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Choose this day whom you will serve. (Joshua 24:15) Life is full of choices. Most of our life is governed by choices we make or even choices others made for us when we were young. My mother’s siblings made a choice in early adult life to emigrate to Canada. My mother chose to stay in Scotland. The choice she made has affected my whole life. In the Bible, we frequently read of choices. Abraham and his nephew Lot, were bound by family ties and fellow travellers to the land of Canaan. However, Abraham chose the high places, far away from worldliness and evil while Lot chose to dwell on the plains, the gateway to sin. Caiaphas was the High Priest and head of the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. He made the decision to hand Jesus over to Pilate in order that he might be crucified. Nicodemus, however, also a member of the Sanhedrin, spoke out in defence of Jesus (John 7:51) and took his stand with Jesus when he, along with Joseph of Arimathea, took Jesus’ body away for burial after the consequences of Caiaphas’s choice had been accomplished. In Matthew’s gospel, we read the story of a rich young man who, after hearing Jesus’ call to follow him reacted mournfully: “But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.” (Matthew 19:22) Contrast this with the extremely wealthy tax collector Zacchaeus who, upon encountering Jesus said, "Look, Lord! Here and now, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Luke 10:8) Both were very rich men, but they apparently made very different choices in relation to Jesus. Like all these individuals, throughout life we face choices, and our decisions will either lead us into a deeper relationship with Christ, or further away from Him. Billy Graham once said, “You choose sin. You practice sin.” It’s also true that you choose holiness and you practice holiness. Today we will all make choices, make sure yours are good ones. Pauline Anderson
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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) I’m not a big contributor on social media; once or twice a year on Instagram is fine for me. However, I love watching ‘creative’ video clips. Not being gifted artistically, I love watching how artists build up paintings. I recently watched an artist on Instagram put a small blob of dark paint on a piece of paper. She worked on the ‘blob’ with her brush very deliberately and didn’t stop until she was satisfied she had created just the right effect. Next, another layer was added, this time a different colour was swirled around to form a shape. What was she doing? This continued over and over until a beautiful, almost three dimensional rose appeared. I didn’t see that one coming! Each layer, although looking fairly ordinary in itself, added to what would be the finished article. Each layer mattered. As we make our way through life, the Heavenly artist takes his brush and works with it on our lives to create something beautiful, something that others will look at and, in it, see something of the Creator Himself. Just like our artist on Instagram, God builds his pictures using layers. These layers can be vastly different, but each layer is needed to complete the perfect picture. Some of the layers relate to pain, suffering, heartbreak, tragedy, loss, bereavement. Other layers are painted with joy, success, triumph, exhilaration, overcoming. Whatever the layers are that God chooses to paint the picture of His image on our lives, remember every layer matters. We will never see the completed masterpiece on earth, but, from Heaven’s perspective we will wonder at how intricately and accurately our God has painted on our canvas. And don’t forget Ecclesiastes 3:11, He makes all things beautiful in His time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Pauline Anderson In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) The Old Testament is full of examples of men and women whose lives had a significant impact on others. Many books could be written of their faith and trust in God. Hollywood has even immortalised some in celluloid such as Noah, Moses and Daniel. Here are a few more. Abraham One memorable night, God drew Abraham out of the confines of his tent. Perhaps he had been relaxing at the end of a hard day when he felt that gentle, but definite tug from God to get up and go outside. As he stepped out into the dark of a Middle Eastern night, where the was no light pollution to dim the brightness of the sky above, God spoke to Him and said, "Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and it was credited to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:5,6) That’s some impact! Joseph Jacob’s son Joseph, through his steadfast faithfulness to God in times of adversity, became the unwitting saviour of hundreds of thousands of lives when he interpreted Pharoah’s dreams that warned of an impending famine of seven years. The impact that his life had on a population that would have starved to death without his intervention, just can’t be imagined. Esther God placed a young woman called Esther in the royal palace of Susa, Persia, for a purpose—to save her fellow Jews from