WELCOME TO THE AN DORUS WEBSITE!
This page gives you a brief introduction to An Dorus and the various resources and activities available there. The website is made up of three separate parts, each accessible from the Home Page. Click on the Blue Text below to go to the relevant resource 1. HOME PAGE: Information about An Dorus, activities and what’s available 2. ABOUT: A series of pages giving short answers to questions people ask about the Christian faith 3. DOOR TRUST: information about The Door Trust, the body responsible for running and financing An Dorus
Administered by The Door Trust Charitable Trust in Scotland SC000780
AN DORUS
WHAT IF..
Site Guide
Welcome to An Dorus!
a place to relax and a place to read a place to talk and a place to enquire a place to listen and a place to study a place to interact and a place to learn
An Dorus is a place for everyone interested in books, films, discussions or simply meeting people for a relaxing conversation over a cup of tea or coffee in friendly surrounings. An Dorus is open to all ages and persuasions, and hosts a large library of books to stimulate further thought and discussion. Regular opening hours are Monday and Friday 10am - 12 noon, and Wednesdays 4pm to 6pm. It is also possible to visit at other times by prior arrangement.
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CLICK ON PICTURE
An Dorus is a Christian Resource Centre based in Salen on the Island of Mull. The Centre comprises a library of over 5500 titles, an extensive DVD library, computing facilities and accommodation for those wishing to avail themselves of a longer period of study. The Centre can also be used for small group meetings, or for running a small seminar or presentation. Kitchen facilities are also provided.
ABOUT AN DORUS
PHOTOS OF AN DORUS
Part of the library
En-suite Bedroom
Kitchen facilities
Part of the library
AN DORUS
MISSION STATEMENT
Most people today subscribe to the view that what you believe is your own private affair, and that such beliefs are personal and not generally open for discussion. Belief is consigned to an “upstairs room” in one’s “house”, and as such not generally discussed in the “downstairs room” (or public conversation). We believe that the Christian worldview is very much a “downstairs” set of beliefs, open to discussion, historically true and easily verifiable by looking at evidence freely available around us in our everyday world. This was the motive behind the creation of this Resource Centre with both secular and Christian material readily available in books, DVD courses and films, as well as interaction with others. An Dorus is a meeting place available to anyone wanting to explore ideas about life at their own pace without any pressure to conform to other’s ideas or opinions. Whether you are young, middle-aged or old you are invited to examine your own ideas about life in friendly surrondings to see whether they stack up against reality.
AN DORUS
CATALOGUE OF RESOURCES
A catalogue of our Library books and other resources are available on separate Excel files. These can be sent by e-mail on request. Use the form provided on the Contacts page.
AN DORUS
News and Activities
An Dorus is a Christian Resource Centre in Salen on the Isle of Mull. It contains a library of over 5000 titles, an extensive DVD library, computing facilities, and for those wishing to avail themselves of residential longer study facilities an en-suite double room. An Dorus can be used as a meeting place for small groups, and as a centre for running a small seminar. Kitchen facilities are also provided. An Dorus is also available as a meeting place for a friendly chat over a cup of tea or coffee. The Centre is open Mondays and Fridays from 10am -12noon. and on Wednesdays from 4pm to 6pm. Other times can be booked by prior arrangement through telephoning or via the form on the Contact page.
AN DORUS
Special Events Page
Here you will find details of any forthcoming events at An Dorus and also details of times when the Centre is not available
AN DORUS
CONTACT PAGE
An Dorus is administered by The Door Trust, a non-profit charity registered inScotland (SC000780), for the benefit of all residents and visitors on the Isle of Mull. Contact AnDorus about using the Centre or visiting at times other than the official opening hours, or simply with any ideas or suggestions you may have for the use of the Centre using the FORM link above, or telephone using the details below. Telephone: 01680300536
Form
Charitable trust in Scotland SC000780
THE
Charitable trust in Scotland SC000780
THE
Founded in 1986, The Door Trust is a charitable trust promoting the Christian faith. Since 2010 the Trust has been responsible for the running of the An Dorus Christian Resource Centre, based in Salen on the Island of Mull. The Centre offers an extensive Christian library of nearly 6000 titles, plus a DVD library of some 300 DVD’s. There are separate sections for adult and children resources, as well as an extensive section specially aimed at those with little previous knowledge who wish to explore the Christian worlview. The Trust is responsible for the upkeep and running of An Dorus, as well as supporting other Christian charities through donations. At present the Trust is managed by a committee of 5 Trustees, two of which are based on Mull and are responsible for the day to day running of An Dorus.
