Monthly Archives: February 2022

A CHURCH IS BORN

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A CHURCH IS BORN

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God’s people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 1:1.

Today we embark on a journey through another of Paul’s letters, this time one with a completely different tone and motive from his letter to the Galatians. The people of the Galatian church had been influenced by the Judaizers to believe that they needed to become Jews by adhering to all the Jewish laws and customs before they could become followers of Jesus. Paul had to write a very strong letter to them straighten up their understanding of the gospel.

His letter to the Philippian church, by contrast, was a happy one, prompted by deep love for the people in Philippi who were the first on European soil to believe in Jesus.  They had been generous to Paul, sending him financial help on more than occasion. He wrote to thank them and to encourage them in their faith despite the odds stacked against them in the Roman Empire. Paul himself was a prisoner in Rome at that moment, having been sent from Jerusalem for trial before Caesar.

How did this church begin? Paul was evangelising in Asia Minor on his second missionary journey when he had a vision. He was in Troas, having been prevented from travelling north by the Holy Spirit. In his vision he saw a man from Macedonia, a province in Greece, calling him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Assuming that it was God’s Spirit speaking to him, he responded immediately and set sail into a new region.

His first convert in Macedonia was a wealthy Greek woman, Lydia, who lived in Philippi. She and some other women who believed in God, met regularly for prayer beside a river outside the city. On their arrival in Philippi, Paul and his travelling companion, Silas, joined them and Paul used the opportunity to tell them about Jesus. Lydia’s heart was moved by the Holy Spirit. She believed in Jesus and was baptised. She offered her home to the travellers and they remained with her during their stay in Philippi.

Philippi was also the place of unexpected miracles. Paul and Silas were detained for releasing a slave girl from bondage to a demon. The resultant uproar stirred up by the slave girl’s owners, who had just lost their source of income because Paul had evicted the demon who used the girl to tell fortunes, landed Paul and Silas in the city jail, fastened in the stocks and brutally mutilated by a whipping.

In their pain and discomfort, Paul and Silas could not sleep. Instead of complaining about the injustice they were suffering, they began to sing. An unexpected earthquake rocked the prison, burst open the doors and set all the prisoners free. The outcome was another miracle. The jailer took the two men home, washed and cleaned them up, treated their wounds, fed them and listened with astonishment to the gospel. He and his whole family believed and were baptised there and then, adding another whole family to the infant church in Europe.

They were released from prison the next morning, and escorted from jail by the very magistrates who had sentenced them, having been informed by Paul that they had mistreated Roman citizens. Thus began the strong relationship that Paul had with the church in Philippi. Lydia’s house became the centre of the fellowship there.

In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul gives us a small insight into the leadership of the church. He mentions overseers (elders) and deacons. These were not so much offices as functions. There seems to have been a plurality of elders – a wise safeguard against dictatorship which can so easily creep into the church. There was also a group of people who served, called deacons. We can glean the function of a deacon from Acts 6 where men were chosen to serve food to the widows in the church in Jerusalem.

There was no pomp and ceremony in the early church. Everyone was equal, even those who led and those who served. Their leaders were servant-leaders, carrying a great responsibility to ensure that the people were guided by the word of God and were walking in the truth. According to Peter, the role of the elders was to give themselves to the study of the word and to prayer ( Acts 6:4). It was their task to understand and interpret Jesus’ yoke according to His disposition and to bind it on the people, loosing them from every other yoke that brought them into, or kept them in bondage.

How far the church in many quarters has wandered from its original pattern. It is up to us to return to the simplicity of Jesus’ call, “Come, follow me!” and “Remain in me.”

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

A TABLE-LAND OF PLENTY

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A TABLE-LAND OF PLENTY

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5.

What lies beyond the dark valley and why do the sheep have to go through it? Why can’t they stay in the green pastures and beside the quiet waters? After all, isn’t that all they need?

I am not familiar with the care of sheep, especially those in the Middle East, but I am told that the best, sweetest and most nourishing grazing for sheep is on top of the mesa, the table-land where the rain falls and the grass grows lush and thick.

The good shepherd knows his sheep and he knows his grazing. He wants the best for his sheep, even if it costs him time and effort to find it and to prepare it for them. He goes ahead of his flock, finds the mesa where the sweetest grass grows and prepares it for his sheep. He clears it of poisonous and obnoxious weeds and drives off the wild beasts that may endanger his animals. Then he returns to the flock. 

