Peace in Troubled Times

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 31/May/2020]

They say that a week is a long time in politics. The way things are moving with the coronavirus, even a day seems to be a long time. Life is going on, but as Dr Spock said to Captain Kirk, ‘not as we know it’. If there was ever a time to pray for our leaders, now would be it.

There is no shortage of news about the virus. At a time like this, with the fear about the virus so widespread, people are less likely to think critically about the information they get and are more likely to take things at face value. The problem is that there is no filter for some of the information coming through and weird and wacky ways to deal with the virus abound. Some of them are humorous and good for a laugh, others are misleading and could be harmful if followed. Some of the people giving the erroneous advice are actually well meaning, some are reckless, others are mischievous.

I have sometimes wondered why the apostles were very upset about false teachers in the church. They likened them to wolves in sheep’s clothing and were very harsh in some of their pronouncements about them. The current climate makes it easier for me to understand. These people were peddling what could be seen as ‘fake news’ to people who desperately needed to hear the truth.

This is not the time for fake news. People need to have clear guidance. They need to trust what is being said about this virus and the guidance on what to do to avoid or mitigate its effects. The question is where to find the truth. There is no shortage of sources, but which one can we trust? We need wisdom and James 1 verse 5 states that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all, without finding fault and it will be given to you“.

Though you may not be aware of His presence, God is with us. He has promised never to leave us, nor forsake us. We are confused about things that are happening –let us ask him for wisdom. We are unsettled about how things have changed –let us ask for his peace.

If it seems a bit dark and gloomy, well, then it is time to let our lights shine. Just in case you think that’s a tall order, this bit from the UCB Word for today might help remind you of who is actually doing the heavy lifting …

“God is either the object of your trust or just a part-time helper you call on when you can’t handle things on your own. It’s reminiscent of the elephant and the mouse that walked over a bridge. When they got to the other side, the mouse said, ‘Man, we really shook that bridge!’ When you begin to see God as playing the major role and you the minor one, you’ll begin to find the peace which has eluded you for so long.”

I believe that ‘this difficult time will come to pass’, but while we are going through it, let’s ask God what he would have us learn, let’s find out what he would have us say and do, to bring comfort, hope and relief to others.
Have a blessed week.

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Does Prayer Work? – part 3

[Modified transcript of a midweek message published by Horley Baptist Church on YouTube[1], May 2020]

If our prayers aren’t answered does that mean we haven’t got enough faith, or we’re not praying hard enough? Perhaps we need a dose of realism! Life will not always be rosy, and our difficulties may actually have a positive effect on us!

Well, welcome to the third part in our series “Does Prayer Work?”.
In the first part we looked at how Jesus prayed and the fact that he told those listening that the reason that he had such a power-filled ministry with so many miracles was because he spent time getting to know his heavenly Father, taking time to build that relationship so that he knew what God was doing and he just joined in was what was going on.

In part 2 we looked at the fact that God doesn’t get necessarily what He wants and the reality of the world we live in is that it is pretty rubbish sometimes and that miracles are by very nature a rare event. Yet if we pray for God’s kingdom to come, if we pray enough, if we have faith, we can actually start to see the miracles in lives. But, if you start to think about that for a little bit more, then you realise that we’re heading into some dangerous territory. We can get to the stage where we can say ‘well, if I have enough faith’ or ‘if you have enough faith’ then you will get what you pray for. Then you can say to someone who isn’t getting what they want or maybe their life isn’t as good as it should be that “you just need to pray more, you’d have more faith”. If your faith was strong enough you could move a mountain because Jesus said that, didn’t He?

Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for faith. Numerous times when Jesus performed a miracle he said “it’s your faith that has healed you” so faith has an impact but is it really that simple? I mean, there are plenty of people who have had great faith and yet they still suffered from cancer. And actually you could look at the majority of our world who are in poverty at the moment and can you really say that they’re in poverty because they haven’t got enough faith? You really need to have a bit of a dose of realism. In the last session we mentioned the fact that the world that we are in is a mess because God let us have our way. He put our freewill before his own will and therefore we are suffering from the consequences of our choices and people, other people, are suffering for the consequences of our choices too. That is a reality.

If you think if you become a follower of Jesus Christ your life will be sorted, everything will be rosy, then you are seriously mistaken because time and time again in the New Testament we find out that is not the case. I mean, when Jesus said to his followers “pick up your cross daily and follow me” (a cross was a way of executing people and Jesus carried his cross to the place of his execution) it’s not an easy task. Paul writes in Romans about the Christian faith saying when troubles happen, when troubles occur, when things go wrong. James says pretty much exactly the same thing – when troubles come your way – when, not if. If you have become a follower of Jesus Christ then that by its very nature means that your life is going to be difficult and that’s a really key thing to get your head around. If you think that being a follower of Jesus Christ is like being on a cruise ship where you get drinks brought to you and you just have a nice relaxing journey until you get to heaven, well that’s not what it is. Christianity – being a follower of Jesus Christ – is not like being on a cruise ship, it’s like being on a battle ship because there is a war going on between the forces of darkness and God.

