the Parish of St thomas' Brampton, Chesterfield

St Thomas' Brampton and St Peter's Holymoorside, Chesterfield

Bible Study and Theology 1989-2000

Our vision statement: Sharing the love of Jesus

A Woman Caught in Adultery: A Legal Interpretation (April 1989 edition of the magazine)

One of my favourite gospel lessons is that at the start of the eighth chapter of John's gospel.

It opens in Jerusalem with the Jewish religious authorities presenting before Jesus, a woman caught in the very act of adultery. They then ask Christ to give his judgement on the case.

According to the Ten Commandments, the supreme statement of Hebrew law, adultery was a mortal sin, forbidden by God. The penalty was death by stoning. To have denied these scriptural commands would have been regarded as heresy of the first order.

However, we know from Josephus' account of the Jewish war that since AD 6, Jerusalem had been under the- direct jurisdiction of the Roman Emperor, and that only his man on the spot, (in this case Pontius Pilate) could legally authorise the death penalty, and that the form of execu¬tion prescribed was crucifixion. The fact that the Jewish spiritual autho¬rities were denied the right to stone religious offenders was a major grievance of the time, but for Christ to advocate stoning would have been seen as a defiance of the Roman temporal powers.

It would have seemed therefore, that the Jews had set their trap for Jesus well. Either way he would offend someone, be it the Roman legions on the one hand, or the Jewish rabbis on the other.

Nevertheless, Jesus' reply is characteristic of his brilliant skill "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone," does not invalidate the pres¬cribed punishment; it simply makes the law unenforcable by human beings, since in both Jewish and Christian thought humanity is seen as corrupt and therefore dependent on divine grace of salvation. No one is without sin, and so no one could have cast the first stone, except Jesus.

It can be seen that again, Jesus confounded his enemies.

Andrew Banks

Joseph the Craftsman (April 1989 edition of the magazine)

On May 1 some churches focus their attention on Joseph the Worker. These lines, by Bill Jones, remind us of the special place Joseph had in Jesus' early life.

In the beginning,
He just stayed close to his father.
Then his father taught him the names Of all the tools - Then he showed him how to hold them.
Then later as he grew stronger He showed him how to use the different tools.
Soon he was able to earn a living. His work varied from mending broken slats on donkey carts To fixing shelves and doors.

His mind went back,
Over the last ten years or so,
And he remembered, with true craftsman's pride,
The many boats he had repaired,
And how his work would continue to give good value For many years to come.

He knew that some fishermen and boat owners
Had received a bargain with his work.

For himself, he was grateful to have always given good value.

He thought too,
Of the great heavy baulks of timber and planking, That he had carried on various jobs.

Sometimes he had wondered if the very sinews In his arms would snap.

But somehow, praise God, he had always managed to complete his task.

Now all that was finished,
All that remained, was to carry this cross
To Golgotha, the Place of the Skulls.

"You Called Lord" (December 1989 edition of the magazine)

When I was a boy,
You whispered in my Soul
and I knew You, oh so well.

But as I grew to manhood I longed to search,
and seek that which I thought I could find.

And so in my wilfulness I left my Lord.
What must You have thought,
as I forgot Your Sacrifice to pursue my own Quest
Yes, 0 Lord, without You as my Guide
I was soon lost, soon blinded by materialism,
soon full of my own self-importance.
Yet You loved me still, and You called,
You called, but I was so far away,
so determined not to hear.

But you loved me so much that You never stopped
calling me, calling me home to Your Love.

And when I came with so much shame,
with so much sin, I asked for Your forgiveness.

And then, Your Tears washed me clean.
Your Radiance filled my Soul.

That a fool I had been
to think that I could find that Love
and Peace somewhere away from You.

How could I deserve that unfailing love.

The truth is I deserve nothing,
but still You give Your Love,
still You "hang there suffering for me".

And because of that, because of Your sacrifice,
because of Your unfailing love,
because You called me when I was lost,
I ask You to accept my commitment,
my love, my failings.
Oh love me Lord so that I may stay close to You,
for the rest of my Life,
so that I may keep growing,
that I may keep knowing,
that I may find fellowship
with those who also know Your Love.

Help me to be a Christian unashamed and true. Help me 0 Lord to live my life like You.

"...Walk Humbly With Your God" Micah 6:8 (February 1990 edition of the magazine)

Church motto 1990

Micah was a farmer from southern Israel who, 8 centuries before Christ was born, was given a message from God to proclaim to His people. So what does an obscure phrase from this obscure prophet have to do with us?

The most obvious answer is that it has been chosen as the Parish motto for 1990. But why should something said so long ago and so far away be important for us today?

First, because the situation to which Micah spoke was in some ways similar to ours. His nation had experienced a period of prosperity but the wealth of the nation was unequally distributed, and the gap between the rich and poor had widened. The apparent well being of the nation had led to self assurance and conceit. Micah, with God's eyes , saw through the appearance of security to the heart of the people and called them back to God.

Second, because whatever situation we are in we can learn from the message of Micah who was speaking the Word of God, which always has something to say to us.

It reminds us that life is a journey along which we all should be progressing. Walking means being active ourselves, not relying on someone else to do the work for us. If walking is the means of making progress and we will not make the effort, we will not get anywhere. On the other hand, walking implies steady, constant progress, not rushing ahead and running out of energy or enthusiasm.

The pace of our journey is set by Him with whom we walk. We cannot make this journey successfully on our own. We neither know the way, nor would be able to reach our goal by our own efforts if we did. We need to walk with God, who points the way, encourages and supports us when we are weary and the path is difficult, restrains and admonishes us when in our eagerness or pride we would go too quickly or on the wrong track, and who loves us enough to pick us up when we fall and bring us back when we have strayed.

Walking with God means subjecting our own impulses and desires to His. The way to make progress is to go His way, to recognise our weaknesses and allow God to work through them: to walk humbly with God. Such humility affects not only our attitude to our selves in relation to God, but also our attitude to others. Our walk with God is not a solitary one. There are countless others walking the same path and we are called to serve them along the way.

I encourage you to collect a motto card and place it somewhere that you will see it often as a challenge from an obscure country prophet to "walk humbly with your God".

Good Food –a Biblical Precedent (February 1991 edition of the magazine)

Meals are always a challenge in my household. Two of my children are vegetarian, and two are not vegetarian. This means we often have a mixture of vegetarian and non vegetarian food at the same meal. This combination always tests the ingenuity of whoever is preparing the meal.

I am an inconsistent vegetarian. Brought up on the basic `meat and two veg’ diet, it has taken me a long time to discover the rich variety of vegetarian food. My two vegetarian children decided to stop eating meat from their own choice, with no pressure from me. Quite the reverse: they have influenced my eating habits.

Why vegetarian? It is partly a protest against the way we treat animals (e.g. battery hens) and fill them with hormones (e.g. beef). There are also sound ecological and economic reasons for preferring a vegetarian diet.

For example, it is possible to produce more food i f land is used for growing crops instead of rearing cattle. Man' acres of rain forest could be saved, instead of turning them into grazing land for cattle.

Some people would go further. Vegans do not eat food derived from animals, such as milk, eggs and cheese. Instead they prefer their food `first-hand', rather than processed by animals. This sounds very dull, but in fact need not be so. But I would miss the honey!

There is good biblical precedent for healthy living based on a vegetarian diet: Daniel and his three friends flourished on a vegetarian diet for ten days. `So the guard took away the assignment of food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them only the vegetables' (Daniel 1: 16).

David Everett

Christ the Controversialist –His Attitude to Tradition (April 1991 edition of the magazine)

Synopsis of a sermon preached by Robin Dawson at St Peter’s

Our gospel reading would indicate Jesus' attitude to tradition was not favourable.

'You have let go of the commandments of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.' Mark 7:8 'You nullify the word of God by your traditions.' Mark 7:13

The other readings were no more favourable.

Paul 'Don't become captive to a hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition….not Christ Col 2:8 not Christ.' Col. 2:8

Hosea 'God desires mercy not sacrifice ... acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.' Hosea 6:6

Did Jesus' attitude cause controversy? You bet it did.

Jesus saw the "traditions of the elders" as nullifying the law of God and being a burden. 'And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.' Luke 11:46. People would have been livid. Strict observance of the traditions was the foundation of their society, the only way to God. Jesus would say that the traditions had become their God. Does this mean that we must get rid of traditions? Jesus didn't say that; it was the ones that get between us and God that he criticised.

Lets look at traditions. Countries have traditions, like the British with our queuing, Regiments and industries have their initiation ceremonies, Churches have traditions.

Traditions have good aspects: They give people an identity; they call things to remembrance as with the Passover "When your children ask you 'What do these ceremonies mean?..."' Exodus 12 v 26); they give us security and continuity. Traditions have bad aspects: They are used as an excuse for not thinking; ("We've always done it this way.") their meaning can be obscured; people can be judged by their adherence to them; they can be used to exclude people. The greatest danger of all is that they can cause splits. These disputes sometimes became irreconcilable because one group is upset if a particular tradition is observed and another if it is ignored.

Let's look at the problem as it affects St. Peter's. One particular example is our communion service. This is all that is best of tradition. A tradition set up by our Lord himself. It reminds us of the very basis of our faith, Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection. But there are problems with the details. The way we receive communion has been changed, to emphasise better the corporate nature of our worship. Some people like it, others see it as getting in the way of our personal communion with God. There is a split, bad feeling.

What is to be done?

1.Try to agree. Paul, writes to the disputatious Corinthians, (1 Cor 1:10) pleading with them to agree with one another. To agree means first to discuss. Anglican congregations are generally very bad at discussing things that really matter to them. They would rather be told and then sulk. The continued influence of the Act of Uniformity?!

2.Having learnt to discuss, look at our traditions and see if they nullify the Word of God. How many of us are confident we know what the Word of God is? How much study have we done? For example, do we know all the scriptural teaching on the communion service; or on the body of Christ?

In an ideal world having done 1 and 2 above we would all be in agreement. But this is not an ideal world. We know that even having done 1 and 2 thoroughly sometimes we cannot agree. For example, the Church of England cannot agree about the ordination of women priests. What can we do?

The first verse of our epistle has the answer. 'So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.’

We must live with our disagreements by remembering what Christ has done for us and together overflow with thankfulness. Thinking of what we have in common and being thankful, won't make the problems go away, but it will put them in their proper place.

To summarise. Traditions are bad when they get between us and God. Traditions are good when they unite us and teach us. When traditions split us we must try to agree, we must discuss and study, and whether we agree or not we can put things in their proper place by living lives overflowing with thankfulness to Christ.

