CHAPLAIN’S PAGE – ‘FOR THE ELECT’S SAKE’
Throughout the centuries mankind has pondered the meaning of life. Those of all cultures and creeds have wondered why we are here.  This, without doubt, is the most fundamental question ever asked. After thousands of years of history and  increase  of knowledge, the answer, outside of Christianity,  still eludes him.  The  religious  books  of many  of the world’s religions,  written  by learned men,  contain their own  thoughts on the meaning of life.  Many of their writings  have  noble  thoughts and  aspirations. Some  teach hatred against those  who  are  opposed to their beliefs.
All this  wealth of information which is readily available can  be confusing for a seeker after  truth. No doubt  many have given up the quest  in confusion! Some  may have dipped into the Bible and waded through long and tiresome genealogies, and given up in despair.
Let it be said,  it is not a good approach to open  a Bible with  closed eyes  and  stick  a pin in whatever page happens to open.  What  most  people fail to realise, including many  Christians, is that there  is a theme  running throughout the Scriptures; a plan, a master plan for this human race.  This book differs  in one major respect from  all other  religious writings. What is this major difference, this essential something which lifts  it way above  all other  writings? It is that every writer was inspired by the Holy Spirit to set down all that they had been shown.
To prove  that this is the case is not possible in a short article. To be satisfied that the Bible is inspired requires painstaking study over a considerable period of time.  This quest for knowledge should always be preceded by  a prayer asking the  Holy  Spirit for guidance. The most  common objection that people bring up is that the Bible is full of contradictions. Your chaplain first heard this while serving in the RAF in I946.   I believed what I was  told  and  thereafter carefully avoided any  contact with churches or religious people. Looking back, what  I should have done was to have checked to see if what I had been told was correct or not, but I didn’t.
It was  several years before the search  began  in earnest.  So began a thrilling journey which continues to this day. The hoary old myths about contradictions were  dispelled long  ago, how so?  By carefully and prayerfully looking at each apparent example. It soon became obvious that  the problems arose  in many cases by  taking  the  events  and  lifting them out  of context.  Some  have  trouble because the actual meaning of a word many not be clear. As an example, we read in James chapter I and verse 13,
Let  no  man  say  when he  is  tempted, I  am tempted of God:  for God cannot be tempted with evil,  neither tempteth he any  man.
Some  will remind us  that  God, in Christ, was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Matthew chapter 4 makes it very clear, for verse 1 says,
Then  was Jesus led  up  of  the  spirit into  the wilderness to  be tempted of the devil.
The Ferrar Fenton Translation renders the verse, Jesus  then  went up  into the  desert, under the influence of the spirit, to be tried by the agency of the devil.
Temptation is to be tried.  Jesus would have been tempted only if He had succumbed to Satan.  Thank God that He didn’t. Note that Christ  thwarted Satan by  quoting Scripture at him where He  said,  it  is written (verse  10.)   Satan  endeavoured to  tempt Christ, but failed.  There is certainly no contradiction in those  two  texts.  Other  apparent contradictions can always be  satisfactorily explained by  careful reading and cross referencing various  texts.
Attacking the authority of Scripture is nothing new, for men of learning have made it their prime target throughout the centuries. It is noteworthy that they seldom, if ever,  turn  their  attention to cast  doubts upon the holy books  of other  faiths.  Could it be that Satan, who  knows full  well the  truth  of  the  Bible, doesn’t need  to worry about  the others?  This  is a serious  thought worthy of consideration.
Not only is God’s precious word under  attack, but also four other  areas in the nation’s daily  life  which are essential for our continuance.
1) Â The Royal Throne of David.
2) The Established Church.
3) Â The family.
4) This present generation.
In these four areas Satan is taking over the nation. We are no longer  the nation that we were  fifty  years ago. Each of these areas must be on our daily prayer list.
Only recently we have seen a renewed attack upon our Royal House by those who have no regard for history.  The dangers  to our church continue apace. Over a hundred years  ago the Bishop of Liverpool, J.C. Ryle, wrote books and  articles warning of  the coming apostasy.  Needless to say all his  warnings were ignored.  In like manner all  of  Churchill’s warnings in the  I930s  of the re-arming of Germany were  also ignored.  We are a half-baked, stubborn people; when will we wake up?  Only the Lord knows the answer!
But  wake up we  surely  will. It will come in the form of national repentance. At this present time we can  hardly imagine that  such  a thing  could come about, but it will. As surely as day follows night, the people, men, women, children and babies, will go into  the House  of the Lord, and repent. Joel chapter two is quite  specific. It will be the time of the day of the Lord,  it will be very great and terrible; who  can abide  it?  Zion  here  represents the  seat of Israel’s Government. Note that the call does not come from the church because even  the priests  and ministers weep before the porch and the altar.
When that great day arrives  it will be because of some event of great magnitude. Even the most hard hearted of men and women will be terrified,
And except those days should be shortened there  should no  flesh be saved: but  for the elect’s sake  those days  shall  be  shortened.    (Matthew C24:22)
