Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 07/November/2021]

I’ve had several conversations very recently with people about subjects which some of my Christian friends wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.
Things like …
1) Is evolution compatible with the Bible?
2) What is Jesus’s view on many sexual issues?
3) Is hell, as most people understand it, real?
4) What should be our position on the assisted dying debate?
… There are many more.

Before you make a sign of the cross with your fingers, please give me a hearing. ALL of us come to such questions with our own preconceptions. Depending on which company you’ve kept for most of your adult life, you may believe that the Bible is pretty clear on such questions.

I DON’T THINK IT IS! I believe Jesus expects us to examine them honestly, openly, and with much love towards those who disagree with us. I think His conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 is a model example of how to talk about important issues.

On a related subject: isn’t one reason thinking youngsters want nothing to do with church after the age of, say 12, that no-one discusses with them things that really matter? No, there is nothing that shouldn’t be touched with a 10 foot pole. If I feel unable to engage with serious questioners, let me refer him/her to someone who can!

These are ‘grown up’ questions.
They deserve ‘grown up’ exploration.

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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 November 2021]

A cycle accident at the age of eight eliminated any slim chance of my achieving Olympic glory; so much so that the only Olympic stadium that I ever appeared in was the original one, and the medals were long gone by then. That probably explains why I never made ‘Sports Personality of the Year’ either.

What did eight-year-old boys do at that time? Running, jumping, physical exercise was part of life. Whether you liked it or not, PE at school, team sports, cross-country runs (ouch, ouch, ouch) were part of growing up but any running, jumping or dancing around increased the risk of further damage to a knee that still reminds me frequently of that incident. I even took double maths at ‘A’ level to avoid the sports field. How I would have envied children of a later generation who can learn about the world through their tablets and social media.

But ‘learning about’ is not the same as experiencing the real thing for yourself. It can be argued that third-party experiences are not really experiences at all. No matter how many times we are told that playing with matches is dangerous it is not until we feel the heat that the message becomes real. It is not until we win a match that we experience the full impact of the emotions that follow.

No person striving for glory on the sports field would rely on theoretical knowledge alone. Mastery of the mathematical concepts of velocity, trajectory and angles of incidence is not going to make anyone a great footballer, a tennis star or even a competent snooker player. Success requires action, diligence, dedication, talent and experience.

Is your knowledge of God a third-party experience? Have you heard other people talking about their confidence in the Father, their love for the Son and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and yet you cannot identify with their sentiments? Remember how the Queen of Sheba summed up her visit to Solomon:

But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half … was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. [2 Chronicles 9 v5 NVUK]

Can you use similar words to describe your experience of God?

The apostle Paul used a number of sporting illustrations in his letters. He wrote about running the race, finishing the course, receiving the prize. These are illustrations of the level of endeavour which should characterise our earthly journey as Christians; thankfully they are not physical requirements for entry into heaven.

We do not have to compete for a place in heaven; that is a certainty for those who have accepted God’s offer of salvation. Rather, our efforts are a grateful response to the sacrifice that bought us that salvation. Elsewhere Paul wrote about how those efforts might be assessed^[1]. The final outcome of our earthly course is assured but our experience of the race depends on how much effort we put in.

[1] 1 Corinthians 3 v11-15.

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, 31/October/2021]

One of my favourite films is the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society. It is a fictional film based on real experiences during the 2nd world war in Guernsey. It describes how a group of people formed a book reading society which was challenged by the German Occupation during that time.

These people had a common cause, but they stuck together through thick and thin. They experienced tragedy in their everyday life but together worked through their circumstances against a common enemy.

How amazingly precious is the bond we have in our small groups in church life, sharing our sorrows and cares with each other. As we grow to trust each other, pray together and look to Jesus in everything we find that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord.

I love Psalm 133. It says that when brethren dwell together in unity that the Lord commands a blessing, even life for evermore. Even if the enemy would come against us with many things and accusations.

We can form a bond of love, fellowship and understanding that would send the opposition running and out of his dastardly schemes we can have life for evermore.

Every blessing as we face the future together

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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 October 2021]

In the late 1800s Australia was experiencing a serious challenge to its economic development, brought about in part by a lack of adequate transport facilities. The authorities of the time tackled the problem by bringing in drivers from Afghanistan – an idea that might have some mileage in more recent times.

The drivers of those days were not steering the multi-trailer road trains that are now the mainstay of many Australian communities. The Afghan drivers were cameleers, guiding their caravans of quadrupeds across the outback, providing transport for explorers, surveyors and traders.

The Old Testament has many references to camels, both as beasts of burden and as instruments of war. A man’s wealth and status was often indicated by the number of camels that he owned. Abraham acquired camels as a gift from Pharaoh; maybe it was descendants of those camels that played a central role in the wooing of Rebecca some years later. God blessed Job with 6,000 camels. In the court of king David the camel keeper was a royal appointment.

It is interesting that the New Testament does not appear to regard camels with the same level of significance. Apart from the references to John the Baptist’s attire and the famous comment about the ‘eye of a needle’, other mentions of camels are scarce. Perhaps this reflects a shift in the cultural emphasis; the Old Testament has a Middle-east context whereas the New Testament was written during the time of the Roman empire.

