We have all had it in our families and some of those reading this message may even have had it personally, news that we have a health problem that needs immediate attention. It was much more serious than the basic aches and pains that affect us all from time to time, or even more frequently as we get older. The news affecting this family was of a serious illness that might not result in a restoration of health and strength. Let us look at the part of our story found in John 11:1-16:
The announcement (John 11:1-3) Now a man named Lazarus was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay ill, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is ill.’
This was an unusual situation two thousand years ago in Israel to find three adult siblings, two sisters and a brother sharing a home; they were all probably in their twenties or thirties and single. It was a home where Jesus had felt particularly welcome and when in the Jerusalem area had often stayed there. They were good God-honouring people. However, no-one is exempt from difficulties in life. Health issues, for example, can arise in people of any age or stage of life. It is not just an issue with the Covid-19 virus. At times like this it focuses our minds on what is really important to us.
The attitude (John 11:4-6) 4 When He heard this, Jesus said, ‘This illness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’ 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed where He was two more days…
At first glance Jesus’ response seems puzzling. He certainly appeared to be taking His time in going to see Lazarus. The family almost certainly were praying too, but it appears to be unsuccessful. It is a mystery why some people seem to have life so hard and some others appear to drift through life without any major incidents happening in their home or family. Then and now it can be an issue as to why it has happened. But don’t spend too long reflecting on the ‘why’ because on many occasions there is no obvious human explanation. However, despite the difficulties it was a situation in which God could work for their good and His glory. We can always pray for ourselves or others in times of need.
The appeal (John 11:7-10)7 and then He said to His disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’ 8 ‘But Rabbi,’ they said, ‘a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone You, and yet You are going back?’ 9 Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the day-time will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.’
Did Jesus stay away at first to avoid the risk of arrest or stoning? No I don’t think that is correct. I think it more likely He set aside extra time for prayer to prepare for returning to Bethany. When needs are announced some of us by temperament, including me, want to get on with fixing the problem straight away. The example of Jesus here suggest we slow down a little so that we spend time talking with God about the predicament in front of us, before any attempt to solve the problem. How God answers our prayers may be very different to what we were either asking for or expecting to happen.
The action (John 11:11-16) 11After He had said this, He went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.’ 12 His disciples replied, ‘Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.’ 13 Jesus had been speaking of His death, but His disciples thought He meant natural sleep. 14 So then He told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ 16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’
This news of Lazarus’ death would have shocked these disciples, but not Jesus. When you and I pray for people or about particular circumstances we come to God who can do anything to change a situation. He may answer ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘not yet’. The important thing though is to ask. We must never make the mistake of failing to ask God to work (James 4:2b) but we must be equally careful not to presume that we know what God will do in response. However, we serve an amazing God who gives us real hope and confidence in His Holy Spirit working both in our lives personally and in the wider world around us.
As has been our custom during these last few months I have invited you to put aside some time in the middle of the week for prayer and reflection. I am aware that many people are finding life very hard at the present time and although there is so much we are not able to do just now, we can always pray for one another.
II Corinthians 5:9-10 What is my goal in life?
9 So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due to us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
(1) Our Goal (II Cor.5:9-10a) 9So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
In Roman cities the governor sat on the judgement seat to hear court cases, as Paul knew well from his time before Gallio’s court in Corinth (Acts 18:12). This was a serious matter as the most serious penalties could in principle be given to guilty defendants. However, Paul is much more concerned by a much higher court and a greater judge, before whom we shall all one day appear, the Lord Himself.
In the light of this reality it is no wonder that Paul says in II Cor.5:9: So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
Is that what you do? A significant proportion of our lives other people in our church family, and even our human family, know little about, unless we care to tell them. But, there is one person who knows and sees everything and it is before such a One that we will stand on that day.
It is not your husband or wife, mother or father, son or daughter, brother or sister who makes that call but the Lord of glory. It is not the mocking person in the street, the cynical colleague in the workplace or the caustic critic on the TV, but the One who hung on a cross and said: Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).
It is not the helpless victim of injustice or oppression or one of the starving multitudes in parts of Africa who will judge you and me, rather the One who rebuked Peter for chopping off Malchus’ ear in the Garden of Gethsemane and said in Matthew 26:33-34: Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?
Without exception, every man, woman, boy or girl, who has walked this earth will stand before King Jesus –the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16). What is your number one goal? Is it the same as that of Paul? It needs to be as that is why you were placed on this earth in the first place.
(2) Our Reward (II Corinthians 5:10b) that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Our salvation is eternally secure because Jesus obtained it on the cross. However, our judgement as believers covers rewards for service rendered; and all our works will be tested to discern their quality.
In I Corinthians 3:10-15 Paul explains this point in more detail: For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Are you / am I as Christians on course for a pleasant surprise or an awful shock or a bit of both when we stand before Him? May our goal be to put Him first throughout our lives and on that day be delighted to hear Him say: Well done good and faithful servant…come and share your master’s happiness (Matthew 25:23).
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Great is the darkness that covers the earth’
Pointers for our Prayers
• For whom or what are you particularly thankful this week? Let the Lord know!
• Give thanks for the many gifts that have come in for our care packages for the staff of the residential care homes. It has been an excellent initiative.
• Continue to pray for the Government in Scotland and in the wider UK and for their clinical and scientific advisers, that they may have wisdom to lead us effectively
• Pray for our NHS and Social Care Staff as they continue to serve so willingly the many people under their care. We particularly remember Hannah A and the social care staff who have been caring for very vulnerable people under extreme pressures in the last few weeks. We pray that they and all other workers in our country may be renewed in their health and strength.