Now God has already defeated them through Jesus’s death and resurrection but the reality is that we are in those final throes during the those final battles, the final times when things are difficult and hard, and the enemy is fighting tooth and nail to gain ground. If you are on a cruise ship you’re a bit shocked if a hand-grenade lands near your sun lounger. If you’re on a battleship you are expecting it and you’re trained for it.

Now I’ve never been to a military boot camp but I have been to teacher-training and teacher-training was really hard; it was such a shock to the system to go into schools and to start teaching a bunch of kids that didn’t really want to be taught and didn’t really respect you because you’re only a student. If you are thinking they can’t be that bad, well, you’re obviously not a teacher! From day one you are on the battlefield, from day one you are learning your craft, you are getting better so that when you’re actually employed as a teacher you know what you are doing and you are hopefully able to do it well.

It’s the same when we go through trials and difficulties and even suffering in life. Actually Paul and James both say that your sufferings and your trials will lead to perseverance and that perseverance will lead to a strength of character and strength of character will lead to hope. The troubles of this world are honing you and shaping you into a better person, into a better follower of Jesus Christ, into someone who is more effective as a warrior for the kingdom of God. So from the moment you become a follower of Jesus Christ, from day one, you are on a battlefield, you are coming under attack and prayer is the most powerful weapon you have. Some of that suffering will be caused by the enemy and you can use prayer to defend yourself, to rebuke the enemy in the name of Jesus Christ but some of that suffering is actually there to shape you and to refine you and to hone your skills and to make you more effective.

Of course, knowing which is which is the difficult bit and perhaps that’s where you need to build, just as Jesus did, that relationship through prayer with your heavenly Father so you are better able to discern what is the will of God and what is an attack of the enemy, and therefore respond appropriately.

[1] YouTube link: Does Prayer Work? – part 3
Bible references: Matt 16 v4, Romans 5 v3-4, James 1 v2

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Teach Us To Pray

[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during May 2020]

A recent item on the BBC caught my attention – it was a report of how a Lutheran church in Germany had opened its doors to the local Moslem community who were too numerous to be accommodated in their mosque during the social distancing regulations. A photograph showed the Islamic prayer mats laid out under the gaze of the Christian scenes depicted in the stained-glass windows.

The period at the end of Ramadan is particularly important with many devotees wanting to mark it with prayer rituals. The report reminded me of an incident that I saw whilst in Saudi Arabia. At that time (maybe still) all Saudia flights included a prayer as part of the pre-flight safety briefing. A local flight was due to depart at 11:30 but it was delayed. At midday the crew came down onto the apron, turned towards Mecca and commenced praying. Would it happen at Gatwick?

The Moslem attention to prayer is in stark contrast to what we find in many Christian communities. As part of his mid-week musings, Martin has been taking his dogs on a prayer-walk. The dogs themselves do not appear to do much praying and Martin has raised questions as to why we, as God’s people, do not seem to do much better.

  • Does prayer actually achieve anything?
  • Is it any more than a psychological placebo?
  • Is there any difference in outcome between someone who prays and someone who doesn’t?
  • And even if God does hear our prayers, does he really answer them?

 
Is this heresy on the part of a Baptist minister? Or is he voicing something that most of us would have to admit to asking ourselves? Do our prayers focus on what we want (we call them ‘needs’) with maybe a bit of thanks for past blessings thrown in? The Devil is quite happy for us to pray like that, just so long as we don’t take it seriously.

Martin suggests that we should revisit the example that Jesus used when teaching his disciples to pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Let us use this simple yet profound recognition of who God is and the honour that is His by right as the basis to revitalise our prayer life. Then we can add a request – “Lord, teach us to pray!”

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Covert Blessings

[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during May 2020]

In a recent e-conversation, Ian Gray mentioned that despite the current restrictions we still have plenty to be thankful for. Indeed, to be house-bound you do, by definition, have to have a house and ‘be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home’. We see from the news that there are many people who do not have or cannot enjoy that blessing.

Back in February, Nancy wrote about being thankful for the obligations and chores that we have because they also mean that we can enjoy the blessings associated with them. But that was back then, in a different pre-COVID world where everything was normal. Can you recall the days when Zoom was the stuff of comic-books and wearing a mask in a bank was likely to cause panic amongst the staff? What will the new normal be? Will there still be blessings from above?

Psalm 136 reminds us that ‘His love endures for ever’. God is not fazed by a mere global pandemic; that is no reason for Him to back off or distance himself. On the contrary, as we spend more time asking questions and looking for answers He draws closer to us. For those who are suffering, be it through disease, distress or disturbance to routine, remember that He is still able to bless those who turn to Him.

