Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 21/November/2021]

We have probably all heard the phrase “less is more”. We use it in a variety of contexts, and if you Google it, though the use of the phrase is shown in many different examples, the meaning remains the same. ‘“Less is more” suggests that there is value in simplicity, and that more can be accomplished with less’ (Google).

During the pandemic lockdowns many of us realised, once enforced to live a slower pace of life, that there is something to be said for not being able to go here, there and everywhere, or for no longer filling our days with activities that leave no time to breathe, stop, reflect, be. The “less” that we reluctantly embraced became “more” in so many ways to people all around the world. Personally, I felt closer to God, as there were less things pulling me in different directions. But more than that God showed me that, what might seem “less” in terms of mission and discipleship, can actually be more. He impressed on my heart these words: “Just focus on the one I put in front of you”. It was such a simple thing, but it resonated very much – it felt right. So now, I ask God to show me if someone I encounter needs a comforting touch, a word, a prayer, or just someone to listen and show that they care.

These quotes from missionary Heidi Baker describe how God showed her the same thing…
“Sometimes we cannot see and don’t want to see because we are blinded. We need eye salve to put on our eyes. We cry out for revival, and yet God says, “I want to open your eyes so you can see what is before you. Revival has a face and a name. It lies bleeding on the roadside.” If we want to see revival, we need to begin with the one in front of us.”

“The very next Monday, I found myself lying facedown on a grass mat with the mother of one of the little girls who had died. I lay down with this woman and wept with her, holding her in my arms. It was then God said to me, “Heidi, it’s about love. It’s not always about victory.” Our whole life cannot be about victory and glory, but it must be about love. Love is patient and kind and long-suffering. God’s love is the kind of love that is extravagant, bottomless, ceaseless and endless. That’s what you need when you are on the floor holding a grieving mother.”

Heidi Baker also said: “We have not understood that the gospel is as simple as this: love, love, love, love, love.”

Who might God be putting in front of you today?

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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, 14/November/2021]

I have just had some time off work. Things had been quite busy, such that at times, I wondered if it would ever be possible to get off this ‘hamster’s wheel’. It seemed relentless, then thankfully, time off… and it felt like water to someone in the desert.

We didn’t travel anywhere, and I don’t know if it’s the same with you, but when I find I have time off from work, I use it to … well, to catch up with work! This time, though, I managed to help get some things sorted at home. I also caught up with an old friend from University. It was great to reminisce, to see how much we’d changed, and I left him hoping it wouldn’t be long before we caught up again. It made me think about my relationship with God. I don’t keep in touch as often as I should. Yes, I have got him on ‘speed dial’ for emergencies, but wouldn’t it be great to be able to look forward to spending time in prayer with God like I looked forward to the time with my friend, to finish praying and not be able to wait for the next time we talked.

I guess the answer is clear. It should not be duty or guilt that makes me want to talk to God. It should be because I genuinely want to relate to him. In John 6 verse 37, Jesus says that “ … whoever comes to me, I will never drive away”. David in the Psalms says that in God’s presence there is fullness of joy and at His right hand, there are pleasures for evermore. It is well worth spending time with Him.

In the hustle and bustle of life and when things seem quite bleak, surely, like one reaches for the phone to call an old friend to lift one’s spirits, wouldn’t it be great to do that with God?

An article in the UCB Word for today reminds its readers that Job went through a very difficult time and couldn’t understand why. Job had many unanswered questions, but when he began to understand the difference between reason and relationship, he told God, “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you”. It says further, “When you can’t find the reason, trust the relationship.”

God had become real to Job. He had gone from knowing of God, to knowing God. That is my desire and I hope it is yours too.

Imagine straying into a desert and being able to call on someone who will not only provide water, but also a way out. Thing is, the more you get to know Him, I’m sure the less you will be inclined to stray away. You will find that He is that Shepherd that leads you out of deserts, to still and restful waters and restores your soul.

