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Cheerful givingCollective worshipLiving with teenagers

Issue 4 2016

A pattern for lifein God’s House

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To change or not to change?On 23rd June 2016 the British people were given the opportunity tochoose between remaining part of the European Union, or leaving it. Asmost of our readers will know, rather to the surprise of the Establishment,the Leave side won, inviting comparisons with the Peasants’ Revolt of1381. Where do Christians stand on this issue? The answer is thatScripture obliges us to be subject to the governing authorities1; thiswould apply whatever side won. The amount of animosity which thisissue caused was quite surprising, far exceeding the usual politicaldivisions – people rioted in the streets because their opponents hadwon. Christians have the responsibility to accept such a change,whether we like it or not.

Should this same attitude apply to our church teaching and practice?In other words, should we accommodate ourselves to publicopinion, recognising that we have to move with the times? Theanswer to that is ‘No’: Christian beliefs are a revealed Faith, basedon the Word of God, and hence they basically will not change,although differences of interpretation will arise.

Thus the articles in this issue which deal with the establishmentand worship of churches of God set out an exposition ofScripture, believing that to be normative for the churches.Three articles relate to collective worship, denominationalismand ecclesiology (look at the article if you’re not sure whatthe last one means!). They refer to churches of God and theiraggregate, the house of God. This latter entity is somethingthat this magazine has always been concerned to expound. Ihave on my bookshelf a copy of the first volume ofNeeded Truth, 1888-1889. In its first article it refers to‘direct teaching as to that house of God which is (an)Assembly of the living God, pillar and ground of theTruth’ (sic)2. We have been consistent in the advocacyof this unchanging truth.

On the other hand, there are many challenges inmodern life which need to be assessed in the light ofscriptural principles. Some are the reappearance ofold problems; some are the result of changing socialconditions or modern technology. We would notforget spiritual needs either, or evidence of theprogress of the Gospel. We encourage prayer forall those in need who are brought to your attentionthrough articles here.

God’s blessing to all our readers,

From the Editors’ deskContents3 The face of God4 The collective worship

of the people of God6 Habakkuk8 Christian denominations9 It’s never too late to learn10 Ecclesiology12 Cheerful giving14 Insights for interesting times15 Living with teenagers16 Survey outreach

Communications to the editors:

@ editors@neededtruth.info

c/o Robert Fisher, 258 West Main Street, Whitburn,West Lothian, EH47 0QW Scotland

) +44 (0)1501 743811

Editorial production team: Robert Fisher, Peter Hickling,Geoff Hydon, Brian Johnston & Stephen McCabe

Archived issues and new subscriptions available at www.neededtruth.info

NT Needed Truth

is published quarterly by the Churches ofGod in the Fellowship of the Son of God(www.ChurchesofGod.info) and may beobtained fromHayes Press@ sales@hayespress.org

www.hayespress.org The Barn, Flaxlands, Royal Wootton

Bassett, Wiltshire, SN4 8DY UKHayes Press

PeterReference: (1) Rom. 13:1 ESV (2) 1 Tim. 3:15

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The Lord’s teaching in the New Testamentinstructs His followers that they are to meettogether regularly and serve God collectively.Not surprisingly, this activity involvescollective experience of the face of God.Indeed it would be correct to say that it takesplace before God’s face. Although this mayseem self-evident, it is a point that we mayoften fail to appreciate as we should. It wouldalso be true to say that we cannot completelyfulfil God’s purpose in our lives without avalid expression of this collective dimension.In our scriptural review of the subject ofGod’s face, we find much illumination of thiscollective aspect in the New Testament letterto the Hebrews.

In keeping with what we said in the last issueabout the importance and involvement ofGod’s Son, the Hebrews letter begins, God,… in these last days has spoken to us in HisSon … He is the radiance of His glory andthe exact representation of His nature …1

This letter goes on to scale the ultimate heights of God’spurpose in His ‘great salvation’, by explaining in somedetail how a gathered people of redeemed human soulsare brought into the heavenly sanctuary to serve Godtogether with their Great High Priest who is God and Manand the author of their salvation. In the course of thisexplanation we can identify reference to the occasionswhen God’s people approach Him together in prayer2 andin worship.3 It is worth taking a moment to explain whywe recognize Therefore, brethren, since we haveconfidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus4

as a reference to the meeting for the breaking of bread inremembrance of the Lord, where collective worship takesplace.

1. The context and language indicate that it is plural andcollective, rather than individual.

2. The syntax makes clear that it is something we are todo now in our present lives and not something confined toa future existence in glory.

3. It must therefore refer to one of the church meetings,5and which meeting, seems definitively identified by thefocus on the body6 and blood7 of the Lord.

From this we obtain the wonderful understanding thatwhen disciples in the church gather together for theremembrance of the Lord they are able to enter the holyplace in heaven. Clearly this cannot be a physicalentrance, their physical bodies remain in the earthlymeeting room, but it is a very real spiritual experiencewhich they are able to have and enjoy by faith in theWord of God that says so. Accordingly, Hebrews 12:22-

24 tells us: you have come to Mount Zion and to the cityof the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriadsof angels … and to God, the Judge of all, and to thespirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, themediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood.Surely, this is not only the highest form of service to God,but the supreme experience of the face of God, and it issomething we are able to engage in while we are stillfulfilling our earthly pilgrimage as Hebrews in this world(those who are passing through but don’t really belonghere8). It is also an anticipation of the ultimate destiny ofredeemed humanity described in the final reference to theface of God in the Bible. His bond-servants will serveHim; they will see His face, and His name will be on theirforeheads.9

Finally, we make the point that this briefly outlinedunderstanding from the letter to Hebrews does seem to bethe most precious line of teaching held by those inchurches of God and we are richly indebted to ourspiritual forebears, who responded to divine revelationabout church truth, and in so doing were honoured byGod in the giving of this further revelation of what is veryprecious to Him. Surely it must challenge us to grasp,practice, enjoy, love and teach such magnificent serviceopportunities. In all of this, face time with God isparamount!

References: (1) Heb. 1:1-3 (2) Heb. 4:16 (3) Heb. 10:19-22 (4) Heb. 10:19 (5) assembling together, Heb. 10:25(6) Heb. 10:20 (7) Heb. 10:19 (8) Heb. 13:14 (9) Rev.22:3-4

Bible quotations from NASB

The face of GodJohn Archibald, Wembley, England

Face time with God is paramount.

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Imagine how it must have felt for the people who hadtravelled from the far reaches of the kingdom, a journeyof many days, to finally see Jerusalem on the heights ofZion, the streams of their fellow Israelites flowingupwards to the place of worship,1 with the strains of thePsalms of Ascents drifting through the crowds:

“Let us go to his dwelling place.Let us worship at his footstool!” 2

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothersdwell in unity! 3

Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of theLORD…

Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless theLORD.4

It must have thrilled the heart of God to watch that joyousprocession.

