, marriage ( Mark 10:9) and children ( including the protection of the unborn). He also raised the status of women in society ; governments and religions in those days regarded them as inferior. He did not despise the poor and also warned people about making an idol out of wealth ; a man is more than what he possesses. He taught that governments have a place in life, but always second place to God ( Matt. 22:15ff). If the government accepted its rightful place, society would be better, because the Gospel would have free course.

NOVEMBER 5

" It is reported...and Gashmu says it." Nehemiah 6:6.

The argument they used against Nehemiah was that Gashmu and others were saying it, so it must be right ! But there is no authority in collective human opinion, especially when there is no evidence to back it up. This ' trial by hearsay ' is common nowadays too, " but you must show that a man is wrong before you start explaining why he is wrong. The modern method is to assume without discussion that he is wrong, and then distract attention from this ( the only real issue ) by busily explaining how he became so silly...but refutation is not an argument. Assume that your opponent is wrong, and then explain his error, and the world will be at your feet ! " ( C.S.Lewis )

Presuppositions dominate all thinking.People forget to examine what they bring to their thinking - present thoughts have a past behind them. If the first step is wrong, then all that follows will be flawed. What use is ' progress' if it is in the wrong direction ? Many take the answers to the most important questions, about life and death, for granted, because " everyone believes it." Moreover, it has the authority of professor Gashmu, ...but is that the final word ? Should it not be checked ? The supreme court is not on earth but at the gates of heaven. It is safer to accept God's overriding and eternal authority, and not the temporary opinions of men. Nehemiah simply said, " It's not true." ( vs. 8 ). He believed God instead. The Christian takes the same stand.

NOVEMBER 6

" Art thou also of Galilee ? " John 7:52.

' Are you also one of these Christians ? ' they asked Nicodemus. He drew back and did not make a clear commitment to Christ at this point. He was still trying to be a servant of God and a ' servant of democracy ' simultaneously, but this is impossible. Compromise is not an option if we are to serve Christ faithfully. To be part of a corrupt government is guilt by association, and they preferred their own decrees to God's decrees. This democratic opposition to Christ was condemned by God ( in Psalm 2). Humans have ' rights ' but have no right to oppose God's standards and requirements.

" When the real meaning of the Christian claim becomes apparent, its demand for total surrender, the sheer chasm between Nature and Supernature, men are increasingly offended. Dislike, fear and finally hatred proceed. None who will not give it what it asks for ( and it asks for all ) can endure it ; all who are not with it are against it. ( C.S.Lewis ). The view of the Christian church is," We ought to obey God rather than men." ( Acts 5:29). What a change has happened to the ' church ' of today, it is hardly recognisable when compared to the New Testament. Happily, Nicodemus soon after refused to become a ' Mr. Facing-both-ways ' ( Bunyan ) and 'came out from among them ' ( Rev.18:4) - but, sadly, many stayed in.

NOVEMBER 7

" Thus says the Lord, Ask for the old paths...the good way."  Jeremiah 6:16.

The old ways were still the right ways, but not the popular ways, neither in Jeremiah's time nor today. In particular the standard of morality has changed." Astonishingly, few modern minds see the simple and obvious point that an unchanging standard, far from being the enemy of progress, is the necessary condition for it. " ( P.Kreeft) You cannot build anything solid upon a shifting foundation. Moreover, if the goal keeps shifting how can you make any progress towards it ? Jeremiah was not popular because he resisted the popular current, but he was faithful to God. Many, including in the church, have developed ' chronological snobbery ' toward the old doctrines, but truth is never old, it is always relevant. The old paths are buried by neglect, but remain unrefuted. The rubble of centuries, of additions, reservations and 'modifications', needs to be cleared away. The foundations have been so chipped away over the years that there is little left to stand upon today ; for many it is but sand ( Matthew 7:26, 27).

