The Lord is coming – we know the time!
Adventists by the very nature of our wonderful and exciting hope are constantly tempted to study the ‘signs’ and try to figure out how soon is the time of His coming. We have been doing it since the disciples asked Jesus the same question in Matthew 24:3 “…what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” When someone whether by DVD or website points out some [often clandestine] happening and links that to another event or quotation, then adds a vague reference to a Biblical text or statement of Ellen White and comes out with a date for His coming – our hope so easily rises and a certain excitement grips our minds. And rightly so that our hearts are excited – our longing for that day of release and redemption constantly calls out “How long, Lord Jesus” and “even so, come Lord Jesus”.

But it’s dangerous. It is like the story of the boy who kept yelling “Wolf, wolf!” Either he was lying or he was over enthusiastic about the signs. But the effect was that when the wolf did come and he cried out, the people were so tired of his calls that no one responded and the flock was ravaged. So time-setting and its failures has a deadening effect on the church.

Jesus refused to set a time and even made it clear that no one knew the time [Matt 24:36, 42] and Paul warned against time setting [2 Thess. 2:2].

Early Adventism came out of a mistake of time setting and was plagued with the problem for some time after 1844. Historian George Knight writes “Thus William Miller and Josiah Litch came to expect that Jesus would appear before the end of the Jewish year 1844 (that is the spring of 1845). H H Gross, Joseph Marsh, and others projected dates in 1846, and when that year passed Gross discovered reasons to look for Christ in 1847.”

No less than Joseph Bates – who led the introduction of the great Sabbath truth to Adventism – thought that he had found a way to determine the date of Christ’s coming. George Knight again – “In that year [1850] he wrote that ‘the seven spots of blood on the Golden Altar before the Mercy seat, I fully believe represents the duration of the judicial proceeding on the living saints in the Most Holy.’” From this Bates concluded that Jesus would come in October 1851. Bates gathered quite a following. Wrong – Wolf, Wolf!

“Then on July 21, 1851, as excitement on the topic mounted, she [Ellen White] wrote in the Review and Herald that ‘the Lord has shown me that the message of the third angel must go, and be proclaimed to the scattered children of the Lord, and that it should not be hung on time; for time will never be a test again. I saw that some were getting a false excitement rising from preaching time; that the third angel’s message was stronger than time can be. I saw that this message can stand on its own foundation, and that it needs not time to strengthen it, and that it will go in mighty power, and do its work.’”

1964 – 120 years after 1844 with its parallel to Noah preaching for 120 years before the destruction of the earth and 2000 – with the idea of the seventh millennium, both created excitement as to the date of Christ’s return.

In Matthew 24 Jesus, after talking about the ‘signs’ – not about the nearness of the coming but of the necessity of His coming – addresses the rest of His sermon not to the topic of time setting but to that of faithful, loving service in the light of that certainly coming day. He asks [Matt 24:45] “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?” and answers [v46]  “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.”

He calls us to trust the certainty of His promise to return and give our lives to the living and giving of the eternal gospel [Rev 14:6-7] to those who live on the earth–to every nation, tribe, language and people.

The Lord is coming – we do not know the time.

Llewellyn Edwards

[All quotations by George Knight are from his 2009 daily reading book Lest We forget. Well worth reading!!!!]

Death or Life?

Last Sabbath I attended a wonderful baptism service for the Glasgow-Faifley-Paisley fellowships in which 23 folks became members of the church. I was privileged to address the candidates and spoke on the tragedy of people who choose death when by the grace of the Lord Jesus they can choose LIFE and life eternal. The act of baptism places us in the camp of the Lord of Life and millions of years hence we shall still be rejoicing at our choice while those who refuse the offer of Life have only whatever life offers them in the few years before death.

This morning I visited a young man I am having Bible studies with and one of the questions he asked me was “What if this earth is the only thing there is – there is no heaven?” John Lennon asked his fans to imagine there is no heaven and claimed that if we all did this the ‘world would be one’.

The ‘White Witch’ in C S Lewis’ book The Silver Chair tries to convince the children in the story that there is no Narnia [Heaven] and that the dark cold underworld where she lives is the only reality. The children are nearly persuaded except one of them suddenly burst out saying that she would rather live life with the dream of a better place then live as if this ugly and cold ‘reality’ was all there is. Someone should have asked John Lennon where the hope is if we are all ‘one’ about a world with no heaven.

To the young man above I replied that not only is Heaven better than our very best ‘imagined’ heaven but our hope is not based on mere dreams for as Peter says “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty” NIB 2 Peter 1:16. God Himself became manifest in time to show us the nature of that kingdom – a gracious kingdom with no more pain, no more suffering, no more death, and no more tears.

May you be encouraged to hold onto the promise that says that “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”- NIB 1 Corinthians 2:9

Llewellyn Edwards

Dear Friends
President Obama and Daniel 2
It was fascinating to watch the historic inauguration of President Obama a few days ago. The story of Obama’s rise from his African past to become the leader of the most powerful nation on earth is the inspirational American dream at its best and this event stated for all to see that the dream is the dream of all peoples not just the right of white people.
I watched it live on a website that permitted comments to be posted up on the site while we were watching. These comments and most of the interviews revealed a desperate hope that this man would solve the world’s problems. And how important hope is – I am reminded of a quote that I think was made by Martin Luther King who said “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”
But then some of the expressions of hope began to get a little wild – one man stated that he hoped the president would solve his personal mortgage problem. And then came the height of a folly based hope. Several were posted up during the prayer by Rick Warren and said that the prayer was a waste of time – our hope was in Obama not God!
Several Bible passages came to my mind including
Psalm 118:8-9   It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
and
Psalm 146:3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

The sad record is that there is no hope for a better land on the cursed earth. You would think that the simple message of the vision of Daniel 2 would have got home to all of us even without knowing the vision of the statue and the stone. The great leaders and successive empires of Daniel 2 demonstrate, that neither wealth, nor brute force, nor strategic brilliance, nor the iron rule of law, and in the time of the toes not strategic alliances, nor the ideals of communism or the economic theories of capitalism, can deliverer us that better land.

While we pray for and hope that President Obama will do well and the progress of the gospel be assisted, we look to a kingdom whose hope is founded on the Rock kingdom which is cut out and conquerors without human assistance [Daniel 2.34 and 8.25].

I would encourage you to keep the trust of your soul anchored to the Hope that is sure and steadfast and stands in the presence of God almighty [Hebrews 6.19].

Llewellyn Edwards

Dear Friends

Roseto and Prayer

This month sees probably the first ‘Prayer Retreat’ in the SM. That has got me thinking about a connection between Jesus’ advice to enter your closet and close the door and a town called Roseto*.

Roseto Valfortore is a very small mountaintop town of approximately 1317 residents in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. The residents, desperately poor and mostly illiterate have through the centuries worked in the quarries of the surrounding hills. In 1882 a group ventured to move to a land of opportunity – and found work in the quarries near the town of Bangor, Pennsylvania, USA. News went back to Italy and soon others from Roseto followed. They all began buying land near Bangor on a hillside and set up town called Roseto – modelled on the one back in Italy and attained a population of 1,653 at the 2000 census. Bangor is largely Welsh and English and the next neighbouring town is largely German and given the traditional relationships between the Brits, the Germans and the Italians, Roseto is strictly for Rosetorians.

Enter Stewart Wolf, a physician and John Bruhn, a sociologist who both taught at the University of Oklahoma. Wolf stumbled across the fact that heart disease is rare under 65 for people living in Roseto. He triggered a large research project into the heart disease rate of the town. Medical records, genealogies, blood samples, EKGs, – every person was tested. The results were amazing – virtually no one under 65 had heart disease. Men over 65 had about half the heart disease for the rest of America. Now the search was on for the reason. Sociology, dietary factors, genetics, location, exercise, location – all came to dead ends.

Then one day as Bruhn and Wolf were walking around Roseto – they noticed how the people related to each other, visiting each other, stopping to chat, cooking with and for each other, respect for grandparents, three generations living together, the unifying and calming effect of their church, the other centred ethos of the community etc – and they realized that they were looking at the key to the health of Roseto – community!

Now – what about Jesus’ prayer closet? The truth is that if you go into your prayer closet and close the door and you are the only one in there –then you have simply entered an echo chamber and I suspect that God may be outside. But if you go in and take your community with you, He is in there too and will abundantly bless your heart – spiritually and physically!

Llewellyn Edwards

*See ‘The Roseto mystery’ in “Outliers – the story of success” by Malcom Gladwell

Dear Friends

On the Lookout for Grace

Acts 11:23, 24. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

The pastors and sponsors of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Scotland met recently for their autumn ‘excellence’ retreat near Pitlochry. Pastor Richard Duerksen was our speaker and inspired the team with wonderful stories of the work of Maranatha International and great insights into a number of Bible passages.

Among the studies that struck me was one that dealt with Acts 11. This chapter deals with the challenge that Jewish Christians had when Gentiles begin by their faith in the Lord Jesus to flood into the church.

