Be Still and Know

Matthew 6:12 “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” The Lord's Prayer talks about our everyday life and here it faces up to the horrible but undeniable fact that sin forms a big part of our lives. But here's the good news: through our faith in Jesus, sin is no longer an overwhelming problem. Before we met Jesus, sin defeated us but now, through his death on the cross, we can claim God's forgiveness. We no longer need to trudge through life with the burden of our sins and failures. If we own up to our sins, God is willing to set us free from their consequences, so that we can be fully alive. God's forgiveness is a wonderful gift but, if we are willing to receive it, it places a huge responsibility on us. We have to share it. Day by day we need to be ready to pass it on when people offend us or deliberately trip us up. This is the tough bit. When we are deliberately wronged, everything in us cries out for justice if not retribution. We want the perpetrator to be punished. But the Lord's Prayer reminds us that just as we received forgiveness as a free and totally undeserved gift, we now need to pass it on to others. In Mere Christianity (Collins), CS Lewis wisely commented: “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” Forgiving others rarely involves words. Forgiveness is something that happens in our hearts and expresses itself in our attitudes and actions. When someone has wronged us, our forgiveness will be shown in the kind and thoughtful way that we respond to them when we next meet. Our loving words will show that we have truly forgiven them and moved on. There's nothing easy about forgiveness. It wasn't easy for Jesus and it won't be for us, but it's the way of liberation. It's the way to find life in all its fulness. Question What has been your own experience of forgiving others? Prayer Lord God, give me strength to pass on your gift of forgiveness to others. Amen

Matthew 6:11 “Give us today the food we need.” Have you ever wondered why we ask God for food on a daily basis? Why not ask him to supply us for a week or even a month? God wants us to live in continual partnership with him. Every day we need to turn to him to obtain the nourishment that we need. This applies in both a physical and a spiritual sense. Just as we need to eat each day so too we need to ensure that we are receiving spiritual nourishment. However excellent last Sunday's church service was, or however blessed we were by yesterday's time of prayer, we need to open ourselves to the breath of God's Spirit today. We need him to strengthen us to live for him in the particular challenges and opportunities of this unique day. I am struck by the fact that everything in this prayer is plural. The prayer begins with the words “Our Father in heaven” and here we pray for the food that we need. The moment we start praying we identify the fact that we are part of a family and when we think about getting fed it isn't just about my empty stomach or my spiritual needs but about what we all need. Physical food is available in abundance in this world but people have very unequal access to it. In some countries even today there is starvation, and in others, including our own, there are immoral levels of food waste. When we pray the Lord's Prayer we are taking our share of the responsibility for ensuring that food is made generally available to everyone throughout the world. When we pray that God will feed us spiritually we are expressing a longing that he will nourish everyone else as well. If you are feeling thoroughly well fed in body, mind and spirit that's excellent, but it isn't enough. Pray that that same blessing will extend to men and women everywhere. What we are learning is that the Lord's Prayer is incredibly radical. Through it, we are praying that God will fundamentally change our world. Question In what way do you need to be fed today? And how can you be praying for others today? Prayer Lord God thank you that your understanding of me is so complete that you know exactly how I need to be nourished today. Amen

Matthew 6:10 “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” The Lord's Prayer, in common with the whole of Jesus' ministry, is focused on the kingdom of heaven. So we need to have a very clear idea what this kingdom is. In essence, the kingdom of God comes wherever God is recognised as king. When his rule is accepted, the results will be immediately recognisable because they will be marked by peace, love, joy, truth and justice. When we pray the Lord's Prayer we are saying that we have signed up to work for this amazing kingdom and we want to bring it about here and now. We want the kingdom to be established in our family, our community, our workplace and our church. In this life, the kingdom will always be under attack just as it was throughout Jesus' ministry, but we need to keep our focus on the king as we seek to encourage every evidence of his kingdom. Some years ago, I was sent a wonderful press cutting that gave me an insight into what the kingdom could look like. It was the report of the stone-laying of a church in Plymouth in 1905. It was a wet day but, even so, the event went ahead and the mayor of the city kindly attended. He was clearly a Christian as he declared that, the more widely the good news of Jesus Christ was proclaimed, the less would be the work of the police and the magistrates and the less claim would be made on the poor relief of the town. Speaking generally he said: “the proclamation of the good news made municipal work more easy and the rates more light.” I love that! What he was saying was that the church's business was to introduce the kingdom of heaven, which would have an impact on the whole community. Too often churches turn in on themselves and forget that God's desire is that we should work for the coming of his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Question In what way are you working to bring the kingdom of heaven here on earth? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you have invited us to work with you to bring your kingdom to our world today. Amen

Matthew 6:9 “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.” The Lord's Prayer is a wonderful model prayer and has been central to Christian worship from the earliest days. In the previous verse Jesus told his disciples that they didn't need to inform God of anything in their prayers, because he already knows everything. Here he spells out what they should pray about. In the first century there was a guide for Christian living called the Didache, which recommended that the prayer should be said three times a day. Christians will vary in their use of the prayer but, whenever we use it, it is exciting to reflect that it takes us back to the words of Jesus himself and to the heart of the kingdom. It is often helpful to pray the prayer very slowly and to use each sentence to trigger our own personal prayers. The Lord's Prayer is all about relationship. It begins by looking to God because everything in this prayer flows out of our intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. As an Aramaic speaker the word that would have been in Jesus' mind was Abba, which literally means daddy. It is a warm and intimate word; Jesus wanted his followers to enjoy that kind of closeness to God. As we pray to our heavenly daddy we are fully aware that he has a unique status. He is holy, and set apart from anything that is imperfect. So, we begin the prayer by affirming that he is to be totally respected, or ‘hallowed' to use the language that many of us were brought up with. This isn't merely a recognition of the importance of respecting God's name but also of honouring him for all that he is and all that he has done. As we pray “our Father” we are also affirming that we are part of a community of people who want to live for God. The Lord's Prayer is for those who are fully committed to putting their heavenly Father first in their lives. Question How would you describe your personal relationship with God? Prayer Loving heavenly Father, we thank you have invited us, through you Son Jesus, into an intimate relationship with you and one another. Amen

Matthew 6:7–8 “When you pray, don't babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” Prayer is often described as being like talking to a friend. There is much that is right about that description, apart from the fact that God is totally unlike any friend that you or I have ever had. For a start, he knows everything. One of the key features of a conversation with our friends is that, wonderful as they might be, they don't know everything. In a conversation we spend plenty of time sharing information with them. So the big question is this: if God knows everything, what is the point of praying? The answer is that prayer is all about relationship. As we pray, we affirm the fact that we are his children and that we are totally dependent on him. That's why it is so important to spend time alone with God. It gives us the opportunity to be completely honest with him and also to listen to him. The joy of our relationship with God is that we can be completely sure that he knows our situation more intimately than we know it ourselves. So we don't need to ‘babble on' for ages! The background to this verse is that some religions taught that the worshipper needed to address the right god by the right name so, in order to ensure that no one was missed out, all the gods and their titles needed to be recited. It was a long and exhausting business, so we can be relieved that we don't need to do this! The moment we come into God's presence we can be sure that we are enveloped by his love and totally understood. Isn't that wonderful? Question In what ways are your quiet times with God important to you? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you know everything about me and yet still love me and want to fill me with your life. Amen

Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Jesus was reacting against the people who made a great show of their praying. They prayed in the synagogues and at street corners because they were looking for an audience. Jesus obviously wasn't saying that it was wrong to pray in synagogues and at street corners but that it was wrong to turn prayer into a religious act totally focused on people, and not on God. Jesus drew attention to the importance of private prayer because this reveals where the heart is. Without that personal relationship with God, prayer has no meaning. It's just an act. Jesus' continual concern was with what we would call religion. He could see that many of the most religious people in his society lived their lives furthest away from God. The word religion means to ‘bind back'. It ties people down to a particular set of beliefs and practices, but it is easy for religion to become merely a performance. Jesus' desire was to renew people's hearts so that, through their relationship with God, they would want to honour and serve him. At the end of the day anyone can pray a long prayer, give money or fast but what matters is where their heart is. In recent years, there have been many Christian leaders who have put on an impressive performance, but who have later been discovered to be abusing people or embezzling funds. We must always be desperately disappointed when these things happen. However, we should never be surprised, because we are all aware of the power and destructiveness of the sin that lurks in all of our lives. Such sad moments should drive us back to Jesus' teaching here in the Sermon on the Mount, reminding us that we all need to spend time with our heavenly Father in private. Without this we run the risk of going off track. Question Where do you find it best to have quiet time with God? Prayer Lord God, help me to live so close to you that my words and actions flow out of my relationship with you. Amen

Matthew 6:3–4 “When you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Is there anything worse than hypocrisy? Jesus certainly hated it and had the harshest things to say about the hypocrites of his day. He wanted everyone to have the joy of a real relationship with their heavenly Father, and he knew that putting on an act to impress other people totally missed the point. In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contrasted the hypocrite's play acting with true devotion to God (v2). The giving of donations to the poor and needy is a responsibility that everyone has, but the way in which it is done is what matters most. Jesus pointed to the hypocrites who announced their giving with trumpets. This may simply have been dramatic language to describe the sheer vanity of some people's giving, but we do know that trumpets were sometimes used in connection with giving in the temple. Either way the point is clear. When you give, you shouldn't make a show of it, because the audience that really matters is God alone. It clearly wouldn't be possible for our left hand to keep secrets from our right hand. The brain doesn't work like that! But it's not difficult to understand what Jesus meant. He was saying that all of our giving should be done in the most secret way that we can achieve. Anything short of that will miss out on the blessing that God longs to give to us as we make our gifts. That then begs the question, what should we give? The New Testament doesn't lay down rules for Christian giving. Paul encouraged his readers in Corinth to give cheerfully and generously (2 Corinthians 9:6–11) and to make sure that their giving was regular and in proportion to their income (1 Corinthians 16:2). The actual amount of your giving is between you and God. What matters above anything else is that when we make our gifts it is an expression of our personal love for God, and just between him and us. Question What have you learned about your giving from this passage? Prayer Loving God, thank you for your amazing generosity to me. Help me always to be generous in my giving. Amen

Matthew 5:14–16 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” On the face of it, it seems really surprising that Jesus should be describing his followers as the light of the world. Surely that was his role (John 8:12). But Jesus was recognising that the only way in which people would see his light would be if his followers reflected his light into their communities. It is, therefore, our responsibility to find the most prominent place to put our light so that as many people as possible can see Jesus. It is good that Christians spend time together. We need the strength and encouragement of worshipping and sharing fellowship. But, at the same time, it is vital for us to be part of our communities in order to have opportunities to share the light of Christ. When our diaries are so full of church meetings that we have no time for anything or anyone else, something has gone desperately wrong. How then will people see this light shining from our lives? Jesus indicated that it happens as people see our good deeds. We should never be looking for people's praise and recognition for our actions but, as we simply get on with being Christians in our daily lives, the light should shine. I have seen this happening time and again through Christians getting stuck into the work of food banks, street pastoring, homeless projects and befriending schemes - or simply being a good neighbour to those who live around them. It is important that our actions are complemented by talking about Jesus, but it is so often the actions that show that our message has credibility. We all have very different opportunities to shine the light of Christ. Your unique network of relationships will enable you to bring the light to places that may not be reached by anyone else. So, however minor and insignificant your good deeds might seem to be, keep them up and thank God that his light will shine through you. Question How has God enabled you to help others? Prayer Dear Lord, help me to live in such a way that others will see your light. Amen

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” I have often heard people say that they are happy for individuals to have a Christian faith so long as it's kept as a private matter. Jesus' words here prove that there is no way in which a Christian can keep their faith private. Those who live close to God will be shaped by their faith from the moment they wake up in the morning. Everything about their life will flow out of their Christian commitment. Like salt, their influence will have an inevitable impact on all those who come into contact with them. One of the distinguishing features of salt is that it is very different from the foods that it accompanies. It is useful and tasty precisely because it is different. So, too, as Christians we are encouraged to be different from the society in which we live. Our morality and standards are not shaped by our society but by God and so it should never be a surprise when we stand out from the people around us. The apostle Paul was very clear about the need for this when he addressed the small group of Christians in Rome. The pressures upon them must have been immense but he urged them not to “copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2). One of the key characteristics of salt is that it is a preservative. With refrigeration we are hardly aware of this function of salt, but until recent history it was of crucial importance for preserving food. Jesus calls on his followers to get deeply involved in the life of society in order to uphold high standards. The worst of all worlds is when salt becomes contaminated and loses its distinctive taste. Churches, similarly, need to beware of fitting in with society so closely that they have nothing distinctive and godly to share. It is high praise when someone is described as “the salt of the earth” and we should all long to live so close to God that we are able to share his distinctive flavour with the people around us. Question In what way are you able to be salt in your community? Prayer Lord God, help me to live so close to you that your loving, gracious influence touches those around me. Amen

Matthew 5:10 “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” The life to which Jesus calls us is one of blessing. This is life at its very best. But Jesus never tried to disguise the fact that his followers would face rejection and persecution just as he did. Jesus assures his followers in every age that it is inevitable that, if they stand up for the truth, there will be many people who have a vested interest in bringing them down. Persecution is normally subtle. For the majority of Christians in Eastern Europe during the communist era the challenge was not the likelihood of imprisonment or martyrdom. That happened from time to time for a few, but the ever-present challenge was in education and employment. I recall talking this through at the time with parents in Romania who wanted to know how to help their children at school when they had to sit through atheism classes. Christian children would find it very hard to enter university and because they were not card-carrying communists they would find it very difficult to get a good job. If they did find a job then, almost always, it would be completely unrelated to their abilities and opportunities for promotion were almost unthinkable. To work hard in an ill-fitting job would need exceptional grace and that was the daily experience of most Christians. In our society the challenges are very different, but still inevitable. In a society that has long since rejected Christianity, it can be exceptionally hard to speak about personal faith. We will often be accused and even mocked for being out of touch with the way things are these days. To live with a continual barrage of sarcasm is the experience of many Christians and it can be very hard to bear. And if you find yourself in a position where you believe your organisation is acting unethically, it can be incredibly tough to stand up for truth and justice. Jesus does not encourage us to go looking for persecution and suffering, but rather to be totally unsurprised when it happens. Question In what ways have you faced resistance because of your Christian faith? Prayer Loving God, give me your strength day by day so that I will be able to stand strongly for you, whatever the challenges. Amen

Matthew 5:9 “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” In this beatitude Jesus isn't talking about being peace-lovers but peace-makers, which is very different. A peace-lover will often do anything to avoid conflict, and will even allow bad behaviour to continue because of the desire to ‘keep the peace'. Sadly, that kind of attitude does nothing to bring healing and can easily lead to a situation becoming far worse. Peace-making is the tough task of not turning away from conflict but, in the name of Christ, deliberately facing it and seeking to bring God's miraculous gift of peace. Robert V Taylor, the President of the Desmond Tutu Foundation, wrote: “If you want peace, don't talk to your friends, talk to your enemies.” I suspect we all dislike conflict. We hate it when voices are raised, people storm out of meetings or there are broken relationships. It's exhausting, discouraging and sad. But it's also very common, and always has been. That's precisely why Jesus recruited followers 2,000 years ago and still does. He needs you and me to get to know him well enough to have the courage to walk towards conflicts and not away from them. If we always run away from places of anger and brokenness we will never be able to make Jesus' offer of peace and will deny ourselves the joy of seeing people find unity and a new future. Northern Ireland has seen decades of sectarian violence. The relative peace that is being enjoyed these days didn't just happen, but was the result of godly peace-makers getting to work and committing themselves to prayer. It was tough, protracted and exhausting work but we rightly honour those who had the guts to walk towards the conflict to bring peace. In 1995 John Hume, founder and leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), said: “As everybody knows, the patience, skill and determination shown by clergy has been nothing less than indispensable in bringing about the peace we now enjoy. I can say that without them, the present hopeful situation would not and could not have come about.” The situations of conflict that we face may seem very minor by comparison, but they equally call us to take the tough path of peace-making for Christ's sake. Question Where is God calling you to be a peace-maker at the moment? Prayer Loving God, thank you for your gift of peace. Give me renewed determination to bring your peace wherever I go. Amen