A pastor visited a dying man and found he had pages missing from his Bible. The man explained that modern teachers had said that these pages ( in the New Testament ) were no longer relevant, so he removed them. But half truths will only give a half faith, and rejecting the Word of God never saved anyone ; we need the ' whole counsel of God.' ( Acts 20:27). Paul was afraid to give less. Jeremiah could say with Paul when he came to die, " I have kept the faith." ( 2 Tim.4:7). Truth is unchanging, it is human nature that needs to change ; to read the newspaper today is to prove this also.

NOVEMBER 8

" A greater than Solomon is here." Luke 11:31.

Since ancient times philosophers have debated what it means to ' live a good life '. Solomon knew a lot, but Jesus knew everything, which was a claim to being God Himself. His teaching regarding a good life was different from the world's ideas, and only He could tell us what such a life is - He said it was by following Him ; trusting in Him and following Him in obedience. And the former (ie. trust) is the motivation for the latter. Some reply,' I am choosing my own beliefs, not because I think they are true, but because they help me to live.' But why the rejection of Jesus' teaching ? " If Christianity were untrue, then no honest man will want to believe it, however helpful it might be. If it is true, every honest man will want to believe it." ( C.S.Lewis).

Every human being, as a result of being damaged by sin since the Fall of Adam,now has a built-in bias against accepting (all of ) Jesus' teaching. Moreover, the world has been indoctrinated by society and the education system to see His teaching not as the way to happiness but as a threat against it ! Christianity is not simply a system of morality but a list of facts to tell you what the real universe is like, and that it has its limit - beyond it is something else. We need someone greater than Solomon to tell us about it.

NOVEMBER 9

" If you believe not that I am He ( God), you shall die in your sins." John 8:24.

The world may admire Jesus' teaching on morality but they regard this statement as a shocking, outrageous claim. But why ? Can God not visit His own world ? Society admires Jesus for His social concern ideals but ridicules His assertion that He alone is the Son of God, and that all others who claim to be the Messiah are imposters. But what happens to mockers if He does rule the world ? Psalm 2 gives us the answer. Jesus made exclusive claims about power and forgiveness, and the early church did not hide them, and were accordingly persecuted. No other person in history made the claims that He did, and does.

What happens if Jesus has told us the truth ? ' Oh, that doesn't matter,'they say. ' Modern science has disproved the need for God. We can live well enough without Him.' But a life of unbelief is brief, and to die thus has eternal consequences. 'Oh ', they say, ' this is scaremongering.' That is one way of putting it, but remember that fear is a motive to find safety. " Flee from the wrath to come," said John the Baptist ( Matt.3:7). Flee to whom ? " Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come." says Paul ( 1 Thess. 1:10). No-one on their own can cope with death, death is too strong. There is only One who overcame death, and only One who can overcome our unbelief also, by persuading us regarding Himself. The 'shocking alternative ' to what the world believes is that Jesus was telling the truth. Some believe him, and such die well.

NOVEMBER 10

" Broad is the way that leads to destruction." Matthew 7:13.

There are only two paths running through this world, paths which continue through death into eternity. We are all on one or the other. The future depends on which path you are on. The way to destruction Jesus described as ' broad,' nothing is marked out with boundaries ; it is characterised by indefiniteness, vagueness and subjectivism. Any experience will do, except the one required by God in His Word. The concept of authority is rejected and everyone does what is right in his own eyes, as in the days of the Book of Judges.

Jesus described the way to heaven as a ' narrow ' way ; it is marked out with clear boundaries and definitions. Our reference point is not ourselves and our consciences have peace only in obeying God. As we did not make this way to heaven, we depend on God to reveal it to us. He has done so, and a second Bible will not be given. Nor would it be safe to change God's directions by ' revising ' or amending what He does tell us in the Bible. Surely he knows better than we do. Jesus did not teach that ' all ways lead to God ', but only one ( John 14:6). He is dogmatic and excludes every other way. The world, human opinions, circumstances and feelings are no safe guide. We can rely on no-one but Him ( Ps.48:14 ) - the way forward is to trust Him and follow.

NOVEMBER 11

" They shall all be taught by God." John 6:45.

