Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 29/May/2022]

In April I was able to attend Spring Harvest (SH) at Minehead. For those of you who are not familiar with this annual event it’s for people of all ages and church backgrounds (or none), and features bible teaching, seminars and spirit filled worship. I would encourage you to go if you ever have the opportunity. It has never failed to challenge, encourage and inspire me.

The SH theme this year was ‘Restore, Renew and Rebuild’, guided by Rev Cris Rogers. This involved looking at the restoration story of Nehemiah in the Old Testament, and also exploring the challenge that Jesus gives the people of God to create a more hopeful, faith-filled future in our post pandemic world.

A few thoughts from one of the day’s teaching, looking at Nehemiah chapter 2, struck a cord with me so I share these as an encouragement for us as a fellowship.
* Keep doing what you are doing i.e. do what is right in front of you. Worship and serve God just where you are. It’s not always necessary to ‘go’ – just be who you are, where you are.
* do what you are doing with integrity. Rest assured the Holy Spirit is with us to guide and strengthen us.
* do it knowing that God is with you and His gracious hand is upon you (Nehemiah 2:18)
* do it with prayer. Never stop praying … incredible things happen when we pray.

The other thing that really hit home was when one speaker, exploring the subject of ‘renew’ suggested that we (yes, you and me) might actually be part of the solution to the things we pray about.

How often do I look for an answer ‘out there’, maybe for someone else to do something, when the solution might be nearer to home? I found that thought really encouraging, and now feel challenged to look differently at issues and people in my life that concern me. How can I, how can you, make a difference? We might not be or have the whole answer, but we might need to recognise our part in it, however ill equipped we may feel.

It might not be about doing something, although it could be exactly that – there’s plenty that needs doing! But equally it might be that we need to be more Christ like in a particular situation, as we try our best to be His “little anointed ones”.

Of course, and thank God, we never need do anything in our own strength, and we would be wise not to try! God will provide us with what we need when we step out in faith.

So what’s stirring your heart at this time? What are you praying about?

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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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[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during May 2022]

Can we, as Christians, be accused of having ulterior motives? The question arose as a result of interacting with various groups of people endeavouring to help refugees from Ukraine.

Most people, of course, are motivated by genuine humanitarian concern, without any expectation of compensation or reward. Within that group are those who would acknowledge some religious motivation, Christian or otherwise, as well as those who would not claim any such affiliation. At the other extreme are those whose motivation is to exploit the situation, seeking public acclaim, aiming to make a profit or hoping to manipulate people in difficult circumstances.

Various passages in the law given via Moses show that God forbids the exploitation of the poor because of their need^[1]. The prophet Amos issued a dire warning against those who were taking advantage of the needy. At the time of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem Nehemiah discovered that wealthy citizens were exploiting their countrymen by lending at usurious rates of interest, something which is distressingly familiar today.

In 1770 the French writer Voltaire wrote that “God is always on the side of the big battalions”. By contrast, many references in the Psalms and Proverbs show that God is on the side of the poor and needy; those with dubious motives will incur his displeasure.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to warn them that when Christ returns he will disclose the motives of men’s hearts^[2]. Are you ready for a full disclosure? Will your motives withstand interrogation?

Certainly as Christians we do have a superior motive, in fact two.

The often-quoted passage in Matthew^[3] describes the consequences of helping or not helping those who are hungry or in need. Jesus said that those actions, or inactions, are in effect as if they were directed towards him. These activities are not a way of earning enough credits to get into heaven – we have already been credited with righteousness – but they are a way of demonstrating our gratitude.

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5 v16 [NIVUK]

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6 v10 [NIVUK]

Our second motive is that we want those whom we are helping to come to faith in Jesus too. This is indeed a noble motive but runs the risk of being misunderstood. Are our congregations judged by their quantity rather than their quality? Are we aiming to increase our standing in some form of ‘conversions league’? We are called to be fishers of men; do we nurture the ‘newly-netted’ or immediately cast the net out to catch another?

