Worship that warms Praying in the Name Jealousy...2017/07/03  · worship experience.7 This resonates wonderfully with the encouragement of Hebrews 13:15, for us to continually offer

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Worship that warmsPraying in the Name

Jealousy

Issue 3 2018

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Therefore … like newborn babies,crave pure spiritual milk.1

With the word ‘therefore’, theapostle Peter is linking the end ofchapter one with the start of chaptertwo of his first letter, and he isencouraging us to compare our newspiritual birth with the natural birthof a baby. Our new birth comesthrough the Word of God as it playsa vital role in our life. We are bornagain of seed that is imperishable,through the living and enduringword of God.2 This seed will grow ifnurtured in the right conditions and,unlike grass and flowers that willwither and fall, the life producedfrom this seed is permanent, as theseed producing it endures forever.3

So how are we to be like a newbornbaby? We can begin to understandhow Nicodemus must have felt whenhe asked, “How can this be?”4

We’ve all heard the noise of anewborn baby: whether in our home,at a coffee shop or in thesupermarket, there is thatunmistakable, high-pitched cry. Oneof the reasons why the baby might becrying is that it is hungry.

Do you remember the daysimmediately following yourconversion, how you hated all thatwas sinful and how you thirsted forrighteousness?5

As the deer pants for streams ofwater,

so my soul pants for you, my God.My soul thirsts for God, for the

living God.6

Do we crave spiritual milk as weused to? Maybe we need to re-examine our taste, desire andyearning for the Word of God. Theproblem is, as we grow older thefiltering of the world and its noisehas a detrimental effect on oursenses.

The mother’s milk for her newbornis perfectly designed as the idealfood, nourishing the baby for growthand immunising it against manyillnesses. Similarly, the Word of Godnourishes us as we grow inaccordance with our salvation7 andprotects Christians (who read it)from spiritual malaise. In thiscontext, the spiritual milk is also forthose advanced in learning and notonly to be given when we feel we’reready for it.8 For even the mostadvanced among us in knowledgeand attainment, are newborn babiesin comparison with what we shall beone day: ‘Nobody ever outgrowsScripture; the book widens anddeepens with our years.’9

Growth is exciting. How many havegrowth charts for their children on adoorframe of their home, showingtheir previous heights with thecorresponding date? The children getexcited to see how they’ve grown.So, too, should God’s children. Weshould be excited if, indeed, we have‘tasted’ that the Lord is good.10 Forthis is what the new birth gives us: anew taste.

When Jonathan and the Israelitearmy were pursuing the Philistinesthrough a wood, he came acrosssome honey. Tired from the pursuit,the men’s strength was failing. King

Saul had decided that the armyshould not rest until their enemy wasavenged. However, Jonathan,without knowing this, ate some ofthe honey. Once he had tasted it, heexclaimed, “See how my eyesbrightened when I tasted a little ofthis honey. How much better it wouldhave been if the men had eatentoday…”.11 Sometimes we makedecisions to save time in thebusyness of life – making economiesin our Bible reading time, prayertime or family time – forgetting that,although the final victory has beenwon, the spiritual battle still rages onaround us. We need the continuingsustenance of the Word of God.12

Unlike the other senses where youcan see, hear, or even smell from adistance; taste involves touchingwith the tongue. We have topersonally draw close to feed onGod’s Word. Once tasted, we do notonly eat it to live, but we live to eat it– we will crave it. Don’t let anythingkeep you from hungering after God’sWord.

References: (1) 1 Pet. 2:1-2 (2) 1Pet. 1:23 (3) 1 Pet. 1:25 (4) John3:9 (5) Mat. 5:6 (6) Ps. 42:1-2 (7) 1Pet. 2:2 (8) cf. Heb.5:12 (9) C.H.Spurgeon (10) 1 Pet. 2:3 (11) 1Sam. 14:29-30 (12) Eph. 6:13-17

Bible quotations from the NIV

Jesus said: whoever hears my word and believes him who sent

New birth, new tasteSean Johnston, Belfast, N.Ireland

Like newborn babies,crave pure

spiritual milk.

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Over 20 years ago, a small group of us led a youngpeople’s weekend retreat in the English Lake District, atwhich we considered the subject of ‘worship’. We askedthe young people to form small groups and to discusswhat they thought ‘worship’ actually meant. From thefeedback we received, we then agreed, as a group, on adefinition, which was: ‘Worship is the expression of therealization of who we are before God.’ That’s not a baddefinition. However, I might be inclined to modify itslightly to say that ‘worship is the expression of ourrealization of who God is.’ The Oxford EnglishDictionary has it: ‘The feeling or expression of reverenceand adoration for a deity.’ For Christians, of course, thatdeity is the one true God of heaven and earth – the onlyperson to whom worship should be given!1

Throughout the generations since the early churches ofGod of the New Testament, many forms of worship toGod have developed, with varying degrees of ritual andceremony. We might justifiably wonder what God getsfrom all this diversity (and in some cases contradiction) ofpractice, and to what extent the principle of ‘good, betterand best’ might apply. If it’s an appropriate question to beexercised about – and God’s precision in specifying howthe Israelites were to worship and serve Him stronglysuggests that it is – then it’s good to look at what the earlychurches of believers in the Lord did and to seek toemulate that example of authentic, collective Christianworship today.

Acts 2:41-42 are often pointed to as, effectively, anexecutive summary, or prescription, of the core activities

to which the first church of God in Jerusalem werecontinually devoting themselves. The service and worshipof those first local churches of Christian believersrevolved around these important activities, which musthave become defining hallmarks of the first-centurycommunity of believers in the Lord Jesus.