We all adopt some standard of behaviour for ourselves to live up to, and we all know that we do not live up to that standard. It is the response to this realisation that is important - what do we do about this ? Do we excuse ourselves by saying,' What can I do about it, we are all flawed', and then continue with a kind of tolerant fatalism ? Or do we say, " I will be a better person, I will do good things for other people now." What do these two responses have in common ? - neither responses are Christian. There is nothing about Christ or faith in them. There is nothing about seeking forgiveness or God's power in their lives. Both responses are centred on self ; the one exculpates, the other tries to counterbalance the bad things with good things.

The Christian response is filled with a need for Christ first and then living to Him ( Galat.2:20 ), this is the order in their experience. This way of thinking is not natural to them and so they have to be 'taught by God.' This teaching reverses many things taught by the world. You must first have life in Christ before you can live as a new person ( 2 Corinth.5:17). We are taught the ' beauty of holiness ' and also that forgiveness does not excuse sin, it is the remedy for it. Holiness means happiness, and happiness means being in harmony with God. Heaven is a happy place because there is no sin there, only holiness. Many attend church, but are we being taught by God ?

NOVEMBER 12

" I thought...and went away in a rage." 2 Kings 5: 11,12.

Naaman was contradicted and became angry. He was angry because his solution to his problem was ignored and he was given a remedy (for his leprosy) he had never thought of and which he found humiliating and unacceptable. But our emotional reaction to something is no proof that our response is right, and in this cae naaman was wrong in his thinking. There is a force in anger but it rarely does good, for ourselves or others. Our emotional response to sin is often disappointing. We know it is wrong but either we lack a proper emotional response to it or we seek to excuse it. Our emotional response to our sins" does not at all correspond to what my reason tells me about their comparative gravity...Our emotional reactions to our own behaviour are of limited ethical significance." ( C.S.Lewis).

Naaman thought that the directions Elisha gave him for healing were too simple to be effective. Many still take this view of the Gospel remedy for sin ; it is still foolishness to them when they hear, ' Believe in Christ and you will have forgiveness and salvation.' However, Naaman was persuaded to do it, he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. And what a happy change followed for him and his family ! Make sure your pride and anger do not keep you out of heaven. Emotional reactions are no safe guide. This is why we need God's Word ; our map to heaven and the interpreter of our experiences.

NOVEMBER 13

" You have heard of the patience of Job."  James 5:11.

Yes, we have heard of Job's life, but what effect has it upon us ? Have we learned and applied the lessons to our own troubled lives ? Job needed great power of endurance to get through the days. We do so also, and only God can give it. Job was used as an example by God to us, and we have so little suffering compared to his. We must remember that there is always someone worse than ourselves. Everyone had given up hope for him, except Job - although this hope was severely attacked, from outside and inside him. There were temptations to hard thoughts of God and resentment, but his heroic and defiant defence of God is the great example to us. He trusted that despite all appearances God still ruled over all, and it would end with his good ( Job 13: 15. Rom.8:28).

Job suffered in all kinds of ways, and he didn't know how much he could endure. But God knew how much, and it was more than anyone thought 

( including Job himself). God held him up, to endure more. His help was certainly not visible, but it was there inside. Job did not know what lies ahead, but He knew God would be there for him. He was brought down to the ground ( literally) and it didn't look like he would get back up. But he did, despite his broken heart. Our circumstances often put God's promises to the test, and Job had the patience to wait for them to go into action - our great example. Job was a fellow-sinner, with all his imperfections, but he shows that love for Christ can indeed ' bear all things.' ( 1 Corinth.13:7).

NOVEMBER 14

" A man who has friends must show himself friendly." Proverbs 18:24.

Some say,' I haven't done anyone any harm, so why this threatening demand for repentance ? ' However, our sin is often by neglecting God, not other people. " The worst thing we have done to God is to leave Him alone ! " ( C.S.Lewis ) Is it friendly to distrust him, deny His existence, ignore what He says ? Is it friendly to ignore ungratefully all His benefits to you, to fail to communicate with Him when He has given you His words ? If this is the case, how can you think that you and God are on good terms ? Ingratitude is seen as a base fault in others, but how many are seeing it in themselves ? In our loneliness why is He ignored and put far away from our thoughts ? If old friends are not there, remember the Bible presents Him as a new One, the best One.

