Category: Archive

Intimations

• Morning worship online has moved to start at 10am and JAM at 11:15am on the Zoom platform.
  
• You may want to use the Engage at Home resources for daily worship during this week.
  
• Messy Church at Home is now available online for you to work through this week.
  
• Sunday Evening Prayer Livestream 7.00pm – We will be continuing the Prayer Livestream at 7.00pm on Sunday, celebrating the theme of Resurrection Hope with live prayer and news from churches around the country. This will be another significant time of national prayer for us. Click here to join.

Call to Worship

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
 let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
² Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

³ For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
⁷ for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.

Psalm 95: 1-7

We are grateful to Francois and Pips for selecting the songs for worship for this service.

Our opening song of praise and worship is: Be still for the presence of the Lord This song invites us come with reverence and respect into God’s holy presence.

We are not on our own God is here with us as we worship Him and it is His presence that enables us to face the future even in difficult times with confidence.

Our second song of worship is: What a friend we have in Jesus

It is an extremely relevant song that even mentions being in isolation!

Opening prayer

Lord Jesus we come with deep thankfulness in our hearts for Your amazing love towards us. In both the newer song ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’ we sang today and in the more familiar older hymn of that title we recognise the lengths You went to show us the love of our heavenly Father for His children.

We thank You for dying in our place on the cross, the greatest act of love in history. Once more we confess our sins and ask for Your forgiveness and seek the fresh empowering of Your Holy Spirit to live for You effectively in this new week. We come with a sense of expectancy into Your presence today as we seek Your blessing once more upon us as we spend time in Your holy presence.

Heavenly Father thank You for Your faithfulness to us when we were less than faithful to You. Thank You for Your constant kindness to us each day of our lives. Therefore, we can say with the apostle Paul, in his words:

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Romans Chapter 8:31-34.

Thank you Lord for these wonderful words of encouragement from the Bible; Please speak to us from Your Holy Word as we worship You today, in the name of Your Son our Saviour we bring our prayers today, 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.’

Our third song is a recent composition that has been appreciated by many Christians – Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me.

JAM Kids’ focus:

We have a new series this week, Virtual Sunday School! This week we look at the theme of ‘PRAYER’ and the Bible story of ‘Daniel & the Lion’s Den.’

All Age Talk – Isdale Anderson

I’m sure that one question that many people have been asking recently is:

“When am I next going to get to the hairdressers or barbers?”

I think the simple answer  is “It could be a while!”

Now there are various ways that you could cope with this problem. You could – and this is perhaps an easier option for the men – is go for a look that some guys in our church  already have ie the baldie or shaven head! You could just get a razor and shave it all off! 

If that’s too drastic an option then you could always locate that wig that you wore to that fancy dress party a number of years ago. And of course if you don’t have a wig you could always have a go and make one. Then pop it on your head, stick on a pair of sunglasses and no one would be any the wiser!

If you don’t fancy that you could of course ask someone else to cut your hair for you. But would you know anyone in your house who you would trust with a pair of scissors? Your sister might smile sweetly and say “Of course they can do it!” do it for you. But maybe they are just looking for the chance to get revenge for that time you threw a bag of flour all over their hair just as they were about to go out to meet their friends. 

So if that still doesn’t appeal then you could decide to take matters into your own hands and go for a selfie – and just cut the hair yourself! But a word of caution here. Have a look on the internet first at some of those who have tried this as it may put you off! Crooked fringes, tufts sticking out at odd angles, bare patches at the back –  you’d be begging not to be allowed back to school until September!

In the end you may just have to go for the Wild Man/Lady of the Mountain look – and comfort yourself that it’s a very popular look this summer!

Anyway does it really matter that much how we look. I certainly don’t think it does to God. He accepts us whatever we look like and is much more concerned about what we’re like on the inside than the outside.

There’s a story in the Old Testament part of the Bible, where the prophet Samuel is given the very important job of choosing someone to be the new king of Israel. He has to go to a man who has 8 sons. The youngest is only a teenager of about 15 and the others go all the way up to the oldest who was about 30.

In the story, all the brothers come forward one at a time to be inspected by Samuel starting with the oldest. He was a big chunky handsome guy whose appearance really impressed Samuel and he thought “I’m sure he would make a good King.” But he felt God telling him that no he wasn’t the man.

And so the next brother came forward, and the next and the next. All the way down to the 7^th son. But still God didn’t tell Samuel to choose any of them. Some of these men looked very impressive. They were handsome – tall – muscular. But Samuel felt God saying to him “People judge others by their outward appearance, but I look at the heart.”

