What’s Your Story?

In Col 3:11, Paul says “There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”

Christianity is neither a culture nor a tradition; it is life – eternal Life. Yet around the world and even within ourselves, we observe various flavours of Christianity that are more influenced by culture, history and personal experiences than on scripture.

One of these variants is the “Harsh” Christianity; a Christianity of pain, loss and hardship. Of denials, abnegations and cruel judgment. The ‘God’ of this Christianity is severe and austere: quick to judge and never letting any mistake go truly unpunished. For the many who live under this brand, Christianity is a difficult call to follow. That is their STORY.

But Fanny Crosby apparently ‘sees’ things differently. For this woman – blinded from six weeks old, married to an equally blind man, childless as a result of the infant death of their only child, etc. – her Christian story was “Praising my Saviour, all the day long.”

Perspective is important, and your perspective of your faith goes a long way in determining what you get from it. 

Think about and assess your ‘Christianity’ today; and make sure it’s the Christianity as outlined in scripture, not something that’s a product of your culture, your history or some certain leaders’ personal conception of it.

The kingdom of God, as outlined in scripture is “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Rom 14:17). May that be your reality evermore;  may your life’s experiences be one that prompts you to sing all day:

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Saviour, all the day long;

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

Visions (and Spectres) of Rapture

“Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;” – Fanny Crosby (Blessed Assurance, Stanza 2)

VI·SION (noun): a beautiful or pleasing sight

SPEC·TRE (noun): a threat or prospect of something unpleasant.

Fanny Crosby was blind essentially all of her life; so the rapture must have really been something for her to look forward to. Indeed, her disability heightened her expectation: “When I get to heaven,” she says, “the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Saviour.”

Mrs Crosby evidently knew the purpose of the Rapture. Unfortunately today, as a result of our pulpits’ practice of not putting a difference “between the holy and profane,” (Eze 22:26), the Rapture is taught to blood-washed saints as something to be scared of. The Vision has been turned into a Spectre. Instead of “Watching and waiting, looking above,” we’re worried and fretting, that Jesus would soon come.

In 1Th 4:16-18, the Apostle Paul clearly spells out the picture of the Rapture:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. THEREFORE COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS.”

Beloved, the point of Salvation is to deliver us from all the pain, shame and wanton wickedness all round us. Paul explained the Rapture in order to encourage, not terrify, the Brethren. The coming of our Lord is something we should look forward to, and something to tell everyone we know about. Let’s tell them that “Jesus is coming soon; and it doesn’t have to be bad news for you, it’s actually good news for me, because I’m finally going to be reunited with my Saviour for the rest of eternity”.

HALLELUJAH!!! Now that’s why we call it Good News, isn’t it?

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

Perfect ~Submission~

The current split in the Church between the so-called “Grace” and “Holiness” camps is doing much damage to orthodoxy and practical Christian living and has its root more in culture and church history than in Biblical doctrine itself.

The constant back-and-forth and bickering between both pulpits is making their adherents feel that anyone who preaches “Holiness” is against grace and anyone who emphasises “Grace” does it to hide antinomianism (lawlessness).

Each camp feeds off the extremes of the other and are just as guilty in their equally extreme retorts and gross caricaturing of the other’s views. This dichotomy between Grace and Holiness is false. Both camps must appreciate that grace implies holiness and holiness is impossible without grace.

Something has terribly gotten lost in translation if any call to holy living is viewed as “work”, and any emphasis on restful Christianity is seen as easy-believism or even licentiousness.

The second stanza of Fanny Crosby’s Blessed Assurance utters the two phrases: “Perfect submission” and “Perfect delight” in one single breath. There’s obedience in Christ. In Mat 11:28-30 Jesus says those who are heavily laden should come take his yoke! While this looks like nothing but a switch of burdens, He adds that his yoke is easy, and his burden is  light.

Christian living is analogous to work in marriage. Regardless of the gruelling task of married life, every weekend we see young men and women rushing into it; why? Because it’s beautiful work, because it’s gratifying work, because it’s work borne out of love and not of compulsion.