These principles are of course applicable to the human realm ; the unfriendly have no friends, as they do not ' show themselves friendly.' They are not kind to others nor do they communicate with them ; they appear unfriendly. Fear of rejection may keep you back from people, but this does not happen with God. How often God says, " Call upon Me " in the BIble. Perhaps pride keeps you back, because it takes humility to acknowledge that you need a friend. However, you are not the only one who thinks this way ; there are many who are waiting for someone else to make the first move. Go ahead, especially with God. Friends have the same interests and aims . Agree with God and you will become His friend ( Amos 3:3).

NOVEMBER 15

" Whatsoever thy hand finds to do..." Ecclesiastes 9:10.

We all have work to do ; some of it we enjoy, some of it we don't, but it has to be done. But you will always find interruptions to your work on earth, not only from around you but sometimes from within you eg. exhaustion, discouragement, failure. We now have to adapt and to find a way to go on, somehow. We may say, ' Where there's a will there's a way,' but is the power of Will still there ? " The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavourable - favourable conditions never come ! " ( E.Skoglund) In one sense, life is about coping with our imperfections, including our imperfect works.No-one has time to finish what we begin here, even with the longest life. 

" The longest human life, in any branch of learning, still leaves a man a beginner. " ( C.S.Lewis). Moreover, how often we have to say, ' There's no time for that.' Jesus had certain priorities in His life here, some things He knew He had to do, and did them. There were, however, many things He did not do while here ; He did not see them as necessary. It is a truism to say,' We only have time for this or that,' but do we put this truth into practical effect in our lives ? Do we pray to have the 'same mind ' as Christ Jesus, to prioritise the most important things ? ( Philipp.2:5) We must make time for God and prayerfully leave the future in His hands. " We may as well, for God shall certainly retain it, whether we leave it to Him or not...Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long term plans somewhat lightly, and works from moment to moment." ( C.S.Lewis).

NOVEMBER 16

" Blessed are you when man shall...persecute you." Matthew 5:11.

Blessed are the persecuted - it takes faith to believe this, as it is certainly against natural reason. These people must have done something to receive persecution. Yes, they testified to the Divinity of Jesus and the authority of His Truth. For this they were and are still persecuted ( John 16:33). The world wants compromise but these people cannot ' sell the truth.' They have the world's curse, but they have God's blessing. Such a man was Dietrich Bonhoeffer ( 1906-45 ) who was murdered in a concentration camp because of his Christian faith. Below is one of his last poems before he died :

" O God Thou did make a beginning in me,

  Pursued me and would not let me go.

  Benn with me, now here, now there,

  Captured me,persuaded me, made me willing,

  Spoke to me of Thy eternal, faithful, mighty love.

  When I prayed for strength and support, it came. 

  Forgiveness to take away my guilt came also.

  My resistance to Thee Thou did overcome,

  Thou did powerfully draw me to Thyself...

  Thou did grasp me as one who was madly wandering,

  And now I cannot be parted from Thee.

( translated from the German )

That man or woman is blessed who is overcome by Christ, to be Christ's prize and taken Home. There was a time in Scotland when to say, " For Christ's crown and covenant ! " was to be persecuted. But He must and shall reign.

NOVEMBER 17

" I am the LORD thy God. " Exodus 20:2.

Let God be God, and nothing less in our thoughts ! We are daily tempted to think of Him as being less than He is. It was the thought of God that made Luther, Calvin and Know what they were. All those who know the greatness of God see how small and transient the world is, and live accordingly. Faith transforms us and lifts us up above the daily discouragements which press down upon us. Faith goes against the world's flow. To stand up for God is to stand with Him, to agree vocally with His thoughts revealed to us in the Bible." I am not ashamed of anything God has ever said or done." said Spurgeon, who lived in such treacherous times that he once said," I will believe it even if I have to believe it alone ! " We may be surprised by what each day brings, but He is not, and the believer says," My times are in Thy hand." ( Ps.31:15). As one believer said, ' I do not know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.'

