Am I a Fire Starter?

[Transcript of a midweek message published by Horley Baptist Church on YouTube[1], February 2021]

Do we realise how powerful and dangerous our tongue actually is? The words we use, and how we use them can cause destruction that is difficult to contain, damaging others and ourselves.

My morning routine pretty much every morning involves opening up the BBC app, reading the news, and in particular looking at the front pages of the newspapers. Usually without fail some particular tabloid papers seem to fill their front pages with attacks upon people, personal attacks against whatever policy they may be standing up against, or any misdemeanour they have carried out. It’s a reality of our newspapers, our press, our media in this country. In fact Meghan Markle was warned when she started dating Prince Harry of how bad our media, our tabloid papers actually are; she didn’t believe it until she experienced it for herself.

[01:07] We are a nation that loves to see the mighty brought down. This makes us somewhat different to our American counterparts that make heroes of the self-made man. We tend to be the opposite; maybe it’s something to do with our love of Robin Hood. I don’t know what it is but we love to attack people and we love to see them fall, and this isn’t just confined to our newspapers and on a national scale; we see it in our lives as well.

[01:52] On a packet of “England’s Glory” matches it said these words “It takes one tree to make a thousand matches and it takes one match to burn a thousand trees”, and that seems to be an appropriate warning for a box of matches because we’re seeing the devastation that a fire can do to huge areas of wildlife and homes. We see in our news from across the world how forest fires have brought such devastation. We see it to a lesser extent in our country as well. In the late 90s the band Stereophonics – of which I was a fan – used those words in their song to talk about how rumours and words destroyed their local community and in particular the reputation of one particular man.

[02:47] In James chapter 3 verses 5 and 6 it makes a similar claim “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark, the tongue is also a fire” The Stereophonics recognized it, James in his letter which we can find in the New Testament recognized it too that the tongue has the ability to set a fire ablaze that can cause an unimaginable amount of destruction and it can be incredibly difficult to control and it can consume communities, anything that lies in its wake.

[03:27] From my own personal experience of leading a church I have seen the damage that the words of an individual can make, that an accusation made. An accusation that can be left upon and revelled in and spread can affect relationships, it can break down families. It can move from relationships into the workplace and also it can undo a huge amount of good work that a church can do. Fire caused by the tongue consumes everything and, just like an arsonist burnt by a fire of his own making, so too do the words of a gossiper bring destruction upon them as well.

[04:23] A person can do great deeds, can do wonderful things, can act in a way which is very Godly, I guess, and yet all those good works can be undone by the way they use their words. The things that they say, the way they treat other people. That’s why we have to be so careful with what we say because we can ruin the reputation of others, we can ruin the reputation of churches and we can ruin also our own reputation through the things that we say and the way that we treat other people.

Hey, thank you for tuning in! Hopefully, unlike me, you are nice and warm but thank you so much for tuning in. Do remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel and do share this on social media – that would be amazing.

Just a reminder that this talk is very much just an introduction to our talk on Sunday. It’s part two of our series ‘Me and My Big Mouth’ and we would love it if you’re able to tune in either to our Sunday service or you can catch up on the talk later on YouTube. This week we will be having Helen talking about those verses I shared in this talk plus more from James chapter 3, so please join in and enjoy.
’bye

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[1] YouTube link: Am I a Fire Starter?
Bible references: James 3
 

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Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
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Love That Will Not Let Me Go

[This mid-week devotional reflection was prepared for Horley Baptist Church, February 2021]

How was Valentine’s Day for you? Are you dripping with diamonds, resplendent with roses or simply choked with chocolate? More likely, it was just an ordinary day, another easily-forgotten step in the interminable search for a new normality.

Who was this Valentine guy anyway? The most credible records suggest that he was a Christian priest during the third century. He was caught marrying Christian couples illegally and otherwise assisting Christians who were being persecuted at that time. In due course, like the apostle Paul, he was brought before the Roman Emperor, to whom he witnessed to his faith in Jesus. In this case the emperor was Claudius II who ultimately ordered his execution on this date in 269. The practice of sending cards was allegedly inspired by the martyr’s last note, sent to a young lady and signed ‘from your Valentine’.

Paul also wrote extensively about love, both whilst in prison and whilst free. All his recorded letters contain teaching on the subject, whether human affection, wider relationships or God’s love for us. In one well-known passage he describes how to recognise love:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” [1 Corinthians 13 v4-7 NIVUK]

But perhaps you are one of those many people who were single on St Valentine’s Day and feel left out, unloved or neglected? God has not forgotten you, He has plans for you that only someone with your particular circumstances can undertake. Does that make you feel better? Probably not, but consider what Paul wrote to a man who, in different circumstances, was missing someone from his household:

“Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.” [Philemon v7]

Perhaps therein lies the secret of making the most of Valentine’s Day and all the other days of the year as well – to concentrate not on our own feelings but the feelings of those around us, all within the context of that Love which will never forsake us.

