Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

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

On this date seventy-nine years ago there was launched from the south coast of England a combined Allied force intended to turn the tide in the Second World War in Europe. This force has been described at the largest amphibious invasion force in history,^[1] with a spearhead of 18,000 paratroopers and 120,000 ground troops out of available resources of over 2,000,000 troops drawn from 12 nations.

Most of those who survived the event itself have now lost the battle against the passage of time. Some of them felt unable to share their memories, others have recorded something of their experiences, either first hand or through relating their stories to younger people. Preserving a nation’s collective memories of previous experiences is an essential part of providing a foundation for future generations. The newly-liberated nation of Israel was instructed to …

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4 v9 [NIVUK]

What is the reason behind this instruction? It cannot be so that we avoid repeating the mistakes of the past; it has been argued that the one thing that we learn from history is that we do not learn anything from history.^[2] Time and again we see repeated cycles of error and recovery but we can also see God’s intervention and rescue, and that is the story that we need to pass on.

The date of 06^th June 1944 has been given the epithet of “D-day”. There have been many d-days during history; the term originated from its use by military planners to refer to the intended date for the start of some significant offensive and it is used when the actual date is yet undetermined or being kept secret.

There are two more significant d-days which affect us. The first is the decision-day on which we accept Jesus Christ as saviour. As Christians we may or may not be able to define that date exactly but it has become part of our personal history. For others, there will come a default-date when the window of opportunity will close.

The ultimate d-day is destiny-day; Jesus said that only God the Father knows when that will be but it is described in John’s vision of the end-times:

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Revelation 20 v12 [NIVUK]

For all of us, our lives are elements in the progress of human history. We will probably not get a mention in the books that are written on earth but there is a more definitive record elsewhere. The chapter with your name on it is still open, you can still influence its contents but that opportunity will not last forever.

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Resources:
[1] https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-d-day
[2] Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, 1770-1831

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

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Last week’s reflection: What Will You Do?
 

[This reflection by Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 04/Jun/2023]

That phrase has been on my mind for several days. When that happens, God is usually saying something important to me and I need to ask for clarification!

The first thing I believe I heard Him say is, “When you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, head for the rock!” I need to pray and think more about that, but I know already that the fact that a rock is big, impossible to move, and provides a safe place to hide is central. To head towards the ‘hard place’ will just bring more confusion and anxiety!

It also occurs to me that at first a rock doesn’t promise much comfort. It’s hard and cold.

But … if Jesus is to become my rock, my refuge, my comfort, my ‘safe place’, I’ll need to press in, trusting that He will come through for me in whatever my tough situation may be. And that doesn’t come easily to me. For someone like me who learned very early in life that I’d have to meet my own needs, turning to anyone – even God – for help doesn’t come naturally.

He said he will be my rock – no, IS my rock! And, like Aslan the lion, he may not feel safe but he is so strong! I will head for the rock!

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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
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Link to Index of Bible Passages
 
Last week’s reflection: A Voice in the Night by Chris Ginter
 

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

The Kid’s in the Freezer – Is your daughter delving for a pizza, is your son searching for ice cream? No, in this case the kid actually is in the freezer but before you call the child protection agency we should disclose that we are talking about a young goat.

Goats’ milk is considered to be healthy and, worldwide, more people consume goats’ milk rather than that of cows. Goats are easier than cows or sheep to raise, especially in less-developed areas. Goats’ cheese is a tasty alternative to more common dairy products, especially when obtained from a local source. Of course, to have goats’ milk you have to have kids but they quickly become surplus to the process.

The consumption of goat meat is not common in the UK but in many other parts of the world it is a staple of the local diet. In Asia and parts of Africa, goat curry is a popular dish. Indeed, I recall discussing this with a pastor from Uganda; his liking for that dish was no doubt one of the sacrifices he had to make when he subsequently became the Archbishop of York.

Why do we think that goats get such a bad press in the Bible? Certainly, the illustration that Jesus gave of the judgement to come^[1] does make a distinction between sheep and goats. Some might suggest that describing sheep being on the right and goats on the left can be considered as a comment on the British political system but a more careful reading of the context shows that the comparison between sheep and goats is simply an illustration of how a shepherd might differentiate his flock.

When the Great Shepherd comes to judge his flock the criteria are not those of birth (sheep or goats) or of affiliation (right or left) but rather how we have behaved as his followers. Are you ready for that judgement?

By contrast, in the Old Testament goats often appear in a more positive light. They were central to Jacob’s relationship with his extended family, their hair was used in constructing the tabernacle and young goats were often considered to be acceptable alternatives for lambs when offered as sacrifices. However, there is one sacrifice where goats are specified. The book of Leviticus describes the role of the scapegoat.^[2] Two goats were to be selected, one to be sacrificed immediately and as for the other …

The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness. Leviticus 16 v22 [NIVUK]

Only one man knew where the goat had been taken and even he did not know what happened to it. Was it adopted by a flock of wild goats, was it torn apart by a wild animal, did it survive to an old age? We do not need to know; it is sufficient that God accepted this way of dealing with the people’s sins.

