Do not be afraid

If we believed the media spin then we have more to be afraid of than ever before...shootings, stabbings, terrorist attacks... Some have even argued this week that this perception is being deliberately created in order to smooth the way for further protective measures to be put in place along with the resulting erosion of civil liberties.

But of course fear is nothing new. And fear has been stopping Christians live effective lives for ages.

• Because we are afraid of what others think we keep quiet and go along with the crowd.
• Because we are afraid of the unknown our faith is neutralised and we never take that leap of faith and go on that missions trip, or volunteer to help in a new ministry.
• Because we are afraid of being out of control, especially of our finances, we are reluctant to say Jesus is Lord - allowing him to take control, because then anything can happen.
• Because we are afraid of making mistakes we don't explore our spiritual gifts and take risks.
• Because we are afraid of opposition and conflict we don't say 'no' when we should and resist leadership opportunities.
• Because we are afraid of sacrifice we always remain on the fringe of the church and never get involved.

But God wants to say to us, 'Do not be afraid...'. This phrase occurs 65 times in the Bible (then of course there are the 'Do not fear' and the 'Do not be anxious' references as well as many others. So why should this make a difference?

• Gen. 15:1 ...I am your shield... God protects and nothing can happen to us that he doesn't already know about.
• Gen. 21:17 ...God has heard... Prayer is effective because God hears. Therefore we need not be anxious or worried but experience peace (Phil. 4:6-7).
• Gen. 26:24 ...I am with you... Whatever the future holds we go into that future with God.
• Gen. 46:3 ...for I will... When God asks us to do something He will do it through us.
• Ex. 14:13 ...you will see the deliverance of the Lord... We wait for God's timing when everything will be sorted out.

These are just the first five (of sixty-five) 'Do not be afraid' references in the Bible. Here are the others:

Ge 15:1, Ge 21:17, Ge 26:24, Ge 46:3, Ex 14:13, Ex 20:20, Nu 14:9, Nu 21:34, Dt 1:17, Dt 1:21
Dt 1:29, Dt 3:2, Dt 3:22, Dt 7:18, Dt 18:22, Dt 20:1, Dt 31:6, Dt 31:8, Jos 8:1, Jos 10:8, Jos 10:25
Jos 11:6, Jdg 6:23, 1Sa 12:20, 2Ki 1:15, 2Ki 19:6, 2Ki 25:24, 1Ch 22:13, 1Ch 28:20, 2Ch 20:15,
2Ch 20:17, 2Ch 32:7, Isa 10:24, Isa 37:6, Isa 40:9, Isa 41:14, Isa 43:5, Isa 44:2, Isa 44:8
Isa 54:4, Jer 1:8, Jer 40:9, Jer 42:11, Eze 2:6, Eze 3:9, Da 10:12, Da 10:19, Zec 8:13, Zec 8:15
Mt 1:20, Mt 10:26, Mt 10:28, Mt 28:5, Mt 28:10, Lk 1:13, Lk 1:30, Lk 2:10, Lk 12:4, Lk 12:32
Jn 12:15, Jn 14:27, Ac 18:9, Ac 27:24, Rev 1:17, Rev 2:10.

Maybe you want to take a couple each day during the month of August and reflect on them. You may want to add your reflections and thoughts as comments below so that we can all benefit from what God is teaching you.

Listen to this message by Keith from WG on 29 July 2007.

Waste Watchers

What a week. This past week we have run a holiday Bible club for children aged 5-11 and, in my opinion, it has been great. In total we encountered 47 children, which is almost twice as many as last year - many of those children returning and bringing their friends along too.

We looked at stories of transformation: from nothing into something (creation); from water into wine; from darkness to light (healing of a blind man); from death to life; from sadness to joy. God was able to take impossible situations and transform them. And because Jesus came from death to life, and because he lives today he is still in the business of transforming lives. Jesus can transform your life today.

Acted out in front of the children each day was a drama. This was set in a lovely park - the church was transformed using a forest of artificial Christmas trees and smaller garden plants. But not long after the start of the week this lovely park had been ruined by litter etc. But soon those who visited the park began to clear it up and transform some of the rubbish into beautiful features - an old bath into a pond (equipped with large yellow duck).

Each day the children completed a craft activity, recycling old tubes, bottles, boxes...into desk tidies, musical instruments, picture frames...

We were also reminded throughout the week of the importance of looking after the planet and taking care of God's creation.

Tomorrow we have a funday, and then we wrap the week up with a family service on Sunday. At the beginning of John 21, Peter is feeling pretty rubbish - but Jesus transforms him, he turns him around. Jesus' death and resurrection makes it possible for our rubbish to be dealt with too.