A final thought. If Jesus walked through the door of this Church in person now, which would worry him more, the way we run our service or our relationships with each other? The latter, of course. You may say it would be easy if Jesus were here in person. But he is, isn't he?

Robin Dawson

The Apostles -Who Were They? -Simon Peter (February 1992 edition of the magazine)

Who were these twelve close friends of Jesus? Where did they come from? What were they like? What happened to them? In the next few issues of Spearhead we shall try to answer some of these questions.

Simon Peter

We begin with Peter, whose original Hebrew name was Symeon (Acts 15:14 margin), but usually used the Greek form, Simon (Mk 1:16).

His father was Jonah (Mt 16:17). Originally from Bethsaida (Jn 1:44), a largely Greek city, Simon also had a home in Capernaum, in Galilee (Lk 4:31-38). He had a thriving fishing business in Capernaum with his brother Andrew and partners James and John (Mt 4:18, Lk 5:7, 10). They also hired other fishermen (Mk 1:20).

Peter's wife, whose mother had been healed by Jesus (Mk 1:30-31), accompanied him on his missionary journeys (1 Cor 9:5). He spoke Aramaic with a strong northern accent, which betrayed his Galilean origin (Mt 26:73), and was a practising Jew (Acts 10:13-14).

Simon was first introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew, who had been a follower of the John the Baptist On 1:35-42). Jesus gave Simon the new Aramaic name, Cephas, which means 'rock' or 'stone'. In the New Testament it is usually in its Greek form, Petros, from which the name Peter comes. Jesus did not call Peter, and Andrew, to leave their nets and follow him immediately; that occured later by the lakeside when Jesus called them to become "Fishers of men" (Mk 1:16-18).

Peter was one of the first disciples called and he always heads the list of the apostles (Mk 3:14-19). He was also one of the three who formed a closer friendship with Jesus and was often present when the others were not, for example at the healing of Jairus' daughter (Mk 5:37-43), and the Transfiguration (,1k 9:2-8). He frequently acted as the spokesman for the twelve (e.g. Mt 15:15;16:13-16;18:21; Mk 9:5). It was Peter who made the great declaration, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16). He was devoted to his Lord and often very impulsive (Mt 14:28; Lk 5:8; Jn 20:6; 21:7). Peter's declarations of loyalty were usually the loudest; and his failures the most spectacular, as when he denied his Lord (Mk 14:2931, 66). He received a special message at the resurrection (Mk 16:7) and met the risen Christ before the rest of the Apostles (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor 15:5).

After the resurrection Peter again took the lead in the Christian community (Acts 1:15) and, after Pentecost, was the principle preacher (Acts 2:14; 3:12). He was the first apostle to take the gospel message to the Gentiles, in the home of the Centurion Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48; 15:7). References to Peter in Joppa, Caesarea and elsewhere suggest that he undertook missionary work in Palestine. He was imprisoned in Jerusalem but miraculously escaped (Acts 12) and left for another place (Acts 12:17), but we do not know where. We do know that Peter spent some time in Antioch (Gal 2:11), and he may have gone to Corinth for a short while (1 Cor 1:12). Peter was also closely associated with Christians in northern Asia Minor (1 Pet 1:1).

There is a tradition that Peter spent some time in Rome, assisted by his friend John Mark. Some time between AD 100 and 150 Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis, wrote, "Mark, having become Peter's interpreter, set down all that the apostle could remember of what Jesus had said and done". Papias had talked personally with people who had known John Mark. This was the Gospel according to Mark which contains ample evidence that Mark used eye-witness material (eg. Mk 4:38; 5:41). It was from Rome that Peter wrote 1 Peter about AD 62, to strengthen Christians who were facing persecution. Just before his death in AD 64-66 he wrote 2 Peter to warn Christians of the false teaching that was creeping into the churches.

Scripture, and early historians, tell us nothing about Peter's death. However there is a tradition, which may or may not be reliable, that when Peter was sentenced to die by execution on the orders of Nero, he asked that his cross be turned upside down as he felt unworthy to die a death similar to his Lord. His request was granted.

Keith Chappell

The Apostles -Who Were They? -James and John (April 1992 edition of the magazine)

Jesus chose twelve men as his apostles, to learn from him and continue his work. Who were they? In this issue we look at two of Jesus' closest friends.

James and John

James and his younger brother John were the sons of Zebedee, a Galilean fisherman. It is often thought that Salome, the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus, was their mother (Mk. 16:1; Mt. 27:56; Jn. 19:25). If this is correct, James and John were cousins of Jesus. They had a thriving fishing business, in partnership with Simon and Andrew, in Capernaum (Mk. 1:20).

John has often been identified with the unnamed disciple of John the Baptist, who with Andrew was introduced to Jesus as 'the Lamb of God (Jn. 1:35 37). Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus, and perhaps John subsequently brought his own brother James.

After their call by Jesus to leave their father and their fishing (Mk. 1:19 20), James and John were nicknamed by him Boanerges, 'Sons of thunder' (Mk. 3:17). They were high spirited Galileans, whose zeal was sometimes misdirected (Lk. 9:49). This aspect of their character is shown in their outburst after a Samaritan village had refused Jesus entrance (Lk. 9:54). They failed to grasp the true nature of Jesus' Kingship and, encouraged by their mother (Mt. 20:22), asked to sit in places of special privilege when Jesus entered his kingdom (Mk. 10:37).

On three important occasions, during his ministry Peter, James and John accompanied Jesus when the other disciples did not at the raising of Jairus' daughter (Mk. 5:37), at the transfiguration (Mk. 9:2), and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mk. 14:33). According to Luke, Peter and John were the two disciples sent by Jesus to make preparations for the Passover meal (Lk. 22:8).

Although the sons of Zebedee are referred to in John's Gospel (Jn. 21:2), John is not mentioned by name. He is almost certainly the disciple whom Jesus loved', who was close to Jesus at the last supper (Jn. 13:23); who was entrusted with the care of Jesus' mother at the time of his death (Jn. 19:26 27); who ran with Peter to the tomb on the first Easter morning (Jn. 20:2,8); and who was present when the risen Christ revealed himself to seven of his disciples by the sea of Tiberius (Jn. 21).

According to the early chapters of Acts, Peter and John had to bear the brunt of Jewish hostility to the early Christian Church (Acts 4:13; 5:33,40). Both men showed a boldness of speech and action which astounded the Jewish authorities (Acts 4:13). John continued for some years to play a leading part in the church at Jerusalem and was described as a pillar of the church when Paul visited the city some fourteen years after his conversion (Gal. 2:9)

James was 'put to death with the sword' on the orders of Herod Agrippa I, about AD 44 (Acts 12:2).

We do not know when John left Jerusalem, nor where he went to. There is some evidence from second century, non Biblical, writers that he spent some time in Ephesus. According to Irenaeus, it was at Ephesus that John preached the Gospel and confuted heretics, living into the reign of the Emperor Trajan (AD 98 117). Jerome also repeats the tradition that John stayed in Ephesus to extreme old age, and records that when John had to be carried to the Christian meetings, he would repeat again and again, 'Little children, love one another'.

The view that John wrote the fourth Gospel, the three letters that bear his name, and the Book of Revelation goes back to Justin Martyr (AD 140), and is supported by Irenaeus and others. He was presumably at Ephesus when he was banished to the Isle of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus' (Rev. 1:9)

John was the only one of the twelve Apostles to die naturally, of old age.

Keith Chappell

The Apostles -Who Were They? -Andrew (August 1992 edition of the magazine)

Jesus chose twelve men to be his closest friends and companions. After Pentecost they travelled throughout the ancient world, preaching and establishing local churches. Who were they and what happened to them?

Andrew

Andrew was one of those people who are never in the limelight but work quietly behind the scenes. Apart from three incidents in which his role is crucial, his name only occurs in the lists of the twelve apostles, and with Peter, James and John when they asked Jesus about the last days (Mk. 13: 3-4). In each of these three incidents we find Andrew introducing someone to Jesus.

'Andrew' was a Greek name, meaning 'manly', but was in common use amongst the Jews. The son of John (Jn. 1:42), or Jonah (Mt. 16:17), Andrew came from Bethsaida, on the north-eastern side of the Sea of Galilee (Jn. 1:44). The inhabitants were largely Greeks or Jews. Andrew went to live with his brother Simon Peter at Capernaum, in Galilee, (Mk. 1: 29-31) where they had a thriving fishing business, in partnership with James and John (Mt. 4: 18-22; Lk. 5: 1-11).

Andrew became one of John the Baptist's disciples. One day John told him that Jesus was the Lamb of God. Andrew went to see Jesus, spending some time with him, and became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah (Jn. 1: 35-40). He immediately went and found his brother Simon, and introduced him to Jesus On. 1: 40-42).

Just think what followed from that simple introduction. Simon Peter was to become not only the chief spokesman among Jesus' apostles, but also the chief apostle of the infant church!

Later Peter, Andrew, James and John left their fishing business in order to travel with Jesus and learn from him (Mk. 1: 16-18).

The second person that Andrew introduced to Jesus was a little boy (Jn. 6: 8-9). A crowd of over five thousand had followed Jesus in order to hear him teach. It was late in the day, and the people had not eaten. How could such a vast crowd be fed? Philip thought it impossible.

Andrew hesitantly suggested a solution "Here is a boy with a few small bread cobs and a couple of sardines, but it isn't going to feed this crowd!" Andrew was not at all sure why he was introducing this boy to Jesus! But he was prepared to introduce anyone, and anything, which might be of use to his Master. This time the result was a miracle, and over five thousand were fed.

The third introduction consisted of a crowd of Greeks who had gone to Jerusalem for the Passover (Jn. 12: 20-36). They wanted to meet Jesus and asked Philip to introduce them. Not knowing whether to or not Philip spoke to Andrew. Andrew was in no doubt: there was no one whom Jesus would not want to meet. When they told Jesus he began to talk about his 'hour' having come, about death and trouble. Jesus had been sent to the Jews, but now the Greeks wanted to see him too. To Jesus it was a sign that the time of his crucifixion was drawing near.

The early historian Eusebius records that Andrew's main sphere of ministry was in Scythia and around the Black Sea. It was in Patras, Greece, that he met his death about AD 60, when the governor, Aepeas, became enraged after his wife and brother became Christians. A fourth century account reports that Andrew was crucified and a later medieval addition describes the cross as Xshaped. This has become known as St. Andrew's Cross.

