‘Let the light of Your face shine on us…’ (Psalm 4:6)

Read Psalm 4

Psalm 4 appears to be the prayer of an individual pouring their heart out to God in the face of some conflict, or certainly that’s how it seems to begin and end. But even in the context of the Psalmist’s faith there seems to be some sense of conflict in his petition to God. He appears to be questioning why God doesn’t answer – but at the same time acknowledging how the Lord has indeed answered. Indeed even when he asks, ‘How long….’ there is a bold belief and conviction that the petition will be answered, ‘ …the Lord hears when I call to Him…’

Over the years some have suggested that the reason for this is that in the middle portion of this Psalm the Psalmist is actually addressing those who oppose him rather than God; that this is not simply just a private prayer but also a kind of communal prayer for the benefit of others. And certainly when we take a closer look at the Psalm this all seems to tie in.

However, whether it is personal or not, it seems to me that even as the individual was praying to God, pleading for help in His current situation, he remembered God’s goodness to him in the past – possibly in the form of other answered prayers. Even in the midst of the conflict he was now facing still the Psalmist was able to recall God’s grace and mercy in previous times of conflict and that gave him the confidence and belief to know that God would answer him now.

What about us today? When we come before God in prayerful petition are we able to do so with the same boldness, confidence and faith. Believing in our heart and soul that God will answer – because we know that He has answered in the past, that He has come to our side before when we have called on His name.

Whatever we might face and for whatever reason we might come before the Lord in prayer we can do so in the sure and certain knowledge that He will hear and He will answer. And if ever we doubt that we should just take a few moments to pause and to reflect on those occasions in the past where we have needed some kind of help – and how that help came to us from God, and then pray with renewed confidence and faith knowing that the Lord will indeed hear when we call on Him.

Lord, we give You thanks that You are always there when we call on Your name; that we can come to You at any time, day or night, and You will hear and answer our prayers. Amen.

Question Of The Day: For how many days did the waters flood the earth in the time of Noah?

‘For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous…’ (Psalm 1:6)

Read Psalm 1

In a previous reflection I mentioned how the Psalms have long since held a special place in the faith life of many Scots, so having finished looking at the ‘I am…’ sayings of Jesus, thought I would look at some of the Psalms, beginning here with Psalm 1.

Every day, in every walk of life, in our work lives and our personal lives we all make many choices about how we behave, often perhaps without even realising we are doing so at the time. Some of these will of course be the more mundane choices we will make every day, like what clothes we might wear and what food we will eat. But there will also be other more significant choices, the outcome of which might impact greatly on our lives and although they may be many and varied, ultimately many will come down to making the right choice or the wrong one.

In our first Psalm the Psalmist seems to be saying that this is very much the case and the consequences of the choice made are set out very clearly. In Biblical times there was a very firm belief that if you were good and righteous God would bless you whereas if you were evil and wicked God would curse you. However, it wasn’t always that straightforward and we see in other Psalms how the Psalmist wrestles with the notion that many who are wicked also seem to prosper. And even for us today, how often do we find ourselves paraphrasing the Apostle Paul – how all too often we fail to do the good things we know we should be doing and end up doing the things we know we shouldn’t and don’t want to do. So where then does that leave us in terms of this Psalm.

The first Psalm teaches us that our life is essentially a journey and as we continue on that journey we can either choose to walk with God or otherwise, However, as we continue on that journey God will not judge us by our individual incidents, our individual mistakes that we make, because He knows that despite our best intentions we will make mistakes. Rather what God really requires of us is that our heart belongs to Him and that as best we can we try to walk with Him every day – and if we do that and leave the rest up to the Grace of God, we will receive His blessings.

Lord, help us as best we can to walk with You every day and to share Your blessings with all we meet on that journey. In Jesus name. Amen.

Question Of The Day: Who were the three sons of Noah?

‘The four living creatures said Amen and the Elders fell down and worshipped…’ (Rev. 5:14)

Read Revelation 5:1-14

The scene for today’s reading actually begins in the previous chapter as John sees a door open into Heaven. And in a sense what John is really saying is that this scene reveals what reality is like in the Eternal Kingdom of God. John looks and sees that the throne of God is surrounded by twenty four Elders with golden crowns on their heads, possibly reminders of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles of Jesus. Also around the throne are four living creatures. One like a lion, one like an ox, one like a human being and one like an eagle, which symbolise wild animals, domesticated animals, humanity and the birds of the air. In essence, all of God’s created beings. Then john sees a scroll sealed with 7 seals and an Angel comes forward to ask the question. Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?

But no-one can be found until a lamb appears. The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world – and He takes the scroll.