• Pray for John G’s daughters Nicola and Alison and their families at this time as they prepare for his funeral on 6 June. We thank God for the short time John was a member of our congregation while living in Lochleven Care Home.
• Pray for Jan and Mark F and other members of Jim’s family as they prepare for his funeral on Friday 29 May. We thank God for Jim’s years of faithful attendance in this and other churches and his work for the Lord over those decades.
• Pray for those ill with the Covid-19 virus that they may soon regain their health and strength. We pray also for people with other health conditions that they may also have access to the medical care they require at this time. We continue to remember older members required to be at home or in care homes that they may not feel discouraged or forgotten by their friends and families who are unable to visit them. We pray also for Ali T’s parents, Jude R’s grandma and Isdale A’s dad; we also pray for others waiting for hospital appointments to address their health issues at this time.
• Pray for teachers and pupils, and lecturers and students, at different levels of education especially those known to you. That they may be able to work adequately online. Help them to overcome the challenges of technology and the difficulties of communicating effectively through online learning. Help parents also trying to work from home alongside supporting their children doing schoolwork.
• We pray for the emotional and mental health of our nation, especially those of whatever age who are particularly struggling to cope with the lock down and the inability to meet with their families or friends.
• Pray for those recently bereaved that they may experience more of God’s love and comfort at this time, in particular we continue to remember Betty and Scott R, Betty W, Eloise P, Elizabeth F and their families.
• Pray for ourselves that we always make time each day to read His word and spend time in His presence.
• Pray in advance for the online meetings and activities throughout this week and the service next Sunday
The newspapers and social media have been overflowing with comments recently about a certain Westminster government adviser and what he should or shouldn’t have done during the lock down period. Yesterday we had the extraordinary spectacle of this individual explaining in great detail in a press conference in London what he had done and why.
I have no intention of offering any comment on the details of this case, enough has been said already. However, as a Christian pastor I have been deeply disturbed by the tone of some of the criticisms I have seen on line and in the print media about this situation. When this is combined with the abuse outside his London home and apparently from others who made the journey to do the same outside his parent’s home near Durham, I think it is time to take stock as a society how we handle the shortcomings of others and in turn how we would want to be treated when we have made mistakes.
Jesus in John chapter eight was pressured to pass comment on the conduct of someone who was judged to be a heinous sinner who needed to be punished for their wrongful behaviour. John 8:3-11 states:
At dawn He appeared again in the temple courts where all the people gathered round Him, and He sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. 7 When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ 11 ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’
The context (John 8:3) The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery… It was so obvious that a sinner had been caught flagrantly breaking God’s moral law and punishment must follow.
No-one could dispute the logic of such a claim. There is a problem, though, as every child knows that when you point the finger at someone else as a sinner, there are other fingers that point back at another sinner – ourselves! These individuals who dragged this woman before Jesus were assuming their moral superiority over her and expecting Jesus to agree. They ‘knew’ what had taken place and had the right to pass judgement.
Can I ask how many of us in the United Kingdom had already passed judgement on this government adviser long before his lengthy account of his actions at the press conference yesterday? How easy it is to rush to negative judgements on the conduct of others. Might it not be wiser to wait to see if we have gained an accurate account of proceedings first?
The claim (John 8:4b-6) ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing Him.
The clue that something was wrong here is the fact that only one of the two people involved had been brought before Jesus. They were not interested at all in the man involved with her. He has been allowed to go free without charge. More remarkably, they were not really bothered about the woman and her conduct; she was being used as bait in a trap as they sought to ensnare Jesus into saying something they could possibly use against Him. In effect, they were using this couple simply as a means to achieve a particular end. It raises the question, how do I ensure I treat other people fairly?
The challenge (John 8:7) When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’
What a challenging declaration from Jesus. Instead of the woman being put in the spotlight, it was now this group of men who were making the allegations against her and who by implication were quite prepared to stone her to death should the opportunity arise. Jesus cleverly puts the question back to them in front of their friends and in effect invited them to polish their own halos or drop the case altogether. Do you and I need to remember this challenge of Jesus when we too are tempted to pass judgement too hastily on the words or actions of another person?
The conclusions (John 8:9-11) At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ 11 ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’
It was a remarkable day. The accusers had left and the woman was free to go. However, Jesus knew that she had made a bad choice, but she was not alone in that respect. Her accusers were equally guilty in wanting to use her to attack Jesus. May God help us to have a right view of ourselves as well as a similar understanding of our families, friends and neighbours as we continue living in the light of the lock down regulations.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Purify my heart’
Elijah was completely exhausted physically, emotionally and mentally. No matter who we are, no matter what our gifting or how spiritual we are or even how closely we live a God-honouring life, we are still human beings. We have limits. There is only so much we can do before our ‘get up and go’ in the morning deserts us! Rest and time out is needed to recover our strength and gain the necessary resources to face the world again.
Elijah was one of the greatest people of God in the Old Testament era, with whom God was well pleased. His unplanned ‘sabbatical leave’ was of great benefit to him. In this context, in I Kings 19:15-21, I get the impression that Elijah would have accepted a deal from God to take early retirement from His service. However, God still had work for him to do. We too can feel at times overwhelmed and ready to walk away from our workplace or some ministry in Christian service, yet like Elijah listening to the quiet whisper (I Kings 19:12) we sense the call of God to continue. What did God have in mind for Elijah?
Go back the way you came (I Kings 19:15-18)15 The Lord said to him, ‘Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.’
God called Elijah to return to his ministry. His work like ours was not completed. He was asked to anoint Hazael as the new king of the neighbouring country Syria, who would wage war on sinful Israel in later years; to anoint Jehu as King over Israel, who would execute God’s judgement on the wicked family of Ahab and finally to anoint Elisha as his successor.
