Encounter with God: October–December 2018

By Tanya Ferdinandusz, Ray Porter, Cor Bennema and 6 more

Encounter with God is Scripture Union's daily Bible reading guide designed to lead you to a deeper understanding about what God is saying to you and to his world today. You'll find its thorough and energetic investigation of the whole Bible inspiring and stimulating. And you'll discover that its biblical exposition is complemented by pastoral warmth from a strong field of writers and contributors. As well as daily content, feature articles provide insights into Christian spirituality, tackle contemporary issues, and profile teachers who inspire.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scripture Union
• Release date: Jul 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781785066221

Tanya Ferdinandusz

Tanya Ferdinandusz is both a freelance writer and freelance editor, and has been writing Bible reading notes, articles and devotionals for over 25 years. She is a Bible Study leader and the author of Marriage Matters, a book for Christian couples.

Book preview

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicised edition) Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK Company. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

Design by Heather Knight

Image credit: Brennan Ehrhardt/Unsplash

This edition of Encounter with God copyright © Scripture Union 2018. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978 1 78506 622 1 (ePub edition)

ISSN 2050-537X (Online)

ISSN 1350-5130 (Print)

Scripture Union, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes MK15 0DF, UK.

About Scripture Union

Scripture Union is an international Christian charity working with churches in more than 130 countries.

Thank you for purchasing this book. Any profits from this book support SU in England and Wales to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to children, young people and families and to enable them to meet God through the Bible and prayer.

Find out more about our work and how you can get involved at:

www.scriptureunion.org.uk (England and Wales)

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www.su.org.au (Australia)

contents

Editorial: Why are we waiting?

The writers

Using this guide

Why are we waiting?

Sally Nelson, editor

‘Slow radio’ is currently a feature on the BBC in the UK – being a short broadcast of ‘nothing’ noises. It exposes us to sounds such as flowing water, wind in an aeolian harp, a lawnmower in summer, a bird feeding its chicks. For several minutes the airwaves ‘slow down’. I have heard things I might never have noticed without slow radio.

In our busy, time-poor world, having to wait is often frustrating. A book on contemplative prayer that I read some years ago talked about how the writer used his time at the bus stop. He didn’t pray there in an active way, but simply observed what was happening around him and became quietly aware of the presence of God. He waited, to see what God put before him. If someone seemed troubled, or anxious, he could hold that person in prayer before God. If the bus came late, he didn’t get cross but saw the extra wait as an extra opportunity.

It might be challenging to us, in the instant world of the twenty-first century, to think of the steady speed with which God accomplished his plan of redemption among us: the centuries of anticipation. Even when Jesus was born, he had to grow up and mature into a man of thirty years or so before he began his public ministry.

In this quarter, which includes Advent and Christmas, we have some wonderful readings from Scripture about kings, leaders, wisdom and the life of Jesus. The patience of God is evident, but nowhere more so than in the stories of Elizabeth, Zechariah and Mary. There was no ‘fast track’ solution – just a family history, a conception, a birth, a childhood and a growing up.

Advent is an opportunity to revisit our discipline of prayer, and to reflect on our capacity to wait – in what can be the busiest of seasons in our churches. Perhaps we could try to have moments of ‘slow’ Christmas, and see God in all sorts of unexpected places, until Jesus comes again in glory and every knee shall bow at, and every tongue confess, his arrival.

Sally Nelson

Editor

Angela Grigson

Content Project Manager

ON THE COVER. ‘You need only travel to your front doorstep to view a world in desperate need of the change that only God can bring.’ (Worldview).

Writers

Cor Bennema has a passion to train and motivate people to think biblically, critically and contextually in order to serve in the church and society. He is Senior lecturer in New Testament at Union School of Theology Bridgend.

Ray Porter is a retired OMF missionary. He continues to give some lectures at Oak Hill College and HMP Littlehey, and is currently chair of Global Connections.

Mark Keown is a New Zealander. A Presbyterian Minister, he is New Testament Lecturer at Laidlaw College. He has authored several books including What’s God Up to on Planet Earth and Congregational Evangelism in Philippians.

Emlyn & ’Tricia Williams worked with Scripture Union for many years. ’Tricia was developing, editing and writing Bible resources. She has recently been researching the area of faith and dementia. Retired from working for a local church, Emlyn is continuing in a writing and speaking ministry.

Paul Oakley has been involved in theological education in a number of contexts: in Nigeria, in Sheffield with Church Army and the Diocese’s School of Ministry, and recently with St Hild College, Yorkshire. He has also been in leadership in local churches.

Whitney T Kuniholm is President Emeritus of Scripture Union USA, author of several books including Essential 100, Essential Jesus and Essential Question, and a speaker at churches and Christian conferences.

Annabel Robinson has retired from the University of Regina, where she taught Greek and Latin. She is now working for SU Canada. She loves music and languages.

