Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2024]

There are parts of the Bible where, I suspect, many of us rarely go. Certainly, we have our favourite verses, ones that we can quote chapter and verse in a translation of our choice. There are other passages of Scripture that we are familiar with but which are not amongst our favourites, and yet more that we are aware of but seldom read. There are even verses that we dislike or which make us uncomfortable.

Can we justify our selective approach to Scripture? The apostle Paul thought not:

Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope. Romans 15 v4 [NCV]

One of the benefits of a reading plan is that it takes us to passages that are not of our choosing. Someone else has decided what we will read each day; hopefully those selections were made under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

If, indeed, we believe that these passages have been chosen by the Holy Spirit then surely we should give more attention to the messages that they contain. It is too easy to speed-read passages, especially when we are familiar with them, and in doing so we miss some of the gems therein. Once again, Paul has a firm opinion:

All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness 2 Timothy 3 v16 [RSV]

Today’s recommended reading in the Essential Jesus series^[1] is taken from Psalm 2. This Psalm is attributed to king David around 980BC but it could well have been a response to today’s news headlines.

Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? Psalm 2 v1 [NLT]

Almost everywhere we look we see civil unrest, territorial ambitions and hostilities. We see grandiose schemes that are over-budget and have failed to achieve their objectives. Even in the more peaceful areas there is widespread dissatisfaction. Eugene Peterson offers this rendition of the initial verses of this Psalm:

Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples? Earth-leaders push for position, Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers: “Let’s get free of God!” Psalm 2 v1-3 [The Message]

Returning to our favourite verses, have you tried reading them in an unfamiliar translation? Comparing parallel versions can reveal a diversity of understanding that can enrich our reading. Can you echo the Psalmist’s prayer?

Open my eyes to see the wonderful things in your teachings. Psalm 119 v18 [ICB]

References:
[1] The Essential Jesus

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2024]

The generations which came before us have, for better or worse, shaped the world that we now live in. We would not be where we are now if it had not been for the way in which they acted. Many aspects of modern secular society such as schools, hospitals, employment welfare have their origins in the activities of God-fearing people of a previous generation. Conversely, there are events in our history whose outcomes have been less beneficial.

In a similar way, our actions now will affect those who follow us, and that places us in a dilemma. Should we act with regard to the prospects for generations to come or should we focus on more immediate considerations, given that experience shows that the long term rarely turns out as expected. Environmentalists, for example, are likely support one point of view whereas, it could be argued, politicians act in another.

Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come? Ecclesiastes 8 v7 [NIVUK]

As Christians, we believe that God created the earth and therefore we have a special responsibility to look after it. On the other hand, we also believe that this earth is not everlasting; there will come a time when it will get a hot restart (to use a computing expression).

See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Isaiah 65 v17 [NIVUK]

Jesus will come back; when he does so the established cycle of life on earth will come to an end. The early disciples thought that Jesus would return within their lifetimes but they were disappointed. Under the heading of ‘Predictions and claims for the Second Coming’,^[1] Wikipedia lists no less than 48 well-publicised predictions about the date of Christ’s return. Despite their initial credibility they have all proved to be wrong.

Speculating about specific dates is futile; Jesus said that even he did not know when it would be.^[2] Rather, he told us to pay attention to the events around us and to be prepared.

Contrary to popular opinion, generation after generation will not continue ad-infinitum. We do not know how many more generations there will be but, whether they be many or few, they will live in the context of what we do now.

How can we best prepare those generations who follow us? There is a clue in the question that Moses posed to the people that he was leading:

In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” Deuteronomy 6 v20 [NIVUK]

What would your answer be?

References:
[1] Wikipedia, January 2024
[2] Matthew 24 v36

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This reflection by Martin Shorey was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 31/Dec/2023]

This year, 2023, has been a whirlwind of baptisms, a total of 31 to be precise (if we include Reese’s rather mucky baptism in the River Mole). When I gauge our church’s success, I don’t tend to focus on the number of attendees or even the conversions. My measure of achievement lies in the count of baptisms – those individuals who have not only embraced Christ but have also walked with us, overcoming the often daunting hurdle of publicly declaring their faith through baptism.

Upon scrutinising the 2023 statistics, it’s evident that we are thriving. However, as I delve deeper, I find myself discounting many of those baptisms. Perhaps they were already Christians before coming to us, or they attended baptismal classes elsewhere, or found faith through alternative means like YouTube. I catch myself yearning for someone whom we plucked from the streets, guided through Alpha, witnessed surrendering to Jesus, and subsequently baptised – someone we can proudly say, ‘we did that!’ Someone whose transformation is a testament to our diligence, courage and discipleship rigour.

Yet, in the midst of these aspirations, I felt God nudging me to reconsider my perspective. Isn’t every heart turning to Jesus a miraculous event? While we do play a role in the process, we cannot single-handedly make someone a Christian, change a heart, or instil belief in Jesus. The source of their conversion, whether it be in Iran, another church, through the internet, or via dreams, should be secondary to the fact that God has entrusted us with these individuals. God knows that at HBC, they will find welcome, love, nurture, and discipleship – isn’t that an amazing privilege!

This realisation shifts my focus from wanting credit for the conversions to gratitude for being part of these people’s lives at all! It doesn’t diminish the importance of our missional activities and discipleship processes in 2024, but it underscores that this is God’s mission, unfolding in His way. I simply implore, “God, please don’t exclude us from what you are doing in Horley!”

Resources:

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.