When the time is right, after checking the mesa a second time, he leads the flock through the valley that takes the safest route to the table-land. The sheep may not find the way easy but they follow the shepherd because they trust him and they know his voice. After safely negotiating the treacherous path through the dark valley, they finally reach the table which is laden with the good things a sheep needs to flourish.

In perfect safety they graze, confident that, even though they are surrounded by “enemies”, the shepherd is there to guard and protect them. They can graze in peace because no harm will come to them.

In the warm sunshine, flies breed and multiply. They bother the sheep, some even laying their eggs in the soft mucosa of the sheep’s nostrils. The shepherd pours olive oil on the heads of his sheep to keep the flies away. He does more than just rub a little oil on their noses. He douses their heads so that there is no chance for the flies to alight on the sheep. The oil soothes their itchy skin and they can continue to graze in comfort.

David was well aware of the time and effort it took to care for the sheep. It was a much bigger job than just leading them out and lazing around in the sun watching them while they grazed. A shepherd faced dangers from wild animals. He had to stand between them and the flock, drive them off, rescue the lambs which a lion or bear might take, if he could, and stay alert for an ambush.

He had to know the plants which were harmful to the sheep. He had to find the best pastures and the quiet streams. He had to know the terrain and keep the sheep away from dangerous ravines and precipices. He had to lead them along safe paths. He had to find the easiest and safest route to the table-land. He had to prepare the “table” before he led them there to graze, clearing the pasture of unsafe plants and driving away the wild beasts.

Looking back over his life, David realised that God had been all that, and more, to him. It was heartening for him to know that even the darkest valleys he had gone through were the way to the table-land. There was a rich reward for trusting the shepherd and staying close to him.

Did he think about the years of running from Saul, living in caves, eating off the land like a wild animal and having to stay alert, day and night, in case of an ambush? His shepherd was there, always beside him, leading him safely through until he reached the table and was able to partake of the rich fare the shepherd had provided. He found strength, grace and mercy at the table.

His shepherd took care of the big things, the “enemies” that threatened his life, and the little things, the “flies” that troubled him. He had the anointing of the oil of the Spirit who enabled him to rule his people wisely with a kindly and merciful attitude. He was not a ruthless tyrant like some of his descendants. He was a living example of a godly king. He was passionate about God; he set up twenty-four hour worship and made extravagant preparations for the building of the temple. O yes! David was wholeheartedly for God. This was the grace on his life because of the “oil” that kept the “flies” away.

David’s shepherd is our shepherd. On the other side of every dark valley is a table-land which the shepherd has specifically prepared for each one of us. There is a bounty of God’s goodness waiting for us when we have gone through the valley. This is the reward for trusting and following Him when we cannot see the way.

“And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

GOING THROUGH THE VALLEY

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GOING THROUGH THE VALLEY

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4.

David remembered. He was probably an old man by now. He thought back to his youth as a shepherd on the hills outside Bethlehem. He reflected on his chequered life as a fugitive, a warrior and a king. His walk with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was like a sheep following his shepherd. He was familiar with the imagery because he had not only been a shepherd himself, caring for his father’s flock, but he was also the shepherd of God’s flock as their king and leader.

He was once a little lamb, bleating his needs and feeling the shepherd’s love as He tenderly cared for him, teaching him to follow, carrying him over the rough ground and showing him the best places to graze. Day after day, he followed the shepherd along the same paths, until they wore tracks along the right way to the green pastures and quiet waters which became easy to recognise.

As he grew, the shepherd taught him where to graze, what to eat and what to avoid. He rescued him when he fell, brought him back when he wandered off the path and treated his wounds when he injured himself. He learned to trust the shepherd, and to follow where he led instead of following his nose into trouble and danger.

The time came for him to put his lessons into practice. He had graduated from childhood to teenage, when the values he had learned had to become experience. There were pastures to enjoy which were more delicious and nourishing than those he had tasted as a young sheep. But they lay on the other side of a dark valley.

The day came when he was strong and old enough to go with the flock to the other side of the valley. Would he be willing to trust the shepherd when he could not see the way ahead? Would he stay close enough to the shepherd not to stumble over the rocks in the path or fall over the precipice because he was not listening to the shepherd’s instructions? Would he be so afraid that he would turn back and miss the abundance that lay on the other side?