This revelation of the one who is worthy to open the scroll leads to great jubilation and joy in heaven and leads John to describe some of these joyous scenes, including the songs of the angels. And in response to this praise the four living creatures all shout Amen and the twenty four Elders fell down and worshipped………………………The 24 elders fell down and worshipped……

The book of Revelation is often referred to as the book of worship in the bible. Yes, there are many graphic passages in Revelation that grab our attention because they seem to say so much about the battle between good and evil. But if we take a closer look we see that the dominant theme which ties all of these parts of the book of Revelation together is worship.

If we were to be asked why we place such high importance on worship we might talk about a sense of awe and wonder of the majesty of God. We might talk about connecting with history and tradition, about grounding, silence in prayer, fellowship and music. And every single one of these is a good reason to value worship. But in scenes like this from Revelation we are essentially given a new vision of worship, almost, if you like, an Easter vision.

Just imagine if you can, as we listen to the Elders, to the four living creatures and to the myriad of Angelic voices praising God – what do we actually hear? We hear other voices in heaven, on earth, under the earth; all creatures coming together and joining in the worship of the Lamb of God – of Jesus Christ Himself. In other words…we learn that worship is the future to which we are headed…

When we worship we are, in a sense, living in God’s future as it is God who calls us forward to worship. Likewise, it is God who forms us through worship, practising unity, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and love. And it is God who scatters us from worship, to live as representatives of Jesus Christ in the world today – to be His witnesses. So in essence we are called together for worship, we are transformed by worship and we are sent by worship – or at least, we should be. But how does worship accomplish this glorious work of unifying all creation in praise of Jesus Christ?

Throughout the book of Revelation worship is spoken of in Trinitarian language, of God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But perhaps another way of thinking of this in a Trinitarian way, to help our understanding, is of God as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. So when our worship is focussed on God in this way our lives are given great strength and a sense of eternal purpose. In verse 12 of our passage we are told that all of Heaven sings. Often when we listen to someone else sing we can remain a passive, detached observer. But as soon as we begin to sing ourselves we become part of the song and the song becomes part of us – gradually transforming us from within. When we begin to sing words of praise from deep within our hearts and souls, when we allow them to become more than the words which come from our mouths, something happens to us as we begin to sense a real presence of the Lord.

In our world today the term worship is used in all kinds of ways. For example, to worship is to focus our lives on someone or something. But true worship goes way beyond respecting and appreciating someone or something and can actually become dangerous when what we are worshipping is not the Triune God. But when we take our place in this Easter vision of worship, when we join this Trinitarian worship described in Revelation. When we unite our voices with the twenty four Elders, the four living creatures, the myriad of Angelic voices and all of creation…..Then we too become part of God’s future…

Lord, in these troubled days when we are not able to gather in fellowship and worship as we would wish, help us nevertheless to be aware of Your continued presence with us and enable us to worship You as one in Spirit. We thank You for all Your many blessings and ask that You would guide and keep us over the coming days and hold our loved ones close to You. Be also with those who are giving so much of themselves in looking after the sick and the vulnerable at this time and those whose work and service in our communities is helping to maintain some form of normality in our lives. Encompass all in Your tender loving care and help us to draw close to You each and every day. And all this we ask in Jesus name.

Sunday Evening – National Call To Prayer

As has been the case over the past few weeks, the leaders of all Churches have come together to call us to prayer at 7.00pm this Sunday evening. Underneath is a prayer by the leaders of all churches that could be used to begin this time of prayer. The full statement can be found on the Church of Scotland website where it also lists all those leaders whom signed that statement.

Lord, we are those who journey
And who find that journey hard today.
We are those who journey
And long to find our hope renewed.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, whether in our own company or with companions beside us,
We journey on.
Whether sure, or unsure, as to our journey’s end,
Come beside us through the risen Lord.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for others;
For carers of the living and of the dying;
For the bereaved and for the anxious;
For those fearing loss of work and of business.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for scientists and researchers;
For those seeking to understand the challenge we face;
For those creating potential vaccines;
For those advising decision-makers.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for those who shape our common life:
In local Councils and in Scottish Government
And in the Government of the United Kingdom.
Grant to them wisdom, compassion and understanding.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for your Kingdom to come
And for your will to be done,
On earth
As it is in heaven.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

I am the true vine…’ (John 15:1)

Over the past couple of weeks our gardens have been beginning to blossom as new life appears on trees, bushes and plants. Much of the preparation for this would have been done in the Autumn of last year and at the beginning of Spring this year when a lot of pruning and cutting back of old growth would have been carried out. Such pruning is necessary in order to encourage new growth and the result of that is the glorious display we see in so many gardens now.

A large portion of John chapter 15 is taken up looking at this, the last of Jesus’ ‘I am…’ sayings and the message is clear. If we want to grow and mature in our faith then we have to remain attached to Jesus Christ, the true vine. What does that mean on a daily basis? It means coming to the Lord in prayer, reading His Word and allowing His Spirit to work within us to make us more Christ like.

