The Rock - May 2009

You can select your friends but are stuck with your family- for better or worse.

One of life's greatest mysteries is why sane and normal people decide to have children. Children are trouble before they arrive and when they do, their birth at least, spoils a good nights sleep. The poor mother has fears of sleepless nights, stretch marks, sore nipples and a bloke beside her who will most likely snore through it all. Then she has to cope with a childish bundle who demands constant attention no matter how tired she is, who needs feeding when required and no matter how many things are waiting to be done, will only be comforted by a reassuring 'cuddle'. Complete unselfishness is needed to cope with this particular strain on her patience, namely because it seems he can do nothing to help himself! (I am, of course referring to the father!)

Of course this baby problem is not to every couples' taste, and they (perhaps wisely?) stay away from it all together. They are the ones with time, money and energy to spare.

Could I ask you to close your eyes and imagine a scene of complete darkness? Now, imagine a lone cyclist, panting with exertion, navigating the push bike without the benefit of a head lamp through the unlit streets. The only illumination available comes from scattered flashes of light as Hitler's bombs are dropped in an attempt to hit the Austin works at Longbridge. The cyclist is the local midwife bravely seeking to attend the birth of one troublesome little bundle, later named Ian.

Many years later my father related these facts to me, also confirmed by my Aunt Peg and Aunt Joan who were present at this august happening. My father had been home on injury leave at the time, and my Mother was also luckily able to attend! I arrived later with the first of my attention seeking performances. They couldn't get me to breathe at first but when they did succeed I apparently screamed so loudly it surely must have frightened even the German bomber crews overhead! Much to her annoyance, I then peed all over the midwife who handed me to my Mother saying “You're going to have trouble with that one!” My dad later complained that no truer word was spoken!

Who my father was, was now decided by the genes within me and whether I became a success or a failure could never affect this immutable fact. Because of the family gene my Dad's his other son and daughter are my siblings. This trait is also reflected in the spiritual world and we can derive great comfort and security from this. Once a child in God's family – always a child of His family: we can never be anywhere else but in His care. Effort on our part has no affect on this fact. We arrive at this happy state not through work but though birthright: by being 'Born Again'.

My father didn't like the midwife because she apparently constantly complained about being brought out of retirement to 'attend selfish Mothers', who insist on bringing babies into the world with Hitler about to take over! You will all regret it!', she was heard to say. A real bringer of joy, she was however, a very brave lady and I may well have not survived without her. It was the early morning of 23^rd Dec. 1941. (Go on, do your sums!)

There are reasons why I refer to these matters. Some might think it is simply because I enjoy talking about myself (as most of my friends might say) but my intention is to attempt to illustrate that the desire to start a family for some people is so strong that even the danger of war doesn't put them off.

Dare I suggest that we close our eyes again and go back to the start of the bible story? Imagine again the dreadful darkness at the beginning of Genesis and Our God brooding and grieving over the face of the waters (the vapour and gas clouds?). Maybe we should ask ourselves, whatever could have happened? Surely we can accept that the Great God would have been active before our creation? So, had Satan been allowed to spoil an earlier creation?

God has the power to bring into life anything, including angels and even “Sons of Abraham” could be created from casual stones Jesus said. So, what was our God planning and seeking? Yes, serving angels were around created for that purpose: (Satan was once one of them). Their status depended on obedience but can I suggest the Divine will was for something better: a 'family' with the Creator's own genes in place: status by right of birth, secured by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - the family gene - something that could not be undone no matter what. A 'unit', if you like, that He could gather round himself, bound together by loving and eternally secure bonds, where His kindness could find expression and His Greatness and generosity would result in the Praise due to His Name. In short The Great God from Eternity wanted a 'family'. A group growing more and more like Him who were under grace rather than the need to pass an examination on self-effort.

So after the awesome explosions and such, our world was formed. Later, The Divine Trinity agreed with each other, (as always). “Let us make man in Our Own image” with some of the Divines' own instincts. So the human race began with the results amongst other things, of us having a desire for love and affection and the wanting of a family life.

God wanted a people who would choose His company. Satan's scheming managed to introduce his own 'sin gene' into our Adam race and again spoil a fellowship with God. Patriarchs, priests, Prophets, Kings - you name it, were all used to correct this state of broken fellowship but with no permanent result. The problem was that the family 'gene of sin' kept getting in the way and spoiling things. The only answer, it would seem, was to finish that family line, put its history to death, deal with the 'sin gene' once and for all and to make a new creation with the 'new family gene' of The Holy Spirit. So the Son of God came, born into our race as one of us but without sin, so that the Divine and human were present in one Glorious Person. Tempted and tested on all points but without failure, He was able to give his life in exchange for ours, thus releasing us to a new start.

After the awful drama and torment of Gethsemane; the cruelty of Calvary where He willingly took and exhausted the due punishment against the 'sin gene' and its effects on all of us, and after the Blessed resurrection, the new family line was born. The Divine Jesus was of our 'flesh and blood' and so could introduce us to “My Father and your Father” Through His sacrifice and our belief in Him we became no longer servants who could be dismissed, but rather 'Children of The Father' with eternal privileges due to the possession of the Godly gene of the Holy Spirit: a status achieved not through the practice of good works but by being 'Newly Born' into God's own Family.

So, our desire to have the security of Family is borne out in the natural and spiritual world. For our peace of mind God has shown us that this bond can never be broken because of the promise that the Holy Gene of The Spirit of Christ can never leave us. It becomes a fact of eternal reality: the future of the Christian is of Right of Birth - a gracious gift to all that believe and trust in the finished work of Christ.

Perhaps someone who has shown me the honour of reading these imperfect and clumsy comments may have, with great honesty, been trying to do the right things to hopefully be found worthy of eternal life. Can I tell you of how much God loves you and wants to see you safe and happy? Jesus said that unless we are 'Born Again' into His Family, our unfitness remains.

I was born to my natural father without effort on my part and so it is in the spiritual.

Want to talk about it? See any member of the prayer group or our minister, Jon. Being 'Born Again' can be just as easy as saying a heartfelt, 'Yes Lord, Please!'.

Whatever value or lack thereof you set upon yourself, it is nothing compared to God's passionate love for you as an individual personality. Your track record is immaterial. God says, 'Come to Me - now, just as you are.!' He will make you so welcome.

Jesus said, “Except a man be Born Again he cannot see the kingdom of God ”

John 3:3

“For the wages of sin is death but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”

Romans 6:2

“ ----the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost”

Romans 5:5

Jesus said, “ Come to Me ------ I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls”

Matthew 11:28