Monthly Archives: February 2022

CHILDHOOD DAYS

February 13, 2022Bible StudyHe leads me, in green pastures, lie downLuella Campbell

CHILDHOOD DAYS

‘He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.” Psalm 23:2.

Have you ever noticed how this psalm tells a story? One way of understanding it is to see it as a record of our progress on our spiritual journey.

The first verse speaks of our relationship and connection to the Shepherd. He is the reason for a life that is going somewhere. Because we belong to the Shepherd and are willing to follow Him, He takes charge of our progress and our wellbeing, and He is purposeful in where He leads us and what His intention is for us.

In the early days of our spiritual journey, we are like new-born lambs. Whenever we open our mouths and cry, “Maa-a-a, maa-a-a,” the Shepherd listens and answers us. New believers seem to have every prayer of theirs answered! We marvel at the way God waits on them hand and foot, like a mother responding to the cries of her new-born infant. What is God doing? He is building trust in the new believer. The baby believer is thrilled and excited. This new life in Christ is great!

But wait a minute! It’s not always going to be sunshine and roses. A lifetime of training lies ahead because this journey is not only about us. We lived long enough in selfish independence before we joined His flock. We have a new Master and we will have to learn to trust and follow Him instead of wandering around nibbling at any old tuft of grass or poisonous plant.

Instead of following our noses into dangerous places, or following other lost sheep who have no idea where they are going, we have to learn to discern our Shepherd’s voice among all the voices that are calling, and go where He leads us. It always amazes me how young animals instinctively recognise the sound of their mother’s voice. Among thousands of seals and seal pups, for example, mothers and pups are reunited after the mother’s feeding trip just by recognising each other’s voices.

The Shepherd knows, like any new mother, that His sheep need nourishing food and clean, fresh water if they are to flourish. His first task is to ensure that they follow Him to the pastures and water so that they grow healthy and strong. The Middle Eastern shepherd never drove his sheep; he led them. They were like his children, bound to him in a loving and trusting relationship.

His sheep would separate themselves from all the mixed-up flocks in the sheep-pen where they sheltered for the night, and strike out after him in the early morning when he called. It was time to move out to find grazing, but they had to do nothing more than follow the shepherd. He knew where the best pastures were and where the quiet streams were to be found, otherwise the sheep would refuse to drink from a fast-flowing river.

As David reminisced, all these thoughts would crowd his mind. Looking back over his life, he realised that he was just like one of the sheep in his father’s flock that he had cared for in his youth. He knew what it was to be responsible for a flock of dependent animals. If he was not there for them, watching over them every minute of the day, guiding them to the best feeding grounds, scouting ahead for resting places and fresh water, and driving off would-be predators, they would not have survived even a few days on their own.

David must have felt humbled and grateful for a God who cared for Him like a faithful shepherd. He felt loved and secure. Like a small child in his mother’s arms, he could rest in the knowledge that his God would never let him go hungry or die of thirst. He would never abandon him to his enemies, or leave him to tumble over a precipice or even wander alone in a frightening wilderness.

The Lord is my Shepherd. He leads me…

Acknowledgement

THE LORD MY SHEPHERD

February 12, 2022Bible StudyI Iack nothing, my shepherd, the LordLuella Campbell

THE LORD MY SHEPHERD

“The Lord is my shepherd, I Iack nothing.” Psalm 23:1

We all love this psalm. Even people who don’t acknowledge God in their lives know it and, of course, it will be read or sung at their funeral one day.

Funny how some of the most profound and meaningful passages in the Bible land up as funeral dirges for many people; they read as “funeral” Scriptures – nothing more. Like Psalm 23, and John 14!

This is David’s most well-known and loved psalm. When did he write it? Since he was a shepherd from boyhood, we tend to associate it with the days when he sat around strumming his harp and watching the sheep. But the life of a shepherd wasn’t one long lazy day in the sun. He had work to do and David was familiar with all the tasks that fell to the shepherd.

There were those times, however, when his work was done for a while. Then he would sit on a grassy spot where he could watch the sheep and let his mind wander. What did he think about? Perhaps his gazed roamed around the beauty of the scene before him; the tiny creatures scurrying through the grass, the blue of the sky, the soft white clouds floating overhead, the rippling water of a nearby stream.

