Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 15/August/2021]

We have been hearing a lot recently about freedom, especially the freedom from lock-down restrictions, so I thought it would be a good time to look at the freedom we have in Christ.

Jesus said in John 8 v 34, 36 “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin… If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Nearly half a century ago I heard a sermon on this subject, in which the preacher described 3 aspects of freedom from sin:
– Freedom from punishment for sin, which we already have through the work of Jesus on the cross
– Freedom from the power of sin, an ongoing process as the Holy Spirit works in our lives
– Freedom from the presence of sin, which we will enjoy in heaven
(Having 3 points starting with the same letter is certainly an aid to memory!)

Over the past 18 months we have seen Covid 19 destroy lives and drive families apart, just as sin does. The government has tried hard to limit the damage by imposing all kinds of rules and regulations, just as God gave the Jews the law to limit the damage done by sin. However, these rules and regulations had no power to help us fight the disease once it had infected us. Now we have a vaccine working inside us to fight the virus, so the rules can be relaxed. In a similar way, the Holy Spirit works within us to fight the virus of sin and to set us free from both our sinful nature and from burden-some rules and regulations.

Romans 8 v 1-2 says: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

Let us echo the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 9 v 15: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

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

‘I will punish you as your deeds deserve’, declares the Lord. ‘I will kindle a fire in your forests that will consume everything around you’. [Jeremiah 21 v14 NIVUK]

As we see the images of forest fires around the world we can marvel the Bible seems to have a word for every situation. Just a few verses earlier in the same passage Jeremiah warns that people will die of a terrible plague. We might wonder whether the prophet had a particular insight into our own times although it should come as no surprise that the God who defined (and defies) time should be able to inspire those who transcribe his word.

At the time of writing the Dixie fire in northern California has been burning for over a month; it has consumed over 840 square miles (an area larger than Surrey) and has destroyed several small towns including Greenville. It was interesting that among the few surviving structures in that town were two church notice boards – one with a text inviting people to turn to God and the other announcing a Bible study on Sunday afternoons. It remains to be seen whether those messages will be taken more seriously once the town is rebuilt.

Even when taken out of its original context this verse from Jeremiah still carries a message. It states that the fire is a punishment. Can we imply that the residents of Greenville were any worse sinners than other people? Of course not. Apocalyptic as the Dixie fire may seem it is just one of many burning worldwide. Is the whole world full of sinners? The Bible has an answer to that question:

Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. [Ecclesiastes 7 v20 NIVUK]

The prophet Malachi seems to add to the futility:

‘Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.
[Malachi 4 v1-2 NIVUK]

This passage is not without hope. Despite mankind’s efforts to save the planet we know that, at the appropriate time, heaven and earth will be replaced. Throughout history, and still today, the journey to a new home can be difficult and discouraging but those who revere the Lord, those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ as their saviour will not only survive but prosper.

Are you up for the trip of a lifetime?

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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 August 2021]

A king, a giant, a young man and a stone – the essential ingredients for a reflection based on the story of David and Goliath. In that event, the Israelite king Saul and his army were drawn up in battle lines against a Philistine force. The Philistines had a champion, a giant called Goliath who stood over ten feet tall and who was clad in bronze armour. He issued a challenge to the Israelites; to decide the battle with a one-to-one encounter, but Saul had no one who could respond to that challenge.

We too face challenges to our faith. Are we hesitant, fearful, unable to provide a response? As we know, a young man who trusted in God came on the scene and, after giving God the credit, he picked up a stone with which he turned the battle in the Israelites’ favour. Perhaps we need to be more diligent in our relationship with God so that when the challenges come we, like David, are prepared and have the confidence to face them head on.

This is not the only Biblical account with those four principal ingredients. Some 400 years later we find another king facing another giant. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a giant statue and it was certainly awesome.

The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. [Daniel 2 v32-34 NIVUK]

As Nebuchadnezzar was watching, a large stone fell on the statue and smashed it to tiny pieces, scattering the fragments. He was challenged as to what it all meant. His army of astrologers and magicians could not provide a response and, as with Saul’s army, their immediate prospects looked extremely grim.