After the crisis Israel was going through was over life would be very different in the country. The majority of Elijah’s work in the last few years of his vocation would be back to the rural village ministries in which he had spent the majority of his time, prior to his very high profile recent past. Yet he was also called to appoint and train others of the younger generation to step up and take on new responsibilities.
God has a work for you to do, or even to continue doing. Life is very different at the present time, but even once the lock down is lifted there will be some time of adaptation to a new form of ‘normal living’. We need to be open to stepping back into Christian service in our worship, work and witness for the Lord. But to do so with a fresh sense of expectancy of God working in us and through us as we go forward in faith for Him.
Appointing his successor (I Kings 19:19-21) 19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,’ he said, ‘and then I will come with you.’ ‘Go back,’ Elijah replied. ‘What have I done to you?’ 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the ploughing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
Elisha was the son of a prosperous farmer. He would have been used to the help of servants in carrying out all his work. Now for a few years he will become a servant and eventual successor to Elijah. To encourage Elijah, God mentions that there are in Israel around 7,000 devout Jews who had stood firm for the faith in verse eighteen. God calls each one of us to be faithful in our service for Him. He reminds us that He is sovereign over all circumstances and evil men will not ultimately triumph.
Also in each generation God will raise up people to stand for Him. At this time in history it is you and me! We can be fearful about the world our children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren will grow up in. However, don’t be afraid because God is in the throne and He will go before them, and us, as they and we trust Him each step of the way, Amen.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘O Thou who camest from above’
The sobering realities of the longer term impact of the Covid-19 virus pandemic are starting to emerge with the collapse of some well-known businesses. The most prominent last week was the Specialist Leisure Group that catered mainly for older people on coach holidays. Some of the best known coach firms in the United Kingdom, together with forty-four hotels have ceased trading.
In the same week another announcement was equally disappointing, Rolls Royce had employed sixteen thousand people in its civil aerospace division in the United Kingdom, but nine thousand redundancies were announced due to the downturn in air travel. Very few people will have no cause for concern in the coming months. The pressures on our politicians have not been as great for many years. We need to pray for them to have the wisdom they need to plan a way forward for our country.
Psalm 90 is one of the oldest Psalms, a composition of Moses, the visionary leader who brought the formerly enslaved Israelites out of Egypt and sought to mould them into a nation over the course of a forty-year period in the desert. It was a time of total change for all these people. The books of Exodus and Numbers record the many complaints brought to Moses from people struggling to accept that things had changed for ever. How did Moses look back on these difficult years and what was his source of strength and hope for the future. May we listen to and reflect on what he had to say to his first readers and hearers, words equally applicable to us today as well.
Our source of hope (Psalm 90:1-6) Lord, You have been our dwelling-place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. 3 You turn people back to dust, thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. 5 they are like the new grass of the morning: 6 In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.
Our anchor point that is unchanging is the eternal presence of God. There has never been a time when He did not exist. The whole created order we see and that scientists investigate once did not exist, but God was there. In our lives, not only under the present emergency conditions, but also into the future things will change quite significantly; yet if we rely on God and trust in Him to guide us into our future we have a source of hope, because there is someone who is trustworthy. Have you put your faith and trust in Him? He alone not only knows what lies ahead of us, but is able to guide and direct us into that future pathway He has prepared for us. In such a time as this we need a guide to help us navigate our way. Jesus in John 14:6 declared: I am the way… Are you following Him?
The shortness of Life (Psalm 90:7-12) 7 We are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your indignation. 8 You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. 9 All our days pass away under Your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. 10 Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures, yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11 If only we knew the power of Your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is Your due. 12 Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. When we are children or even entering adult life in our late teens it appears we have many years of life to enjoy in the future. How quickly that time passes! Moses urged the people of Israel as well as later readers to live morally upright lives in the sight of God. We are accountable to Him. Therefore, make your time count and don’t let it just drift away. It is too precious for that. Ask God for wisdom to direct you in the best use of your time this week.
Our confidence for the future (Psalm 90:13-17) 13Relent, Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants. 14 Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. 16 May your deeds be shown to Your servants, Your splendour to their children. 17 May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.
Life in the desert was incredibly stressful. Patterns of working had gone. Living in tents rather than more permanent homes had quickly lost its appeal! The uncertainty of the food supply was a regular source of complaint.
How long will it be? (Psalm 90:13) was a question neither Moses then nor any leader today could answer with any degree of certainty. What is essential to grasp is that the only being who can make sense of it all is God. We need to heed the words of Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Our song for reflection today is ‘From everlasting to everlasting’
A worksheet to accompany the video is also available here.
Another option for children is the Virtual Sunday School sessions which give an activity idea too.
JAM young adults Ignite Live have a separate programme at 11:15am on the Zoom platform –parents of teenagers can get a link code by contacting Gary Torbet on garytorbet@btinternet.com
Sunday Evening Prayer Livestream – We will be continuing the Prayer Livestream at 7.00pm tonight (Sunday). This will be another significant time of national prayer for us. Please join in and, if you don’t already do so, would you let your fellowship know about this and put it on your social media. Click here to access.
Call to Worship
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40: 28-31
We are grateful to Fiona Small for selecting the songs for worship for this service. Our opening song of praise and worship is:
We continue to worship the Lord in our second song of praise and worship: How Great is Our God, How Great Thou Art
Opening prayer
Heavenly Father once more it is a privilege and honour to come into Your holy presence today in the name of Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. We recall the wonderful words of the apostle Paul in Romans chapter five: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
It is incredible that though it may be a long process to gain access for an audience with our Queen Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom, we can come directly into the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the name of Jesus. What a wonderful privilege and joy! We recognise too the responsibility too of honouring You in our daily lives and come to say sorry for our shortcomings of the last week. Please forgive us once more and empower us afresh with Your Holy Spirit as we start this new week.