Charitable trust in Scotland SC000780
THE
SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTS 2020-21
INCOME Gift Aided donations 9830 Gift Aid Tax Claimed 2450 Other Donations 1370 Bank Interest 25 Misc Income 82
13757 EXPENDITURE Donations to other Charities 6576 Subscriptions 477 Printing,Stationery and Computing 320 Professional Fees 100 Sundries 1 Insurance 293 Heat and Light 2257 Equipment 123 Repairs and Renewals 4398 Furnishings and Consumables 246 Library Expenditure 2273 E-Books 238 Misc Expenses 1 DVD Library 166 17479
Loss for the Year (3722)
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You were accountable for your actions?
You could change?
Truth was absolute?
An Dorus
Life had a purpose?
Should you wish to leave feedback on any of these articles, please either use the Contact Page (reached via clicking the AnDorus button above and then using the navigation bar) or using the Facebook page for AnDorus.
There really was a cosmic thug?
An Dorus
Most people imagine the devil as a comic figure in a red suit and pointed tail carrying a flaming pitchfork. It’s an idea that originates from mediaeval paintings. The question remains, is evil a spirit being, or merely the “ego” in our own personality exerting itself? Many people talk about evil being unleashed into the world. That is, it’s a force that’s beyond our power to control. Throughout the ages, people have wrestled with the problem of evil. Has it a personal origin or is it merely an aberration; something that’s gone wrong by accident, like a science experiment, with disastrous results. Some religions, notably Zoroastrianism, believe there are two exactly opposite and equally powerful forces at work in the world with neither being able to gain the upper hand. Christianity on the other hand talks of a world that has become abnormal through the intervention on an evil being that has set himself up against the God of the Universe - a cosmic thug bent on destruction. Jesus once told a story about a man who had sown a good crop of wheat, but discovered sometime later that an enemy had sown a poisonous crop in the same field, a counterfeit form of wheat that was indistinguishable from the real crop until the heads had formed. On discovery, the man’s farm hands wanted to go out and uproot the poisonous plants, but were told that should they do so, much of the good crop would be harmed in the process. “Wait till harvest”, they were told, “then you can gather the poisonous plants first and burn them, and afterwards go and reap the good crop.” If we’re realistic, we would agree that evil is different from good, and that’s not simply a matter of definition; it’s a malevolent power bent on destruction of all that is good. The trouble is, sooner or later, we discover that we ourselves are part of the problem, that we’ve become infected with destructive desires.
We could be sure we weren’t being lied to?
An Dorus
Cynicism has become part of our present-day culture. We no longer believe a politician’s promises, and even when we buy a product we’ve seen advertised on television we don’t expect it will live up to what we can expect from the advertiser’s description. Nowadays it’s quite often to have a conversation going like this: “Well. that may be true for you, but it’s not true for me!” Truth has become whatever you make it. One man’s truth is as good as another’s. We’ve come to believe that truth is an idea, or a subjective concept. The surprising thing to discover is that Truth is far more than an abstract idea, or even an objective reality. Truth is a Person. Standing before the one who would ultimately pass the death sentence on him, Jesus said: “The reason I have come into the world is to bear witness to the truth.” Earlier he had claimed “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. He claimed he was the embodiment of ultimate truth. To believe his claim was the unique way to a relationship with a God who loved humanity so much that he was prepared to allow his only Son to bear the consequences of our rejection of his rule in our lives. Unlike any other of the world’s religions, Christ’s way was not obedience to a set of rules or principles, but an invitation to the possibility of a genuine personal relationship to the Creator of the Universe. How do we know all this? Because he left us a record of his words and actions in the pages of a book that no-one has been able totally to destroy.
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There was a life after death?
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An Dorus
Bertrand Russell, the eminent philosopher, said: “When I die I shall rot.” He believed that this life was all there is. Yet since as far back as archaelogists can discover, human beings have buried their dead along with various artifacts that would help them in their journey to another life. We don’t find any animals doing this, it’s something peculiar to human beings. Assume for a moment that there was no life after this one, no existence of any sort. What would be the purpose of everything we count important to us - loving, caring, grieving for others? Why do we live as if there was a future beyond this life if we don’t believe there is one? Only one person in history ever came back from beyond this life. Jesus was a historical figure who not only spoke and taught about life after death, but predicted his own return from the grave in advance of doing so. He spoke of two futures - one involving joy and peace, the other deep regret and torment. Which of these every person would adopt did not depend on the sum of their good deeds in this life, but on their readiness to accept the life he offered. One of his sayings was: “What profit is there in gaining the whole world at the expense of losing one’s soul?