Andrew lived, and died, introducing people to Jesus. He was no charismatic leader, like Peter or Paul, but how much would have been missing if there had been no Andrew.

Keith Chappell

The Apostles -Who Were They? -Philip and Nathanael (Batholomew) (October 1992 edition of the magazine)

Who were the twelve men Jesus chose to be his closest friends and companions? What were they like, and what happened to them after Pentecost?

'Philip' was a Greek name, meaning 'Warrior' or 'A love of horses. He was, like all the apostles, a Jew and must have had a Jewish name, but what it was is unknown. His home was Bethsaida in Galilee (Jn. 1:44, 12:21), the birthplace of Simon and Andrew, a fishing village on the western shore of the lake.

Nathanael was from Cana, a village in the hills west of the Sea of Galilee (Jn. 21:2). His name means 'Gift of God', and it only occurs in Jn. 1:45-51; and 21:2. The first three Gospel writers never mention Nathanael but name Bartholomew, linking him with Philip in the list of Apostles (Mt. 10:3; Mk. 3:18; Lk. 6:14), so it is possible that the two men were paired off and worked together. John never mentions Bartholomew in his Gospel but links Nathanael with Philip This has led many scholars to conclude that Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person. 'Bartholomew' is in fact a family name, meaning 'son of Tholmai', so Bartholomew would have had a personal name as well. Perhaps the full name of this apostle was Nathanael Bartholomew.

Jesus found Philip and called him to join his band of disciples. Immediately Philip sought to bring others to Christ. He found his friend Nathanael and told him about Jesus. Nathanael was sceptical about the possibility of a Messiah from Nazareth, so Philip introduced him to Jesus. Astonished that Jesus already knew about him Nathanael confessed that Jesus was the Son of God and King of Israel (Jn. 1:45-51).

When the hungry multitude gathered around Jesus by the Sea of Galilee he tested Philip's faith by asking, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" Instead of saying that Jesus himself was capable of feeding the hungry crowd, Philip made a mental calculation of how much food would be necessary, and how much it would cost, before declaring it an impossibility. Jesus went on to feed a crowd of over five thousand from a boys picnic lunch. (Jn. 6:1-13).

A group of Greeks, who wanted to meet Jesus, approached Philip but although he sympathized with their request he was too timid, or lacked the confidence, to take them to Jesus himself so he, in turn approached Andrew (Jn. 12:20-22).

Philip seems to have been slow to grasp Jesus' teaching, rather timid and retiring, but Jesus had nothing but kind words for him (Jn. 14:5-9).

We cannot be sure what happened to Philip after the first chapter of Acts because second century writers tend to confuse Philip the Apostle with Philip the Evangelist (Acts 6:5; 8 etc), but it seems likely that Philip died as a martyr in Heiropolis.

Nathanael Bartholomew was one of the seven apostles who met Jesus on the seashore in Galilee after the Resurrection (Jn. 21:114). Traditions tell us that he travelled extensively as an evangelist with Philip and Thomas, before being flayed alive with sharp knives and then crucified. The place of his death is not known with any certainty,

Keith Chappell

The Apostles -Who Were They? -Matthew (December 1992 edition of the magazine)

Who were the twelve men Jesus chose to be his closest friends and companions? What were they like, and what happened to them after Pentecost?

Matthew
Matthew appears in all the lists of the twelve apostles (Mt. 10:3; Mk. 3:18; Lk. 6:15; Acts 1:13). When recording Matthew's call to discipleship (Mt. 9:9), Mark and Luke speak of him as Levi (Mk. 2:13-14; Lk.5:27-28), a name connecting him with the tribe of Levi which was set apart for priestly work in the sanctuary. Whether Jesus changed the name to Matthew, or whether when he became a disciple of Jesus he chose it himself, we do not know. 'Matthew' means 'the gift of Jehovah', and it is by this name that he is best known. He was a Galilean, the son of Alphaeus (Mk. 2:14).

Matthew worked in the Custom House in Capernaum (Mt. 9:9), where he would collect the sales taxes, and custom duties. He was not one of the chief tax-collectors, like Zacchaus, but a minor official - we would, perhaps, call him a Customs Officer. Although officially employed by Herod he would be regarded as a traitor and renegade, collecting taxes from his own people to give to the occupying Romans. He would mix on equal terms with Gentiles, Greeks and Syrians, and worst of all would disregard the Jewish Sabbath because although the Romans respected the religion of the Jews, business didn't come to a halt on the Sabbath and the Custom House would be open for business as usual.

Jesus would have known Matthew, perhaps paying his own taxes to him in person since moving from Nazareth to Capernaum. Matthew would have heard Jesus preaching and teaching. Peter and the other fishermen may also have spoken to him about Jesus, and he may have observed the change in their lives when they became disciples.
When Jesus approached Matthew, in the Custom House, and said 'Follow me', Matthew seems to have responded immediately, leaving behind everything but his pen and ink and followed Jesus (Lk. 5:28). To celebrate his new found faith he entertained Jesus, his disciples, and some of his tax-collector friends to a meal in his own house (Mt.9:10-13; Mk. 2:15-17; Lk. 5:29-32). It was an opportunity to introduce his old associates and friends to his new found Saviour. He knew that many would come to his house to meet Jesus who would not go to the synagogue to hear him.

No further mention is made of Matthew except his presence with the believers in Jerusalem waiting for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:13).

Early Christian writers, Papias (AD 150), Irenaeus (AD 180) and Origen (AD 230), each say that Matthew wrote a Gospel, or some sayings, in Hebrew or Aramaic. Some scholars take this to be the Gospel that bears his name. Others, however, believe the Gospel of Matthew was written by an unknown Christian who used Matthew's work extensively, and it became known as 'The Gospel According to Matthew'.

Traditions say that Matthew, the apostle, preached throughout Judea for 12 - 15 years before going as a missionary to Ethiopia, where he died as a martyr.

Keith Chappell

The Apostles -Who Were They? -James, Son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot (February 1993 edition of the magazine)

Who were the twelve men Jesus chose to be his closest friends and companions? What happened to them after the Pentecost?

James, Son of Alphaeus
We know very little about this James, whose name appears in all the lists of the apostles (Mt. 10:3; Mk. 3:18; Lk. 6:15; Acts 1:13). He was known as 'James the Younger' (Mk. 15:40), perhaps to distinguish him from James the brother of John. His father was Alphaeus and his mother Mary, one of the women who stood by the cross (Mt . 27:56; Mk. 15:40) and visited the tomb (Mk. 16:1; Lk. 24:10). James had a brother Joses, who was also a believer (Mk. 15:40; 16:1).

It is unlikely that James and Matthew were brothers, even though their fathers had the same name, because they are never linked together as are James and John, Simon and Andrew; nor is Matthew linked with Joses.

There is a tradition that James was crucified in Egypt.

Simon the Zealot
Simon is mentioned in all the lists of the apostles (Mt. 3:18; Mk. 10:3; Lk. 6:15). The only information that we have about Simon is that he was called 'the Zealot', perhaps because of his zealous temperament. Paul spoke of himself as having been a religious zealot (Acts 22:3; Gal. 1:14) and the members of the church in Jerusalem are described as zealous for the law' (Acts 21:20).

It is more likely that Simon was a member of a group of nationalists known as Zealots, which was founded in AD 6 when Judas of Galilee led a revolt against the Romans. They opposed the payment of tribute by Israel to a pagan emperor on the ground that it was treason against God, who alone was King. Zealots were active throughout the war of AD 66-73 and the last Zealot stronghold, Masada, fell in May AD 73, but even then the Zealot spirit was not completely quenched.

After Simon became a disciple of Jesus Christ he was still known as 'the Zealot', perhaps, in part, because he carried his enthusiasm into his Christian life and was, in a different way, a zealot for God.

It is quite remarkable to find a tax-collector (Matthew) and a Zealot in such a small company. Normally the Zealot would look for the first opportunity to thrust a knife into the back of the tax-collector, considered a traitor by most Jews. There seems to have been no enmity between Matthew and Simon, which would be living proof of the power of Jesus to change men's hearts and minds. They were even together in the prayer meeting in the upper room before the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:13).

We know nothing of Simon's work, and the tradition that he was crucified has little support.

The Apostles -Who Were They? -Thomas and Judas, Son of James (April 1993 edition of the magazine)

Who were the twelve men Jesus chose to be his closest friends and companions? What happened to them after the Pentecost?

Thomas
His name occurs in all the lists of The Twelve, (Mt. 10:3; Mk. 3:18; Lk. 6:15; Acts 1:13), being linked with Matthew in the Mt. 10:3, and with Philip in Acts 1:13.

'Thomas' is Aramaic, meaning 'twin', and was not a name. John uses the Greek version, 'Didymus' (Jn. 11:16; 20:24; 21:2). We do not know whose twin he was. Syriac Christians appear to have known him as Judas Thomas (ie. Judas the twin), so perhaps he was called 'The Twin' to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot?

It is only in John's Gospel that we find any personal references to Thomas. When Jesus decided to run the risk of returning to Judea, and face possible death, Thomas' comment, "Let us also go, that we may die with him". (Jn. 11:16), reveals a pessimistic, but realistic, outlook and intense loyalty and bravery.

When Jesus assumed the disciples knew the way to the Father, Thomas is humble enough to openly confess his ignorance of Jesus' meaning (Jn. 14:5).

The chief incident for which he has been remembered, and for which he has been called 'Doubting Thomas', is his disbelief in the Resurrection. He missed the appearance of Jesus to the other apostles (Jn. 20:24) and said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put m hand into his side, I will not believe it." (Jn. 20:25. A week later Jesus appeared to the eleven apostles and Save Thomas the evidence he had asked for. Thomas' response, "My Lord and my God" (Jn. 20:26?28) marks the climax of the fourth Gospel.

Thomas was one of the seven apostles who met Jesus on the seashore after the Resurrection (Jn. 21:2).

It has been said that Thomas is portrayed as a deeply devoted, but somewhat dull disciple whose lack of understanding provided Jesus with opportunities for further explanation; but when he understood he responded with tremendous loyalty.

His subsequent history is uncertain. A fourth century historian, Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, states that Thomas worked as an evangelist in Parthia. Later traditions say that he went to India and founded seven churches at Malabat.

Thomas is recognised as the founder of the Syriac Malabar Christian Church. He is said to have been killed by a spear in Madras, India, and his body buried at Mylapore.