It’s no surprise, either, to find the ‘breaking of the bread’featuring as one of those important core activities, whichtogether constitute expressions of worship of the church.The simple format of that memorial commemoration,involving broken bread and poured-out wine individuallydistributed to the gathered disciples, was given by theLord Himself in an upper room, when He commandedHis disciples to “do this in remembrance of Me.”2 On thatfateful night, when we would think that the mind of theLord could so easily have been distracted by so manyunsettling thoughts about what was soon to happen toHim, with loving forethought and clarity of mind, Hegave this simple, yet profound, ordinance to those whomHe had called, and whom He loved to the uttermost, as anongoing reminder of all that He was about to do for them– and indeed for us also! Paul received the very sameinstructions concerning the simplicity of thatremembrance by direct revelation from the Lord JesusHimself.3

In their accounts of the events of that evening, bothMatthew and Mark record for us that, after the Lord hadinstituted the remembrance, they sang a hymn.4 Howwonderfully appropriate now, too, that such a profound,poignant and touching commemoration of the sacrifice of

At the core

Worship that warmsCraig Jones, Toronto, Canada

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the Lord Jesus should be followed by a joint singing ofpraise, as a heartfelt, collective response and expressionof worship! In fact Paul, in his lengthy and instructiveteaching to the Church of God in Corinth about the orderand format of church gatherings, specifically mentionspsalms as one of the elements included when the churchgathered for worship.5 The speaking of psalms, hymnsand spiritual songs6 was also encouraged by Paul as ameans for believers to exhort one another in their dailyfaith, and so replicating that practice in their collectiveexperience of sung worship as a church was both naturaland appropriate.

We also observe in Paul’s teaching to the church inCorinth, that expressions of praise to God by the brothersin the church were part of that particular collectiveworship experience.7 This resonates wonderfully with theencouragement of Hebrews 13:15, for us to continuallyoffer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit oflips that give thanks to His name. Sacrifices of praisearticulated in these ways – audibly by the brothers andsilently by the sisters – constitute the spiritual sacrificesacceptable to God through Jesus Christ,8 which are thewilling obligation of those living stones whom the Lordconstitutes a spiritual house for a holy priesthood.9

So then, if all that speaks largely of the format andprocedure of that aspect of the collective worship of abiblical church of God, what of the substance, thecontent? It’s instructive for us to appreciate, even on asimple level, the truths of the types and shadows of theBible and particularly how the sacrifices associated withthe old covenant involving God’s ancient people Israel,symbolically spoke so much of the person and work ofthe Lord Jesus Christ who came to fulfil them all. It’s nocoincidence that the first declaration concerning the LordJesus, as He undertook His public ministry, identifiedHim as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of theworld.”10 The significance of that declaration to thosewho were so familiar with the necessary use of lambs inthe sacrifices of the burnt offering, the sin offering andthe Passover especially, would resonate deeply. So, as theLord Himself invites us to remember Him – His life, Hisministry, His death, His resurrection – in the bread andwine, so the typology of the old covenant sacrificesinvites us to similarly consider the one who fulfils them,in the sacrifices of praise which follow, offered asexpressions of thankful worship to His God and Father.11

Our earlier verse in Hebrews 13:15 speaks both of‘sacrifice’ and ‘fruit’. We can readily link that with theSon of God who is appropriately the main focus of thesubstance, the content of our worship – the one who, asthe grain of wheat, died in sacrificing Himself and in sodoing has produced a great fruitful harvest.12 However,it’s clear that these descriptors are to apply to the spiritualofferings that we bring to the Lord in collective worship.The reality of ‘cost’ is inextricably bound up in both thesewords. ‘Fruit’ is only forthcoming in any endeavour aftera lot of patient and diligent work has been put in – alabour of love, often. Likewise, such patient and diligentwork invariably demands ‘sacrifice’ of some sort. As we

think about the spiritual sacrifices that we would bring inworship to the Lord, we can learn a lot from the exampleof the psalmist who wrote,

My heart overflows with a good theme;I address my verses to the King;My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.13

The ‘verses’ can also mean the ‘workmanship’ or‘composition’ of the psalmist, which he addressed orpresented to the King, who was also its subject and theme.There can be no greater theme, no greater subject for thesubstance of our worship offerings than the one who isthe “King of kings, and Lord of lords”14 and the one whois a great King over all the earth.15 It’s good for us, then,to invest, as a labour of love and sacrifice, the necessarytime in meditation in the Word of God. As we focus onthe wonders of our God and on the loveliness of the LordJesus, the fruit that will inevitably come can be expressedfrom our hearts to our lips as an acceptable offering inworship to God who is worthy. When such offeringsconsistently characterize the expressions of ourappreciation of who the Lord is and what He has done,then not only is God glorified and honoured, but we willall come away from our time of remembrance with heartswarmed by our adoration of the one who first loved us!Surely the joy of collective worship delights the heart ofGod, but also enriches the offerer.

The principles of ‘sacrifice’ and ‘fruit’ apply equally toall the activities that we engage in collectively as a churchand to the extent that these activities seek to honour andglorify the Lord, to proclaim His worth amongst ourselvesor to others, they are expressions of worship. Our faithfuland loving adherence to the many commands andexhortations that are embraced in the teaching of theLord, and how they can be given expression in ourcollective service, provide many wonderful additionalopportunities for us to continue to declare our heartfeltappreciation of who the Lord is.

References: (1) See NT Issue 1 2016 (2) Luke 22:19(3)1 Cor. 11:23-26 (4) Mat. 26:30; Mark 14:22-26 (5) 1Cor. 14:26 (6) Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16 (7) 1 Cor. 14:26,34(8) 1 Pet. 2:5b (9) 1 Pet. 2:5a (10) John 1:29 (11) Rom.15:6 (12) John 12:24 (13) Ps. 45:1 (14) Rev. 19:16(15) Ps. 47:2

Bible quotations from NASB

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And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD,according to all that his father David had done.1

In the first year of his reign, in the first month, heopened the doors of the house of the LORD and repairedthem. Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, andgathered them in the East Square, and said to them:“Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify thehouse of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry out therubbish from the holy place.”2

Hezekiah became king of Judah at the tender age of 25.He had no positive parental role model to follow, indeedit is written of his father that Ahaz ... did not do what wasright in the sight of the LORD his God.3

That verse hardly seems to do justice to what Ahaz wasguilty of, as he indulged in child sacrifice to idols.Hezekiah made it his purpose to remove these places ofidol worship in Judah, while restoring the worship of theGod of heaven in a nation that had badly lost its way. Itwas indicative of Hezekiah’s attitude of heart that it wasin the first month, of the first year of his reign that hedetermined to put right those things that had gone sowrong for Judah.