“This is what I have firmly decided: if you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble.” [Daniel 2 v 5 NIVUK]

As was the case with David and Goliath, a God-fearing young man played a pivotal role in saving the day. Daniel and his colleagues prayed for an answer and then he was able to explain the dream to the king, giving full credit for the revelation to God alone. The various materials and body parts represented successive empires, starting with the golden days of Nebuchadnezzar’s own time and progressively declining in status until the stone, a kingdom of God’s own making, swept all the others away.

In an example of how the Bible uses the language of its time to describe items and events that had not yet been envisaged the reference to a mixture of iron and clay could suggest reinforced concrete which, ironically, was first developed in the Roman era, the period that, some suggest, is represented by the feet of the statue.

You might not be the golden boy engaged in the high affairs of state or be running the risk of being chopped into pieces; it is more likely that your challenges concern mundane things like iron and clay. Daniel’s prayer partners faced their own challenge and their response “… the God we serve is able to deliver us …” can be our response too.

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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, 15/August/2021]

I wonder what you think of when you hear of the ancient city of Jericho.

You may re-member the walls falling down when the Israelites marched round it for seven days, or of Zacchaeus climbing the sycamore tree just before his dramatic encounter with Jesus, or blind Bartimaeus calling out with persistent faith so that Jesus would give him his sight. Having visited the modern Jericho about 10 years ago in the Palestinian Territories I have some slightly different images. Of the splendid, large store which seemed to sell everything from decorative ware, books, clothes, food, to the rows of lush, colourful locally produced fruit, or the cardboard cut-out of Zacchaeus in the branches of one of the sycamore trees along the road, and surprisingly a cable car going up a mountain overlooking the city.

In this day and age I suppose the cable car is not so surprising as it’s the easiest way to get up the mountain which is known as the Mount of Temptation. It is here in the Judaean Wilderness, that Jesus is believed to have been tempted by the devil after His baptism by John the Baptist. The cable car took us to an Orthodox Monastery built on a precipice high up the mountain. The buildings are long and narrow along the rocky cliff edge, and lead to a cave which is now a chapel. It is here where tradition says Jesus sheltered during His 40 days fasting and faced the temptations we read about in the Gospels.

I am sure that Jesus was tempted by the devil more times than the three examples given in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 and also throughout His ministry, and especially the night before and during His crucifixion. The devil knew how to get at Jesus, not only by using His needs at the time such as his extreme hunger, but also how to bring about God’s will for His mission in the wrong ways. How easy it would be to miraculously supply unlimited food to the people by changing stones to bread, and back up His claims to being the Son of God with spectacular displays such as jumping off the top of the Temple without harm. In these ways He would soon be accepted as the Messiah of Israel.

The most frightening temptation of the devil was for Jesus to achieve His future ultimate reign over all the nations of the world by taking a shortcut and worshipping the devil. Imagine how terrible that would be. God, in Jesus, bowing down to Satan, and enabling the devil to succeed in his aim to rise up above God. No wonder Jesus dismissed the devil at that time from tempting Him, because if he had succeeded in his evil intentions, then Jesus would never have died on the cross to give us forgiveness for all that we have done wrong and we would not have had the opportunity to have a new life forever with our Heavenly Father.

In Hebrews 4:15 we read that Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” Adam and Eve, and ultimately each one of us, gave in to the devil’s temptations but Jesus rose up above temptation and didn’t sin so that He could go on to fulfil God’s plan from before time to save us.

Fortunately we don’t have to go all the way to Jericho to believe that truth.

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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 August 2021]

Recently I had occasion to drive through a provincial city on a Sunday morning. The cathedral bells were tolling and a good many of the faithful were gathering to join in worship. Having purchased small candles for about 20p and wearing masks, they took their turn to enter the cathedral. Worship in the Eastern Orthodox denominations centres around the priests acting as intermediaries between the worshippers and God, and the veneration of the saints of bygone years.

Orthodox churches are decorated completely internally with images of saints whilst monasteries extend this to the outside as well. Many of these icons are themselves of considerable age and, at a time of widespread illiteracy, they were intended to remind the faithful of Bible stories and the exploits of the saints and also, often very graphically, of the fate awaiting the unbeliever.