In other words, God isn’t interested in how people look, but on what kind of person they are. What is our character like? Do we put what God wants before what we want? Are we thoughtful and caring to others? That’s what matters to God.

So next time you look in the mirror and groan about the state of your hair, remember what’s on the inside is more important than what’s on the outside. What kind of people we are is more important than how we look. It isn’t easy being  stuck in the house with our families not being able to go out and see friends or play with our pals. We can get bad tempered and annoyed easily and be unkind.  So here’s this week’s challenge. Two parts!

One to aim to do at least one kind thing for other people every day. Could be to help  with the housework – or if there’s no one else in your home, pick up the phone and ask how someone’s getting on. There’s a very good chance they will be in!

Two A fun challenge for the boys and girls – but there’s no age restriction. If you have some bits of wool, string etc you can have a go at making your own wig. Take a photograph of you wearing it and send it to me and we can show them it on the Church News Update sheet or at the next Zoom service.                  

I know that I never told you the end of the story of the 8 brothers. The story is in 1 Samuel chapter 16. Read it for yourself and find out! 

Cast your cares on the Lord (kids song) from Seeds of faith, family worship. Amazing word art on this one, based on Psalm 55:22

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

Prayers for Others

Lord once more we come humbly seeking Your assistance to our country and indeed our world during this ongoing covid-19 virus crisis. We ask for Your continuing strength for all the dedicated people serving in our health and social care facilities to support both patients with covid-19 virus and others with different medical and other health needs. We are particularly concerned at the spread of infections in nursing homes in our land and pray for Your protection on some of the most vulnerable people in our country at this time. 

We particularly remember today those working in the NHS or Social Care facilities.

It is with deep sadness that we remember all the people who have died seeking to assist those who have contracted this illness, even in this week. We pray for Your comfort for their families and for the families of the patients for whom they cared until their deaths. 

We continue to remember all those in national, regional and local government seeking to serve their country through these difficult times. We pray that they may know Your wisdom in seeking to govern appropriately under severe pressures at this time.

We pray for teachers who are in school to help teach the children of key workers at this time. Pray also for the home learning environments of most children and young people just now. Pray for parents who are teaching their children at home and give thanks for online learning tools and other resources.

We thank you too for the wider network of Christian Churches at this time as they seek to serve their local communities. During this covid-19 virus crisis we have become so much more aware of the Christian church overseas.

We particularly bring before you those who are seeking to lead worship in communities in the two-thirds world where serious shortages of food have caused many to go to bed hungry during the current lock downs, especially in minority communities in places like Pakistan, where additional government food supplies are withheld from them in some communities by leaders from the Muslim majority – Lord have mercy on them at this time.  

 We are grateful for the blessing of working with other local churches in Broughty Ferry and in our wider city.  We ask for your encouragement and blessing on them at this time.

We thank you within our wider Scottish Baptist Church family for:

Andrew Oliver (Chaplain, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards) – In 2019 Leuchars Station had five (unrelated) deaths. Please pray for all families and friends affected by this. Please pray for my children who attend Madras College St Andrews – often the children of ministers / padres feel a certain extra peer pressure. Please pray for their continued spiritual growth and the grace to stand up for our Lord at school.

My time in army chaplaincy comes to an end in November 2021 and we are looking to the Lord for what lies beyond that, including possible church-based ministry. We value prayers for all the practicalities that surround this – especially that the children’s studies will not be adversely affected, and that the whole process will draw us all closer to God and each other.  

Culloden-Balloch BC – Please pray for the church as they seek to live for Jesus and bring others to Him. Pray in particular for the church as they seek to reach out to people in different and more online ways at this time.

Cumbernauld BC – We praise God for a new Leadership team who along with members are seeking God’s will for the church in Cumbernauld as we consider potential new opportunities and ask for prayer that we will know God’s leading. As we are currently in a pastoral vacancy we give thanks for the Scottish Baptist Lay Preachers Association members who have been willing to lead us in worship and we have been richly blessed.

Cupar BC – We praise God for His faithfulness and provision during this time of vacancy. We seek God’s guidance in prayer as the church looks for the way forward to continue God’s vision for our fellowship and community.

We thank you for our local church family and remember particularly those who are confined to their own homes or residential care homes at this time. We particularly pray that You would encourage those who are struggling with these restrictions on their movement or the fact that declining health has led to much greater limitations on what they can do.

We are particularly conscious of people with ongoing health issues and especially remember Jim and Jan F but if we wish to name others before You, we do so now….

Lord we ask for Your ongoing comfort to those who have been bereaved recently and your assurance to those struggling with limited finances or difficulties over their employment. We also bring our own prayer needs before You ….  