He knew the vital importance of putting the Lord first andhe wasn’t going to be delayed in restoring the worship ofthe God whose name was associated with his own, thename Hezekiah meaning ‘Yahweh is my strength’.

A rather sorry state of affairs greeted him as work beganto cleanse the temple. It was found disused, doors closedand boarded up, and full of rubbish. How far Judah hadfallen from the days of David, for whom worship was apriority in life, and also from the day that Solomondedicated the temple when the priests could not continueministering because of the cloud; for the glory of theLORD filled the house of God.4

The temple, at one time filled with the glory of AlmightyGod, was now filled with rubbish. It provides a soberinglesson for us all, that to neglect the worship of God resultsin disaster! What a transformation, though, when thetemple had finally been cleansed. The example of thisgodly king was influencing others now, and so it was thatthe Levites sang praise to the Lord.

Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded theLevites to sing praise to the LORD with the words ofDavid and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises withgladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.5

Hezekiah also reinstated the Passover feast, And Hezekiahsent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters toEphraim and Manasseh, that they should come to thehouse of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover tothe LORD God of Israel.6

Perhaps we can relate to the disappointing response whenthe invitation went to Ephraim and Manasseh, and as faras Zebulun, where they laughed at them and mockedthem.7 Others did respond to the invitation, however, andjoined together with the people of Judah to keep thePassover.

Hezekiah takes the lead again as we read, Hezekiah gaveencouragement to all the Levites who taught the goodknowledge of the LORD; and they ate throughout thefeast seven days, offering peace offerings and makingconfession to the LORD God of their fathers. Then thewhole assembly agreed to keep the feast another sevendays, and they kept it another seven days with gladness.8

The example and influence of this godly king had such aprofound effect upon his people that they extended thePassover feast for another seven days – and the next bit iscrucial – with gladness.

The lesson for each of us surely is to strive to be thatgodly inspiration, that example to one another, to get ridof the rubbish that prevents worship being the God-glorifying, joyful experience that it should be, and as aresult maybe we will find that we, too, wish we couldcontinue with gladness to be found continually in Histhings.

2 Kings 18:5-6 sums up the life and character of goodKing Hezekiah. He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, sothat after him was none like him among all the kings ofJudah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to theLORD; he did not depart from following Him, but keptHis commandments.

References:

(1) 2 Kin. 18:3 (2) 2 Chr. 29:3-5 (3) 2 Kin. 16:2 (4) 2Chr. 5:14 (5) 2 Chr. 29:30 (6) 2 Chr. 30:1 (7) 2 Chr.30:10 (8) 2 Chr. 30:22-23

Bible quotations from NKJV

A good king of Judah

King HezekiahGetting the priorities rightLennie Shaw, Swindon, England

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Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin

The writing was on the wall for mighty Babylon,weighed and found wanting.1 Its final doom was fastapproaching in an implosion of pent-up anger andresentment;2 the double doors of the ancient city wouldbe left open and the gates of bronze shattered, thevictorious Medo-Persian forces entering without battle.3

This event (539BC) was auspicious for all the peoplesunder Babylon’s sway, marking a significant point in theunveiling of God’s purposes both for His ancient peopleand the whole world. “Behold,” said the Lord God, “Iwill do a new thing, now it shall spring forth;… Thispeople I have formed for Myself; they shall declare Mypraise.”4 The hinge of Biblical history was openingeastwards – a new force was now to be reckoned with,centred in present-day Iran. As Jeremiah prophesied,5 the70 years of captivity in Babylon were ending with a newdawn of hope, and the future course of divine purposewas to be set in train by the new king – Cyrus the Persian(c590-529BC).

Cyrus the Great

Cyrus’ rise was meteoric. From his origins as ruler of thesmall Persian kingdom of Anshan in south-west Iran,Cyrus conquered his overlords – the Medes – in 550BC,forming the bipartite empire referred to in Daniel chaptertwo. Shortly afterwards, he became master of the wholeof Asia Minor, and of Macedonia in Europe. During the540s Cyrus pushed north and east, eventually becomingthe ruler of a vast empire stretching from modern-dayGreece to the borders of India and Egypt. Behind theseachievements was the mind of a shrewd militarystrategist and administrator, who not only succeeded inconquering the lands of his empire, but also in holdingthem. Cyrus enforced his will through the Persian army,and also by means of a decentralised system of provincialgovernors – satraps – drawn from the conqueredterritories themselves; we meet those responsible for thePalestinian province in Ezra.6 He welded his disparatelands together by a relatively enlightened toleration oflocal customs and religions – entirely novel for its time –so that even in Antiquity, Cyrus earned the epithet ‘theGreat’.

A chosen vessel

The famous stone ‘Cyrus Cylinder’ records how Cyrus,‘great king, king of kings’,3 allowed peoples exiled bythe Babylonians to return to their native lands with their

images and idols. Shrewd statecraft no doubt, but it wasGod who stirred up his spirit to command, in the firstyear of his reign in Babylon, the rebuilding of theTemple, together with the restoration of the articles of thehouse of the Lord taken as spoil by the Babylonians. Hisdecree even extended to defraying the construction costsfrom the royal treasury.7 Isaiah was quite clear about themotive for these decisions – “Who raised up one from theeast?… And made him rule over kings?… ‘I, theLORD’.”8 Cyrus is distinguished in scripture, uniquelyfor a Gentile king, as the Lord’s anointed.9 How did theJewish exiles in Babylon understand that their delivererwould be not from the anointed Davidic line, but a paganking? Isaiah reassures them – it is God who calls Cyrusby name, who holds this king’s right hand and goesbefore him to give him power and prosperity,10 whoestablishes Cyrus as ‘My shepherd … saying to… thetemple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”’11 All this ‘ForJacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My elect’,12 so thatGod’s people should once again declare His praise.4

Cyrus’ policy towards the Jewish exiles wasmagnanimous, yet we are told that he did not knowGod.13 The Cyrus Cylinder records him recognising thegods of Babylon in similar terms to the Lord God ofheaven in his famous decree.14 It is a reminder that Godmoves in a mysterious way to work His sovereign will.Just as in the case of Pharaoh long before, He raisedCyrus up at exactly the right time to “show My power …that My name may be declared in all the earth.”15

