In the book called THE CROSS – God’s Way of Salvation, written by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, I am not only reading right at the beginning about the centre and the heart of the message of the Apostles, but also about the imitation of the Lord Jesus Christ, his teaching (Sermon on the mount, ethical teaching) and his example.

I am especially interested in the imitation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because not long ago I bought the book called The imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis second-hand here at the Salvation Army store in Kaitaia for a Dollar and I thought it would be good to add the book to my small library. I have not read it yet. (The Penguin Classics)

The book reminds me also of the verse in the New Testament, where the Apostle Paul says in First Corinthians 11:1, “FOLLOW MY EXAMPLE, AS I FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST.”

But what is now the centre of the Christian message? What is the heart of the Christian message?

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out that the Christian message is not primarily the teaching, example and imitation of Christ, but the PREACHING OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST, the death upon the cross of the Lord. And of course the meaning of it all.

“BALKEN IM EIGENEN AUGE? NIE GESEHEN!”

Better is the word I come across lately.

When we are looking for something better, we are acknowledging that we are having a problem and that the world is not quite right.

And here are just three things we are looking for:

WE ARE LOOKING FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT

“Partnering with you for a better environment,” is the message on a shopping bag in our house.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY

“Partnering with you for a better community,” I read when in town not long ago.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR A BETTER PLACE

“Who makes our country a better place?” is the question on a leaflet, I picked up recently. (The 2020 New Zealander of the year awards. Honoring the Best of Us.)

But how can we really deal with the problem of the world?

The only way to deal with the problem of the world is the cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ died. The cross tells us that we are sinners and that we are helpless. But the natural man hates the cross, because of his pride.