Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 04/Apr/2021]

Have you ever experienced a time when something happened that was so extraordinary, you will never forget it, or where you were and what you were doing when you heard about it or experienced it?

Outside of the births of my three children, when the miracle of those new little lives brought with it a sense of awe and wonder, I can recall three other events that stand out vividly in my memory so clearly, it is like they have forever more been etched in my head, this time not for joyful reasons. They are the death of Princess Diana, the Twin Towers attacks and the Tsunami. They made such an impact on me, and so many, they will never be forgotten.

Years ago, on the first Good Friday, that sense of disbelief, shock, horror and sorrow must have been immense, unimaginable, to those who had walked with Jesus on the earth, seen him performing miracles and believed his claims that he was the Son of God. Their Saviour had come….. but now was nailed to a cross, the life-blood flowed out of him.

But on the third day – Sunday – what had devastated and saddened so many two days earlier, now turned to relief, joy and happiness as the most miraculous event, that would change the course of history and millions of lives for evermore, had happened – Christ had risen from the dead! Hallelujah!!

From that pivotal moment onwards, and very much today, Jesus lives on in the hearts of those who love and follow him, those who now know that his death on that cross wasn’t the heart-breaking thing that it first appeared, but was in fact a miracle. Jesus had been resurrected from death to life, and his sacrificial act would reconcile people to God through the forgiveness of sins.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16]

On Easter Sunday we remember Christ’s sacrifice of love, and celebrate that he is alive today!!

CHRIST IS RISEN – HALLELUJAH!!

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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 mid-week devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during March 2021]

No foes shall stay his might, though he with giants fight;
he will make good his right to be a pilgrim.
Attributed to John Bunyan, 1628-1688

One of the disadvantages of being a giant is that you tend to become rather cumbersome in confined spaces. So if you are the pilot of a giant container ship aground in a narrow channel then ‘big’ is too small a word to describe your problem. This event – again, too small a word – is having a global impact on activities as diverse as tractor manufacturing in America and fish processing in Scotland.

My own experiences of traversing the Suez canal were less dramatic but they gave me the opportunity to see the pyramids along the Nile. These gigantic structures stand up from the surrounding desert and remind us of the significance that Egypt has had throughout history. In the Biblical record we see Egypt as being at various times a place of refuge and sustenance but at others as an oppressor. For Moses, the Egyptians represented a daunting challenge and he asked God to send someone else, but God knew how to show him, and them, who was in charge.

Of shorter duration but no less impressive was the giant statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected on a plain outside Babylon. Daniel chapter 3 tells us that it was 90 feet high (five times the height of the statue on top of Nelson’s Column) and it was made of gold. Nebuchadnezzar commanded that whenever the court musicians sounded the call, all his subjects were to fall down and worship his statue. Three worshippers of the One True God would not comply; several court officials got badly burned when they tried to betray them.

In due course, Nebuchadnezzar faced a challenge of his own. After seven years of humbling experiences he eventually got the message; this is his testimony:

It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation. [Daniel 4 v2-3 NIVUK]

How do we react to the giants that we encounter? Saul was head and shoulders taller than the other Israelites but Goliath filled him with fear; not the fear of God but fear of man. By contrast, David saw the giant as a big opportunity to bring glory to God. Goliath lost his head and Saul lost his reputation, but the people of God were the victors that day.

Our ‘giants’ might not be huge physical entities. Our challenges may be closer to home but they threaten to overwhelm us none the less: health, finances, relationships, spiritual well-being; the list is not exhaustive.

Will you be like Moses who tried to avoid the problem; like Nebuchadnezzar who had to learn the hard way, or like Saul who was frozen into doing nothing? Or will you emulate David who, recalling God’s past deliverances, tackled the problem with confidence?

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. [Isaiah 41 v10 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.

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 28/Mar/2021]

I have asked myself a few questions recently (you know how it is when you have time on your hands). One of them was “Have you thought about what you would like your legacy to be?” Some of you will have had occasion to think about this more than others. Another way of putting it is “what will people say about you when you’ve gone?”

I was listening to the short reflections on the fruit of the Spirit which people from Spurgeon’s college have kindly recorded. In one of them, Joshua Searle talks about Bede the historian having to grudgingly accept that Aidan, who brought Christ’s message to most of England, was “a man who loved God and lived generously”. It struck me then that the chances are that what people will remember, when you’re gone, is what you did while you were around.

The question should therefore perhaps not be ‘what will people say about you when you’ve left?’, but rather, ‘what do people say about you while you’re here?’

Another question – When you meet people, what impression do you make on them? I’m sure it’s one that we’ve thought of, for instance, just after you walk out of an interview. I have realised though, that if what you want to do is impress people, you’re in for a hard time. You’ll end up often putting on a mask and being literally, a hypocrite. Much better to be yourself, but what if that’s the problem? What if you’re not particularly pleased with yourself?

Well, if that’s the case, you’re not alone. The sermon this week was by Tobi Stathers, from the charity Compassion UK. He quoted from Luke 18, where Jesus told the rich young ruler “Why do you call me good?”……“No one is good – except God alone.” Paul later reminds us why when he says “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.

Trying to be a good person in your own strength is not only difficult, it is in truth, impossible. To paraphrase what Paul says, “the more I try to do what’s good, the less I succeed in doing it”. Later on in the passage in Luke, Jesus explains that “What is impossible with man is possible with God”.

So, back to the revised version of my first question “what do people say about you while you’re here?”.
I would want them to say of me, that ‘he modelled love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’.

Yes, I would like them to say that I manifested the fruit of the Spirit, and by God’s grace, with the help of His Spirit, this is possible. It would be a legacy worth leaving.

And ultimately, my prayer is to hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant…”. I pray this not just for myself, but for all who read this.
Have a blessed week.

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 mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during April 2021]

In our final reflection for 2020 we spoke of two characters – one fictional, one real – who were resurrected. The initial reports of their demise had been premature, but in due course they both died again.

♰

My hero has been resurrected: A friend reported seeing him in a garden early one misty morning; they exchanged a few words and then he disappeared again. She claimed to have recognised his voice, but was she mistaken?

My hero has been resurrected: A couple of friends were making their way home from a visit to the big city when a stranger suddenly struck up a conversation with them. He seemed to know a lot about their nation’s history. They were so engrossed in his remarks that they invited him to join them for a meal. He accepted but then disappeared shortly afterwards.

My hero has been resurrected: A group of tired fishermen were slowly drifting home after a long night toiling with their nets but with nothing to show for it. Suddenly they caught the whiff of fresh fish cooking over a charcoal fire. A man standing beside the fire invited them to have breakfast.

My hero has been resurrected: A group of his best friends were meeting together, talking about him when suddenly he appeared amongst them. He had a bite to eat and then explained to them why he had gone and what he needed to do next.

My hero has been resurrected: There was a period of 40 days when more people reported seeing him. He talked with them and ate with them. The evidence that he was alive was irrefutable.

My hero has been resurrected: An aggressive representative of the religious leaders was travelling to a provincial city with a group of soldiers when he was stopped in his tracks. He spent the rest of his life talking about that encounter.

My hero has been resurrected: Someone who had been close to him in the early days wrote about an encounter with him many years later. He looked regal and spoke with authority, and even dictated some messages to be passed on.

My hero has been resurrected – is he your resurrected hero 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.