We too live in times of cultural change. As an illustration, the Israelites were forbidden to eat camel meat but now if you had the opportunity to travel on the Ghan – the trans-Australia train named after those original camel trains – you would find camel steaks on the menu.

How do you react to changes in the culture around us? Do you long for real hymns and an established liturgy (however informal that may be)? Remember, even the ‘real’ hymns were new once. Or do you see yourself part of the new world order, waiting for the fuddy-duddies to release control? Don’t forget that those who have gone before can offer a rich heritage of experience, often obtained the hard way.

To what extent should we change ‘church’ in order to remain relevant to the society around us? Should we even think that way? The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth describing how he identified with his audience whilst maintaining the integrity of his message. He summarised his words thus:

“I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” [1 Corinthians 9 v22-23 NIVUK]

Earlier in the same letter Paul had identified what was driving him:

“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
[1 Corinthians 2 v2 NIVUK]

What is driving you?

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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 reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 24/October/2021]

Someone on Desert Island Discs recently chose the theme music for Dr. Who as his first disc, because his first spoken word as a baby was “Dalek”. For most of us it was “Mama” or “Dada”. Perhaps for someone like Einstein his first spoken word might have been “Relativity”.

The first recorded words of Jesus were in the temple: “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” He was in fact twelve years old at the time and His parents had spent three frantic days searching for Him in Jerusalem, but even at that age Jesus knew He had to be in the home of His true Father. [Luke 2 v41-50 NIVUK]

When He was about 30 years old, Jesus was baptised in the River Jordan, even though as the sinless Son of God He didn’t need to be. Not like us who need to witness by baptism to the forgiveness of our sins by faith in Jesus. It was at this time that we read the first recorded words of God spoken to Jesus: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” [Luke 3 v21,22 NIVUK]

I had believed in Jesus as my Lord and Saviour as a child, but I was older than Jesus when I was baptised. I had put it off because I was frightened of having my head under water. When Barbara and I decided we needed to be faithful in baptism, we were baptised at the same time side by side in the baptistry. The minister next to Barbara quickly raised her up out of the water, but the person baptising me had never done it before and forgot how to get me up. It seemed like ages that I was laying under the water, although it could only have been a few seconds. The amazing thing is that as I lay there with my arms folded across my chest, I was completely at peace before I came up out of the water. It was almost as though God was saying that I hadn’t needed to worry about being underwater, as now I had been faithful to Him.

When Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi, there was an earthquake and all the prison doors flew open. The jailer was terrified that the prisoners had escaped and was about to commit suicide. But when Paul assured him that they were all there, the jailer was so overcome that he asked them, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” When told to believe in the Lord Jesus and what that meant, he and his family believed and were baptised.

It may be that you have recently come to faith in Jesus and are thinking about being baptised, or perhaps you have believed for years and, like me, have put it off. Now would be a good time to have a chat with Martin about baptism. When it happens you may not hear out loud what our Father says when you come up out of the water, but you can be sure that He will say that He loves you and is well pleased with you.

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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 October 2021]

Will God have mercy on a man who does not show mercy?
It might seem odd to start a Christian meditation with a quotation from the Quran so let me explain.

In 1984, shortly after I started attending HBC, I was on a flight from Jeddah to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. As was the case with all Saudia flights of that time, the purser’s pre-flight safety announcement included a prayer committing the flight into the hands of Allah and asking for its safe arrival. Of course, I muttered a somewhat different version and one of us must have got it right because we did indeed arrive safely. The Saudia in-flight magazine contained an ‘infidel-friendly’ introduction to Islam and included several Anglicised quotations from the Quran; the one above has stuck with me.

Jesus expressed a similar sentiment in his Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy”^[1]. There is no question here; it is an affirmation of words from the Old Testament:

And the Lord said, ‘… I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ [Exodus 33 v19 NIVUK]

Of course, my own exploits are not the reason that 1984 has gained its primary significance. In 1948 George Orwell wrote his (then) futuristic novel about the decay of society, duplicity in government and the erosion of personal freedoms. He chose ‘1984’ as the title of his novel. As we look around us today it might be argued that the only thing that George Orwell got wrong was the date.

In Orwell’s prophesy, various superpowers are striving for supremacy. Each claims pre-eminence for its own interpretation of the rule of law which it then enforces on its citizens. As the relationships between the superpowers change it becomes expedient to rewrite history; people and events that contradict the party line are made to conform or they disappear from the records. We find no trace of mercy or compassion here.

Orwell based his writing on what he saw of the oppressive regimes in eastern Europe. It is perhaps not coincidental that on this date (19th October) in 1984 a politically-dissident priest was killed by three agents of the Polish Communist intelligence service.

Two contrasting ideologies: one is based on a vague hope that God will be merciful, the other has replaced God with a merciless ‘Big Brother’. Are you just hoping for God’s mercy? You can be confident about it. Assurance and certainty are available to those who put their trust in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
[Hebrews 4 v14,16 NIVUK]

The 19^th verse of the 8^th chapter of the 4^th book of the Bible also talks about the role of the priest, atonement and approaching God – just a coincidence?

[1] Matthew 5 v7 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.