The word " LORD " shows us our place, " thy God " shows us our nearness to him ; all depends on that little word " thy ". He is the One who needs nothing, we are those who need Him, whether we acknowledge this or not. Many false' gods ' compete for our attention in this world, but at the end of the world He alone shall be seen. He must be known before He can be trusted, and Jesus has made Him known. But what about this " thy " ? Thomas well said, " My Lord and my God," ( John 20:28), but how few say it today. It is that pronoun " my " which divides us all.

NOVEMBER 18

" Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11.

Harvest Thanksgiving should remind us of this, that we depend upon God for all that is necessary for life, life here and life beyond here. Perhaps this is why Harvest Thanksgivings are now rare , ie. because they remind people about God and our dependence on Him for the bread that comes from the harvest. It follows that we daily give thanks to Him at our meals for the same reason. It is then that we ' say grace ' - this comes from the Latin word ' gratias ', which means thanksgiving. To be a creature is to be dependent upon our Creator, the Source of our life and the only Saviour from what has destroyed life ie. sin. God is the only power greater than sin or evil ; this is why we pray to Him. The Bread of Life is necessary for eternal life and Jesus said this title belonged to Him alone ( John 6;35).

To assert our independence from Him is the symptom of moral decay and rebellion. What use is anything without God's blessing ? To be thankful for bread from God may seem trivial, but it is a measure of our spirituality, and spirituality centres on Him, ' the Bread of Life.' Many will die without this Bread, and yet it is freely offered in the Gospel. Every day for the Christian is a day of Thanksgiving, and many reasons are given in Psalm 103.

NOVEMBER 19

" Those that have turned the world upside down have come here also."   Acts 17:6.

The teaching of the Bible ( emphasized by the Apostles in this place), about Jesus the Christ is the opposite of what the world thinks about Him. The Bible reverses the world's view, turns it upside down. For example, the Bible asserts that Christ is at the centre of the Universe ; He is Creator and King over all. God's Word also gives us the certainty which the world cannot provide. Christ is not subject to the votes of the people, He reigns whether they like it or not ( Psalm 2). The world treats him as a mere man because this does not put us under obligations, but God does. The world saw how the Gospel changed people's lives. However, they did not ascribe this change to the power of God, but to the persuasive influence of Paul and the other Apostles. This is the natural way of thinking, that it's just psychological influences. " But faith clings to God as seeing the Invisible, knowing His love, depending on His grace and hoping in His faithfulness." ( H. Bavinck). We do follow a cocktail of religious opinions but exclusive Christianity - there is no other way to God but through His Son ( John 14:6). This message disturbs the world. Are you seeing the world for what it is ? Are you seeing Jesus for who He is ?

NOVEMBER 20

" Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

These words contain a promise made to frightened, seeking sinners from God.The Gospel is not, ' Be good, and you shall be saved.' Such a message leads to self-righteous delusion or to despair. Works do not come first, they come after knowing Jesus, because only then do we know what a good work is. You see this order in Paul's conversion, first knowing who Jesus really is and then working for Him ( Acts 9:5,6). " Faith is the source of the Christian's emotional life and the power animating the works of our hands. If faith does not come first, no genuine experience and no true good works can follow." ( H. Bavinck). Faith does not come by ' working for it ', as if it was a reward for hard work ( Rom. 10:31 ff.), but is the gift of God, the light and strength to take hold of Christ. Because it is a ' holy faith ' ( Jude 20 ) it leads to a delight in and pursuit of holiness ; holiness as defined by God, not men. God gives the faith and the certainty of what it believes in. Our hope is fixed because it lies outside of ourselves, it lies in Him, as an anchor ( 1 Tim.1:1. Heb.6:19). The foundation of our (new) life was laid by God, and so it is secure. Our feelings can be uncertain, but not His promises ; He is faithful and unchangeable in His promise. Have we taken hold of His promise, refusing to let it go. Your conscience knows you have made a choice - which is it ?

NOVEMBER 21

" He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem."  Luke 9:51.

