January 16 -16 – Lead on

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” - Proverbs 3:5-6

At a rehab' centre where, as an instructor, I worked for some years, I learned many lessons by observing the actions of the trainees....communication, mutual support, empathy, trust, and tough love. They needed each other, and when these factors were not in action, they floundered. Perhaps the best illustration I can give of these in action occurred in the evenings.

After a demanding day of rehabilitation activities, several of them wanted to relax by paying a visit to the local pub. Problem was, only one individual's mobility was completed, and he was independent enough to move within the local vicinity without a sighted guide – he also had a trained guidedog. This however, presented no difficulties to the thirsty group – they would form a tag line and simply follow their leader.

Off they would set in a long line, with a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of them, each carrying a guide cane to identify their visual position. This required total trust in the ability of the leading person to get them safely to their destination as their route to the pub took them along a narrow footpath at the side of perhaps the most busy and dangerous road in the town. Imagine the double take locals and passing drivers took as they saw this chain of blind people following another blind man and his dog!

The outgoing journey presented few diffficulties....guideposts were identified, and obstacles in their path negotiated. Any whingers were prompty treated to a reprimand of tough love. The return journey after an evening of consuming the local brew, was a whole different story. The only one of the group that wasn't somewhat tipsy, was the dog! With a little assistance from the pub landlord, a line was formed and off they set with total reliance on the dog to get them to their destination. She did, and thanks to her, the worst thing they suffered was a hangover the next morning.

This trip to the pub took communication, mutual support (Romans 14:19), empathy (1 Peter 3:8), trust (Proverbs 3:5), and tough love (2 Timothy 4:2). These are lessons that can only enrich our lives (Philippians 1: 9-19). Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” - John 8:12.

We are thirsty for heaven and our new home where our spiritual blindness will be healed “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath” - Matthew 23:16. No wonder the majority of Jews refused to believe in Jesus Christ; teachers of the law and the Pharisees were blind guides so it was like the blind leading the blind. The saying “there is none so blind as those who refuse to see” is as true today as it was of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day. The problem for these blind leaders was that they “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (Luke 18:9) and Jesus rebuked them for this by saying “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight” (Luke 16:15).

Jesus is leading us home “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” 2 Corinthians 5:9-10. “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds” Jeremiah 17:10

Let us remember the trust of the tag line, and determine to give each other love and support as we journey together towards our heavenly home.

My choice of music for today is another from Bryn's selection -“Living by Faith” LIVE

January 15 – Lesson in a dishcloth

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" - Ephesians 4:32 ESV 

As part of my usual duties I was out and about visiting my visually impaired clients to check if they were coping, or in need of training or assistance. One 60 year old lady I had known for some years – we first met when she attended a rehabilitation centre where I, at the time, worked, and over the years, out of hours, we had become friends. If I was working in her district, I would pop in to visit with my sandwiches, and have lunch at her home.

This particular day, as I was leaving, Violet handed me a paper bag. At her request, I didn't open iit until I arrived home later in the day. In the bag was several multi-coloured knitted squares and rectangles – dish cloths, she told me later on the telephone. Violet had taken up knitting. She kept her hands busy while she listened to her latest book choice on her Talking Book machine.

As I took the cloths out of the bag one by one, several sizable holes became apparent – not part of the design, but holes made by accidentally dropped stitches. I knew that Violet, though fully blind, had been aware of those holes because nothing missed her sensitive fingers.

I picked up each dishcloth again and felt genuinely moved at the significance of the holes. Violet had entrusted me to accept her craftwork – work that she knew was not perfect, it was flawed. Would I have taken that risk, or would my pride have overruled?