Matthew 5:8 “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” If you have any gold or silver you will know that it is vital that it is as pure as possible. Any impurity will hugely diminish its value. Jesus was saying that the same rule applies to our spiritual lives. We need to be single-minded, keeping our eyes fixed on his kingdom and not allowing ourselves to be distracted by any lesser objective. This reminds me of Psalm 24, where we learn that the people who were welcomed to worship God in the temple were “those whose hands and hearts are pure” (v4). This makes uncomfortable reading. We can easily understand the desirability of having pure hearts, but we know that our lives are a long way away from that. Even our best efforts can very easily be spoilt by unhelpful motives. When we give generously to help others, we will often feel personal pleasure and pride at what we have given. In fulfilling our roles in our churches, it is easy to focus far too much attention on the love and gratitude that we gain from our service. Even in preaching the word of God there is always the danger of self-satisfaction at having preached a wonderful sermon. One day after John Bunyan had just finished preaching a sermon someone came up and told him that he had preached well. He apparently replied: “The devil already told me that as I was coming down the pulpit steps.” Honesty compels us all to admit that we are a long way from living lives of complete purity. Much as we might long to live a life of single-minded commitment to God we know that we are easily distracted. However, I don't believe that Jesus' words should dishearten us. As we read the Beatitudes we are being shown the beauty and desirability of living a life in complete conformity to God's will. Inspired by this ‘gold standard' he then urges us to walk in his footsteps, relying completely on his forgiveness and the power of his Spirit. Question What would help you to live more single-mindedly for God? Prayer Lord God, I confess that I get distracted easily from following your will. I praise you for your forgiveness and for the renewing power of your Spirit. Amen

Matthew 5:7 “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Jesus told many stories that make us sit up. One of the most powerful was the story of the king who was owed an enormous amount of money by one of his servants (Matthew 18:21–35). The man couldn't possibly pay his debt. The servant fell on his knees and begged the king to be patient. The king took pity on him and cancelled the debt. The relief must have been incredible. The servant then went out and met a friend who owed him a trivial amount - but the servant demanded that he be paid back in full and threw the friend into prison until he recovered all his money. When the king heard this, he was incensed and ordered that the servant who had been let off the most enormous debt be thrown into prison and tortured until he paid back every last penny. Ouch. Jesus concluded by saying that that was exactly how his heavenly Father would treat anyone who failed to show forgiveness to others. God wants to show us his mercy and forgiveness, but we are then under an obligation to pass it on. It isn't a choice, and it isn't easy. Forgiveness is a gift and there is no way in which we could ever deserve to be forgiven by God. Justice would demand that our sins are judged severely. The debt is well beyond anything we could ever repay. But God in his mercy and love has chosen to let us go free, and to give us complete forgiveness. We need to remind ourselves constantly of how incredible it is that God should ever have forgiven us. And then we must never forget that we are commissioned to pass on forgiveness to those who deliberately wrong us, to those who are unkind to us and to those who make our lives a misery. They don't deserve forgiveness any more than we did, but we are charged with passing on the forgiveness that God has generously given to us. Question What have you learned from the times when you have forgiven other people? Prayer Lord God, thank you for your gift of forgiveness. Help me always to be ready to pass on that gift to others. Amen

Matthew 5:6 “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” I wonder when you last felt painfully hungry or thirsty. I suspect for most of us that, if it has ever happened, it is a distant memory. However, it is likely that Jesus' hearers would have been very familiar with both. Harvests could be good or bad, and it was impossible to achieve a reliable supply of food. Additionally in a hot country people would often have felt desperately thirsty, and finding a good supply of clean water would never have been easy. Jesus wanted his followers to have the same craving and passion for his kingdom to be established as a hungry and thirsty person has for food and drink. Christianity suffers desperately from those who give it merely polite agreement. They live respectable and kind lives and consider that Christian faith is generally a very good thing. Jesus is looking for something completely different. He wants our lives to be dominated by the longing to see God's will done and for society to be ordered in a way that honours him. In our worship he wants us to express our craving for God's honour, peace and love to be the experience of everyone in the world. And in our service he wants us to strive to bring his justice and compassion to our society. The wonderful promise is that God will answer the prayers of those who have this passionate longing for his kingdom. For as long as we live on this earth we will be battling against the reality of sin and injustice. They are sadly an inevitable part of a fallen world but, amidst it all, God is working with us and hearing our prayers. Our task is to live so close to God that we never lose that passionate desire for his perfect will. Through reading the Bible, our fellowship with other Christians and our worship we keep alive our longing for the perfect, liberating kingdom of God. Question How hungry and thirsty are you for God's kingdom? Prayer Dear Lord, forgive me for my half-heartedness. Give me a passionate desire to do your will and to see your kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen

Matthew 5:5 “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” Mother Teresa taught the world a great deal about humility. She gave us a wonderful example of what it looks like to be humble through her costly service to the most rejected and unloved members of society. But she also offered us many wise words on the subject. In her famous ‘humility list' she said: “Learn to be humble by doing all the humble work and doing it for Jesus. You cannot learn humility from books; you learn it by accepting humiliations. Humiliations are not meant to torture us; they are gifts from God. These little humiliations—if we accept them with joy—will help us to be holy, to have a meek and humble heart like Jesus.” Humility lies at the heart of the kingdom of God. Jesus once told his disciples that the only way to enter the kingdom was to become as humble as a child (Matthew 18:4). They were still looking for power and influence, but Jesus wanted to turn their thinking upside down. We only serve God effectively by giving up all thoughts of our own advancement and seeking to strengthen and bless others. Mother Teresa has left us a really helpful humility list that offers us an excellent way of checking whether we are really growing in humility. Here are five items from her list. 1. Speak as little as possible about yourself. 2. Accept small irritations with good humour. 3. Do not dwell on the faults of others. 4. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded. 5. Do not seek to be admired and loved. I love these simple, practical challenges. They clearly illustrate that humility is the path for those who long to see the kingdom of God become a reality here and now and who are happy to accept a huge challenge. When writing to the Colossian church, the apostle Paul wrote: “Clothe yourselves…in humility” (Colossians 3:12). Living humbly needs to be so natural to us that wherever we go and whatever we do humility is always an integral part of our daily life. Question Which of Mother Teresa's five challenges do you find most relevant to you? Prayer Lord Jesus thank you for the humility that you showed in your earthly life. Help me day by day to learn more about the joy of living humbly. Amen