We would do well to remember that when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment he replied with not just one, but two. The second was to love our neighbour as ourselves. Taking that command seriously should remove any doubts about our motivations.

[1] eg Exodus 22 v25, Deuteronomy 15 v7
[2] 1 Corinthians 4 v5
[3] Matthew 25 v31-46

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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 was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 15/May/2022]

Last weekend we had a birthday party for three people in my family who had special birthdays – we were celebrating a 90th, a 70th and a 60th!! It was such a special time – gorgeous weather, delicious food, birthday balloons and live music. But what made it really special was that, due to Covid, it was the first time in nearly three years, we as a family, were all together again. It had been so long since we were able to share hugs, love and laughter, and the memories of the wonderful time it was, will stay in our hearts always.

The next day was a Sunday, and as I got ready for church, I felt a happy sense of anticipation at seeing everyone at church. When I arrived, there was a real buzz about the place, as we all chatted over coffee (I love that we have coffee before church as well as after, because it seems to relax us all, and adds something special to the whole experience).

The birthday party was special because we are family – there is a common bond through our history and our blood-ties. When we gather as church, we too have a shared history as we look back over many years of doing church together. And we share blood-ties through our faith in Jesus, and the blood he shed in order for us to be part of his family.

I feel so blessed to have deep relationships within my church family, and I sense that God is calling us to go deeper still, both with him and with each other. I want that, because it’s only through deep relationship with each other, that we will care and be cared for, and learn from each other as we grow in faith and our shared love.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Matthew 22:37-40

We are family in every sense of the word, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour, Lord, Father and friend. The world will know we are his disciples by our love for one another^[1].

[1] John 13-34-35

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 May 2022]

Recently I had the need to fly across much of western and central Europe. In an experience unimagined by previous generations, it is possible to look down on the brown fields and hedgerows of eastern England, the blue-grey of the North Sea, the bulb fields of the Netherlands, the silver of Germany’s renewable energy installations, the white-capped mountains of Austria, the vast yellow plains of Hungary and the dark green of the Carpathian mountains in Transylvania, all in a matter of a few hours. Such a radiant range of colours; it would have been wonderful to see but clouds got in the way.

Nevertheless, clouds can have their own fascination. An endless variety of shapes and tones of grey can combine to evoke images that stretch the imagination. You can see fairytale castles, exotic animals and friendly or threatening faces, all made up of only water vapour. Clouds can be fickle, masking the warmth of the sun or promising rain that they do not deliver. How apt are the words that Joni Mitchell wrote in 1966:

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow
it’s clouds’ illusions I recall, I really don’t know clouds at all.

Clouds have significant roles in the Bible narratives. We read of them in the early verses of Genesis, in the book of Revelation and in about half of the books in between. There are benign clouds such as that which led the Israelites through the desert or those that bring rain to dry places but there are also more ominous clouds like those which herald the onset of a storm or God’s wrath.

Elijah sent his servant to look for signs that three years of drought were coming to an end, as God had promised. On the seventh occasion there appeared a small cloud on the horizon and Elijah knew that God would keep his promise^[1].

Job’s friend, Eliphaz, accused him of trying to hide his evil deeds below the clouds where God could not see him^[2]. Job responded that it was not that God could not see us but rather that we cannot see God. David explained it in these words

He made darkness his canopy around him – the dark rain clouds of the sky. 2 Samuel 22 v12

In Genesis we see that in the beginning, before the sun was created, the earth was shrouded in thick darkness. Only God was there. Later the Gospels tell us that the earth was again covered in thick darkness at the time of Christ’s crucifixion. Even the sun looked away. Could this repeat of the thick darkness be an illustration of God making a new start in his relationship with mankind?

The writer of Hebrews refers to a cloud of witnesses. We are familiar with the idea that a group of witnesses could be a crowd but the use of ‘cloud’ implies much more. Like water drops in a cloud, these witnesses cannot be numbered, and their presence should encourage us to persevere in our spiritual walk^[3].