However, at the same time we also need to allow God, through the Holy Spirit, as it transforms us from within – to prune all within us that is not of God that we might bear fruit worthy of our faith. That fruit is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that we read of in Galatians 5:22-23 ‘…love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…’ Only then will we be able to show ourselves to be the Disciples that Jesus calls us to be and bring glory and honour to His name.

Lord, we confess how easy it is to become detached from You. There are so many distractions and temptations in our lives and all too often, despite our best efforts and good intentions, we do succumb to them. So help us we pray to remain attached to our Lord, the true vine that we may indeed bear witness to Your name in all we say and do. Amen.

‘I am the way, the truth and the life…’ (John 14:6)

Of all the ‘I am…’ sayings of Jesus this is the only one that uses not just one, but three metaphorical comparisons and it is also the one which possibly creates more discussion and debate than any of the others. Why? Because it seems to be very exclusive in what it is saying when we look at the whole sentence, ‘ I am the way and the truth and the life and no-one comes to the Father but through me…’ 

In this short statement Jesus is saying clearly that He is the only way to God – not one way of many but the way. People may come to know Jesus Christ in their lives through a whole host of different ways, but it is only through Him that we can have that relationship with God that will bring salvation. Jesus also clearly states that He is the truth – not a version of what we might choose to believe or accept as the truth, He is the truth – the living Word of God. Finally Jesus states that He is the life – that eternal life that goes beyond our time here on earth. Without Jesus in our lives the lives we lead here and now will remain unfulfilled, no matter how ‘successful’ we might believe them to be. But with Jesus in our life God will be able to fulfil His destiny for us, which ultimately will mean that we will take our place in His eternal and everlasting Kingdom.

‘I am the way and the truth and the life…’ Of all Jesus ‘I am…’ sayings it is here when Jesus makes it abundantly clear who He is and why He came. He is God Incarnate, the very revelation of God Himself and He has come that we might find our way to God, know the truth of God and have life everlasting with God. However, this offer of life is not exclusive to the chosen few. Jesus came for all people – everyone – and for all who choose to accept Him in their lives – they will come to know that way, that truth and that life.

Loving God, we give You thanks that through Your Son You have come to show us the way to You. Help us we pray, to walk in His footsteps and to enter into a relationship with You. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

‘I am the resurrection and the life…’ (John 11:25)

Within this portion of John’s Gospel where we find our next ‘I am…’ saying, we also find the shortest verse in the Bible, ‘Jesus wept. ‘ (John 11:35) and over the years there has been much debate as to precisely why Jesus wept. Was He sorrowful and weeping because of the death of Lazarus? Was it simply an emotional outpouring of compassion for Mary and Martha? Was He weeping because whilst Martha seemed to grasp something of Jesus claim to be the Resurrection and the Life, she didn’t seem to fully believe that Jesus could raise Lazarus to new life now? Or was He weeping in anger over the pain death itself brings?

We will possibly never know for certain precisely why Jesus wept – it may possibly have been a combination of all these things. However, the one thing we are certain of here is that in weeping in this way we see that Jesus experiences all the emotions that we experience and shares them with us. In His fully human being Jesus identifies with us – He is one of us. Even now in all that we are facing in these uncertain days our Lord is here sharing our experiences and standing alongside us. And it is important we understand all of this when we consider verse 25 in this passage.

‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die…’ This short sentence, along with our next ‘I am…’ statement, which we will look at tomorrow, effectively encapsulates the entire Gospel message and why Jesus came. If ever there was a message of hope within Scripture this is surely it – that through faith in Jesus we can spend an eternity in the presence of our Lord. In our world today,  where we see and hear of despair and heartache on a daily basis, these words reassure us that through Jesus God has fulfilled His promise to us once and for all and reconciled Himself to us. No matter what may come our way, as long as we believe, we have hope – that sure and certain hope of knowing that we can be in the presence of the Lord for all eternity.

Lord Jesus, we thank You that You came and gave Your life for us and that through faith in You we can take our place in God’s eternal Kingdom. Help us to believe, we pray, and help us to hold on to our faith in there troubled days, knowing that whatever we face, You are there with us, sharing in all we are going through. And all this we ask in Jesus name.

We continue from where we left off in our study last week and in the remainder of chapter four, and then chapter five, we find Jesus quickly going about His Ministry.

Read Luke 4:31-44

Those listening to Jesus speaking would have heard many Rabbi’s before and many claiming to be men of God so why were the people so amazed at Jesus teaching here?

1. He spoke with complete authority. Often in Jewish teaching at that time the teachers would continually quote one rabbi and sage after another and cite from various other texts. Jesus cited no-one. He did not speculate. He did not offer alternative suggestions. He was- is – the living Word of God.
2. His authority was not only a matter of style or content. It manifest itself in great power, by His Word people were healed. Even the demons recognised this authority.
3. In verses 42-44 there is a sense of urgency to go out and take this Good News to others in need.

