Be Still And Know

Luke 2:4 Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem. Even today, it’s not a particularly large town with only about 30,000 people – the size of a small market town. However, Bethlehem was full of significance – it was here that Samuel anointed David. The prophet visited the town on God’s instruction to find a king to replace Saul. God told him to visit the family of Jesse, and the proud father happily presented his sons to the prophet. One by one, they met with Samuel, but, impressive as they were, God didn’t consider them suitable. The prophet had to learn that: “People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). David was the youngest of the sons, and such an unlikely choice. They hadn’t even bothered to invite him in from the fields where he was watching over the sheep and goats, but as soon as he came in, the Lord identified him as the new king. David may not

Luke 2:1-3 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. A friend of mine once commented to me that he wasn’t bothered whether the story of Jesus’ birth was historically accurate or not. He was happy to accept it as simply a beautiful story. Dr Luke, who wrote this gospel, would have profoundly disagreed. For Luke, the historical context of Jesus’ birth was of crucial importance, so he supplied us with more information than any of the other gospel writers. It was typical of the Romans to conduct censuses. They liked to have a clear account of what was going on throughout their vast empire. Joseph and Mary made the long and arduous journey from Nazareth, in the north of the country, to the ancestral home of Joseph in Bethlehem, not far from Jerusalem in the south. The meticulous historical details are of

Luke 1:78-79 “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” There is something very exciting about the start of a new day. I love those times when I am up early in the morning, long before most people are awake. The streets are empty, and you feel that you have the place to yourself, but you know that the day is just about to begin and, within a short time, children will be going to school and the streets will be filled with vehicles. A new day is underway. In this wonderful song of praise, Zechariah recognises that with the coming of the Messiah, a new chapter of history is just about to begin, and his son John will be preparing the way for him. Jesus’ ministry brought light to the world. For hundreds of years, the Jews had been waiting for this moment. There had not only been no prophet in the land, but they had passed through some times of terrible pers

Luke 1:76-77 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.” In his song of praise, Zechariah makes an incredible claim. There had been no prophet in the land for about 400 years, but he claimed that his little son would fulfil that role. More than that, he declared that John would be preparing the way for the long-promised Messiah who would bring salvation to the world. What an amazing moment this was for Zechariah, the elderly priest, who had long believed that he would never be a father! God had very different plans for him. The importance of John the Baptist was not in himself, but in the one to whom he pointed. His role was to prepare the ground for the coming of the saviour of the world. The context may be different, but that is precisely our role. God doesn’t call us to draw attention to ourselves, but to prepare the way for others to meet Jesus. Th

Luke 1:74-75 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. The whole Bible speaks about salvation, and that comes to a climax in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. So, we need to be absolutely clear what salvation is all about. God’s intention for us is to live our lives to the full. His desire is to rescue us from our enemies so that we can live in partnership with him free from fear, sin and anything else that might spoil life. Living with fear totally distorts life. If you are fearful of what others will say and think of you, you will be reluctant to take risks, and every day will be a trial. If you are fearful of medical, financial or relationship difficulties, it will lay a heavy burden on you and change the way you head into every morning. God doesn’t promise to take all our difficulties away from us, but he does promise to set us free from fear as we place our lives into his hands. Sin always spoils. It doesn’t

Luke 1:72-73 “He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant – the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.” Zechariah’s beautiful song of worship after the birth of his son, John the Baptist, celebrated how God had led his people in the Old Testament. Fundamental to God’s dealings with his people was his covenant. This was the understanding that underpinned God’s relationship with the people of Israel. Importantly, a covenant is two-way. God made certain promises about what he would do, and then he expected the people to fulfil their side of the relationship in response. Although he longed for them to live in partnership with him, he never imposed it. Zechariah pointed back to the covenant that God established with Abraham. To show the intense seriousness of the covenant, God made it with an oath. That might seem strange, since we are used to people using oaths in order to appeal to a higher authority. Clearly, God is in a completely different position as he is the

Luke 1:67-70 Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Saviour from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.” The birth of John the Baptist was a momentous moment in many ways. John’s mother, Elizabeth, had been astonished to fall pregnant at her advanced age, but also had to cope with the shock of a mute husband. When the baby arrived, neighbours and relatives came together to celebrate. The big question was how the child would be named, and the crowd of well-wishers expected that he would be called Zechariah after his father. But no, Elizabeth had become convinced that his name should be John. They then needed to find out Zechariah’s opinion and, still unable to speak, he wrote down on a writing tablet to everyone’s surprise: “His name is John.” The great joy for this elderly and godly couple was that in their son, John, G