I was emotionally moved as I realised that Violet trusted me enough to allow her imperfect work to come into my hands. Like our friendship which over the years, had also had it's imperfections – it's holes. This bag of knitted dishcloths reminds me of Laban's declaration in Genesis

Tears bubbled up as I realized that Anne also trusted me with her imperfection. She wasn't looking for my approval. This small green square of knitting was a reminder of our long-held friendship, a journey not without its own trials and breaches of understanding. Just as Laban declared in Genesis

31:48: "This pile of stones will stand as a witness to remind us of the covenant we have made today, (NLT)" The dishcloth was a witness of our covenant relationship. Though not perfect, we were bound together in Christ's love and forgiveness. The Bible says, "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, Colossians 3:12," (NLT). Spiritual fruit in action.

We stand before God as imperfect beings, flawed by sin, but thanks to Jesus, He views us through the filter of Christ's sacrifice on the cross - “Even before He mde the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes” Ephesians 1:4 NLT

When we ask for forgiveness, despite our "holes," our sins, Father God cherishes us as His children. Indescribable grace and mercy!

"He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins," Ephesians 1:7 (NLT).

Those dishcloths were much more than they would appear. It represented the way God has shown us to live in relationship with one another in the Body of Christ – with humility, trust, and love. They also represented grace, mercy, and forgiveness – highlighting the Covenant of God. Those dishcloths taught me life lessons. Every hole signified a fruit of the Spirit, teaching me how to live. Who would have imagined so much truth could be woven into such a simple gift – dishcloths, knitted and given with love?

“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” - Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)

Music? From Bryn's selection, “Over and Over” LIVE. Click on the picture to listen.

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:2-4

Young people. Those words alone are usually enough to start a debate with supporters on polar opposite ends of the spectrum. The old clichés quickly fall off the tongue; they’re so rude, they have no ambition, they have no manners, they are not like they were in my day.

I wonder then what Jesus meant when he said “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Obviously, we cannot regress and shouldn’t be childish as we mature. And I would pretty much imagine that he did not mean we should take on any of the negative connotations in the paragraph above. I think that verse 4 holds the clue in the word ‘humble’.

It has been my experience that the older people become, coupled with the more they learn and more that they perceive they know, the more they begin to rely on themselves and leave less to God. That is where we differ from children. Young children especially have an innocence and will just trust the person who seems to know the way.

Perhaps we should take a lesson from them and trust in our heavenly father to lead us home. Food for thought.

Oslo Gospel Choir sing ‘I give you my heart’. Click on the picture to listen.

And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Jonah 1:7

Do you gamble or should I ask, do you like to gamble? Before you answer that question let me give you some information. All those who gamble are working with something called probability. Probability is how likely something is going to happen or according to Wikipedia ‘the measure of the likelihood that an event will occur’. So there is a chance slim that the gamble might pay off, but the odds are heavily stacked in the favour of the one holding the cards.

As an example, I heard on a radio show that you have as much chance as winning the lottery, as a totally random stranger coming up to you in the street, and telling you your mobile telephone number! I mean if you really think about the amount of people that play the lottery in its many forms, how many millionaire winners do you personally know? I don’t know any winners but I know of at least 100 people who play it.

So why take the chance, why gamble? Reading the story of Jonah it seems so obvious to us that his plan was never going to work, I mean seriously is it possible to run away from God?

So my question to us this morning is, what has God asked us to do that we are running away from? Is it a church post that we have declined for personal rather than spiritual reasons? Is it that conversation which may save a soul we are too embarrassed to have in the workplace? Is it that talent that we are still forcing down?

So don’t gamble especially with God’s mercy. As with Jonah, God is always going to be looking for you to save you from yourself.

Our music today is ‘Glorious Freedom’ by the Gaither’s. Please click on the picture to listen.

January 7 – There's a problem

"But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" Luke 21:28 NASB

Yesterday, David Neal ended by stating that, it's a serious time for the Adventist preacher as he finds him(her)self with a problem. His people are distracted with work and play. There are holiday plans to make, financial investments to sort, and the adding of an extension to the house. Immersed into work, rest and play is the daily routine of web surfing, here, there and everywhere. As he muses over Keane's diary he whispers a prayer. "Lord, what will it take for my members to wake up from their spiritual sleep? What can I do, what must I do to help your voice be heard above the rest?" As his prayer continues, an old, but familiar line of thought comes to mind;

"None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict". (GC p. 593,594)

"No Lord, not that one again - please!" In his world 9 times out of 10, he perceived that line to be recited ad infinitum by a concerned brother or sister, opposed as they often were to his grace-oriented, 'and they'll know we are Christian's by our love' focused preaching. But somehow he always knew they spoke of a deep spiritual truth, neutered unfortunately by surrounding it with a legalistic, anti-Gospel framework.

