Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

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

In a recent session of ‘Going Deeper’, three church leaders concluded their conversation by discussing their perceptions of heaven. The prospect of spending eternity in a perpetual prayer and praise meeting did not seem to be as inviting as perhaps it ought to be.[1]

We all have our perceptions of what we would want heaven to be like. Some of us might like to think of heaven like a well-prepared golf course where even the wildest hook would land the ball an easy putt from the hole. Other might prefer something more challenging, looking for a mountain to climb or a marathon to run. Those who enjoy diagnosing and resolving problems might regret the absence of machines to repair, software to debug or even injuries to heal.

Jesus trained as a carpenter; perhaps there could be a woodshop where the tools are always sharp, the timber is straight-grained and there is no sawdust to sweep up. Jesus also enjoyed good meals. Surely a taste of heaven would be to have a kitchen with fresh ingredients readily to hand, implements that did what they were supposed to and no cleaning up required.

Whatever our personal preferences, whilst we remain here we can only image what heaven will be like.

In 1999 Bart Millard wrote a song entitled “I Can Only Imagine”. Like the best stories and songs – and prayers – his words were influenced by a degree of personal experience. Millard had been mistreated in his younger years but became reconciled to his father, who became a God-fearing man prior to his death. The lyrics of the song explore the range of reactions that might be the response of someone meeting Jesus face to face for the first time.[2]

Will we dance with delight or be rendered immobile with awe? Will we stand and gaze at his glory or fall to our knees? Will we burst into songs of praise or be struck dumb?

I first encountered this song during the preparations for my father’s funeral, when his grandchildren wanted to sing it during the service of thanksgiving. My initial reaction was that a pop song released by a rock band was not what he would have chosen. However, as I became more acquainted with the words I recognised that the song was expressing sentiments that he, and we, could identify with.

Are our expectations of heaven realistic? Surely, by reason of them being the fruit of our imaginations, they must be inadequate. John, the writer of the book of Revelation, received a special vision of heaven but what he saw exceeded the limitations of language to describe. Despite this, one feature is apparent; there will be plenty of praise and worship, and we will be enthusiastic about it!

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2 v9 [NKJV]

Can you imagine what you might be missing?

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWhmt3qJ73Q?t=2300
[2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwzItqYmII

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 February 2022]

Charles Ryall fell asleep in a railway carriage – no doubt something that many of us have experienced. Unfortunately for Ryall, the carriage was on a siding in an area prowled by man-eating lions and he had left the door open. His objective that evening had been to eliminate one of the beasts but, by falling asleep, he suffered a reversal of that plan. The lion entered the carriage and, not being one to let sleeping hunters lie, he made off with a substantial supplement to his evening meal.

When confronted in confined quarters lions are generally unlikely to lie down to have their stomachs tickled. That makes Daniel’s experience all the more remarkable. In the sixth chapter of the book of Daniel we read the story of Daniel in the lions’ den. Many of us will have become familiar with this story from our early years; indeed, it is well known even amongst those who would not realise its Biblical origin.

In its popular telling we tend to focus on the action – or inaction – of the lions but the true focus of the story is found earlier in the chapter. The root cause of the event is jealousy. The high officials of state in Babylon were jealous that Daniel had obtained a higher position than they, and they were determined to eliminate him. Unable to find any fault with respect to the affairs of state, the officials focused on Daniel’s faith in God and they persuaded the king to outlaw public prayer.

Nevertheless, and knowing the consequences, Daniel made no secret of his continuing to pray to God. In due course these officials persuaded the King to, very reluctantly, have Daniel thrown into a den of lions. The next morning the king himself hurried to the den, hoping that Daniel had survived.

Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” [Daniel 6 v21-22 NIVUK]

Like Joseph and Nehemiah, Daniel achieved a position of influence in the service of a foreign king but without compromising his faith and his practice of regular prayer. In each case, they were able to discharge their temporal duties all the better for the importance that they placed on personal prayer.

Edward Bounds was a contemporary of Charles Ryall. He wrote extensively about how prayer is essential to God’s work.

Church activities may so engage and absorb us as to hinder praying, and when this is the case, evil results always follow. … “Too busy to pray” is not only the keynote to backsliding, but it mars even the work done. Nothing is done well without prayer for the simple reason that it leaves God out of the account.^[1]

Daniel’s habit of praying got him into trouble. We can pick up two questions from that.
– Do you have any habits or regular practices that could get you into trouble?
– Would you still speak to or about God if you knew that trouble would result?

[1]: “The Weapon of Prayer”, EM Bounds, via CCEL.org

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, 23/January/2022]

In the ‘Connect in Faith’ group this last weekend, the theme was on little acts of kindness and I was introduced to a song I hadn’t heard before, some of the words of which are:

Little deeds of kindness
Little words of love
Make this earth an Eden,
Like the heaven above

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus was speaking about things which had been lost, but then found. One was about a shepherd who lost one of his sheep, then left the remaining 99 to go searching, then found the lost sheep and came home rejoicing; another was about a woman who lost one of her 10 silver coins, but then found it and asked her friends to rejoice with her. He talked about their joy in finding what they had lost and said

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15: v10

I hadn’t looked at it in this way before, but it is almost as if the angels recognise the sinner as one who is lost and are thrilled when the sinner repents, or ‘is found’, if you like.