Help us to glorify You as we sing Your praises, read the Bible, bring our prayers and hear Your Holy Word expounded to us, in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Let us say together the words Jesus taught His disciples when He said:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever Amen.
Before we come to the All-age talk we will sing: I believe (The creed)
All Age talk – Alan McRobbie
It’s a story of man who really lived, his name is Phocas. He lived in the fourth century and has been respected through the years as a real precious man of God who lived in Asia Minor, which is called Turkey today. He lived in a city and he had a little cottage outside the city gate in which he grew a garden. The whole story of the man has been written down and has found its way down through the years of history.
The story goes something like this. Travellers passed his cottage garden gate almost all hours of the day and night as they went in and out of the city gate. And out of his love for others, he stopped as many of them as possible. Were they tired? Let them rest themselves, sitting in his well-tended garden. Were they in need of a friendly word? He would speak it to them as he lived for Jesus.
But then quite suddenly one day life was all changed for Phocas. Orders went out from a Roman Emperor that the Christians must be put to death. When the Roman soldiers entered the city they were under orders to find a man by the name of Phocas and take his life. About to enter the city one hot afternoon, they passed in front of Phocus’ cottage and garden by the city gate. In his innocence, Phocus treated them as though they were his warmest friends, begging them to pause a while and rest themselves. They agreed. So warm was the kindness they received that when Phocus invited them to stay the night and go on their way refreshed the next day, they agreed to do so.
As they were sitting down together Phocus asked “And why do you come into the city?” And then they told him that they would answer his question if he would regard it as a secret. Why they were the soldiers of Rome searching for a certain Phocas who was a Christian. And please, if he knew him, would he be so good as to help them find him? After all, he was a dangerous follower of this Jesus about whom the Christians talked and he must be put to death immediately.
“Oh, I know him well,” said Phocas quietly. “And by the way, he’s quite near. Let’s talk about it in the morning.” As his guests fell asleep, Phocas sat thinking. Escape? That would be easy. He had only to leave now under cover of darkness and at daybreak he could be at least 20 miles away and he knew his Christian friends would hide him. And when the threat had passed, he could reappear and once again grow his little garden.
But, the decision to run to safety or stay to die was made without struggle or delay. We can only imagine what he was thinking. Out in his garden Phocas went and began digging in the middle of the night. Was there anything he loved better than this little garden. What were his thoughts as he went on digging? Well, there was still time to run away but Jesus didn’t run. He didn’t run from going to the cross. Or perhaps he thought of his Christian friends to whom he might go for safety, would not his coming put them in danger too? And as for these Roman soldiers that now were soundly sleeping under his roof, they were, after all, only men who were carrying out orders, and if they failed to find their man, their own lives likely as not would be taken and they would die in their sins.
Deeper and deeper Phocas dug. Before the sun came up, he was done and there it was, his own little grave. Morning came and with it the waking of the soldiers. “I am Phocas,” he said calmly. And we have it written down that the soldiers stood still in amazement. They couldn’t believe it. And when they did believe it, they obviously didn’t want to put to death a man who had shown them nothing but love and kindness. But it was a duty, Phocus reminded them, that they were ordered to do. And he didn’t hate them for it. After all, death did not terrify him, his heart was filled with hope of heaven. He had nothing but the love of Christ towards them and moments later it was all over. Phocus died in the garden he loved so dearly and went to be with Jesus.
This is a story of Christ-like love, of thinking of the needs of others before ourselves, and of the hope of heaven for those who are friends of Jesus. What do you take from the story of Phocus for how you want to live?
Our All Age Song is:
Prayers for others
In our country the United Kingdom and around the world
Lord we remember the advice of the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6 when he wrote: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. We admit that sometimes we struggle with the first thing he wrote here as there are times when we are anxious about things that are outside our control.
Even in this past week there are those in our congregation who will have had health concerns, work struggles, and other issues on our hearts we want to bring to You. However, we recognise the appropriateness of coming with a thankful spirit for the blessings we enjoy. For most of us reasonably good health that has allowed us to go out for walks in the glorious sunshine we have had recently.
Thank you too that the numbers of people contracting the virus and of those in hospital has significantly declined. We pray that this may continue as a pattern in the coming weeks. However, we are particularly concerned for other countries like Brazil where the numbers continue to increase.
We remember too in our prayers the people in the coastal communities of India and Bangladesh that suffered last week from the cyclone that damaged or destroyed many very basic homes and other buildings in poor communities. Lord have mercy on those affected, especially the families of those who died as a result of the cyclone.
We pray too for wisdom for the United Kingdom government and the devolved administrations as the lock down starts to ease. We recognise that there will be many judgement calls that are difficult to make and we pray that the right choices will be made. We continue to pray for good health and strength and for the renewal of energy levels for the NHS and Social Care staff who have done a magnificent job in caring for those affected by this virus. We remember also others in less prominent roles that have also provided invaluable service to their communities and our country as a whole during these difficult weeks. Help us as local communities to keep working closely together to limit the hardship that may be experienced over the coming months.
In our Baptist Union of churches in Scotland:
We give thanks that as Christians, we have hope in Jesus despite the challenging circumstances of life and any stormy seas we may face. Please pray that this global pandemic would bring many people to faith in Jesus.
We pray for the Continuing Ministry Development workshops taking place online this week. Pray for those leading the workshops (‘Building The House of Mission’ and ‘Knowing My Limits’) and those connecting in with the training sessions.
