Faith
Learning to Walk
The Rise of Scoffing
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 2 Peter 3:3
Is it just my imagination, or are we living in age in which scoffers of God and His Word are in the ascendancy? Frankly, no, I don’t think it is just my imagination. The increase in miltant atheism, the admission by the head of the BBC that satirizing Christ is more acceptable than doing the same to Mohammed, the humanistic trends in education and the collapse of Christian values and ethics in the West are just glimpses of a far wider derision of the Christian faith.
The church, because of its foolish behaviour at times, may have deserved this ridicule but Christ, the gospel and Scripture, never. So we need to distinguish, is society mocking us or God? More precisely, is it mocking us for our foolishness and hypocrisy, or because we are dauntless in our faith? The former we deserve, the latter is an attack upon God himself.
Peter alerts us that this issue will increase in the last days. In other words the problem has been with us for 2000 years and it is not going to go away. So where does the challenge lie for people of faith? I believe the challenge lies in “walking the talk” – Christians need to live out the impact of the gospel on their lives. We need to be the aroma of Christ so that the scoffing and ridicule is shown to be empty and baseless.
Most importantly, our lives are to be a living witness revealing that we are convinced that the day will come, like a thief in the night, when Christ will return. Not only should we live in this expectation for our own spiritual health, but it is also a light to those who are searching. When they see that there are people living with hope in the truth, it is an encouragement to eschew the world and come to Christ.
Growing Up Today
I admire many young people today. They are the young people of faith who are able to withstand the pressures and allurements of our society and have the courage to live for their Saviour. They exist, and I know many of them. In fact, I am proud of them and am often humbled by their courage and faith.
When I grew up in the 50s and 60s it didn’t take much courage to be a Christian and live a Christian life. On the whole, “Christianity” was the prevailing ethic in our society at that time. Drugs, premarital sex, pornography and life wasting diversions were there, but not in the same quantity and availability as they are today. In those days the battle was occasional – not daily and relentless; certainly not as overwhelming as it is today.
Today the Godly young person needs to be on their guard in a far more vigilant fashion. The subtlety and all-pervasiveness of Satan’s allure is constant.
So when you see Christian young people, take time to encourage and support them. Pray for them, and if possible, with them. When they do stumble, and they will, rather than judgement and disapproval, give them love, encouragement and grace. They need to know and experience the support of the body of Christ.
Also, I fervently believe that these young people can teach us much, through their courage and vision. In an age in which the predominant perspective is, sadly, far different from a Christian world-view, many Christian young people can show us through their lives what radical Christianity really means!
Every Second Wednesday
Offhandedly I throw the tin
into the basket with other
bottles, papers and plastic,
waiting to be transformed:
Detritus of everyday life.
Use fulfilled
now forlorn.
They linger
’til the truck arrives
every second Wednesday,
to gather life’s jetsam.
Then sorted and sent for renewal
to be
new bottles, new cans,
new plastic ornaments.
But still bottles,cans
and trivia.
The irony of God’s
recycling
is the older and frailer
we become
the greater
the Spirit’s “sorting”
and when finally
the last truck comes
the transformation
will be complete –
Eternal.
No more,
every second Wednesday night!
The Invisible Man
Another of Hetty’s reflections: Matt 12:1-14
Mostly I am ignored at the temple. I go every week to pay my tithe, say my prayers, listen to the priest’s words, and no-one seems to notice me – I’m invisible.
Imagine my surprise when Jesus, surrounded by his followers AND a gaggle of Pharisees marched right up to me. Me! An invisible man with a shrivelled hand, who no-one ever wants to see, let alone help.
They were arguing about something. Arguing politely, but I could tell that those lawyers were trying to trap Jesus with his own words.
They stopped before me.
“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” they asked him.
Ah, so I was their visual aid. Here was a “rubber meets the road” moment for Jesus. (Or should that be “donkey’s foot pad meets the road?”)
Well he answered the question with a question. And then using the convenience of a man in need of a miracle close at hand, Jesus drove his point home. “Stretch out your hand,” he told me. I did. I gazed down at my hands. They were both as perfect as each other!
Heavenly father, it is not the rules that keep us right with you. It is not what we give up or do without. You only want us to live “mercifully”; to value our fellow humans as you do; to do good, every day of every week. Help me go through this life journey following Jesus in all that I do. Amen.The Return of the King
In 2003 we pitched our tent at a camp ground in Kanab, Utah, after a trip through the amazing Zion Canyon. Next to us was a caravan/trailer that seemed to have been there for a while. We struck up a conversation with the lady and she told us that they were on a trip from point a to point b when their car broke down. They had been in Kanab for a number of years. Continuing their journey no longer appeared important.
