Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

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

We live in an increasingly secular world where the expectations that people have often compete with our responsibilities as Christians. Are we being invited to events on Sundays when we ought to be devoting that time to worshipping God? Does our commitment to the church compromise our full participation in popular sports or hobbies? Or, perhaps, vice versa.

It can be difficult to maintain our Christian faith in a society that does not share or understand our commitment. Devotion to a football team – even the wrong football team – is seen as acceptable while devotion to God is not.

Do you feel like a pilgrim in an alien land, on your own with no one to share your beliefs? Certainly, Naaman might have felt that way. We can read his story in the second book of Kings where we learn that Naaman was a senior officer in the army of the king of Aram in around 849BC. He was successful as an army officer and was highly appreciated by both the king and those who worked for him. We are familiar with how he was cured of leprosy after the prophet Elisha told him to bathe in the river Jordan – an experience that Naaman found to be somewhat distasteful.

Nevertheless, having been cured, Naaman returned to his post in the court of Aram as a believer in the God of Israel, initially at least as the only believer in that country. He wanted to continue to worship God but he recognised that some of his duties might be seen to compromise that commitment. Those of us who are in a similar situation can draw encouragement from Elisha’s advice to be at peace with the situation.

Elijah had a similar feeling of being the only believer left; in an attack of depression after the great demonstration of God’s power over the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, he cried out to God “I alone am left; and they seek to take my life”. What was God’s response?

Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. 1 Kings 19 v18 [NIVUK]

There may be times when we feel that we are the only Christian in our community. It is likely that there are other Christians nearby but you have not recognised them. Could it be that other Christians with similar feelings have not been able to recognise you? Jesus suggested one characteristic to look out for, or demonstrate ourselves:

By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another. John 13 v35 [AMP]

It is said that actions speak louder than words. Whether we are aware of it or not, our behaviour sends a message to those around us. As Francis of Assisi said: “The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today”.

Resources:

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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 David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 23/Apr/2023]

During the Connect in Faith meeting last weekend, the subject of prayer came up. In particular, how it can be difficult to pray. The reasons for this varied from not enough time, to too many distractions.

I thought a bit more about this after the session. One of the reasons I find it difficult to pray is that I do not set aside enough time for it, and when I do, I find that I am sometimes watching the clock to get to the end of the prayer time. Another reason is not having a structure to the time I have set aside, which means that I wander off course very easily. Interestingly, I also feel uncomfortable with structured prayer, partly because it can become something I do according to a pre-specified formula, rather than something which can (perhaps should) be spontaneous.

When I pray, there are times when doubt seeps in and I start to wonder whether God will answer my prayer. There are also sometimes when God seems quite distant, and I wonder whether he is there. I know in my heart however, that he is there, so I then think at these times, that it is me that is at fault and guilt then seeps in.

Sometimes, the sheer number of things we want to pray for is a bit overwhelming and we don’t know where to start, so we choose not to start. None of this seems right.

Prayer is how we communicate with God. We start a conversation in which we share what lays heavy on our heart with the one person who we know understands us fully and is never too busy to listen to us. We have the opportunity to ask for his advice as to what to do in the various situations we find ourselves in, and to ask Him to give us the wisdom and courage to follow the guidance He gives us. This sort of communication deepens the relationship we have with Him.

We should look forward to these meetings with God. The Apostle Paul says that we should pray without ceasing. I don’t think he meant us to do this grudgingly, or out of duty. Think about those people in your life whose company you cherish. We can’t wait to meet them, to share what’s going on in our lives with them. They laugh with us and sit with us through times when we are sad. They bring us comfort and encourage us. We trust them enough to tell us the truth even if it isn’t what we want to hear. We value their counsel.

If we look at prayer like this, it turns prayer into something we look forward to and can’t wait to do. I think Jesus’ disciples recognised this when they saw Jesus pray and that it is probably why one of them asked him “Lord, teach us to pray”.

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 April 2023]

Do you ever make assumptions about what other people are thinking, only to find out that you have misread the situation? Such assumptions can hinder communications and jeopardise relationships. Words, and particularly labels, can cause us to jump to conclusions that may not be entirely accurate.

Sometimes it seems that the people around us are talking a different language. (In my case they often are) How do you know if what you think you heard is actually what they think they said?

Different places can have different laws, regulations or practices, some of which may come as a surprise to us. It is said, for example, that in the Royal Crescent in Bath there is only one permitted colour for the front doors of the houses – they are either white or wrong. In other places there may be no such stipulation; other colours are not wrong, only different.

Different Christians have different practices, and sometimes we wonder on what they are based. Small differences in understanding coupled with established expectations can result in significant disagreements, especially when a certain degree of personal ambition is added. Are we ever guilty of assuming that the way we think is the only right way?

One such difference arose in the 11^th century and resulted in what is called ‘The Great Schism’, when church leaders in Rome and Constantinople could not agree on who had the greater claim to a direct apostolic succession. The outcome was that two ecclesiastical bodies, each purporting to represent the Body of Christ, moved in different directions.

I am writing this on Easter Sunday, but not the Easter Sunday that most of my readers would recognise. Rather it is the Orthodox Easter, celebrated by millions of believers in eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East and parts of Africa.