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An Dorus
His first followers were totally convinced that he had. Many of them preferred to die often horrible deaths rather than deny the certainty that they believed in. Of his original disciples, most were killed for this belief. Since then hundreds of thousands have likewise been killed for believing this. But how sure can we be that they were right in their conviction? Contemporary writers of the Roman period in which Jesus lived, such as Tacitus, Suetonius and Josephus all refer to the fact that Jesus’ followers were sufficiently convinced of Jesus’ resurrection to die for their belief rather than renounce it. Worldwide, Christianity, which is based on the fact of Jesus’ resurrection continues to flourish as a major faith believed in by billions. Just supposing Jesus didn’t rise from the dead - why didn’t the Jewish authorities produce his body as evidence? If the disciples had stolen it and made up a story about his resurrection, why were they all prepared to die, rather than to deny this fact? Some expert lawyers have looked into the claims for Jesus’ resurrection, and have concluded that no other explanation fits the facts other than the resurrection being true. If Jesus did rise from the dead, as he predicted he would, what consequences has this got for us today? We need to take what he said about life beyond the grave very seriously.
Science disproved God?
An Dorus
Science concerns itself with the material universe. Its basic assumption is that there is a world out there that’s open to investigation. The scientific method involves looking at information (data), making a deduction about the laws behind such data, and then testing one’s theory against other observations to make sure it gives consistent results every time. If it does not, the theory is either rejected or refined to cover the exceptions encountered during the testing period. But what about trying to prove to someone that you like the colour blue? The scientific method doesn’t give you any answers, because such abstract things as people liking things or even one another isn’t within its remit. It can be argued that science can describe the chemical interactions happening in the body when someone claims to like something, but that is hardly the whole story. We all know that when there’s a flood somewhere, it’s because abnormal rainfall has fallen either there or somewhere connected to that place by a river. Rain causes the flood, and the rain came about through water evaporating into clouds, which contained dust particles around which the water droplets condensed. Water came about through the combination of the elements hydrogen and oxygen, and these elements were formed from the fundamental particles common to all matter. But where did matter arise from? The Big Bang? So what caused the Big Bang in the first place? Looking around we don’t find ourselves in a chaotic universe, but in one that’s beautifully designed from the universal level even down to the microscopic level. The more we look at how life works, the more amazing its intricate design. Design has to do with mind - we know that whether we buy a car or a washing machine, someone with an intelligent mindwas behind it’s creation. It shouldn’t be too difficult to realise that there could be intelligence behind our whole universe, an intelligence far superior to our own.The truly amazing thing is that such a Being has revealed himself to be passionately concerned about each one of us humanbeings, and has left us a record of his character and purpose in the form of a book.
There was such a thing as Truth?
An Dorus
When it comes to arguments about what people believe, the commonest answer today is along the lines: “Well that may be what you believe, but I believe something different. After all, everyone is entitled to their own beliefs.” But is this really true? Is truth merely subjective, or is it objective? We all believe that grass is green - if someone tells us that it’s pink we would rightly question their sanity. Why is it then that when it comes to more abstract ideas, anything goes? Buddhists believe in nirvana, Muslims believe in paradise, Christians believe in heaven, Atheists believe life on earth is all there is. Does it matter who’s right? Is there a way of finding out? Uniquely one man in history claimed there was. Standing before the man who was about to condemn him to death, Jesus said:“For this reason I was born, to bear witness to the truth.” Not only that, but earlier he had claimed: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father, except through me”. He claimed he alone was uniquely the truth, and the sole giver of life that carried on beyond the grave. Serious claims, that deserve to be taken seriously. When a body of guards was dispatched to arrest him, they came back empty-handed. Questioned about this by their superiors, they replied: “No man ever spoke like this man does!” It matters what you believe. Every world-view comes with exclusive truth claims. You can’t hold two views on life without finding serious contradictions between them. In the end, it does matter which you believe. The world we live in is not chaotic and random, but rational and consistent. Just as two plus two always equals four, so in matters of truth there is only one right answer. Truth is not an idea, but a person.
There was no such things as good and bad?
