Charles Brammall on his own faith and a little book
I have been a believer now for almost 58 years (see my coming book, “Godliness- A Lifetime of Lessons Learnt From Making Every Mistake in The Book”).
I surrendered to Jesus at three in an after-school kids’ club that Mum and some girlfriends of hers had in our home. (That’s why I was allowed to start going at three!) It was through the tiny, five-page book, “Wordless Book”, which, surprise, had no words, just coloured pages! God also called my wife Chiq to Him at three through the same little book.
I remember it as though it were yesterday – the way I sat on the chair (backwards, with my arms on the backrest), the room it was in, and the lady I prayed with – “Aunty” Pam. Pam (or “The Prawn” as we affectionately called her) was a zealous (and highly eccentric, bald, one-eyed and toothless) evangelist.
God utilised her to bring hundreds of kids to Christ, who are still walking with Him today. This was through school scripture, our club, Sunday School, camps, and holiday kids’ club.
Book Without Words.
For me that day I gave in to Jesus through C.H. Spurgeon’s “The Wordless Book”. Spurgeon was a gifted 19th-century Conservative Evangelical English Baptist preacher known to some as the “Prince of Preachers.” He strongly opposed the liberal and pragmatic theological tendencies in the Church of his day.
He “wrote” “The Wordless Book” in 1866 in the form of large, coloured drop-down cards, then dropped them down from the lectern as he preached, one card at a time.
The congregation comprised several hundred illiterate orphans. He aimed to simply, clearly and colourfully explain the Gospel to functionally illiterate people, a group which is still very large today.
The book is great for elderly people, refugees, and children. Also, Dementia patients, intellectually disabled people, and mental health sufferers. And time-poor students and professional people. Not to mention neurotypical adults with sound minds! It’s encouraging to know that no one is out of God’s loving, forgiving reach.
It is available at “The Wandering Bookseller” at Katoomba and at the Christian Convention Centre during conventions there. Or you can easily make one for yourself.
This is where my friend (and publisher of “The Other Cheek”), John Sandeman, comes in. He had a difficult experience with the book while teaching a scripture class. He asked the kids what they thought the black page meant.
One African refugee boy simply said “me”. John was troubled, and has heard of some mooted possible modifications: In the original book, page (or card) one is green, for God being creator. Page 2 is black, for our rebellion against God and rejecting Him as our Ruler. Page three is red, for Jesus’ death in place of ours. Page 4 is white, for Jesus’ resurrection, and consequently ours, and our washing clean. And the last page is gold, for life eternal in the heavenly city.
It has now morphed into coloured bracelets and other formats for telling the Gospel. I wear one such bracelet at school, and kids often ask what it means. Brilliant chance to share Jesus.
So, the mooted changes?
1. The 2nd page (black- standing for our sin), changed to grey. Or
2. Should the red/scarlet page not signify Jesus’ death in our place but our sin? And,
3. The gold page should not signify eternal life in Heaven, but Jesus’ ransom.
The jury’s still out, but we’ll pray and see what happens.
Trust Issues
The words that presently go with the red page (Jesus’ death and our forgiveness) call me to trust, rely, and depend on the Lord.
But, having let Jesus take my life 57 years ago, I still sometimes struggle knowing how to trust and have faith in Him. So really , I don’t know how to trust Him- not all the time. Not in everything. And in every way: not when I don’t feel like it, or it’s too hard and goes agin my dearest wishes.
But I don’t struggle knowing how to trust because the Bible’s opaque about it- it’s not. It’s the very opposite. The Bible is as clear as the water in Prassa Beach in Kimolos, Greece, the clearest water in the world. The thing I struggle with is my inexplicable, “deceitful, desperately sick” heart! (See the Jeremiah verse below.)
A Particularly Bad Person
I’m not suggesting I’m a particularly bad person. But then again… that depends on my definition of “particularly bad”. God says in Jeremiah the prophet chapter 17 vs 9:
“The heart is more deceitful than anything else and desperately sick- who can understand it?”