Immediately opposite the cathedral was another large building, a store bearing a name also well-known in the UK. It too had its masked devotees and even a kind of liturgy. A small donation (equivalent to 10p) releases a small cart with which the visitor can move through the aisles, pausing to consider the items on display. In this scenario, the items can be handled and visitors are encouraged to place them into the cart. Like in the cathedral across the road, a payment is expected when the visitor is ready to leave. As this store also promotes personal hygiene products, the juxtaposition of these two buildings confirms that cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.

Of course, as non-conformists claiming direct access to God under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we do not have any liturgy. But wait! We have a largely predictable form of service, we have three-point sermons, we sit down to pray and stand up to sing, we even have a dress code (albeit somewhat informal). We conduct our communion services in a way that might seem strange to visitors more used to receiving the elements from a priest at an altar rail. We have standardised formats for dedications, baptisms, marriages and funerals. Is this not all a form of liturgy? Might it be confusing to a visitor? How can we ensure that the visitor is not left uncomfortable with their unfamiliarity?

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In the book of Revelation, the apostle John gives us several glimpses of the liturgy of heaven:

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice [Revelation 7 v9 NIVUK]

That addresses the question of sit or stand, clarifies the dress code and replaces candles with palm fronds. We will no longer need icons of the saints when we can see them in person amongst that great multitude. Rather more important is the declaration of worship, and the angels’ response:

‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’
Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!’
[Revelation 7 v10, 12 NIVUK]

Are you ready to echo that great ‘Amen!’?

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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, 01/August/2021]

On our walks around Horley together Sue G and I have developed the habit of shouting “echo” out loud whenever we pass under any bridges. There is one particular rail bridge in Horley that is guaranteed to give a fabulous echo and we never fail to shout “echo” & laugh about it together even if other people are within hearing distance.

The other day I was walking home from work and was due to pass under the now familiar bridge. I was aware of a dog walker behind me and I realised he’d be walking under the bridge at the same time as me. I so wanted to shout “echo” in keeping with my usual boldness when with Sue, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. It was no big deal really but I felt cowardly once I’d walked through quietly, as I realised my reticence was totally due to feeling embarrassed & silly. My courage failed me. I told Sue who chastised me and asked what was the worst that could have happened if I’d shouted “echo” when someone was listening.

It struck me that I can sometimes be like that when talking about my faith. I find it difficult to tell others about Jesus and can lose my boldness when I’m not with other Christians. This is especially true with friends and family who do not believe in Him. I am concerned I won’t represent Him well enough and will make a mess of explaining my love for and faith in Him. However the Bible gives direction for pilgrims like me who are hesitant & sometimes lack confidence.

In Luke’s gospel we are challenged to fear God above all, but also reassured of the help of the Holy Spirit (12:12). Elsewhere Peter (1 Peter 3:15) talks about speaking the gospel with ‘gentleness and respect’ so I needn’t be concerned that it’s about winning an argument. And the apostle Paul calls for conversations ‘full of grace’ (Colossians 4:6). We need to not only speak about our faith but to act it out daily with love and compassion. Our actions will say as much, if not more than our words, perhaps particularly when we’re around those who know us really well but who don’t yet know Jesus or want to know Him. He just wants us to love them and keep on loving them like He does, even when they still seem indifferent to Him.

I want to be brave and I am prepared to be vulnerable for Christ if that is what’s required. What about you? I am reminded that we cannot do anything in our own strength but we can totally trust in Jesus and will find courage in the power & counsel of the Holy Spirit. God also blesses us with fellow pilgrims to support and encourage us on our journey. We won’t always get things right and we may even mess it up. But He is pleased that we desire to please Him. He calls us to try and He will always love us.

And yes, we might sometimes feel scared or silly but what’s the worse that can happen?

‘May His presence go before you
And behind you and beside you
All around you. He is with you
In the morning, in the evening
In your coming, and your going
In your weeping and rejoicing
He is for you’
From ‘The Blessing’ by Cody Carnes & Kari Jobe

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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.