References: (1) Dan. 5:25-28 (2) Jer. 51 (3) Isa. 45:1-2;Cyrus Cylinder, now in the British Museum (4) Is.43:19-21 (5) Jer. 29:10-11 (6) Ezra 5 (7) 2 Chron.36:22-23; Ezra 1; 6:3-5 (8) Is. 41:2-4 (9) Is. 45:1(10) Is. 45:2-3 (11) Is. 44:28 (12) Is. 45:4 (13) Is.45:5,13 (14) Ezra 1:2-4 (15) Rom. 9:17

Bible quotations from NKJV

A Gentile monarch

Cyrus the PersianDavid Viles, Hayes, England

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Praying in Jesus’ name doesn’talways mean that these words need tobe included in the introduction or atthe conclusion of our prayers. Nordoes it mean miracles will happenwhenever we use those words. Thenew command to pray in the name ofour Lord Jesus was one Heemphasized by repetition to Hisdisciples when He was about to go toCalvary:

“Whatever you ask in My name,that will I do, so that the Fathermay be glorified in the Son. Ifyou ask Me anything in Myname, I will do it.”1

“You did not choose Me but Ichose you, and appointed youthat you would go and bear fruit,and that your fruit wouldremain, so that whatever you askof the Father in My name Hemay give to you.”2

“… ask the Father for anything inMy name, He will give it you …ask in My name.”3

Is there a greater revelation aboutprayer? Is there a greater challenge toour asking? What does it mean?

The acknowledgement ofChrist as SaviourJesus’ name (Heb. Yehshua) means‘the LORD is salvation’.4 There is noother name in which salvation may befound; only the name of Jesus.5 Webecome God’s children when webelieve in His name.6 Our permanentposition in Him as our Saviour givesus a confident ground from which toask things from our heavenly Father.Praying in the name of Jesusacknowledges our position in Him,our Saviour.

Carrying the sense ofauthority and permissionIt also means that He has given usauthority as His representatives here

on earth. Sometimes when I’m busy, Iask my wife to withdraw money frommy bank account through my name.And the bank provides it, not becausethere’s something magical in myname, but its use gives her theauthority to represent me and thepermission to act for me. It’s the samewhen we pray in Jesus’ name.Praying in His name means prayingwith His authority, believing that Godwill act because we come in the nameof His Son, our Saviour. To provesuch authority, it’s not alwaysnecessary to make a prayer endingwith the words “in Jesus’ name”.When our Lord said, “Whoeverreceives one such child in My namereceives Me,”7 it is entirely possiblethe situation merely implied the childcame at the Lord’s bidding, and withHis permission. Later on in the samechapter He said, “If two of you agreeon earth about anything that they mayask, it shall be done for them by MyFather who is in heaven. For wheretwo or three have gathered togetherin My name, I am there in theirmidst.”8 The action of clearing a faultbetween two persons is to take placeconsciously before the Lord. Theasking in that context is not explicitlysaid to be in Jesus’ name, but thegathering is. It’s clear that thoseinvolved are to deal with the matterby meeting together in these veryparticular circumstances under theauthority of His name.

Relying on His meritWe come before God’s throne ofgrace, not in our own merit, but inJesus’ merit. It’s not about who weare and what we have accomplishedwhen we pray in Jesus’ name. Ratherit’s about who He is and what He hasdone for us. It’s this that permits us todraw near to God through Him. TheFather, who is well-pleased with HisSon9 who fulfilled all His will,

accepts the requests we make for Hissake.

Reflecting His character in ouraskingIt’s interesting to read Jesus’ prayer,“I am no longer in the world; and yetthey themselves are in the world, andI come to You. Holy Father, keepthem in Your name, the name whichYou have given Me, that they may beone even as We are. While I was withthem, I was keeping them in Yourname which You have given Me; andI guarded them.”10 The Lord had toldHis disciples that He had manifestedthe Father’s name to them during Hislife. Everything the Lord said and didreflected the values and the characterof His Father. His life showed whatGod was like. Now He prays that thedisciples will continue to be kept inthat name. In other words, He praysthat they will continue to live by thesame values that His own examplehad encouraged them to live by whileHe was with them.

If we are to pray in Jesus’ name, thenour prayers should reflect Jesus’ ownvalues and character.

According to His will, andhonouring to HimThe Lord’s command for us to pray inHis name brings with it assurance thatHe will answer anything we ask thatis according to the will of God andthat will glorify and honour the LordJesus. This is the confidence which wehave before Him, that, if we askanything according to His will, Hehears us. And if we know that Hehears us in whatever we ask, we knowthat we have the requests which wehave asked from Him.11 Praying inJesus’ name means praying accordingto the will of God. “Whatever you askin My name, that will I do, so that theFather may be glorified in the Son. Ifyou ask Me anything in My name, I

Praying …

In the NameGeralde Mag-usara, Davao, Philippines

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will do it.”12 Praying in Jesus’ namemeans requesting things that honourand glorify the Father

Showing we are one with HimPraying in Jesus’ name also signifiesour legal, living and loving unionwith God’s Son. For the first, we canthink of people employed by someoneelse: what they do is done in the nameof the other. The employee who runsa business for his employer, acts inthe name of his employer, having hadextended to him all the privileges thatgo with the power of his employer’sname, in so far as the business isconcerned.

We are in God’s kingdom business:to make disciples. We are working forHim, with the assigned task: “Allauthority has been given to Me inheaven and on earth. Go thereforeand make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in [Gk. into] the nameof the Father and the Son and theHoly Spirit, teaching them to observeall that I commanded you.”13 Withthis commission had come the wordsof assurance: “If you ask Me anythingin My name, I will do it.”14 Theapostles immediately applied this:they preached boldly in the name of

Jesus;15 healed the sick in the name ofJesus;16 and rebuked evil spirits in thename of Jesus.17

Second, the union of life: a son bearshis father’s name, and because he hasthat name, there belong to him certainprivileges. At conversion, we have anew birth status,18 through believingin His name.19 Our position is nolonger outside of the family of God.We are joined vitally to the life ofGod through the new birth. We notonly got more privileges when thishappened to us, but God has blessedus with every spiritual blessing in theheavenly places in Christ.20

Third, the union of love: a bride takesthe name of her bridegroom. TheChurch which is the body of Christ isdescribed in the Bible as Christ’sbride – having no spot or wrinkle orany such thing.21 Each of these threeaspects of union relate to our newposition or status ‘in Him’ by thegrace of God.