So after you have woken at 3 o’clock in the morning and stared at the clock long enough for the digits to come into focus, you can thank God for His blessings; a secure place to rest, a new day and, not least, the joy of turning over and going back to sleep.

– – – – –

Psalm 40 v5:

O Lord my God, you have multiplied your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.

Or, as Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote in 1897:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

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Does Prayer Work? – part 2

[Modified transcript of a midweek message published by Horley Baptist Church on YouTube[1], May 2020]

In the 2nd part of our ‘Does Prayer Work’ midweek message we delve a bit deeper into the topic of miracles and ask the question, does God only answer our prayers when they suit His purposes?

Last week we were looking at the question of “Does prayer work?” and really we came to the conclusion that prayer does work when it aligns with God’s will, when we pray for something to happen that God wants to happen. Jesus’s prayer life was a lot about building his relationship with God to the extent that his heart broke for the same things that God’s heart broke for and he saw what God was doing and joined in with that. That raises the question “Do our prayers only get answered when we pray for the things that God wants? Do our prayers only work if we pray for the things that God wants to happen, that fit in with his plan and his bigger picture?”

01:08 Well, let’s put things into context a bit. Let’s first answer the question “What is God’s will; what does God want?” Well if you look through scripture, if you look in the Bible, it tells us that God’s will is that no one should perish, that everyone should have a relationship with Him, that we should have a hope, that we should have a future (2 Peter 3 v9). God’s will is that we should have good gifts and that we should be blessed. It’s God’s will that no one should suffer or die and yet if we look at the world around us we realise that that’s just not what’s happening.

01:46 The reality is that God does not get what he wants, and a lot of that is down to the fact that for whatever reason God put our will – our free will – above His own. Because of our free will, because of the decisions and the choices that we made (as laid out at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis) we have allowed into our world death and suffering and pain and greed. The heart of the human problem is a problem of a human heart but there is a bigger picture.

02:23 God is fixing those things that have gone wrong through our bad choices, our bad decisions and through our own free will. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, sin and death have been defeated and there will come a time when there will be no more death and no more suffering, no more pain and no more sorrow. I believe sincerely that we can have a hope for tomorrow but we also have a hope for the here and now.

03:05 You see, when Jesus’s disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray like he prayed, this is what he told them. He said “Pray like this: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In other words, Heavenly Father, break into our realm, may your kingdom break into our kingdom, may your will be done in this place, in our town and in our lives. Lord God we pray that you will fix restore and redeem all those things that are broken, all those things that are not as they should be. We pray that you will heal our bodies, that you will change people’s minds, that you will fix broken relationships. We pray that you will bless us. In other words, we pray that miracles will happen.

04:08 Now, by their very nature, by the definition, miracles are rare events but just as one golfer said “The more I practice the luckier I get” so too the more we pray the more we see the miraculous happen in our lives, the more we start to see God breaking through, his kingdom coming, his will being done in our lives and in our communities. If we humble ourselves, if we really cry out to our heavenly Father, his will will be done. What we see in the Bible is the fact that for whatever reason God partners with us, that God chooses us as his instruments. He’s given us prayer as a powerful weapon so that through us and through our prayer and through our actions God’s will is done and the miraculous happens.
So keep praying because prayer does make a difference.

[1] YouTube link: Does Prayer Work? – part 2
Bible reference: 2 Peter 3 v9.

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Yes! Today!

[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during May 2020]

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away, now it looks as though they’re here to stay.
Suddenly, I’m not half the man I used to be; there’s a shadow hanging over me,
Yesterday came suddenly. Now I long for yesterday.

Some words from a song that may echo from the past but yet seem so relevant some 55 years after they were sung by the Beatles. What happened to those good old days that we used to call ‘these trying times’? Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be!

Is looking back too negative for you? Then try these words from William Shakespeare:

“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creep in this petty pace from day to day until the last syllable of recorded time, and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death.”

He wasn’t so positive about the future either.

What does God’s word say about yesterday and tomorrow? In the NIV there are 8 references to ‘yesterday’ and 56 to ‘tomorrow’. Does this indicate their relative importance? Job declared “we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow.” James takes a different perspective but arrives at a similar conclusion. Echoing Proverbs 27, he says “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

But what about today? If we can indeed take the number of references as an indication of importance then the 205 entries for ‘today’ (and the 118 mentions of ‘this day’) should make us pay attention.
In 2 Corinthians 6 Paul reminds us that “today is the time of God’s favour, today is the day of salvation.” (LTV) Joshua invites us to: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24 v15)

However, perhaps the most important reference is the one that includes all three of our time scales. Hebrews 13 v8 tells us: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.” What is there to add?

O Thou who changes not, abide with me!

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