Dumfries BC – They started two Alpha Courses in mid-February on a Sunday lunch time and a Thursday evening. Despite Covid19 the groups are still meeting through Zoom online. Like everyone else they are navigating their ways through these troubled times, innovating and discovering new ways doing church ministry, ministry, supporting one another as well as serving the local community.
Duncan Street BC – We pray for Duncan Street BC in Edinburgh as they seek to make
Christ known in their local community.
Dundee Central BC – We give thanks for those who have been coming to faith and are being baptised and for the appointment of their Woman’s Pastoral Coordinator Karen Keir. Pray for them also as they seek to share their faith in Christ and serve their community at this time.
Dunfermline West BC – We give thanks for the recent renovation of their main worship area and the positive response from the community. We pray that they might see fruit within the community as they reach out; also that they can create relationships where guests can come and in due course use the space they now have available. We pray particularly for the growth of children and families work within the church.
Dunoon BC – They have been doing some interesting outreach recently and have had a number of new faces in the church at services prior to lock down. We pray that the time of separation caused by Corona Virus will not put them off and that the church will provide good support for its members.
We now pray in our own congregation for:
Jim and Jan F and Jim’s son Mark who has come over from Australia; We pray for God’s peace and comfort for them and other family members at this difficult time.
John G We bring before you John and his daughters Alison and Nicola and other family members as they also go through a very tough time.
We are aware of other members who have experienced bereavements or ongoing health difficulties and pray for God’s strength for them at this time. In addition, we bring our own needs to You at this time … in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen.
Bible reading
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? 13 Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counsellor?
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding? 15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. 16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. 18 With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? 19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. 20 A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple.
20 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25 ‘To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God’? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40: 12-31
Before we come to listen to God’s Word let us sing: ‘My Jesus, My Saviour”
The Message
Introduction
In Isaiah 39 there is a clear warning from God that one of Israel’s darkest ever days was shortly to be experienced in the Holy Land. The country would be devastated as a result of the war that would occur with the forthcoming regional superpower Babylon, now called Iraq. Did Israel still have a future as a nation, or was it all over? If you want to know what it felt like shortly after the ending of the killing and destruction in that war, read the book of Lamentations.
It is one of the most sobering of books in the Old Testament. However, in the midst of all the pain and darkness there are some wonderful verses about the faithfulness of God in hard times. Lamentations 3:19-25 took the weeping prophet Jeremiah from his deepest agonies to a place of reassurance from God.
I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion;therefore I will wait for Him.’
God had a plan for their future. They were not only a people with a past history. Neither are we! God has a plan for your future and mine as well.
Are you thinking? Have I got a future other than this lock down? I am not sure how many more months I could cope with it. For other people there are health issues that dominate their thinking; in some cases family struggles, or relationship tensions, but no matter who you are, at some point in time, you will face real struggles and wonder what lies ahead of you, of if there is anything ahead of you! In all these and many more similar scenarios this Bible passage reminds us that God has plans for His people. He has plans for you and me if we have put our faith and trust in Him.
As individuals, as families and as a church family, we need constantly to be reminded of this fact. Your life is not random or a chance existence. Instead, you are a child of the King of Kings who loves you and cares for you and wants the best for you. However, that does not mean we get what we want or even are necessarily praying for. Do you need to be reassured about your future? Isaiah 40 is one of those passages of Scripture that provides such guidance and teaching on God’s provision for you and for me.
1.Encouragement for God’s people(Isaiah 40:1-11)
(a)The blessing of forgiveness (Isaiah 40:1-2) Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
The context of Isaiah 40 was the past sinful failures of Israel as a nation. She had not lived up to her promises to be faithful to the God who had blessed her in many ways. Turning to other gods of the nations around them and making lifestyle choices that violated the covenant promises agreed in the time of Moses and the exodus from Egypt would inevitably have consequences. We must not forget that the inevitable consequence of their wrongdoing, exile in Babylon and the destruction of the city they loved was still to take place, but God was already planning for their restoration and new start. As a loving heavenly Father He wants the best for His children.
There are times when He answers ‘no’ to our prayers because He can see the unforeseen difficulties we might face if we obtained what we wanted. Sometimes looking back we get a glimpse of why we were spared potential heartache had a relationship continued or a job opportunity been realised or some other scenario unfolded. At the time we could only see the immediate negative response to our request and struggled to understand why God might have seen things differently. We can only accept and live with our present disappointments when we have complete trust in the God of all comfort who loves and cares for us more than we love ourselves.
(b)The comfort of God’s presence (Isaiah 40:3-5) 3A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’
From the declaration of comfort and encouragement Isaiah now speaks about the future about how God can make a way through the most difficult of circumstances. The imagery is of preparation for a royal visit to a community so no expense is spared. All kinds of up grading of roads and buildings takes place, in fact everything is attended to in order to ensure that the short visit goes as smoothly as possible.
The obvious benefit to the community is that some facilities have been upgraded that will be of benefit long after their visitors have departed. The message here is that God will do what it takes to ensure His people get back home after their time away in exile. The exile for them, lock down for us or whatever difficulty you are experiencing will not be a permanent thing because His promises to His people are guaranteed. God will be glorified through the fulfilment of His guarantees to Israel. God will be glorified too through our lives also.
(c)The reliability of God’s Word (Isaiah 40:6-8) 6A voice says, ‘Cry out.’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures for ever.’
These verses in continuing this train of thought remind us very clearly that God keeps His promises. His inspired Word is entirely trustworthy and true. We can depend totally on it. Everything else in life is transitory. Each of us can tell our own stories of changes; both in our own lives and in the communities where we live or have lived. Yet this passage gives us this wonderful assurance. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures for ever(Isaiah 40:8). We can trust it 100% Praise God!