Matthew 5:4 “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” The word that is used for mourn here is also used in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, to describe Jacob's grief when he was led to believe that Joseph, his treasured son, was dead (Genesis 37:34). He was grief stricken. God's promise is that those who are overwhelmed with sorrow now will find his comfort and strength. So who are the people that are mourning so profoundly today? Jesus probably had in mind, among others, those who knew the agony of losing a loved one. Most of us know the pain of friends and family members dying, and some of us have had the awful experience of people dying suddenly or even violently. None of us would want to make light of these terrible experiences, but Jesus reminds us that death doesn't have the last word. Even in the midst of our loss, God is there with us offering his peace, strength and love. When someone has died, most people feel numb at first and it can be hard to hear any good news at all. But as time passes it becomes possible to see the bigger picture and to meet the God who offers his healing, companionship and strength. Jesus was almost certainly speaking about others who are overwhelmed by the brokenness and suffering in the world. And then there are those who feel crushed by their failures and sinfulness. Jesus comes to all those who are overwhelmed with sadness and grief and announces his good news. Miraculously, he is able to bring comfort to anyone who is willing to bring their heavy burden to him and leave it in his hands. Question When have you had the experience of mourning, and how did God comfort you? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you that you meet us when we go through times of distress and that you give us the strength to carry on. Please come today to those in our world who feel their burdens are too heavy to bear, and give them your comfort. Amen

Matthew 5:3 “God blesses those who are poor and realise their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Robert Powell acted the part of Jesus in Franco Zeffirelli's film Jesus of Nazareth. He claims that his life was changed by the experience and recalls the day when he was filming the Sermon on the Mount. Powell had no time for Christianity but, as he preached the sermon as an actor, he said that he was so affected by its beauty that he began to cry. The tears were not in the script, but Zeffirelli wisely kept them in the movie. It is easy to see why he was so affected by these words because they take us to the heart of what it means to be alive. They stand before us as a challenge and encouragement as we seek to understand what it means to live the Christian life. Today's verse is the first of the so-called Beatitudes. Before we start looking at them we need to be clear what Jesus meant by the ‘kingdom of heaven', which was an expression he often used. The kingdom of heaven comes wherever God is allowed to be in control so, amazingly, it can happen in our lives today. This is why Jesus encouraged us to pray for his kingdom to come here on earth as it is in heaven. The kingdom of heaven gives us a preview of what heaven itself will be like; it is, by definition, life at its very best. Jesus declared that the people who possess this wonderful kingdom of heaven are those who are spiritually poor. The word used here for ‘poor' in the original Greek language speaks of absolute poverty or destitution. Jesus was saying that the way into the kingdom of heaven is to understand that, spiritually, you've got nothing to offer apart from empty hands. We need to come to Jesus in absolute weakness, recognising that we are totally dependent upon him. The moment arrogance and self-confidence creeps in, we spoil everything. From first to last we are dependent on our loving and gracious heavenly Father. Question Where have you seen the kingdom of heaven come on earth? Prayer Lord God, help me depend totally upon you so that in my life your kingdom will come here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen

Psalm 34:9–10 Fear the LORD, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing. As a teenager I chose a profession that is famous for paying well. I was a Christian and I wanted to serve God but was keen to ensure that I had a good income. When God called me at the age of 19 to become a minister I felt nervous about my financial future. This wasn't helped by the fact that I went to visit my bank manager who gently but clearly informed me that he considered that I was making an unwise financial move. It was at that time that I first met these verses. God was clearly telling me that I wouldn't miss out, and I haven't. Undoubtedly, I would have made more money if I had continued with my original career plan. But God has been absolutely faithful and I have missed out on no good thing. It's hard to imagine a lion growing weak and hungry. They are famous for their predatory skills. But from time to time even they may struggle to feed properly. But that is never the case for those who fear the Lord. Those who live their lives for God will never miss out. Isaiah wrote in a similar way when he declared: “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29–31). In short, God is no one's debtor. He is generous; if you commit your life to him you will never miss out. Question In what ways have you experienced God's generosity? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for all the ways in which you have blessed my life. Forgive me for those times when I have doubted your generosity. Amen

Psalm 34:1-4 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises…I prayed to the LORD and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. This is one of 14 psalms that has a title which identifies when David wrote it. The background to this particular psalm is found in 1 Samuel 21 and 22. To summarise, David had run away from King Saul who was trying to kill him. He escaped to the King of Gath for safety. However, David felt far from safe and so he decided that it would be best for him to pretend to be mad. This worked well and he successfully escaped from the King of Gath to his next hiding place in the cave of Adullum. So the context of this psalm is one of threat and insecurity. And yet David is full of praise and worship. Indeed, he encourages us to praise the Lord at all times and says that praise will always be on his lips. The truth is that it is easy to praise the Lord when everything is going well. But David, in common with the apostle Paul, was convinced that praising God is the appropriate response every day. Just think of all the challenges and difficulties which Paul faced that we have read about over the past month. He constantly experienced pressure and frequently faced physical threats. He was let down by close colleagues and suffered continually from his thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7). But nevertheless, he encouraged the church in Ephesus to: “be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18–20). Every day we have a choice as to how we will approach life. We could go into today full of complaints. But we could listen to David and Paul and decide that the best attitude to have is one of praise and thanksgiving. And I can assure you that, whatever may be happening in your life, if that is your attitude then you will find no end of things for which to praise God. Question What are three reasons why you should praise God right now? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for the ways in which you are continually blessing my life. Help me to keep praising you throughout today. Amen

Acts 28:30–31 For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. Paul's journey to Rome was an amazing adventure. It was a long and difficult journey during which he and his companions survived a shipwreck. We would love to know far more details but now, in these final verses of the Acts of the Apostles, we find Paul settled into a house in Rome. We are informed that he was guarded by a soldier and so he was being kept under what we would normally call house arrest (v16). However, he was clearly given considerable freedom and, wonderfully, he was able to continue with his ministry. There was no keeping Paul down! The book of Acts began with a small, frightened and confused group of Jesus followers waiting in Jerusalem. Jesus gave them instructions to take the good news to the ends of the earth but that seemed impossible at the time. The 28 chapters of this amazing book have told the way in which it became a reality. It was all through the power of the Holy Spirit. The journey was a tough one and the opposition was often violent and intense, but the good news continued to be spread. Now, at last, Paul was in the great city of Rome, at the heart of the Roman Empire. From humble beginnings in Jerusalem there were now vibrant Christian communities in many countries and vast numbers of believers. This should be a great encouragement to us all. There were many times of enormous difficulty and discouragement along the way, but God was at work and his word was fulfilled. As we face our own struggles and problems we can be confident that God's Holy Spirit will strengthen us and direct us. Question What encouragement do you take personally from the Acts of the Apostles? Prayer Lord God, in my weakness fill me with the power and wisdom of your Holy Spirit today. Amen

Acts 24:24–25 Sending for Paul, [Felix and his wife Drusilla] listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. “Go away for now,” he replied. “When it is more convenient, I'll call for you again.” Paul was now on the Mediterranean coast in Caesarea, the regional centre of Roman authority. The city had only recently been built and it became the largest settlement in Judaea. It was here that Pilate had been based. Governor Felix was in charge by this stage and Paul was brought before him. What I love about our verses today is that they are such a beautiful illustration of the fact that, whatever circumstances Paul was in, he just kept witnessing. At one moment he was happy to share his testimony with a crowd who, he knew, were hating every word he said and the next we find him sitting down with the most powerful man in the land and his wife, telling them the good news. Felix didn't have a great record. He was governor of Judaea for eight years and had a reputation for cruelty and a love of bribes. It is said that he was hoping to get a bribe from Paul and so frequently asked to speak with the apostle. We have no idea what impact Paul's testimony had on Felix and his wife, but that isn't the issue. What is significant is that Paul seized his opportunity. We must leave the outcome of our witnessing with God. What matters is that we are continually seeking opportunities to speak of who Jesus is and what he has done for us. I remember hearing some years ago from a very shy person who hated the idea of sharing his faith. And so he prayed about it and asked God to give him one opportunity, however small, every day to speak about his faith. He told me that God had never let him down! Whether you are like this man or the apostle Paul, God has given us good news to share, and we need to be alert for every opportunity, whatever the reaction. Question Will you pray for an opportunity to share your faith today? Prayer Lord God, thank you for every opportunity that you give me for sharing the good news about Jesus. Please give me such an opportunity today. Amen