How quick he was to forgot his spiritual roots. Was he not taught the blessing of memorising scripture in Pathfinders and Sabbath School? What was the point of learning from memory Exodus 20, John 14:1-3, Matthew 5:3-16, 1 Corinthians 13, Revelation 14:6-12? Sure, to help him learn of Christ, but was not the 'memorisation' focus because 'intolerant times will come', when access to the bible and freedom could one day be restricted. Why did his grandfather insist on telling him over and over again the Daniel story?

But of that little line, it was the word 'fortified' he couldn't get out of his mind – to his Thesaurus he went.

Covered, guarded, protected, reinforced, secured, strengthened, armed, safeguarded, supported…

"Like", he mused using Facebook parlance. I need to make sure that my mind is immersed in the great truths of scripture. I need this year to again 'consider Him' (Hebrews 12:3). I need to invite my members to join me in this. And he continued praying with the Lord that his members would see how serious times are, and not bury their heads in the sand.

By coincidence a little while later, he browsed through an old book by Charles Bradford, 'Preaching to the Times'. His heart was warmed – but significantly challenged.

"Our ability to preach to the times does not necessarily depend on knowing every detail of current history, for example, how many wars are going on at the present time, how many earthquakes occurred last year, the percentage increase in major crimes during the past decade, or any other such data. In order to preach effectively to the times we must know what time it is (my emphasis). And that, as they say, is what being a Seventh-day Adventist preacher is all about. He must not only have a grasp of the times but a sense of time.

To a great extent our style is determined by this tradition. The Seventh-day Adventist preacher must give his message in the setting of time, eschatologically with apocalyptic overtones. "The time has come." Our raison d'etre is the prophetic forecast recorded in passages such as Revelation, chapters 12, 14, 18; Daniel, chapters 7, 8, 9; and Isaiah, chapter 58. At the right time in history, the decisive moment, at a signal juncture, kairos, a people arose with the message to meet the needs of that hour. Now, if you do not believe this, it is better to go and preach for someone else."

Fergal Keene and many others we know are gloomy and even frightened - and from their perspective, have good reason to be so. Many are fearful not only about world matters, but closer to home, job security, relationships, health and family. How quick and easy it is for a family to go from joy to distress in a short period of time. How easy it is for the people we serve to get distracted where the things of this world are 'not strangely dim'. Among the fearful and distracted, are those who sit in front of us every Sabbath, hoping for to hear a word from the Lord - through our preaching.

"It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking. And then—then!—they'll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!" (Luke 21:25-26 – The Message)

"Lord, thank you for giving us the spiritual insight to know what time it is. Give us both your holy boldness, and your holy humility, to preach to these times. Be both the craftsman and deliverer of our sermon so that we give true hope in you, and not more fear. Help us to teach as you taught, with the skill to speak to both those with whom we are familiar, and also the likes of Fergal Keane."

Amen.

[David Neal]

https://gcmin-rnr.s3.amazonaws.com/cdn/ministrymagazine.org/gcsession2015giveaway/Preaching%20to%20the%20Times.pdf

"....Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way"...."The Midnight Cry" (LIVE) sung by Ivan Parker

January 6 – 'Weary traveller'

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. - For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet” - Matthew 24:6-7;36

"Unless it is really, really huge, please don't call me," Irish journalist Fergal Keane recently pleaded with his editors. Over the Christmas period he found himself still for the first time in months. Often to be seen and heard in the world's trouble spots, he tells the story with a unique combination of both head and heart. Most notable was his reporting of the 1990's Rwandan genocide. For 2015 his editors sent him to Paris, the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, Hong Kong, and Ukraine where he 'sheltered in trenches and basements as high explosive shells came flying into residential areas.'