(d) The certainty of the final outcome (Isaiah 40:9-11) You, who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ 10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and He rules with a mighty arm. See, His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him. 11 He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.
The last part of the opening section of Isaiah 40 proclaims in pictorial language the certainty of God’s triumph in the work He has planned for us to do. It seems extraordinary that restoration to their homeland is not portrayed in the military language of conquest, but in the pastoral language of a shepherd caring for His flock. God’s kingdom expands through evangelism and is lived through social action by people who are motivated by His love in their relationships with one another and other people with whom they interact. In secular eyes and Islamic ones the way of Jesus as described in the Bible seems foolish, but in this glorious vision of God’s plans for the future, both then and now, we can be assured of His triumph in and through the people who follow Jesus, ordinary people like you and me.
2. The greatness of our God(Isaiah 40:12-31)
(a)He created the universe! (Isaiah 40:12-17) 12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? 13 Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as His counsellor? 14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way? Who was it that taught Him knowledge, or showed Him the path of understanding? 15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; He weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. 16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. 17 Before Him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by Him as worthless and less than nothing.
Who can guarantee that all this can happen when this little nation has been brushed aside by the forces of superpower armies like trees and buildings in a raging flood? No mere earthly ruler even begins to fit the description! Isaiah 40:12 has the answer. Only one person, the Creator of the Universe who spoke and brought the world into being and who upholds it by the Word of His power can do it. The same point was made near the end of the book of Job when the subject of the book raised so many ‘why’ questions about what had happened in his life. We are creatures. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. This verse speaks of His power to deliver what He has promised. Humans can have aspirations that are beyond our power to accomplish, unlike God.
The second thing that marks out the One who can accomplish all this is His wisdom, as Isaiah 40:13-14 highlights. To ask the question with respect to God – or [who] instruct the Lord as His counsellor?(Isaiah 40:13) is to realise the utter absurdity of the question. Isaiah 40:15 and 17 remind us of the sovereignty of God. How can we be in despair when we serve a God like this! We need to look up and worship such a great and almighty God (Isaiah40:16). Yet how can we offer adequate worship to Him? He is worth so much more than any offering of praise and adoration we could bring! Yet He delights to receive the worship of His children. When we feel down remember to meditate on the greatness of God!
(b)With whom would you compare Him? (Genesis 40:18-20)With whom, then, will you compare God?To what image will you liken Him?19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. 20 A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple. What vocabulary is adequate to describe God? Isaiah looks around at the images used to represent the gods of the nations around them and asks: do you really think this is adequate to reflect the greatness of Almighty God? No! is the only answer we can give to such a question. We serve an incredibly awesome God. To see God in His greatness puts our problems and challenges in perspective.
(c)Awesome in power! (Isaiah 40:21-26) Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25 ‘To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
The God who parted the waters of the Red Sea in Egypt to enable the fleeing slaves to escape the mighty Egyptian Army (Exodus 14:15-15:21) is the God who has plans for His people. The God who caused the walls of the powerful city of Jericho to fall down at exactly the right time (Joshua 6:1-27) when Joshua and the army of Israel went on a praise and prayer walk around its perimeter is the God who has plans for His people. The God who raised Jesus from the dead on the first Easter Sunday is the God who has plans for His people, for you and me! Do you know Him? Have you put your faith and trust in Him? Why not today take that first step of faith and acknowledge the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as King of your life.
(d)The God who restores and renews (Isaiah 40:27-31) Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God’? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
In every generation there have been times when God’s people felt discouraged, or were acutely aware of a felt absence of His presence. Isaiah was well aware in Isaiah 40:26 that there were people of his day as well as ours who uttered similar words to make this claim. Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God’? What response does the prophet give to people of His day and ours? The answer is given in the familiar words found in Isaiah 40:27-31. God is the restorer of my soul, my hope, my vision for the future, because of who He is, our great and awesome God.
This passage provides great encouragement for God’s people when discouraged because it reveals to us an amazing and wonderful God whom it is our privilege to serve. This is the God who has plans for our lives, individually and collectively, if we will put our hands in His and go forward in faith exercising the calling entrusted to us, for Jesus’ sake, Amen.
Our song before we come to communion is: One Day (Before we get to heaven)
The Lord’s Supper
Jesus invites all Christian who have committed their lives to follow Him to participate in this act of worship. The apostle Paul wrote these words of Scripture in I Corinthians 11:23-26 to guide our observance of Communion.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Prayer: Choose your own words of prayer to give thanks for the bread and wine that represent the costly gift of His body and blood for us.
Take the bread: Jesus said: ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
Take the wine: Jesus said: This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’
Our closing song is a powerful song well—known to us: ‘By Faith’
Closing Prayer
Thank you Lord for the privilege of spending this time together in Your presence today. Go with us we pray into the new week that lies ahead of us as we will seek to honour You in the way that we live. We thank you we can enter it with confidence because You go with us each step of the way, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Benediction: The Grace
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore, Amen
Click here to access this week’s session. Our story this week is about a friend of Jesus’ called Philip. You can make your very own chariot and scroll!
The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’14 He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.
I Kings 19:11-14
The reason why Elijah went on to Horeb
Take a step back and consider why this whole situation began. Elijah was familiar with the covenant of God with Israel that was set out so clearly, with its conditions in the book of Deuteronomy, with its blessings for obedience and cursing for disobedience.
On the basis of the covenant he prayed that it might not rain so that the King and the country repented of their sin and turned back to the Lord. For three and a half extraordinary years’ drought conditions prevailed. God honoured His servant and showed that the covenant was still in force.
What was significant of Mount Horeb, the key peak in the Sinai mountains? It was the place where God gave the covenant to Moses many centuries earlier. Exodus 32-33 records the events that unfolded when Israel broke the covenant and Moses was interceding for the nation.