We know that 1Jn 5:3 says that the love of God is that we “keep his commandments”; but it also adds that God’s commandments “are not burdensome.” The regenerated heart is naturally for holy living, righteousness and discipline, and will not bristle at any mention of it.

We’re all love-struck brides living in obedience to our Lord and Christ. Is it work? If they say so. But to us it is perfect submission; it is perfect delight.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

The Scandal of Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

O what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

born of his Spirit, washed in his blood. – Stanza 1

Incredible as it may sound, the Hymn, Blessed Assurance is not without its controversy. Right from the early days of its composition, a certain section of the church had their reservations about its wording. Paul Westermeyer wrote in his book on the history of hymn music, some persons in the church were “offended by what they perceive as smug and self-assured inwardness” that the song seemed to invoke.

This controversy remains even today. Many believe that the best platform for Christian living is when your salvation is in a state of perpetual jeopardy: when you’re never truly in Heaven, and always one step away from Hell.

This is strange indeed, considering that the creation of anxiety and uncertainty over one’s salvation has traditionally been the preserve of the Devil. After evangelism, new converts are often told to watch out for the questioning of the Deceiver. That train never misses its stop. As sure as x is x, every convert goes through a season when they begin to doubt the veracity and authenticity of their salvation experience. Entire sections of hymnals (“Assurance and Testimony”, “Assurance”, etc.) are devoted to this aspect of our faith.

Rom 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God”; and 1John 5:10 says “He that believes on the  Son of God has the witness in himself.” Our job as Church leaders and brethren is to side with the Holy Spirit in encouraging the Saint in his or her faith-walk and not with the Accusing Spirit in making them question their standing in God.

The Lord says in John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me has everlasting life! This is more than assurance, to Ms. Crosby it’s a “Blessed Assurance”. If you are saved, if you have asked Christ to come into your heart, then join the community of saints in the Body of Christ and proclaim – with boldness and conviction:

Blessed assurance, JESUS IS MINE!

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

Blessed – Fanny – Assurance

“Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine” – Fanny Crosby (1873)

As someone who grew up in church, hymns formed an integral part of my church life. We sang one during the midweek services and sometimes two on Sundays. And back home from church, we kids in the compound would still go back to them. We’d gather around with as many hymnbooks as we could find – Sankey’s Sacred Songs & Solos, Deeper Life’s Gospel Hymns and Songs, the Anglican Communion’s Ancient and Modern, etc. and spend hours singing and comparing the compilations.

Nevertheless, like most church people back then, we never real thought on the wordings. As far as we were concerned, they were just melodious spiritual-ish things that ‘church people’ must sing and say during service.

It’s only recently that I began to actually read the words of the hymns and even research on the circumstances around them. In doing so, I discovered a treasure-trove of edifying Christian history and profound doctrinal depths.

One such hymn is the world famous “Blessed Assurance”, written by the equally famous and profoundly endearing songstress, FANNY CROSBY.

Blind from six weeks old, Fanny achieved in life what many sighted persons could never pull off. The first woman whose voice was heard publicly in the U.S. Senate Chamber at Washington, Fanny was an extraordinary and most prolific poet. She wrote over 9,000 hymns in her lifetime. Indeed, she had to write her hymns using not less than 40 different fake names to avoid her name appearing on every page in virtually every denomination’s hymnbook.

Songs of hers like, “To God be the glory, great things He hath done”, “Draw me nearer”, “Pass me not, O gentle Saviour”, etc. reveal a depth of spiritual intimacy and revelation that is lacking in many a sermon today.

From the very day she wrote the words of “Blessed Assurance”, Crosby’s words have provided comfort for millions of Christians in the face of fear, persecution, sorrow, and doubt. In spite of all the trials that may come, we know that we serve a Saviour who came to bring the Kingdom of God on earth, and as we serve Him, we participate in, and belong to, that Kingdom. We each play our own part in that “glorious foretaste” of what is still to come. We belong to Christ and his Kingdom – what an assurance this is!

You undoubtedly have said it countless times before, but say it again, this time with all intention and spiritual comprehension:

Blessed Assurance, JESUS IS MINE!

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN