Andrew Murray was a pastor and teacher who lived in South Africa in the 19^thCentury. He wrote the classic “Abide in Christ”. He set an example few of us have equalled since. Among those on whom his influence was the greatest were his children and grandchildren. Five of his six sons became ministers and four of his daughters became minister’s wives. Ten grandsons became ministers and thirteen grandchildren became missionaries. And that was just his close family.

Woodrow Wilson the 28th President of the United States tells of another person who influenced him. “I was sitting in a barber chair when I became aware that a powerful personality had entered the room. A man had come quietly in upon the same errand as myself to have his hair cut and sat in the chair next to me. Every word the man uttered, though it was not in the least didactic, showed a personal interest in the man who was serving him. And before I got through with what was being done to me I was aware I had attended an evangelistic service, because Mr, D. L. Moody was in that chair. I purposely lingered in the room after he had left and noted the singular affect that his visit had brought upon the barber shop. They talked in undertones. They did not know his name, but they knew something had elevated their thoughts, and I felt that I left that place as I should have left a place of worship.”

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Ed Kimball was a Sunday School teacher. He was rather timid too. For a year a young man who worked in a shoe shop had attended his class every Sunday. Ed felt prompted to visit the guy at work. But as he approached the shop, he decided to come back another time. He was halfway down the street before he found the courage to go back and talk to the young man. Ed found him in the back of the store, wrapping shoes. He heard himself say, “I wanted to let you know how much Christ loves you.” Ed didn’t know the young man had recently become so earnest to improve himself, he had signed a pledge with God in his own blood. The Lord brought his Sunday School teacher to talk to him at just the right time. Dwight listened to the good news, bowed his head in the back of shoe shop and received Christ. He later wrote: “I was in a new world. The birds sang sweeter. The sun shone brighter. I’d never known such peace.” After moving to Chicago to be a salesman, like his teacher, Dwight also became a Sunday School teacher. He organized a Sunday School, recruiting both the students and the teachers. God so blessed his efforts that D. L. Moody, as he became known, left the business world to work full time for the Lord. By the time his life work was over, he had made such an impact on both America and England that he was described as: “the greatest evangelist of the 19^th century.”  All because a timid Sunday School teacher named Ed Kimball stepped out in faith. Nothing unusual in that. This is the way God has been building his church for 2000 years, one person at a time. It began with the very first followers of Jesus.

Lets look at what happened in John 1. As we sit at the feet of the Master, notice three parts:

Andrew tells Peter and they follow Jesus (John 1:35-42)
Philip tells Nathaniel and they follow Jesus (John 1:43-49)
Jesus confirms their faith and promises more (John 1:50-51)

In each encounter we discover more about Jesus. In each we discover how to share Jesus with others.  Continue reading →

Yesterday our daughter Katie married Stephen Anderson at St John’s Church, Guildford. She was about 3 years old when we moved there 26 years ago, so it was like going home. It was a lovely occasion. Thank you for your prayers.

When you know someone, their photos are three dimensional. When you don’t know them, photos are simply two dimensional. The Bible can be a little like that. We tend to read history like this story of David and Michal in the flat – two dimensional. It’s easy to forget that these were real people just like you and I, with real emotions, real hopes and aspirations for their marriage. As I was thinking about their relationship the thought occurred to me – what if – what if for just 20 minutes we could become contemporaries with King David and Princess Michal, what would it be like? What if we could meet? What if they asked us for advice on their marriage, what would you say? What would they say about our rather casual approach to marriage and divorce? What questions would you ask them? What questions might they ask us? What advice would you give them? What difference could it have made to their marriage and future? If David had not run away from his father in law, would Michal have been forced to remarry? If Michal had fled with David would David have taken other wives? Would they have spent seven years apart? Would Michal have remained childless?

Would David have been tempted by Bathsheba? Would he have plotted to murder her husband Uriah? Would their reunion have been such an unhappy occasion?

We don’t know. We do know God’s word is here to instruct us. We have God’s word on relationships. We can therefore learn from every encounter, from every relationship and judge it by the makers instructions. We do know that like David and Michal we have choices that affect our futures. Although we may not be able to change our circumstances, any more than they could, we can change how we respond to our circumstances.

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