Acts 23:11 That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.” Paul was going through an incredibly difficult time. His arrival in Jerusalem had sparked a riot and the Roman authorities struggled to know what to do with him. They didn't know how to handle religious disputes and so they tried to hand the matter over to the Jewish council. However, when Paul appeared before them the meeting soon descended into chaos. The Roman commander who was watching the proceedings thought that Paul was in danger of being torn apart and so he ordered his soldiers to rescue him and take him back into protective custody. By this time, they had discovered that he was a Roman citizen and so knew they had to be very careful with Paul (see vv1–10). In the midst of this confusing and dangerous situation, God spoke to Paul confirming the fact that his witness would continue and would even take him to Rome itself, which was the heart of the great Roman Empire. Paul could have no idea how that word was going to be fulfilled. In that moment he didn't need to know. All he needed was to have the encouragement that he was doing God's will, and that God had a definite purpose for his life. The next few chapters of Acts will reveal that the road ahead was going to be incredibly tough, but God's will was fulfilled and Paul was able to take the good news to Rome. I would love to tell you that your future is going to be free of difficulties. But I'm not going to, because it wouldn't be true. God never makes such promises. What he promises, as we serve him in this sinful and sad world, is that he will be with us and that he has got vital work for us to do. That should be a massive encouragement for us, and should enable us to face the future with confidence and peace. Question Do you look to the future with confidence? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that my future is completely secure in your hands. Amen

Acts 22:1–2 “Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defence.” When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater. Paul faced intense hostility when he reached Jerusalem. People had heard reports of his ministry among the Gentiles, and he was accused of telling people to disobey the Jewish laws. A riot broke out and the crowd cried out for Paul to be killed. The commander of the Roman regiment was informed that the city was in uproar and so he sent his troops to get hold of Paul. The soldiers were clearly unsure what to do with Paul and indeed at first the commander had confused him with an Egyptian who had led a major rebellion. Paul clarified that he was a Jew from Tarsus and asked for the opportunity to speak to the crowd. Interestingly, the commander agreed. This was an incredibly sensitive moment. Many in the crowd were going to hate what Paul had to say, and he knew it. He needed to tread with extreme care, and we can learn a lot from the way in which he did it. He began by addressing them as brothers and fathers, which was the same way in which Stephen had commenced his final speech (Acts 7:2) But what really impressed them was that Paul spoke in Aramaic, their own language. That showed great sensitivity and the crowd gave him their full attention. Paul then launched into his testimony. He made it clear that he was a Jew and that he had been educated in Jerusalem under the hugely respected Rabbi Gamaliel. Indeed, he was so committed to his Jewish faith that he had persecuted the followers of Jesus and was even responsible for the death of some of them. He then went into the details of his conversion on the road to Damascus and his calling to go and share the good news with the Gentiles. This triggered a huge reaction and the crowd shouted that he wasn't fit to live (Acts 22:3–23). Paul wouldn't have been remotely surprised by the crowd's reaction, but he had achieved what he set out to do. He had shared his testimony of the way in which Jesus had transformed his life, and he would never have had that opportunity if he hadn't approached his task with care and sensitivity. Question How does Paul's example help you as you share your faith with others? Prayer Lord, help me to be as courageous and sensitive as Paul in sharing my testimony with others. Amen

Acts 21:13 [Paul] said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” There was no stopping Paul. He was absolutely determined to go to Jerusalem and no one was able to stand in his way. That's not to say that they didn't try! When he arrived in Tyre in Syria, he spent a week with the believers there and they prophesied through the Holy Spirit that he shouldn't go to Jerusalem (v4). Some days later he went down the coast to the important city of Caesarea where he met a man named Agabus who had the gift of prophecy. He dramatically took hold of Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands with it, and then declared that the owner of the belt would be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem and then turned over to the Gentiles. Upon hearing this, everyone begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem (vv10–12). But he wouldn't be stopped. He announced that he was ready to be jailed and even to die for the sake of his Lord. If risk assessments had existed in Paul's day, he would undoubtedly have been told that it was much too risky to head to Jerusalem. But Paul's mind was made up and off he went, believing that he was acting in obedience to the Lord. We all face risks in life and this incident emphasises that there is something far more important than risk – being obedient to Christ. I have known many Christians take huge risks because of their faith. Some have gone to work in countries where the health care was very poor. Others have moved their families into rougher areas because of their determination to share the good news with those communities. I am convinced that we should always live responsibly and be aware of potential risks. But Paul reminds us that obeying the Lord is what really matters, however risky it might be. Question What risks have you taken in your Christian life? Prayer Lord God, help me to be willing to be obedient to you, whatever the cost. Amen

Acts 20:36–38 When [Paul] had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. There was clearly a very strong bond between Paul and the Ephesian elders and so this moment of parting was painful. Paul, of all people, had an absolute conviction in the wonderful future that God had for him. He often spoke with great confidence about the afterlife. In Philippians he reflected on the life to come and summarised the situation by saying: “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me” (Philippians 1:23). I am sure that Paul had no doubt that the elders would also have been looking forward to the same future. But, even so, this moment of departure was sad and painful, and the tears flowed. We shouldn't be afraid of our emotions. At the funeral of a Christian we always have much to celebrate. We believe that Jesus came to bring us eternal life and, therefore, death is only a change of state. Our life is secure in God's hands for time and eternity. Nevertheless, there is real sadness when a Christian dies and it is important that we are open about that. Death cannot separate us from the love of God, but it does separate us from one another for a while and we understandably miss the warmth, love and conversation with the one who has passed. These verses are important for me because they reveal the depth of love that these Christians had for one another. If it had been a superficial or merely a working relationship there would have been no need for tears. Throughout my years of ministry, I have moved on to a new sphere on a number of occasions. I have always found those moments incredibly painful and have always been moved to tears. In every situation precious relationships have grown up and deep roots have developed. The pain of moving on has been real but I don't regret it because it has revealed the love that I've shared with others, and for that I will always be grateful. Question How do you cope with moving on? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you are with me all the time amid all the changes and challenges of life. Amen

Acts 20:28 So guard yourselves and God's people. Feed and shepherd God's flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders. I suspect that most people would choose not to be compared with sheep! It would hardly be seen as a flattering description! Sheep are rarely viewed as the brightest of animals and are generally understood to be easily led. However, God's people are frequently described as being like sheep in both the Old and New Testaments. It isn't surprising therefore that, as Paul addressed the Ephesian elders in his final talk with them, he spoke of their responsibilities for caring for the flock. Paul knew that the church, like any flock of sheep, needed to be protected, fed and cared for. The responsibility for caring for the church was so great that the person had to be appointed by the Holy Spirit. That is still the case today. If an individual feels an inner conviction that this is something that they should do, while that should always be greatly welcomed it also needs to be carefully weighed and assessed by others who, listening to the Holy Spirit, will seek to discern whether this is God's will. The responsibility of the shepherd always involves guarding the flock. In Psalm 23 David, who had himself been a shepherd, reflected that the Lord's “rod and staff protect and comfort me” (v4). The rod and staff, or shepherd's crook, were the means of defending the sheep from attackers but also of rescuing those that got into trouble. The shepherd had an active and continual role of protecting the sheep and that's exactly the role that church leaders need to perform today. Life is full of threats and temptations and the shepherd must be continually alert. There are many different aspects to a shepherd's role, but they are summed up in the word love. We see that supremely in the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who gladly laid down his life for his sheep. We need to thank God that the Holy Spirit continues to appoint people to the awesome responsibility of church leadership. Question How do you understand the role of the shepherd in church life today? Prayer Thank you Lord for those whom you set apart for leadership in the Church in our day. May they be faithful in guarding, feeding and caring for their flock. Amen