Writing his op-ed column for the December 27^th Irish Sunday Independent, he describes himself as a 'weary traveller', reflecting how from the beginning of last year his phone flashed with 'alarming summonses'. As he contemplates the year ahead…

"I try hard not to succumb to pessimism or foreboding. I always take comfort from the limitless power of the human spirit to endure. After all, this year I also witnessed the victory of democratic forces in Burma… The peace process in Northern Ireland is troubled but did not collapse. World leaders reached a historic accord on climate change in Paris.

Yet I am more worried about the world now than I have ever been. I am haunted by the anticipation of catastrophe. I usually try to avoid drawing overarching conclusions based on disparate conflicts, but it is the mood of the times I find so deeply troubling… The defining feature of our age is fear and the rise of intolerance…" (http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/fergal-keanes-diary-haunted-by-anticipation-of-catastrophe-im-more-worried-than-i-have-ever-been-34315824.html)

Look no further than the banning of the Lord's Prayer film to support Keane's case. Deemed as unsuitable to be played in UK cinemas in the weeks up to Christmas, (The Lord's Prayer film go to: https://youtu.be/vlUXh4mx4gI) Guardian columnist and C of E vicar, Giles Fraser was having none of this nonsense:

"Apparently, the Jedi religion is fit for the big screen, but the Christian one is not… I'm sorry, but the whole thing stinks. If you are offended by the Lord's Prayer you are too easily offended. It's a 60-second ad, for goodness sake. Just munch on your popcorn and ignore it. For others, it might just offer a welcome reminder that, when it comes to places of worship, there are – even at this time of year – still alternatives to the great cathedrals of Westfield shopping centre. Or is the real problem that the religion of commerce will brook no theological opposition?" (Giles Fraser)

(http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/22/banning-lords-prayer-cinema-star-wars-christianity)

By definition, for the Adventist preacher it's a serious time....

(David Neal)

I could think of nothing more appropriate for our music today than “The Lord's Prayer” (LIVE)

⁸ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁰ But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

Pastor Reggie Wooden, a Baptist minister with a PhD in theology, for years looked down on the Seventh-day Adventist church. He thought that he had a sound understanding of the faith, and along with many other protestant religions looked down on Adventists as a being a cult who were ‘nice but misled’.

At the tender age of 9, after feeling the calling of the lord on his life, when he truned 20 he entered the ministry after attending Bible College and seminary and became a Pastor. He grew up in a family that loved the lord and went to church every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening. After 20 years of Pastoring he decided to start a Christian school in Huntsville, Alabama. He says that the Adventist presence was high in the town due to Oakwood University being there, and so many Adventist children attended his school. He carefully watched these families live out their faith.

One day, he recalls, one of the parents came to him and said "Pastor Reggie, can I talk to you? I have read this book and believe everything in it but I might have it wrong and might be deceived. Could you please read the book (Ten Commandments Twice Removed) and at the end of the book, if there is anything wrong with it, would you love me enough to tell so that I can get it right?" Pastor Reggie says he thought to himself, right this is my chance to tell them, when all along on reflection he was being set up by the Holy Spirit.

After reading the book, in total, 5 times and also asking his wife to read it, the next Sunday he shared the Sabbath truth with his church, who all followed him into the message. This is only a precised version, but I urge you to watch his full testimony HERE. 

Friends, God is moving all around the world in more ways than we could ever imagine. Let us who experience weekly the blessings of the Sabbath not be afraid to share it.

Gaither Vocal Band sing ‘He is here’ Click on the picture to listen.

January 2 – Fear (part three)

For You have been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ruthless Is like a rain storm against a wall” - Isaiah 25:4

Yesterday the question was asked 'So what has changed? And the response was 'Fear. Fear is closing the golden door.

