Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

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

Pupils following the English curriculum of a previous century would have been introduced to the rich resources of English literature. Long before the arrival of the age of digital education we were encouraged to commit to memory various extracts from plays and poetry. Some of those memories can be quite persistent, here is one such example:

Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads, The wind is passing by.

These words were written by English poetess Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) but the concept of the wind being invisible goes back much further. Consider these words of Jesus recorded in the gospel of John:

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3 v8 [NIVUK]

However, there is a problem – modern meteorology does allow us to know where the wind is coming from, where it is going and even when it will get there. Anemometers can measure the speed of the wind and the observations described in the Beaufort scale of wind force can demonstrate the effects of the wind but, nevertheless, we still cannot see the wind itself. Does this understanding of the wind make the words of Jesus irrelevant or even obsolete?

Jesus always used illustrations that were appropriate to those who were listening to him. In this case he was talking with Nicodemus and the primary topic was the need for rebirth through the Holy Spirit. The characteristics of the wind were used to show how the Holy Spirit works, unseen but recognisable by its effects.

How can we recognise the effects of the Holy Spirit? There is a spiritual equivalent of the Beaufort scale? In his letter to the churches in Galatia, the apostle Paul wrote:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5 v22-23 [NIVUK]

This is not just a piece of literature that we could memorise (although there are benefits in doing so) but rather it offers us guidelines to both recognise the work of the Holy Spirit in other people and reflect it in our lives. Of course, we will need help.

Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew,
that I may love the way you love, and do what you would do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure,
until my will is one with yours, to do and to endure.^[1]

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Resources:
[1] Edwin Hatch (1878)

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

Link to Index of Bible Passages

Last week’s reflection: Giving Up
 

[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 12/Mar/2023]

I read Dennis’ article in ‘Yours’ this week and was blessed by it. He said “Jesus is bringing fresh life to His church and we will experience it here, but perhaps not quite the way we’ve been expecting it”. Jesus has asked us to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. Our hope is that we will be able to do this and that many will come to know Christ, and that we will see more people come to join us in worshipping Him.

One would expect that a physical sign of this happening is that we will see many more people attending church services as a result, but it is important to remember Dennis’ words, that this may not happen in quite the way we expect it to.

In the Connect in Faith prayer group meeting on Saturday, we read about the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15 v11-32). This will be familiar to many and tells the story of a man who had two sons and the younger one demanded his inheritance, took it, squandered it in careless living, but then came to his senses and went back home to his father, hoping to be accepted not as a deserving son, but hopefully at least, as a slave. His father however, welcomed him with open arms and threw a party. The older son could not believe this. He was outraged that his brother could have been accepted back so easily after all that he had done. He couldn’t understand how his father could have forgiven him, let alone throw a party for him.

I have read that parable many times and almost each time, I learn something different. Picture the father as God, we (the church) as the older brother, and the people who we have gone out to share the good news with and make disciples of, as the younger son. When those we have reached out to with the good news of Christ make a 180 degree turn in the direction they are headed (repent) and turn to Christ, and they come in to the church to worship Christ with us, will we accept them with rejoicing as Christ has (the Bible says that for every sinner who repents, the angels rejoice in heaven), or will we accept them grudgingly, perhaps only if they come as hired hands rather than as brothers and sisters, or worse still, will we reject them, thinking for whatever reason that ‘their sort’ aren’t fit to worship with us?

A little poem I heard many years ago comes to mind:

I dreamt that death came to me the other night. Heaven’s gate swung open wide. An angel with halo bright ushered me inside.
And there to my astonishment stood people whom I had judged and labelled as quite unfit and spiritually disabled.
Harsh words rose to my lips but never were set free, for much to my surprise, no one, it seemed, expected me.

To paraphrase Dennis again, the people that come to our church seeking to find God, led there by His Spirit, may not be the ones we were expecting. We must pray to God that His Spirit gives us grace to be humble enough to remember that we were ‘that sort’ of person too before He rescued us from the road we were travelling on.

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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: What Was That?! by Dennis Ginter
 

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

I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils.^[1]

These words were written by William Wordsworth in 1802 and have given pleasure to aficionados of English literature for over 200 years. Many generations of school pupils have also become familiar with the words, although probably not voluntarily so. Daffodils are regarded as the national flower of Wales where they figure prominently in the celebration of Saint David’s Day.

The climate of the English Lake District 200 years ago was somewhat different from that which we are experiencing now, and daffodils have become less reliable as a herald of Spring. Nevertheless, when they do start to show their golden blooms we know that warmer times are coming.

The common daffodil is also known as the Lent lily. For those who follow a traditional ecclesiastical calendar, the six weeks prior to Easter are observed as a reminder of the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent alone in the wilderness prior to the start of his earthly ministry. Those 40 days were a time of fasting and prayer, and are reminiscent of similar periods spent by Moses and Elijah in Old Testament times.

Many Christians try to emulate the fasting by ‘giving up’ something that they usually enjoy, and some people outside of any faith recognise the potential benefits of a similar period of lifestyle review. To the dismay of chocolatiers and confectioners, the common perception is that the most likely items to be given up are chocolate and sweets but no doubt this is more than compensated by the subsequent binge on chocolate eggs and bunnies that usually occurs at Easter.