Click here to listen to Keith at Camrose on 29 July 2007.

What's so amazing about 153?

If you do a Google search on '153' you will find all kinds of interesting properties of this amazing number. For example:

It is the 17th triangular number (1+2+3+4+...+15+16+17 = 153)

And for those who know what a factorial is we find that 1!+2!+3!+4!+5!=153

Then we find that if you sum the cube of the digits you get ... 153

(1^3 = 1x1x1 = 1, 5^3 = 5x5x5 = 125, 3^3 = 3x3x3 = 27. 1+125+27=153)

So what is the significance of the fact that the disciples in John 21 caught 153 fish? In my view - none whatsoever! It is just that it is an unusually large catch of fish and fisherman the world over like to tell you just how many, how long, how heavy their latest catch is. The significance, in my view, is that there were actually 153 fish in the net that morning.

But worrying about the significance of the number 153 draws our attention from the real question: 'what's so amazing about grace?'

This coming Sunday I'm looking at John 20:19 - 21:25. John's gospel is all about belief (20:31). But we know that whilst we may believe something we regularly mess up and let ourselves, others and God down. And then we feel guilty. But at the end of his gospel John wants to remind us of God's grace.

The disicples have heard from Mary that Jesus is alive and yet they are full of fear - and Jesus meets them in their fear and says, 'Peace be with you'.
Thomas refuses to believe - and Jesus meets him in his doubt and says, 'Stop doubting and believe'.
The disciples go back to their fishing boats and then catch nothing - Jesus meets them in their emptiness and provides fullness.
Peter had denied Jesus 3 times - Jesus reinstates him and says 'follow me'.

Where are you in your walk with Jesus? Are you struggling to believe that Jesus will want to meet you where you are because you have let him down again and again and again...

Jesus is not like us. He doesn't give up on us - no matter how many times we let him down. He knows everything. He knows how much we love him and how much we want to follow. Let Jesus meet you at your point of fear, doubt, emptiness, denial, ......

To listen to this message click here.

What on earth do we mean by 'heaven'?

If I was to ask you what you thought about 'heaven' how would you respond? How about the phrase 'Kingdom of God'?

'The Kingdom' was something absolutely central to Jesus' teaching. It is a phrase that is found throughout the gospels. So you would have thought that most Christians would have a pretty good grasp of what Jesus was going on about.

Let's come back to the concept of heaven.

Do you think of heaven as somewhere you go to when you die? You are evacuated there from this planet. You escape there from your physical body.

Or do you think about heaven as something that you can bring to earth now?

From the New Testament clearly there is a future aspect of the Kingdom of God, but there is also a present aspect (e.g. Jesus talks about the KoG as being already 'upon you', Matthew 12:28, within the context of exorcism). It is this present aspect of the KoG that we sometimes lose sight of.

So often when we watch the news we are confronted with situations that may be described by some as 'hell on earth'. But, what would 'heaven on earth' look like? What would it look like in the community where I live?

I believe that environmental issues are important - not primarily because of the raging debate on global warming, but because God has given us this planet to care for, rather than to destroy. Is there rubbish in heaven? I'd say 'no'. So, where in my community are there areas where there is excess rubbish - and if I clear that rubbish away how does that relate to the present coming of the KoG? Will there be pollution in heaven, leading to health problems? Again, 'no'. So how do my attempts to reduce air pollution and CO2 emissions (e.g. walking and cycling rather than driving, using public transport rather than my car, using energy saving light bulbs...) relate to the coming KoG? And what about the multitude of other ways that communities and lives can be transformed by the people and the power of God?

Hey, it's been a long day and my brain's done - I'd appreciate your comments.

Click here to listen to Pastor Keith: "I'm a Christian - get me out of here". Willesden Green. 15 July 2007.



For more detailed article on the Kingdom of God click here

Getting Dunked!

I'm excited this week, because this coming Sunday (15 July) we are having a baptism service at one of our church centres, Willesden Green Baptist Church. Your first question may be 'what is a baptism service?' Well, to the casual visitor it would look as though a number of individuals go into a pool of waist deep water at the front of the church, and are then dunked by two of the pastors, and then they come out of the pool totally soaked from head to toe.

But what actually happens? Well, a number of individuals go into a pool of waist deep water at the front of the church, and are then dunked by two of the pastors, and then they come out of the pool totally soaked from head to toe!

But why?

There are a number of possible answers to that question but the only one we need is that Jesus expects and commands that everyone who wants to follow him will be baptised (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus assumes that all his disciples will be baptised - just as he himself was baptised (Matthew 3:13-17). Throughout the New Testament we read that when a person became a follower of Jesus (a disciple of Jesus, a Christian) one of the first things that happened was that they were baptised with water (e.g. Acts 8:26-40). The only condition seems to be that the person is a believer in Jesus.

