DON’T MENTION THAT WORD

Peter failed miserably, as miserably as anyone has ever failed.

I can do several things reasonably well. I am an expert at boiling eggs. My technique never fails. I can make toast with the best of them, and I can make a pot of Aussie Madura ™ tea with panache. However, if there is one thing I am very good at, it is failing. I can fail with the best of them, especially when it comes to taking opportunities to share Christ with others.

“And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.” (Luke22:58)

Peter failed miserably, as miserably as anyone has ever failed. Our Lord even warned him that it was going to happen! Peter failed on numerous occasions. I’m glad God recorded these incidents from Peter’s life, because they help me understand the sins in my own life. We all fail, regularly. Perhaps collectively our greatest failing is in denying the Saviour who died for us. What is it about the name of Jesus? We can speak about God all day long. We can (and should) promote our local church. We talk about others great and small. We identify with our chosen sporting teams, yet the one Name we so often fail to express throughout the course of an average day is the very Name that needs to be spoken; JESUS.

“Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” (Acts 8:35)

“And some said, What will this babbler (Paul) say? … because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.” (Acts 17:18)

We marvel at the spread of the Gospel in the book of Acts. The early believers preached Jesus Christ, publicly and privately. “He’s risen!” was the catch cry that rang throughout the entire known world. The believers at Antioch were known as Christ-ians, followers of the Risen One. These believers were opposed, persecuted, ridiculed and slaughtered all because they dared to speak the name of Jesus, and what a name it is! Jesus, name above all names! At the name of Jesus, every knee should bow!

Friend, it is imperative that we share Jesus Christ with those whom God brings across our daily path; not even so much our church and ministries, but Jesus. He IS salvation. He IS the Saviour. His name is despised, even hated, but He is the name by which sinners are saved.

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Who will take the reproach of Jesus today? Who will be a fool for Christ today? Who will proclaim his beautiful name today?

Name Him, brothers, name Him, with love strong as death
But with awe and wonder, and with bated breath!
He is God the Saviour, He is Christ the Lord,
Ever to be worshipped, trusted and adored.

(Carolyn Noel 1870)

 

ON THIS DAY IN 1969

1969 was quite a year. Richard Nixon was inaugurated as president on January 20th. Yasser Arafat became president of the PLO. In cricket Doug Walters scored 242 and 100 in the same test match. The first test flight of Boeing 747 jumbo jet took place. Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin Jr, from Apollo 11, land on the moon. The Woodstock rock festival began in New York. Pele scored his 1,000th soccer goal. Peter, Paul & Mary’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane” reaches #1. Yes, 1969 was quite a year, but as a skinny, fatherless, freckled faced young Aussie kid, I knew nothing of the above mentioned occurrences, except of course the moon landing. However, 1969 was, for me, something far more special than rocketing to the moon and back.

It was Sunday morning, December 14th and I was sitting with my mother and brother on the first row of the Baptist church at Doyalson, a tiny township about two hours drive north of Sydney. Baptist Union evangelist Norman Harris was preaching that day. I don’t specifically remember anything he preached on, but I do remember him asking for those who wanted to be born again, to come forward. I did just that. I had no prompting from anyone except the Holy Spirit. I don’t remember praying a “sinner’s prayer”. I do remember though that that particular day, I believed on Jesus Christ.

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13)

The Bible is so very clear on this matter; we are saved by faith, that is, believing that Jesus died and rose again for me. Is personal salvation that simple? Sure is, but it’s so simple that most people miss it. Is salvation hard? Yes, for some it’s immensely hard. For me, it wasn’t hard. I was a sinner and I needed saving, but whether hard for some or easy for others, it’s simple.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31)

Dear reader, are you a child of God? Is Jesus Christ your Saviour? Your sins will take you to Hell. The Saviour wants to take you to Heaven. If you haven’t done so, why not trust Jesus, right now? Take Him at His word, call upon Him, and He will save you. He’s already paid the price on Calvary.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)