Keith's Blog

“I’m too busy”, is one of the most frequent responses I get to the question, “how are you?” I have a suspicion that the busyness of most peoples lives is actually robbing them of the joy of life that God intended. Too many of us are living in a perpetual sense of guilt because we don’t have the time to give to the things that we think are important. Things like family, friends and even ministry (service). Sure we still try to find time for all these things, but its not the quality time we would wish or even crave for.

Paul when writing to the busy young Pastor Timothy (1 Tim 4: 11-16) gave him this advice. “Pay attention to reading, to exhortation and to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given through prophecy when the elders laid hands on you... Pay attention to yourself.”

I think that Paul was encouraging the young Timothy to do a few things well: to focus on his calling and his gifting, not to let the busyness of ministry and life stop his personal development, the sort of person he was becoming. Paul was encouraging Timothy to make sure that his life was balanced and focused, advice that seems particularly relevant to us today.

Timothy, as a Pastor, was told to give attention to “reading, exhortation and to teaching.” Reading is about preparation, thinking, reflection and learning and is most often a solitary exercise. Exhortation is about investing in others and encouraging them. Teaching was his job; it was what he was called to do. That for me is particularly pertinent. We all need to focus our attention on the things that we are called to and consequently gifted to do, things that invariably energise us and encourage others.

For too many of us church has become a chore and serving something simply done out of duty. I believe that God wants us to recover the joy of serving and to rediscover the beauty of worship and the enrichment of the relationships to which we are all called. Paul’s advice to Timothy seems a good place to start.

In the parable of the sower Jesus lists four types of soil: Rocky, Hard, Weedy and Good. I have often wondered what type of soil best describes me. I would very much like it to be the “Good soil” that produces a vast amount of fruit; however if I am honest I suspect that it is more likely to be the weed infested plot. You see I find it all so easy to be overtaken by the cares of this world. Legitimate things like family, finance and future. These are often the things that demand my attention and take up inordinate amounts of time and emotional energy.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you get neither.” I have a sense that God is asking us all to set our sights a little higher. It is not that he is uninterested in our families, finances or futures. It is just that we can trust him with them. What we are called to do is to, “Seek first his Kingdom” trusting that everything else will be taken care off. Putting things that way round does require faith and often sacrifice but the rewards are amazing.

There is a vast mission field on our doorsteps. People who, like us, are concerned for their, family, finances and future and yet have no idea that there is a Heaven to aim at or even a God who cares. That is the challenge that we face as a church, the call that God has given us. Let’s put a stake in the ground here and now. Let’s aim at Heaven and give it our all in order to demonstrate by our word and actions that there is a God in Heaven and that he does indeed care.

The words of Jim Elliot the missionary who lost his life in 1956 trying to reach the Auca Indians with the Gospel seem particularly pertinent: “It is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Have you ever asked yourself the question, what’s the point of Church? I found myself recently pondering that very same question. I even went further and thought, what’s the point of Barnton? Then I realised that I was in danger of arguing with God. God obviously thinks that Barnton Baptist was a good idea and has a unique and important role to play, both in our city and nation. The church is a visible expression to the world of God. We are supposed to be like Jesus and do the things that Jesus would do if he were here. When people look at us they should see God. As we worship God he promises to be present with us. In a very real sense true worship is focused towards God in praise and expressed to the world in love by his people. We are called to be a people of worship and prayer. Why? To quote Tom Wright; “It’s obvious, isn’t it? It is precisely in worship and prayer that we, while still on “earth”, find ourselves sharing in the life of “heaven,” which is where Jesus is.” Heaven is not just the place you go when you die, it’s where Jesus is. When we worship and witness we are bringing in the presence of Jesus, not only to fallen and lost lives but into the midst of whole communities. That’s people who would otherwise have no idea or sense of the love and purposes of God for them.

As a Christian I yearn and hunger for more of the presence of God. It also breaks my heart that many precious folk for whom Jesus died and loves are walking round lost and hurt, “like sheep without a Shepherd.” As a church we can touch people that no one else can. That however depends on us doing what no one else can do for us and that is to touch the heart of God. We need to be intentional about our worship and prayer and our life together.

Follow this link to see how one church in Liverpool is making this a reality.

Have a great holiday.

I have learnt not to take myself seriously after about 10.00 at night. I know that when I am tired it is all too easy to let things get out of perspective. I am also aware that one of Satan's most effective weapons against me has been discouragement. Discouragement not only robs you of joy, it takes away your desire to do anything. Guess what? When you do nothing you feel even worse and get even more discouraged; it's a vicious circle.

I bet that's how the disciples felt in the midst of the storm in Matthew 14. Which is why when Jesus came to them walking on the water his first words were,"Don't be afraid, take courage, I am here!" The presence of Jesus changed everything for them; they were no longer afraid, they knew that they were safe and were going to get through the storm.

Have you ever noticed how often before God does something incredible, that there is often a battle to be fought, an enemy to be overcome or a perspective to be changed? Think of David hiding in a cave, or Jonah, or Elijah on Mount Carmel, or Peter in the garden at Gethsemane or even the two on the road to Emmaus. I know that many today are feeling discouraged. My prayer is that we will all have our eyes opened and recognise that Jesus is indeed in our midst and that we will come through the storms that many of us are facing. God is about to do something amazing among us, of that I am quite certain. So let us fix our eyes on Jesus because we may be in a fight, but in the words of the song, "The battle belongs to the lord."

God is with us and he will not let us down.