May 31st 2010
Good Ol’ Barnabas (part 3)
The third of an occasional series
“And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
Acts 4:36-37 (NKJV)
Barnabas was a member of the elite of Judah. He was a Levite. That meant something. It was equivalent to being part of the aristocracy of our day. No doubt the tabloids of the time ran stories about the doings of these people and their families. Scandals were especially popular—human nature hasn’t changed.
We’re not told about Barnabas’ family. Almost certainly he was married; Levites were expected to marry before they came to office. Did Barnabas dump her when he ‘came to Jesus’? That’s not in his nature, is it? But perhaps when she came to hear about his change of heart and new-found religious fervour, she was scandalised. After all, she had status and a position in the society of that time to uphold. Imagine the headlines and the scurrilous stories featuring the lonely mother and the fatherless children Joses had so heartlessly abandoned in the name of God! We have seen similar cultist stories in our lifetimes.
Did she divorce him? If she did, no doubt Barnabas more than adequately provided for her back on Cyprus. No doubt he also went and saw her on his trips there, as we shall see later in this series, to ensure that all was well with her—especially if there were children.
Scripture tells us to “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). Encouragement may be a duty of Christians, but Barnabas did not act out of duty, he acted out of compassion and enthusiasm. He was willing to sacrifice his all in order to encourage others to stick with the faith. All Christians have opportunity to encourage, not because it is a duty, but because, like Barnabas, they want to.
Prayer
Most merciful Father, thank you for the encouragement of people like good ol’ Barnabas. Help us to also encourage others from the heart, not the head. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen
Study by John Stettaford
May 30th 2010
Beginning Of Time
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
Augustine of Hippo, a Christian teacher who lived in the fifth century, was taunted by the pagans with the question: “What was God doing before he made the universe?”
The world, Augustine told them, was made “not in time, but simultaneously with time.” In other words, the origin of the universe—that which we now call the Big Bang—was not merely the sudden appearance of matter into some eternally pre-existing void, but it was also the coming into being of time itself. So, Augustine said, there was no “before.”
Remarkably, modern science has arrived at more or less the same conclusion as Augustine. Albert Einstein taught that time and space are not merely like a great stage on which the cosmic drama of visible matter is acted out, but that time and so-called ‘empty space’ are actually essential cast members along with visible matter.
As physical entities, time and space can change. They can suffer distortions as a result of gravitational processes. Gravitational theory predicts that under the extreme conditions that prevailed in the early universe, time and space may have been so distorted that there existed a boundary, or ‘singularity’, at which that distortion was infinite, and therefore space and time could only stretch forward, not backward, confirming what Augustine said.
Some scientists believe that if the big bang was the beginning of time itself, then any discussion about what happened before the big bang, or what caused it, in the usual sense of physical causation, is simply meaningless.
But why should time suddenly ‘switch on’? What explanation can be given for such a singular event? There are two ideas. One explanation is a natural one—space and time just popped into existence out of nothing, just as atomic particles are seen to do in the study of quantum physics. The other explanation is that God simply created it out of nothing.
It boils down to a question of faith. Is our universe a total cosmic accident, or is there a loving God who created it for a purpose? For me, the question is answered by the presence in the world of love. I believe that God created us in this universe for the purpose of sharing his love. Jesus said: “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:35).
I believe that purely natural forces could never have brought love into the world, but a loving God certainly could. He shares his love with us so that we can share his love with others. And that’s a purpose worth living for.
Prayer
Holy Father, your eternal love transcends this physical creation you have made in which to house mankind. But as a vehicle to learn about you, your physical creation reflects both your perfection and love for your creation, including man. Please accept our grateful thanks and praise in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Study by Joseph Tkach
May 29th 2010
Lost And Hungry Sheep
“Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord you know all things, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”
John 21:17 (NIV)
Those who love Jesus Christ are to feed other people.
Peter was obviously frustrated with the resurrected Jesus. He was hurt by being asked the same question three times, and perhaps had forgotten that he had denied Christ on three separate occasions. “Stop asking silly questions!” he seemed to be saying.