Judas, Son of James
This Judas is called Thaddaeus in the first two Gospels (Mt . 10:3; Mk. 3:18) and Judas son of James in the other two lists of apostles (Lk. 6:16; Acts 1:13). Thaddaeus means 'one who praises', or 'Man of heart', and was probably an endearment. The only mention of Judas, apart from the lists of apostles, was when he asked Jesus a question as he was teaching them about the coming Holy Spirit On. 14:22).

Fourth century tradition tells us that Judas had a successful evangelistic ministry in Mesopotamia and Turkey, before being killed with arrows at Ararat.

Keith Chappell

The Apostles -Who Were They? -Judas Iscariot (June 1993 edition of the magazine)

Who were the twelve men Jesus chose to be his closest friends and companions? What happened to them after the Pentecost?

Judas, the only one of 'the twelve' who did not live to see Jesus' Resurrection.

In the lists of the apostles Judas is always placed last, and usually with a description such as 'who betrayed him' (Mt. 10:4; Mk 3:19), or 'who became a traitor' (Lk 6:16; Jn 18:5). The fact that he was the treasurer of the group (Jn 12:6; 13:29) and may even have been reclining near Jesus at the Last Supper On 13:21?26) suggest that he was an important member of the group.

Various explanations have been offered for the name 'Iscariot' but the most acceptable is 'man from Kerioth', since his father was called Simon Iscariot (Jn 6:71; 13:2,26). Kerioth may have been in Moab (Jeremiah 48:24,41); Amos 2:2), about 70 miles roughly east of Mt. Hermon, or it could have been Kerioth?Hezron (Joshua 15:25), which was twelve miles south of Hebron. At any rate Judas was the only apostle who was not a Galilean.

Judas criticised Mary when she anointed the feet of Jesus with precious ointment (Jn 12:3?6). He saw nothing of the beautiful deed which Jesus praised (Mk 14:6) but only a way of increasing the apostolic funds, and thereby his own pocket, claiming that it could have been given to the poor. John says that Judas pilfered the money entrusted to him (Jn 6:6).

Immediately following this incident he went to the chief priests and agreed to betray Jesus (Mt 26:14?16; Mk 14:10?11; Lk 22:3?6). The opportunity to do so came on the evening of the Last Supper and this fact is perpetuated in the Eucharistic Prayer: 'in the night that he was betrayed', and dates from the time of St Paul (1 Cor. 11:23). Jesus made a final appeal to Judas, which he rejected and went out into the night (Jn 13:18?30).

The prearranged plan was carried through. The secret Judas betrayed was obviously the meeting place in Gethsemane later that night, and there Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, a sign of friendship (Mt 26:4750). Scripture records his subsequent remorse and suicide (Mt 27:3?10; Acts 1:18-19). The apostles' stark verdict on Judas was that he had gone where he belonged (Acts 1:25).

Why did Judas betray Jesus for such a paltry sum? What led him to that treachery? Love of money; jealousy of the other disciples; fear of the inevitable outcome of the Master's ministry which made him try to save his own skin; an enthusiastic attempt to force Jesus to declare himself the Messiah; a bitter, revengeful spirit when his worldly hopes were crushed. All these have been suggested.

Whatever the reasons for his betrayal, Jesus, at the beginning, viewed Judas as a potential follower and disciple. This is the only explanation that does justice to our Lord's character and his repeated appeals to Judas. We can also say that the Lord's fore knowledge of Judas does not imply fore ordination that Judas had no option but to be the betrayer. If it had Jesus would not have made repeated appeals to him.

Judas was never really Christ's man. His highest title for Jesus was 'Rabbi', which means 'Teacher' (Mt 26:25), and he seems to have never really grasped who Jesus was. He fell from apostleship but, as far as we can tell, never had a genuine, warm relationship with Jesus.

'The Twelve', as they were often called, were ordinary men, with ordinary gifts and abilities. Eleven of them were totally committed to their Lord. God the Holy Spirit took those men, transformed them, and used them to spread his Kingdom throughout the then known world. So strong was their faith and devotion that ten died, and one went into exile, rather than renounce their allegiance to Christ as Saviour and Lord. Our God has not changed! He still takes ordinary men, and women, doing ordinary jobs, who are fully committed to Him, and uses them in the work of His Kingdom.

Keith Chappel

What does it mean? (February 1994 edition of the magazine)

Kath Steer starts investigating what lies behind well known Bible Concepts

"Water in Bible Times"

There are at least three sources of water supply in the Bible.

1. From the Water Carrier
Isaiah 55:1 pictures a Water Carrier, or the Sakkah. To understand this Bible character, I quote from the Rev Samual Schorr, a Christian Jew of the last century. "Water has often to be brought from a distance, for no water supply exists in most eastern cities. It has to be carried in skin bottles. These are made from goatskin holding some 30 to 50 gallons! The Sakkah would fill barrels and jars for payment. He would cry as he walked 'Ho! ye thirsty ones, come and drink'.

Such was the cry that Isaiah refers to, but there in Isaiah 55:1 it implies Free Water. The Sakkah is not taking money today as it has already been paid for by a man wishing to perform a charity - so the water carrier cries 'Ho! Ye thirsty ones, come and drink today for nothing: FOR NOTHING!'

2. From Local Cisterns
The prophet Jeremiah exclaims "My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of Living Waters - and - they have hewed out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer 2:13) In this I seek to explain from Thompson's 'The Land and the Book' - again of the last century. He writes that the best cisterns (water pits) are formed from solid rock, but even they are liable to crack and are a most unreliable source of supply. However, constant care preserves them - but the water collected in these pits comes from clay roofs or muddy soil and is the colour of weak soapsuds, with the taste of earth or the stable; it is filthy and full of worms.

"Who would exchange the sweet, wholesome well-water for such nasty, verminous cistern water?" The Lord often uses everyday things to explain profound truth; here, it is that instead of seeking the Lord, they had found other ways and means.

3. From The Well
The Bible is full of the term 'Living Water' the most famous being from the Lord Jesus, found in John 7:37-39. What did He mean? The people listening to Him would have understood well enough, as may be they had paid for water that day, or drunk from the 'broken cisterns'. Jesus was speaking of running water, or that which springs up from the well, a never-ending supply except maybe in drought. They were however puzzled by its spiritual meaning - "Come to Me and drink ... out of his inner-most being shall flow rivers of living water". They were unaware that shortly the day would dawn when, fulfilling Joel 2:28, the Ascended Christ would " pour out of His Spirit on all flesh" and, according to Psalm 68:18, He would bestow gifts upon mankind.

How very glad we are that, this side of Christ's death and resurrection, we have understanding together with experience. So, we joyfully join in the song of Numbers 21:17-18 "Spring up O well". So we observe - Christ is the springing well of living water, we are the channels through which it will flow, bringing life to others; but we must keep them clean.

Kath Steer

What does it mean? (April 1994 edition of the magazine)

Kath Steer continues investigating what lies behind well known Bible Concepts

"The Eye of the Needle"

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Mark 10:25

Samuel Schorr, a Christian Jew of the last century explains:

"Cities are pierced with several two?leaved gates of iron which are always closed from sunset to sunrise. For convenience a smaller door is fixed into the larger one ? this is called the 'Needle's Eye'. It is used mainly for officials to pass through during that time. But, what of the camel?

Samuel Schorr as a boy witnessed this scene when a schoolboy. "It was Friday, and being the Moslem's Sunday, all gates were closed at noon to allow soldiers to march to the Mosque for prayer." The author attended school inside the city.

On one occasion when returning home for a meal he reached the city gate too late, which then meant an amusing hour among the crowd of Arabs gathered there. Suddenly an officer knocked at the Needle's Eye, and after much questioning was allowed to enter the city. But ? before the door could be closed, a ‘fellah' suddenly began to push his camel through the Needle's Eye. The camel, having its head, long neck, and front legs in, just refused to go any further. Enjoying the fun, several men began to force the camel by pushing and beating, to the sound of much groaning on the part of the camel. Amid cheers and laughter, the crowd won!

The camel was carrying no burden!

It was obvious to those who listened to Jesus (but not to us) that all burdens must be removed from the camel before attempting to push it through the Needle's Eye.

However, the point which Jesus sought to point out to His followers was not that a rich man cannot enter the kingdom of God, but that anyone who trusts in riches for entry will find it to be an impossibility. Thinking on this we remember David's words, "If riches increase, set not your heart upon them" (Psalm 62:10)

Nevertheless, lest we should imagine 'riches' as being the only thing which would burden and block entry through "The Straight Gate", we hasten to add that anything which becomes an obsession so that we live for that alone, can become a burden which will block entry.

We therefore consider the words of Jesus spoken at a later time "Lay up treasure in Heaven" Matthew 6:20&21 and 19:21 and "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33.

What does it mean? (June 1994 edition of the magazine)

Kath Steer continues investigating what lies behind well known Bible Concepts

"The Burden Bearer"

There are two verse in the Psalms which we often read but most certainly do not understand, not knowing eastern customs of Bible times.

1. "My iniquities are gone over my head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me" (Psalm 38:4)

2. "Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee" (Psalm 55:22)

We see that the first reference concerns 'sin' - but - "gone over my head"? I quote from L. T. Pearson, "Passing down the street we notice that everything is carried by camel, donkey or professional burden-bearers. Holding a long rope wherewith to fasten the burden he shouts ATAL! Soon somebody will engage him to carry a load for them. Very deftly the rope is passed around several packages and with a peculiar grunt and swing, up goes the great burden. These men are capable of bearing tremendous weights."

But how does he put that burden down without hurting his back? The two texts above give us the answer, and I quote again. "When a burden-bearer comes to relieve himself of his load, he will bend over so that the burden will fall over his head to the ground, and he is freed." The second method is: "Let us follow our burden-bearer: see, he is wanting a rest and so beckons to a friend who then stands back to back, and as the ‘Atal' straightens himself the weight of his burden falls on his friend, who then becomes the 'burden-sharer'." The burden-bearer has literally cast, or rolled his burden on to his friend. What lessons are here?

Before giving the spiritual aspect of these verses, we must assure ourselves that 'burden-bearers' or Atals were indeed a part of the Bible scene. We read that Soloman had 70,000 of them! (1 Kings 5:15).

Nehemiah complains that "The strength of the burden-bearers is decayed" (Nehemiah 4:10 & 17). Isaiah writes "They stoop, they bow down together, but - they could not deliver the burden" Isaiah 46:2). I think we can understand this last verse a little better now as we consider the burden-sharer.