The families, who seek refuge from war-torn countries in the Middle East, whether they are Christian or Muslim, are children of God created in His image. They are our brothers and sisters and we must provide them refuge without discrimination.

This nation, if it is to follow the principles upon which it was founded, needs to heed the call to not just welcome strangers, but to love them, care for them, and protect them.

We must stop the rhetoric of hate and fear.

We must stop dividing ourselves by who and how we worship.

As but a stranger in your land, I ask that you not close the golden door ‒ the door that offers sanctuary and the possibility of a new life to strangers in far greater need.

Last Sunday the Newbold minibus was again in Dunkirk, working with ADRA France to provide help to those in the refugee camp. AdventHelp continues to run a mini clinic out of a bus on the Greek Island of Lesbos, providing essential help to refugees stumbling, soaked to the skin, off open boats. I've seen photos of what some of them have suffered under the hands of ISIS in Syria. Photos we cannot print. Do we block them for the fear that one may be a terrorist – or do we share the hope and compassion that we have as servants of Jesus Christ?

On Monday evening, the BBC aired a controversial programme, Reggie Yates' Extreme UK: Gay and Under Attack. It does not make for comfortable viewing – and I doubt many Adventists tuned in. After all, the whole premise of the programme sits uncomfortably with the Adventist ethos on human sexuality. But those who did watch found Reggie visiting Balham church at about 8 minutes into the programme. He had positive – and gently negative things to say about his experience. Should Adventists have participated in such a controversial show? I am sure there are those who will argue both sides – but for senior pastor, Michael Mbui, the opportunity seemed open to share hope with another part of our UK community that often lives in fear.

The current top favourite quote from Adventist Church co-founder, Ellen White, comes from her book, Ministry of Healing, p 143-144. Maybe it is so popular because it speaks to the heart of where we are at the close of 2015, as much as to where Jesus was in first century Palestine.

"Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, 'Follow Me'.

"There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counselled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit."

Our challenge: Living in fear – or living with hope and compassion? That challenge may influence the way you spend this Advent season.

[Victor Hulbert]

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails....” Corinthians 13:3-8

Music today is by the Gaither Vocal Band - “Where No one Stands Alone.” Click on the picture to listen.

January 1 – Fear (part two)

“Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.… “ Hebrews 13:2

The article by the President of the Seventh-day Adventist church in North Amerca, as reported by The Huffington Post, continues....

Throughout the Bible God instructs mankind to welcome strangers and treat them as equals ‒ with love, care, and respect. Furthermore, in Matthew 25, Jesus raises the bar and says we should treat strangers much better than ourselves. We are to treat them as we would treat God.

As Christians, we believe God calls upon us to act not just in word but in deed. We are to take care of the least of these. These are the hungry, thirsty, sick, the poor, prisoners, and strangers ‒ refugees. We are to care for them without condition. There simply is no other option.

Historically, the United States, has welcomed strangers looking for a better life unto its shores. I myself am a stranger in your land.

I have come not seeking refuge, but to lead the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, which is part of the Christian family of churches.

Our religious community, like this country, is made rich by its diversity. In fact, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the most racially and ethnically diverse religious group in the United States.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is responding and meeting the needs of refugees. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency, the humanitarian arm of the Church has collected more than 25 tons of relief supplies in Macedonia for Syrian refugees. Here in the United States, our Church has an established ministry that assists refugees seeking a better life for their families. Our Refugee Ministries team is ready to assist Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

I have seen the plight of the displaced first hand. In 2008, my wife and I travelled to Nakuru, Kenya to volunteer in a camp that housed some 16,000 of the nearly 600,000 people displaced internally by the deadly violence that followed disputed elections. We provided assistance to mothers and their newborn babies. We spoke to many who shared stories of fear and spoke of their desperate struggle to survive ‒ people looking for a better life.

During my five years as a guest in this county, I have been made to feel welcome by nearly every American I have encountered. I, however, hail from your neighbour to the north, Canada. I was not seeking refuge or escaping an unstable government, as are many who are fleeing Syria to seek a better life.

