Be Still And Know

Mark 8:34-35 Jesus’ breath taking honesty is very striking. Day by day, we are constantly being encouraged to sign up to organisations which can improve our health, wealth or general well-being. Their marketing is slick, highly polished and calculated to get us to sign up to their products or services. They help us to dream of a happier and more successful life and cram in every attractive and glossy image to lure us into signing up. But Jesus took a completely different approach. He spoke straight to people about the costs of following him. It reminds me of Winston Churchill who, during the second world war, offered people “blood, toil, tears and sweat”. I am firmly convinced that living for Christ is the most amazing and wonderful life. I would recommend it to anyone. But that doesn’t mean that it’s easy. From day one, Jesus wanted his followers to know that he was going to completely change their approach to life. If they wanted to hang on to their old way of life, that’s what they should do. Jesus was

Mark 8:33 I have a soft spot for Peter. When Jesus informed his disciples that he was going to suffer at the hands of the Jewish authorities and be killed, Peter did what any friend would do. He told Jesus off for saying such terrible things. He loved Jesus and hated the thought of him going through such suffering. But Jesus would have none of it. “Get away from me, Satan!” was as complete a reprimand as he could have uttered. He then explained that the problem was Peter’s thinking: he was looking at things from a human point of view but he needed to completely change his perspective. He needed to start thinking from God’s point of view. This is an important challenge for us all. It is easy for us to become so immersed in the busyness of daily life and the demands of our world that we struggle to think of anything from God’s point of view. Like Peter, it’s very easy for us to respond to situations in kind and thoughtful ways which totally miss the point. God is calling us to have a completely different world

Mark 8:27,29 As you look back through your life, I suspect that you will be able to spot turning points quite easily. At the time, the day was just like any other but, with hindsight, you realise nothing was quite the same afterwards. Jesus’ visit to Caesarea Philippi with his disciples was undoubtedly a major turning point in his ministry. Up until this moment, Jesus had been preaching and healing with the rumble of threats from the teachers of the law in the background. But from this moment on, he is heading to the cross. These verses, in which Jesus asked his disciples about his identity, are followed by his first prediction of his death. From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, people had tried to work out who he was. They were amazed by his authoritative teaching and his powerful miracles. They also knew that he was from Nazareth, a town which had no reputation for producing influential people. There is a continual curiosity about who exactly he was. As Jesus spent time alone with his disciples in the

Proverbs 29:25 The posh word for fearing other people is ‘anthropophobia’, and it can happen for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps other people are threatening us. The psalmists often spoke of the people who were out to get them. They seemed to be surrounded by people who were trying to trip them up and make their lives a misery. But fearing other people may simply be based on our fear of what they might think of us. It’s very easy for our lives to be controlled by our desire to please other people. We can be fearful of what they might think of what we are saying, wearing or where we are going. There is no doubt that, in every age, it is easy for fear of other people to become a dangerous and depressing trap. But the writer of Proverbs provides an alternative. There is a way out. Rather than using other people as our reference point we could turn to the Lord instead. And when we trust him we are entirely safe for a number of clear reasons. Firstly, God always loves us. However strong our relationship with o

Proverbs 29:20 The writer of Proverbs has a lot to say about fools. They live a dangerous and destructive life, and he does everything he can to encourage his readers to avoid foolishness and to live a life of wisdom. So when he declares that there is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking, he is clearly describing the most terrible disaster. And that’s because words are so powerful. For sure they can be powerful to build, but they can also be devastatingly destructive when used in the wrong way. So what thinking should we do before speaking? I love the pneumonic T-H-I-N-K. Here are five excellent tests to apply to anything that you say. T stands for True. So much damage is caused in relationships and organisations because untrue things are said. Gossip feeds off this. A statement might be partly true, but it gives a misleading impression and when it is passed on a number of times it bears no relationship to the real situation. If you are not absolutely sure that something is tr

Proverbs 29:11 I love the down-to-earth realism of the Bible. It meets us where we are and engages in the sharp reality of our lives. Here the writer seems to assume that we all get angry from time to time - that’s probably a very wise assumption. No doubt we all have very different anger thresholds. Some people very rarely get angry, and others can get steamed up about the most minor issues. Wherever you are on the scale, we all need to know what to do with our anger. The writer of Proverbs, in his typically blunt way, declares that fools let it all out, and wise people quietly hold it back. Valuable and wise as the book of Proverbs is, his short, pithy sayings need unpacking. It would, for example, be a mistake to lump all anger together. Some anger is good. We often hear about God’s anger. In his holiness, he gets incredibly angry about sin. Isaiah wrote of the day when God would reveal his “fury and fierce anger” (Isaiah 13:9). Jesus expressed anger at the way in which the temple was being overrun by

Proverbs 28:27 The writer of Proverbs often refers to poverty. In his society there were no welfare state provisions and so poverty was an ever-present and terrible threat. If one’s family were unable to give support, then a person could become totally destitute. Begging would be the only option. It’s not surprising that many proverbs speak of the vital importance of giving to the poor and, in chapter 19, the writer speaks of the spiritual significance of such giving. He writes: “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and he will repay you” (Proverbs 19:17). God loves to see people who are generous to the poor. It is a theme that runs through the whole Bible, from the law of Moses to the sharp and down to earth wisdom of the letter of James. God expects us to care for the poor, and will reward those who do so. The part of this verse that strikes me with particular force is the reference to those who close their eyes to poverty. The writer bluntly states that they will be cursed. God is clearl