It would lead to the renewal of the covenant and the giving of the Ten Commandments by God to Moses for a second time. The covenant included the following warning against ungodly alliances with the Canaanite inhabitants of the Promised Land.
Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God
Exodus 34: 12-14
Moses had to go back to the place where the covenant was first instigated by God for that renewal to take place. It is, therefore, most probable that Elijah was doing exactly the same thing in his day as Moses had done centuries earlier.
The flight to Beersheba could rightly be interpreted as getting away from Jezebel, and that southern Judean city was a safe place of refuge. The journey to Horeb from Beersheba, twice as far as he had already come, I believe, was motivated more by a desire to spend time with God at the very place where the covenant was given. Elijah wanted a fresh affirmation of the calling of God to his ministry and a desire for a renewal of the covenant between God and His people. He wanted to hear from God and would not be disappointed.
The encounter with God at Horeb
(Exodus 19:16-19) God told His servant to stand at the entrance to the cave and observe God’s activity. What happened was very similar to Exodus 19 when God first gave the law to Moses. Exodus 19: 16-19 records the following phenomena:
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, 19 and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
Exodus 19: 16-19
What phenomena was in evidence in Elijah’s day? First of all a violent storm that gusted causing damage even to some of the rocky cliffs near where the prophet was located; then there was an earthquake and after that a fire, but the Lord was not in …the wind…the earthquake…the fire…
These signs were not of judgement for Elijah. After all he had been very faithful to God and had stood firm in his witness. All three of these signs had been used in judgement on the people of God in the Old Testament. Fire had been used on Mount Carmel only days earlier (I kings 18); an earthquake was used, in Numbers 16:16-34, to kill a group of people who opposed Moses and God’s plans for the Israelite nation; one of best examples of a storm to judge a sinful Israelite was on Jonah, recorded in the book of that name, as he fled to Tarshish (Spain) rather than go to Ninevah (Iraq) to proclaim God’s Word.
Here the key is that: the Lord was not in …the wind…the earthquake…the fire… How does God deal with His servant here? after the fire came a gentle whisper The Baals claimed to be nature gods who controlled the weather. Yahweh is Lord of all, who has control over all of creation, but is not a part of it.
The glory of God is such that Elijah covers his face when he listens to His voice. Moses had also been informed that the glory of God was too awesome to look upon (Exodus 33:21-23), so he did not attempt to look at the revelation of God’s glory.
Only when you grasp what was going on here can you understand the sense of wonder John had when he wrote John 1:14 with reference to Jesus: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Our song for reflection is: ‘Mine eyes have seen the glory’
The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 14 He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.
I Kings 19:11-14
Elijah’s perspective on the situation had been too narrow. He had turned to look within himself. However, for a moment let us take a step back and revisit I Kings 19:3 using the alternative translation for the first part of that verse: When Elijah saw [that Jezebel was totally unmoved by the divine intervention on Mount Carmel in I Kings 18] that reaction he ran for his life…. Dale Ralph Davies in his commentary on this passage [The Wisdom and the Folly –I Kings, pp.261-262] urges that this alternative translation is more helpful and that it is found in the oldest Hebrew texts.
What difference does this make in practice? After all Elijah is still exhausted and leaves the country at the earliest opportunity! Davies urges us to consider a new perspective on the situation. The prophet had been expecting that Jezebel would ‘throw in the towel’ and concede spiritual defeat in the battle over who was God in Israel. Yet this was far from how things had turned out.
Can you imagine the scene at the palace the previous evening? Jezebel welcomes her husband home and enquires about his day. She notices that he had set out with four hundred and fifty of her eight hundred and fifty pagan clergymen, but returned without any of them. She is livid, ‘stripping the paint off the walls’ with anger that her clergymen are all dead, that the King of Israel allowed it to happen –who’s in charge in this country, a solitary prophet of Yahweh or the chosen ruler of the nation? His protests that the contest was fair and the result indisputable –what else could I have done? -went unheeded as the hard-headed Jezebel moved on to consider ‘Plan B’ for the elimination of the worship of Yahweh in Israel.
Then and now there is a fallacy that if people are more educated that they will make better choices. Unfortunately this is not always the case. People can have all the information in the world, but refuse to act upon it.
Elijah quickly grasped that although a battle had been won, the war was far from over. Jezebel had almost certainly been ordering the assassination of leaders of God’s people in previous years and as he was the only one still ministering in public it was not difficult to guess who was top of her current list!
He was not required by God to make it easy for her hit-man to find him and as he had been directed by God before to go into hiding it was not out of the question that a similar period of time out of the public view might be in order. He is exhausted and very disappointed that the conflict is not over, but his flight into Judah and then the Sinai desert actually had a purpose in God’s bigger picture. His time out of ministry and our lock down time may turn out to be an important time in our lives.
Don’t assume that ‘the real action’ only begins when it is over. It might be that now is the time for which God has prepared us to live for Him. That previous life experience and your gifting might fit you so well for such a time as this!
We will never know all the details of this story. God has given us enough information to show us that with His help no situation is completely hopeless as Elijah had demonstrated against the odds on Mount Carmel.
However, this story also reminds us in this chapter that success in God’s work is hard won and often takes a longer time than we would wish. We need to:
(i) Look Back to stop every so often and reflect on how far we have come in our faith journeys. Take time today to thank God for past successes in your life in hard times. What did you learn about God in those times? What did you learn about yourself?
(ii) Take Stock We know where we started from and we know what we trust will be our ultimate destination beyond this life, but we also need sometimes to pause in the present and ask: What is it that I should be doing at this particular time? God opens and closes doors of opportunity for a reason, even if it is beyond our comprehension.