annihilation. However, it required her to put her own life in jeopardy. Esther courageously agreed to intercede with the King for her people, knowing that the death penalty awaited anyone who entered his presence uninvited. Her famous words “If I perish, I perish,” (Esther 4:16) was Esther’s statement of faith and trust in God. Queen Esther’s impact is still celebrated all over the Jewish the world each year in the festival of Purim. Sadly, not all were as faithful as those already mentioned. One man, whose life had potential to impact others was Lot. That was never realised for him. Like his Uncle Abraham, Lot also lived his life by faith and we read that he was “a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless.” (2 Peter 2:7) However, even though he knew the work of God, he chose a very different path that led to his downfall. “Lot's association with the world wore down his spirituality and resistance... He did not know what he wanted and lingered in the city just before it was to be destroyed. There is no surer way to go backward in one's spirituality, to blunt one's feelings and knowledge of sin, to dull spiritual discernment, than by mingling with the world.” John W Ritenbaugh Sadly, after escaping Sodom fleeing to the hills and fathering two children with his daughters, Lot’s life falls silent and his light never shone before men. There was no discernible lasting impact from his life. He was ‘the man of no impact’. Pauline Anderson Therefore, holy brothers, partners in a heavenly calling, keep your focus on Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. (Hebrews 3:1) As an assessor in education, one of my jobs is to look for evidence of knowledge, but more importantly, understanding of the areas being assessed. For me to be convinced that the candidate understands the concepts there must be sufficient, reliable evidence. I found myself meditating on what it means for our lives to be focussed on God. I asked myself, from the point of view of an assessor, what would constitute reliable evidence that a Christian was living the focussed life. How could I judge that he or she understood the principles and didn’t just have a head knowledge of them? As I pondered over this, some of the renouned men of old in The Bible came to mind. Lives such as Abraham, Jacob’s son Joseph, Moses, the prophets Elijah and Daniel, and, of course, the apostle Paul. These men lived the focussed life. And there was one piece of evidence that I saw in each of their lives that was the out working of the focussed life; quite simply, obedience. Let’s have a look at a few of these men. Of Abraham we read, "Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”. “Here I am,” he answered. “Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will show you (Genesis 22:1-3). Abraham obeyed. Although initially reluctant to be God’s mouthpiece in Egypt, Moses finally obeyed Him. Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.” So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. (Exodus 4:19, 20) Apart from one memorable occasion when he disobeyed God, Moses kept his life focussed on his call and obediently did what God asked of him. Towards the end of his life, the apostle Paul wrote these, now famous words, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7) If anyone can be cited as a person whose life’s focus was Christ, it was Paul. From the moment of his meeting with Christ on the Damascus Rd, Paul’s life was characterised by obedience. Finally, I also thought about the fruit of the focused life. One word sprang to mind.. “Victory”. The focussed life is a life of victory over temptation and sin. As Max Lucado puts it: “Focus on giants - you stumble Focus on God - giants tumble." One day, the Great Assessor will look for evidence that demonstrates how focused we have been on Him. God grant that He finds an abundance of evidence of obedience and tumbled giants! Pauline Anderson Teach us to realise the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. (Psalm 90:12) Recently, I attended the funeral service of a friend of nine years. She went home to be with the Lord five days after her 62nd birthday. She had been a Christian for many years and spoke openly about her faith in all situations. Shortly before she died, I visited her in the hospice. She was in a lot of pain yet took time to speak about her faith to the nurses and doctors who were looking after her. Before her funeral service, I found myself wondering what she would say, if she was able to come back to earth for two minutes to address the congregation. Firstly, and most importantly, I think she would speak about Christ. She would try to describe the indescribable to us. She would use superlatives as she spoke of his beauty and loveliness. I can picture her ending by encouraging us to follow Him unreservedly and saying to those gathered; Your eyes will see the King in His beauty. (Isaiah 33:17) I picture her then going on to give us a glimpse into Heaven. What would she tell us about Heaven? Well, I’m reminded of a part in C S Lewis’s book ‘The Magician’s Nephew’. As the creation of Narnia was unfolding before the eyes of a London cabbie who had been dragged from his world into a newly emerging Narnia, the cabbie said 'Glory be!…. 'I'd ha' been a better man all my life if I'd known there were things like this.’ She would describe to us the ‘things like this’ and would quote to us 1 Cor 2:9, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him”. She would spur us on to walk more closely to Christ and be obedient to Him at all cost. And finally, she would remind us of 2 Cor 4:17, Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Cor 4:17) So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36 ) At its longest, life is short for all of us. Let us always carry with the sense of glory that we will one day enter into, and live our lives in such a way, making the most of the time that we have, to bring others closer to Him and bring glory to His name. Pauline Anderson He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. (Isaiah 33:6) On the 6th of February 1952, the United Kingdom found itself with a new monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. All over the UK, and indeed the world this week, many celebrations are being held to commemorate 70 years of our Queen’s service to the nation. For her, like all people, the last 70 years have been characterised by both happy and sad events, one of the most recent being the death of her husband, Prince Philip. However, one thing that has remained constant during her time as Queen has been her Christian faith. Over the decades, Queen Elizabeth II has made numerous references to God, acknowledging Jesus Christ as One from whom she has “drawn great comfort in difficult times”. (The Queens’ Christmas Message 2000). In 1947, on her 21st Birthday while in South Africa on a three-month tour of the country with her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, while addressing the people of the Commonwealth, she said: “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. God help me to make good my vow.” In her first televised Christmas message in 1957, she read some paragraphs from Pilgrim’s Progress. In four of her Christmas broadcasts, The Queen has talked about the parable Jesus told of a ‘Good Samaritan’. In 1985 she said the story ‘reminds us of our duty to our neighbour. We should try to follow Christ's clear instruction at the end of that story: "Go and do thou likewise".’ The Millennium Christmas message included the words: “To many of us our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.” (2000) One of my personal favourite references to Christ by The Queen is the following from her Christmas message of 2012:‘This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son “to serve, not to be served”. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer this Christmas Day that his example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others. The carol, “In the Bleak Midwinter” ends by asking a question of all of us who know the Christmas story, of how God gave himself to us in humble service: What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; If I were a wise man, I would do my part… ‘The carol gives the answer, 'Yet what can I give him? – give my heart'.” Not only has The Queen been faithful to God over the last 70 years, but we know that He has been exceedingly faithful to her. In her first Christmas broadcast as Queen in 1952, months before her Coronation, she stated: “Pray for me… that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life”. He has most surely honoured that prayer and has been a sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. (Isaiah 33:6) We thank God today for His great faithfulness and rejoice that His name has been honoured and lifted high through Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Pauline Anderson So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36) Over the next couple of weeks, there is one word that will be heard all over our land; the word is ‘jubilee’. On the 6th Feb 2022, HM Queen Elizabeth, became the first British monarch to reach the milestone of 70 years on the throne. Platinum Jubilee celebrations are already underway. The origins of the word ‘jubilee’ are actually traced back to the Old Testament. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. (Leviticus 25:10-11) However, what most non Jews don’t appreciate is that fact that the Year of Jubilee could not begin until the ram’s horn sounded on Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement. Why is that important? Quite simply, there could be no freedom, no restoration, no jubilee until there had been atonement. The blessing could only come after the atonement.’ (Jonathan Cahn) Fast forward one thousand five hundred years and we look upon the final atonement when Jesus died on the cross for us. It was not until atonement was made, that we could be set free. As Johnathan Cahn points out: “The more you dwell in the atonement, the more you live in the power of the jubilee. The power to walk in freedom, the power of reconciliation, the power of liberty... and the power of entering into your inheritance in God.” Jesus himself spoke about this time of jubilee on one magnificent occasion. He said: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. (Luke 4:18-19) Now, doesn’t this deserve to be celebrated?!