An Dorus
Spinning a coin can have two outcome; either it lands up heads or tails. We believe the outcome is controlled by pure chance. Some today believe that the whole of our universe also came about purely by chance. A random combination of atoms led ultimately to everything existing today. Taking this to its logical conclusion, there can‘t be anything that we can call “right” or “wrong” in the same way that we can’t say that, because a tossed coin comes up “heads”, that’s a “wrong result” As human beings we behave as if right and wrong really exist, but that’s a contradiction if in fact we are all the product of a random coming together of atoms over long periods of time. In a world governed by chance, murder or theft would not have any moral value, because such a world is governed simply by random events. Saving a life would be no different from killing someone if morals did not exist. Most of us would find it was impossible to live in such a world. We’re just not made that way.
The Universe was created by God?
An Dorus
Richard Dawkins writes: “But of course any God capable of designing something as complex as the DNA/protein replicating machine must have been at least as complex and organised as that machine itself”. The more we learn about our Universe, the more carefully designed it turns out to be. Even the fundamental constants defining charge and gravity have been fine-tuned to a remarkable degree - a variation of 1 part in 100 million of their actual values would have meant that at the moment it all began, which we nowadays refer to as ‘The Big Bang’, all of matter would simply have flown apart. Each person’s DNA - something contained within every cell of our bodies, carries information that if written out in book form would stretch from here to the moon.Yet every time a cell divides it makes an exact copy of that DNA molecule for the new daughter cell it generates, without any copyist’s mistakes. Within each cell are also specific molecular machines that check that the code is properly replicated, and should this not be the case, set about correcting that mistake. We find order and design from the largest structures to the microscopic ones. There are pairings of organisms such as bats and flowers that turn out to be the only means of survival for the flower species. Two views about all this exist today. Either everything came about by blind chance as a result of random mutations, or life hasbeen very carefully and skilfully designed by a Creator - a Being we refer to as God. What science tells us is that random mutations - e.g. alteration of the DNA code will always lead to destructive, rather than constructive results. Those who insist that “everything that exists came about through blind chance” may well do so because they cannot tolerate the idea that there might be a Creator God and as a result they might find themselves accountable to him for their lives.
The Bible really is God’s Word?
An Dorus
Every major religion has its scriptures Hindus have the Vedas, Islam the Koran, Buddhism the Theravana and Mahayana amongst others, while Judaism and Christianity share the Old Testament, and Christians also have the New Testament. Are all these scriptures simply records penned by previous generations? The Koran claims to have been dictated by the angel Gabriel. The Bible on the other hand claims to be “God-breathed” - a revelation of the mind of God to his people. How are we to examine such claims? Unlike other scriptures, the Bible is a compilation of 66 different books written over a long period of time, by a great many authors. The most striking thing about the Bible is the consistency of its message across the various books. When Jesus came, he “opened the disciples’ minds to understand the scriptures”. There are references to Jesus’ life and work in every one of the booksof the Old Testament, while the New Testament, written towards the end of the first century AD contains both a record of Jesus’ own teachings and the writings of his immediate successors, the apostles, based on those teachings. Jesus once said: “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” Suppose you came across the torn-off spine of a telephone directory. You could read people’s names, but the rest of the informationwas missing. Then somebody told you that the missing pages had been found and you can put them back together again. That’s a bit like what happens when you take the Bible’s pages and put them together with what you already know of the way theworld works. The Bible is not a rule book, but a relationship manual! It is only as we take Jesus’ words seriously that we will discover the truth for ourselves.
Heaven and Hell were real?
An Dorus
Good and bad are two notions we’re all familiar with. Actions have consequences and the idea of a heaven and a hell has to do with moral accountability. Of course, if we are indeed all “a fortuitous concourse of atoms generated in a universethat is governed by the laws of chance” the terms “good” and “bad” really have no meaning. The trouble is, we all find that rather difficult to live with. We do like to believe in moral accountability. Judgement is a concept we accept - we have legal systems designed to deal with those who offend against society’s rules of behaviour. Heaven and hell describe two very different locations in afterlife, and it’s generally assumed that there is no middle ground,or sort of limbo, between the two.One person in history claimed to have knowledge of both places, and often spoke about them when he taught people. His name was Jesus. CS Lewis wrote this about him: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” Jesus clearly warned his hearers about the choice before them: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt 10: 28) - and he was speaking about his FatherGod, rather than the devil. He also taught that no one merited heaven on the basis of how they lived their life, instead theright of entry was given as a free gift to all who were prepared to accept it on God’s terms. We can choose who to believe, but in the final analysis we will one day discover whether or not we chose aright.
Jesus really was God?