When God first called Abram to leave the land of theChaldeans, He was looking forward to the people Hewould create through that man of faith entering into acovenant relationship “… to be God to you and to youroffspring after you.”5 The promise of possessing the landcame with the same provision: “I will be their God”,6 andlater God spoke of those “whom I brought out of the landof Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be theirGod”.7 Repeatedly, throughout the Old Testament, as Hispeople’s faithfulness routinely dissolved into idolatry,God spoke the same words to them by His prophets, thatif they would only return to Him then “they shall be mypeople, and I will be their God”.8 It is so consistent atheme of Scripture that we cannot help but see it as acentral desire of the heart of God to have a people whowere united in their recognition of who He is.

“I will be their God” was a commitment to that people.Physically, He would be a protector and provider forthem, and spiritually, the one who would establish theshalom9 of His people, that state of absolute well-being,the blessedness of God.

The second part of that dynamic was that Israel would beHis people. Their role was to honour and serveobediently. God told Pharaoh to let His people go “thatthey may serve me”.10 This was not physically, as theyhad served Pharaoh, but in worship, which, as we’ve seenearlier in this series, was intrinsic to their service.11 Theobedience required was not merely a condition of God’sblessing but, more properly, their worshipful obediencewas the vehicle of God’s blessing. The experience ofblessedness, of shalom, was only to be found in a lifeoriented by the reality of a holy God, as revealed in Hislaw.12 The spiritual purpose of that code of statutes and

commandments was to instruct their hearts in the natureof God’s character, which is why it so captivated the heartof a man like David. The practical purpose of the Lawwas to preserve their sanctity as God’s holy people,maintaining their fitness to worship together the God ittaught them to adore.

God had declared that they would be a kingdom ofpriests13 and His intention was for this to be a peoplecharacterized by their worship, by the intimacy of theirconnection to the God they served. He dwelt amongstthem, sanctifying the people by His presence,14 and Hemade it clear to them that they were to come together toworship in the place of His choosing, where He set Hisname.15

There was one place particularly specified to preventeveryone from doing their own thing and worshipping asthey saw fit.16 God wanted His people to come to aspecific place, with specific sacrifices in accordance withHis plan for His people.

God’s heart has not changed. It is still His desire to have aunited people who join together in the place He haschosen and upon which He has placed His name, to offerup their worship to Him as a kingdom of priests. He stillwants to be their God and for them to be His people, andHe has made His dwelling among them to sanctify themby His presence.17

We, today, will still find shalom to the degree to whichwe orient our individual lives worshipfully towards God,but God asks for more than individual honour. He madeus a people for His praise, a nation by faith, formed undera new covenant but with the same purpose – to becharacterized by our worship and service to the God weadore.18 God still richly values the collective worship ofHis people, and so should we. We have been called intofellowship with each other, as well as fellowship with theFather, Son and Spirit, because the Lord wants us toexperience the joy of worshipping together, of buildingrelationships around the shared faith, communal joy andmutual hope we hold together. Our collective worship isgreater than the sum of its parts, as we blend ourindividual appreciation and perspective into a congregatedoffering that is expressed on behalf of all and confirmedby all through the Amen we raise together.

The experience of the people of Israel, wending their waytowards Jerusalem at set times in the year for festivalworship, has been eclipsed by the provision God hasmade for the people He has created through Christ Jesus.God has called us to worship collectively on the first dayof every week, coming together from all across the earth,meeting locally in our own buildings but, spiritually,

Worship

The collective worship of the people of GodRichard Hutchinson, Vancouver, Canada

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ascending by faith to the heights of heaven itself.19 Therewe do not approach the altar of sacrifice to present ouroffering to the priests, but our Great High Priest brings usinto the very presence of God, the Holy Place,20 where weworship intimately, offering our thanksgivings for theonce-for-all sacrifice of His Son that has secured oureternal salvation and established our inheritance withHim.

It requires faith to look at our Remembrance services andsee past the very human elements – our faltering (oroverly verbose) thanksgivings, our sometimes ropey orweak singing, the noise of the world going on around us –and recognize that something intensely spiritual ishappening. The writer to the Hebrews paints a vividpicture of where we truly ascend to: But you have come toMount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenlyJerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled inheaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits ofthe righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator ofa new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks abetter word than the blood of Abel.21

We gather locally, across the globe, but we are found inheaven itself and we worship in the company of angels,before the very throne of Almighty God, with ourprecious High Priest present, without whom we simplycould not contemplate standing in that place.

As someone who is part of a remote church of God, it is avery special truth to my heart that the small group I meetwith in a Jewish community centre in Vancouver is, intruth, worshipping in the sanctity of the heavenly temple,together with saints in Cullybackey, in Lumbadze, inMelbourne, in Rajahmundry … each and every church ofGod in the Fellowship meeting locally, but coming

together to the one appointed place as the worshippingpeople of God to give Him the honour of which He isworthy.

In this way we are accomplishing for God that greatdesire of His heart. We are His treasured possession, apeople functioning together as a holy priesthood andproclaiming His glory. We are not yet the perfectexpression of that desire, but how moving it is to read, inthe final chapters of Scripture, John’s description of thenew Jerusalem descending from heaven to the new earthwith that proclamation ringing out once more, this timefor eternity:

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold,the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwellwith them, and they will be his people, and Godhimself will be with them as their God.” 22

Then the heart of God will be wholly satisfied and we,His people, including then the whole of the Church theBody of Christ, will know complete Shalom in our eternalworship together.

References:

(1) Jer. 31:12, RV (2) Ps. 132:7 (3) Ps. 133:1 (4) 134:1-2(5) Gen. 17:7 (6) Gen. 17:8 (7) Lev. 26:45 (8) someexamples include: Jer. 24:7; Ezek. 11:20; Zech. 8:8(9) Strong’s Concordance, Gk. Shalom, meaningcompleteness, soundness, welfare, peace. See Num. 6:26;25:12 (10) Ex. 7:16 (11) cf. Stephen McCabe, NT 2016,‘What is Worship?’ (12) Ps. 112:1 (13) Ex. 19:6 (14) Ex.29:43-45 (15) Deut. 12:5-6 and (16) Deut. 12:8 (17) 2Cor. 6:16 (18) 1 Pet. 2:5; (19) Heb. 9:24; (20) Heb.10:19-22 (21) Heb. 12:22-24; see also 9:24 & 10:19(22) Rev. 21:3

Bible quotations from ESV

It requires faith to look at ourRemembrance services and see past

the very human elements … andrecognize that something intensely

spiritual is happening.

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We know nothing more about Habakkuk than his name,nor precisely when he wrote his prophecy. As chapter 3implies that the temple was still functioning, the messagemust have been delivered before the fall of Jerusalem tothe Babylonians (587/6 BC). Earlier, the description ofconditions in Judah suggests a date during the chaosfollowing the reforming King Josiah (died 609 BC).Somewhere between these dates Habakkuk found himselfin a double-bind situation, familiar to many believersdown the centuries – chronic internal disorder plusominous threats from foreign influences over which thenation has no control.

Habakkuk’s anguished cry of righteous indignation aboutthe state of Judah opens the book1 – violenceeverywhere, internal discord, widespread flouting of thelaw so that justice is perverted; these terms reflectJeremiah’s condemnation of the disastrous reigns ofKings Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim.2 The prophet’s reaction isto cry out (scream in pain or misery) against thebreakdown of ordered society among God’s people.

Habakkuk also perceives in the background ominousshifts in the great power balance: Judah must have beenshocked by the news that all-powerful Nineveh had beendestroyed3 and the Assyrian army finally defeated atCarchemish in 605 BC. Carchemish is on the present-daySyrian/Turkish border, bringing to mind modern-dayparallels with the situation confronting Habakkuk. In histime, Assyria was crushed by the thrusting, new top-dogregional power – Nebuchadnezzar, at the head of theformidable Babylonian war machine. God givesHabakkuk a graphic vision of just what was in store forJudah from the Babylonians – the hammer of the wholeearth4 – ruthless, impetuous, loving violence for its ownsake, fierce, scornful, apparently unstoppable, a peoplewho worshipped their own military prowess.5 In our time,we may well feel that the state of our world is notdissimilar, with widespread crime and moral declension insociety, and fear of real and uncontrollable violence,leading many to despair.6

What is God doing?Habbakuk’s consternation, then, is understandable, asours might be as we struggle to reconcile experience oftragic, unpredictable events around us with trust in aloving, omniscient God. It is that trust, of course, whichlies at the foundation of Habakkuk’s worldview as it mustdo of ours. It is moving and instructive to trace how, asevents appear to swirl uncontrollably around him,Habakkuk anchors himself firmly to what he knows

experientially and doctrinally about God – the everlastingand holy one, the Rock of Israel, a God whose eyes aretoo pure to look on evil7 – to try to make sense of what ishappening. From this unshakeable basis of faith, that Godis in control and remains fully committed to His covenantpeople,8 Habakkuk is emboldened in his agony of mind toquestion God:

How long, LORD, must I call for help,but you do not listen …but you do not save?9;

and then, apparently after the first shock of theBabylonian onslaught:

Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?Why are you silent while the wickedswallow up those more righteous than themselves?10

How can God allow such suffering to be inflicted by agodless people whose attitude to international relations issimple – destroying nations without mercy?11

These are basic, existential questions about humansuffering which have preoccupied sensitive men andwomen of faith since at least the time of Job12 and will doso until almost the end of time.13 Our God is notunconscious of our yearnings, as is shown by Hisgracious responses to Habakkuk’s faithful questioning.

The first response is not what the prophet expected, or tohis liking, because God declares it is those veryBabylonians whom He has appointed…to executejudgement.14 What is shocking about this – be utterlyamazed, says the Lord, for I am going to do something inyour days that you would not believe15 – is that thisjudgment will also fall on Judah. Despite the fate whichhad already overtaken the northern kingdom, Jeremiah

Lessons from the minor prophets

HabakkukA prophet for our timesDavid Viles, Hayes, England

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could accuse Judah in its rebellion and complacency ofhaving lied about the LORD; they said, “He will donothing! No harm will come to us; we will never seesword or famine.”16 A terrible disaster indeed was tobefall them – a burden17 of judgment for Habakkuk toproclaim to the people.

The second response is resoundingly important – echoesof Sinai are evoked as God instructs the prophet toinscribe the revelation on stone tablets to be heraldedthroughout the land.18 This message is not to be ignored,and is as timely now as it was for Habakkuk and for alloccasions when Christians are besieged by oppression orpersecution: The LORD is in his holy temple; let all theearth be silent before him.19 Despite appearances to thecontrary, God is in control: He has …

determined that the people’s labour is only fuel for thefire,

that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing.20

Doesn’t this put things into perspective and provide fullreassurance that might is not right – that God’s sovereignand unalterable purpose is to sum up everything inChrist?21 Or, as Habakkuk puts it so majestically: Theearth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of theLORD, as the waters cover the sea.22 Isaiah had spoken insimilar but not identical terms;23 Habakkuk’s vision takesus further to focus not just on the knowledge, but on theknowledge of the glory of the Lord, to be revealedultimately when every eye will see him and know Himamong all the peoples of the earth.24

Meanwhile, God is not mocked;25 tyrants great and small– whether Nebuchadnezzar, Suleiman, Pol Pot or themany others throughout history – will be held accountablefor their barbarities and crimes. Written on Habakkuk’sstone tablets in five ‘woes’26 are some of the groundsupon which all unsaved people – tyrants or otherwise –will ultimately be deemed accountable, in deservedjudgement:27 pride, rapacity, self-aggrandisement,bloodshed, slavery and debauchery, humiliating othersand idolatry – all these were indelibly inscribed asabhorrent to a holy God. A depressing list indeed, were itnot for the one bright sentence to be inscribed with therest – but the righteous will live by his faith.28

The last psalmHabakkuk’s prayer in chapter 3 is written as a psalm.Shigionoth (v.1) derives from a verb meaning ‘to reel toand fro’, reflecting the prophet’s deep emotion afterreceiving such a powerful revelation. We use the word‘awesome’ too superficially today, but it serves well todescribe Habakkuk’s reaction to what he had seen andheard.29 His psalm, rooted historically in the mighty deedswrought by God at the crossing of the Red Sea and theJordan but informed by the awesome revelation he hadjust received, is in the form of a dramatic vision of Godcoming in martial power and glory with the armies ofheaven – striding through the earth, threshing the nationsin anger and delivering His people.30 Habakkuk’s concernis that this should happen quickly (Babylon fell to Cyrus

the Great a few decades later31) but the psalm points usforward to a far greater and final victory when the LordJesus will return in the majesty of his power.32

Meanwhile, in view of this sure and certain hope, whatshould be our attitude to the darkening world around usand its increasingly oppressive impact on believers?Habakkuk puts it so beautifully in the doxology to hispsalm which movingly expresses supreme confidence inthe one who has promised never to forsake us33: thougheverything else fails, though the whole agriculturaleconomy is blighted by the Babylonians, yet I will bejoyful in God my Saviour.34 No misplaced, unavailingoptimism here, but a sure confidence in which we canshare. It is based on our own personal experience ofGod’s loving providence and the knowledge that thetension between continuing evil and injustice in the worldand a compassionate, omnipotent God will be resolved atChrist’s return as judge – for he must reign until he hasput all his enemies under his feet.35 We conclude withHabakkuk’s simple statement of blissful confidence as heis caused at last to view the problems of earth from theperspective of heaven – He will make my feet like deer’sfeet and make me walk on my high hills.36