I quote again: "One day, years ago, a Man came along taking the part of a burden-bearer. He stood and cried "Come unto Me all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST" (Matthew 11:28). In Isaiah we read "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all": yes, our sins were too heavy for us to bear, so the great burden-bearer came. He carried His cross, and died as He carried our burden. "He bore the curse of sin for mankind". All we have to do now is to let our burden of sin literally 'roll over our head' for, being too heavy for us, He has put it all behind His back "Never to be remembered against us any more". Halleluiah!

Freed from sin and walking upright, we see a friend burdened by troubles: Paul advises "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Peter also counsels for those bearing their burdens alone "Casting all your care (burdens) upon Him for HE cares for you.

The Lord Jesus spoke of some who would not relieve others of their burdens, burdens too grievous to be borne - read Matthew 23:4 - let us not make the same error, but learn to help others when they are distressed.

What does it mean? (August 1994 edition of the magazine)

Kath Steer continues investigating what lies behind well known Bible Concepts

"The Coat of Many Colour"

"And he (Jacob) made him a coat of colours"

In these days of 'Technicolour' the above act on the part of Jacob, is far from being understood. We will examine it.

According to Genesis 29, we find that Jacob worked seven years in order to obtain Rachel, the 'damsel' he loved. Having been deceived and given Leah, the eldest daughter instead. Jacob then worked a further seven years in order to obtain the wife of his choice. He then waited many years for Rachel's first son, and named him Joseph which means 'Increase' considering him as his son and heir - the privilege of the eldest son. Some 300 years later the law was given to Israel concerning this practice. See Deuteronomy 21: 15 - 17. Thus this theory is supported.
Joseph was about 17 years of age when Jacob made it known to the other ten sons, all older than Joseph, that he regarded Joseph as his heir. To confirm this, he made him a 'coloured' coat which no doubt was very good to look at, although 'technicolour' is out of the question as men in the east mainly wore brown, fawn etc. His brothers would be wearing a coarse shepherd's coat made almost of one piece, while Joseph's would be 'made to measure'. One thing, however, is not commonly known: Joseph's brothers were not so jealous of the coat but of the long sleeves attached to the undergarment, which was only worn by the chief and his heir.

This meant that his brothers would have to obey Joseph as they obeyed their father. Joseph from henceforth was an overseer and this made his brothers angry. Both the Good News and the New English Version Bibles, name this as 'the coat with long sleeves'. L. T. Pearson writes "The Sheik, or Chief, wears a long Kamise which is a shirt with long sleeves and the heir is also distinguished by a similar garment. It was this shirt as well as the coat which Jacob gave to Joseph, hence the jealousy of his brothers".

Another interesting point concerning the long sleeves is that when giving a signal for action, the long sleeves would be knotted together and then thrown around the back of the neck; this was known as 'Making bare the arm'. In Isaiah 52: 10 we read "The Lord has made bare His holy arm” alluding to the custom of the long sleeves. We remind ourselves of the modern song which makes mention of this custom "O Lord make bare your arm" ! If we mean what we sing, then we must be prepared to obey and to do for that's the outcome of the Baring of the Arm of the chief and his heir.

We conclude: there came a day when Joseph did in fact 'Make bare his arm', for as Governor of Egypt and having turned every other person out of the room. he declared in Hebrew "I am Joseph". Hitherto , having disguised his voice and talked to them through an interpreter, they were terrified to hear their own language, but the exalted one was their friend and kin.

This depicts a wonderful picture of Jesus, and quoting C. H. Macintosh "Joseph presents himself to his brothers as one sent by the Father: they reject him and put him in the place of death. God took him up from there and raised him to a position of highest dignity. When his brothers were thoroughly broken and prostrate before him, he made himself known to them and brought them into blessing".

We read in Zechariah "His feet shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives" and "They shall look on Him whom they pierced and shall mourn because of Him". In that day, Jesus, like Joseph of old, with bared arm, will raise His pierced hands and say "I am Jesus".

What does it mean? (October 1994 edition of the magazine)

Kath Steer continues investigating what lies behind well known Bible Concepts

"The King's Daughter" of Psalm 45:10-14

Next to Psalm 23 I believe this to be one of the most loved Psalms - Psalm 45! Known to be a Psalm which refers to the 'Messiah' because of its many descriptions of Jesus which are quoted in the New Testament, it is a song about a wedding which actually took place, possibly that of Solomon. In this article we look particularly at one very much misunderstood verse - ,verse 13 "The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought to the king in raiment of needlework".

We must first of all consider an eastern custom concerning the bride. I quote from an ordinary women's magazine issued in 1977 about a recent Arabian wedding: "For the ceremony the 15 year-old bride was dressed in traditional Arab costume, which was covered with a black veil".

Having learned of this custom when in my teens, I quite naturally was thrilled to find this description in modern times.

The custom was (or is) that the bride has adorned herself with a beautiful gown which she has possibly made herself; in most cases it would have a great deal of beautiful embroidery on it. I saw such a gown as this during an exhibition by L. T. Pearson. In Psalm 45 the gown was worn by a Princess. and the embroidery was wrought gold - the most clever of all needlework, but what of the mystery 'within'? Simply that on the wedding day, the bride puts a huge black veil over the whole garment. One such veil is described in Ruth 3: 15. The eastern veils are large! At the appropriate moment the bridegroom would step forward to remove that dark veil and would be amazed at the beauty within. Thus, we have the description, "The king's daughter is "all glorious within" - where 'within' means 'under the veil'.

Knowing that this Psalm refers to the Lord Jesus as regards description, most certainly the reference in verses 13 and 14 refer to his bride - his Church. The Apostle Paul when writing to the Church at Rome, explains that there will come a day of unveiling: "For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God" the people who in his previous statement Paul names 'us'. (Romans 8:18 -19)

We pause at this point to ask a question 'What does this mean to me as a member of the Church of Christ (Hebrews 12 : 23)? Jude tells us that we shall be presented faultless! Paul explains that Christ's bride will have neither spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing. John saw in his vision Christ's bride adorned in white linen. Paul describes the needlework as "gold, silver and precious stones" - those things which we as his beloved have done for his glory alone. John describes the white robed throng (Revelation:7-9).

So - what does this mean to us? The white robe was given to us at conversion though as yet unseen - veiled. The needlework is our service for the bridegroom - The Lord Jesus Christ - most often unseen except by him. We serve by love as declared by John the Apostle, and as Paul states "The Day shall declare it".

In the meantime as we await the great unveiling when the Lord will descend from those Ivory Palaces (Psalm 45 : 8), and when he shall present His Church to the world - "let us labour for the Master from the dawn till setting sun" lest that day should find us unprepared and we will sadly say "I wish I had offered him more".

Kath Steer

What does it mean? (December 1994 edition of the magazine)

Kath Steer concludes her series investigating what lies behind well known Bible Concepts

"The Opened Ear" (Psalm 40:6)

To understand this verse one must of necessity read Exodus 21:26 and Deuteronomy 15:16-17, where the Law concerning the 'Bond-slave' is explained. This law is most interesting, for it declares for us "By Love Serve." To put things simply, a Hebrew servant having served for six years must then be set free on the 7th year, with one exception "I love my Master. I will not go out free". Timeless words indeed! From then on he was known as the bond (or love) slave. To indicate this, he would be led to the doorpost where his ear was pierced, and an earring inserted. This is known as The Law of the Pierced Ear, and is exactly what the words of Psalm 40: 6 mean.

"My ear Thou hast pierced"
In this case the words refer to the Lord Jesus Himself, for the text is requoted in Hebrews 10:5 although slightly different in its interpretation. A similar quote is found in Isaiah 50:5. The word 'opened' in Psalm 40 is exactly the same as that used for 'pierced' in Psalm 22, which concerns the piercing of Jesus' hands and feet.

Can we then regard Jesus in His earthly life as the Servant with the Pierced Ear the Love Servant? Well, we sing it. "This is our God, the Servant King"

Reading again in Psalm 40 and Hebrews 10 we find the words "Lo I come. I delight to Thy will O My God" and in His own words "I do always those things which please Him (The Father)". Paul when writing to the Philippians said "But made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of men" - and "He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross", which He endured because of "The joy set before Him" and His love for His Father (John 17).

We look again at Philippians 2 "Let this mind be in you - the Mind of Christ which we have." Again. Paul when writing to the Roman Church said. "1 beseech you brothers that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service".

I believe the message is clear - we must go to the door-post, and we say "1 love my Master. 1 will not go out free" - then with the pierced ear just like Jesus, we go out once more to serve by love for we are then love slaves. As we follow Him, He will "Guide us with His eye" - for the true love-slave sees the direction in which his Master is looking and does not even wait for the word but knows the will of His Master.

So we sing again applying the words personally:
This is my God, the Servant King, He calls me now to follow Him: To bring my life as a daily offering Of worship to the Servant King."

"I love my master, I will not go out free".

Kath Steer

Kath Steer's Nature Studies: Butterflies (August 1996 edition of magazine)

The Butterfly

Theme : "I believe in the resurrection of the body, and the life of the world to come”.
Seeking to comprehend the above statement from the Creed, we read from I Corinthians 15 v 12-19 and 35 -38:

What a tremendous passage of Scripture! Our minds boggle at such statements as:
Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits o/ those who have died. For just as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive: each to be sure in his turn: Christ first, then His own at His coming." (v 20 and 22-23)

Such words as these give rise to questions: WHO? HOW? WHEN? WHAT? We consider:

1. WHO?
Answering the question "Who gives a body to the seed?" (v 35), one immediately thinks of flowers and fruit, to which we answer "Well. God of course!"

Changing our way of thinking, we turn from vegetation to think upon the 'seed' of the butterfly, the life cycle of the caterpillar being an up to date parable.

Recalling that God is its maker, we observe that from the day of its birth the caterpillar has butterfly life within itself. Being an avid eater, it devours everything within reach and then finally has to give in because its skin has become too tight -this is known as the moult. It emerges much finer than it was before, but it has passed through a crisis. This process of feeding and moulting is repeated at least four times, and each time it becomes more fine, for the health and beauty of the caterpillar will appear in the butterfly. We are reminded here of Charles Wesley's words "Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven me take our place" quoting Paul's letter to Corinthians. Peter explains that the crises of our Christian lives will bring us forth as gold -kept by the power of God. (1 Peter 1 v 5-8). The parable here is quite clear, the moment we are re-born from above, we must begin to feed on Christ through his word and in prayer, praise and worship.