In both east and west, the dates for Easter are calculated using the same formula.^[1] Easter is the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the spring equinox. The pascal moon is itself linked to the timing of the Jewish Passover. The western church, and much of the secular world, uses the Gregorian calendar whilst the eastern church has maintained loyalty to the Julian calendar. A discrepancy in the calendars means that dates for Easter may coincide or may be up to four weeks apart.
Not wrong, only different.

Amongst the many controversial words that Jesus spoke are these:

I have other sheep that are not of this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. John 10 v16 [NIVUK]

Many words have been written about what the first part of this verse might mean, and we can each understand it differently.

Should we worry about whether we are in the right sheepfold? Surely of greater importance is the reassurance in the second half of the verse. No human endeavour will be able to to reunite the various flocks; this is a job for the Great Shepherd himself.

Resources:
[1] The formula used for Easter was determined at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.

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 Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 16/Apr/2023]

That sounds like an invitation to sit down for a discussion, doesn’t it? As I actually read the first chapter of Isaiah, I realise that it’s not a discussion, not a calm conversation! God is weeping in desperation – His people are far from Him, deep in sin and refusing to listen to His pleas to repent.

What upsets Him most is their persistence in performing religious rituals, thinking that their sacrifices will make things right with HIM. He threatens the direst consequences if they don’t stop! And, if we’re not careful, if we don’t ‘reason’ with Him, we’ll find ourselves either excusing our sins or – in despair – giving up on ever being able to make up to Him for the way we’ve been living. AND THAT IS EXACTLY ISAIAH’S POINT!

Our sin is far too deep, the stain is indelible – we can do nothing about it. And that’s what Jesus’s death and resurrection are all about! We’ve heard all about it many times, haven’t we? How HIS sacrifice has cleansed us. What has struck me this year is the realisation that I’ll never be able to understand what that really means! God’s invitation to me to ‘reason’ with Him is staggering! He’s asking me to accept that HE has made me as ‘white as snow’! There’s absolutely nothing I can do to make myself worthy of being His son. HALLELUJAH!!

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 April 2023]

Last week we considered the effects of losing contact with our digital world, how we can feel bereft without access to those online links that have become so central to our modern lifestyles. This week the situation was dramatically worse – we had no physical access to the outside world. A two-day blizzard had, quite literally, closed every road in the county; outside of the towns no traffic could move and those who were planning to travel had to stay where they were.

A few generations ago, people of a Godly nature would often add “DV” when formulating their plans. For those whose Latin is dustier than mine, this expression stands for ‘Deo volente’ or, in English, ‘God willing’. This was an intrinsic acknowledgement that whatever plans were being made, they were subject to God’s will. This recognition of God’s sovereignty seems to have fallen out of practice in modern times. We make our plans and, maybe, invite God to tag along. Sometimes he does do as he is told but we should not be surprised when our ways start to diverge or our plans are blocked.

There is a much-quoted verse recorded in the prophecy of Jeremiah:

‘For I know the plans that I have for you’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope’ Jeremiah 29 v11 [NASB]

In the first instance those words were addressed to the Israelite exiles in Babylon, promising an eventual return to their country, but in the longer term they can also refer to God’s plan of salvation.

Those who follow the western ecclesiastical calendar have just celebrated Easter, those who prefer the eastern ecclesiastical calendar will do so next weekend. Is it appropriate to celebrate someone’s death? We usually mark someone’s death by celebrating what they achieved during their life. However, there are no doubt many people who could celebrate if some of the world’s baddies were bumped off. The apostle Paul tells us that Jesus Christ was made sin for us;^[1] John too reminds us that he carried all the sins of the world to the Cross.^[2] Does that make him the world’s worst baddie in terms of punishment received?

Christ was dead – certified dead. His body was in the tomb and those who had applauded him so recently were now off the streets. Did those who wanted to do away with him celebrate? Did Caiaphas break open a few caskets? I suspect that the response was a bit more subdued in Pilate’s household.^[3]

The disciples had locked themselves away. This Jesus, who had been such a central part of the lives, had now gone. They had had high hopes for this man, even that he could be the one to redeem Israel,^[4] but these hopes were dashed; they had forgotten the promise of a resurrection.

Image how they felt when he, fully alive, invited them to a beach-barbecue a few days later. That encounter changed their lives, and they changed the world. Christ’s death, undoubtedly real, was followed by his resurrection and the implications of that are eternal.

But for you, is that event just history, his-story, or is it truly a reason for celebration?

Resources:
[1] 2 Corinthians 5 v21
[2] 1 John 2 v2
[3] Matthew 27 v19
[4] Luke 24 v21

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 Chris Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 09/Apr/2023]

All kinds of everything reminds me of you.
Do you remember that song by Dana? She sings about every aspect of life rejoicing in it all. Philippians chapter 4:4 says, “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice”. Be anxious for nothing but in everything let your requests be made known unto God.

When everything around us seems to be collapsing we have a choice to make, we can either go on a downward spiral or, we can believe we are seated in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2 v 6. For by grace we have been saved through faith.

Just as a small child looks forward to the Easter Bunny coming to bring special treats at Easter, so we look forward to rejoicing again this Easter time to remember what Jesus did on the cross, and how much this affects every single aspect of our daily lives.

Let us remember what Paul says, let us do all things without complaining. So let us rejoice together this Easter day, forgetting what’s behind us, reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

Hebrews Chapter 12 v 2 – Let us look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

Happy Easter all, let us be ready to give a word of hope in season to those who are weary.

Every blessing, Chris Ginter

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.