Today that task falls to us so perhaps we need to reflect on how urgent a task this is for us. How and when do we share the Good News with others and do we do so with a sense of passion and fire in our hearts?

Read Luke 5:1-11

These verses recall the calling of Jesus first Disciples, but what is the central issue of this portion of Scripture^?

1. Here we begin to get an idea of Jesus special interest in Simon Peter.
2. Here Jesus is calling Peter to begin his preparation for his own ministry as an Apostle

Today we are all called to follow in the footsteps of Peter and the other Disciples, however, how willing are we to listen to Jesus as He seeks to prepare us to fulfil our calling?

Read Luke 5:12-26

Why was Jesus touch so unexpected yet so important to these men’⁷

1. Because of their illness they would have been considered unclean.and as such they would have been excluded and outcast from their community.
2. Jesus touch not only cured them, but enabled them to return to their community.

How often do stop to consider how much a hug or simply taking someone’s hand actually means to that person, especially so when they are going through difficult times.

Read Luke 5:27-39

What was the prime complaint and criticism levelled at Jesus by the Pharisees⁹

1. He was associating Himself with outcasts and sinners
2. He was associating with those considered unacceptable within their culture.

Jesus came that all might find salvation in Him. How good are we at sharing that Good News with all people?

It is almost as if Luke is saying to us in these verses, “Listen to the Son of God when He speaks and take note of the power and authority of His Word, The Living Word of God” This Word challenged the minds of those who heard it; they were amazed at the power & authority. It healed their broken bodies; it cured them of their physical ailments. It healed their broken relationships; it enabled them to return to their communities. Indeed it changed their lives completely, so much so that Peter and other left everything behind to follow Jesus.

The question is, what are we prepared to leave behind to follow Jesus?

Lord we continue thank You for the message of Luke and in these troubling days especially pray that You would help us to remember that through Your Son You came to live among us and that by Your Spirit You are here with us now to offer us the support, encouragement and help we need as You share with us in all we are going through. And all this we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

‘I am the good shepherd…’ (John 10:11)

The Book of Psalms has long since been a favourite of many Scots and even today when we follow the liturgy in the Book Of Common Order, there is usually the option of a Psalm to use as a reading in our Sunday services or in the opening Call To Worship. And when we think of the Psalms, it’s perhaps fair to say that the most well  known of these will be the 23^rd Psalm.

In Old and New Testament times the shepherd would sleep out in the open with his sheep the whole year round and as we see in the story of the Lost Sheep in Luke, would probably know each and every one of them individually. Indeed, when we look at the words of this Psalm we have this wonderful image of the shepherd looking after his flock; protecting them when need be and keeping them safe from danger.

In our latest, ‘I am…’ saying from Jesus, whilst He doesn’t actually call Himself a shepherd, our Lord describes Himself as the Good Shepherd and just as shepherds back them watched over and cared for their sheep so Jesus watches over and cares for us. He provides us with all that we need and guides us through the dangerous paths of life that we all encounter everyday, and in Him we are able to find peace and rest for our souls.

Like sheep we too at times wander and get lost, like sheep we too need protection and watching over and like sheep we too need someone who will care for us no matter what. In Jesus we have that Good Shepherd.

Lord, we give You thanks for Your care and mercies, and for all the blessings You pour upon us every day. Help us to acknowledge our need of You, to listen for Your voice and to come to You when You call us. All this we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

‘I am the gate for the sheep…’ (John 10:7)

I’m not a fan of labyrinths. I’m not claustrophobic but there is something about labyrinths that just make me want to look for a quick way out and wish that suddenly a door or gate might open up to enable me to make that escape. But I wonder if we’ve ever given any thought to the question. What is the real purpose of a door or a gate? Is it to keep us out or to keep us in? Or is it to let us out or to let us in? All one and the same, you might say, and you might be right. But maybe the way we view a door or gate is dependent on our frame of mind at that time.

In the passage in John where we find this next ‘I am…’ of Jesus, we find Jesus talking about sheep and how He is the good shepherd, and we’ll reflect more on that tomorrow. But in this short verse Jesus is effectively telling us that he is both the way out of all that is wrong in our lives and the way in to all that is good – life everlasting in the presence of God. Jesus is that door or gate that no-one else or nothing else can be. We can only come to God through Jesus and unless we open that door or gate and enter in we will spend an eternity without God. In Revelation 3:20 we are told, ‘Here I am. I stand at the door and knock…’ The only question that remains is this, are we going to open that door?

Lord, we thank You that You provide for us a way to be reconciled to our Father in Heaven. Help us to open that door that we might be with You and help us also to bring others along with us that they too might find salvation. And all this we ask in Jesus name.