Thought for the Month - December 2020
"Hide the lollies, its the Gilpins!" by Barry Adair
It was a reminder from my childhood in the 1970s, and it just happened to jump into my head again. Back then, in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, my brother and I were in Primary school. My Mum was a teacher in the same Primary school, and it was the last day of the school term. She had just brought back the remainder of the "Kojak pop" lollies she had handed out to the young kids in her class. I can still see that glass jar with a few lollies in it and I can still hear 70's TV detective Kojak's "who loves ya baby" catchphrase!
So back to the lollies then. My brother and I were so looking forward to polishing off the leftover lollies. When suddenly, I noticed that Mrs Gilpin, one of our neighbours, was heading rapidly to our front door with her two boys in tow. Disaster! This would mean sharing the lollies! So, as to warn my brother, I shouted out, at the top of my voice - "Hide the lollies, it's the Gilpins!" Of course, without double glazing in those days, the first questioning words Mrs Gilpin said when my Mum opened the door to her was - "Hide the lollies, it's the Gilpins?!"
Let's just say, we were lucky to get any of those lollies after this. And the two Gilpin boys went home with more lollies than we had wanted them to go home with!
Yes, I was thinking about sharing this month, and perhaps, more accurately, not sharing.
Now, as you probably know, I'm a Christian. And my fellow members in Grove Baptist Church are Christians too. And what we all have in common is that we are eternally saved and eternally secure. We know we are sinners before a holy God, we know that we don't deserve heaven, but we also know that heaven is our ultimate home. We are children of God, but we gain it through absolutely no merit or effort on our part. It is a gift from an infinitely loving God. And it is all down to Jesus Christ and what He did for us.
What I have described in the previous paragraph is, in essence, the gospel - the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus's sacrificial death, taking our place, allows a way back to God. And this is the only way back to being reconciled with our creator God. We can't get back to Him on our own merit, due to our numerous sins. And, as sin needs to be atoned for, Jesus had to suffer and die on our behalf.
Now, to get back to the subject of sharing, how is the church doing in reaching out to a lost world with this gospel of the Lord Jesus? Is the church telling as many people as possible about this way back to God? Is it letting the world know about the grace of God? Is it adequately sharing this good news? And, of course, by the church, I mean Christians like myself, those in 'the Grove' and those in other fellowships all across the world.
In a previous Thought, I had stated that in the 135 years since Coca-Cola was founded, around 93% of the world's population has heard about Coca-Cola (Coke) or seen or tasted Coca-Cola. And in the 2,000 years since Jesus died for the sins of the world, the Christian church had managed to take the gospel to just over half of the world's population! Coca-Cola would get an 'A+' for sharing, whereas the Christian church would be more like a 'C', or maybe even a 'C-'! Coca-Cola have a tasty, vegetable extract based fizzy drink to share with the world, whereas we have a promise of sins forgiven and life eternal!
Let's be honest. We aren't good at sharing. And I'm including myself in this statement too. We have the ultimate Good News and yet we seem content to tell it to ourselves, Sunday in and Sunday out. Our world needs Christ! Our country needs Christ! Our community needs Christ! Our neighbours need Christ! Our family needs Christ! Everyone needs Christ! Knowing Christ brings a serine peace deep down within your being. Your physical world could be falling apart (and does from time to time), but you have that inner peace that all will be well and that inner voice telling you that you are loved eternally. If you are reading this now and you don't know this for yourself, then please click the link at the end of this Thought or get in touch with us from our "Contact Us" page.
And He said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man (or woman) that trusteth in Him. (Psalm 34:8, addition mine)
Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it?
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
(Haldor Lillenas)
Until next month (DV)…
(All Bible quotations are from the KJV)
Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!