References:

(1) ch. 1:2-4 (2) 609-598 BC Jer. 22:11-19 (3) 612 BCSee Nah. 2&3; Zeph. 2:13-15 (4) Jer. 50:23 (5) ch. 1:5-11 (6) e.g. ‘Another day, yet another terror attack’ (DailyMail (UK) front page headline 23 July 2016) (7) ch.1:12-13. cf. Deut.32:4,15; Ps.5:4-5 (8) “We will not die”ch. 1:12 (9) ch. 1:2 (10) ch. 1:13 (11) ch. 1:17 (12) Job7:17-21 (13) Rev. 6:9-10 (14) ch. 1:12 (15) ch. 1:5(16) Jer. 5:12 (17) ch. 1:1 NKJV (18) ch. 2:2 (19) ch.2:20 (20) ch. 2:13 (21) Eph. 1:10 (22) ch. 2:14 (23) Is.11:9 (24) Rev. 1:7 (25) Gal. 6:7 (26) ch. 2:4-20(27) Rev. 20:11-15 (28) ch. 2:4 (29) See 3:2,16(30) 3:3-15 (31) 539 BC (32) 2 Thes. 1:9 (33) Heb. 13:5(34) 3:18 (35) 1 Cor. 15:25; Ps. 2:8-9 (36) ch. 3:19NKJV

All Bible quotations from NIV unless otherwise stated

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‘Great the joy when Christians meet!’1 Even in a worldwhere one of Satan’s victories has resulted in religiouspluralism, we are excited and delighted to meet those whohave been saved by the grace of God, and rejoice in ourcommon convictions and the prospect before us, the hopeof Christ’s imminent return. Here is a brother or sister forwhom Christ died. It’s just where we go from there thatmay require an attitude adjustment. First, where thatbrother or sister meets does not pose an adversarialsituation. The Lord taught His disciples clearly aboutthose sharing similar but differing views: “For he who isnot against us is for us.”2 And while we understand theLord’s prayer, “that they may be one even as We are”,3even in Old Testament days Moses taught Joshua thatEldad and Medad prophesying apart from Moses and hisposition outside the camp were not to be in any wayrestrained.4 According to the Word of God, those meetingoutside the fellowship expressed in churches of God mayhave an incomplete understanding of God’s way of unity.They may also be very active proponents of otherpositions as far as the truth once for all delivered to thesaints5 is concerned.

We live in an age where tolerance of almost anybody andanything is promoted as a beneficial attitude and theChristian believer is exhorted to If possible, so far as itdepends on you, be at peace with all men.6 With this,Hebrews 12:14 agrees, but adds an important point:Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification withoutwhich no one will see the Lord. We neither want to fallinto the pitfalls of tolerance of error, nor do we want todrive wedges between Christians through arguments thatmight be thought to imply superiority of person orposition. We need to have a listening ear, content toabsorb just where and why our Christian friend is wheres/he is, and then to develop an attitude of bridge-buildingso that we might have an opportunity to do as Paul said tothe Corinthians, … I show you a still more excellent way.7

Christ is the great divider, bringing a sword to separate, asHe told His disciples.8 He has separated a people to God,unique and holy,9 but separation does not necessitateisolation. Our separated position must allow for thesincere love for, and friendship with, fellow-seekers afterthe truth that will allow invitations to observe churchactivities, especially the Remembrance10 which willinduce folk to accept them. We are seen by some as amonument of correctness and righteousness rather than alighthouse of truth and love. It is no coincidence thatPaul’s instructions to the Corinthian church regarding theRemembrance are interrupted by a chapter on love,indeed, the chapter on love, which is chapter 13. So, it

will be an attitude of love that attracts rather than acorrectness of doctrine, at least initially.

And our attitude to those who resist our warm attitude?Still one of love and interest and rejoicing in our commonsalvation with prayer. It may be that at some time theremay be a yielding to the Spirit’s call to the faith once forall delivered.5

References:

(1) G.Burder, PHSS 322 (2) Mark 9:40 (3) John 17:11(4) Num. 11:27-29 (5) Jude 3, ESV (6) Rom. 12:18(7) 1 Cor. 12:31 (8) Mat. 10:34 (9) 1 Pet. 2:9 (10) 1Cor. 14:25

Bible quotations from NASB unless stated otherwise

Attitudes to …

Christian denominationsEdwin Neely, Brantford, Canada

We neither want to fall into thepitfalls of tolerance of error, nor do

we want to drive wedges betweenChristians through arguments that

might be thought to implysuperiority of person or position.

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Joe, when did you develop anyinterest in spiritual things?

When I retired from my life as aprofessional engineer, I was lookingfor something to occupy my mind.So, I took up historical research intothe two World Wars. I had oftenpreviously felt I wanted to know thatpart of history better. When I wasdone with that, I thought, “Whatnext?” The idea of studying theBible came to mind.

Why was that?

Well, I was raised as a Catholic. Myfather did his best to drum religioninto me. However, as a young man, Iturned away from it. Then Idiscovered I was still curious aboutmy religious roots. But when I re-examined Catholic beliefs I began tosee they didn’t agree with what theBible seemed to be saying. I decidedI should begin afresh by getting togrips with the Bible.

Was that easier said than done?

Yes! I quickly realized I neededhelp. I searched the internet locallyand found there was a church in theneighbourhood where I lived, onewhich called itself the Church ofGod in Leigh. The name soundedpromising, so I phoned the contactnumber to enquire if they ran Biblestudies. They said they did, and Iwas welcome to join the studies.Then – now this seemed strange atthe time, but it makes sense to menow – the very next day I received amailshot from the same churchthrough my letterbox. I thought,“How on earth did they get myaddress details?” I later learned thatthey did regular distribution of flyersaround all the housing estates inrotation, and this was God’soverruling. I took it as confirmationthat this was where I was meant togo to learn about the Bible.

What in the Bible had you beengrappling with?

I was fascinated with biblicalprophecy. I could see what washappening in the world, and aided byvarious internet searches, I wasbeginning to see the outline of Biblepredictions becoming reality beforemy eyes. I was hooked, and wantedto know more.

How did you come to learn more?

I started attending every service ofthe church, not only the WednesdayBible studies. Starting in earlyJanuary 2015, I began to observe theweekly ‘communion service’ whichthey called the Breaking of theBread. After a friendly coffee break,we’d continue with Bible talks anddiscussion followed by prayers. Iwas listening carefully, andintrigued, and never missed a week.

When would you say you becamesure of knowing Jesus as yourpersonal saviour?

I can only say the conviction thatJesus Christ was God’s Son and hehad died for me, for my sins, wasfully clarified for me as I observedand listened to the worship servicesof the church each Sunday. Throughthese, Jesus’ death had effectivelybeen proclaimed to me (1 Cor.11:26).

How did you learn about furthersteps in the Christian pathway?