Exemplifying our closecommunionPraying in Jesus’ name amounts inpractice to the same condition asabiding in ‘the vine’, the Lord. “If

you abide in Me, and My words abidein you, ask whatever you wish, and itwill be done for you … whatever youask of the Father in My name He maygive to you.”22

Christian praying is praying in thename of Jesus, in that we approachGod, our heavenly Father, on theground of salvation, and under ourSaviour’s authority. We pray with Hispermission, relying only on His merit.Our requests reflect His character,values and will, so bringing Himhonour and glory. It is prayer thatgrows out from our union with theLord, and is the fruit of our closecommunion with Him.

References:

(1) John 14:13-14 (2) John 15:16(3) John 16:23-26 (4) see Mat. 1:21(5) Acts 4:12 (6) John 1:12 (7) Mat.18:5 (8) Mat. 18:19-20 (9) Mat. 3:17(10) John 17:11-12 (11) 1 John 5:14-15 (12) John 14:13-14 (13) Mat.28:18-20 (14) John 14:14 (15) Acts9:27 (16) Acts 3:6 (17) Acts 16:18(18) John 3:5-7 (19) John 1:12(20) Eph. 1:3 (21) Eph. 5:27(22) John 15:7,16

Bible quotations from the NASB

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The Messianic line

Boaz & RuthSecond best?Don Williamson, Lttleton, USA

Have you heard: ‘God moves in a mysteriousway His wonders to perform?’1 Well the lovestory of Ruth and Boaz is one of divineintervention and seeing the hand of God in theglove of circumstance. The Bible book of Ruthbegins with Elimelech, Naomi and their twosons, Mahlon and Chilion, living in the land ofMoab because of a severe famine in Israel. Theychose to leave Bethlehem of Judah, the house ofbread and praise, to do what might have seemed the bestchoice and, living in the times of the judges, every mandid what was right in his own eyes.2 Going into a paganland and culture would leave a tragic mark on the family,as Elimelech and his sons all died in the span of ten years.Naomi and her sons’ wives, Ruth and Orpah, were leftwithout immediate family and cut off from the protectionand provision of the patriarchal clan.

Orpah would return to her own people and gods, but Ruthwould proclaim to Naomi, “for where you go, I will go,and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall bemy people and your God, my God.”3 God’s grace andsovereign will is beginning to be revealed, but for Naomithe pain was evident in her words, “do not call me Naomi(pleasant); call me Mara (bitter).”4 It is often difficult tosee the grace and kindness of the Lord while suffering theconsequences of our personal choices. Having returned toBethlehem, Naomi and Ruth are about to see the hand ofGod demonstrate His love and redemption in aremarkable way. God is the orchestrator of this love storyas it illustrates the purpose of God in providing salvationto the desperate, via a redeemer kinsman. Second best?Ruth as a Moabite would have been seen as having nohope, no God and separate from Israel, yet God isbringing about the very best, even though we mightconsider it to be a hopeless situation.

What is about to take place is nothing short ofremarkable. Of course, that is what God does! Boaz was awealthy kinsman of the family of Elimelech, and Ruthwas willing to glean alongside his reapers to provide foodfor Naomi and herself. God’s grace is seen in Boaz. Hewas descended from Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute whoreceived God’s gracious offer of mercy and forgiveness,and became an adopted daughter in the family of God andan heir of Abraham’s promise. She went from the lowestof Canaanite society to the honourable place of wife toSalmon, the lineage from which Boaz would come. Wewill see soon just how highly favoured she was in the

purposes of God. She might have felt ashamed of herpast, a label that could have destroyed her life, but herbelief in the living God gave her hope to overcome. Doyou have a label, a past of mistakes and disappointments?God’s grace sets us free and lifts us up to understand thatwe are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirsof God and fellow heirs with Christ.5

The words of Boaz regarding Ruth are full of care,compassion and admiration. Ruth was faithful to thewords and advice of Boaz and served Naomi through thebarley and wheat harvests. A key question was asked byNaomi, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you,that it may be well with you?”6 She wanted the best forRuth and that she would have a secure bond inrelationship with Boaz. Again, we see Ruth faithfullyobeying the words of Naomi and demonstrating herhonourable conduct toward Boaz. She sought hisprotection and covering, and Boaz responded by the offerto redeem her for she was a woman of ‘excellence’.Rahab had a different path to a place in God’s family thanthe path seen here for Ruth. But the grace of our God isseen in both women and His divine purpose is oftenfulfilled in those who are broken and hopeless. And allthe people said of Ruth, “May the LORD make thewoman who is coming into your home like Rachel andLeah, both of whom built the house of Israel.”7 Onceredeemed, Ruth rejoices in marriage to Boaz and in thebirth of Obed (the second redeemer of the story8 whosecures the future of the family once more). Obed was thefather of Jesse, the father of David… in the line of theMessiah, the redeemer of all mankind.

References

(1) William Cowper (2) Judg. 17:6 (3) Ruth 1:16(4) Ruth 1:20 (5) Rom. 8:16-17 (6) Ruth 3:1 (7) Ruth4:11 (8) Ruth 4:14-15

Bible quotations from the NASB

Ruth as a Moabite would have beenseen as having no hope, no God andseparate from Israel, yet God isbringing about the very best.

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Women working for God

PhoebeBrian & Rosemary Johnston, Leigh, England

Before Paul signs off his letter to the Romans, heincludes some personal greetings andcommendations. First in that list is Phoebe. She ispresented as an honoured visitor.