Christ’s own response is intriguing. He could have said, as he did to the rich young ruler, “Well, that’s great, Peter. Love God and love your neighbour as yourself”. Or, “I love you too, Peter. In fact you love me because I loved you first”. Or, “That’s good. Don’t forget the new commandment to love one another”.
Instead, Jesus uses an analogy to do with shepherds. “What you have to do, Peter, is to be someone who feeds others. Don’t deny my sheep or neglect to feed them. There is always more to do and be than you think there is”. In all likelihood Peter, like any faithful believer of his time, would have tithed and given offerings, and would have laid aside something for the poor as well. He would have fulfilled his duties, as he saw them. Christ seems to be implying there is more expected of his followers.
Who are the sheep and the lambs? Are they more than the church? In Matthew 9:36, when “he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”. Maybe everyone we meet is part of Jesus’ massive flock of sheep and lambs.
Is Jesus telling Peter (and therefore us) literally to feed others? Why not? If we see someone in need and can do something about it, why don’t we? Does it also imply feeding others spiritually because we have Jesus, the Bread of Life, to share? Of course it does. Like Christ’s assistant shepherds, we are to lead others into the green pastures of the Good Shepherd, not into the barren land of futile philosophies or into thorny patches of doctrinal debate.
Do you love Jesus? Yes? Then the message is: there are lost and hungry sheep out there so get involved and do something about it.
Feed his sheep and nurture his lambs.
Prayer
Wonderful Jesus, Lamb of God, help me through your Spirit to feed your sheep
and nurture your lambs.
Amen
Study by James Henderson
May 28th 2010
All Flesh Is As Grass
“All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
Isaiah 40:6-8 (KJV)
Every spring the cherry tree at the bottom of our garden puts on its stunning white wedding dress as ‘mother nature’ plays out yet again the cycle of life. From the ‘dead of winter’ new life stirs and is born again as snowdrops appear, followed by the budding of childhood and subsequent blossoming of youth. The bridal array of cherry and other blossom fades, and gives way to maturing fruit—the seeds of more life multiplied in years to come. Autumn brings golden memories, and finally these leaves die and fall as nature prepares once again for the sleep of winter.
One year is a short cycle compared with the threescore and ten allotted to mankind, while this in turn is a short cycle compared with the new life in Christ when we are born again to life forever. We read in 1 Peter 1:23-25, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
This short life we live is not just for seeking wealth and comfort and pleasure. Blind and deaf Helen Keller once said, “We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.” The Bible says a similar thing in Hebrews 12, “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…..lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds…For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth…Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness…” verses 1-2,3,6, 11). Even George Bernard Shaw realised that the real purpose of life was in learning to serve. He said, “This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” *
Prayer
In this short life, Lord, help us to look to Christ our example so that we do not grow weary, but learn from our experiences to be more like you and live a life of service.
Amen
Study by Nancy Silcox
*Quotation from The Epistle Dedicatory of George Bernard Shaw’s play, Man And Superman.
May 27th 2010
The Spirit Of Hospitality
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Hebrews 13:2 (TNIV)
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the man enter the shop. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t remember his name or where I might have met him. I carried on studying the cards for sale, while I frantically wondered if I should say hello.
In chapters 18 and 19 of Genesis, angels visit both Abraham and Lot, and my encounter in the shop brought Lot’s story to mind. Knowing Sodom to be a dangerous and violent city, Lot offered a room for the night to the two strangers in the market place. He did not know that they were angels, nor did Lot know that these strangers would end up saving his life.
My dilemma in the shop may seem a world away from the story of angels in Sodom but there is a connection. Hospitality is not about throwing dinner parties or hosting great soirees. Instead it is a state of mind, a willingness to welcome others into our busy lives.
So I took the plunge and said hello. To my amazement, the man was a member of my church! From another congregation in a different city…but someone “closer” to me than I had anticipated.
I’d like to think that, like Lot, I would offer sanctuary to two strangers in peril. I hope never to be put to the test. Yet, everyday I can offer “small” gifts of hospitality to those around me, by just taking the risk to say hello.
Prayer
Father, thank you that all of us—of all cultures, nationalities and ages—are made one people through your Son, Jesus Christ. Give us the strength to reject fear, so that we can reach out to one another with the true spirit of hospitality.
Amen
Study by Ian Woodley