Zion National Park Utah
On reflection, it seemed to be an excellent metaphor for many church groups that we have encountered. The church’s task is to prepare for the return of the King and to proclaim the Kingdom of Christ. However, on this journey, many churches have stopped dead in their tracks and look to be more concerned about buildings, constitutions, rules, ineffective programmes and etc. rather than the return of the King. The journey has disappeared as part of their focus.
Peter writes in 2 Peter 1: 10 & 11 “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” There are two points I want to highlight from this passage. The first is the strong sense of journey or pilgrimage that underlies this passage. The Christian journey is not static. There is a call to to spiritual growth and obedience as well as the sense of heading to the “eternal kingdom.” The second point goes hand in hand. This requires effort. Yes, we are saved by grace alone, but in that grace and divine power we are called to exercise our spiritual muscles and to making every effort to confirm our calling and election – individually and communally. Or are we like that lady in Kanab? Have we forgotten about the point of the journey?
Our First Overseas Trip
On our first overseas trip together in 2003, my wife and I travelled to the USA. After visiting our daughter in Davis we started our long road journey. We had arrived in LA and it was not love at first sight. San Francisco was a more likable city, but it was a city and we hadn’t travelled all this way just to see another city.
It was when we arrived at the Grand Canyon that we finally had a “Wow!” moment. Our original intention was to take a peek and drive on, after all we were on the great American road trip. But we were mesmerised. We couldn’t move on. We couldn’t take it all in. I remember my wife saying it was bit like comprehending God. You could look at parts of the canyon but it was impossible to comprehend the whole.Ultimately we drove 16000 kms over 5 weeks. We traversed the continent twice. But our visit to the Grand Canyon was the highlight.
Nine years later these days are still a stand out moment in our travels. From the grandeur of the scene to the coyotes calling across the canyon at night as we lay in our tent surrounded by snow, it was the best introduction to travel we could have had.
Finally, as a person of faith, it was another amazing glimpse of the omnipotence of God.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1&2
A Potentiometer
I inhabit an office that also contains two computer geeks. They speak a language that is mostly alien gibberish. However, whenever the computer breaks down it is great because I have immediate help at my left elbow. They give me the best service in the school.
Today they were rabbiting on about a “potentiometer”. My imagination went into overdrive. Great! They have discovered an instrument that can measure a student’s potential. What a handy tool! If a student has no potential then I don’t have to waste my effort. If a student has hidden potential the machine will tell me. The “potentiometer” told me so.
Fortunately for my students that is not what a potentiometer does. (If you want to know – go to Wikipedia.) God does not treat us like that. We have all been created with potential. We are all unique and special. We have a place and purpose to fulfill.
Psalm 139 reminds us that we are special to our Creator: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Verse 13 is just one of many that extols our uniqueness. God created each of us with special potential. We have been “wonderfully” made.
If we have moments of depression or self doubt – Psalm 139 is the antidote. God, our heavenly dad, reminds each of His children of their importance and rareness, as well as their place in His eternal family.
In the midst of this world:
“You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.”
Isn’t this a reason to rejoice!
Creator of the Seas
Creator of the seas
how vast,
immense your creation
as it rolls and thunders
rages and storms
wave after relentless wave.
From rolling breakers
to crashing
briny mountains that
shatter peace, calm
and rocks.
I see your majestic hand,
Your mysterious ways
and omnipotent vastness
in the foaming waters.
On other days,
still days,
ripple clear and glassy days
the waters reveal
a gentler heart,
a healing hand,
but Your grandeur
never disappears.
The Far Side of the Sea
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me, Psalm 139:9b-10a
There are Bible passages and verses that instantly resonate with us. They may have 
encouraged or challenged us in times past, or provided direction. Some may simply give us a sense of God and a joy in Him.
The passage above, from Psalm 139, rings that bell every time I read or hear it. It reminds me of my migrant origins and that, even by traveling to other side of the earth, God has continued to be present and faithful. Time and distance are no barriers for the creator of them. God reminds me of His majesty and power.
There is also a personal irony in the verse. In my extended family those who have migrated are more likely to have kept faith than those who didn’t. This was despite my mother’s former teacher telling her that she was traveling to a godless country. There could be a number of reasons for faith remaining alive, such as the need for comfort and assurance when removed from our “comfort zone” and the gathering in church groups for mutual support when arriving in a new country.
Whatever the reasons, I praise God whenever I read this verse because I know, from personal experience, that it is true.
Travels from Ur 