Lord hear and answer our prayers in the wonderful and precious name of Jesus, Amen.

As we rest assured in the amazing love and kindness of God towards us let us sing again a familiar older song “How deep the Father’s love for us”

Bible Reading

²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷ ‘Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.

³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. ³² ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12: 22-31

Before we come to the Scripture passage let us sing once more: “Lean hard on the everlasting arms” by Lou Fellingham

The Message

A filmed version of the message:

Luke 12:22-31 He will give you all you need…if…

Introduction
‘Don’t’ worry’, we have all said these words countless times to other people and then received them ourselves in return. We are all so acutely aware that there are many types of situations where it is inevitable that there will be deep concerns about what lies ahead of us.  

For us several weeks into the Covid19 virus crisis we have become very aware of the uncertainty of life. Now for some of us with a secure income whether through regular employment or a guaranteed pension and some savings there is a great deal that is certain about our future, at least in financial terms.

However, as recent events have revealed, no matter how well prepared we are life can in a very short time become very unpredictable and the future far from certain. In the two-thirds world for hundreds of millions of people this time has not only been inconvenient and unsettling, but life threatening. On days when many of them are not working there is no money to buy food for their families and so there is no food to eat.

In the last week I have had telephone calls or messages from Christian workers in a number of countries in Asia and Africa pleading for help for their families and church communities because they have no food to eat. It was extremely difficult explaining that I am unable to provide what they needed.

 Yet these words of Jesus in this passage are incredibly powerful and challenging precisely because they were first spoken to a gathering of day-labourers who lived from one day to the next and who had no chance of changing their socio-economic conditions.  If Jesus could ask them some powerful questions about trusting God with our futures then He can rightly do the same with us. Let us look briefly today at this passage.     

(1)The point to note (Luke 12:22-23) Then Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

We live in a world of growing insecurity. In the two-thirds world millions of people work zero-hours contracts and only eat that day if they have secured work in the morning. Their families too live the same precarious existence. Lock-down is catastrophic for such people when combined with an absence of state support for their material needs.

It raises questions about the ethics of employment in our own land that will not go away once the virus crisis is over. How many jobs ought to be based on zero-hours contracts rather than regular employment contracts?  There is a big debate to be had about economic justice in our land that raised its head powerfully in some of the better aspects of the recent debates about our relationship with the European Union and how so many million people here in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Continental Europe feel they gained nothing from that previous relationship.

Just as pertinent in the last two decades has been the remarkable growth in wealth of a tiny number of billionaires. There are all kinds of issues around tax and its payment by some of the largest companies in the world that will need to be addressed as we reflect more critically on globalisation. Can the world really continue in the way things have gone in recent decades or are their some changes to be made so that the poorest proportion of the world’s population may actually have a chance to simply live?

A number of political commentators have noted that the value of some lower-paid NHS and Social Care workers has noticeably increased in many people’s minds over the last month. And so it should when some of them risked or have given their lives in the service of the people under their care. How should this be reflected going forward? Many would argue with better terms and conditions of service as was experienced after the two world wars in the previous century.

I greatly appreciated the commentator who reflected on whether it was time to have the equivalent of the NHS for social care to ensure older people are treated so much better than many have been in care homes over the years. There is a debate to be had on that subject I believe.  To come back to ourselves, and the personal challenge about the way we live our lives: How have your priorities changed in recent weeks? Are there people we value more than we did before this crisis began?

(2) The example to follow (Luke 12:24, 27-28)Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! …²⁷ ‘Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith! 

Planning ahead when we have the opportunity is still wise, not just for personal protective equipment for health service workers, but also for various forms of insurance including, for example, pension provision if we have the opportunity to arrange one.

However, although that is true, I hope one of the big lessons learned of this covid-19 crisis is that life does not need to be so complicated. If planning decisions and hospital erections, for example, can be done in weeks why need they take years, as so often in ‘normal times’? The complexity of endless paperwork in most workplaces that has grown so much in recent years – is it really necessary?

Life at every level can be simpler than it was. Consider the rest of creation effectively not just what benefits humans, says Jesus. People who have spent their entire lives in cities around the world with blighted vision and breathing difficulties due to excessive pollution can now breathe more easily and enjoy views some had either never seen before or certainly had only done so with difficulty. Will we as humans place a higher priority on the quality of our environment after this crisis? I certainly hope so 

(3)The challenge to heed (Luke 12:25-26)²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

How many of us have had severely restricted movement recently and as a result had more time to think about our lives? This down time might for some be refreshing and an opportunity to catch up on long-lost sleep. However, for others it might have been deeply disturbing as we looked into the mirror of our lives and didn’t like everything that we saw.