It was quite funny really. I remembermentioning that I would be leavingearly one Sunday as I had beeninvited to a special ‘do’ by anotherChristian in the town (who was anold friend of mine). The Sundayafter, the friends in the Church ofGod at Leigh asked me how I’d goton. I said, “Well, it wasn’t really mycup of tea. It was noisy, with lots ofkids, and they did a strange thing:they plunged a guy under the water.”My new friends in the church atLeigh smiled and explained this wasChristian baptism, and then theypointed out that under their platformwas a baptismal tank where the same

thing occasionally took place. Iremember asking to be baptizedshortly after that, once its meaninghad been explained more fully to me.

Would you like to share anythingabout the experience of beingbaptized?

I won’t forget it. I came out of thechanging room ready to go into thewater. I heard the emcee requestpeople to switch off their mobilephones – and at that moment myown phone went off in the pocket ofmy trousers back in the changingroom! That made me smile andhelped to settle my nerves. Becauseof an operation that wasn’t totallysuccessful, I have a slight handicapwith my mobility, but allowanceswere kindly made, and it all wentwell.

Joe, it sounds like you were saved,baptized and added to the churchwithin about 6 months, and havenow been a disciple in a church ofGod for approximately a year. Whatdifference has it made to your life?

I find myself reading and talking tothe Lord in a personal way I’d notknown before. I like to be involvedin trying to develop an interest inothers about spiritual things. Thechurch is praying with me for myex-wife, daughters and some dearfriends – all of whom, of course, I’dlove to be sure were ready to go at‘the Rapture’ along with me. I justwish they shared the interest whichGod has put in my heart …

We pray on with you, Joe, thanksfor sharing with us.

It’s never too late to learnAn interview with Joe Carroll, Leigh, England

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Ecclesiology? What does that mean?! One definition is‘theology as applied to the nature and structure of theChristian church’.1 The word ecclesiology combines theGreek word ekklēsia, which appears 114 times in theGreek New Testament and is translated in our EnglishBibles as ‘church’, ‘churches’, ‘assembly’ or‘congregation’, and ology, which simply means the studyof some particular subject. It’s therefore the study ofchurches. But not the study of physical church buildings;ekklēsia always identifies a group of people!

With such a proliferation of Christian churches anddenominations today, it would seem that ecclesiology is amassive study subject! It would be, if the prevailinglandscape of ‘Christendom’ was our starting point. Ourintention in this article is to show that we must start withwhat the Bible says. Careful study of the New Testamentdescriptions of churches should determine the form andfunction of churches today. We cannot explore every

facet in this short article, but we will look at some keypoints relating to church structure, organisation andgovernance. As we do this, we would ask you to comparethe Biblical model with what you see in your localchurch.

The Lord’s desire for God-glorifying unityIn John 17 the Lord Jesus prayed three times to His Fatherfor His disciples: that they may be one.2 God’s desire isfor disciples to be united in service and testimony. Wheredo we see that unity in the Christian world today? Despitewhat some may say, the contradictory variations inchurches point to a departure from God’s original ideal;it’s not God-glorifying. Sometimes non-Christians willcite the lack of unity as a reason to reject Christianity. TheNew Testament shows us that God-glorifying unity isexpressed in churches of God in the fellowship of God’sSon.3

We must quickly clarify a distinction between ‘thechurch which is Christ’s body’4 and ‘churches ofGod’. All true believers from the day of Pentecostonwards have an eternally secure place, by faith, inthe Church which is Christ’s Body. It’s the churchthat Christ is building, and not even death can removesomeone from it.5 When we read about ‘churches ofGod’, however, we’re seeing numerous localised andvisible expressions of the Church the Body of Christ.6‘Churches of God’ refers to believers gatheredtogether, according to the apostles’ teaching, in agiven place. Such ‘assemblies’ would worship Godand serve him in ways that would testify to the graceof God in their experience. Among several notablethings that distinguish the local churches of God fromthe Body (see NT article by J. Needham, p.6 Issue 42011 on these differences), people could forfeit theirplace in a church of God because of serious sin andrejection of the apostles’ teaching,7 but true believerswould not lose their eternal place in the Church theBody of Christ.

The first church of God in Jerusalem – themodelFollowing the Lord Jesus’ return to heaven, theapostles and other disciples (a group of at least 120people8) received the promised Holy Spirit on theDay of Pentecost. He arrived with a greatdemonstration of power (see Acts 2 – the Holy Spiritenabling some to speak in foreign languages), and itsparked so much interest that the Apostle Peter usedthe opportunity to preach to the gathered crowds. Theoutcome was that about 3,000 souls were saved and‘added’ to the existing group. Here was the first

Deviations from the Christian faith

EcclesiologyDavid Woods, Manchester, England

The New Testament shows us thatGod-glorifying unity is expressedin churches of God in thefellowship of God’s Son.

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church of God – an identifiable, localised gathering ofdisciples. This church of God was devoted to the apostles’teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and toprayer.9

Replicating the modelAs the gospel spread, we see the Jerusalem model beingreplicated across the Roman Empire. You will notice thata ‘church of God’ (singular) is associated with a specifictown or city location and population.10

If the church of God in a city was large in number theycould not possibly meet in one place; we read that thechurch would meet in various different venues across thecity, often in homes.11 Still one church of God, butgathering for the same activities in different venues.12

References to ‘churches of God’ (plural)13 are associatedwith the regional boundaries of the day, Romanprovinces. This demonstrates a further unity – when allthe churches in a given province are referred tocollectively it implies a visible unity seen in all thechurches of God referenced.

It’s interesting to note that when Paul writes about histime as a persecutor of Christians prior to hisconversion,14 he uses the singular form: I persecuted thechurch of God. We know that Paul was actively pursuingChristians in towns and cities outside Jerusalem. Surelythis is another expression of a wonderful coherent unityacross all such churches.

How is it possible to maintain such a unity?

Elders in every church of GodThe apostles had the initial responsibility to pass on theLord’s commands to the first believers. Their teachingbecame known as the apostles’ teaching15 or the faith.16

Paul said that he taught and directed the same things in allthe churches,17 that he expected specifically mentionedpractices to be seen in all churches,18 and that he felt thedaily pressure of concern for all the churches.19

In time, elders were appointed in each church locality toensure the continuity of the apostles’ teaching, and thecareful application of that teaching in local churches. It’snoteworthy that multiple elders were appointed in eachchurch.20 This was to ensure that one man would not takea prominent position, or act unilaterally. Paul knew thatsome elders would depart from ‘the faith’,21 so a pluralityof elders in each church of God was in part a measure toavoid the introduction of heretical teachings and practicesin the local church of God setting.