The blind pastor George Matheson expressed the thought rather more eloquently when, in 1882, he wrote:

O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe, That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

For all of us, whatever our circumstances, life will be richer and fuller as we continue to appreciate, encourage and refresh each other as members of God’s family.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [1 John 4 v10-11 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.

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I Had a Dream

[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during February 2021]

Long before these words were made famous in the southern states of America an Englishman had penned them from his cell in Bedford jail. During the late 17th century England was uncompromisingly Anglican, with little tolerance for either Catholic or other dissenting views. The non-conformist preacher John Bunyan had been imprisoned for advocating the worship of God outside of the authorised Anglican church. After his release, his allegory of the Christian life was published as “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, with the opening words:

“While I slept, I dreamed about a man in ragged clothes who stood, with his face turned away from his own house and with a book in his hand, carrying a great burden on his back. I saw him read from the pages of the book, weeping and shaking in fear until eventually he cried out loudly, ‘What should I do?’” [1]

There are those who argue that “The Pilgrim’s Progress” should be required reading for all Christians and there is certainly merit in that. Why does this book have such high regard amongst Christians?

The central character is a man called Graceless who realises his sinfulness and the impending destruction of his city. He reads in a book that there is a way to obtain salvation and, having failed to persuade his family to go with him, he sets out to find the way to heaven. The story recounts his journey from the Narrow Gate to the Celestial City, the moments of joy and disappointment and the characters who help or hinder him. Along the way his name is changed to Christian, he loses the burden that he was carrying and in due course he arrives at his destination. Reading this book is an excellent help for clarifying our own thoughts and encouraging us through our experiences of growing in faith.

The patriarch Jacob also dreamt of a route to heaven. There is an account of it in Genesis chapter 28:

“He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.’” [Genesis ch28 v12-13 NIVUK]

A friend of mine has recently published his study of the life of Jacob. In referring to this passage he says:

“God shows Himself to be the same God who blessed Abraham and Isaac. This may have been a confirmation to Jacob that, even though he had monumentally messed up, God still has mercy. Just as God was patient with the mistakes of Abraham and Isaac, God showed His patience with Jacob, despite the massive mistakes he had made.” [2]

Both Christian and Jacob made mistakes during their walk of faith, and we cannot expect to avoid doing the same. The psalmist David also had many difficulties but he was able to say:

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. [Psalm 9 v10 NKJV]

Can you echo his confidence?

[1] “The Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan. In its original form the 17th century writing style is difficult for modern readers. Fortunately, there are modern versions which present the story in contemporary language whilst remaining faithful to the original. One such is by Alan Vermilye. (via Kindle)
 
[2] “Jacob: A Crooked Stick Stricken and Cherished by God” by Robert Norman, North Star Ministry Press. (via Kindle)

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Lean not on your own understanding

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

This word of Wisdom is found in Proverbs 3:5-6. Let’s not miss the words at the beginning: ‘Trust (rely on, depend on) the Lord with all your heart‘. How apt this is right now! A few weeks ago, Martin explored the question ‘What is truth?’ Today, more than ever before, we cannot rest assured that anything we see or hear – especially on social media – is reliable. There is every imaginable slant on every issue.

‘The scientists can be trusted when they speak about Covid ‘. ‘Oh, no! They can’t even agree amongst themselves. And most of them are part of an evil worldwide conspiracy to scare all of us into complying with those in power.’

‘The American elections were conducted fairly’. ‘Oh, no! The people were duped by an evil secret plot to unseat God’s man and put in place a stooge who will drag us into socialism (or worse), and rob us of our basic freedoms!’

Even decent people don’t know what to believe any more. What can they ‘lean on’? The first 4 chapters of Proverbs are all about the incredible blessings awaiting those who trust God in the midst of confusion and anxiety.

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus puts his stamp on it: ‘Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow‘. [The Message]

I think, as children of a wise and loving Father, we CAN hear His voice. And it brings not confusion and fear, but peace and trust. We may be ridiculed for taking such a naive, child-like position but I’d rather put up with that than take sides on things I really don’t understand!
What about you?

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How do I know if I’m right?

[Transcript of a midweek message published by Horley Baptist Church on YouTube[1], February 2021]
Martin's Musings

In our current times we see an increasing amount of anger and division. People certain that they are right, and everyone else is wrong. But how can we tell if we are right if we’re not prepared to listen to those who think differently?