As Christians fled the persecution that arises after the martyrdom of Stephen they ‘tell’ the good news ‘only to Jews’ [v19]. Choosey aren’t they! However – and it appears that the central Church [Jerusalem] must learn not from its leadership but from Christians on the edge [Cyprus and Cyrene] – some begin to share with the Greeks, and the Lord – contrary to what the wisdom of the Church so far – blesses so that “a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.”[21]. Still coming to terms with this the Jerusalem church dispatches “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith” whose name is Barnabus [22-24] to find out what is going on.

Now, if you or I had been sent to check out the genuineness of the conversions of pagans – I wonder what we would have looked for to measure whether God was at work? I wonder if we would have been tempted to look at their health habits or dress styles or outward appearances or spiritual exercises or their clarity of doctrinal beliefs. I guess we may even have measured them against ourselves!

Praise God for good men like Barnabus, who have the mind of the Spirit and faith [both in what God is able to do and in the people who He is working with], that looked for the evidence that grace was at work, rejoiced in that and “encouraged them to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” [v23].

What I like about Barnabus’ approach is that we cannot be sure if God is at work amongst people who appear outwardly clean and shiny like us – He may be, He may not be – but where grace occurs you can be sure God is at work. Grace is God’s authenticating signature.

May we be churches that are always open to God’s working – good people – full of the Spirit of God and on the lookout for where grace occurs eager to encourage it on with all our hearts.

Llewellyn Edwards
President – the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Scotland

Dear Friends

Responses to the Financial Crisis – Standing “from a distance” or standing “firm”

Over the past few days of financial crisis, the words of two 1st century Biblical writers seem to have a 21st century application –
James 5:1-8  Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.  2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  6 You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.  7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

James’ words echo Revelation 18’s with its tormented cries during the collapse of the financial empire of Babylon.
A number of lessons are writ large for our attention:
o    The insecurity of riches – Rev 15:17 how rapidly the financial world collapses. “In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!” [Rev 18:17 NIB]
o    The exploitative basis of riches – the merchants of wealth have been living in [to use Revelation’s phrase – 18:7 & 9] luxury [NIB] deliciously [KJV] – while more than a billion live in abject poverty – how the cries of the ‘ripped off’ must sound in the ears of the Lord [James 5:4].
o    The corruption that accompany riches – our wealthy western world has become not only the home of “demons” [Rev 18:2] but the primary exporter of immorality – so that “…all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries” [Rev 18:3].
And not least,
o    The response of the Lord – He hears the cry of the oppressed that begs his intervening wrath [James 3:4 & 5; Rev 18:20].
In all this I find myself wondering if, like the merchants who had participated and enjoyed the system’s luxury [‘The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing’ Revelation 18:15], I am now standing at a distance pointing the finger and fearful of my losses….

Or grabbing the opportunity to rethink my response to things like:

o    The basis of my security
o    The cry of the naked, the hungry and the poor
o    The moral corruption that I casually and occasionally indulge in
o    And … the patience of the saints in the certainty of the coming of the Lord [James 5:7,8; Rev 1:9; 3:10; 13:10; 14:12]
May I remind our church family that this crisis is the world’s not our Kingdom’s crisis and that we are to listen to James’ instruction and stand firm [5:8].

Llewellyn Edwards

Dear Friends

A Response to Sunshine – watch yourselves and pray!

Karin and I have just returned from an enjoyable break, by the sun drenched shores of Lake Balaton, Hungary. One afternoon as we walked among the hundreds of walrus-like tourists thronging the lake shore, I was struck by an anomaly – these myriad sun seekers were doing all they could to NOT look at the sun. Dark glasses, umbrellas, towels, – anything to avoid that fierce light.

I asked myself, “Is it possible that I who seek the Sun of Righteousness and the fierce light of His glorious appearing will on that day be unable to look at His face?” Then we will stand stripped of all covering and face the ultimate test of our honesty in the face of absolute truth and love. How difficult it is to discern our honesty!

Jesus’ instruction to those who wait His coming is “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” A paraphrase could read “As you wait for that glorious day keep taking a good look at yourselves and pray! And don’t be tempted, by the evil one, to excuse yourselves.”

Testimonies Vol. 6 p.410 comments on Jesus’ instructions thus: ‘Watch against the stealthy approach of the enemy, watch against old habits and natural inclinations, lest they assert themselves; force them back, and watch. Watch the thoughts, watch the plans, lest they become self-centred. Watch over the souls whom Christ has purchased with His own blood. Watch for opportunities to do them good.’

Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, puts it this way: ‘We have to live in the light of the end – not gloomily and fearfully, but trying to bring ourselves relentlessly out of the shadows where we hide from God and ourselves and each other.’ [Tokens of Trust p99]
May God bless us as we enjoy the Sunshine here in wet Scotland.

Llewellyn Edwards

Dear Friends

….and they lived happily ever after

Once upon a time … is the way every good story starts. And as soon as you begin a story like that everyone knows how it will end – whether the story is about Frodo Baggins, the 3 little pigs, Snow White, or the dark knight Batman – and they lived happily ever after. There is happiness for the heroine or hero and comeuppance for the villains. If it didn’t, the story would have no point and whoever heard of a story with no point. Boring! It is the satisfaction of the ending …and they lived happily ever after, that makes a story worth listening too.

John Eldredge has written a superb little book – one of the best witnessing books I have ever read – how I wish it had been an Adventist author! – called Epic. Let me quote from a flier: “Life, for most of us, feels like a movie we’ve arrived at forty minutes too late. Sure, good things happen, sometimes beautiful things. But tragic things happen too. What does it mean? We find ourselves in the middle of a story that is sometimes wonderful, sometimes awful, usually a confusing mixture of both, and we haven’t a clue how to make sense of it all. No wonder we keep losing heart…. For when we were born, we were born into the midst of a great story begun before the dawn of time. A story of adventure, of risk and loss, of heroism…and of betrayal. A story where good is warring against evil, danger lurks around every corner, and glorious deeds wait to be done. Think of all those stories you’ve ever loved – there’s a reason they stirred your heart. They’ve been trying to tell you about the true Epic ever since you were young.”

Adventists in very name look to that happy ever after ending. So did all the heroes of the Bible. Hebrews 11 tell us they were longing for a better country–a heavenly one. We call it the great advent hope. It is sounded out in such passages as Gen 3 where the serpent is crushed; Psalm 23 and we will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever; Isaiah 35  where the saints enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy crowning their heads; John 14 where Jesus promises to come back and take us to be with Him; and of course, Rev 22 where God says He wipes every tear from our eyes and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. It just doesn’t get any happier ever after than that!

I officiated at a funeral this week in which none of the family or the deceased had a faith. As I met with them I longed for them to know that Christians believe that death is not the end of the story – in other words the story isn’t over! If it ends there it isn’t a happy ever after story. Rather we are part of a far far bigger epic. There is One who makes it so and says “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” and “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

I pray that my words to them gave a glimpse of this hope and that each of us remind ourselves each day that there is a larger story and we have a crucial role in it.

Llewellyn Edwards

Friends
Someone asked me recently “What are the big hot potatoes in the church at present?” I have mulled on the topic since and find it would be easy to say things like – the ordination of women, abortion, homosexuality, music etc. But on reflection I find myself thinking that the really ‘hot potato’ isn’t an issue like the ones I have mentioned – but rather the way we deal with them.

It seems to me that Satan would find his greatest joy in a divided church and doesn’t care what the topic of division is; and on the other hand Jesus would command us to – whatever the topic is – love one another. Thus the really hot potato in Christ’s and Satan’s view is unity. And it is when we deal with each other without the love, patience and respect that Christ enjoins, that Satan triumphs.

Once upon a time there was some sort of real clash between two church members. We don’t know what the issue was but they were both clearly influential, active and well known members of the church. One can imagine the church board’s heated discussions, the arguments being rehearsed by gossip, sides being taken, friendships spurned, anguished prayers, the poor old pastor being blamed, threats of resignation, accusations flying – all the elements of a really hot potato. How comical that must have looked to Satan – can you imagine the riotous laughter in his ranks and the quiet sad look in the Master’s eyes.

It all got so bad that it came to the attention of Paul – all the way from Philippi to Rome. [The story is referred to in the letter to the Philippians]. Oh, how today some involved in division in the church long for an authority who would write and confirm their side of the argument and sort the problem out. How easy it would be if there was a “Hot Potato’s Cooled” office at the GC or BUC!

But isn’t St Paul the inspired Apostle just the person to sort it out?

Yes he is – he does so by appealing to them to love each other. He doesn’t even tell us what the issue is and what the answer to the problem is! He knew that the real ‘hot potato’ is how we are prepared to treat each other.

The matter is so important to Paul that on another occasion he actually allows the false doctrine teachers to remain in the church that the loving unity of the church might remain intact.

