Stop Flapping and Soar with Jesus

[This reflection by Chris Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 21/Jan/2024]

When I came down stairs the other day first thing in the morning and looked out of the window I saw many sea gulls gliding across the sky. They were gliding on the air currents, effortlessly, not flapping around, just being who they were and enjoying the morning sunlight.

In the Bible it says, they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk & not faint.[1]

I want to soar in the air currents with Jesus.

When we were in Malawi we saw the fish eagles soaring in the air currents above the water waiting to catch fish when they were called by the fishermen.

Sometimes in our lives we are flapping around trying to make things happen so we can be an effective witness, doing this that and the other, when it seems like Jesus is saying, just ask me, trust me and I will do what is right in this situation.

It has recently come to my attention when Jesus was at the wedding in Cana of Galilee and they had run out of wine all His mum did was to bring the situation to Jesus’s attention and Jesus did the thing that was needed.

As we bring our needs before Jesus it’s a wonderful thing if we can trust Him to bring about what is needed.
I always want to fix things but as we surrender all to Jesus, He will do what is necessary and it’s not always what we’d choose, think or expect.

He did say, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
O taste and see that the Lord is good, He really is!

Every blessing,
Chris Ginter

Are you joining us for the Essential Jesus reading plan? If you’d like to, you can do so here.

Resources:
[1] Isaiah Chapter 40 v 31

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Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
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Last week’s reflection: Who is Your Role Model? by Helen Ruffhead
 

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Contributor: Chris Ginter
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Rules OK

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

As is the case in society at large, at school there were various rules that we had to follow. There were rules intended to encourage a certain standard of behaviour, some rules to help preserve the sanity of the staff and other rules that seemed to have no logical purpose. There were even some rules intended for our benefit although we did not always see them that way.

Perhaps the most controversial were those rules which applied outside the school premises. These were often resented as we considered them to be outside the school’s remit, both geographically and socially. However, the reasoning was that even outside the school premises our uniform identified us and any misdemeanours would adversely affect the school’s reputation.

King David was aware of the potential effects of his behaviour. He wrote:

Don’t let me bring shame on those who trust in you, Sovereign Lord Almighty! Don’t let me bring disgrace to those who worship you, O God of Israel! Psalm 69 v6 [GNT]

We liked to think that we were free from those rules when we discarded the school uniform and behaved incognito. Can we apply the same logic in our spiritual lives? Most of us do not wear a uniform which proclaims our church affiliation but nevertheless we can often be identified as Christians. Our actions can attract outsiders or bring the church into disrepute and repel those who might otherwise be open to the Gospel. There is a well-known quotation attributed to Mahatma Gandhi:

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Is there a risk that our ‘out of uniform’ actions might reinforce that opinion? Can our behaviour become a stumbling block to people around us? The apostle Paul set out his own rule:

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities. Colossians 4 v5 [NET]

In practice we are never ‘out of uniform’. We cannot assume that nobody is watching, that nobody will notice. Early Christians were distinguished by their behaviour.[1] and surely that is something that we should try to emulate. Can you echo David’s prayer?

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! Psalm 139 v23 [ESV]

References:
[1] Tertullian of Carthage, 160-225AD, see also John 13 v5

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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Last week’s reflection: Are You Missing Something?
 

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Who is Your Role Model?

[This reflection by Helen Ruffhead was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 21/Jan/2024]

Recently we were asked in church which famous person we would most like to meet. I said Josephine Butler, whom most people have never heard of but I see as my greatest role model, after Jesus.

Josephine and her husband George, a clergyman, lived in Victorian times. Like Jesus, both of them cared deeply for those on the margins of society. Josephine visited women in the local workhouse and actually sat down and picked oakum with them, even though it was horrible work that took the skin off your fingers. As they worked together, they became friends and she was able to share the gospel with them.

Josephine and her husband cared for a number of so-called fallen women in their own home, including a prostitute dying of consumption and venereal disease. On her arrival, instead of sneaking her in by the servant’s entrance they took her to the front door and George escorted her up the steps. Following the example of Jesus, George treated this most despised woman with dignity and honour.

Josephine was particularly outraged by the double standards of Victorian society that branded women as “fallen”, while men were excused their moral lapses. In 1864 the Contagious Diseases Act was passed, which gave police the right to arrest any woman, on the mere suspicion that she might be a prostitute and subject her to a brutal physical examination. With the full support of her husband and sons, even though they knew that their careers would suffer and that they would be a laughing stock, Josephine campaigned to abolish this law. During her campaign, Josephine faced insults, extreme hostility and death threats. Just as Jesus had found, mixing with outcasts, exposing hypocrisy and challenging the authorities aroused fierce hatred. Society was outraged that she was talking about things that a lady should not even know exist, but she carried on for 17 years until at last the law was repealed.

Josephine also joined the campaign for the raising of the age of consent from 13 to 16, to protect young girls who were being forced or tricked into prostitution.

I see Josephine Butler as a great feminist in the best sense, not fighting for her own rights but helping her less fortunate sisters, speaking up for them and treating them with compassion and honour, just as Jesus did.

Resources:

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Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
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Last week’s reflection: Let’s Talk To Jesus by Dazz Jones
 

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Contributor: Helen Ruffhead
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Are You Missing Something?

[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.

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Last week’s reflection: For Ever and Ever?
 

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Let’s Talk To Jesus

[This reflection by Dazz Jones was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 14/Jan/2024]

I don’t know about you but in the hustle and bustle of daily life, I find it’s not long before I begin to feel a little disconnected from God. However, the heartening and unchanging truth is that each one of us has the extraordinary opportunity to know Jesus personally and engage in heartfelt conversations with God every single day!

The very heart of the good news is the idea that we are not merely spectators in a distant relationship with ‘God on high’, but that we are his adopted children! So we are invited into an intimate and personal connection with Jesus. The writers of the Bible remind us that He is not a distant figure but a friend who walks beside us, understanding our joy, sorrow, and everything in between.

In prayer, we open a direct line of communication with Him, the Saviour and one through whom the universe was created. It’s an incredible opportunity to be able to open up our thoughts, concerns and feelings and invite Jesus in. In those moments of prayer, we can experience the profound reality of a God who listens, cares, and responds. It can be a transformative experience that changes our lives. It would empower us to face challenges with faith, find comfort in times of despair, and celebrate the blessings that surround us.

I am reminded by the Essential Jesus reading for Sunday 14th Jan, (which is the account of the temple being built and the people of God celebrating!) that being able to ‘commune with God’ is something I may just take for granted sometimes. The people of God were so excited to finally have a place to meet God in that they sacrificed so many of their livestock that the people forgot to count them. I wonder if the equivalent would be something like us giving away our homes, cars or life savings to charity in God’s name (I’m just guessing here … ) but I don’t know if I’ve ever felt excited enough to even approach that level of excitement.

As we move forward this year may God remind us that we are welcome to know Him and encourage us to pursue that goal with great gusto!

Are you joining us for the Essential Jesus reading plan? If you‘d like to you can do so here.

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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Last week’s reflection: Walking in His Footsteps by Dazz Jones
 

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Contributor: Dazz Jones
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For Ever and Ever?

[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.

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Last week’s reflection: Looking Four-ward
 

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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