Living one day at a time is biblical but hard to practice. Learning to do what we can and then consciously handing over the rest of our circumstances to God is easy to say, but at times very hard to practise. Is there an issue you are struggling with just now? 

(4) The attitude to avoid (Luke 12:29-34) ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.  ³² ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Have I been too focused on getting material things or buying experiences no differently to the people around me who don’t have a faith in God? Do I need to have some priority changes going forward? How does Jesus ask us to prioritise our finances, time and abilities?

The New Living version rendering of Luke 12:31 I found very powerful in my daily devotions recently: He will give you all you need from day today if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. For those who normally give financially to their local church in cash on a Sunday –is that offering now being given through standing orders or direct debits.

Sadly there are those who may have to reduce what they give because their income has gone, but what if your expenses have significantly reduced in recent weeks –might you consider giving extra to help avoid a shortfall in church accounts as we go forward? This would be a radical kingdom choice?

It would also be a wonderful testimony of our trust in God to the wider community if we were still able to balance the books as a church at the end of this crisis. I am thankful too in our community for those whose giving has funded our Broughty Ferry Food Bank –and others in our city whose giving has paid for the work of similar initiatives. Jesus finished by saying here: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. What might that mean to you and me at this time in our lives? Now that is a big question for us to answer! Let us ask Him to guide our reflections on this matter, Amen.

Our closing song is Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?

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

Remember tonight the national online prayer service at 7pm in Scotland 

At the end of many a busy day you finally complete as many of the tasks in your ‘in-tray’ as is possible and then sit down with a well-earned time for relaxation as you stop to reflect on the day and what you might have achieved, or not have achieved, as the case may be. Or maybe on the threshold of the weekend, if the week day and weekend distinction still holds under lock down, you stop to consider the week that is past.

Sometimes we don’t want to think for too long because we are frustrated that so little has been achieved and we would rather not dwell on that fact. However, for most of us if we are not too hard on ourselves there are tasks that have been completed and a fair assessment would be that they have been reasonably successful.  

 As I have mentioned on other occasions, the perception of Holy week two thousand years ago by the followers of Jesus between Palm Sunday and Easter Saturday was very different to the view of Christians today.

We look backwards knowing what happened on Easter Sunday, but from their perspective it was a week that began amazingly well with Jesus getting the recognition He deserved in Jerusalem, but going downhill steadily as the week progressed.  Before the end of Good Friday, Jesus had died.

How did those present see Jesus in the light of the events of that day? Let us look very briefly at Mark’s short account of late Friday afternoon that day in Jerusalem: 

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last. ³⁸ The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how He died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’ ⁴⁰ Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. ⁴¹ In Galilee these women had followed Him and cared for His needs. Many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem were also there. (Mark 15:37-41) 

It had been a hectic day with the old city of Jerusalem jam-packed with vast crowds of people, but the noise has greatly diminished as those present have mostly gone back to their homes or the place where they were camping during the Passover Festival. Yet on the hillside outside the city wall Mark highlights the presence of one man and a group of women

The women Those named were regular supporters of Jesus who were loyal and committed through good times and bad. They were there when others had gone missing. There are many times for us too when we stand alongside someone going through hard times.  We cannot solve their problem or fix their crisis. But our presence shows that we care. We want to find words but sometimes there are no words that are adequate.

Undoubtedly there were plenty of deep thoughts to accompany their silence. Are you someone who like them can be counted on to be loyal to the end? It takes real courage and perseverance to do that in tough times then and now. But with the help of the Holy Spirit we too can stand firm when the going gets tough. In what situation today is God asking you to keep going and not give up? 

The centurion This was the toughest individual present that day. He had probably killed or overseen the execution of more individuals than he cared to recall. For him it was another shift at work with three men for him and his team of soldiers to crucify that day. Job done! Or was it?  What did he say about the man on the central cross? And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how He died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’ 

I wonder how he slept that night after such an observation? Killing terrorists and other undesirables would have been a routine activity for him, but this was different. As he reflected on how Jesus died something changed within him. Have you stopped to consider how Jesus behaved on the cross – what is your verdict? I hope and pray that you come to the same conclusions as the centurion, and then take a further step and put your faith in God through Jesus and commit your life to follow Him.

Our song for reflection today is an older Easter hymn of Irish hymn-writer Thomas Kelly,   ‘The head that once was crowned with thorns’ 

Brian Talbot  

We’re very sad that we can’t meet in person just now and have our usual fun together at Messy Church. However, we hope that you might enjoy trying a mini Messy Church At Home. Click here to access!

If you knew you were going to die within a few minutes and had the energy left to utter only one more sentence or two, what would you want to communicate to the world?