An Dorus
Of all men in history, none has had a more profound effect on humanity than Jesus Christ. Yet he never wrote a book, nor travelled more than 120 miles from his home town. He never owned property, and when he died his executioners gambled for the only possession he had - the clothes on his back. His teaching was so revolutionary that the religious leaders of his day plotted how they might kill him throughout the three and a half years of his active ministry. Jesus, while he was alive, foretold the manner of his death, and stated that he would return to life after he had been killed. Both these events proved true. His teaching was so radical that it could not be accommodated by the Jewish religion - one of his sayings was: “No-one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.” No one has ever made the sort of claims Jesus did. He not only performed healings and miracles that astounded the people of His day - even his enemies had to admit “no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him. What are we to do? For this man performs many signs (God-authenticated events)” . They could not explain the source of Jesus’ power unless they discounted a divine source. Jesus claimed authority over his own life, death and resurrection: “’The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.’ At these words the Jews were again divided. Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Though opposed to him, they realised that writing Jesus off as a madman was not possible. Nor was He simply a good man. Jesus angered the Jewish priests of his day by repeatedly claiming he was God - a claim they clearly understood him to be making as witness to their reaction when he did. On one occasion they were intending to stone him to death and gave as their reason: “We are not stoning you for any of these (your miracles),” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” (John 10:33) To accept what Jesus taught as true, we have no other option than to believe his claims, which include this one: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14: 6) Either this is true, or if not could only be described as the ravings of a deluded megalomaniac which, in today’s inclusive and all-tolerant society, would be a most grevious offence.
We were more than merely flesh and blood?
An Dorus
Human beings are over 90% water. Adding up the value of the remaining elements found in the human body and you reach a value ofaround $10 for a human of average size and weight, most of which is recyclable. The real question here is how do we set a value on human life? Do we measure someone’s worth by what they have achieved in the course of their life, or how much money they have earned during their working life? Or is “quality of life” something we measure by a totally different standard? Perhaps by our legacy - what we leave behind after we die,whether that be the material assets on which the state calculates death duties, or the less material number of children a person has given birth to and their influence in the world. The standard we use to make our assessment depends very much on our world view. If we believe that everything in the universe hascome about by blind chance, then we’d probably admit that once we die our corpse will have very little real value. Bertrand Russell, a well known philosopher of the 20th century once said: “When I die, I shall rot”. We would probably value him by the legacy of his written works he left to posterity, and in so doing attempt to rank him among the world’s important contributors to civilisation. Jesus, who never wrote a book himself, had a different take on the value of a human life. This is what he said: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” (Mark 8: 36-37) If we hold to the world view that this life is not all there is, his words should give us pause for thought. Jesus regarded a single life worth more than all the riches of the world put together.
We’re not really as free as we think we are?
An Dorus
The French philosopher Rousseau once said “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains”. He meant by that that although everyone is born a free being, because they live in societiy they become enchained by the social and civil laws of that society, and can therefore no longer act as free agents. To be totally free of society’s rules and obligations is to be an anarchist - responsible to none for one’s actions. The social group in which such a person lives will constantly seek to impose their standards on such an individual, and unless he or she conforms to such standards they will be treated as a social outcast. However, we need to question the first part of Rousseau’s premise. Is it true that persons are in fact born free? Are young children innocent until they are corrupted by the rest of society? Anyone who has raised children will know that a child does not need to be taught self-will, it is innate in their character. Often it reveals itself either in temper tantrums or a desire to control their parents to accede to their own wishes at their own convenience. Rousseau himself never had time for his own children, and gave them up for adoption at an early age. The idea that children are innocent until corrupted by the rest of society may be idealistic, but is is a true one? The famous Israelite king David (1000 BC) wrote these lines: “ I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. “ Psa 51. 5). This is an astonishing statement from someone who belonged to a race that prided themselves on their freedom and privilege. This is what thier scholars had to say to Jesus during one of their debates with him in the Jerusalem temple: “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus had just said to them: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” This is how he answered their objection: “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. (John 8: 31-36) The uncomfortable truth is that we were born with a skewed nature - a bias toward evil. That’s what the rules of any society attempt to limit. However, true freedom cannot be attained by rule-keeping, however hard we try. Which is why Jesus added these words: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
An Dorus
There is only one way to God?