He heard the birds twittering in the trees, the call of an eagle high above him, the cooing of a dove, the rustle of a mouse in the undergrowth. He felt the warmth of the sun on his back, the dampness of the dew in the early morning. Perhaps, in utter contentment he would lie back for a moment, gaze into the infinite heavens and think, “God’s in His heaven and all’s right with the world.”

He would think of his home, his parents, his siblings, the privileges, the love and laughter of a family, the hearty meal he would enjoy when the sheep were safely penned for the night. Inevitably his mind would turn to the God who created all the beauty around him and blessed him with all the privileges he enjoyed. He would strum his harp and sing praise to the God of his ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Many is the time, as king of Israel, David would reflect on his boyhood and the years that followed and marvel at the way God had led, provided for and protected him – just like a shepherd! He had been a fugitive from the murderous jealousy of King Saul. He had sheltered in caves, slept under the stars, taken refuge in foreign territory, eaten off the land and, like Robin Hood, led a band of “merry men” who were fiercely loyal and, at times, fearlessly courageous to protect and care for their leader.

As he reflected on his life with all its twists and turns, the realisation dawned on him that Yahweh was to him what he had been to his sheep; first his father’s flock which he had led and guarded with his life, even taking on fearsome predators like lions and bears; then the nation of Israel which was God’s flock entrusted to him. Over the years, God had been a shepherd to him. Had he ever been left to fend for himself, abandoned and hopeless? No! God had always been there, watchful and attentive to his every need, answering his every cry for help.

David “enquired of the Lord” at every turn, even when he failed grievously, and the Shepherd was always beside him, rescuing, leading, forgiving and being what a shepherd was, everything he needed. Not only did he lack nothing; he also had the reassurance that, in company with his Shepherd, he would never be “diminished”.

Included in the Hebrew word for lack or want is the idea that those who live in close association with God will never become less than who they are. God wants not only to sustain us; He wants us to increase. David put in negative terms what God would say positively. “As long as you remain with me and allow me to shepherd you, I will make you much more of a person than you are now. I will help you reach your full potential.”

The best grass, the safest resting places, the clearest streams, the greatest opportunities are what the shepherd looks for to create the environment for His “sheep” to grow, to become strong and productive. In the end, it’s the shepherd who gets the credit for being the best shepherd for His sheep.

Acknowledgement

GREETINGS – BUT WHO WROTE IT?

February 11, 2022Bible StudyGrace be with you all, our brother Timothy, word of exhortationLuella Campbell

GREETINGS – BUT WHO WROTE IT?

Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation for, in fact I have written to you quite briefly. I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. Grace be with you all (Heb. 13: 22-25).

The final paragraph and greeting ties this letter to the real world. The writer began his letter by launching straight into his topic as though it were too important to bother with hellos and introductions. He assumed that they knew him as he obviously knew them. The content of the letter with its urgent request for them to reconsider indicates that these people were in a relationship with the writer which made it even more unthinkable that they should go back to Judaism.

Many theologians insist that Paul wrote the letter, but this cannot be true because our writer inadvertently dropped clues all along the way that hint at the fact that this is not typically Pauline. It is very different in style and content from the other thirteen letters where Paul identified himself as the author. Why would he choose to be anonymous in this one? The content is obviously different for a reason. The writer was dealing with a different situation from Paul’s letters. But, at the same time, the personal snippets do not point to Paul.

It’s not my purpose, in this final meditation, to set out a reasoned theory about who wrote it. I only suggest that it was not Paul because of the hints – for example, in his farewell greeting he referred to Timothy as a “brother”. To Paul, Timothy was always his son in the faith.

To Timothy, my true son in the faith (1 Tim. 1: 2).

Our writer was obviously writing from somewhere in Italy. We have no clue as to the destination of the letter. Perhaps it was a church of believers who were predominantly Jewish, or perhaps he wrote to a group of churches in which there were Jewish Christians. It was common, it seems, to write to more than one group of people and have the recipients circulate the letter. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was a circular letter to the churches in Asia Minor. Perhaps the letter was copied before it was passed on so that each church would be able to refer back to its content.