Proverbs 28:26 The book of Proverbs has a great deal to say about fools. Time and again the writer notes how stupid, ignorant and destructive they are. Many of his observations would be incredibly funny if they weren’t so serious and sad. In Proverbs 26 he wrote: “A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralysed leg and is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk”. Another says: “An employer who hires a fool is like an archer who shoots at random” (Proverbs 26:7; 9-10). His powerful descriptions of foolishness are, of course, his springboard for commending the importance of wisdom. Everything in life depends on the acquisition of wisdom, which leads to security, loving relationships, success and happiness. And the writer is absolutely clear: the only one who can give that wisdom is God himself. He teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). It is only by worshipping God and building a life based on him that we can acquire true wisdom, and because wisdom reli

Revelation 21:3-4 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, in an intimacy that we cannot fully experience here on earth. As a consequence, it will be a place where death, sorrow, crying and pain will be no more. All of those four words have to do with separation and, when we are in the 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 their responsibilities here on earth. To use the famous expression, they have been so heavenly minded that they have been no earthly good! However, I have met far more Christians who are at the other end of the spectrum. They have been so earthly minded that they have barely thought about their eternal home. This must surely b

Revelation 5:11 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 holds the answers to the mysteries of the world, but there’s a problem. There are seven seals on this scroll and nobody can 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 both the victorious lion but also the lamb. He had only won his great victory because he had been willing to offer himself as a sacrificial offering. And so in response, millions of angels burst out in song praising him. Jesus was worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing! This takes us to the heart of this amazing book, which recognises the terrible evil of the world but d

Revelation 4:8 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. But 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 – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come” (Revelation 4:8). Through the years, people ha

Revelation 3:20 Holman Hunt’s painting ‘Light of the World’ 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. The risen Lord was standing outside the door of the church in Laodicea. Although the people were self-confident and believed that everything was fine, the truth was that 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, the risen Lord. But this powerful letter tells us that it is actually possible for a church to exclude him. That sounds crazy but it can be done if we put something else at the centre. Churches can degenerate into being nothing more than a social club, or a social action organisation. While there’s nothing wrong with clubs or social action, a church is

Revelation 3:19 This letter to the church in Laodicea was a wake-up call. They were full of self confidence but the Lord tells them that they have absolutely no reason for such confidence. In a city that prided itself on its wealth, they are told how poor they are. In a region famed for its wool, they are told that they are 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 are told that they are blind. But the Lord hasn’t given up on them. Although he is appalled by their lukewarm attitude and shocked by their misplaced self-confidence, he is eager for them to change. His reason for correcting and disciplining them is because he loves them. Discipline is never enjoyable at the time, 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 words of discipline you remember from your parents and others who cared for you. My own parents were very lo

Revelation 3:14 Nothing is more important in this life than to know who can be trusted. Every single day it’s an issue for us. Clearly 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. It 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. And what they received certainly weren’t the words that they wanted to hear. Laodicea was a successful and wealthy city, and it seems that the church was full of affluent and self-confident people. They

Revelation 3:8 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 had been faithful. The Lord encouraged them by saying 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. The danger at such times is that we turn in on ourselves. We just try to survive. But I believe that God wants us always to keep our minds and hearts open to new possibilities and opportunities. I wonder what the door was that he opened for this church. We are not told, but God is always in the business of opening new doors for his people. I love the way in which the apostle Paul constantly looked for new opportunities and prayed for more. In his letter to the Colossians he s

Revelation 3:1-2 I love the fact that these seven letters to the churches are all completely different. Each church 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. Built on a very steep hill, it was assumed that Sardis would be impossible for an enemy army to successfully attack. 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 post 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 a successful church, but the Lord knew the truth - they were almost completely dead. He encouraged them to get back to basics. They needed to repent of their lifelessness and return to the teaching upon which the church had been established. The

Revelation 2:18-19 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 and was particularly famous for the dyeing of wool. You may remember that Lydia, who Paul met in Philippi 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?! But sadly, they had a problem. They had allowed somebody to infiltrate the church who had encouraged sexual immorality and the eating of food offered to idols. It is highly likely that this happened through the trade guilds, of which there were many in Thyatira. Indeed, there were more trade guilds in this town than anywhere else in the region.

Revelation 2:14 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 it? What might his complaints be? Let me make it easier for you by reminding you that 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 processes to help churches step back and hear how they could move forward. In my experience this definitely needs to be done with the help of peop

Revelation 2:12-13 The city of Pergamum, whose church received this letter, 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 and it was here that the proconsul, who had the power of life and death, lived. This was a supremely difficult place for Christians to live and worship, and so the commendation from the risen Lord is all the more powerful. Even though Satan appeared to be in charge, the church there had remained loyal to the Lord. JRR Tolkien, the writer of The Lord of the Rings, 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 real test is what you do when night comes. The Lord looks for followers to be loyal whatever the circumstances, whatever the weather and however great the opposition. The Christians of Perg

Revelation 2:10 It’s hard for most of us to imagine what it would be like to live with the continual likelihood of persecution, simply because of our Christian faith. The harshest treatment that we are likely to receive is to be laughed at because of our faith. But just imagine what it would be like to live with the fear that, at any time, there might be a knock at the door from the secret police. For those of us who have never had such an experience we need to first of all be aware that there are millions of Christians, in many parts of the world, who live today with exactly that threat. And throughout the past 2,000 years there has been a constant tide of persecution. To the church of Smyrna, the Lord told them not to be afraid because there would be an amazing reward for their suffering. They would receive the crown of life. This isn’t the crown of a king, but the trophy awarded to someone who was victor in athletics. This was particularly apt in Smyrna, which was famous for its games. Smyrna has a ver