It’s a commonly expressed view: “Many roads lead to God. After all, there are manyreligions in the world, and all of them must lead ultimately to the same God”. Yet this thinking is flawed, because if you examine the various religious options you discover that each of themmake an exclusive claim to their deity. One of the five pillars of Islam is “There is only one God (Allah) and Muhammad is his prophet”. Hindus also believe in a supreme God. of whom creation is a part. Judaism maintains there is no God but JHWH (His name is too sacred to be pronounced) Christianity believes in a God who reveals himself to man supremely through the person of Jesus. Can all these religions be right? Do they all point to the same God? When Jesus was on earth, he made a most surprising claim: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” This is a totally self-exclusive claim - either it is true or it is false. If false, then we can dismiss his teachings entirely as the ravings of a lunatic. but if true then all other ways to God prove to be dead-ends. Jesus claimed to be God on several occasions - on one of these his opponents decided to stone himfor blasphemy. They said: “We are not stoning you for any of these, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” (John 10: 33) John also wrote of Jesus: “No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” The key difference between Christianity and all other faiths is that, in Jesus, uniquely, God has come in search of man.
An Dorus
There was an ultimate future?
Bertrand Russell, the well-known philosopher of the last century, wrote: “When I die, I shall rot.” He did not believe in any form of existence after death, to him death was total annihilation. Yet many feel uncomfortable about this position: after all why has mankind through the ages always buried their dead with great respect, and with obvious hopes of a life hereafter. The Christian faith has always believed in a future existence, but not in the idea that people after death float on clouds playing harps. The reason for this belief is founded on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. After his crucifixion, he appeared to his followers in bodily form. He said: “Touch me and see, a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” To confirm this, he then asked for some food and ate a piece of fish before their eyes, so that after he had gone they could check and see that he’d left the bones on the plate, to confirm they hadn’t been hallucinating. All followers of Jesus believe that there will be a second resurrection. People will arise with new physical bodies, that have all the special qualities of Jesus’ resurrection body. We were created to inhabit eartn, not clouds. But Jesus also made very clear that everyone had a choice of two very different futures. One brought infinite joy, the other infinite regret. Which of these applied depends entirely on one’s response to Jesus invitation to live life as he did.
An Dorus
New Year is a popular time to make resolutions:” I will take more exercise, I will study harder, I will be nicer to people, I will quit that bad habit.” Sadly we discover that however lofty our original intention, we soon fall back into old habits. There’s a Bible proverb which runs: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?” and the writer concludes: “Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.” (Jer 13: 23) We soon have to grudgingly admit: “You are what you are, and no amount of trying will make you any different.” But just when we’re about to despair, we come across a man who said: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. “ It wasn’t ‘pie in the sky’;‘ He really meant what He said. And those who believed him were radically changed; so much so that they began a revolution. When two of them came to a city, their impact was such that its citizens claimed: “These men have turned the world upside down”. You can’t change by yourself, but there is Someone who offers real lasting change for the asking. You can have it on His terms.
You could change?
An Dorus
Have you got that title right? After all, you start by being born and end up dead – you cross from life to death, not the other way round. But there was a Man who offered everyone just that, and not simply after the grave. This is what He said: “I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” He maintained that people needed to be twice-born: once in the natural way, but the other supernaturally. Until this second birth happened, a person was spiritually dead – no more responsive to real truth than a corpse would be. If we are honest, we will admit that we live in a broken world. As G.K Chesterton put it in his briefest of replies to the Times correspondence column: “Dear Sir, what is wrong with the world? I am. Yours sincerely GKC.” Jesus offers everyone prepared to come and listen to Him a way out of that brokenness: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life” (John 3:36) “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”(John 5: 24)
You could cross from death to life?
An Dorus
You carry your best friend around with you all the time, and he’s calling your attention virtually all the time, either with a trembling only you can feel, or insistent ringing tone. Yes it’s your phone, that little rectangle which demands you look at him more times a day than you can remember. His insistence makes you unaware of the fact that looking at your screen slowly becomes an obsession: instead of face to face relationships, you’re being drawn into phone to phone relationships. What that means is that you are relating to a very narrow age-range of people, mainly your peer group. Real friends being replaced by virtual ones. You begin living in virtual reality instead of the real world. Does that matter? Perhaps you need to think about this carefully. Is it true that these are the only people whose opinions matter?
Your best friend was your worst enemy?
An Dorus
Ask the average person in the street and you will likely get one of two answers – “Yes” or “No”. The question we are asking is whether or not they believe in a supernatural being who is ultimately in charge of all creation. But can we get any further – is there any proof available to us? One of the greatest minds who ever lived wrote this: “Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” (Romans 1: 20) Essentially he’s saying; “Look around you – there’s enough evidence there to convince anyone”. But then he goes on to say: “Men are without excuse, for although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” (Rom 1: 21-22) He realized that whether people say “yes” or “no” to the question of God’s existence isn’t an intellectual one, but rather a moral one.Saying God doesn’t exist appears to offer an excuse of not having to be accountable to Him. He also realized that whatever answer we now make will be revealed ultimately as true or not when, in his words, “Each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom 14: 12)
God existed?