If this was a “brief” letter, one wonders what a long letter would look like! Our writer had a brilliant mind and an excellent grasp both of Judaism and its fulfilment in Christ. He must have been a Jew to have been able to present his case as thoroughly and convincingly as he did. He was more than a theologian. He was probably also a pastor because he evidenced a shepherd’s heart for the people. He knew the people to whom he wrote and he also knew those in Italy from where the letter came.

He referred to Timothy as a brother. Timothy had often visited Paul in prison and been a messenger for him from time to time. This is the first and only hint in the New Testament writings that he was also in prison. As Paul’s understudy, he must have been a prominent figure in the early church and also a marked man from the Roman government’s point of view. It was inevitable that he, too, had to put up with being harassed and incarcerated for his faith and his activities in spreading the gospel.

What can we take away from this letter? I believe that it stands side-by-side with Paul’s letter to the Romans as one of the two most important interpretations of the cross. Where Paul presented the work of Jesus as the culmination of God’s justice and righteousness – setting forth the death of Jesus as the answer to the dilemma of human sin and God’s justice, Hebrews presents the work of Jesus as the fulfilment of all the types and pictures of the Old Covenant.

These two letters are like the two sides of a coin. Each compliments the other and together they present a full-orbed picture of both the intention of the Father and its fulfilment in the Son. Both the Greek and the Jewish mind would be satisfied that Jesus is a perfect and sufficient Saviour of sinners.

Does it really matter who wrote it? The truth is in what he wrote and of that we can be assured.

And so we can leave this letter for the moment with a feeling of contentment because we know that God has taken care of every detail and wrapped up His case for both His justice and mercy by the death of His Son. Once again, just as Paul had presented his side of the story, to the Hebrew writer Jesus comes up trumps. He is the focal point of everything God promised and did through the history of His people, to bring them to this point where His Messiah stepped in to complete what He started in the Garden of Eden.

The writer urges us, then:

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12: 2b-3a).

A BEAUTIFUL BENEDICTION

February 10, 2022Bible Studyequip you, what is pleasing to Him, work in usLuella Campbell

A BEAUTIFUL BENEDICTION

Now may the God of peace who, through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen (Heb.13: 20-21).

What a great prayer to end a magnificent letter! This is not just wishful thinking. Our writer penned a prayer that matched what God has already done and what He has promised to do. Let’s take it apart and encourage our own hearts with the magnitude of God’s grace.

He is the God of peace. Our God delights in peace because that is who He is. What is the nature of this peace? This is not about the absence of anything that disturbs – like the calm on the surface of the water when the air is still. This is about the presence of perfection – wholeness where everything is in place and everything functions perfectly and in harmony.

When God had completed His work of shaping the earth and filling every part of it with creatures and provisions for them, including the first human pair, He declared, “It is very good.” “Good” here means “functional”. Everything fitted together and worked together in perfect harmony. Nothing in the universe at that point was dysfunctional – everything in God’s creation was at peace. Every creature in every system worked together in peace.

God is good. God is functional. Where He is in charge and everything submits to Him, wholeness – peace – prevails. When humans leave their foolish rebellion, return to Him and are forgiven and reconciled to Him through Jesus, they return to functionality within themselves and among themselves.

How did this come about? God made a covenant with mankind, sealed it with the blood of His Son, and then raised Him from the dead to prove that His covenant was both valid and eternal. Unlike the covenant He made with His people at Sinai which they failed to keep, this covenant is unbreakable because it is between Him and His Son, sealed with the blood of His Son, and we are the beneficiaries if we are “in Christ”.

Jesus is not only the atoning sacrifice for our sin; He is also the Shepherd God promised in the days of Ezekiel because the human shepherds who were supposed to care for God’s flock, abused and exploited them for their own ends.

The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel: prophesy and say to them: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves. Should not shepherds take care of the flock?” . . . I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Lord. . . . I will shepherd the flock with justice.’ (Ezek. 34: 1-2; 15; 16b).

This is the God who also declared that He has already given us everything we need for godly living.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1: 3).

Every resource we need to live godly lives in a sinful world has already been provided; all our physical and material needs met as we meet the needs of others (Matt 6: 33); sufficient grace in our weakness (2 Cor. 12: 9); strength to overcome temptation (1 Cor. 10:13); hope, joy and peace in the midst of the darkness (Rom. 15: 13) and the power of the Holy Spirit to be Jesus’ witnesses (Acts 1: 8).