At the time, Paul was located in Cenchreae, a portcity near Corinth in Greece. It seems that Phoebewas a wealthy woman with a reputation there forpersonal generosity among those in the church andtowards Paul himself. Two colourful wordsdescribe her.

ServantThe original Greek word is diakonos variously translatedas ‘servant’, ‘minister’ or ‘deacon’. For many years,scholars were agreed that diakonia always meant‘waiting at tables’ or some other humble social service ofa charitable or benevolent nature. Now, most occurrencesof the word are better understood to mean ‘the carryingout of a commissioned task’ or even being some kind ofemissary or envoy, and often a spokesperson – someoneliaising between churches as an authorisedrepresentative.1

Robertson writes, ‘The only question here is whether[diakonos] is used in a general sense or in a technicalsense as in Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Infavour of the technical sense of ‘deacon’ or ‘deaconess’is the addition of … of the church.’2 Either way, it meansPhoebe was, at that moment at least, acting on behalf ofthe church in Cenchreae. But in what sense?

Paul recommends Phoebe in the same terms that he didTychicus to the church in Colossae.3 God was using herto spread the good news. It’s possible that Paul used thisinfluential woman to carry his Bible letter to Rome(supported by his personal commendation of her to thechurch there), thus carrying in the folds of her clothingthe priceless treasure that would live on as the grandestever apologetic of the Christian Gospel. Phoebe was seenas a trusted messenger.

PatronessPhoebe is also described as a patron of many (Gk:‘prostatis’). This is another much debated word variouslytranslated ‘helper’, ‘succourer’, ‘patron’ or ‘benefactor’.Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states that this word means ‘awoman set over others’, or ‘a female guardian,protectress, patroness, caring for the affairs of others andaiding them with her resources’.

In modern analogy, patronage acted as an informal‘welfare system’, a reciprocal relationship between theupper and lower classes. In exchange for a dailyallowance, the client was at the patron’s call.4

It had been argued that there were no female patrons in1st Century Greece. However, Bruce Winter5 cites JuniaTheodora as a wealthy citizen of Corinth, and abenefactress who also had an inscription of letters in herhonour which was discovered in 1959.

Phoebe, as a patron, would likely have been a financiallyindependent woman, possibly travelling to Rome on an800-mile business trip. Seemingly, she gave financialhelp, or used her contacts and influence on behalf ofothers. Paul, the missionary, benefited from herpatronage. Now he is asking the church in Rome to helpPhoebe in a way that she has helped many.

This independent, generous and influential woman had aservant heart – serving God, serving the local church andsupporting the mission work of the Apostle Paul. Shewas a reliable and trustworthy emissary betweenchurches, carrying the very words of God.

Service in a church of God takes many different forms.The example of Phoebe challenges us: Am I able to reachout to help another Christian in my church, using all thatis within my means, finances and skill set? Am Itrustworthy and reliable in my relationships and in allthat I do for the Lord – qualities that cannot beunderestimated6?

References:

(1) Collins, John N, Diakonia: Re-interpreting theAncient Sources, Oxford University Press, 2009(2) Robertson, A.T., Word Pictures in the NewTestament (3) Col. 4:7-9 (4) Bell, Exploring the NewTestament World, 191-92. (5) Winter, Bruce W, RomanWives, Roman Widows; The Appearance of NewWomen and the Pauline Communities, EerdmansPublishing Co, Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge UK2003 (6) e.g. 1 Tim. 3:11

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, aservant of the church at Cenchreae, … shehas been a patron of many and of myselfas well. (Rom. 16:1-2 ESV)

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Jealousy is about relationships andoften it’s complicated.

Jealousy can make a person furious –irrational, uncontrollably angry andeven violently vengeful.1

Jealousy is fierce as the grave,its flashes are flashes of fire.2

Wrath is cruel, anger isoverwhelming,

but who can stand beforejealousy?3

Feeling jealous is not a choice weconsciously make but it can drive usto make terrible choices. In light ofthese clear warnings from God’sWord, is there any way that we couldsee jealousy as a lesser sin, somethingthat naturally affects everyone butsomething that we can control?

On the other hand, God describesHimself as a jealous God4 – so is iteven a sin at all? Can the jealousy wefeel actually be ok, respectable oreven good? In order to consider thatquestion, we need to explore whatjealousy is and what causes us to feelit.

The human impact of jealousyEnvy, put simply, is wantingsomething that someone else has.Proverbs 14:30 (NIV) astutelydescribes the devastating effect of thissin:

A heart at peace gives life to thebody,

but envy rots the bones.

Envy is the opposite of peace, and isinsidious and corrosive to the fabricof our mental health.

Jealousy is different from envybecause it is about relationships andthird parties. Jealousy is a morecomplex, nuanced emotion that oftengoes beyond reason and can prey onour pre-existing insecurities. Aschildren, we can be jealous of praiseor attention shown to another sibling.Growing up, we can be jealous ofchange if a friend of ours becomesmore friendly with someone else. Asa worker, we can be jealous ifsomeone else gets that promotion orpay rise. Perhaps most commonly,though, it is provoked in romanticrelationships, where we feel that ourpartner is giving something orsomeone a higher place or prioritythan us. It could be something asdevastating as infidelity; it could besomething seemingly neutral likepursuing a career if it is at theexpense of spending time together, orpotentially even something that ofitself is good like loving yourchildren – if, for example, there’s aperception that your spouse isconcentrating so much on theirwellbeing that they have no time leftfor your relationship.

In Galatians 5:19-21, Paulspecifically includes both envy andjealousy amongst a list of prettyserious sins – the works of the flesh –with jealousy included between strifeand fits of anger. The root of the wordhere means to be heated like water

until bubbling and boilingover. The scholar Joseph Thayer hasdescribed it as ‘boiling anger, love,zeal, for what is good or bad.’ In fact,this is the same word used in John2:17 when the disciples saw Jesusdrive the moneychangers out of HisFather’s house, remembering that itwas written in the Old Testament,Zeal for your house has consumedme.5 So we can see that, just as thereis such a thing as righteous anger,there can be such a thing as righteousor divine jealousy.