The next parable that follows this is that of the prodigal son, which will be familiar to many. In this story, the wayward son falls on hard times after squandering his wealth and then comes to his senses and returns home. In this case, it was hardship that brought him back to his senses, but in other instances in life, it is a kind word, or a kind action that is what touches an individual and makes them draw back from the path of destruction.

You may know such people, you may have been in that position, ever grateful for that little act of kindness. You may also have been the one who performed the act of kindness and the chances are that you didn’t realise the impact it had.

Jesus tells us that when He comes back to judge the nations, the sort of acts He will count as worthy will be simple acts that any of us can perform.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Matthew 25: v35-36

As you go into the week ahead, why not resolve to be kind in any way you know, no matter how insignificant it might seem, for that act of kindness could be what makes the difference to a lost and weary soul, and cause the angels to jump up and cheer again.

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 January 2022]

What are we to make of 25th January? It seems to be one of those days in the middle of a bland month with nothing much to recommend it. All the new-year resolutions have gone out of the window, the bills incurred last month are now flocking in and, to make matters worse, there is no anticipation of imminent holidays to alleviate the weather. Certainly, if you have a birthday or anniversary, or some other event, then congratulations or commiserations are appropriate, but otherwise it can be a dull day.

For me, the 25th January represents the anniversary of my first day of paid employment, 51 years ago. It was a wintry day in south Wales, standing on the edge of Barry docks, measuring up the site of a new office for an Antarctic research team. Alongside was one of their ice breakers and the wind felt as if it had come directly from the south Atlantic glaciers. I cannot say that I suddenly developed nostalgic memories of school but certainly the prospect of 40 years holding the zero-end of a tape measure did not seem very inviting either.

When we are faced with sudden cultural shock or lifestyle changes we can have a variety of reactions. The Israelites fleeing Egypt decided that life there had not been so bad and tried to return. In Babylon the Israelite exiles were told to settle down and make the most of it. After the shock of Christ’s death Peter went back to what he had been doing before but it was no longer successful. By contrast, Paul wholeheartedly adopted his new circumstances after his encounter on the Damascus road.

Sometimes, trying to get back to the way we were is the correct course of action; on other occasions, the better option is to learn the lessons, file the memories and move on with our lives.

Can you recall when you first met Jesus Christ? For some of us he is a person that we have known about all our lives; we cannot recall many details of the transition from ‘knowing about’ to ‘trusting in’ but we are confident that our relationship is secure. Others of us will have been introduced to him through a faithful intermediary and our relationship has grown from that. Others will have had their own ‘Damascus road’ experience, resulting in an abrupt but effective start to their new relationship.

For those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ there is more to this relationship than a ticket to heaven; eternal life has already started. Our confidence is reinforced by the words of Jesus as recorded in John 3 v16. It is important that you allow this life to grow, to cultivate it. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to achieve the fullness of God’s plan for you.

There is, of course, another group: those who have yet to start a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus has some words for them too:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
[John 3 v18 NIVUK]

When will you get the message?

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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.

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

Do our friendships and alliances help or hinder our relationship with God?

The Old Testament books of Kings and Chronicles relate the story of Jehoshaphat, who reigned as the king of the nation of Judah during the period 870-849BC. According to the record, he was one of the ‘good’ kings, so much so that God used his example as a yard-stick when assessing some of his successors.

Jehoshaphat was raised by God-fearing parents; those of us who have received a similar blessing should be thankful. Jehoshaphat’s loyalty to ‘the God of his fathers’ did not shield him from the threat of war and disaster but he knew who to turn to when he had to face them.

Here are three ‘postcards’ from places in Jehoshaphat’s story:

Ramoth Gilead was one of the cities of refuge established in Israel but it was occupied by Aram. Ahab, the king of Israel, invited Jehoshaphat to join him in a campaign to recover the city. Jehoshaphat was wary and requested that they seek God’s guidance but Ahab consulted only those prophets who gave him the answers he wanted. Nevertheless, Jehoshaphat went along with the plan and barely escaped with his life.

Are you feeling under pressure to conform to family or business expectations, but you are uncomfortable about them? Maybe you see an opportunity to bring some salt and light into a situation but there is also the danger that your salt will be trodden underfoot.

En-gedi was an oasis on the shores of the Dead Sea. David had hidden in the caves of that region and successfully evaded the army of Saul that was seeking him. Jehoshaphat faced an invading force there. He was wary of his own army’s ability to repel the invasion so he declared a national period of prayer, calling on help from God. The outcome was that the various factions of the invading force turned on themselves and it was left for Jehoshaphat’s army to glean the loot.

Why is it that very few modern leaders are willing to call their nation to prayer? To what extent can our prayers mitigate this shortcoming?

Ezion-Geber was a port at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqabar; it had a history of ship-building. Solomon’s fleet of trading ships had brought the nation great wealth but when Jehoshaphat tried to emulate his predecessor his ships were wrecked there. Jehoshaphat had been wary about the venture and refused to allow his own sailors to man the ships.

The Biblical record tells us that the vessels were wrecked because Jehoshaphat had chosen a godless business partner. The outcome of Jehoshaphat’s venture also demonstrates that God’s plan for someone else may not be God’s plan for you.

So, to return to our question: Do our friendships and alliances help or hinder our relationship with God?
Do they bring us the peril of Ramoth Gilead, the victory of En-gedi or the disappointment of Ezion-Geber? Are you wary about the effects that your alliances can have on your relationship with God? Jehoshaphat sought guidance from God (even if he did not always accept the answer); you can seek guidance from God too.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. [James 1 v5 NIVUK]

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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.