Pauline Anderson And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1Kings 19:12) In recent decades, the variety of types of holiday that people can experience has widened considerably. You can holiday in cities, on beaches, visit vineyards or battlefields.You could go on cruises, safaris or visit national parks, botanical gardens and even rum factories! And then there’s the accommodation. This could vary from, ‘overwater bungalows’ to castles, luxurious pool villas to log cabins, mansions to county homes, the list is endless. Noticeably absent from these popular destinations are vacations in wastelands and deserts! There are no prizes from guessing why this is the case. These places are usually uninviting, dry, barren, hot, austere, inhospitable, harsh, forbidding and uncomfortable places. Who wants to holiday in Wilderness World? However, it’s interesting to note some major incidents that happened when God took people aside into a wilderness, a desert; it was there that he spoke to them. Moses was one of these people. Moses, a shepherd, was tending the flocks in the wilderness when God spoke to him from a burning bush and commissioned him to set the children of Israel free. Later in Moses life, God would visit him again in a wilderness, this time the wilderness of Sinai, and give to him the Law that would help lead and guide the children of Israel. One day, weary, depressed and wanting to die, Elijah found himself in a wilderness. It was in that place of pain and aloneness that Elijah heard the ‘still small voice’ of God which gave him the direction he needed for the next phase of his life. Notice that in each case, the wilderness became a place of God speaking. Physically barren but spiritually overflowing with goodness. “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. (Hosea 2:14) There are times in life when we find ourselves, spiritually, in a wilderness. The wilderness can be the result of some kind of loss, crisis, tragedy, loneliness, conflict or hardship. We naturally shrink from the wilderness. “God, take us anywhere but the wilderness!” But God has higher, and deeper plans for our wilderness sojourn. It is there that He wants to speak to us, to reveal Himself to us in depths we did not find when we lived in our land of comfort and plenty. God wants to take us to a place where, as Isaiah puts it, The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. (Isaiah 35:1,2) Are you willing to endure the dry, harsh, forbidding, painful journey through the wilderness? If you do, you won’t regret it. Pauline Ann Anderson This Thought for the Week has been written by Peter Hodson. Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. (Matthew 7:24-25) The tallest building in the UK is the Shard, standing at some 309.6m high. The geological makeup beneath it is a mixture of various soil types, including clay, silt, sand and gravel - not good for building anything on! The 100+ pile foundations, each around 1.5m in diameter, had to go some 53m down to reach bedrock and around 700 lorry loads of concrete had to be poured into the ground to stabilise the soil. Much of this work went on relatively unseen and was time-consuming. If the ground could speak, it would probably cry out with the enormous upheaval and agonising boring of the piles! However, the result was a firm base for what was once the tallest building in Europe and has won a number of awards for architectural excellence. The Shard, beautiful as it is, is an earthly building and it will have a limited lifespan. God wants to make something far more beautiful - something that will last for all eternity - your life in the image of Jesus Christ! The preparation work, like the foundations for the Shard, is mostly unseen, often painful, and takes time. The writer to the Hebrews said: No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. (Hebrews 12:11) We need to let God’s word of truth bore into the unstable and ugly parts within us of sin and self, and let his transforming love pour into the innermost part of our lives. The concrete of the unchanging word of God sinking deep within our hearts will bring His stability, peace, joy and true freedom. He is making a building that cannot be shaken by circumstances, moods or feelings and will last forever. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28) In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:19– 21) Peter Hodson There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18) Very often, when we contemplate Biblical teaching about ‘the tongue’ we are drawn to the famous chapter in the Book of James that so eloquently deals with the subject. We read strongly worded verses verses such as… “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (James 3:5,6 ) And... Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (James 3:10) But,it was not just James who dealt with this topic. The use / abuse of the tongue is a topic that many of the authors of the Bible tackled. Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! (Psalms 34:12-13) To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. (Titus 3:2 ) Even Jesus had something to say about the tongue. How can you speak good when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. (Matthew 12:34,35) And Billy Graham reminds us: “A harsh word can’t be taken back; no apology can fully repair its damage.” God tells us that words have power. That power can be used to bring comfort, solace, encouragement, healing. But it can also bring stress, discouragement, wounding or humiliation. We can use our tongue to bring blessing, or we can use our tongues to bring pain. The choice is ours. However, we must also remember that it’s not only our words that wound. I, personally, have suffered more from the WAY things have been said to me rather than words themselves. Maybe some of you can identify with that. An unkind tone of voice can bring the fiery darts that wound so severely and can leave a mark, sometime for years. Time and time again, the Bible reminds us of the importance of the use of our tongue.Thousands of Christian writers have reminded us. Pastors have reminded us. Friends have reminded us. Maybe, for someone today, this will serve as an important reminder. Let’s not ignore it. Pauline Anderson |
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Struthers Memorial Church is a registered Scottish Charity No. SC 006960 | Struthers Memorial Church is a company limited by guarantee incorporated in Scotland Company No SC335480 | Registered Office: 33 West Stewart Street, Greenock, PA15 1SH. |