2. HOW?
Comparing what is sown to what is raised I refer to my previous statement, that every caterpillar has butterfly life within itself. We see a caterpillar attaching itself to a leaf or a twig and we exclaim "What is it doing?" It is simply making a ladder on which to crawl or rest, as silk emerges from its jaws (spinnerets). This is the evidence that 'butterfly wing' is at work within that little 'mortal' grub. In like manner, every believer born again from above receives eternal life now, for this begins as soon as Christ has planted new life within. This in no way implies that we shall never shed this mortal body, for if Jesus still waits we shall all go the way of all flesh. But if He comes "We shall all be changed -in a moment, in the twinkling q/' an eye". (I Corinthians 15v 52.)

3. WHEN?
Look again -what is that caterpillar doing now? Hanging from a twig by a silk thread, it twists and turns as it prepares the cocoon for its chrysalis stage, where rest gives way to glory.

We must note that at no time whatever is that little creature within its cocoon dead. It liquidises and loses its original form and the new then begins to take shape. Quoting Paul "So also is the resurrection of the dead, it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory: It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power."

But at what time will that 'New Creature' within that cocoon, emerge? In other words when? -At the Appointed Time. I prefer to name it 'Reveille' or the Morning Call. There is an appointed time in the Lord's plan when His people will emerge from their state of 'sleep' which does not mean 'slumber' but "with the Lord in Paradise" (Corinthians 2v 8) So, the dead in Christ will be raised first, afterward, we who are alive and remain.

So, When? -We await the Reveille!

4. WHAT?
Watching that chrysalis again, we suddenly see parts of the body of an insect appear. It emerges, it finds a place in the sun, and having dried its wings it takes its first flight! Can we recognize its former image? Yes we can if we look at the butterfly body for its former image is identifiable. One thing is most certain, it bares the image of the parent who laid the original egg. "To every seed it’s own body".

As Believers, whose image shall we bear? Why, the image of Him who gave us new birth by His death and resurrection and ascension -The Lord Jesus Christ, of course. As John the Apostle so beautifully writes:
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God: and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know, that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is".

What is He like now? Read Revelations Ch 1.

Now, just look at that lovely swallow tail flying freely wheresoever it will- not crawling but flying around; it has a new lifestyle -and we shout glory!

Its appearance is different -all glorious and beautiful
Its food is different nectar, not cabbage leaves!
It's airborne -yes, it's having the time of its life!

Applying this to Believers:

Their appearance will be different yet recognisable - "we shall know as we are known" -recognition? Well, that's my understanding of it.
They will feed on Angels' food, and like the butterfly, we will not have to eat to live, but we'll enjoy the new diet.
Their immortal bodies will move with absolute freedom. "As we have borne the image of the earthly one, so we shall bear the image of the heavenly one.” 1 Corinthians 15v 49. Read also Revelation ch 7.

We conclude:
"For our citizenship belongs in heaven, from which also we expect the Lord Jesus Christ as Deliverer who will change the fashion of our humiliated body so that it will resemble his glorious body." (Philippians 3v 20-21)

"On that bright and glorious morning
when the dead in Christ shall rise
And the glory of His resurrection share,
When His chosen ones shall gather
to their home beyond the sties,
And the roll is called up fonder -I’ll be there!"

Kath Steer's Nature Studies: Eagles (December 1996 edition of magazine)

Famed for their magnificent appearance, strength, speed and effortless flight, Eagles are symbols of empires and religions.

For our benefit, however, we find them flying through the pages of Scripture, there being at least 32 references to them, mainly in the Old Testament. We will consider a few of these in the order of:

THE GROWTH OF THE EAGLE together with the spiritual lessons the passages contain.

1. Deuteronomy 32 v 11, "As an eagle stirs up her nest, flutters over her young, spreads abroad her wings, takes them, bears them on her wings".

With no more than two in her nest, the young eaglets have a wonderful time during their first six months of life, then they must grow up! Likewise, as Believers, after first misting in Christ, we "go on to maturity" (see Hebrews 6:1 and 1 Peter 2:2.) Growth in Christ is essential. In order to induce the eaglets to fly, the mother eagle begins to break up the nest, and, nosing them to the edge of the cliff, accompanied by much squealing from the eaglets, she gives the final push and down, down, down they go. Security is there as the mother eagle swoops under them and they come to rest "between her shoulders". (Deuteronomy 33 v 12).

After repeating this several times, the eaglets find to their joy that they too have power to fly. I find this to be strangely reminiscent of the Early Church, who having been in the depths of despair, suddenly realise the POWER is there -they must use it. This still applies!

2. Exodus 19 v 4, "I bare you on eagles' wings and brought you unto myself."
Israel was comfortable in Goshen, but their 'nest' having been stirred up, for Canaan was the Land of Promise, they desperately needed the divine security and support which only the Lord could give. The above promise of that security was given as they encamped at Sinai and as they trekked through the wilderness. Have you noticed how the Lord always uses language that His people can understand. Yes - these people knew all about the eagle, do we? All this is a great message of strength to Believers everywhere, especially is it so, when all things seem to be against us: it is then that we become conscious of divine support, and rejoice in His love and His grace. We emerge, having learned that we can "run and not be weary, walk and not faint".

3. Isaiah 40 v 31, "They shall mount up with wings as eagles".
Having realised that power is there and that divine security remains for all who put their trust in the Lord, we now look at those two little words "MOUNT UP". The eagle has great strength but it does not waste it -just look at those wings as, sitting on a rock, the eagle flaps them up and down. What is it doing? It awaits the right current of air which will give it the 'lift' it requires, then it will ascend to the heights without effort. This of course is the meaning of 'Mount up with wings as eagles'. It is a most remarkable lesson to us as Believers. Just glance at the context of this verse in Isaiah "He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, He increases strength" -so "they that wait upon the Lord shall increase their strength". The lesson then is "Wait I say, on the Lord". I find this aspect of "Mount Up" most particularly wonderful when it comes to real worship -we wait for the "moving of the Spirit" and then rise into the presence of the Lord.

4. Micah 1 v 16, "The baldness of the eagle"
This is a strange expression until one begins to understand, for it alludes to the time when the eagle moults. Like us at times, it does grow faint and weary. How does it overcome? Well, while losing its feathers, it finds its place in the sun and quietly rests, eating very little food (if any). Then while it 'waits' it is renewed so that taking off again, its youth is renewed.

5. Psalm 103 v 5, "So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's".
The context of Psalm 103 v 5 is that of being supplied with "good things": undoubtedly it eats ravenously after its 'waiting' time. Lets look at both these passages for a wonderful lesson contained therein.

Often, when in the Lord's service, whatever the 'calling', we fail to 'mount up' -and aiming to serve in our own strength we grow weary and give in. Most surely this is the time to find one's place in the sun and wait upon the Lord. We "long to scale the utmost height and catch a glimpse of glory bright". Such people as Isaiah, Daniel, Habbakuk, Jeremiah and Paul, found it essential -and so afterwards they could 'mount up' -run and not be weary, walk and not faint. After this renewal then -we run. Read Hebrews 12:1-3 - the 'marathon' still continues! With regard to renewed appetite -"Thy words were,1bund and l did eat them".

There remains yet two more characteristics of the eagle which are not mentioned in Scripture but are very worthy of consideration: DOUBLE EYELIDS : CLOSING EYELIDS

Double Eyelids:
Being a high flyer and soaring through the air with the greatest of ease, special sight is required in order to absorb the glory of the sun. The eagle then closes its earthly eyes as the double eyelids protect the heavenly sight. Isaiah had such an experience being the high flyer of Judah that he was. (See Isaiah 6 and 33 v 16-17). We find that the prophet did ascend to the High Places and his earthly sight overcome by the heavenly (double) - he did "See the King in His beauty and the land that was very far off".

The Apostle Paul had a very similar experience. Likewise Peter, James and John could testify to this also, for on the mount of transfiguration they "Beheld the king in His beauty" -and now they enjoy the presence of the King in that land "afar Off'. John also used double eyelids on the Lord's Day on Patmos, where he most. certainly viewed the heavenlies.

Closing Eyelids:
Once again the eagle ascends to the heavens and fixing its eyes on the sun it awaits the sunset -the hour of its death, which it instinctively knows. It literally dies facing the sun. Acts 7 v 55-60 speaks of a similar incident, where the very Godly deacon Stephen, being falsely accused and brutally treated, saw the glory of Jesus and died "Facing the Son."

Kath Steer

Comment on Jeremiah 2:13 (April 1993 edition of the magazine)

"My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water"
In order to dig our own messy man?made wells, our Lord says we must first forsake Him, "the spring of living water".

Many of us believe that we are searching thirstily for God, rather than forsaking Him. So unrecognisable are the wells we dig that we appear to dig them with our hands tied behind our backs, the wells miraculously appearing before us with no visible means of effort behind their appearance. Such wells take the unlikely guise of: Christian service, self-sacrifice and even holiness, all of which show forth our own reflection and gape breathtakingly before us, smiling, "Drink of me and all will be well with you ? you can't possibly do any more to please Him?"

The first problem is that the work and virtues of Christ are so utterly beautiful that we may drink greedily from them and forget from whose source they originally gushed.

The second problem is that Jesus does not scream or shout to claim our wilful attention; when he calls "Come unto me", it is with the "still small voice of the Shepherd"? and we must recognise the Shepherd to hear it. This is why we are called to be disciples once regenerated; if we know our Master as Job did, then the saccharin sweetness of works and virtues or the bitter gall of affliction cannot possibly dull the tastebuds against the refreshing taste of the "spring of living water".

Is your road at present a dust?worn desert track, where you are parched for the "spring of living water"? Do your good works emit the stale smell of your own endeavours or the fresh fragrance of Christ?

Listen for the tender murmur of your Saviour and turn towards Him ? therein lies the well of salvation, and in it God provides the life which gushes abundant and whose aroma is forever unfailing.

S. Lowrie

The Apostles Were They Good Enough? (August 1993 edition of the magazine)

A thought provoking article.

Memorandum
TO:
Jesus, Son of Joseph, Woodcrafter Carpenter Shop, Nazareth

FROM:
Jordan Management Consultants, Jerusalem

Dear Sir:

Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for management positions in your new organisation. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.

It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.

Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic?depressive scale.

One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right hand man. All of the other profiles are self explanatory.

We wish you every success in your new venture.

Sincerely yours

Jordan Management Consultants

Thieves in the Night (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11) (April 1994 edition of the magazine)

The 2nd coming and day of judgement are not an optional extra - they should affect our whole outlook, and how we live.

This was the theme and teaching of the Church Pastoral Aid Society training weekend for CYFA and Pathfinder leaders at Swanwick in February, attended by 4 youth group leaders from St Thomas'.