So, it’s back to work for me, rested and with a spring in my step. Have a blessed week.

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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 is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during November 2021]

Here are two questions that probably you have never asked:
– Who is this man Red?
– Why did he embark on his voyage so late in the day?

These two questions have their root in the misunderstanding of a simple statement, presented out of its context. Aficionados of the popular music of the twentieth century will immediately recognise the misapplication of the opening line of “Red Sails in the Sunset”. Written by James Kennedy to music by Hugh Williams, it has been performed by numerous artists since 1935. Taking that one line out of the context of the song might well provoke the questions above.

Context, like punctuation, is important. Do we have any favourite Bible passages that sound better without the encumbrance of their context? Certainly, we would welcome God’s promise to heal the land much more if it were not for that tiresome ‘humble themselves’ bit beforehand.^[1]

Perhaps another prominent example is where words from John 3 v16 “… whoever believes in him shall not perish …” are quoted whilst the counterpart in v18 “ … whoever does not believe stands condemned already …” gets less emphasis.

Returning to our starting point, we see a similar situation in John’s account of Jesus calming the Sea of Galilee (and also calming the disciples). “When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum.”^[2] They were sailing off into the sunset after a hard day picking up bread crumbs and bits of fish, heading for home.

Did you notice that Jesus provided not just for the crowd but that the 12 baskets of left-overs were enough for each disciple to take one for his own family? Those who are the channels of God’s blessings have their needs met too.

Our first question reminds us of a similar one recorded by Mark whilst Jesus and his disciples were on a road trip.

He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?” So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” [Mark 8 v27-29 NKJV]

That’s a question that, sooner or later, we are all going to have to answer.

[1]: 2 Chronicles 7 v14
[2]: John 6 v16-17

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]

In Genesis 6 we read the preparations for the Flood. We are told that all types of animal were to present themselves to Noah, including ‘every kind of creature that moves along the ground’. A representative of every species was present in the ark. That includes a wide range of creepy-crawlies: ants, cockroaches, dung beetles. With the chance of a free cruise, accommodation on the poop deck, all meals found and a menu ranging from aardvark to zebra – who wouldn’t want to be a dung beetle? It would certainly be a relief from the daily challenges of competing for food, tackling seemingly insurmountable obstacles and avoiding flat-footed elephants.

‘The creatures that move along the ground’ are mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. In the Genesis account of creation they are included amongst those land-based animals that God described as ‘good’. By contrast, in Deuteronomy they are declared as being detestable. We know what happened to change mankind, the masterpiece of creation, into a sinful and rebellious people who persisted in their ways even after the second chance offered by the flood. Less often do we realise that there was a major impact on the rest of creation too.

Perhaps one of the most curious mentions of creatures that move along the ground is found in the Old Testament prophecy of Hosea. This book speaks of rejection, repentance and restoration, but it does so in a social context that some might consider to be somewhat delicate. You can read that for yourselves but in chapter 2 we are told that God will make a covenant on behalf of his people with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and creatures that move along the ground.

What can this mean? One suggestion is that this terminology is a reminder of the garden of Eden before the fall and how the blissful sin-free relationship with God and the rest of creation can be restored. Another interpretation is that these creatures, which have been used by God to discipline sinful people through plague and disease, will now become benign in their relationship with mankind.

In Acts 10 we find the apostle Peter at the seaside, probably feeling peckish. Whilst he waited for his fish and chips he had a vision, one of a somewhat different type of menu. Something that looked like a huge blanket lowered by ropes at its four corners settled on the ground. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. Then a voice came: “Peter — kill and eat”. When Peter objected the voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean”^[1].

In Psalm 148 the creatures that move along the ground are included amongst those invoked to praise the Lord. So before you attack an ant, batter a beetle, or crush a cockroach … remember that these too are fellow choristers singing praises to our God.

Beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl; kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; his glory is above the earth and heaven. [Psalm 148 v10-13 NKJV]

[1] Acts 10 v10-15.

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, 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.