We all know that this country was built by immigrants and has always answered the call to take in those who seek refuge, security, and a better life. Emma Lazurus best describes the principle of American hospitality in her poem, New Colossus. Her words are forever memorialized on a plaque inside the pedestal of that symbol of liberty and welcome:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Some of the leaders of this country want to close that golden door to refugees from Syria and Iraq who are desperately trying to save their families' lives. The overheated rhetoric by leaders and presidential candidates is planting seeds of fear.

Some are calling for refuge to be offered to Christians ‒ and not those who are strangers. Others are saying we need to close the door altogether to those from countries and religions they feel may harbour or breed terrorists.

Make no mistake, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America unequivocally condemns the terrorist actions of extremists that claimed innocent lives in Paris, Beirut, Iraq, Mali and other places around the world. We mourn with and pray for the families of all the victims of these senseless crimes against humanity.

Resorting to violence in the name of God or Allah is wrong.

But to deny innocent women, children, and men who are fleeing war, hunger, and disease refuge because of fear and prejudice is just as wrong.

This does not mean that the doors are left wide open. This country has the right to defend itself from radical militants who wish to bring terror to its shores. And refugees from Syria and Iraq must already pass through a stringent process to enter this country.

So what has changed?

Fear. Fear is closing the golden door.

“Be Not Afraid” - Marilla Ness sings of our Source of assurance. Click on the picture to listen.

January 1-2 – Fear )part one)

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” - Psalm 34:17-19

Peter was scared. It was his first time in hospital. He thought it would be a quick visit to A & E and then home – but instead he was admitted. Could things get worse?

Peter wrote, "I have never been in hospital before and was terrified. Everything was so strange and I felt so far from home and alone. I was completely unprepared for the idea it was anything serious or that I would need to stay overnight."

In those moments of fear the greatest need is for reassurance. For hope. For compassion. That is exactly what Peter got.

"There was a nurse called Ruby and she was taking my questionnaire and it asks about religion. I said I was an Adventist and it turns out she was too and at the end of the admittance she took my hand and prayed with me. I have never been so grateful for anything in my life 'cause suddenly I knew God was in that room and in this hospital."

Those few moments of compassion made such a difference. Thank God for people like Ruby who let her Christian love shine through. Posting on his local church's Facebook page Peter concluded, "I haven't seen Ruby since but I'm hoping this message will find her. I'd like her to know how grateful I am for her kindness and I'd like you all to know how much I appreciate being part of your community."

Peter's experience is a microcosm of the hope we as Seventh-day Adventists can bring to the world around us. I remember sitting on a plane shortly after 9/11. I was on a flight from Washington Dulles back to London. The flight was delayed for take-off due to a passing thunderstorm, but I got into conversation with an American lady sitting near me who was clearly nervous. Flying to Europe she was concerned about safety. Would she be targeted by extremists as an American wandering around Knightsbridge? Was it safe to travel to Paris? We spent about 20 minutes in conversation. By the time the flight took off, she was reassured. Hope instead of fear.

Of course, since then London has had its 7/7 attacks and much more. Paris has suffered twice this year, and the migrant crisis has heightened both people's fears and their compassion.

The fear side is best expressed by the likes of Donald Trump, the man seeking the Republican nomination for the US presidency. In yet another outrageous statement that has brought worldwide condemnation he called for a ban on Muslims entering the USA ‒ a knee-jerk reaction to the shootings in San Bernardino, California, last week. The politics of fear.

There is another way – the way of compassion. A way expressed by the President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America and expressed so eloquently that it was picked up by The Huffington Post. It is worth reposting in its entirety here:

To close the door to refugees cannot be an option.

To 'welcome' them by marking them with shame and suspicion is unacceptable.

To incite fear based on prejudice is irresponsible.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are compelled to welcome ALL who are seeking refuge.

“so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands” - Deuteronomy 14:29

“The Broken Ones” performed by Lauren Talley has been chosen for music today