In Revelation we read of the painfully thick darkness that will envelop those who reject God’s plan for salvation. How will they escape who neglect such salvation?^[4]

[1] 1 Kings 18 v44
[2] Job 22 v14
[3] Hebrews 12 v1
[4] 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.

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 15/May/2022]

I have just completed a short training course at the church about how to use fire extinguishers to deal with fires. My initial reaction to being asked to take the course was that I didn’t feel I had much to learn. After all, I’d just recently done a similar course at work.

A few minutes into the course, I realised that I did have much to learn. I found out that there are different types of fires – 5 types, called A, B, C, D and F (why do they do that? I spent a lot of time wondering what had happened to E). Also, there are quite a few different types of fire extinguishers. Some can be used on almost all types of fire, some on only specific fires. There was an exam after and I passed, so now I am good to go.

It got me thinking, though, about life. You could argue that quite a bit of it is about fighting fires, which sometimes come at us thick and fast. There are times we try to use the same tactics for each situation that we face. We soon realise however, that just like the different fire extinguishers, we need different strategies for different situations.

Sometimes, if we use the wrong approach, we end up making things much worse. In fact, often it is clear that we are not extinguishing the fire but instead we are adding fuel to the flames. In Proverbs, we are told that there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it is destruction^[1].

You could look at the Bible as God’s instruction manual on how to deal with all that we go through in life, and the Holy Spirit as the one who explains what the manual says in ways in which we can understand it.

Difficult situations (fires) will come our way. To ignore the truths held in the Bible, God’s word, is like ignoring the fire extinguishers placed at our disposal. To lack the humility to ask God for His Spirit to interpret and know how to apply what is in His word, is like refusing to read the labels on the extinguishers before using them and then wondering why the flames won’t go out.

It is interesting to see that God fills us with His fire within us, to help us deal with fires that rage around us. So, let us Trust in the Lord and lean not unto our own understanding as Solomon instructs us, again in the book of Proverbs^[2].

I can’t wait for the next course the church plans to run. It’ll hopefully provide inspiration again for my next article in ‘Yours’.

[1]: Proverbs 14 v12 NKJV
[2]: Proverbs 3 v5 NKJV

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 was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 08/May/2022]

It was there all the time (but check your priority)

A few weeks ago, we visited Kew Gardens, and I took my new camera to record the event. It was a beautiful Spring day and I was looking forward to trying out various settings, and capturing a wonderful display of God’s creation waking up after winter.

Rather than shoot on automatic, I wanted to try out my own settings, so that I had more control over the final appearance of my images. We enjoyed a wonderful day, with me taking way too many pictures; I was so looking forward to reviewing and critiquing the fruit of my creative genius.

Unfortunately, as I opened image after image there was just total darkness, or at best a vague outline of who knew what? On checking, I realised I had set the camera to fully manual rather than my intended aperture priority. I hadn’t reviewed any of my images as I went along, and my heart sank, as I presumed that everything was lost.

With little hope of success, I loaded the files into Photoshop (other photo editing software is available). To my delight, as I changed some basic settings, the original data was transformed into recognisable pictures; with further tweaks, the photos were restored to the way I had hoped they would have been all along.

I wonder if this reflects our relationship with God? Even though things may seem totally dark, we are never lost. Eugene Peterson said ‘God loves you. He is on your side. He’s coming after you. He’s relentless’.

Too often, we want control, and it doesn’t work out. But our original design has been there all the time; we can be restored by the work of Holy Spirit, if we can just stop, take some time, and listen to His guidance, encouragement, and sometimes correction. When we align with His settings, we are restored to being image bearers of God. And perhaps it’s worth regularly carrying out a spiritual health check, just to check our priorities?

‘This is what the Lord says: stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’
Jeremiah 6:16 [NIVUK]

‘Whether you turn to the left or the right, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”’
Isaiah 30:21 [NIVUK]

‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will.’
Romans 12:2 [NIVUK]

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.