Paul said: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” What's the purpose of your life? We all have to agree that this is an excellent question, but most of the time we may be busy with our work, family, church, hobbies, sport and a thousand other things so put off asking it. The apostle Paul recognised that his life was under threat and he might not have much time left. Paul was clear that his life's work was to communicate the good news about the wonderful grace of God revealed in Jesus. What an amazing ministry he had! His leadership, teaching and example were of incalculable importance and we are still deeply conscious of our debt to him. In all honesty our roles are unlikely to have the same world-shaking significance as his. However, each of our lives is important and we need to make sure that we use our time well. This life isn't a rehearsal for anything. It's the real thing and we need to ensure that we are giving our best. I have the privilege of mentoring a number of people and our conversations are all focused on helping my mentees to reflect on the direction of their lives. Not everyone will be able to have a mentor, but it is valuable for all of us to have such highly focused conversations with someone from time to time. The busyness of life can very easily push such times of reflection to the margins, but they need to happen so it is wise to set aside time to ensure that they do. Question How would you describe the purpose of your life? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of my life and for every opportunity that you give me to serve you. Amen

“You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now I have done the Lord's work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.” My son works for a well-known food retailer. When he leaves for work, I wish him well and he always responds in exactly the same way: “I'll do my best, Dad.” And I know that he will. That's exactly what we are reading in this passage today. We are meeting Paul as he addressed the leaders of the church in Ephesus and he wanted them to know that he did his best. He didn't hold anything back. He suffered with them and told them everything they needed to know, even if they weren't keen to hear it. He had done his best. Paul had spent three years with the church in Ephesus, which was a very long ministry for him. On this particular occasion, he was eager to get to Jerusalem in time for Pentecost. So he decided not to make the journey to Ephesus, but invited their leaders to make the 30-mile journey to the coast to meet him at Miletus (v17). His speech to them is deeply moving and reveals his deep love for them and his passionate desire that they should be strong in the face of whatever opposition they might encounter. Paul was sure that this was the last time that he would meet with them, and he was right about that, although he had no idea why that was going to be the case. The fact was, when he got to Jerusalem he was going to be arrested and be sent, finally, to Rome to face trial. Paul wasn't perfect and neither are we. We all fail. But God looks to us, frail as we are, to do our best and, amazingly, he will take that and use it to his glory. Question Are you committed to doing your best for God today? Prayer Lord God, I know that I often fail you. Thank you that you are willing to take and use what I give to you today. Amen

Acts 19:11–12 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled. Isn't this wonderful? I have no personal experience of my own handkerchiefs or aprons being a blessing to anyone else, but that's not the point. God will work in the way that he chooses and in this wonderful period of Paul's ministry that was exactly what he chose to do. The reference to the handkerchiefs here is probably to the sweat bands that Paul used in his daily tent making work. I am reminded of an earlier account in Acts when people were healed by Peter's shadow falling across them as he walked by. God was blessing his ministry in such an amazing way that sick people were brought out onto the street on their beds and mats to be healed (Acts 5:15). When we hear about God working in wonderful and miraculous ways we are, naturally, very keen to see him do exactly the same things today. When we read the amazing accounts of revivals, when whole communities turned in faith to Christ we, understandably, long for that to happen in our own day. But I believe that our focus needs to be on the fact that God is always acting miraculously. Every day is an expression of God's miraculous power. It happens when people get better after a time of illness; when people recover after skilful surgery; when a child is born; when people come through a crisis and find new hope; or when we look at the beautiful countryside or watch a majestic sunset. Every day in a thousand ways we are being blessed by miracles, and that can encourage us to expect God to work in new and amazing ways. Question In what ways have you seen God act miraculously in the past week? Prayer God of miracles I worship you. Open my eyes to see the amazing miracles that you are going to do today. Amen

Acts 18:9–10 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” Throughout the Bible we hear God telling people not to be afraid. When God made a covenant with Abram, the father of the nation of Israel, he spoke to him in a vision and said: “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great” (Genesis 15:1). Later, we meet Joshua after the death of Moses and God said to him: “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Much later, we hear the angel telling a young girl called Mary that she should not be afraid when she is told that she will bear the Son of God (Luke 1:30). The command not to be afraid reminds us how damaging fear can be. God knows that we cannot be effective in serving him unless we overcome the problem of fear. Our verses today come at a time when the apostle Paul had had a great deal of experience of living for God. He had faced many struggles and much intense opposition, but God knew that fear was still an issue and so he spoke to him in a vision to give him assurance. God didn't merely tell him not to fear but reminded him that he would always be with him. He also gave him the encouragement that there were people in that busy, cosmopolitan city of Corinth who belonged to him. Paul wouldn't be alone as he ministered in that famously immoral city. Fear takes many forms, and it can creep up on us at any time. It may be a fear of what other people think of us or a fear of failure, loss, ill-health or death. Just because you are normally a confident person doesn't mean that you are impervious to fear. The answer is that we need to look to God and hand over our fears to him, reminding ourselves that he is with us and will never leave us. Question What are you most fearful of at the moment? What are you doing with that fear? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you understand me so well and that you are able to give me the strength to face up to any fears. Amen

Acts 17:32–34 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” That ended Paul's discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Paul received a complete range of reactions to his speech to the Areopagus. Some laughed, others wanted to hear more and yet others became believers. Those who laughed with contempt found the idea of the resurrection absurd. It is never pleasant to be laughed at, but Paul knew that the Christian message will always seem ridiculous to some people. He spoke about this at length when he wrote to the church in Corinth. If you have a partner, children or colleagues who find your faith a complete joke it is very tiring and discouraging. I pray that you will find grace and strength to cope, and also Christian friends who can support you. Other people were sufficiently stimulated by Paul's message to want to hear more from him at a later date. When people first hear the Christian message, it often comes as such a surprise that they don't know how to take it all on board. They need time to stop and reflect. I have known some people who took decades to reflect on the good news before they finally decided to follow Jesus. We need to be very patient and continually willing to talk with people about their questions and doubts. Finally, some people believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus (v34b). How thrilled Paul must have been that one of the members of this distinguished body should make a commitment to follow Christ. And remember that Paul had never intended to be in Athens at all! He was merely kicking his heels for a few days while Silas and Timothy caught up with him. Paul's eagerness to share the good news was unceasing. Question How would you support someone who was being mocked for their faith? Prayer Lord God, help me to share your good news with other people whatever their reaction. Amen

Acts 17:22–23 Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.'” Paul must have been delighted to get an opportunity to speak to the council, which was known as the Areopagus. This was a highly respected body, which brought together the leading thinkers of Athenian society. I love the graciousness and sensitivity of Paul's approach to them. He wanted to build a bridge with these learned people. He observed that he had been looking around the city and noticed that they were very religious. They would have loved that. But he went further, remarking that he had come upon one particular altar “To an Unknown God.” I am sure that his hearers were flattered by the care with which Paul had surveyed the situation and they were all ears. If we are to speak compellingly to our society, we too need to build a bridge. I took a while to recognise this. I recall coming upon a booklet in my mid-teens that told me all the shortcomings of the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses. I was fascinated and decided that I should try to remember as much of it as possible so that, when they next visited, I could defeat them with all the excellent points made in the booklet. The day came. I knew they were Jehovah's Witnesses as soon as they walked towards the house, so I launched quickly into my carefully prepared attack. It won't be a surprise to you that I was completely unsuccessful! Attacking people, however wrong they may be, is never a way of building a relationship. Paul's sensitive approach didn't mean that he watered down his message. He simply ensured that what he said made sense to his hearers. Having built a bridge, he was then able to get to the core of his message and he urged his hearers to repent. We have much to learn from this. Most people in our society have not a single clue about the Christian message and we need to communicate by starting where they are if we are ever to share the good news of Jesus effectively. Question How could Paul's approach help you when you share the good news? Prayer Loving God help us to speak relevantly and clearly to our society. Amen