An Dorus
We’re not very old before we begin to realize that we live in an imperfect world. Things often don’t turn out the way we expect or want them to. As we grow older, we unconsciously expect to be in control of our situation, and if we believe this we’re both surprised and annoyed when it doesn’t. There’s something built into the fabric of this world that reminds us that we are not in control of our destiny. Why are there earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, famines and floods? Some would argue it’s because we haven’t advanced enough technologically to have all these things under control, that some day we will live in a man-made paradise where everything is perfect? Our dreaming of such perfection suggests that someday this may be possible. But if we’re realistic the chances of us being able to control such large forces are vanishingly small. The world we live in is somehow flawed, different from what its Maker originally intended it to be. Others suggest that if we ever could live in such a perfect world we would be totally bored by its predictability. Everyone asks the question: “What’s the point of it all?”, but only some settle for the answer: “No point whatsoever”. To find an answer, we need to look outside of ourselves. There lived a Man who knew such an answer, and who offered us a way to finding it ourselves.
Bad things didn’t happen?
An Dorus
Bertrand Russell, the famous 20 th century philosopher mathematician, maintained: “When I die, I shall rot.” Richard Dawkins said: “I don’t know what happens to us (when we die) but I know that our consciousness is wrapped up in our brains and I know that our brains rot. There doesn’t seem to be any reason, other than wishful thinking to believe otherwise.” Much earlier the author of the Book of Job wrote: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another.”(Job 19: 25-27) Ever since men walked the earth we see them burying their dead, in the belief that one day, somewhere, they will live on. Why is this? Jesus claimed: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11: 25-26) He himself predicted His own death by Roman crucifixion, and that he would rise to life again after that, and both claims were fulfilled in history. Russell is dead, Dawkins will die, but Jesus is alive. He deserves to be taken seriously.
Death was the end of the line?
An Dorus
Whatever field of achievement we consider, we all have an idea of what perfection there would be like. And yet unless we are totally deluded, we recognise that none of us can ever achieve that standard. So where does our idea of perfection come from? In sport athletes invest huge amounts of their lives trying to achieve perfection in their particular event, while all the time realising that even though they break a world record and win an Olympic Gold medal they won’t be able to hold that record forever, someone in the future will be break it and do better. I’ve heard people say: “I always try to live my life according to the Sermon on the Mount”. There Jesus gave his followers what seemed like an impossible challenge: “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5: 48) And He expected us to be take Him seriously! He also said: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” That brought about consternation among His followers: “The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10: 26-27) He understood that only One is perfect, and the only way to perfection lies through Him, rather than by our own effort.
Perfection was attainable?
An Dorus
Language is one of the distinguishing features of human beings. Someone wrote:“The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (Jas. 3: 5-6) In the Biblical account of Creation, in each of the separate “days” we have the phrase: “And God said… and it was so.” We find it difficult to conceive that words have such power, yet when Jesus was on earth He said:“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17: 20) Notice His combination between words and faith. For words to become as powerful as He claims, they must be combined with faith in the Prime Mover. It’s He who will move the mountain, not simply what we say!
You could move a mountain just by speaking to it?
An Dorus
Do you think of yourself as completely unbiased? When was the last time you remember “taking sides”? Prejudice (literally ‘judging before time’) is part of our human nature. We absorb it unconsciously from the society we live in, and also from our friends and family. If you were an Australian aboriginal you wouldn’t think twice before eating a witchetty grub – yet that’s not the first thing you may want to include in your diet. Gossip also breeds prejudice – hearing what someone else says of another influences our attitude to that person. On one occasion Jesus was confronted by a hostile crowd surrounding a woman they had caught in the act of adultery. They claimed: “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” Apparently ignoring their question, the crowd continued to demand an answer. So he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?” “No-one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Here was a man who exhibited no prejudice in His interactions with others. He is described as a man who did not need another telling him about a man, for he knew what was in a man.
You could rid yourself of prejudice?