Turning to Acts 15, we see a further unity between elders,this time extending across provincial boundaries. Adoctrinal question challenged the earliest teachings of thechurches, and a delegation of apostles and elders was sentfrom Syria to meet with the apostles and elders atJerusalem in Judea. After debating the matter, aconclusion was reached, which the gathered group wasconvinced was of the Holy Spirit. This decision waswritten down and sent back with the delegation to the

churches in Syria. We’re told that the same letter ofinstruction was shared with churches in other regions toowith this result: the churches were being strengthened inthe faith.22 The important doctrinal decisions made by thegathered elders at the Jerusalem ‘conference’ werebinding on all the churches of God so that God-glorifyingunity would be maintained!

A brief note about clergy and lay people

Paul addressed the Church of God in Philippi with thesewords: to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are inPhilippi, including the overseers and deacons…23. Thereis no mention of any other church ‘office’ in the NewTestament (functions such as pastoring were performedby other gifted individuals24). Paul also warned theChurch of God in Corinth about favouring one individualteacher above another25 in order to avoid division.

There was no distinction between ‘clergy’ and ‘laypeople’ in the first churches of God. In fact, each believerin a church of God is encouraged to exercise their God-given gifts,26 and to participate fully and appropriately inchurch activities, so that all things be done properly andin an orderly manner.27 Incidentally, the peoplementioned in Ephesians 4:11 were given by Christ for thebuilding up of the body of Christ, not as specific ‘offices’in a local church of God.

In conclusion

The outline above summarizes the early structure andgovernance of churches of God seen in the NewTestament. We have no divine instruction to deviate fromthis model. The New Testament reveals early departuresfrom the apostles’ teaching and divisions occurring.28

History records subsequent disintegration anddeterioration as man’s ideas, rather than God’sinstructions, were pursued. The Reformation started aprocess of recovering lost Biblical truth, which eventuallyled to the re-establishment of the Churches of God in thelate 19th century. Today, these churches, in a trueworldwide fellowship, under the God-ordainedgovernance of united elders, seek to honour the Lord’sprayer that they may be one.

References:

(1) Google (2) John 17:11,21-22 (3) 1 Cor. 1:9(4) Col.1:18,24 (5) Mat. 16:18-19 (6) see 1 Cor. 12:27(7) see 1 Cor. 5-6 (8) Acts 1:15 (9) Acts 2:41-42 (10) 1Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1; 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:1; Acts20:17,28 (11) see Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15;Phile. 2 (12) Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32 (13) 1 Cor. 11:16; 1Thes. 2:14; 2 Thes. 1:4; see also: 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:2; 1Pet. 1:1; 2 Cor. 8:1 (14) 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13 (15) Acts2:42 (16) Jude 3 (17) 1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Cor. 7:17; 1 Cor.16:1 (18) 1 Cor. 11:16; 1 Cor. 14:33 (19) 2 Cor. 11:28(20) Acts 14:23; 20:17; Titus 1:5 (21) see Acts 20:29-30(22) Acts 16:4-5 (23) Phil. 1:1 (24) see Eph. 4:11(25) see 1 Cor. 1:10-15 (26) see 1 Cor. 14:26ff (27) 1Cor. 14:40 (28) e.g. 2 Tim. 2:17-18

Bible quotations from NASB

12

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart,not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves acheerful giver.1

The word translated ‘cheerful’ is the Greek hilaros,and means pretty much the same – cheerful, joyous.But it also has a sense of readiness. It means to beready to act at a moment’s notice, to be prepared.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness beforemen to be noticed by them; otherwise you have noreward with your Father who is in heaven. So whenyou give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet beforeyou, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and inthe streets, so that they may be honoured by men.Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. Butwhen you give to the poor, do not let your left handknow what your right hand is doing, so that yourgiving will be in secret; and your Father who seeswhat is done in secret will reward you.”2

How should I be giving when it comes to the Lord’sthings?

One thing is for sure, the Lord said in Matthew 6 “whenyou give…” not “if you give…”, so we certainly shouldbe giving.

One preacher I listened to recently emphasised the pointthat giving to God on a Lord’s Day morning starts notwhen we break the bread at the Lord’s table, not when thefirst brother gets on his feet in thanksgiving thereafter, butrather when we go to the offering box on the way in!

What is my attitude of heart before God as I prepare tocome near to Him in the holy place? Do I come ready togive? Perhaps as I carefully consider my financialoffering to Him it reflects the condition of my heart as Iprepare to bring my spiritual offering thereafter. If I findit difficult to give a financial offering, if I’m reluctant, orif I see it as a chore or a hardship, is my attitude of heartright in the first place?

The people of Malachi’s day certainly saw it as a chore.

“You also say,‘Oh, what a weariness!’

And you sneer at it,”Says the LORD of hosts.“And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;Thus you bring an offering!Should I accept this from your hand?”Says the LORD.” 3

We shudder at the lazy, selfish attitude of the people inMalachi’s day. “Oh, what a weariness!” they said, thatthey should have to give to the Lord of Hosts – and sothey brought whatever they didn’t really want themselves,thinking that would be good enough for Him. A tokengesture if ever there was one.

Is that how “the LORD, the God of all flesh”4 deserves tobe treated? Is that how He treated us when He ... did notspare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all.5

The Lord encourages us to be ‘cheerful givers’, and Isuppose if we really took the time to consider whom weultimately give to, then it would gladden our hearts to theextent that we’d commit to extend our giving to Him stillfurther.

We can give to Him by giving to those we see who are inneed:

“for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirstyand you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and youtook Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I wassick and you visited Me; I was in prison and youcame to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him,saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feedYou, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we seeYou a stranger and take You in, or naked and clotheYou? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, andcome to You?’ And the King will answer and say tothem, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you didit to one of the least of these My brethren, you did itto Me.’” 6

Faith without works is dead, the book of James illustrateson several occasions.7 Here is an opportunity todemonstrate both faith and works, by the denying ofourselves and instead being ready to give of what we haveto Him through providing for others.

Giving

Cheerful givingLennie Shaw, Swindon, England

Each one must give as he hasdecided in his heart, notreluctantly or under compulsion,for God loves a cheerful giver.

13

Consider what Paul says about the churches inMacedonia, surely the blueprint for ‘cheerful givers’.

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the graceof God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: thatin a great trial of affliction the abundance of theirjoy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches oftheir liberality. For I bear witness that according totheir ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they werefreely willing, imploring us with much urgency thatwe would receive the gift and the fellowship of theministering to the saints. And not only as we hadhoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord,and then to us by the will of God.8

Despite the great trial of affliction there was anabundance of their joy in their willingness to go beyondthat which they were able to give.

Going beyond that of which we are naturally able is aGod-given ability. People often talk of giving 110% to atask or a sport, but that’s just motivational hyperbole.

Going beyond our ability in God’s things is very real,however. Of ourselves we are constrained by our humanfailings and weaknesses, but to go beyond our ability inthe service of the Lord, in whatever area He calls us to beengaged, is something that is entirely reachable by thehelp of the Spirit that indwells us.