Archimedes of Syracuse (298-212 BC), possibly the greatest mathematician of ancient Greece apparently said: ‘Wait till I have finished my problem.’ Peter Abelard (1079-1142AD), the greatest philosopher in Europe in the early 12^th C AD and lecturer at the University of Paris declared; ‘I don’t know’. Dominique Bouhars (1628-1702), a French Jesuit grammarian who spent his life persuading his fellow-countrymen to speak their language correctly, (in French) was recorded as saying: ‘I am about to…or I am going to…die… either expression is correct.’

Elizabeth I, Queen of England (1533-1603), was recorded as saying the following utterance: ‘O my God! It is over I have come to the end of it, the end, the end. To have only one life and to have done with it; to have lived, loved and triumphed and now to know it is over. One may defy anything else but this.’ Lastly Joseph Addison, a writer and literary figure in England (1672-1719) summoned his wayward stepson Lord Warwick to his bedside and in a final plea to the young man to trust Christ concluded with: ‘See in what peace a Christian can die’. We have never met these people but we can make an informed guess about what really mattered in their lives. What is your real passion and mine? Is it something that in the light of eternity is of real and abiding significance? This is the challenge with which we are to live our lives for the Lord.

 Jesus uttered His cry of triumph tetelestai finished and then concluded with these words recorded by Luke in 23:46: Jesus called out with a loud voice Father into Your hands I commit My spirit. When He had said this, He breathed His last. Jesus was not hanging on to life. After His cry of triumph declaring the completion of the work the Father had given Him to do, He confidently laid down His life and committed Himself into the arms of His Father in heaven. No fear of death, no regrets about His life, but it was recognition that His work was accomplished. 

Jesus lived and died in full confidence that His life was in the hands of God the Father. Do you share His confidence in your own life? Jesus endured the agonies of crucifixiondespite knowing in advance the cost of total obedience to the Father’s will for His life. Are you and I willing to endure some hard times in order to remain faithful to the calling God has placed on our lives? Then when the day finally comes will we die in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life – as Jesus did? I sincerely hope and pray each one of us will do this and sing the song chosen for our reflection today as a declaration of our faith in Jesus.

In Christ Alone my hope is found

Brian Talbot 

We’re really missing getting together with all of our Messy Church families, we’re thinking of you all and we hope that you’re doing well. Coming very soon we will have our first Messy Church At Home session which you can access online. We hope that it will bring a wee taste of Messy Church to your home and you can do it at a time that suits your family. More details to follow, watch this space!! 🙂

In John 19:28-30 it states: Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, He bowed his head and gave up His spirit.

This is the most exciting of the words of Jesus from the cross. Other words and cries we value so highly as precious and important from our Lord and Saviour and each in their own way cause us to look within our own hearts at our own relationship with our heavenly father.

However this cry of Jesus, one word – tetelestai – meaning finished or‘accomplished’ is a declaration of joy, a statement of reality that no-one can deny. God has fulfilled in Jesus Christ His plan of redemption prepared before the creation of the world, but now executed in time with an impact on the past, present and future of His people for all eternity. God had declared that He would redeem a people to Himself for His own glory. Here was evidence of the length to which He would go to achieve His goal. Here was the cost to Himself in the person of His precious and beloved Son that sinners might be saved, that you and I might know our transgressions forgiven, our debts wiped out and the barrier to fellowship with the living God obliterated –Hallelujah! This cry of victory is the ground of our assurance of salvation –because of what Christ has donenot based on what we hope we can do. It is an objective fact not dependent on our feelings and emotions but on the finished work of Christ.

Hebrews 10:10 states: We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…but when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy. What an honour, what a privilege is yours and mine as sons and daughters of the living God to know this wonderful truth. However do you here still need to put your trust in Jesus? Can I encourage you to take that step without delay!

You and I engage in projects of various kinds. For some people certain work projects completed are particularly satisfying; for young people passing the assessments or exams that take them to the next stage of their education may be most encouraging. For an older person maybe making a last mortgage payment on your home was a poignant moment to remember. For me my memory is directed to September 2019 when I completed the manuscript of the official history of the Baptist Union of Scotland after work over the previous eight years was a great day.

What project in your life brings particularly happy memories of a task completed? Here John reminds us in John 19:28 of Jesus’ happiest moment on earth, in the midst of His greatest anguish and suffering, knowing that everything had now been finished… The work that God the Father has asked Him to come to earth to do was accomplished. His victory over sin and death and the evil one was complete. It was now only a question of when the final triumph of God in human history would take place. The bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead on Easter Sunday would be God’s reminder to humanity that death was not final, that eternal life beyond it in His presence is our goal.