He went on, knowing He would be crucified there. This crucifixion, carried out by Jews and Gentiles,was appointed in eternity. He lived in the shadow of Calvary. In the Old Testament there abound many predictions of how the coming Messiah would suffer. The Jews professed to believe this but their attitude to Jesus the Messiah was shocking. " Never did history produce a stronger anomaly than when it decreed that the men who were, outwardly at least, the most religious people in the land, should be the head and front of the opposition that pursued the death of the son of God." ( J.S.Stewart). The attitude of Jesus to this antagonistic religious world was one of defiance. He would confront their leadership at Jerusalem ; the final showdown would be there, and He went to meet them. They piously spoke of God but planned the death of His son ; their actions spoke more loudly than their words. The ' visible church ' 2000 years ago saw that to take Christ's claims and assertions seriously would threaten their way of living. They preferred the nonchalant status quo, despising any ' extreme ' enthusiasm for Christ. Religion was a part-time thing, more an intellectual exercise than an exercise of godly character. We must pray for the same character as Christ, the same trust in His Father...and be prepared to meet the same opposition.

NOVEMBER 22

" Hypocrisy - for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed." Luke 12:1,2.

A person's inward character ( the hidden world of the heart ) and the outward, public reputation of that person are not the same thing. Our reputation is what people think we are, not what we are in God's sight. We live in an image-conscious society, with great importance attached to how we appear in society; social media has taken over many people's lives. Advertising campaigns are ubiquitous and non-stop ; there is clearly a demand for the product of a better image. Teenagers are especially targeted and put under pressure to conform to the latest fashions, not just in styles of clothes but in styles of thinking. The world demands conformity to it, but Jesus is against this ( Rom.12:1,2). The world wants to ' squeeze us into its mould,' but God's Son came to free us from this slavery. Christ sees our inside, and in religious circles this is where hypocrisy begins.Hypocrisy is the deliberate outward projection of what is not in the inside. The Pharisees were masters of image-making and were actually highly respected among the people, but not by Christ ( which in turn made Christ unpopular -  'crucify Him,' said the crowd). He reminded them that all would be revealed on the Day of Judgement. God knows what we are and what our life will lead to. Reputations on earth will not matter then. Do we want God to change us on the inside or do we cling to unreal images ?

NOVEMBER 23

" Whatever a man sows, that also shall he reap." Galatians 6:7.

At harvest time the connection between sowing and reaping is definitively revealed. With choices come consequences, causes have effects, and the ripples of past actions are still going out. Forgiveness removes the guilt and penalty for sin but some consequences are permitted by God to remain during our time in this world ; in the memory if nowhere else ! What we received from Adam in that first sin is like a hereditary disease, passed on from parent to child. Some proud people do not categorise themselves as ' sinners ' and do not expect any penal consequences, but the harvest at the end of the world is not yet come. The Bible says, " Be sure your sin will find you out." (Numbers 32:23) By repentance we condemn ourselves, justify God's justice and receive a pardon for our sins. Only because of the work of Christ does this mercy come to us.

At this time of year there is harvesting, but is there thanksgiving ? Not many have Thanksgiving, they think that Nature provides the harvest automatically. In former days a failed harvest meant famine, and people were more aware of how God's blessing was needed, but few farmers pray nowadays. God's can intervene as God is above nature, above natural processes. Without Christ there is one harvest the world is not looking forward to ! Perhaps this is why they do not like an annual harvest to remind them of the final harvest. But denying it will not prevent it.

NOVEMBER 24

" This is an evil generation, they seek a sign." Luke 11:29.

