Obligation Meme

Dear Dad

Here is a letter I have written to my father on the eve of his departure back to South Africa. He struggles with dementia but in spite of memory problems and to God's great glory he came to faith and a few weeks ago was baptised. I leave this here for him and for your encouragement should you choose to read it ...

Dear dad

PLEASE READ THIS LETTER EVERY MONTH OR SO.

Well the London adventure ends and a new one begines – though – it is really two new adventures you now are starting: the move to Cape Town and the new life you have now as a Christian. Your journey to faith has been a long and inspiring one. There are not a few younger folk at the church who have been encouraged to see someone’s dad come to faith and be baptised. What God has been and is doing in your life is a great source of joy to all the Christians who know and love you and it is the answer to much prayer. As a beginner Christian there is a lot to learn and remember – too much to include in this one brief letter. I can only point you in a few directions. So I have thought up five questions and their answers – it is my hope that you will regularly read through them and meditate on them and take action where necessary:

1) What is the Gospel?

The word gospel means the “good news”. It is the news that all Christians seek to share with the lost of this world – the news that they do not have to be lost and condemned, but that instead they can become actual children of God – as you now are. It really is the best news because ultimately it leads to perfect peaceful fulfilling eternity in paradise with God – the gospel details how this is possible. But is starts with bad news – with the problem of sin.

2) What is the problem?

The problem is that we are all sinners – we rebel against God and want to do things our way. Even our best efforts are tainted with selfishness, pride, greed, envy and self-righteousness. We are ugly inside and out and death with eternal destruction in hell haunts us and drives us to even more vain ambition to fill this small little life with idols and self agrandisement. We are all so sick. Just look around you at people. Watch them – see how they behave as if there is no tomorrow or, worse still, no eternity after they die. They turn their backs on the loving infinite Being who made them and reject his message to them (which is the Bible) and his offer of peace with them (through his Son). Trapped in their smallness they over estimate their hugeness – like certain little creatures in nature that puff themselves up to make themselves look bigger when under threat. Look at them, they all do it – and so still do I, and so still will you. Unfortiunately sin is something that stays with us to a hopefully ever lesser extent until we die – even when we are Christians. But while we may still have to deal with the problem of sin – and God the Holy Spirit comes alongside us to help us with this – we do not have to worry any longer about the ultimate consequence of sin – which is death. Why?

3) What is the double solution?

Jesus did many things for us as he lived on earth. For example he taught great truths which we must study and obey. But in reality the two greatest things he did are so huge that they overshadow all his other work. The first thing is that he died perfectly and the second is that he lived perfectly. The wages of sin is death – and not just physical death but spiritual death – the death of facing the full anger of God. All sin must and will be punished by God – if God is to be truly just. There are essentially only two types of people – those who will face God with their sin and be punished by him for all eternity, and then there are those who have had their sin already and finally punished - but in the body of Christ as he died on the cross. Jesus died the kind of death you deserve so that you don’t have to. The day you became a Christian you began to accept this incredible truth – the truth that God the Son loves you enough to die in your place. You were made right with God through no act of your own. But Jesus also lived a perfectly sinless life. And he has given you his record. His perfect obedience, his perfect prayers, perfect baptism, perfect love for others, perfect doctrine (teaching) – all given to you as a love gift so that the Father sees you as his son… think about that Dad – the God of the universe has adopted you…

4) What is the promise and our hope?

On the third day after the cross Jesus rose from the dead as the first born – the first among many who would rise to eternal life. His resurrection is a promise that all who believe in him will be resurrected. We now have the hope of everlasting joy and fellowship with eachother and with God. We will have bodies and minds and all other faculties suited for eternity – words cannot describe what comes next except that we can trust that it will be perfect. No more sorrow, sickness, tears, doubt, fear, lonliness, growing older – no more death (Revelation 21:4)! And this is all because of Jesus.

5) What should you do about it?

Since our great rescuer has rescued us we should continue to follow his instructions. Jesus said we must love one another, spend time together, look after eachother, pray for eachother, learn from eachother, even be prepared to die for eachother. This means we must congregate weekly or even more frequently. We must join a church and give up our time and other resources to bless others in the church. Since we have the promise of eternity (purchased by Christ at such a cost) what could God not ask of us and yet he asks so small a thing – so pleasurable a thing – that we should seek eachother and care. We are also commanded to obey God – and where will we go to find his will? The Bible. I advise you not to read the Bible cover to cover (at least not the first time). The New Testament will help unlock the Old Testament and the Old Testament validates the New. Jesus is the essential key to understanding the whole book and thus it makes sense to learn about him first by reading the Gospels. Here is a good reading plan to start with:

1.         John's Gospel

2.         Mark's Gospel

3.         I John

4.         II John

5.            Ephesians

6.            Galatians

7.         Luke's Gospel

8.         Acts

9.         I Peter

10.       II Peter

11.            Matthew's Gospel

12.       I Corinthians

13.       II Corinthians

14.            Romans

15.       James

16.       Genesis

17.       Exodus

18.       Judges

19.            Hebrews

20.            Colossians

21.       Titus

22.            Revelation

23.       Psalms

24.            Proverbs 

... then go on to reading all the other books not listed here.

Finally and perhaps most important of all – pray.   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

   Pray to God now. Talk to him. He has spoken eloquently and extensively in His scripture. You can only just begin to uphold your side of the conversation. Be honest and humble. The Bible uses the word 'contrite' (Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 66:2). There is no need to fold your hands or be on your knees every time you pray. Victor Hugo, the writer of that very Christian of novels:  Les Miserables, wrote: 

   "Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees."

   Pray to the Lord when you see a sunrise, pray when you see the dew on a spider's web. Pray when you hit a good drive on the golfcourse. Pray when you see your sister laugh.  Pray when you are facing a difficult meeting or a tough day. Pray when you get through it. Pray when you are sick and when you get well again. Pray for others, pray for the land. Pray for your friends - and your enemies too. Bless everyone and even ask other people if you can pray for them, for specific needs they have. God loves to hear from you. How else will you grow in your relationship and trust? Praying is a habit and something that takes practice. You might start using cliches and feeling really hypocritical or clumsy, we all do, but God is really good at translating human weakness (Romans 8:26). Just be honest with him and grateful. He always hears even when sometimes his answer is no. I cannot over-stress the importance of daily or even more frequent prayer. It is a good idea to pray when you wake up and when lie down to sleep. Also say grace before every meal.

   Your baptism was special – remember that. Your Chessington church loves you – remember that. Pastor Daf loves you – rememebr that. There were and will continue to be people over here in London praying for you – remember that. And remember your family – we all love you and are so comforted by the fact that before you left us, God brought you to faith.

   I don’t know if, nor even when, I will see you again. I cannot really afford to come to Capetown and I hope Cynthia’s business venture goes so well that you are able to stay funded for many years – I hope the challenge it provides to you is rewarding and stimulating, as I am sure stimulation and challenge are vital to staving off memory problems. Send my greetings and my love to all you meet who knew me and please, once you have found a church, introduce me to your new pastor. Also challenge Cynthia and Paul to come to church with you every Sunday. God may indeed be using you to that end.

   I love you dad. From the day you came to London I prayed and even occasionally fasted before God (and you know I don’t do fast!) that He would draw you to him and save you – it was a big part of my prayer that I would be able to sit next to you in church and share the Lord’s bread and wine with you – not to mention baptising my own father! What an answer to prayers you have been.

   Until we meet again, on earth or in Heaven – know that you are in my prayers.

   Fondly and lovingly yours forever in Christ

   Jason