Triumph over the Covid-19 virus will happen – but when is quite uncertain. Scientists can tell us clearly what needs to happen before triumph over it is announced, though none can speculate on a date.  Here Jesus said, ‘It is finished (John 19:30). Your salvation and mine was guaranteed for all eternity. All we had to do was accept God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus to have it credited to our personal account with Him. Our immediate present may be very uncertain due to this virus, but thank God the future at the end of this age is certain because Jesus won the victory on the cross 2,000 years ago.

Our song for reflection today is ‘The greatest day in history’ 

Brian Talbot

Today is Wednesday the middle of another week with an opportunity once more I suggest for an hour to take time out to reflect and pray at 7:30-8:30pm or whatever time is suitable for you in the midst of your daily schedule. There are also pointers for prayer to assist us in our intercessions to God for other people 

There are seven statements attributed to our Lord from the cross. The first three are centred on other people: firstly his enemies Father forgive them…, secondly a dying criminal today you will be with Me…; thirdly to Mary and to John here is your son…here is your mother.

In the middle is the cry to His Father concerning the temporary loss of their special relationship that had existed from eternity past why have You forsaken Me? 

The last three sayings as the time prior to His physical death was drawing near were about the circumstances of Jesus focussed on His humanity. This is clear particularly first of all in the words of John 19:28: I am thirsty. It was the only statement that was centred on His physical suffering on the cross.

Often we can be guilty of minimising Christ’s physical sufferings that somehow it was easier for Him than for other people who had been crucified, in fact the truth is that it was harder for Him. His dignified manner was covering the agonies He went through. The separation from the Father was what he struggled with most on Calvary, more than the awful agonies of the physical trauma of such a death. In His case he could have spoken a word and asked to come down from the cross but His taking of a human nature and flesh was a real and true unity with humankind and so he refused to take any easy options. 

The New Testament does not downplay His humanity. The Gospels record His birth like any other human as a baby, in His case at Bethlehem. He passed through all the natural and normal stages of child development. Luke 2:52 records that: Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and men.  

As a twelve-year-old Jesus was asking the religious leaders genuine questions and His understanding increased with age and study. As a man John records (John 4) that Jesus was exhausted and sat down by a well at Sychar in Samaria. His disciples who were less tired went to by some lunch in the town, leaving Jesus alone –time for some peace and quiet that He needed.

Jesus was hungry in the desert when tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:2). He slept in a boat (Mark 4:38), his head on a cushion when exhausted. Even a serious storm that had waves crashing over the boat which must have soaked His clothes did not cause Him to wake up, how tired was that! He was astonished at the level of unbelief, their lack of faith in Him and in God in His home town of Nazareth following a preaching engagement (Mark 6:6);

He was angry with the traders in the temple (John 2:16-17) and wept over the unbelief of the citizens of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-42). He also wept at the grave of His friend Lazarus (John 11:35) and groaned within His spirit (John 11:38) at the pain caused by the separation of loved ones in a bereavement. He also rejoiced with His disciples when they came back following a successful time of mission (Luke 10:21) and took pleasure in the company of little children (Mark 10:13-16).

Yet He felt a great need for time in prayer (Mark 1:35). At the time of choosing His twelve disciples Luke 6:12 records: One of those days Jesus went out into the hills to pray and spent the night praying to God. 

Hebrews places a significant focus on the humanity and suffering of Jesus. Hebrews 2:9-10 states: ⁹ But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.¹⁰ In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. That same chapter goes on to say in verses 17-18: For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.¹⁸Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. Can we have confidence in knowing that He truly understands our weaknesses and problems? Hebrews 4:15-16 provides the assurance we need: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are— yet was without sin.¹⁶ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  

Some of us in the last few weeks will have struggled with our emotions.  Our mental and emotional health may have taken a battering and we long for a normality that may be a while yet in coming? Others fears for the future concerning our health, particularly if treatment has been delayed at this time; yet others with real concerns about getting back to school or going to university or whether returning to the workplace you left will even be possible? Whatever your questions – Jesus understands and cares because of what He has endured as a human being.    

Out song for reflection as we come to prayer is: Jesus paid it all

Points for Prayer

Points for Prayer    
1. Pray particularly for our governments; in particular for our leaders Boris Johnson & Nicola Sturgeon, for much wisdom & courage. For all the various government departments – financial, medical, scientific, social – in coping with the pandemic.

2. Pray for the NHS and Social Care workers for strength to keep going when under pressure and particularly for the procurement of all the necessary personal protective equipment they need at this time.

3. Pray for the local government agencies working in new partnerships with many voluntary agencies to ensure those in need have all their basic needs attended to, not just food to eat.