There were teaching sessions, seminars, workshops and times of worship, covering all sorts of issues to do with working with young people. It was good to meet with others, to encourage each other and to exchange ideas.

Out of the whole weekend, 3 particular ideas have stayed with me and inspired me:

1) That sometimes in the church we behave like members of a rather select yacht club, while we are called to man a life-boat station, going out to reach those who will die unless they hear about Jesus.

2) That Christ's essential message is relevant to all people in all cultures (including "youth culture"!),

3) That the well-being (spiritual and/or physical) of every member of the body of the church is the concern of every member. Caring for each other should mean getting involved and is a 2 way process.

These may seem disjointed ideas, but so much was covered at the weekend.

Perhaps individually we should ask ourselves how much we would be taken by surprise by the coming of the Day of the Lord.

Rosie Welch

On The Third Day He Rose Again -did He? (April 1995 edition of the magazine)

"We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, ....
he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again..."
I say those words in church each Sunday, as part of the Creed, but do I really believe that on the third day Jesus rose from the dead? I know that people who have died do not come back to life, and yet. it seems to me that the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that Jesus of Nazareth did exactly that. What is this evidence? Let me give you a taste of some of it, and perhaps if it whets your appetite you will want to look into it more thoroughly.

1. The Existence of the New Testament.
It is a fact that the New Testament exists, and has done so for centuries. It is difficult to explain how the New Testament came into being, unless we accept that the central event - the Resurrection of Jesus -actually took place.

2. The Gospels
The gospels give four largely independent accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus, and were in circulation within the lifetime of eye-witnesses. The Gospel writers were all in a position to have a good knowledge of the real facts of the case, either as eye-witnesses or by using information obtained from those who were.

3. The New Testament Letters
The letters of Paul, Peter and John, some written before the gospels, also affirm the Resurrection of Jesus. Their writers were in an excellent position to check the authenticity of their claims. Peter and John were eye-witnesses to many of the events described in the gospels.

4. The Early Preaching
About seven weeks after Jesus had been crucified in Jerusalem, and buried there, some of his followers began to declare publicly in the same city that Jesus had been raised from the dead and was alive again. If the Resurrection of Jesus did not happen those who were asserting that it had could scarcely have chosen a worse place to begin their preaching. If the claim that Jesus rose from the dead was not true it would have been so easy to disprove it there and then. With many in Jerusalem bitterly hostile to the new Christian faith, and the Resurrection claim on which it was founded, it is inconceivable that the preaching of the resurrection could have survived for any length of time, far less made the progress it did, unless it were based on solid historical truth.

5. The Existence of the Christian Church
The church is an undeniable fact and its existence cannot be reasonably explained unless the belief in the Resurrection of Jesus, which brought it into existence, is also based on fact.

6. The Empty Tomb
From the outset, the empty tomb was accepted by friend and foe alike. When the preaching about the Resurrection began, the opposition did not bring it to an abrupt halt by pointing to Jesus' grave (only a short stroll away) and his body lying in it. If they had been able to do that, they surely would have done it.

7. The Changed Disciples
On the evening of Good Friday the disciples were crushed and broken. Their Master, from whom they had expected so much was dead. They had lost him for ever and clearly he had not been the Messiah. No wonder they were disillusioned and in despair; hiding behind locked doors, fearful of sharing the same fate. No wonder they were only waiting for the Sabbath to be over, and its travelling restrictions ended, so that they might leave the city and return to Galilee. Over the weekend something occurred that totally changed them.

Their gloom became gladness, their despair changed to hope, their fear was replaced with courage. Before long they were back on the streets of that same city boldly preaching about Jesus and his Resurrection.

8. The Appearance of Jesus
The disciples claimed to have seen Jesus, touched him and talked with him after the Resurrection. Jesus was seen, amongst ethers, by Mary Magdalene, Peter, the Eleven, a group by the lakeside, and on one occasion by over 500 disciples. Could they all have been misled?

9. The conversion of the opposition
Many who began by being passionately hostile and fiercely sceptical, came to accept the truth of the Resurrection and to embrace the new faith which that event had sparked off. In the very earliest days a number of the priests became Christians. They must have been about the most unlikely people in all history to be persuaded that the Resurrection of Jesus was historically true -unless it was.

A few years later one of the most eminent intellectuals of all time became a believer. Saul of Tarsus, who previously had hated, ridiculed and attacked the Resurrection claim, became firmly convinced that it was true. Saul had access to all the available evidence, was acquainted with all the arguments against the Resurrection and, in addition, was a man of outstanding learning and intelligence. He was not to be easily taken in. Add to this his intense prejudice against what seemed to him initially a blasphemous claim, then it is clear that he only could and would have been persuaded to change from disbelief to belief if the evidence for the Resurrection was, despite himself, irrefutable and irresistible.

Finally, because Jesus rose again, and is alive today, we can know him, and experience his love and power in our lives.

Keith Chappell

VE Day Sermon (June 1995 edition of the magazine)

A sermon preached at St Thomas' by Robin Dawson on 7th May 1995.

It was on Day that my wife's parents met -in RAF uniform. At that time I was, apparently, a pain to my mother; I didn't want a second man in her life, when my father returned.

Our VE Day is a time for thanksgiving. For What?
Victory, yes -but at what a cost. Lost years, lost friends, lost relations. The whole population was involved, working and suffering for each other. There was heroism. There was sheer hard work day after day after day. There was separation. Many people had to do things they would rather forget.

At VE Day there was a thankful and exhausted nation that through its trials had grown closer together. We too can now thank God for sacrifice, for suffering born nobly and above all for the preservation of our nation -and the world - from a brutal, authoritarian, evil, fascist regime.

The prophet Isaiah looked forward to a time when the ruler will "judge the needy with righteousness", where "they will neither harm nor destroy on all his holy mountain." On VE Day, that same feeling was abroad because the war had released a surge of creative thought about our society.

Now we have to take stock.
What have we done with the succeeding 50 years? That war-inspired creativity had already led to the '44 Education Act. It soon led to planning legislation, National Parks, the Health Service, medical advances, social security. slum clearance, full employment. Internationally, there was the United Nations, reconciliation with former enemies and the gradual formation of the European Community. We thank God for the "dividing walls of hostility" being destroyed.

We find ourselves, after 50 years at peace, better fed, better housed, better educated, more entertained, more healthy, infinitely more mobile and richer than we could have conceived 50 years ago. For this we must give thanks. But, are we satisfied? No. Why?

Our friends Andrew and Mandy Lines, returning from four years in Paraguay, make some shrewd observations about our country: a corrupt, sleazy, immoral selfish society people are either selling themselves, body and soul, to their occupations and activities or are underemployed or redundant tremendous emphasis on competition and choice a society skilled in passing the buck and pinning the blame on others" We are a rich country. Why are we so short of money? Why the increasing gap between rich and poor? In a pluralistic society things that bind us together are breaking down. We've gone soft on making hard decisions and we have a lottery to provide money that we should be giving directly, either individually or as a nation. Abroad nationalism is rampant once more.

We need discipline to draw us together. Some say competition and market forces will provide a discipline. It certainly makes those of us in work, work harder. But does it draw us together? Some of those who had a vision on VE Day of a 'just and righteous society where they shall neither harm nor destroy" are disappointed.

There is another discipline, a discipline that those who celebrated VE Day will know well. It is the discipline of service. My father served on HMS Sirius. What was the root of this service? A Common objective. Civilians, soldiers, seamen and airmen depended on each other. It was service born out of a sense of obligation for the blood and sweat of others.

It is wholly appropriate that we should commemorate VE Day at a Communion Service, where we remember the sweat of Gethsemane and the blood of the cross, where we commemorate in the bread and the wine a victory, when defeat by the power of evil had seemed complete.

John describes Jesus Christ washing his disciples' feet, we need, with God's help, to reclaim this discipline of service.

As individuals and families we need politeness, consideration, respect for others.

As a church we need listeners, people who will comment creatively, give time to others (especially those not in our Church). We must ask ourselves whether our emphasis on our own spiritual welfare gives us enough time to serve. Praise God, there is so much service, often hidden, in our church.

As a community we must regain the discipline of service in our attitude to the old, those who are disadvantaged, those who don't fit.

As a nation we need the same discipline of service towards other nations which are poor or oppressed -and the individual people who form these nations.

This is all pretty idealistic. Going to war in 1939 was pretty idealistic.

As Christians we have an obligation to undertake this discipline and to lead in it. Jesus said to Simon Peter "Unless I wash you, you will have no part in me." We have seen in the past 50 years the battle between good and evil continue. It continues in each one of us. We know that we need to be washed clean of the evil which lies within us.

Through Jesus Christ's blood and sweat, we are made clean. Now we have an obligation to serve and an objective to glorify God. Let us pray for strength to do that.

Robin Dawson

Halloween -harmless fun or not? (October 1995 edition of the magazine)

Are you going to a Halloween party this year? All Hallows Eve (October 31) was the old Celtic New Year, when evil powers were thought to be abroad. Much of our modern Halloween traditions (trick or treat etc) come from America.

But is it all just harmless fun, or can it lead to an unhealthy interest In the occult? All of us can become fascinated by the unknown beyond the physical, yet the Bible clearly speaks of the dangers of doing this.

What does God warn us against?
(See Deuteronomy 18:9-13) How do modern practices fit into this list? -e.g.. horoscopes, fortune telling, ouija boards, supernatural fantasy.

What does God say about these things?
(See Leviticus 20:6,27 and Isaiah 8:19) How do you view such things, however innocent they might appear?

How did Jesus achieve victory over the powers of darkness?
(See Colossians 2:13- 1 5: 1 John 3:8)

What kind of tactics can we expect the enemy to use against us?
See John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Peter 5:8)

How should we respond to any involvement is the occult?
(See Acts 19:1 1-20; Ephesians 6:10-18)

Power Party
We are not to be unaware of Satan's schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11), but ready to test everything (1 John 4:1-3). As Christians the power at our disposal is nothing less than the power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:1920).

So why not make Halloween a special time of celebration this year. The Rainbow Party at St Thomas' promises to be enormous fun. It is being held from 6.30-8.30 on Tuesday 31 October. All are welcome.

Beatitudes for the Friends of those with Disabilities (December 1995 edition of the magazine)

Blessed are you who take time to listen to difficult speech or help us to know that if we persevere we can be understood.

Blessed are you who walk with us in public places and ignore the stares of strangers, for in your companionship we find havens of relaxation.

Blessed are you who never bid us 'hurry up', and more blessed, you who do not snatch our tasks from our hands to do them for us, for often we need them rather than help.