Tanya Ferdinandusz lives in Sri Lanka and is a writer of Bible reading notes, articles and devotionals. She conducts a weekly Bible study in her home and sometimes speaks at young adult or adult gatherings.

ELAINE ROBERTS is Principal of Every Nation Bible School, UK. She travels internationally, preaching the gospel and equipping Christian believers to serve God in their churches and communities.

Using this guide

Encounter with God is designed for thinking Christians who want to interpret and apply the Bible in a way that is relevant to the problems and issues of today’s world. It is based on the NIV translation of the Bible, but can easily be used with any other version.

Each set of readings begins with an Introduction to the section you are about to study. The Call to Worship section at the start of each note should help you consciously to come into God’s presence before you read the passage. The main Explore section aims to bring out the riches hidden in the text. The Growing in Faith section at the end suggests ways of applying the message to daily living.

The Bible in a Year readings at the foot of the page are for those who want this additional option.

Introduction

Philippians

A LETTER FROM PRISON

Imagine you are imprisoned for your faith in Jesus and you are due in court soon (in many parts of the world this is a reality). How would you feel? If you had the opportunity to write a letter, to whom would you write, what would you put in it and what would your prayer requests be? These were the things the apostle Paul had to consider when he was imprisoned in Rome around ad 60 and set out to write a letter to a church he dearly loved – the church in Philippi. As we look at these passages, you may be surprised by what Paul put in and left out! But first, a bit of context.

According to Acts 16, Philippi was the first city in Europe that Paul visited in response to his so-called ‘Macedonian call’. A business woman called Lydia became Paul’s first convert, and she offered Paul and Silas the use of her home, as a base from which they could advance the Christian mission in Philippi. Another notable event is Paul’s brief time in prison (in Philippi, not Rome) and the conversion of the Roman jailer and his household. His letter to the Philippians reveals that Paul loved this church and would like to visit them again. Nevertheless, he does not shrink from pointing out problems in the church, such as internal divisions, selfish and grumbling attitudes and external threats from Jewish missionaries.

Paul points out that the solution to most issues in the Philippian church can be found in the concept of godly imitation. Besides Christ, who is the obvious model for imitation, Paul also presents himself, his co-worker Timothy, the Philippian church worker Epaphroditus and even mature believers as models for imitation. Each of them imitate Christ in a particular way and so become examples for imitation to others. Instead of merely telling the Philippians what to do, Paul also points them to real-life examples they can observe – and follow.

Cornelis Bennema

Monday 1 October

The Example of Paul

Lord Jesus, I thank you for my church and that you gave yourself up for her.

Philippians 2:12–18

Paul’s exhortation ‘to work out your salvation with fear and trembling’ is sometimes taken to mean that we must work out our personal salvation, albeit with God’s help (vs 12,13). This is unlikely. The ‘your’ is plural, so the focus is on the Philippians’ corporate ‘salvation’: Paul has just urged them to focus on others. What Paul means is that the Philippians make their salvation palpable and fruitful in the present by living together, as a church, a life worthy of the gospel.¹

Paul compares Christians to shining stars in a crooked, depraved world (v 15). The church’s vocation as a light-bearer may go back to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:14–16. The church has a prophetic role in the world, proclaiming God’s good news of reconciliation in Christ and showing what the new life with God looks like. While the church must be in touch with the world, it should not follow it. Instead, it should be a life-saving beacon to the world.

We have read that Paul imitates Christ by presenting himself as a servant and in putting the interests of the Philippians before his own.² Here, in verse 17, he demonstrates another aspect of imitating Christ. Just as Christ had poured himself out by putting himself totally at the disposal of humanity (v 7), so Paul is prepared to do the same for the believers (v 17). His audience would have been familiar with the rites of sacrifice to a pagan deity, where wine or perfume was poured out to complete the ritual. Alluding to this imagery and in imitation of Christ’s emptying himself, Paul states his willingness to pour out his life to complete the Philippians’ sacrificial service to God.³

Consider how you can ‘pour out’ yourself to improve the corporate life of the church and how, as a church, you can shine brighter in your environment.

¹ PT O’Brien, Commentary on Philippians, Eerdmans, 1991, p277–280 ² Phil 1:1,21–24 ³ GF Hawthorne, Philippians, Word Books, 1983, p105,106

Isaiah 61,62; Hebrews 12

Tuesday 2 October

The Example of Others

‘A good example is far better than a good precept.’¹ Thank you, Lord, for the example of other believers.

Philippians 2:19–30

Though Paul expects to be released imminently from his Roman imprisonment and then to visit the Philippian church, he finds it necessary to send Timothy and Epaphroditus ahead of him. We should note that these plans are ‘in the Lord’ (vs 19,24); that is, in the light of the sovereignty of Christ. Paul’s plans do not rest on a human calculation but on the Lord’s will for his situation.²