Jealousy in us is like fear or anger, inthat it is the provoked response to realor imaginary threats – a reaction tothe perceived risk from a third partyof losing something that we have, oreven want. As such, it is rooted in ourinsecurities. It can be a visceral,innate response to our own fears,then, as well as to the actions ofothers. Often the pain and hurt wefeel, we convert into blame and angertowards those we love. Someacademics see jealousy as a survivalmechanism, an emotional warningsign that relationships may be underthreat, telling us that corrections needto be made. God’s Word describes theeffects of jealousy in our sinful selvesvariously as something that can makeus burn hot with anger, consume us,and leave us bitter and empty – as ifthe heat makes the very love withinus boil and evaporate leaving onlyemptiness and a bitter residue. Howsad, then, that it is our love that canprovoke these impulses that so often

Respectable sins?

JealousyGareth Andrews, Belfast, N.Ireland

There are some sins that we judge to be very serious and agreethat they are worthy of punishment – or at the very least requirerepentance and a change of behaviour. There are other attitudes

that some may see as more minor character flaws.

But, more to the point, how does God view them?

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hurt us, the object of our affection,and even destroy the love itself.

Divine jealousyWhat then distinguishes the jealousyof God so often from ours and whydoes it matter? God gave the tencommandments to the people saying,You shall have no other gods beforeme… for I the LORD your God am ajealous God.6 Moses later warned thepeople of Israel: Take care, lest youforget the covenant of the LORD yourGod, which he made with you, andmake a carved image, the form ofanything that the LORD your Godhas forbidden you. For the LORDyour God is a consuming fire, ajealous God.7

The jealousy of God is also provokedthrough the threat to a relationshipand it too is borne of love, but themajor difference is that the(righteous) anger that comes through(divine) jealousy never displaces the(perfect) love and compassion. Thejealousy of God could never be borneout of selfishness or insecurity.Instead it is a measure of the love thatHe has for us, and the value that Heplaces in relationship with us – it isfor our good. God made a covenantwith Abram and later with hisdescendants, the children of Israel.God Almighty chose to enter into arelationship with His creation, eventhough He knew perfectly what weare like: sinful, prone to wander andforget the God we love. Covenantrelationships are based on promises,

commandments and warnings ofconsequences. The Lord Jesus Christknew He would have to bear theconsequence for our failings at thecross and, in His love for us, He did.

The people of Israel were warned oftheir tendency to elevate other thingsinto idols, giving them higher prioritythan the God they loved and promisedto be faithful to. Time and time again,God describes his intimaterelationship to Israel as being like ahusband and wife but Israelcommitted serial spiritual adultery,playing the harlot with many otherlovers.8

Could we be guilty of not beingfaithful in our relationship with God,of elevating other things whether theyare inherently bad, neutral, or evengood, above God Himself? He knowsthat if we elevate other things aboveHim in our lives, it will be to ourdetriment. Do our actions provoke theLord to jealousy?9

Overcoming jealousyEphesians 5:25-33 teaches uspractical lessons for relationshipsbetween husbands and wives and, iflived out, will help us minimise thepotential for jealousy. It also teachesus of the profound relationship ofChrist and the church – of how andwhy Christ loved the church and gaveHimself up for her, so that we mightbe sanctified, cleansed, presented insplendour, holy and without blemish.In the context of this picture of love

and security, our petty sinfuljealousies have no place. Jealousy isborne from relationships, and thejealousy of God speaks to us of Hisburning desire for our ultimate good,by knowing this wonderfulrelationship with Him. It demandsthat we seek to live our lives nowwith Christlikeness, sanctified andholy. It demands that we give God thefirst place in our lives, walkingfaithfully and securely in the intimacyavailable to us through His mercy,grace and love.

The fact of the jealousy of God alsopunctures any possibility of an aloof,casual, or occasional relationship withGod on our terms - that is, with thepromises, but without thecommandments or consequences.C.S. Lewis put it like this: ‘You askedfor a loving God: you have one … nota senile benevolence that drowsilywishes you to be happy in your ownway, not the cold philanthropy of aconscientious magistrate, nor the careof a host who feels responsible for thecomfort of his guests, but theconsuming fire Himself, the Love thatmade the worlds, persistent as theartist’s love for his work and despoticas a man’s love for a dog, providentand venerable as a father’s love for achild, jealous, inexorable, exacting aslove between the sexes. How thisshould be, I do not know: it passesreason to explain why any creatures,not to say creatures such as we,should have a value so prodigious intheir Creator’s eyes.’10

An antidote to our jealousies is tolook at the import of the jealousy ofGod. In turn we can encourage andlook out for each other as aPhinehas11 or as a Paul who wrotethis to those in the Church of God inCorinth: For I feel a divine jealousyfor you, since I betrothed you to onehusband, to present you as a purevirgin to Christ.12

References: (1) Prov. 6:34 (2) Songof Sol. 8:6 (3) Prov. 27:4 (4) Ex.20:5 (5) Ex. 20:3,5 (6) Deut. 4:23-24(7) Jer. 3:1, Hos. 1:2 (8) 1 Cor. 10:22(9) CS Lewis, The Problem of Pain(10) Num. 25:11 (11) 2 Cor. 11:2

Bible quotations from ESV

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What is prejudice? It is making a judgement aboutsomething that is not based on reason or actualexperience. A pithy saying about it is ‘ignorance is themother of prejudice’. Christians are often accused of itwhen they make some statement that is contrary togenerally accepted public opinion, even though all that itmeans is that the accusers have different presuppositions.

Everyone who adopts any system of thought must set outhis basic assumptions; for instance, if I teach AppliedMechanics I have to accept the Newtonian equations(because I don’t understand the concepts involved inrelativity). You could assess the soundness of myconclusions according to those principles. Likewise, if wesay we are going to draw a square, that inevitablyexcludes drawing a circle and just calling it a square. Thisapplies to all human reasoning.

Now, the basic premise of the Churches of God, whopublish this magazine, is that the Bible is the revealedWord of God,1 and hence is authoritative in faith andpractice, so we seek to obey it. It follows that if publicopinion is different we must differ from it. We have nowish to parade our differences to draw attention toourselves, but to take up a recent example we cannotagree that the joining together of two people of the samesex can properly be called a ‘marriage’. We would neithermarry them nor receive them into the church.Homosexual practice is condemned in both the Old andthe New Testaments;2,3 this is not a prejudice, but it is alogical consequence of our premises.