Blessed are you who stand beside us as we enter new untried ventures, for our failures will be outweighed by the times when we surprise ourselves and you.

Blessed are you who ask for our help, for our greatest need is to be needed.

Blessed are you who help us with the graciousness of Christ who did not bruise the reed or quench the flax, for often we need the help we cannot ask for.

Blessed are you, when by all these things you assure us that the thing that makes us individuals is not in our peculiar muscles, nor in our wounded nervous system, nor in difficulties in learning, but in the God given self which no infirmity can confine.

Blessed and be exceedingly glad, and know that you give us reassurance that could never be spoken in words, for you deal with us as Christ dealt with all his children.

(From the Faith and Light Group)

How Can I Be Sure of My Faith? (August 1997 edition of the magazine)

- an Alpha course question

When I first became a Christian, I seemed to be very sure of my faith.

Although I have a deep love for my God, I find that living on my own can sometimes bring many heartaches and problems with only myself to sort them out. I cannot. expect God to sort out everything in my life for me. I have to help myself but my faith in God is strong and, when I pray to God for his help, I am never refused. I know he is by my side and that helps me a lot.

The last three months have been very hard and distressing for me but my God has helped me through. I know that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. It boils down to the words of Jesus "1 am the way, the truth and the life". That, I hope will always be my journey to eternity with my God.

Jackie Walker

Losing to Gain (February 1999 edition of the magazine)

The mind of God is different from the thoughts of humans. As we follow Him we discover that we:
· lose to gain
· surrender to win
· die to live
· give to receive
· serve to reign
· scatter to reap

In weakness we are made strong
In humility are lifted up
In emptiness we are made full!

I said to the Man who stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown".
And he replied, "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!"

Do Not Dwell in the Past (February 1999 edition of the magazine)

In the same chapter as He tells us not to dwell on the past, the Lord says "Review the past for Me" Isaiah 43:26.

Memory is a wonderful thing. Have you noticed the tricks it can play on us and how we can use it to fit any explanation we want? The Israelites had a selective memory when the going became tough during their Exodus through the desert wilderness out of Egypt into the Promised Land. "They travelled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea to go round Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way. They spoke against God and against Moses and said "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food" - Numbers 43:26

When, then, is it right to look back?

It is not so much when as why. I suffer from depression that is featured by panics that overwhelm with fear. The present is so unbearable that it blots out the past as if it never happened and the future is unthinkable because the present is so terrifying.

On my exodus from depression, the Lord helped me to review the past. He showed me that on 2 occasions I had been ill with life threatening illnesses but for the inventions of wonder drugs (that I had nothing to do with). I realised I had survived accidents and my survival had depended on other people's, not my, actions. In His time, when I was capable of registering, the Lord showed me that my life, from before conception, had never been in my control, but His. He planted firmly in my heart and mind - "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the sun! A time to be born and a time to die" Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

My past became the evidence to support present faith and future hope because He had provided and in doing so had given every hope that He would go on doing so.

Listen in your hearts
Remember this, Fix it in mind
Take it to heart, you rebels.
Remember the former things, those of long ago.
I am God and there is no other.
I am God and there is none like Me.
I make know the end from the beginning,
From ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand and
I will do all that I please.
From the east I summon a bird of prey
From a far off land, a man to fulfil my purpose.
What I have said, that will I bring about.
What I have planned, that will I do.
Listen to me.
Isaiah 46:8-12

These words and words like them offer sense and reason to our lives. God, not us, makes the key decisions in our life. We had nothing to do with our conception, birth, nor on the evidence of the past, our survival. But God did.

Let us each pray that God will speak to us about our past and make Himself known as the Lord of that past, the present and the future.

The Mystery of Communion (June 1999 edition of the magazine)

I must confess that I had mixed feelings when I was asked to become a distributor at communion services. This was not so much because I struggle with the dressing-up bit, nor even because of my perpetual difficulties getting anywhere early, but because I've always thought of receiving the bread and wine as a personal event, and pictured myself in that moment as kneeling at the foot of the cross; an intensely private moment of intimacy and forgiveness. I was hesitant that in distributing bread or wine I could be almost intruding on other people's personal encounters with God, (although I had never felt intruded upon by others distributing).

But in fact I have felt distributing to be an immense privilege, a very special honour, to serve in prayer for each person as they meet with God in the bread and the wine in their own personal way. It has led me to think a lot more about the "communion of saints".

That phrase had stuck in me as old-fashioned and meaningless for literally decades. But the Last Supper was a shared meal; we encounter God personally and intimately, but also in the context of a shared experience. Passing the wine and bread round when we met at St John's in Lent emphasised this for me, as do the words of Jesus' prayer for all believers in John 17:22, "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be as one as we are one; I in them and You in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me, and have loved them even as you have loved me"

With so many changes recently, and as we consider the wider context of what the church as community means in practice, we can remember that we each have the ministry of sharing our meeting with God together, so that others will see the paradox and mystery that communing personally with God uniquely brings. Communing and community- "with unity" with others.

A Distributor

Pause for Thought (June 1999 edition of the magazine)

The other day I saw something that brought to my mind the words "seek my face" 2 Chronicles 7 v14. The picture I saw was a simple one, an ordinary everyday event in the lives of a woman and her dog. The dog had been trained to be her helper. Much like a guide dog for the blind only this lady was sighted but needed help in other ways.

For the most part the dog lay quietly by her side, but, when needed, sat up attentive, expectant, her eyes firmly fixed on her mistress's face. It was a big dog and spilled over into the aisle of the small church where quite a large number of women were gathered. Consequently people had to step over her tail to get by whilst chattering, rustling papers, flapping handbags not to mention the danger of a misplaced foot. But this dog never flinched. Through all the movement on her left, right and rear she was not distracted from her purpose. It is this that struck me most. Her purpose was to serve her mistress by understanding what needed to be done, and this could only be achieved by seeking her mistress's face.

What a lesson that dog showed me. It has made me do a 'double take' on my walk with God. Am I going to be attentive, expectant, eagerly seeking His face, or let myself be distracted? ...Hmmmm.

Well perhaps the woman and her dog were not as forceful as Balaam's donkey ... but then again I don't know!!

Who is My Neighbour? (October 1999 edition of the magazine)

"Love your neighbour as you love yourself". These are the words of Jesus when asked by a teacher of the law what did he need to do to receive eternal life (Luke 10: 25). "Who is my neighbour?" he asked, and this question led into the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. But is the concept of neighbourliness just an ideal?

I worked in the same office in London for nine years. Most mornings I walked down the same streets meeting the same people at the same time of day, yet in that time only three people regularly bothered to say good morning as I passed. It seemed impossible to make eye contact with most, even at that early hour - they did not want to know anything outside of their routine. I wondered how they would behave if they met the man set upon by thieves?

Who is my neighbour? Obviously for many people it is not the person they meet in the street. Jesus brought the teacher of the law to a point where he answered his own question - "The one who was kind to him", meaning the Samaritan who took care of the man attacked by robbers. "You go and do the same", Jesus replied.

What a different world it would be if we all followed this advice. Perhaps we could start by talking to one another again, face to face, even if it is only long enough to say "hello". At least we would then recognise our neighbours when we see them.

Terry Warburton

Here is a Man (October 1999 edition of the magazine)

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. Few people knew and nothing changed. He worked in a carpenter's shop until he was thirty and then for three years he was an itinerant preacher. He had no credentials but himself. While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends - the twelve men who had learned so much from him and had promised him their enduring loyalty - ran away and left him.

He went through the mockery of a trial; he was nailed upon a cross between two thieves; when he was dead he was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave, through the pity of a friend. Yet it can be said that all the armies that ever marched, all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned put together have not affected the life of humans upon this earth as has this one solitary life.

Because Jesus died on a cross as Saviour and was raised to a new sort of life on Easter Day everything is changed and millions of people know about it, sharing in that Risen Life. The question is, do you? This is what we Christians celebrate and believe in every Sunday.

The Healing Ministry (December 2000 edition of the magazine)

As we read through the gospels it is clear that Jesus linked salvation with healing, that is "making whole". Salvation comes as a result of the single act of atonement carried out by Our Lord by his death on the cross and is offered to all who believe. What we learn from the gospels, however, is that Jesus is not merely a Saviour of Souls but a Saviour of persons - body and soul.

There were four main area of need to which Jesus applied his powers of healing:
1. Sin
2. Inner healing
3. Physical healing
4. Deliverance from evil spirits.

Sometimes these would overlap. In the area of sin, there are two separate occasions in the gospels when Jesus said to a person: "Sin no more." On the first occasion (John 5:14) healing of a physical condition had already taken place, but with a warning that "something worse might befall you" unless the sin was given up. We are not to conclude from this that the man's crippled condition was the result of sin. On the contrary Jesus told his disciples in another case that it was neither the man's sins nor his parents' sins that were responsible for his blindness but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. This reveals that God delights in healing.

On the second occasion (John 8:11) there was a need for inner healing in the woman accused of adultery that would take place only after the sin was given up. It is plain from this that there may be besetting or lifestyle sins that may well be the cause of either outer or inner sickness and which need confronting before God can release the sufferer.

But how does the healing ministry relate to those forms of suffering, e.g. incurable diseases, which God undoubtedly allows to happen? Many of us ask: "If God can put a stop to suffering, why doesn't he?" There is no simple answer but there are several key ideas that are Biblical and represent a balanced point of view.

1. God has revealed himself as being on the side of life in spirit, mind and body. Therefore he will respond to prayer for healing unless the sickness is permitted for some higher purpose.

2. Sickness is in itself an evil, although good may result from it. Sickness came into the world as a result of original sin. But through the power of the resurrection God broke into our wounded world and empowers us to co-operate with him by healing and reconciling man and all creation.

3. There comes a time for a person to die. This is obviously true but many people wonder whether they should pray for the recovery of people who are ill with a terminal disease. The answer is that we should pray for the Lord to reveal whether to ask God to take away the sickness or to pray for a happy death, which is not a tragedy at all, but a passing into a deeper life with God.

The ministry of prayer and laying on of hands seeks to apply these principles. The basis for this ministry can be found in Mark 16:17 though there are many more references. These clearly dispel the commonly held view that only the Apostles and Early Church Saints could practice them and that they were done to convince the doubters and to get the early church off the ground. God deals with us all as individuals, and as we respond to his invitation to draw near he gives his Holy Spirit to us, and he bids any of us who are suffering to call the elders of the church and let them pray over them.

St Thomas' offers this ministry as a regular part of its evening services.

Robert Batten