He was grateful for the pleasant days when he had learned to recognise his shepherd’s voice and follow him along the easy paths. He trusted the shepherd because he knew He loved him and would never lead him into danger or abandon him when he was in trouble. Many is the time that the shepherd had rescued him when, in his foolishness he had become entangled in thorn bushes or fallen down a ravine.

The valley of the shadow of death was just that – a time when he had to die to himself and his wants and wishes. Self-will and self-sufficiency had no place in the dark valley. His only hope of getting through unscathed was to trust the shepherd and follow his leading. There were predators in the valley, waiting to pounce on any straggler. He would get through if he stayed close to the shepherd.

He knew who his enemies were, the voices in his mind that tried to break his trust in his shepherd. “God did that to you… God doesn’t love you… How could He let that happen? God is punishing you because you did that… God isn’t interested in your problems… God is too busy to care about you… God doesn’t even know your name…” He also knew that the enemies were lying because the shepherd was close beside him, with His rod of truth to drive them off, and His staff of grace to carry him through.  

Valleys are inevitable; they are a part of life, but they are also great teachers. When we go through our valleys, we have to shed our unnecessary baggage. The path is too steep and dangerous for us to be encumbered by bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness or guilt, fear and shame. Those were the issues the shepherd had to deal with when He was in the process of restoring our souls. We have to travel light to make it through.

Perhaps it will be the difficulty of the way that will induce us to let go of our pain and let the shepherd carry it for us. Too many good things lie ahead to cling to our stuff. This is where we die, and this is where we mature, letting everything go except that which makes us cling more tightly to the shepherd.

Now that’s really growing up!

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

REALLY LIVING

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REALLY LIVING

“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1.

What was wrong with David’s soul that needed restoring? We could replace the word “soul” with “life”. Like everyone else, he was aware that his life was out of sync with God from the beginning. He lamented, after he fell into adultery with Bathsheba, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5.

There was a rebellious streak in him that wanted to do wrong for no real reason. The Apostle Paul was aware of the same drive to push the boundaries just because he could. It was as though there was another self in him, taking over the reins and deliberately going the wrong way when his desire was to obey God.

‘For I have a desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.” Romans 7:28b, 19.

David knew, like Paul, that it was not possible to pull himself back on course. The strength of the sin nature in him made it impossible for any self-help plan to work. He needed God to get him back on track. As he looked back over the years, he marvelled that God had been there with him with His provision of grace and mercy which kept him from destroying himself, like so many of his descendants did, by kicking over the traces altogether.

Like all of us, David’s life experiences brought doubts, fears and emotional pain that distorted his understanding of God. His many psalms reflect his feelings and moods; anxiety, depression, resentment, bitterness, anger, guilt, shame, disappointment and grief – he went through it all. One thing, however, makes him stand out from the rest – he turned to God for help instead of allowing his feelings to fester inside him.

“David enquired of the Lord,” was the bent of his life. He found the secret of a restored soul. Instead of brooding, or turning his emotions on others, he turned to the Lord. If only we would take a leaf from David’s book. He knew the Lord well enough to offload his emotional baggage on Him without fear because he knew that the Lord would not be affected by his “stuff”.

He did not need long and costly sessions with a psychiatrist or psychologist, or even a Christian counsellor; he had the Lord. It was only at those times when he thought he could go it alone that he went astray. Even then, he chose to return to the Lord and not run from Him as so many of God’s people do because they think that God is finished with them.

But David was not only aware of the grace of God that brought him back from sinful paths and set him right. He also celebrated the good things that the Lord had done through him. He took no credit for his kindness to a potential enemy, Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. Instead of having him killed, he brought him out of hiding into his palace and made him a member of his household. He held no grudges against those who wished him ill when his son, Absalom, turned against him. He “paid forward” the mercy that God had shown him.

David had a passion for God’s glory. Whatever he did right was for His sake and not because he thought he was good. It was his response to God’s goodness to him. He had a “God-awareness” that overshadowed his self-awareness, so that he delighted in the Lord and could wallow in His presence and goodness even when everything went wrong.

David’s recipe for enjoying God’s life in him was to “get out of the way and let God be God.”

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.