Testing Times

Those of you who have read my profile will know that I used to be a secondary school teacher, teaching maths and IT. Testing was a regular part of that life - for the pupils, not me. Why did I test? One reason was to focus the pupils to actually do some work and review and revise the material of the last few weeks and make sure they understood it and could apply it. When this is done enough something should begin to stick. [I am still surprised at some of things I can still remember from school, even from my least favourite subjects such as English lit.] Another reason for testing, particularly as the pupils got towards the top end of the school, was to prepare them for the GCSE or A level exams. It was my practice to make my tests harder than the 'real thing' so that the pupils would be fully prepared for those exams.

But there are few people who enjoy tests. This Sunday we're looking at Genesis 22, the passage where God tests Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice his loved son Isaac. As I have been thinking about this subject there is a sense in which we are tested whenever God asks us to do something - will we obey or not? Ultimately this reveals the answer to the question, 'Do you truly love me more than these?' John 14 makes the link between love and obedience explicit: 'anyone who loves me will obey my teaching', (23) for example.

But why does God test us? Surely He knows the answer to those questions already, without the need to prove it. There are several answers to that question and we won't look at them all now. But here are two. You may have others that you want to add.

1) To encourage us! It is always an encouragement to pass a test. When we have come through a difficult situation our faith is strengthened and we are reminded again of the faithfulness of our God. Through the test we are often reminded of our reliance on God, our prayers are more urgent, and God proves again that He can be trusted.

2) To prepare us. God is not the only one who is going to test our faith. We have an enemy who will do that at every opportunity. Temptations will cross our path. We will find ourselves in situations where we ask, 'where is God in all this?' Think of the story of Job for example. The devil's charge against Job was that if all his worldly comforts were removed he would no longer acknowledge or worship God. But God doesn't want us to go into such a test unprepared. So He prepares us in advance so that we will stand through all such tests.

At school pupils endure tests because they have to. But those who go on into further education put themselves through the ordeal because they want to gain something - A levels, degree, other qualifications. As we go through tests in this life we endure the hardship because we know that the prize at the end is worth all the struggle now (e.g. Romans 8:18).

Grab a coffee and join in the conversation. Share your experiences. Ask your questions.

Listen to this message by Pastor Keith on 30 September 2007.

If it sounds too good to be true...

TV programmes like Watchdog and Rouge Traders drum in the message that if a deal sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Whether it be a special deal on a new driveway or hugely discounted prices on batteries, promises of tremendous savings usually turn out to be horror stories of broken promises. And there is another saying: 'once bitten, twice shy'. When we've been let down, when we've experienced broken promises we find it harder to trust again in the future.

But God can be trusted. When God makes a promise He will keep His word. Psalm 145:13 says, "The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does".

The Bible is primarily a story about God. And through the different stories we find that God can be trusted. We are currently looking on Sunday mornings at the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God made Abraham a promise in Genesis 15 - that he would have a son; that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars; and that they would inherit the land. As we read through Genesis to Joshua and Judges we see the fulfilment, over hundreds of years, of these promises. God is faithful and He can be trusted.

Some of the promises in the Bible are specifically for an individual. The promises in Genesis 15 were for Abraham and his wife, Sarah. The promise of Joshua 1:5 was specifically for Joshua. The promise of Jeremiah 29:11 was for the exiles. But because the Bible is a living word, the Holy Spirit can take these promises and apply them to our lives (although not neccesarily). Other promises are general and conditional. They apply to anyone who meets the conditions. Romans 10:9 for example.

The important thing was that Abraham believed the promise of God. Do we have the faith to believe the word of God to us? To live our lives in the light of what He is saying to us. We live in an instant generation - we want everything now or earlier if possible. God's promise to Abraham spanned over 400 years - it was a part of God's bigger plan (see Genesis 15:16). We need to ask God to help us see the bigger picture as we wait for the fulfilment of His word.

Philippians 4:6-7, the promise of the peace of God that is beyond all understanding, is a significant promise in my life. At key points, life and death moments, God has given me that peace, without any reassurance that things would work out okay.

What promises has God made that are significant in your life?

To listen to this message from 23 September 2007 click here.

Can you have an Online Church?

Having recently entered the world of Facebook I joined a group that states, 'The purpose of this group is to prove that church does not need to be in a building, and its time to wake up to post Christendom!' Clearly the feeling of those who set up the group is that a group of people in an online 'community' can be just as much a 'church', as a group of people who meet in a building on a Sunday morning each week.

Whilst I was prepared to join this group and have entered into a number of discussions I am now convinced that there is no way that this kind of 'group' qualifies for the title church in any way, shape or form. That is not to say that it is not a valid exercise and will be beneficial, encouraging, helpful etc to some. I am also not saying that every group that meets together in a 'church' building qualifies for the title church.

I guess the deeper question is about what it means to be church and what are the minimum requirements for something to be called church. I would argue that one of the markers of a Christian church is that the believers come together to celebrate communion/breaking of bread/eucharist regularly. Obviously an online 'community' can't do that.

But that's enough from me. Get your coffee and join the conversation. What makes church 'church'? Can you have an online church?

Harvest Thanksgiving - or do we take our food for granted?

There are a number of themes in Nehemiah 8. We learn about the importance of the Word of God as we seek to live lives that are pleasing to Him. How the reading of the word leads to repentance and worship. How understanding and applying the word leads to joy. Of how we, like OT Israel are called to be a pilgrim people, a people who are not at home here.

But we are also reminded, through the Feast of Tabernacles, which we read more of in Leviticus 23, that we are to be thankful to our faithful God for His provision in the harvest. But living in a city, where our food comes from the supermarket, it is very easy to become detached from God as the source of our food

As someone who has just started growing some of their own vegetables I have been very aware of just how much we rely on God for a good crop. Too much rain, not enough rain, too many harmful insects, not enough of the right sort of insects...they all have an impact on the harvest.



Let us be truly thankful for God's goodness and provision.