In popular parlance a scapegoat is someone who takes the blame for the shortcomings or misdeeds of others. Do you recognise that Jesus himself has taken on the role of scapegoat for you? Has your sin been dealt with in a way that is acceptable to God? If so, and in the context of the coming judgement, what should be your response?

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Resources:
[1] Matthew 25 v33
[2] Leviticus 16

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: What Can You Do?
 

[This reflection by Chris Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 28/May/2023]

Recently we attended a meeting where a young African man called Surprise Sithole was speaking. At the age of 15 he was sleeping in a mud hut with his Mum, Dad and sister by his side. He heard a loud voice saying “Get up and leave Surprise, if you don’t you will die”.

He is a well known speaker, you can watch him on you tube or read his book “a voice in the night”. God got him away from his community just before his parents were killed by a rival tribe.

Isaiah 30:21 says, ‘…your ears will hear a voice behind you saying this is the way, walk in it‘. Jesus is speaking to us all the time, but we fail to hear Him. Samuel in the old testament said “Speak Lord for your servant hears you”.

I want to hear the voice of God really clearly, just like the above people. Not only to hear His voice but to be totally obedient.

God has far more for us than we can think or expect, even in the small events of life. Why don’t we be like Samuel and say, ‘speak Lord for your servant is listening‘? We could end up doing far more than we thought just by being obedient.

Go on give it a go, the testimonies could be amazing and we could bring many people into God’s kingdom.

Bless you
Chris Ginter

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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
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Link to Index of Bible Passages
 
Last week’s reflection: Are you part of HBC? by Martin Shorey
 

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

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. Luke 4 v40 [NKJV]

One evening recently I was in our local clinic (it has a 24-7 service) when two urgent cases arrived. One was a baby of a few weeks old with severe ear-ache. The other, a lady of more mature years with an acute abdominal pain. Neither was turned away because it was late. In a faint parallel to the verse above, our doctor was able to address both cases, giving immediate relief and, if not an actual cure, a recommendation for treatment that would resolve the problems in due course.

These two cases are typical of the type of sickness that would have been presented to Jesus each evening. No doubt, each person would feel that their own suffering would seem to be the most intense and, indeed there would have been some life-changing cures during those evening ‘surgeries’, but everyone came away healed.

What do we think of as the gift of healing in the 21^st century? Do we still think of some self-styled celebrity purporting to perform miracles in front of an effusive audience, claiming to be able to cure all ills, for a suitable reward? If this is a realistic perception then why do so many faith-healers still wear glasses? Can they not heal themselves?

Alternatively, we can think of the gift of healing as God inspiring the development of the medical sciences, adding to the collective professional knowledge and raising up talented people to act on his behalf. This does not preclude God from intervening in miraculous ways but in many cases the miracle is in the timing as much as any other aspect. Does this increased scientific understanding mean that we think that we can do without God? On the contrary, it enhances the marvel of our creation and the miracle of our day-to-day living.

In the parable of the talents^[1] those who made use of what that had been given were praised, even though the use of the talents involved some risk, whilst the man who did not attempt to use his talents was heavily criticised for his failure. The range of talents that God can give his people is diverse^[2] but our combination is unique to us as individuals. How are we using the talents that God has given us? Will we be rewarded for having been faithful custodians or will we be rebuked for our timidity?

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1 v7 [NIVUK]

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Resources:
[1] Matthew 25 v14-30
[2] 1 Corinthians 12 v8-11

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: What Have You Done?
 

[This reflection by Martin Shorey was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 21/May/2023]

The other day I was listening to a podcast where some pastors were discussing what it means to be part of a church. Now, as a Baptist church we have a formal membership process, where applicants are interviewed and then voted in. But in reality, belonging to a church is far more than a process, or maybe even a conscious decision, it’s a position you find yourself in.

One of the pastors I was listening to on the podcast put it like this; you know you are part of a church when two things happen:

Firstly you stop saying ‘them’, and start saying ‘we’ – rather than saying ‘they’re’ a lovely church, or ‘they’ do so much good work, you start saying ‘we’ are a lovely church, and ‘we’ are doing so much good work.

The second thing is this – you know where the silver-ware is. In other words, you start to help out. You know how many chairs go on a stack, you know how to operate the coffee machine, you know where the cleaning cupboard is. This is because the church has become your family, and the building has become a home. You feel comfortable, and you slot into what is going on, and help out where you can.

So are you part of HBC? Not an official, voted-in one, but one of the family? If not, do you want to be, and what do you need to be one? In September we will be looking at this in more detail, but to give you a preview, here are the next steps you could take…

• Find a place/group to offer your time, talents, and efforts
• Connect to others by joining a home group – know and be known
• Give financially to support the work of the church
• Invite friends and family to come to the church and join the family

 
Where are you at in your journey? What will your next step be?

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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: The Disciples’ Second Bereavement by Helen Ruffhead