Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 24/Dec/2023]

As Christmas approaches, a lot of our time is sometimes taken up with frenzied activity. Cards to write and send (brings to mind Chris’s comment in ‘Yours’ 2 weeks ago when she said that you get to a certain age where if you don’t send a card at Christmas, people begin to wonder whether you’re still alive), presents to buy, food to get in for the Christmas meal … The list goes on.

There are many though, for whom this year (and perhaps for quite a while), the joy has been taken out of Christmas. Loss of a loved one, loss of a job, eviction from a house, strained relationships, financial difficulties, and other major life issues mean that it is difficult to get through the day, let alone with a smile on one’s face. It isn’t always possible to find someone to share these problems with, in large part because it is hard for people to truly understand what we are going through. Some of you might remember words from the Negro Spiritual song which goes:

“Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen … ”

One of my friends once told me when I was going through a particularly difficult time that “if anyone tells you they know what you’re going through, believe me, they don’t”. His words rang true to me at the time, but looking back now, I don’t think he was right.
The next line in the Negro spiritual song says:

“Nobody knows but Jesus.”

You often hear people say that we should try not to miss the true meaning of Christmas. I am not sure we will all agree on exactly what that is, but can I offer one worth considering?

God looked down and saw the mess we had made of the world He blessed us with. He decided, out of the love He has for us, to sort things out. He chose, curiously, to do this by ‘moving into the neighbourhood’, walking where we walked, experiencing what we went through first hand and then taking on himself the punishment that was due to us for all the wrong we had done. What God did at Christmas was to ensure that when we are going through tough times in life and feel there is no one who will understand, we can know that there is someone who truly knows what we are going through and who will walk with us and guide us through that valley, renewing our hope and restoring our joy.

Jesus has made it possible for us to be able to sing that song with meaning.

Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen,
Nobody knows but Jesus.
Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen,
Glory Hallelujah

May I wish you all a Happy Christmas.

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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.

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Horley Baptist Church online
HBC main site
Confidential prayer link

Link to Recent Reflections
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Link to Index of Bible Passages
 
Last week’s reflection: Christ IN us the Hope of Glory! by Dennis Ginter

 

[This reflection by Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 17/Dec/2023]

We are celebrating the birth of Emmanuel, God WITH us.

And that is wonderful! But there’s so much more: The gospels, especially John’s, tell us that the reason Jesus came was so that He – God – could now live IN us! He is standing at the door of each of our lives and knocking. (Matthew 7:7)

Over the past few weeks I’ve been trying to grasp the implications of God living in me by his Holy Spirit. The one who knew me before I was even conceived, the one who has seen everything I’ve ever done or thought, the one who sees everything that has ever happened to me – is waiting to come INTO me so that I can have ‘abundant’ life! He wants to live his life in and through me. And all I need to do is open the door?!

The title at the top is from Colossians 1:27. When we remember that this ‘hope’ is not a fond wish, but something promised and guaranteed, it may dawn on us that we are indeed children of God – and that He, now IN us, will perfect that which He has birthed! (Philippians 1:6)

What could be more reassuring than that?

Happy Christmas…

P.S. You might want to watch and listen to: THE GOD WHO SEES, by Nicole Mullen.

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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.

~~~~~~~~~
Horley Baptist Church online
HBC main site
Confidential prayer link

Link to Recent Reflections
.
Link to Index of Bible Passages
 
Last week’s reflection: New Beginnings by Chris Ginter
 

[This reflection by Chris Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 10/Dec/2023]

If any one is in Christ, old things are passed away, all things have become new.^[1]

Christmas and New Year seem to be a time when we rethink our lives afresh. It’s a bit like spring cleaning, when we clean out stuff that has sat on our shelves all year long, collecting dust, do we really need it and do we want it.

Patterns of our lives change, forced by circumstances beyond our control, we change the habits of a life time. This year, for instance I am rethinking sending Christmas cards because the price of stamps have gone up so much! The trouble is when you get older and don’t send people a card at Christmas, they think you’ve died.

Do our life long habits dictate what we should or shouldn’t do now? I have been challenged recently to reach out to those who are struggling with life, especially the lonely and those in need with families. But the question is how do we get to know them, perhaps through a food bank, or just chatting to people in the street.

I love that verse, “give and it will be given you”^[2], but do I just give because I want to get back?

There used to be a song we sang, “I’m going to put off the old life, put on the new, put off the old life that’s what I’ll do”, the new life is Jesus His love peace and joy, so I’ll put off the old and I’ll put on the new.

Please Jesus show me how to become the person you created me to be, so I can reflect your glory and give you praise,

So Happy Advent and every blessing for a prosperous Christmas to each person who is seeking Jesus in this special season.

Christmas Blessings

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Resources:
[1] 2 Corinthians 5 v17
[2] Luke 6 v38

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.

~~~~~~~~~
Horley Baptist Church online
HBC main site
Confidential prayer link

Link to Recent Reflections
.
Link to Index of Bible Passages
 
Last week’s reflection: Advent by Martin Shorey
 

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during December 2023]

December is here. Three weeks of frantic activity by those who cried ‘Too soon!’ but who are now bemoaning ‘Too late!’. Then, like the Bible narrative, things go quiet after Christmas. There is, of course, a precedent for taking a trip to Egypt but that country has already offered respite to more than its fair share of refugees this year.

In the first book of Samuel we read of events following the sacking of Shiloh in around 1090BC. Shiloh had been the geographical focus of Israel’s religious life but the nation had become complacent about its relationship with God. Once again the nation of Israel was at war with the Philistines and things had not gone well for them.

Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.
1 Samuel 4 v2 [NIVUK]

Do you sometimes wonder about things that happen? Some events seem to us to be counter productive. Is God batting for the wrong side?

Matters took a turn for the worse:

Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. The ark of God was captured
1 Samuel 4 v10-11 [ESV]

The nation of Israel had, not for the first time, suffered a national disaster. Why had they, who considered themselves to be God’s chosen people, been so roundly defeated? Even worse, they had allowed God to be humiliated in the sight of the people around them. How could there be anything good about that?

Are there times when we become complacent in our faith? Have we even allowed God to be humiliated in the sight of people around us?

The scale of the disaster made the nation of Israel return to God. They renounced the foreign religious practices which had crept into their society and devoted themselves to serve the Lord exclusively. The representatives of the people asked the prophet Samuel to intercede on behalf of the nation.

So that brings us to Ebenezer, but not the one often associated with a certain English novelist at this time of year.

Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it “Ebenezer” (Rock of Help), saying, “This marks the place where God helped us.”
1 Samuel 7 v12 [MSG]

A rock can be an arid trip-hazard or it can offer a place of respite and security. The psalmist chose the latter option:

In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Psalm 62:7 [NKJV]

In 1776 the English parson Augustus Toplady had a similar experience, which led to him writing the words of what became a well-known hymn:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee.

Have you found a quiet resting-place in this season of deadlines and expectations?

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Resources:
[1]

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.

~~~~~~~~~
Horley Baptist Church online
HBC main site
Confidential prayer link

Link to Recent Reflections

Link to Index of Bible Passages

Last week’s reflection: Not All It Seems