And, best of all, He works in us to do what is pleasing to Him. As we yield to Him and obey His voice, He makes us holy, giving us a hatred for sin and a love for Him that motivatees everything we do in obedience to Him. Unlike His people who failed to obey, we live to honour and please Him.

What a recipe for success! He sets His requirements before us and then provides everything we need to carry them out. Just as He set the penalty for sin as death and then died for us, so He gives us His standards for holy living and then lives His life through us. What an amazing God we serve! All the glory belongs to Him.

OBEY YOUR LEADERS

February 9, 2022Bible Studya clean conscience, Obey your leaders, their work will be a joyLuella Campbell

OBEY YOUR LEADERS

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clean conscience and desire to live honourably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon (Heb. 13: 17-19).

What is the church and who are their leaders? We have to look at the nature of the church in order to understand who and what its leaders are. The church and the kingdom of God are not synonymous but they are interconnected. The church is the visible representative of God’s kingdom on earth. Whatever the church is and does on earth is supposed to be the way God’s invisible kingdom works and the way He rules.

First of all, the church on earth today, in practical terms, is subdivided into innumerable denominations, so, we have to ask, which one accurately represents the kingdom? Is it the ones who set up strict rules and practise their religion through religious rituals? Is that how God relates to people? Is it the ones who focus on gifts and miracles and money and wealth and live for spiritual “goose bumps” with not much emphasis on anything else? Is that what the kingdom is all about?

What about those who are all about social justice – the “do good-ers” who are constantly trying to put the world right with this, that or the other project? Is that the evidence that God’s kingdom has come? And those who are sticklers for right doctrine? What they believe is the truth and everyone else is wrong. They will have nothing to do with anyone who does not subscribe to their belief system. Is that the true expression of who God is?

When we read the New Testament, we see a very different picture. We see the beginnings of the return to God’s original intention – to have a family of sons and daughters who were created in His image to be one with Him and with one another. His plan was for them to live in harmony with Him, their fellow men and the world as a loving family, caring for one another in a perfect environment with God in the midst of them.

Sin messed up His plan because Adam and Eve opted for independence. Jesus came to earth to show us the Father, who He is and how He rules, and died to rescue the human race from self-destruction and to restore us to union and fellowship with the Father. God’s plan is back on track now but, unfortunately, the church in the main has messed up again by turning family life into a religion in one way or another.

Jesus called twelve men to follow Him and gave them authority, once they had spent time with Him and thoroughly learned who He was and how God’s kingdom worked, to interpret His teaching in keeping with His disposition. He sent the Holy Spirit to be in them to help them continue to bring the kingdom of God into the world wherever the church is.

That same authority was passed on to every leader who has the responsibility of teaching people the Word of God in dependence on the Holy Spirit. True spiritual leaders are not those who have been voted in by the people, based on their charisma or popularity but those who have been chosen and set apart by the Holy Spirit for the task of accurately interpreting, teaching and living all the aspects of the kingdom according to Jesus’ “yoke” – His way of life in keeping with His interpretation of the Torah. (Of course, we must remember that He is God and He wrote it, so He should know)!

It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4: 11-13).

Leaders in the church, then, are not to be a hierarchy to rule the lives of the people, but fathers in a family, responsible for leading the family and bringing them to maturity as they would their own children. The family is to live together in harmony with the Father and with each other as brothers and sisters, doing life together as a witness to the world that God is restoring justice and peace to a broken world and will complete what He started when Jesus returns.

Those who return to the family through what Jesus did on the cross, and submit to Him, are part of that family and are called to live in harmony with the nature of God – merciful, compassionate and generous. Those who refuse to return to God’s authority in the family will be excluded forever when they die. Our leaders in the church are Jesus’ representatives, authorised by Him to lead.

Our responsibility is to obey them because they, not we, are accountable to God for the way they lead us. What will those do when they stand before Him who have led God’s people astray? Our writer urges, “Pray for us. We are the ones who will take the rap for what we do.”

Ebenezer Family Church

HE IS RISEN!