Psalm 90:10,12 Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. It’s wonderful that so many people are living to the age of 100. In the UK, there are more than 15,000 centenarians, and that figure is about double the number of 20 years ago. However, such long lives are as nothing when placed on the timeline of history, or when we think of our God, for whom 1,000 years are like a day. It is important for us all to listen hard to the psalmist. He observes that 70 years is a typical lifespan, and that some reach 80. In the light of this, he asks God to teach us to realise that life is brief. That could sound sad and morbid, but that would be to forget that every single day of life is a gift that we couldn’t possibly deserve. Facing up to our mortality is actually a very positive thing to do. When we accept that our number of days is lim

Psalm 89:8 O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord? You are entirely faithful. Faithfulness is a wonderful word. To find someone who is absolutely trustworthy and dependable is an incredible blessing, and the psalmist is convinced that God is exactly that. He looks into the heavens and reflects on the awesomeness of creation and concludes that God is entirely faithful, unlike anyone else. I am happy to be the owner of lots of insurance policies! I like the security that insurance gives and am more than happy to pay up, but we only need insurance because we live in a world where there is so much uncertainty. Things break and people let us down, and we need to have the cushion of insurance to keep life going. However, when we look to God, we need to take out no insurance against the possibility that he might let us down. We can lean with all our weight on him, knowing that he will never fail us. I love Deuteronomy 33:26-27, where Moses, like the psalmist, speaks of God

Revelation 21:3-4 [John wrote:] “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Here, John gives us a wonderful vision of heaven. If our present world is characterised by the gap between God and humankind, heaven is the place where no such gap exists. God will live with his people with an intimacy that we cannot fully experience here on earth. In consequence, it will be a place where death, sorrow, crying and pain have come to an end. All four have to do with separation, and when we are in the nearer presence of God, there will be no separation. What a joy and relief that will be! Christians have varied enormously in their thinking about heaven. Some have devoted so much time and energy to focusing on heaven that they have been distracted from the

Revelation 5:12 “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered – to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing.” Life is full of mysteries. The evil of our world is agonising, and the innocent suffer in ways that continually horrify and distress us. In this chapter, John shares his vision of a scroll which held the answers to the mysteries of the world, but there was a problem. There were seven seals to this scroll, and nobody could be found to open it. John wept bitterly at this, but the 24 elders pointed out that somebody had been found who was worthy to break open the seal. He was the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, none other than Jesus Christ himself. Jesus was the victorious lion but also the lamb. He had only won his great victory because he had been willing to become a sacrificial offering. In response, millions of angels burst out in song, praising him. This takes us to the heart of this amazing book. It recognises the terrible evil of the w

Revelation 4:8 “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” During the last few days, we have been challenged by the risen Lord’s messages to the seven churches. They have been extremely down-to-earth and have spoken directly into the lives of those very different churches. We have been given a very clear insight into their strengths and weaknesses and the sharp challenges that they had to face. Now, our attention is moved from earth to heaven, and the language is dramatic and amazing. In this chapter, we meet the risen Christ sitting on a throne, surrounded by 24 thrones on which sat 24 elders. We are then introduced to four living beings, which had eyes both back and front. They had the appearance of a lion, an ox, a human face and an eagle, and they each had six wings. It’s all utterly amazing and quite unlike being on earth, but what matters is that they spent all day and night declaring: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—

Revelation 3:20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Holman Hunt’s painting [itals]Light of the World[end itals] is probably the best known of all biblical pictures. Jesus stands outside a door which is overgrown and clearly hasn’t been opened for a long time. Hunt painted no handle on the door. Jesus has to wait for the person inside to open it up. The risen Lord was standing outside the church in Laodicea. Although the people were self-confident and believed that everything was fine, Jesus hadn’t been admitted to the church. He had to ask to be let in. Could there be a greater tragedy than this? The whole point of a church is that it is the community where people can meet Jesus, but this powerful letter tells us that it is actually possible for a church to exclude Jesus. Churches can degenerate into being nothing more than a social club, or a social action organisation. There’s nothing wrong with thes