But what for?

Baptism is full of symbolism.

1. Baptism symbolises that when a person becomes a Christian 'their sin is washed away'. A Christian is a person who recognises that they have messed up and they want God to deal with the rubbish in their life, (which God can do because of Jesus' death and resurrection), and that with God's help they will try and live by God's priorities rather than their own.
2. When a person goes down into the water they are identifying with Jesus' death and burial - acknowledging that his death was for their forgiveness.
3. They are also recognising that they have died to their old way of life - doing what they wanted.
4. When the person comes up out of the water they identify with Jesus' resurrection, believing that Jesus did come back to life because he was God.
5. Just as the old way of life has died, they are raised into a new kind of life - where they live for God. So the things that are important to God are now important to them.

Baptism also symbolises that a person is now a part of the Church (e.g. Galatians 3:26-29). This was obviously a lot more powerful image when a person was baptised on the same day as they became a follower of Jesus - often today a person can belong to a church for years before getting baptised.

If you are a follower of Jesus and you have not been baptised I would ask, 'why not?'

Here are some of the answers I hear:

1. I'm not ready.
Not ready for what? Are you a Christian? If you answer 'yes' then I'd say, 'well then get baptised'.

If you are waiting until you have your life as a Christian sorted (by which you mean: I read my Bible every day, I pray every day, I go to church every week, I resist that temptation ......) you will never be ready. To grow as a Christian is a process, and it can only be done with the help of God, and for God to help us we have to be obedient, and what has God asked of us...to be baptised. Baptism is the next step in 'getting your life sorted', not something to be done on graduation.

2, I'm afraid of water.
I don't hear this often but with prayer I have known that fear overcome.

3. I have a medical condition.
Whilst we most often practice total immersion other methods are just as valid for those who for medical reasons cannot be immersed in water.

4. I don't have any spare clothes with me!
We'll see if we can get you some.

5. I'm embarrased or frightened.
Jesus died for me and you on the cross. If we really believe that, won't we do anything for him - even if it means the people at work or school laugh at us? (See Mark 8:38).

Do you have other reasons, questions, comments? Join in the conversation and add them below.

To hear Pastor Keith teaching on Baptism click here. (Willesden Green. 15 July 2007)

Believing and Doing

When you know someone well, or when you spend a lot of time with someone you don't need them to tell you what they believe - you can work it out by watching what they do.

You don't need someone to tell you whether or not they believe a chair will hold their weight - if they do they'll sit down, if they don't then they'll remain standing.

If we believed that God saw everything we did, and that He heard all that we said, and that He even knew what we were thinking then why would we behave one way when our boss/spouse/parents were watching but behave totally differently when we're 'alone'?

If we believed that this world was not all that there was and that there is another life that will last for ever then why would we be so attached to the things that we accumulate here?

If we believed that people without Jesus were going to hell then wouldn't we do more about it?

Belief is very important to John, the guy who wrote the fourth gospel. The whole reason he wrote all that stuff down was so that we might believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:31). And this belief is important because it changes everything - it is the way to life, to eternal life (3:16), to an abundant and full life (10:10).

This week (Sunday 8 July 2007) we're looking at the death of Jesus (John 19:28-42). John believes that Jesus is the son of God, and yet he knows it is important that we believe that he really did die on the cross. Yet, even though he was killed, he was still God, he was still in control (e.g. fulfilment of Scripture in 36-37). And if John's first readers had any doubts it would have been possible for them to find an eye witness and check it out.

Many people today don't believe anything much about Jesus. He is of no interest to them, and they see no relevance for their lives. When we talk about 'doing evangelism' all too often we think of programmes or training that will allow members of the church to argue convincingly that Jesus died on the cross for their sin and that he rose back to life three days later...

In this passage of John there is an eye witness who simply reported what he saw. If we turn over a few pages to Acts 1:8 we learn that we are called to be Jesus' witnesses. A witness simply tells what she has seen. A witness relates their experience. And that is all that evangelism really is. It is about me telling my friends what difference God makes in my life.

The time will come when it will be appropriate to talk about the fact that Jesus really did die and that he really did come back to life - but most people don't want to know about history - they want to know about your-story, they want to know, 'yes ... but does it work?' When it comes to what God is doing in your life - you're the eye witness, your testimony is true and you testify so that others may believe.

For reflection and comment:

What does your behaviour really say about what you believe?
What is God doing in your life - and who have you told about this?

In John 19:38-42 we read about two guys who are described as secret disciples - but can you be a disciple in secret?