Historically, there was some resistance in the more nonconformist denominations to recognising Lent but recently more people have come to recognise that the underlying principles of Lent can have some value to them. The examples from Moses, Elijah and Jesus show how a period of abstinence and meditation can help us to be ready for the work that God calls us to do. We cannot do the ‘full forty’ without food and water but we can take time each day to “be still and know that I am God” ^[2]

Lent can be an excellent trigger for an improvement in our lifestyles, but it will involve a certain degree of sacrifice. The three principal elements of Lent are fasting, prayer and alms-giving. These can be replicated: by giving up (or reducing) our treats we have more money for tithing, by abstaining from too much tv we can have more time to listen to God, by sharing our talents we can help others in their spiritual walk.

At one point in his life, king David wanted to offer a sacrifice of thanks to God. A wealthy supporter offered to sponsor the materials required but David’s response was one that we would do to emulate:

I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing. 2 Samuel 24 v24

Whether or not we recognise Lent in a formal way, it gives us an opportunity to think about the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us. What is your response?

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Resources:
[1] William Wordsworth, 1770-1850
[2] Psalm 46 v10

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: A Date To Remember
 

[This reflection by Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 05/Mar/2023]

God is a God of surprises! Although He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, what He does is often unpredictable. Over and over again in the scriptures we see people EXPERIENCING something which takes them a while TO UNDERSTAND! Just consider the virgin birth, the resurrection, the happenings on Pentecost – in every case, God did the unexpected.

Many of us have been praying for a long time for ‘another Pentecost’ – but I think we’ve been guilty of expecting the Holy Spirit to do things on our terms. I know I have!

Last Sunday was one of those ‘what was that?!‘ mornings. The worship, Dazz’s teaching – the whole atmosphere seemed full of Jesus’s presence. At least that’s what some of us felt. Martin’s invitation at the end for the ‘prayer team’ to come to the front to minister to anyone who wanted it was unexpected, but not entirely. We’ve been waiting to do that for quite a while.

If I seem to be making too much of a what to you seemed puzzling and a bit disruptive, please ask the Holy Spirit to show you what was really going on. Years ago in the Vineyard movement we sang ‘There Must be More than This‘. There will be MUCH more. Jesus is bringing fresh life to His church worldwide, and we will EXPERIENCE it here – but perhaps not quite the way we’ve been expecting it!

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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: He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands by Chris Ginter
 

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

What’s so great about Feb 28?

In some parts of the northern hemisphere it is the last day of winter, tomorrow will herald the official start of Spring, a reason for celebration. In the southern hemisphere the opposite applies; it is time to anticipate the rich colours of autumn and the blessings of the harvest.

For those who are paid on a monthly basis, 28^th February might be a day to look forward to (although next year you will have to wait an extra day). On the other hand, if your birthday falls on 29^th February then this is yet another year when that event will not receive the recognition it deserves. Some people will recall 28^th February as their spiritual birthday, the day on which they accepted God’s offer of salvation. For them this date is one to remember and celebrate but we do not have to wait for a specific date or ecclesiastical season to get right with God.

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6 v2 [NKJV]

That opportunity is still open today but it will not remain open indefinitely. Procrastination can have disastrous consequences.

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.
Hebrews 3 v15 [NIVUK]

What rebellion? This verse is a quotation from Psalm 95 v8 which itself reminds us of the way in which the children of Israel rebelled against Moses due to the lack of water in the desert. Moses lost his temper with the people and his attitude displeased God. God provided for the people’s needs but Moses and Aaron were excluded from entering the Promised Land personally.^[1]

Are we ever tempted to obey God in the letter but fail to honour in him in spirit?

One great thing about today is that it is another day in which we can read the Bible, pray and listen to God. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews warned us about neglecting our salvation;^[2] neglect implies that we are not treating things that we already have with sufficient respect. The season for new year’s resolutions is long gone (as have many of the resolutions themselves) but it is still open season for developing a closer relationship with God.

Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, this my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
(Anon)

In terms of your spiritual life, today could be a date to remember.

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Resources:
[1] Numbers 20 v10, 24
[2] Hebrews 2 v3

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: Stirred, not shaken

 

[This reflection by Chris Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 26/Feb/2023]

Just lately it seems there is so much to sort out and care about.

There seems to be restrictions on so many aspects of life …
Don’t do this, don’t say that, be careful where you drive, you may be polluting the atmosphere with dangerous fumes.

I’m so pleased I have Jesus and we can go to Him with all sorts of problems and predicaments.
If I was God, and praise the Lord I’m not, I would end up with a massive headache trying to sort everything out, but in Psalm 2 v 4 it says:

God sits in the heavens and laughs.

Our Father God really has got the whole world in His hands. So if you’re like me and feeling a little bit wobbly at times, our Father God is always ready to sort out our deepest needs.

One touch from the King changes everything. Try wrapping yourself up in a duvet of God’s love to comfort and protect us from our deepest and harshest storms of life, snuggle up next to Him. He’s always there waiting to hear our heart cries.

Give it a try, we can bring all our deepest needs to him. He has a wonderful way of making all things beautiful in His time.

Every blessing,

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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: What Do We Do Now? by Michael Goble