An Dorus
Have you ever talked with someone about something you strongly believe in only to be met with the reply: “Fine, I accept that’s true for you, but it isn’t true for me.” Is it the case that someone’s idea of what’s true about something is equally valid to another who holds a completely different opinion? We live in an age of “tolerance”, where we’re encouraged to respect one another’s views. But are all views equally right? Consider someone who believes that two plus two equals five. Could you say: “Well that may be true for you, but it’s not true for me?” What happens if you were a shopkeeper and someone asked you for two pounds of white flour and two pounds of wholemeal flour, and then complained after you served them that you sold them short because they only got four pounds of goods? We have to admit that there is truth which is objective as well as that which is purely subjective, such as one’s taste for lemons or a particular style of music. Absolute truth is the objective sort of truth that does not depend on opinion of the person who says it, but is true for all time and in all circumstances. Throughout the words of Jesus we find the repeated phrase “Verily, verily”. What that means in language we can understand is this: “I am telling you the absolute truth about this.” Here are just a few examples:“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” “I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “ I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.” “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, he has passed from death to life”.
Truth was absolute?
An Dorus
How would a traffic policeman react when he caught you breaking the speed limit if you replied: “Sorry, officer, I can’t help it, speeding is in my genes, you see.” We all know instinctively when we are in the wrong, even if we aren’t prepared to admit it. But in what way and to whom are we ultimately accountable? King David on one occasion was so taken by a woman’s beauty that he ordered her to come to him while her husband was away at war. When she informed the king she was pregnant by him, David first tried implicating her husband, and when that failed, had him murdered. Confronted by the prophet Nathan he was forced to admit: “I have sinned against the Lord”. And then he composed a penitential psalm to God where he said: “ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” David recognises that his ultimate accountability was not before man, but before his Maker. Jesus said the same thing:“I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12: 36) Paul similarly writes: “ So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom 14: 12)
You were accountable for your actions?
An Dorus
Have you ever asked the question: “What’s the purpose in life?” Is life simply a meaningless succession of days leading from birth to marriage and children and eventually to death? Some people believe that’s the case, and say that you have to make your own meaning out of what otherwise be a pointless existence. Yet if life ends in pointless annihilation what’s the point of it all? One man was different. Standing on trial before the highest authority in the land, He said this:“For this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18: 37) Those who choose to listen to what He has to say also discover their own purpose in life: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2: 9) As Augustine remarked: ”You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in You.” Try to answer these questions for yourself: 1. Where did I come from? 2. What is the meaning of my life? 3. Is there a right way to live? 4. What is my ultimate destiny?
Life had a purpose?
An Dorus
All of us have experienced guilt. It’s something we’re not comfortable about, and we try to hide from others, but is real nonetheless. Over time, rather than such feelings going away, they get stronger. Something inside us whispers the accusation: “How could you have done such a terrible thing?” And the idea becomes fixed in our mind: “God can’t possible accept me after that.” The truth of the matter is that we are being duped into believing that God is a terrible, vengeful Being, ready to condemn us to hell for the slightest thing we do wrong. Yet precisely the opposite is true. He speaks through Jesus: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11: 27-28) Guilt is more than just guilt feelings. Each of us are under condemnation at the bar of God’s judgment. There’s nothing we can do about it, and He is aware of that. The amazing truth is that God has stepped out of the judgment seat and dealt with the reality of our guilt Himself. That’s the overriding theme of the Bible.
You could deal with guilt?
An Dorus
Why do we find it so difficult to say we’re sorry? Because doing so is a direct assault on our personal pride. Despite this we all recognize deep down inside us that we need to be forgiven. When being nailed to a cross at His execution by the Roman soldiers, Jesus said: “Father forgive them, for they aren’t aware of what they are doing.” (Luke 23: 34) Forgiveness is not something we can do for ourselves; it’s something we need to receive undeservedly. And that’s always the hard part, for in doing so we need to humble ourselves and admit that we are needy people. It’s a blow to our own self-image. Just before His death Jesus instituted something we now call Holy Communion. As He shared the cup with His followers He told them: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”(Matthew 26: 27-28) There is forgiveness through Jesus for all who will receive it. “For sin pays a wage, and that wage is death; but God gives freely, and His gift is life”. (Romans 6:23)
You could be forgiven?
An Dorus
We tend to describe someone with such an attitude as “a spoilt brat”. It pictures someone who is so concentrated on him/her self that they have no thought for anyone else’s needs or wishes. Society disapproves of people like that. But suppose that person’s attitude in life was always other’s good before their own? Would that make a difference to other people’s attitude toward them? Jesus was someone who never insisted on His own way. This is what He said: “I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” (John 8: 28-29) Someone once made up an acronym for “Sin” – Self before others, I at the centre, and “No!” to God. John wrote of Jesus: “He appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.” (I John 3: 5) In full knowledge of what was about to happen to Him, Jesus prayed this prayer: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22.42)
You always got what you wanted?