4. Pray for the leaders and volunteer teams of the twenty-three Food Banks in Dundee, that includes our Broughty Ferry Food Bank, that we may have the resources and ability to carry out all the duties entrusted to us. 

5. Pray for the people struggling to continue in lock down and finding their emotional and mental health deteriorating at this time.

6. Pray for our educators from nurseries to universities that staff and students can adjust in a satisfactory way to the changed learning environment. In particular the children from disadvantaged homes that they may not slip too far behind in their learning compared with others in their respective classes  

7. Pray for Gary and the Youth Ministry Team in keeping the young people connected with each other and with God. Giving thanks to God for the range of opportunities for engagement on the zoom platform and the numbers of young adults taking part in them

8. Pray for Claire and the Children and Families team as they plan what might be possible in terms of further activities online for younger children and their families.

9. Pray for us as a church – that we will all be “Looking to Christ”, pray for wisdom for Brian & the Deacons as they plan to lead and guide the congregation at this time. 

10.Pray for those with ongoing health issues in our church family at a time when medical support may not be as easy for them to obtain.

11. Pray for God’s comfort for those who have been recently bereaved, especially remembering Betty and Scott R and their family, together with Betty W and her family after the recent deaths of Ian R and Betty W’s granddaughter Paula, respectively. We also remember Eloise P and Elizabeth F and their families after the loss of family members. We ask that you would uphold and strengthen them all at this time. 

12. We thank God for the success of the Zoom platform service once again on Sunday and pray for His guidance over the planning and preparations for future services.  

13. We bring whatever other issues are on our hearts today to God in prayer concerning either ourselves or other people.

Brian Talbot

Luke’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus contains an exchange of views between the three men hanging on the crosses outside the city walls of Jerusalem. The fact that differences of opinion were still held despite the extreme circumstances all three were enduring is a testimony to not only the authenticity of the account, but also the ability God gives to each one of us about the choices we make regarding faith in Him as well as in countless other matters in other aspects of our daily lives.

What did Luke say? Luke 23:38-43 states: ³⁸ There was a written notice above Him, which read: this is the king of the jews. ³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ ⁴² Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.’ ⁴³ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.’

One convicted criminal continued his anti-social behaviour till the bitter end. There was nothing even his friend could do to open his closed mind to the claims of Jesus. However, the other man in the last hours before his death saw things very differently. He wanted to sort his life out with God and so asked for the forgiveness of his sin so that he might have the wonderful gift of eternal life. Did Jesus say’ ‘No chance’ you wicked sinner you deserve to really pay for your crimes, even though the man genuinely at the end of his life wanted to change direction and go God’s way? Of course not, the graciousness and love of Jesus was amazingly present.

It was, and is, never too late for someone to commit their life to God while they are still alive here on earth. Have you put your faith and trust in Jesus? I hope each one of us reading these notes has taken that step. What was Jesus’ response to him?

1.An immediate response today… It was not –‘I hope you make it to heaven’, a kind of holy wish. Instead there was a certainty to it. The moment a person puts their faith and trust in Jesus the gift of eternal life is credited to their account. What wonderful news! Have you taken time to consider following Jesus as Lord of your life? 

2. A personal declaration you will be with Me in paradise The gospel invitation is specific and clear. But to have an impact we must recognise it is personal too. Each of us by faith must invite the Lord Jesus to be the Lord of our lives. It doesn’t happen in our sleep. There is a conscious deliberate choice to be made once the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes to see our need of Him.   

3.A wonderful assurance you will be with Me in paradiseWhen you are a child of God you are never truly alone, even if sometimes it feels that day. To a people going through extremely difficult times, Hebrews 13:5-6 records: God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ ⁶ So we say with confidence ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.What can mere mortals do to me?’ This is really important to know that we go forward into the future with confidence because He is with us. One of most popular Christian songs of a few decades ago contains these memorable words: ‘Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone…’ Is that your experience too?

4. A glorious future you will be with Me in paradise The details of life beyond the grave are really not that important. All I need to know is that God has it all in hand – that is enough for me. Do you need to take a step of commitment to start following Jesus today?  If you do, simply invite God to take charge over your life and begin the wonderful and at times daunting life of faith. Jesus will help you to live for Him here on earth until the day our time here ends and our future is certain. I hope and pray Jesus’ words here can be said of each one of us as we enter another new week with Him, Amen 

Our song for reflection is ‘Because He lives (God sent His Son)’

Brian Talbot

You are welcome to attend our church service in person at Panmurefield Baptist Centre on Sunday at 10.30am.

We meet for a hour long service with worship songs, prayers, children friendly talk and a message from our minister Brian Talbot.