I don’t think there’s any coincidence that Paul says thatthey first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us. Thecheerful giver has already given himself/herself to theLord, that’s why they can rejoice in their giving, becauseall that we have is His, given to us by His gracious hand,and so we rejoice to give back to Him of what He hasprovided. These people didn’t consider what they had, interms of material possessions, or finances, to beparticularly important at all, but rather they found theirjoy in the service of their God.

Some nowadays might say they were naive, but in a worldthat is mired in unhappiness, hatred, selfishness and sin,give me their kind of joy every time!

The condition of readiness is surely crucial. If I’m tooattached to my money – or my time for that matter – if I

give material possessions a higher place than they shouldhave, then I won’t be ready to act at a moment’s notice togive them to the Lord.

Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him whotakes away your goods do not ask them back.9

Again, many may be horrified at the thought of giving tosomeone who asks, and not seeing anything in return. Itgoes against everything our selfish culture teaches us, butthat was the experience of the Lord on so many occasions.

Whether it was healing those who were brought to Him,or teaching the multitudes for hours on end until He wasexhausted, His life was all about giving to those whoasked of Him, until He finally gave everything at Calvary.

What did the Lord say to the rich young ruler in Luke 18?

So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “Youstill lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute tothe poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come,follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became verysorrowful, for he was very rich.10

Does the Lord ask us each to sell all that we have too?No, I don’t believe so, but I do believe that He washighlighting this man’s priorities. He wasn’t just rich, hewas very rich. Money was clearly his god, and the Lord,as He often did, put His finger right on the problem. Thepromise of future treasure in heaven wasn’t enough tocomfort this rich man, he was all about the riches of todayand so, tragically, he went away sorrowful. The NIV putsit: he went away sad, because he had…11. This stands incontrast to the cheerful giver who is already inclined togive to God and to others.

Perhaps it’s helpful for us, in considering how we caneach be a cheerful giver, to remember just what we owe.To quote Romans 8:32 again: He who did not spare hisown Son but gave him up for us all, how will He not alsowith Him graciously give us all things? The ‘all things’here refers to peace, joy and purpose in this life, andsalvation for eternity.

A monetary donation, or even the giving of our precioustime to someone who needs us, is nothing compared to all

we receive because of Jesus’ sacrifice.

References:

(1) 2 Cor. 9:7, ESV (2) Mat. 6:1-4, NASB(3) Mal. 1:13 (4) Jer. 32:27 (5) Rom. 8:32 ESV(6) Mat. 25:35-40 (7) Jas. 2:18-26 (8) 2 Cor. 8:1-5(9) Luke 6:30 (10) Luke 18:22-23 (11) Mat. 19:22NIV

Bible quotations from NKJV unless otherwisestated

The condition of readinessis surely crucial.

14

2016 has been quite a tumultuous one in the politicalworld, hasn’t it?

The vote for Brexit in the UK sent reverberations aroundthe world as uncertainty and instability loomed. On theother side of the pond, the US Presidential campaign, withthe principal party contenders both drawing out the bile oftheir opponents, is drawing to a close.

There are at least five trends evident in all that’s beenhappening. It’s not difficult to see how they mightcombine to make fertile ground for a coming Antichrist,but let us focus on how we, as Christians, should bevigilant to make sure we are not negatively impacted byany of them.

The blurring of truth – ‘fact-checkers’ are now engagedto scrutinise what political candidates are saying foraccuracy. Untruths, half-truths and twisted truth seem tobe the norm. Facts are regularly manipulated or taken outof context. Christians must be careful not to fall into thistrap. When engaging in discussion, it can sometimes betempting to cherry-pick isolated verses which appear tosupport our case and yet are not consistent with theoverall teaching of Scripture. We should guard againstthis – are we rightly handling the word of truth1?

Increased scepticism – it was a former UK GovernmentMinister, Michael Gove, who suggested that people havebecome tired of listening to experts when it comes tomaking decisions. Apart from a lack of trust, underlyingthis scepticism seems to be a dislike of being told what todo. In our own context, God uses the ministry of giftedbrothers to dispense His expert advice and individuallywe obtain it through fellow saints and our own reading ofthe Word. We have to guard against what is effectivelyspiritual scepticism. Are we listening? Or, better still, arewe ‘hearkening’ (that old English word which carries thethought of listening with a view to obedientaction2)? We should – God’s advice has neverbeen wrong!

New and radical solutions – whether it’sbuilding a wall across the length of an entirecountry, or voting in leaders previouslythought unelectable, it seems that anything ison the table these days in order to change thestatus quo. Problems in some of our churchesrightly evoke a call for action. But the faith(the body of teaching given to, and taught by,the apostles) that was once for all entrusted tous3 has not changed – and any changes wemake to respond to the world must stilluphold it. We need to ask God for wisdom todo that successfully, don’t we?4

An intolerance and suspicion of ‘difference’– neither the stereotyping of those of certain

religions, nor the mistrust of anybody who is not deemedto be ‘one of us’ are new. Perhaps one of the roots of thisis simply a lack of understanding and overlooking,sometimes deliberately and enthusiastically, what unitesin order to focus on what divides. As Christians, weshould certainly aim to avoid this behaviour towardsthose who the New Testament refers to as ‘outsiders’,5 butthe same is true of ‘insiders’ – those in the church. Iremember a corporate team-building exercise where eachparticipant was asked what our company would be like ifevery employee was a clone of himself – surely only themost egotistical would claim it would be successful andwell-balanced! Praise God that everyone else in mychurch is not a carbon copy of me! That’s no accident,and we need to take the time to understand and appreciateour differences – of opinion, perspective and approach –and how God can use them to his glory and ourupbuilding.6

The blame game – the humble, heartfelt apology seemsto have almost disappeared from public life. Instead, theblame is apportioned to anyone or anything else, or elsefault is completely denied or avoided. It may be thatleaders do not trust the public to accept the apology andtruly forgive them, perhaps because of the unrealisticexpectations we place upon them – and that in itself isfood for thought. Neither the issuance of an apology(which we may find embarrassing) nor the acceptance ofone (when we might rather hold a grudge, or have causeto doubt the sincerity of it) is an easy task, but a verynecessary one if our churches and personal relationshipsare going to function as God desires.7

References: (1) 2 Tim. 2:15 ESV (2) E.g. Jer. 26:4-5(3) Jude 3 NIV (4) cf. Acts 17:21; 2 Thes. 2:15 (5) e.g.Col. 4:5 (6) 1 Cor. 12:4-7; Rom. 14:13,19 (7) Eph. 4:32;Col. 3:13; Mat. 5:24

Insights for interesting timesMartin Jones, Hamilton, Canada

15

Living with …

TeenagersTony & Val Scotchbrook, Leicester, England

… or as we call it – surviving with teenagers! After 37years, having fostered over 50 children (mostly longterm), we finally retired in July 2014. During our‘careers’ we had the privilege of fostering teenagers andthose ‘training’ to be teenagers. Our challenges includedhelping them to cope with anger, frustration,physical/emotional/sexual abuse, deep anxiety/sadness,lack of social skills, dysfunctional relationships andmuch more besides.