Acts 17:17–18 [Paul] went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. We have much to learn from Paul. When he went to a new place it was his usual practice to make contact first of all with those attending the synagogue. There he found not only Jews but also people who were interested in the faith who hadn't made a full commitment. It was clearly a good place to talk about his faith and he was ideally qualified to speak with understanding to both Jews and Gentiles. But he didn't leave it at that. He also went regularly to the public square. That was a more random activity and I love the way that Luke records him meeting those “who happened to be there”. And, as if that wasn't enough, he also entered into lively debate with the philosophers. The Stoics taught the development of self-control as a means of overcoming destructive emotions and the Epicureans believed that pleasure, enjoyed moderately, was the greatest good in life. Paul was delighted to engage in debate with them. Paul's approach teaches us the need for flexibility in spreading the good news. It is natural that we will want to speak about Jesus in our churches and celebrate our faith. Happily, most churches are mixed communities embracing people with strong Christian convictions and others who are interested but uncommitted. But we shouldn't for a moment imagine that speaking about Jesus inside our church buildings is enough. Jesus told his disciples to “Go” 2,000 years ago – and he says the same to us today! We need to take the good news to coffee shops, pubs, places of work, retirement homes, youth clubs, on social media and wherever people meet. Just like Paul, we need to grab every opportunity for speaking about Jesus. Question Can you think of a new place where you could speak about Jesus? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you have given us such wonderfully good news to share. Help us to be bold and imaginative in sharing it with others. Amen

Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. We have no reason to think that Paul intended to spend time in Athens. He was merely there for a few days while he waited for Silas and Timothy to catch up with him. The threats to his safety had got too serious in Berea and so he had been escorted down south to the relative safety of Athens. He needed a good break after the dangers and pressures of the recent months of ministry. But Paul wasn't one for holidays and so he spent his time walking round the city reflecting on all that he was seeing. Politically Athens had become far less significant than it had been in the past, but it was still a leading centre of culture. It was famous for its sculpture, literature and philosophy and Paul was clearly fascinated by all that he saw, but was also deeply troubled. The city was full of temples and images of pagan gods and Paul, who had been brought up as a very strict Jew, was distressed by what he saw. True to form, within a short period of time, Paul was engaged in fervent debate with the leading thinkers of Athens. I find this a deeply challenging verse. We too live in a society full of idols and it seems to me that the Church is hardly troubled by this at all. We have come to accept that it's just the way things are. Vibrant Christian mission occurs when the Church wakes up and feels, as Paul did, deep distress at the idolatry of society. It will never be appropriate for us to force anyone to believe the Christian message. But if we are convinced that only Jesus can set people free to live life to the full, and that all other options are life-less and bound to disappoint, surely we should feel a deep sadness that will lead us to action? Paul's distress at the idolatry of Athens led him to engage boldly with the city's philosophers. It was a tough and cynical audience but nothing would hold him back from declaring the good news of Jesus. I believe we have a lot to learn from Paul's example. Question What are the main idols in contemporary society? Prayer Lord God our Father, give me courage to share your good news with those around me, however cynical and critical they may be. Amen

Acts 17:11 The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Every preacher and Bible teacher longs to meet people like these Bereans! They were really open to the Christian message but they didn't simply accept everything that Paul and Silas had to say. They looked carefully at the Old Testament scriptures to make sure that what they had been taught was right. Having been a preacher and Bible teacher for many years I can't tell you how much I love it when people question what I've said. Although I will always seek to write and preach carefully, I'm far from perfect, and I need to be kept on my toes. I find it really exciting when I hear that people are seriously studying scripture and reflecting on what it means. I almost always learn more when people ask questions. If these daily notes help to interest you in God's word that's great, but don't leave it there; do more digging. It is particularly valuable to get to grips with the whole range of the Bible. Some parts of the Bible are easy to understand and bring immediate encouragement. Others are harder work and you will need to spend much more time to understand their meaning. But it is all the word of God and you will gain enormous blessing from getting to know it better. Premier now produces a very helpful podcast that takes you through the Bible in a Year. For about 15minutes a day you will be transported through the amazing unfolding story of God's love for the world. Or perhaps you want to dig even deeper and follow one of the many excellent Bible study courses that are on offer. We are all different and there isn't one right way of studying the Bible. What matters is that, like the Bereans, we are open minded and always eager to learn more. Question What are you doing to get to grips with the Bible? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of the Bible. Thank you for the way it shows me who you are and how you want to be at work in the world today. Amen

Acts 16:25–26 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. The ministry of Paul and Silas in Philippi soon hit the buffers when they healed a slave girl who was a fortune teller. She had made good money for her owners until she was healed. They were furious when they realised that their source of income had disappeared. They dragged Paul and Silas into the marketplace, where they got the support of the magistrates to beat and imprison them (vv16–24). I wonder how you or I would have responded to this. Paul and Silas had been severely flogged and must have been very injured and bruised. Having had a very specific call from God to serve him in this Macedonian area, they could have felt very let down by him too. But, instead, they were in a top security prison cell praying and singing hymns to God! To cap it all, the prison was suddenly shaken by an earthquake. Its doors were thrown open and the jailer, presuming that the prisoners had escaped, decided that his only option was to commit suicide. Paul and Silas assured him that the prisoners were all there. The jailer asked what he must do to be saved and Paul and Silas told him to believe in the Lord Jesus. This he gladly did, and he and his family were baptised (vv27–34). What a gripping story! And it helps us to see what Paul meant when he wrote in Ephesians 5:20 about always giving “thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. On the face of it, Paul and Silas didn't have much to give thanks for when they were slung into prison. But when the focus of your life is God himself then, however wretched the circumstances, you will always have reason to give thanks. Question For what reason can you give thanks to God right now? Prayer Lord God our Father, I praise you that whatever is going on in my life, I always have reason to praise you. Amen

Acts 16:15 [Lydia] and her household were baptised, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. Paul's first convert in Europe was a businesswoman. Lydia came from what we now know as western Turkey and was a dealer in the purple cloth that her home area was famous for. As Paul travelled around, he normally began his ministry in a synagogue, but it would seem that there wasn't one in Philippi. So he went to the river where he met up with a group of women who met together to pray. As Paul spoke with them, Lydia responded to his message and was baptised. It is fascinating to see that her first response was to offer hospitality, and it seems that she was very insistent. Hospitality was crucial for the early Church because there were no Christian buildings for many years. The only way they could meet was if people generously opened up their homes. Our homes are interesting places aren't they? In many ways they are an extension of our personalities, and it is possible to become extremely possessive of our homes. The phrase “their home is their castle” isn't a joke. It conveys the profound truth that, for most of us, our home is a place of safety and comfort. We long to go home at the end of the day and to relax with those we love and where we feel secure. It is, therefore, very easy for us to be selfish with our homes and to use them merely as a way of satisfying our own needs. However, the New Testament encourages us to open up the door of our homes. It is good if we have a loving and secure home. It is a gift of God. But it's a gift that needs to be shared. In recent years my family has had the privilege of fostering. At first it felt like a big thing to do but it has actually proved to be a huge blessing to us. We have been made richer through sharing the gift of our home. In common with all God's gifts, our homes are given so that we can give them away. Question In what ways have you experienced the blessing of Christian hospitality? Prayer God our Father, I thank you for the gift of my home and for the privilege of being able to share it with others. Amen

