Thought for20 November

John 3:31-36

Jesus Christ has come from above and is greater than anyone else. 

I (John the Baptist) am of the earth, and my understanding is limited to the things of earth, but he has come from heaven.  He tells what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!  Those who believe him discover that God is true.  For Jesus was sent by God.  He speaks God’s words, for God’s Spirit is upon him without measure or limit.  The Father loves his Son, and he has given Him authority over everything.  And all who believe in God’s Son have eternal life.  Those who don’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life, but the wrath of God remains upon them.

I want to share a couple of things that I experienced recently and I’m happy for you to draw your own conclusions.

My wife worked for an organisation for over thirty years, and she still meets up with some of the ladies that were her colleagues over all this time two or three times a year.  Early in September, we had a day trip to Balloch.  We took the ferry trip on Loch Lomond, there was a food fayre going on and it was a lovely sunny day.  May suggested we visit one of her ex-colleagues who lived in Balloch.  In all the times we have been down that way, it is the first time she has suggested this.  On previous visits, she pointed out where her friend lived but we never visited.  On this occasion, we were made welcome, but the lady’s husband was suffering from severe dementia and was unable to communicate with us and 100% dependant on his wife.  A few times, he had managed to leave his home and had to be located by the police and returned home.  Since then, his condition necessitated full-time care 24/7 and he was admitted to a home.  Around six weeks later, he passed away, peacefully in his sleep.

Last Tuesday, our Interim Moderator chaired a meeting of the Kirk Session.  After the meeting, one of our elders asked if it would be possible for him to visit one of our longest serving members of Holytown Church who was quite poorly and would appreciate a visit from a minister.  The Interim Moderator and our Locum duly visited this lady last Friday.  The minister had come prepared to administer the sacrament of communion during this visit but unfortunately, due to her poor health, this was not possible.  Only this morning, I was told that this lady, Miss Margaret Milne had passed away (I’m sorry if you’re hearing this news for the first time and I’m sure there will be tributes and recognition of her dedication, commitment and contribution to Holytown Parish Church in the coming weeks).

What is it that prompts us do things or suggest things like this when it is something we have not done or suggested before.  This has happened many times throughout my own life and you might have your own recollections of similar instances.

Today’s reading is the words of John the Baptist who was faithful even unto death.  John endorses everything Jesus says and does, and recognises his authority over all things given to him by the Father.  In some Churches, worship leaders avoid the parts of scripture that warn us of what awaits all those who reject the teachings of Jesus.  Those who do believe in him recognise that God is true and that it is God who sent him into this world, and it is God who gave him the words to say, the words that we read in the first four books of the New Testament.  Our reading tells us that all those who believe in him will experience eternal life but those who do not will not.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you that you loved us so much that while we were still dead in our trespasses and sins, Christ died for us.  We thank you that he rose again from the dead, so that by faith in him we might not experience the eternal consequences of God’s wrath but receive the free gift of eternal life.  Amen 

John 3:31-36

Jesus Christ has come from above and is greater than anyone else.  I (John the Baptist) am of the earth, and my understanding is limited to the things of earth, but he has come from heaven.  He tells what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!  Those who believe him discover that God is true.  For Jesus was sent by God.  He speaks God’s words, for God’s Spirit is upon him without measure or limit.  The Father loves his Son, and he has given Him authority over everything.  And all who believe in God’s Son have eternal life.  Those who don’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life, but the wrath of God remains upon them.

I want to share a couple of things that I experienced recently and I’m happy for you to draw your own conclusions.

My wife worked for an organisation for over thirty years, and she still meets up with some of the ladies that were her colleagues over all this time two or three times a year.  Early in September, we had a day trip to Balloch.  We took the ferry trip on Loch Lomond, there was a food fayre going on and it was a lovely sunny day.  May suggested we visit one of her ex-colleagues who lived in Balloch.  In all the times we have been down that way, it is the first time she has suggested this.  On previous visits, she pointed out where her friend lived but we never visited.  On this occasion, we were made welcome, but the lady’s husband was suffering from severe dementia and was unable to communicate with us and 100% dependant on his wife.  A few times, he had managed to leave his home and had to be located by the police and returned home.  Since then, his condition necessitated full-time care 24/7 and he was admitted to a home.  Around six weeks later, he passed away, peacefully in his sleep.

Last Tuesday, our Interim Moderator chaired a meeting of the Kirk Session.  After the meeting, one of our elders asked if it would be possible for him to visit one of our longest serving members of Holytown Church who was quite poorly and would appreciate a visit from a minister.  The Interim Moderator and our Locum duly visited this lady last Friday.  The minister had come prepared to administer the sacrament of communion during this visit but unfortunately, due to her poor health, this was not possible.  Only this morning, I was told that this lady, Miss Margaret Milne had passed away (I’m sorry if you’re hearing this news for the first time and I’m sure there will be tributes and recognition of her dedication, commitment and contribution to Holytown Parish Church in the coming weeks).

What is it that prompts us do things or suggest things like this when it is something we have not done or suggested before.  This has happened many times throughout my own life and you might have your own recollections of similar instances.

Today’s reading is the words of John the Baptist who was faithful even unto death.  John endorses everything Jesus says and does, and recognises his authority over all things given to him by the Father.  In some Churches, worship leaders avoid the parts of scripture that warn us of what awaits all those who reject the teachings of Jesus.  Those who do believe in him recognise that God is true and that it is God who sent him into this world, and it is God who gave him the words to say, the words that we read in the first four books of the New Testament.  Our reading tells us that all those who believe in him will experience eternal life but those who do not will not.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you that you loved us so much that while we were still dead in our trespasses and sins, Christ died for us.  We thank you that he rose again from the dead, so that by faith in him we might not experience the eternal consequences of God’s wrath but receive the free gift of eternal life.  Amen