Is that true of me?! Well, according to the Lord who made and adores me, yes. You see, what does a “desperately sick” and superlatively “deceitful” heart look like?
Matthew’s gospel chapter 22 vss 35- 37 tells a story which answers the question:
“… an expert in the law asked a question to test (Jesus). ‘Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?’
“Jesus said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.’”
So I ask myself, Have I always kept the greatest and most important command? My word no. Have I only broken it occasionally, as a very out-of-character momentary aberration? No, I break it all the time. Multiple times each day.
It comes naturally to me to not love God with all my heart, soul, and mind. I’m an expert, a Gold medalist, the Olympic and World Record holder. It’s my gift, my default, what I’m really like at heart, my kernel. The real me.
So… if I break the first and most important commandment, all the time, what does that say about all the smaller ones?! I’ve got the whole package. The mind boggles. The plot thins.
So of course I’m “particularly bad”, when particularly bad means what we all do- breaking God’s supreme instruction often, in all sorts of different ways. Why wouldn’t I break it, if my heart is “More deceitful than anything else, and desperately sick…”. It stands to reason. It’d be shocking and illogical if I didn’t. It wouldn’t make sense. No secrets there.
So me, a “good” person? Yeah right! In your dreams. You see, I’m not good. And… God’s not unreliable. Because, my loving Father took remedial action despite my heart’s “desperate illness”, and “superlative deceit”. Through Jesus’ death in my place, He loves me, forgives me, and adopts me as His child and Jesus’ brother. Reconciles me with Himself, gives me peace with Him, and life forever in the next world with Him.
And the list goes on- He bought me back from slavery to my rebelliousness, declared me innocent, set me free to please Him…
In a passage dripping with God’s reliability, pregnant with it, Lamentations chapter 2 vss 22-23 says:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”
The Bible is patently and gently clear- LORD has NEVER made a promise He has’nt kept. Ever. Not one, nada, zero. The Bible repeatedly says that God is faithful to a tee. He dots all His I’s and crosses all His T’s…
… with a large, thick, indelible, red Sharpie. In fact, He writes it in blood- the willingly shed blood of God His Son. He has never, does never, and will never fail His people:
Paul the Apostle’s Second Letter to Timothy 2:14: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful- for He can not deny Himself.”
Trustworthiness and the power to do what He promises are who God IS. It’s His very essence, His heart of hearts. His core.
MY faith might waver, but His faithfulness never does. He’s steadfast (literally, He “stands fast”, like a soldier at attention, Super Glue, or a strong weld).
What About Me?
I have the unspeakable privilege of resting, soaking, and relaxing in His faithfulness. Enjoying, giving thanks for it. Luxuriating in its warm, reassuring waters. Being safe and feeling protected in it. Why? Because He is the One who NEVER fails. He can’t, He shan’t. He hasn’t, He doesn’t.
The Hebraist says in Chapter 19 vs 23,
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised… IS faithful.”
So, is God unreliable? Ahh NO!
Prayer:
“Our faithful Lord and trustworthy Heavenly Father, Thank You that Your faithfulness depends on nothing except Your character. Your perfection, trustworthiness, and truth. Your honesty and love for us. Your integrity.
For the sake of Jesus’ eternal, international name. His all-powerful, omnipresent, universal name,
Amen.”
Our Dear truth-telling and loyal Father,
Please teach me and my Christian brothers and sisters (………….) to trust You. Help us remember who You are, what You’ve done, and what You’re like. What You say, and every promise You have kept. Your reliability.
That the name of Jesus might be rejoiced in all through Your creation,
Amen.
Dear Father of integrity, clarity and joy,
Praise and bless You that, in all the wonderful blessings You consistently give us, You are also delightfully unpredictable and new every morning.
We thank You for this and pray that Jesus’ name might be held high above all “gods”,
Amen.