Acts 16:9–10 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once. We should never put a limit on the ways in which God might choose to speak to us. Yesterday we saw God putting a block on Paul's plans. But in today's passage he makes it crystal clear where Paul should go next. In a vision Paul saw a man from Macedonia pleading with him to go and help. We receive no information about what this vision was like, although we might presume that it was while Paul was dreaming. I wonder how you interpret your dreams. Much of the time dreams are, in my experience, extraordinary and impossible to unravel. If I can remember mine at all beyond breakfast they still don't seem to have any lasting significance. But dreams play an important role in many parts of the Bible and so we should definitely be open to the possibility that they can, from time to time, reveal God's plans to us. Paul was clearly entirely sure that the vision was sent from God and so he and Silas immediately set out to Macedonia. We need God's guidance on a continual basis. We often refer to guidance in relation to the big decisions of life – whom we should marry, our career or moving to a new area. But the truth is that every day we are making decisions about our relationships, our homes, our jobs and our purchases and so we need to live with a continual openness to God's guidance. God will often guide us through our experience, prayer, the Perhaps in the future he will choose to speak to you through a film, a painting, a flower, a bird – or even a dream. Question In what different ways has God made clear his guidance to you? Prayer Loving Father, help me to hear your voice, however you choose to speak to me. Amen

Acts 16:6 Next Paul and Silas travelled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. This is a remarkable moment. Paul clearly had a carefully worked out plan for his missionary journey but, at the same time, was intensely sensitive to the guidance of the Spirit. Here we meet him in what we now know as central Turkey heading towards Ephesus, but then the Spirit prevented him from going in that direction. So, he then set off north until, in verse seven, the “Spirit of Jesus” told them not to enter Bithynia. We have no idea how Paul received this guidance. Perhaps it was through a dream or a word of prophecy. We don't know and, what is more, it doesn't matter. What matters is that Paul was ready to go wherever the Lord led him, and he was eager to respond immediately to the breath of the Spirit. Planning is good. It is wise to think through plans for the future whether we are thinking about family holidays, career, retirement or the mission of the Church. It is good to do thoughtful research and to talk with lots of people and, as a result, to devise a plan that makes sense and wins general approval. However, we still need to remain ready to adjust to new circumstances or the voice of God. During the pandemic we all had to adjust our plans to a huge extent. That didn't mean that our planning was wrong or inadequate. It just meant that we needed to reflect on our plans in the light of the new circumstances. And there will be times when, even though we have set our heart on something, we may suddenly lose a sense of God's peace about it. Guidance is often not neat and clear cut. It involves listening with all our attention to the voice of the Spirit and making sure that we stay light on our feet at all times. Question Has the Spirit ever said no to any of your plans? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you love me so much that you are willing to stop me going the wrong way. Amen

Acts 16:2–3 Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. This is a fascinating moment. Paul had just come away from the Council of Jerusalem where the decision had been clearly made that it was unnecessary for Christians to obey all the Jewish law. He, more than anyone, passionately believed that it was not necessary for men to be circumcised and in his letters he was scathing of those who insisted on it. So why did he insist that his new companion, Timothy, should go through a ceremony which he believed was entirely unnecessary? The answer is clearly that he believed that their priority was to preach the gospel and that they must ensure that nothing got in the way of that. If Timothy was to work effectively among Jews then it would be much more helpful if he were circumcised. Timothy's mother was a Jew and so he already had much in common with Jews, and his circumcision would make it much easier to relate to them. Paul set out his thinking on this subject in 1 Corinthians 9:20. He wrote: “When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.” The particular challenge that Paul was facing may feel very far removed from our own situation, but the principles are the same. There are many people for whom the good news of Jesus is a completely foreign language. That means that we need to go out of our way to make connections. We also need to look at ourselves and see if there is anything that we could change in order to get closer to them. For Paul nothing in the world was more important than bringing other people to Christ – and that should be the same for us too. Question What could you do to reach out more effectively to your family, neighbours or work colleagues with the good news of Jesus? Prayer Lord God, thank you for Paul's example. Help me to be humble enough to learn from it. Amen

Acts 15:37–39 Barnabas…wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. This verse highlights a painful moment, but I'm so glad that Dr Luke recorded it. I am sure that he could quite easily have airbrushed it out of his account, but he didn't. Paul and Barnabas fell out over taking John Mark on the next missionary journey. It's impossible for us to know exactly the reason for this, although we do know that Paul was disappointed by the way that John Mark had deserted them on the first missionary journey. Because we know that Barnabas was a great encourager, it is easy to presume that he was all for giving John Mark a second chance. But there may well have been other factors of which we know nothing. The fact remains that they split up. Splits are never easy. Even when there is a speedy reconciliation, the pain of separation is real and lingering. I don't want to make light of such times, but it is important to see them within a bigger perspective. This is extremely easy to say after the event, and almost impossible to see at the time. What matters is that we live with such prayerfulness, humility, grace and forgiveness that we are able to face such moments in a Christ-like way. Tough times are indeed tough but, as we share our lives with God, we have the incredible blessing of knowing his loving presence with us in every moment. Even when we fail completely and experience the most agonising times of separation, God is right beside us, providing for us and strengthening us. We can look to the future with confidence and peace, whatever pain and brokenness we pass through. Question In what way could you prepare yourself better to face tough times? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you are with me in every moment, however challenging. Amen

Acts 15:28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements.” It would be difficult to exaggerate the importance of the Council of Jerusalem that we read about in Acts 15. The early Church had hit upon a massive problem and needed to find a way to resolve it. When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost, it came upon a huge gathering of Jews and so the first Christians brought with them the richness of their Jewish traditions. However, very quickly, the gospel spread to people from a non-Jewish background. This set up enormous tensions because there were many Christians from a Jewish tradition who believed that non-Jews were welcome to Christian faith on the condition that the men were circumcised and that they all abided by Jewish law. The Council had to work out what to do, and it came to the peaceful and clear conclusion that those from a non-Jewish background did not need to accept all the law. They were simply urged to accept a few limited rules out of sensitivity to those from a Jewish background. In the beautiful words of today's verse the settlement that they arrived at “seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”. The Holy Spirit was driving the mission of the early Church so everything that happened needed to be in step with what the Spirit was saying. Merely coming up with a good political compromise was not enough. They needed to know that the Spirit's breath was inspiring and directing their journey together. That's a great description of what we need to seek in the Church today. We face huge challenges as we live for God in a society that has long since turned its back on him. As we make decisions together, we need to share in good debate just as they did in the Council of Jerusalem. We need to listen carefully to one another and weigh up the different opinions that are shared. Our continual prayer must be that, at the end of the day, we too will be able to say: “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”. Question In what current issues do we particularly need to be seeking the Spirit's guidance? Prayer Lord God, we praise you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and we pray that he will lead us into all truth. Amen

Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Paul's first missionary journey is incredibly impressive. Having been nearly killed in Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went on to Lystra where the situation went from them being adored to Paul being stoned so badly that some people thought he was dead (vv19-20). However, he summoned the strength to go on to Derbe where he and Barnabas preached and got a wonderful response. Then with massive courage, they headed back to Lystra and Iconium in order to strengthen the believers and appoint elders. They knew that, if these young churches were to flourish, they would desperately need leadership. As we read about the amazing growth of the early Church, there is no question that leadership was an integral part of God's plan. And the Church today it is no different. Good, godly, leadership is vital in every age and so it is important to reflect on what it should look like. It is all too easy to assume that it is the same as the leadership that you might find in a business or sport. No doubt there are some elements in common, but Christian leadership is distinctive in that we are called to be servants of the living God. Jesus modelled this. He told the disciples that their earthly leaders exercised leadership by dominating those they led and then said sharply: “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43–45). Christian leadership is always incredibly rewarding but immensely tough. There can be nothing more wonderful than to work for Jesus and to base one's life on him but, at the same time, it shouldn't surprise us if we face the pain of rejection just as he did. Question What are you able to do to support Christian leaders? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the gift of leaders in your Church. Help me to love and support them in their demanding work. Amen