Rather than simply trust what Jesus said, the people were always looking for more and more ' signs and wonders,' even when He was being crucified. But we cannot live resting on daily signs. Christ rebuked them because He saw in this the attitude of unbelief ie. they refused to trust Him at His word. They were therefore ' wicked' in their refusal to believe Him. In hell they will regret not believing him and see that looking for signs was a distraction from following Him at His word ( Luke 16:29-31). Without faith in Christ there can be no repentance, and without repentance no forgiveness. Faith does not need signs from God, the Word of God suffices. To be looking for signs is an evidence that people reject the authority of the Bible, they want something more. We see this attitude in many churches today, a failure to simply trust Christ but looking for the Gospel plus a host of other things, and then when these other things grow stale, they seek something newer. This is discontent and not faith. Without faith it is easy either to highlight something as a sign or to explain it away ; the whole thing becomes subjective. Most people trust their own judgement and explain away Christianity, " but to 'see through ' all things is the same as not to see." ( C.S. Lewis) The Person of Jesus is a ' sign ' of the invisible world ; this sign is offensive to many because they are not prepared to accept it. But God's people are prepared by the Holy Spirit to accept Him at His word.

NOVEMBER 25

" Every man did that which was right in His own eyes." Judges 21:25.

When there is no longer universal agreement as to what is true or false, right or wrong, then every man is ' a law unto himself.' The book of Judges is an example of how this Irresponsibility reigns in society when people become judge, jury and accept evidence without unchangeable standards. Whose version of truth is to be followed, whose ideals, whose standards ? The thought that there are objective standards, unaffected by human opinions, is rejected in the name of freedom. But this freedom is fast approaching anarchy ! Human nature inherits conscience, and human society spends its life in trying to deny its voice. " Conscience is God's witness in the soul. If it is not allowed to speak, it will record for future judgement." ( T. Boston)

The standards are already there before we come into the scene of time,just like the arithmetic table. Two and two still make four, despite any changes in us. We have been educated by the world to deny guilt, because behind the concept of guilt lies the concept of God. Why should we care if we defy human opinion ? - It's only what other people think. But if the guilt registers and will not go away, then we feel we are dealing with a power higher than ourselves, a power we have no control over. Society may use therapy to palliate the symptoms, but only God can heal with forgiveness, and address the root of the matter. Jesus came into the world to take away the guilt of sin, but before He forgives He convinces us that He is the only answer to this internal misery. Has He convinced us ? If He has, we will feel the need of Him, and He will give us what we need. He will be our acknowledged King, unlike the times of the book of Judges. He alone is the Leader we can trust.

NOVEMBER 26

" The city and the tower which the children of men built." Genesis 11:5.

The building of the Tower of Babel was a symbol of society's rebellion against God. No doubt it had its own media service, with many ' followers '. They promised the people that ' everything will be better ' if they would give those in the Tower the power they wanted over others. To be dominated ( from Latin 'dominus ', master ) means that you give yourself over into the power of another. If this power is other than God it is an evil power, which will work against you. ( How often the tragedy of distrusting God as in Genesis 3 is repeated over and over again). We become the slaves and puppets of that power to which we have given our souls ( 2 Peter 2:19).

This is where the media is so important in maintaining the Tower's strength ; to distort God's character and so to justify a replacement ruler for Him. They make the dominating power attractive, and literally promise you the earth if you support them. They use you, but cannot elevate you to eternal life. The novel " That Hideous Strength " shows the horrors that can happen when power is given away to ambitious utopian scientists and socialists. But there will be a last battle on earth. The rebels can only cry,' Every man for himself.' And what a sad, despairing end that will bring. The blind see no evil in usurping God's place and the confident believe they have nothing to fear. We cannot defeat evil in our own strength, but God can overcome any opposition.

NOVEMBER 27

" Does Job fear God for nought ( for no reward ) ?  Job 1:9

Satan is called ' the accuser of our brethren ' ( Rev. 12:10) and goes about doing so. Job was in his sights that day. He questions the motive in Job's devotion to God, that his interest in religion was selfish and mercenary ( which is true of some, 1 Tim.6:5). he then requests ( for he cannot command ) that God put him to the test, believing that his opinion of Job will be the true one. He expects Job to turn away from trusting God when his life on earth gets worse, and the suffering begins. He knows that self-interest is the basis of many lives, and that many are into religion for what they can get out of it, not for love of Christ. Likewise, many are vocal against Christianity these days because they think it will enhance their secular prospects.