Apart from COVID, the one defining thing of 2020, I think, is an increase in tribalism. People separating themselves, dividing themselves into their separate groups. I don’t know whether it’s the fear of COVID or just the fact that people have been unable to go outside and meet with other people, and have been spending more time in their social media echo chambers. But, whatever it is, the thing that has become fashionable in 2020 and again in 2021 is to be angry, to be outraged at anyone who could possible act differently or think differently to you. The battle lines have been drawn over race and gender, sexuality and politics.

People have responded to those with differing opinions themselves in maybe two different ways. One way is to mute them, to put them on mute, to stop them having a public voice, to cancel them, to petition against them, to have them removed from any position where their voice can be heard. But another way is to go out on the streets, to protest or to write angry letters or social media posts, even to loot and riot, to shout as loudly as you can in any way that will enable your voice to be heard.

See, whatever category these groups, these people might fall into in terms of their actions, what they have in common is their inability to listen to other people, to try and understand a differing point of view. Now, psychologists can give you numerous reasons why people don’t listen, why we don’t listen, why you don’t listen. I’m not going to name all of them but I’m just going to give a few examples. I want you to think about them and be honest about whether or not you fall into these categories:

  • One of them is truth, this need to be right, to be true, that you hold the only truth and anyone who doesn’t agree with you has to be wrong.
  • Another one is blame; the fault lies in the other person, that the problem is not you but someone else so why on earth would you listen to them?
  • Another one is self-deception, that you can’t believe that you could possibly be wrong. Or there’s defectiveness, you have a real fear of criticism, of people telling you that you are wrong so it’s far better to just not listen rather than face the possibility of someone saying that you’re at fault.
  • And then there’s coercion, the sensitivity that you are particularly fearful and uncomfortable with any idea that someone might be forcing you or coercing you to act in a certain way or to think in a certain way. In other words, you do not want to be told what to do and what to think.

 
These are just a few reasons why people don’t listen to other people, why people would rather surround themselves with people like them than actually take the time out to be curious, to ask questions and to try to understand a different point of view to your own.

But I want to leave you with a thought – a question really. The question is this: “What does it feel like to be wrong?” You might say that it feels embarrassing, humiliating, but that’s what it feels like to find out that you are wrong. See the truth is, being wrong feels exactly the same as being right. So how are you going to find out which one you are?

Hey, thank you so much for tuning into our mid-week message. Do remember to subscribe to our Youtube channel and to share these videos on social media and just a reminder that this mid-week message is linked to our Sunday service and we’re starting this week a new teaching series called “Me and My Big Mouth”, and this Sunday we’re going to explore the importance of listening, and find out what James, a leader of the first Church, had to say about the necessity to listen. So do tune in on Sunday and thank you so much for watching this video.
’bye

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[1] YouTube link: How do I know if I’m right?
Bible references: ~

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.

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The Sound of the Shepherd

[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during February 2021]

I am a regular visitor to a group that meets on Sunday evenings, online via YouTube[1]. The focus of the group is a ‘Virtual Service’ comprising hymn tunes presented by an accomplished British organist but the virtual congregation is world wide. As is common with physical congregations there is a lot of interaction between the members – a church organist in Oregon compares notes with one in England, choristers voice their preference for one hymn tune over another, people from a variety of denominations discuss their different ways of worship. As the congregation gets to know each other we can share on a wider range of topics: family events, recipes, pets, prayer requests.

It is an international congregation with people from each of the six habitable continents. In a way, it reminds me of the words of Jesus when he said:

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” [John 10 v16 NIVUK]

Flock
How are we to understand this verse? Most established Bible commentators fall into one of two camps. Some argue that Jesus was talking to Jews and referring to Gentiles, others prefer a time-based interpretation which assumes that he was thinking of future generations. Some people may be tempted to limit it to members of the same denomination who live in a different town or a different country. Others will think of people whose beliefs are similar to their own, but with a different understanding on certain important, but secondary, aspects whilst others will argue that it allows for a significant divergence in liturgy.

Whilst there might be some controversy over the meaning of sheepfold there can be no doubt as to those who are in the flock. In an earlier verse Jesus said “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me”.

Do you know Jesus as your shepherd? Have you claimed your place in his flock? Jesus himself stated the process quite bluntly:

“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. … 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 v16, 18 NIVUK]

What is the future of this flock? In John 17 we have the opportunity to eavesdrop on Jesus as he prays to his Father.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” [John 17 v24 NIVUK]

Surely there is no better reason for following the voice of the shepherd.

[1] Virtual Church on YouTube, A programme of organ music and live chat with an international congregation.

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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.

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