This is not the only example: in a lecture on 20th MarchSir James Munby, President of the Family Division of theHigh Court, said that we should ‘welcome and applaud’the collapse of the nuclear family.4 This was only aopinion, of course, but it echoed acceptance of the viewthat the Christian foundation of Great Britain’s customsand conventions is now irrelevant.

Those who argue that churches should be willing to altertheir previous practices put forward various spurious

grounds. They say that there is genuine love between thepeople concerned, or that the church has a duty ofcompassion towards people who find themselves outcast,or simply that public attitudes have changed since theBible was written, and we ought to change with them.These arguments founder on the rock of the nature ofChristianity; it is essentially a revealed religion, derivingfrom an external source. We are not at liberty to changeit.5 (While we cannot always agree with the views of thiswriter, see the article ‘Is Christianity a revealed religion?’by Lee Gatiss at theologian.org.uk).

What is the alternative? All statements ought to be basedon some declared premises, but where do they comefrom? To take the current subject, one cannot simply say“you mustn’t be prejudiced”, because that is in itself aprejudice. All reasons either come from observed facts, orfrom other reasons, which themselves derive from theultimate Reason. We suggest that we cannot use the word‘ought’ without some external source of reference. Therehas been much philosophical discussion about this issue,but it has been inconclusive; this is inevitable, since theprotagonists do not agree on their premises.

Regrettably, the level of discussion about matters like thishas been lowered in recent years. The public has beenencouraged by the media to believe that anyone who doesnot accept current ‘politically correct’ opinions is thebigoted follower of a cult. Many people apparently do notthink that they need to have a reason for their beliefs. Butthey do; Christianity is an essentially rational faith, basedon historical facts, and believers should be willing andable to defend it.6

References:

(1) 2 Tim. 3:16 (2) Lev. 20:13 (3) 1 Cor. 6:9 (4) Munby,J 2018, lecture notes, Changing families: family lawyesterday, today and tomorrow, University of Edinburgh,20 March 2018 (5) 2 Tim. 3:14-16 (5) 1 Pet. 3:15

PrejudicePeter Hickling, Cromer, England

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Church in the parkAn interview with Rachel Wood and Stephen Hickling of the Church of God in Birmingham, England

Please tell us how this initiativebegan?Some 14 years ago, brothers andsisters in Birmingham wereconcerned at the lack of visitorsattending our gospel meetings andother services in the church hall anddetermined that, if people werereluctant to come in to us, we wouldstep out and take the message tothem.

Whilst we are never sure what theBritish summer will bring, thechurch will once again brave theweather during June and July to takethe good news of our Lord JesusChrist out of our hall and to the localresidents.

Excellent! But where do youlocate such an enterprisingventure as this?Rookery Park, about a mile from ourhall, is a popular place for families tospend a Sunday afternoon and hasbecome the base for our annual“Church in the Park” outreach. Overthe 14 years we have been runningthis form of outreach (originallyknown as “Praise in the Park” andfeaturing a live band) our methodsfor sharing the gospel havedeveloped, though the message has,of course, remained the same.

A lot of logistical support mustbe needed – how is this handled?In the early years, we made good useof the double-decker ‘DiscoveryBus’, both for transportingequipment and as a giant advertisingboard, announcing our arrival in thepark. Now we rely on a box trailerto transport all the gear and ourarrival has come to be anticipated.

We’re sure NT readers would bekeen to know what responses youget ...Back in the early years, a curiousfew might have asked what we weredoing, whilst many others appeared

to view us with bemusement andmaybe even suspicion. However, asthe park users have come to knowus, the suspicious looks have beenreplaced by warm expressions suchas, “We were wondering if youwould be back this year.”

And what about timing?Shortly after the Remembrance ofour Lord Jesus, we pack up theequipment needed and make our wayto the park to set up. The setup takesaround half an hour and requiresquite a few able-bodied folk to erectour marquee, puppet theatre and PAequipment. We then run a 2-hourprogramme comprising manydifferent activities and opportunitiesto share the message of God’s love,including: drama; puppets; crafts;music; singing and dancing; bouncycastle; organised games; face-painting; object lessons; interviews;topical talks; refreshments and aliterature stall!

Week on week must take someplanning to keep it fresh andengaging ...Yes! For the last few years we haveused themes to help us in ourpreparation, drawing on materialfrom Christian holiday clubs. Lastyear’s theme, ‘At the beach’, provedextremely popular, as we broughtsandpits, water games and even anice-cream van to the park. And, ofcourse, we were able to tell many ofthe Bible stories with links to thebeach or the sea.

With interest piqued by the recentroyal wedding, ourtheme this summer willbe ‘Royalty’. We hopeto share our appreciationof the King each weekthrough various royalobject lessons includingthe crown, throne,sceptre, robe and, ofcourse, the wedding.

Our current programme of activitiesseems attractive to families, inparticular, and the relaxed formatencourages children and their parentsto spend time with us and to feel freeto ask questions. These individualchats are vital and, perhaps, the mosteffective method of relaying God’slove. In the environment that Churchin the Park creates, we havewitnessed the Spirit opening doorsfor this type of conversation manytimes over the years.

May we ask for some idea of theaudience size you are able toattract?There have, of course, been times(when attendance has dropped oradverse weather has frustrated plans)when we have questioned and prayedwhether we were heading in the rightdirection. The answer over the lastcouple of years has been aresounding “yes – keep going!” Lastsummer we catered for 64 children(not counting 14 of our own), to saynothing about their parents and themany other adults who enjoyed themessages and took literature away.

Apart from taking the GoodNews out to folks, have any otherbenefits been felt?A significant by-product of thisoutreach is the sense of unity that theSpirit develops among us, as willingworkers find ample opportunity toserve alongside each other. As ever,we long to see lasting fruit from ourwork in disciples being made, but werest in the fact that our part is simplyto plant and to water; it is only Godwho gives the growth. (1 Cor. 3:7)

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