So why, after guiding our own children through theirteenage years and surviving all the shoulder shrugs andeye rolling, would we want to repeat this experiencemany times over, with added layers of accountability?Well, the hours are indeed long, but the rewards are trulysatisfying. Some positive outcomes are known early on,but often the rewards come many years later, so we nevergive up. For some of ‘our’ teenagers it has meant themhaving their own children before they understood whywe had used the “No” word so often and before theyfinally realized we really weren’t trying to ruin their livescompletely after all!

At times it has been like being on a roller coaster ridewithout brakes – and with no safety bar on! However, thereality is we were never without our safety bar –thankfully help was always just a prayer away 24/7. Wewould like to take credit for brilliant outcomes whenhandling difficult situations, but we can’t, as weabsolutely know without a doubt that such inspirationand intervention came from God. This shouldn’t besurprising, as He has a deep love of all children.1 We alsoacknowledge that He has kept us safe throughout.

Yes, I do love you despite not liking what you’redoingWhile making it clear we didn’t like some things said ordone, this didn’t mean we didn’t love the young peoplewe fostered. We always tried to reassure them that, nomatter what, we would be there for them. When hurtfulthings are said it can be difficult to de-personalise it inorder to stand back and rationalise a situation. Quiteoften the anger isn’t against the recipient of it.Exasperated, I once asked a 17 year-old why he was soangry with me after his dad had let him down. Hisanswer was: there was no point in being angry with hisdad because his dad didn’t care, so he would be wastinghis time.

Many times we felt little regard was being taken of howwe lived our family life, but years later there’s evidencethat some now have the skills to keep their own familyunit together, thus breaking their generational familychain, which led them into the care system. Never

underestimate the power of prayerful intercession foryour children.

Each person is unique and entered our family, many afterspending formative years in a vastly differentenvironment. Far too many had not been nurtured, noreven had basic human love shown towards them.Imagine the joy that was ours of witnessing theincredulity of a teenager who hasn’t known affection,when he/she first becomes aware that God really doeslove them and His love is unconditional.

The runners – letting goOne summer we had a 13-year-old ‘runner’. At home hehad been able to come in at all hours as his mother had aheroin dependency and was unable to set any boundaries.Despite a child-lock on his bedroom window, he would‘escape’ down the drainpipe after going to bed.

How did we handle this? Well, we couldn’t remove thedrainpipe so, during a calm discussion, we told him thatevery time he ‘ran’ we would lock him out, as we had toknow if/when he came home. This enabled us to ring theduty social worker and the police and go to bed. Hedidn’t like this at all, as it meant having to ring thedoorbell to be let back in and he complained bitterly tohis social worker about his rights (to no avail). At times,he would pull faces at us through the downstairs windowbefore running off down the road. So it was also agreedthat we would not chase him, as the reality was that wewouldn’t catch him and if we had caught him – whatthen? There was no way we could physically get himback to the house. Apart from this, we had a goodrelationship with him. It wasn’t personal against us – hejust found it difficult to adjust to having boundaries.

Our own children may not physically run, but mayemotionally distance themselves. Sometimes, prayerfully,we may have no alternative but to step back and let themgo. This is never easy. As long as we lovingly let themknow that – ‘When you are ready, don’t hesitate to comeback because we are here for you and no matter what,will always try to help you sort things out.’ After all,isn’t that what the Lord taught in His dramatic story ofthe prodigal son2?

References: (1) Luke 18:16 (2) Luke 15:11-24

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How do you open a conversation about the LordJesus?

It can be hard enough talking to our family andfriends about Him when they are not interested inspiritual things, but even more so when we try toreach out to people around us more generally.

When evangelist Malcolm Macdonald moved toBuckhaven, my assembly at that time, he introducedme to the idea of a door-to-door survey. A list ofquestions was prepared and we went round speakingto those who lived in the area about things thatmattered to them. Malcolm, with his sense ofhumour, was a master of getting people to relax inthe first few seconds and he could always hearsomething in what they said that made a connection.Within a fortnight, I had had more opportunities toshare the gospel with people than I had in severalyears of leafletting that area! People are usually morekeen to tell you what they think, than to listen to you,and the survey gives them confidence that you aregoing to listen to their views. As they see that agenuine conversation is happening and not a salespitch, they often become willing to give you theirattention. A survey can be done in two minutes, butoften people have chatted for forty minutes or more.An important question is “Would you like the resultsof the survey?” giving opportunity for another visitand a chance to get to know the person a bit more.

We have used the survey in different ways fordifferent purposes. The church in Edinburgh waskeen to find a use for their newly refurbished hallthat would benefit the community and make contactwith them. A survey revealed that although therewere many mums and toddlers groups in the area,they all closed during the holidays. Edinburghchurch folks resolved to be the one that would beopen then! In Paisley we used it to ask those whodon’t believe in God what the biggest barriers tobelief were. We used their answers to determine thesubjects for our well-attended ‘Big Questions’course, including, ‘Why does God allow suffering?’and ‘Hasn’t religion caused all the wars?’

In Coatbridge we took a more overtly evangelisticapproach, asking people directly about their beliefs,again feeding into people attending a Biblediscussion course. In Kirkintilloch I recently did afive-question version, explaining that we were keen

to get a picture of what people in the town believed.We asked 200 people the following questions withthe results given here:1. Do you believe there is a God?

Yes 71% No 15% Unsure 14%2. Do you believe Jesus really lived?

Yes 82% No 4% Unsure 14%3. Do you believe He is alive now?

Yes 36% No 47% Unsure 17%4. Do you believe in heaven?

Yes 60% No 14 % Unsure 26%5. If so, do you feel sure you are going there?

Yes 28% No 23% Unsure 49%These last two questions really made people think.Fewer than half of those who believed in heavencould say they were sure of going there. How sad! Atjust about every doorstep it gave an opportunity toexplain that we can be absolutely certain by puttingour trust in the Saviour. As John puts it: I write thesethings to you who believe in the name of the Son ofGod that you may know that you have eternal life.1

After the results were distributed, I revisited these200 homes and gave out an excellent booklet called‘No Longer Hoping’. It is written by a formerCatholic who said that both he and his friend, aProtestant, had only been able to say they hoped theywere going to heaven but having both come to apersonal faith in the Saviour could now sayconfidently, “I know.”In terms of people coming to events organised by thechurch, results were small, but when we askedourselves, “When did we last have opportunity toshare the gospel meaningfully with 200 people?” wecertainly felt that this had been a worthwhile activity.References: (1) 1 John 5:13 ESV

Mission

Survey outreachKarl Smith, Kirkintilloch, Scotland