For those who cannot attend in person you can join via Zoom.

If you would like to be able to join with us online please Contact Us with your email address and your full name. We can then arrange for a weekly email invitation to be sent to you.

Important – During the service you must keep yourself on mute unless asked to speak. Thank you.

We have now had approximately five weeks of necessary restrictions on our liberties and nearly four of lock down. Sunday 15 March, the last time we were able to hold a service in our church building seems a long time ago.

I am sure that coping with these difficult circumstances is challenging for us all in different ways. We are aware in particular of the courage of the front-line workers who see at first hand the devastating impact this virus can have on some who contract it and the extent to which medical services are required to help other people come through to a recovery from it over a period of time.

However, I want us to reflect today on other pressures and struggles that can affect our sense of well-being and our ability to relate well to other people. For some individuals forced by this crisis to spend considerably more time on their own, there could at times be an acute sense of loneliness as family and friends are unable to visit due to the distances that separate them and those without internet access might feel cut off from much of what is going on at this time. Let us be sensitive to each other’s situations and from time to time make a point of phoning or making contact with others to check how they are getting on.

 In other cases family members may be spending considerably longer with each other at home than at any time previously. Home schooling and home working are great when it is possible to operate that way, but habits and lifestyle patterns that might irritate us a little, prior to lock down,might seem more glaring under the microscope of much closer interaction! 

For others, the stress of worry about their employment status going forward or for those of more senior years a fear of a lengthy lockdown might cause us to become more irritable than we might care to admit. Finding ways to be more patient and understanding of each other in our relationships is going to be important as we make our way through these next few weeks and months. 

 On the cross outside the city wall in Jerusalem Jesus made some statements in the hours before He died. One of the most remarkable and deeply challenging to us are the words recorded in Luke 23:34.

Let us read these words in context in Luke 23:32-34:  Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ³³ When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 

The context is revealed in the wider passage of Luke 23:26-43 in which some people present contributed some ill-considered words to Jesus. These were words that would have hurt and wounded. How did Jesus respond at a time when He was enduring serious physical pain and anguish as well as the acute mental anguish of separation from the felt presence of His Father in heaven? 

1. The one addressed Father… There are times when we want to give someone ‘a piece of our mind’. This is a British expression that politely explains we are really angry and are seriously tempted to shout or use words or expressions that we may or may not regret later!

However, although we might feel better at the time saying it exactly how we feel – in the majority of cases we would have to admit that this is rarely the wisest course of action if we want to get a situation resolved satisfactorily. We can win an argument and lose a friend- which is not a ‘win’ at all but a sad loss for all concerned.

Jesus had every right to be angry at some of the comments made to Him, but notice how He responded. He brought it to God in prayer asking Him to take charge of the situation. In the situations where we feel the pressure mounting in the coming days, try and take a step back and after a deep breath take it to God our heaven Father in our prayers. If Jesus chose to pass on the responsibility for handling His concerns that day to God the Father then we would be wise to consider the same choice today in many situations we might face.

2. The request proposed forgive them… a natural human response when we have been wronged is to want revenge or to get even, or when in a calmer frame of mind to want to sort things out. The latter motivation is good, but it is the ‘how’ we do that matters! The proposal Jesus made in His prayer to the Father was probably shocking to many onlookers. He was a relationship builder. For us to seek to put ourselves in another’s shoes and understand where they are coming from does not mean we have to accept what they say or agree with the points made.

What is crucial here is our motivation for engaging with the other person. A person whose normal disposition is to seek to end disputes not inflame them will more often than not succeed in what they attempt to do. However, there are times when it takes extraordinary effort and self-control together with the grace of God to do something similar to what Jesus did here.   

3. The reason for the request …for they do not know what they are doing Please note this is not ‘diminished responsibility’, the legal expression that might be used to allow a lesser sentence to be imposed on someone convicted of a crime because they were not deemed entirely responsible for their actions.  Jesus was not saying that the people who shouted hurtful things to Him were ignorant of the meaning of the words they used, nor of the significance of them in that particular context. However, He was rightly convinced that they did not grasp God’s perspective on this matter. They were too quick to judge and called it wrongly.

Let us be careful at times like this in how we respond to the words or actions of others. Remember we too might have misjudged someone! Jesus was on the cross to die in our place as the Saviour from our sin, but in His earthly life He modelled for us a way of life to follow. May God help us to live constructively, seeking to encourage others this week, identifying and acclaiming good practice, much more than criticising something we disapprove of. If Jesus could do it on the toughest day of His earthly life surely we can as well today. 

Our song for reflection today is ‘Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me’

Brian Talbot