Instead of lamenting what we cannot do, can we focus instead on looking at what we individually and collectively might do differently at this particular time? There will be some things that will stop when life returns to ‘normal’.
There are initiatives that only run for a very short time because they have fulfilled their purpose. There will be other ways of working that will continue because we have learned new skills and seized fresh opportunities.
However, it is too early to make definitive judgements about our choices. In the heat of the moment we ask God for guidance and seek to do our best, but living by faith can be disturbing because at the time we make choices we are often not certain how things will work out. What issue do you need to bring to God in prayer today? Have you heard His gentle whisper?
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Ten Thousand reasons’
The weeks seem to pass with increasing speed as we adjust to the lock down in our communities. However, it is also clear that a greater number of people are feeling the mental and emotional strain of separation from friends and family and the familiar routines they previously enjoyed.
On this day, another Wednesday, when we have set aside some time for prayer and reflection, we come to remember each other in our prayers for strength to continue our day to day lives.
I Kings 19:9b-10 What are you doing here?
And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 10 He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’ (I Kings 19:9b-10)
Elijah had been happy with the dramatic and adventurous calling God had given him. He was a person happy with his own company and more than willing to live a lonely life as an itinerant minister serving the various rural hamlets of Gilead and in training future prophets to minister in other communities in the years to come through the small Bible schools at Jericho and Bethel.
His was a hard life, with many a night spent outdoors in the cold, together with endurance of the burning heat by day. Into that steady and settled work to which he was committed for the rest of his life Elijah’s regular routine had been shattered by the call to address the king of Israel concerning the judgement God was about to visit on His sinful people Israel.
The cumulative pressures piled upon his broad shoulders were gradually taking their toll. No ordinary mortal could have continued the day after the triumph on Mount Carmel as if it was another day at the office! The Covid-19 virus pandemic has come like a most unwelcome visitor into many of our lives that if we are honest had settled into a fairly comfortable pattern. It was not that everything was wonderful, but at least we had a fair idea of what was happening week by week.
By contrast, the opposite is now true for many people. We cannot plan too far ahead because there is too much uncertainty surrounding what may or may not happen in the coming days.
Will a vaccine be found that is completely safe? In the meantime how will my job be affected by the changes in guidelines from the governments in Edinburgh and London? Or will my company survive the lock down restrictions? When will I finally be allowed to go out freely to do what I want again? When will it be possible to gather as before in a church or a school, or a cinema or football ground?
These and so many more unanswerable questions pass through our minds. This chapter of I Kings reveals very clearly the pastoral heart of God, in the way that He deals with His servants in their most vulnerable times. It gives us a window into the heart of God and here in the Old Testament shows us a God of compassion, a term associated uniquely with Jesus in the New Testament, but it is an accurate word to describe the love of God for His people throughout recorded history.
Elijah had sunk into self-pity and despair, recycling his difficulties repeatedly in his own mind. It may be part of the human condition to go through this process at times, but sadly we never feel any better for doing it, because the problems are not changed as a result of this activity.
He had reached the point where he wanted to resign from his ministry because he was weary with it and felt it was time for someone else to take over. All of us can feel this way at times and sometimes with good reason, but not here.
The lesson from this passage is the very opposite: Elijah wanted to quit because of the pressures of the calling, but these stresses arose precisely because he was being effective in God’s service and had more years still to give in this important work. He could not see that, but being on his own that was not surprising.
This is why it is so vital for us to be there for one another to encourage and sustain each other in our service for the Lord. Who might you want to contact today to encourage them at the present time? Ask God to put someone in your mind and sent a message of encouragement to them or even phone them to see how they are getting on.
Our song for today is: ‘ I do not know what lies ahead’
Pointers for our Prayers • What blessings in particular do you want to thank God for today? Take some time to praise God for who He is and then thank Him for the things we can be grateful for in our lives. Give thanks for Robin and Aileen G reaching 60 years of marriage tomorrow.
• Give thanks for the many gifts that have come in for our care packages for the staff of the residential care homes. It is good to see the generosity evident in our community.
• Continue to pray for the Government in Scotland and in the wider UK and for their clinical and scientific advisers, that they may work together effectively at this time
• Pray for our NHS and Social Care Staff as they continue to serve so willingly the many people under their care. We particularly remember Hannah A and the social care staff who have been caring for very vulnerable people under extreme pressures in the last few weeks. We pray that they and all other workers in our country may be able to carry out their duties as safely and effectively as possible.
• Pray for those ill with the Covid-19 virus, in particular John G, that they may soon regain their health and strength. We pray also for people with other health conditions that they may also have access to the medical care they require at this time.
We continue to remember Jan and Jim F especially as Jim has become progressively weaker that they may know God’s peace and strength at this very difficult time. We pray also for Ali T’s parents, Jude R’s grandma and Isdale A’s dad; we also pray for others waiting for hospital appointments to address their health issues at this time.
• Pray for teachers and pupils, and lecturers and students, at different levels of education especially those known to you. That they may be able to work adequately online. Help them to overcome the challenges of technology and the difficulties of communicating effectively through online learning. Help parents also trying to work from home alongside supporting their children doing schoolwork.
• We pray for the emotional and mental health of our nation, especially those of whatever age who are particularly struggling to cope with the lock down and the inability to meet with their families or friends.
• Pray for those recently bereaved that they may experience more of God’s love and comfort at this time, in particular we especially remember Betty and Scott R, Betty W, Eloise P, Elizabeth F and their families.
• Pray for ourselves that we always make time each day to read His word and spend time in His presence.
• Pray in advance for the online meetings and activities throughout this week and the service next Sunday