Job was prepared to suffer for his devotion to God. He did not expect to escape it, as many naively think they will if they obey God. On the contrary, to obey God is the fastest route to suffering. The devil will target God's most devoted followers, he knows them just as he knew Job. Some have adopted the' prosperity theology ' which says, Be good and God will be good to you. Rather, if God loves you this will attract the world's opposition, just as it opposed God's beloved Son. Our relationship with God does not depend on our company, our environment, our nationality - it depends on Christ alone. And He knows how to preserve those who love Him and suffer for Him, just like Job - a man just like us.

NOVEMBER 28

" My purposes are broken off." Job 17:11.

There was frustration being experienced here, not just in one purpose but in several. The Divine purpose rules over and overrules all human plans and expectations. But how do we respond to this ? Is it with anger, despair, trust, submission ? Jacob, who did have faith, cried out, " all these things are against me." ( Gen.42:36) - which showed he did have some unbelief also. But we are no better than him, we have the same weakness, limited vision and impatience. In every life it is certain that some of our purposes shall be broken off, they shall not reach the conclusion we planned. But surely we must expect this, and accept that God is wiser than we are. We must not believe the devil's lie to Eve that we can act like gods. There is only one God, and we need to think more of His Godhead and attributes than we do.

There are no ' accidents ' in the world, all is planned by God - and this is where God comes in for criticism by many. But this is to deny our responsibility for our flawed plans and expectations. We are in God's world and God's plan for each creature must come to pass. It would be wise for us to accept this, and be at peace in His will. To assert our own Will against God's can never give us peace. Job learned this ( ch.42) and it did him good. The Divine purpose is not fatalism, it is simply the fact that God cannot fail to control all that He has made : to think less than this is Atheism. It takes great humility and self-denial to accept this - how are we progressing in this ?

NOVEMBER 29

" Behold, God is great, and we know Him not." Job 36:26.

Elihu reminds his hearers of something that was lacking then, as it is now, ie. reverence towards God. Job's friends spoke as if they completely understood God and spoke confidently about His ways. But Elihu advised caution, as there are mysteries about the Being and ways of God. The emphasis nowadays is also on joy and feeling good, not on humility and devotion. Many are ignorant of the doctrines of the Bible because they hardly read it, as if they know all there is to know. In particular, the Sabbath day is a time " to examine our souls and to bring them into touch with the things that are unseen. This loss has had bad effects on our lives, disciplined lifestyles are rare. Reverence lies at the root of all right living, it is the principle of all order and restraint. " ( J.Hastings). The greatest persons are those who know their own ignorance and limitations and so stay close to God, as children to a Father. Whereas irreverence is the parent of anarchy in all its forms.

There can be no holiness without reverence; this awareness of all that is in God will have a beneficial effect on us. Lack of reverence presupposes little thoughts of a little God. But ' God is great ' responds Elihu, a timely reminder in all discussions. If the head bows, so will the heart, and vice-versa. He that said, " Learn of Me," is the One who can teach us how we ought to think of God rightly, and then He shall be worshipped " in spirit and in truth." ( John 4:23).

NOVEMBER 30

" He Himself knew what He would do." John 6:6.

Jesus was never perplexed. Unlike us, He was never ' at a loss ' as to what to do next ( 2 Corinth.4:8). He never changed or modified his perfect plan, a plan made from eternity. He was in control of every situation. He asked Philip what he was going to do, to show the difference between them ; Philip did not know, but He did. " Christ was not asking for information, He was drawing out a confession of ignorance. " ( Spurgeon). He always knows what to do, and He does it. This should make us trust Him amid our anxious ignorance ; faith has the virtue of going out of ourselves to trust Him.

We live in an age when many are questioning whether God is still in control of the world. They also question the wisdom or reasonableness of God's acts. But just because we do not discern God's wise reasons, this does not mean that He acts without them. The reasons are in Himself ; He can choose to reveal them or not. If we have this right to privacy for ourselves, are we going to deny it to God ? It is an old temptation to think that we are wiser than God, but the devil still uses it, as he did with Adam and Eve. Jesus did not spend His life here just reacting to events, He foreordained them. If you don't know what to do, go to Him. He will do something, although it may be mysterious at first !