Revelation 3:19 [The risen Lord said:] “I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.” This letter to the church in Laodicea was a wake-up call. They were full of self-confidence, but the Lord told them that they had absolutely no reason to feel like that. In a city that prided itself on its wealth, they were told how poor they are. In a region famed for its wool, they were told that they were naked, and there was no humiliation more terrible in the ancient world than that. In an area that was famous for its eye salve for sore eyes, they were told that they were blind. But the Lord hadn’t given up on them. Although he was appalled by their lukewarmness, and shocked by their misplaced self-confidence, he was eager for them to change. His reason for correcting and disciplining them was because he loved them. Discipline is never enjoyable, but when the words are full of love and wisdom, it is a very foolish person who ignores them. I would be intrigued to know what

Revelation 3:14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen – the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation.” Nothing is more important in this life than knowing who can be trusted. It is fundamentally important within our family and among our friends, but it is also important with our work colleagues, garage mechanics, plumbers, electricians and all the people who play a crucial part in our lives. This is supremely important when it comes to our faith. Who can we trust with our lives and our eternal future? This letter begins with a firm affirmation that the risen Lord Jesus Christ is totally reliable. He is the Amen, the God of Truth, and he will never let us down. His witness is absolutely true, and he is the one who has ushered in the new creation. For all of these reasons, the Laodicean church needed to listen hard to the words of the risen Lord. What they received certainly weren’t the words they wanted to hear. Lao

Revelation 3:8 [The risen Lord said:] “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.” These words were written to the church in the prosperous city of Philadelphia. Most of the seven churches were criticised for some aspect of their life, but not this one. They were probably small in number, but they had persevered in the face of opposition and been faithful. The Lord encouraged them that he had opened a door for them, and because he had opened it, no one would be able to close it. What an encouragement this must have been for them! It was clearly tough going for the Christians in Philadelphia, and the danger at such times is that we turn in on ourselves. We just try to survive. I believe that God wants us to keep our minds and hearts open to new possibilities and opportunities. God is always in the business of opening new doors for his people. I love how the apostle Paul constantly looked and pra

Revelation 3:1-2 This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive – but you are dead. Wake up!” I love that these seven letters to the churches are all completely different. Each church had its own history, strengths and weaknesses, and the risen Lord addressed his words specifically to each situation. The church at Sardis seemed to mirror the city in which it was founded. The city was built on a very steep hill and it was assumed that it would be impossible for an enemy army to attack it successfully. However, on two occasions, attacking forces managed to scale the precipice and conquer the city. They succeeded because the over-confident residents hadn’t felt it necessary to have any guards. Their laziness was their downfall, and now the church was being accused of exactly the same failing. The church in Sardis had a great reputation. They were seen as successful, but the Lord knew the tr

Revelation 2:18-19 This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze: “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.” This is the beginning of the letter to the church in Thyatira. It was the smallest and least significant of the seven towns which the risen Lord addressed, and yet they received the longest letter! Thyatira was a busy commercial centre, particularly famous for dyeing wool. You may remember that Lydia, who Paul met in Phillipi and who was the first European convert to Christianity, was a trader in purple cloth and came from Thyatira. There was much to praise in this church. Not only were they loving, faithful, servant hearted and patiently persistent in their faith, but they were also constantly improving. What more could you want? Sadly, they had a problem. They had allowed somebody to infiltrate the church w

Revelation 2:14 [The risen Lord said:] “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel.” These letters to the churches in Revelation are wonderfully straightforward and personal. The risen Lord didn’t beat around the bush! He identified that the Christians in Pergamum had much to commend them. They had been loyal to the Lord in the face of great opposition, but they weren’t perfect. They were living in a society that was full of idolatrous practices and they weren’t standing up against them in the way that they should have been. I wonder what the risen Lord makes of your church. What would he be commending, and what might his complaints be? Your church, good as it may well be, isn’t perfect. It has room for growth, and every church needs to be willing to hear the truth so that it can come up with a plan for its development. Over the years, I have been involved in a number of consultation proce

Revelation 2:12-13 This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword: “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me.” The city of Pergamum was famous for its commitment to emperor worship. It had three temples that were exclusively devoted to the Roman emperor. Although it didn’t have the long history and grandeur of Ephesus, Pergamum was the Roman capital of this region. It was here that the proconsul lived, who had the power of life and death. This was a supremely difficult place for Christians to live and worship, so the commendation from the risen Lord was all the more powerful. Even though Satan appeared to be in charge, they had remained loyal to the Lord. JRR Tolkien, the author of [itals]The Lord of the Rings[end itals], wrote: “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” It is easy to be loyal and faithful when times are good and the going is easy, but the test is what you do when night comes. The Lord looks for followe