Here is Ellen White’s comment on this – “Paul writes to the Galatians: “I would they were even cut off which trouble you. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

False teachers had brought to the Galatians doctrines that were opposed to the gospel of Christ. Paul sought to expose and correct these errors. He greatly desired that the false teachers might be separated from the church, but their influence had affected so many of the believers that it seemed hazardous to take action against them. There was danger of causing strife and division which would be ruinous to the spiritual interests of the church. He therefore sought to impress upon his brethren the importance of trying to help one another in love. He declared that all the requirements of the law setting forth our duty to our fellow men are fulfilled in love to one another. He warned them that if they indulged hatred and strife, dividing into parties, and like the brutes biting and devouring one another, they would bring upon themselves present unhappiness and future ruin. There was but one way to prevent these terrible evils and that was, as the apostle enjoined upon them, to “walk in the Spirit.” They must by constant prayer seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which would lead them to love and unity.” [5T.243-244]

It was the burden of the Saviour’s last prayer – not that our hot potatoes be all sorted – but that through the trials and struggles of life and its hot potatoes, we remain committed to loving one another; to personally getting alongside the erring and struggling with an attitude like the Saviour’s that would give his life for them; to finding paths to redemption – in fact to using hot potatoes to be occasions for unity.
Llewellyn Edwards

Dear Friends

Some seven or eight years ago there were less than 200 members of the Adventist Church in Scotland. At the commencement of this year we passed the 400 mark doubling our membership and surpassing the goal set by the last session for membership growth.

That is a reason for celebration and an outpouring of praise to God and for the ministry of the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit and the work of that same membership. But it is also a reason to pause and ask how did that happen? The easy answer is – the transfer of members from other lands to ours – and we could leave it there except that we should recognise that those transferring their membership need not have chosen to have done so and the good rise in baptisms over the same period tells us that we are doing something right.

The difficult questions now are – what are we doing right and can we do it better? Let me venture some answers.

I read some results of a recent survey of non-SDA churches in America. The survey covered a wide spectrum of churches – from conservative to liberal. One of the conclusions that struck me was the observation that the main reason why people join churches is the quality of the people already there. Let me describe them as ‘great’ people.

“What!” one might ask, “Wasn’t it the programmes they ran – the preaching, the outreach, the fellowship, the doctrines?” Well, yes and no. Apparently where the wonderful programmes took place, they did not all translate into membership growth unless they first translated into creating great members. These were members who are serious in their walk with Christ [their Bible study, their prayer life], enthusiastic about their church fellowship, and committed to sharing Christ with others outside their church. Programmes that simply resulted in entertained members or ego-stroked pastoral leadership went no-where no matter how good they apparently were.

It all sounds too simple but isn’t it that quality of faith in Christ that God is pleased with and honours – Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. It’s the kind of faith that personally stretches beyond our comfort zones and discovers the reality of a living God. It’s the faith that brought amazement and response from Jesus – Matthew 8:10 ‘When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” That centurion was a great person – because he had great faith’.

I believe that growing great people is what we are doing right. Can we do it better? – absolutely! So much so that I believe the next goal we should set is a membership of 1000. But to do it we will need to have pastors, elders, and individual members all striving through great churches to be great members. This will require much heart searching prayer, preparation of programmes and the courage to step out beyond our comfortable walk with Christ – to prove the power of the gospel and the reality of our supporting God.

May we all be open to the God who can take our 400 and make it a 1000.

Llewellyn Edwards

Dear Friends
The poor old lady, the rich young man and Jesus -

We are all familiar with the stories of the lady who had an ‘issue of blood’ that left her penniless, hopeless and friendless and the rich young ruler which surely made him popular and influential. They could not have been more opposite socially – she was unacceptable while he was very acceptable. On the surface they were opposite spiritually too. She was fearful and clearly ignorant of how to approach God – her religion was mixed with superstition. He was confident and knowledgeable about God and His expectations, from boyhood [Luke 18:21]. What they do have in common is that they both came to Jesus.

But they were both wrong. She mixed superstition with her faith in believing that the act of touching His garment would cause her healing; he mixed works with his faith believing that his life commended him to God.

The beauty of their stories is that though they were from opposite ends of the social spectrum and though they were both theologically wrong – Jesus loved them both. His heart spans the gap. He tells the lady that it is her faith, not her superstition that made her whole; He confronts the ruler with the inadequacy of his motives.

Result: she responds, he turns away. One response is joyful the other sad. But to both Jesus has extended His love – to the woman he gives her a sense of belonging by calling her daughter and even while he walks away He loved that young ruler.

She came – He loved; he left, He loved. She accepted Him – He loved; he rejected Him – He loved. How easy it is to care about people and respond to people on the basis of how they relate to us. We look after our favourites; we smile at those who smile at us; you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours; you are okay with me because we are in the same class or theology or status.

Not so Jesus – Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, Doctor, lawyer, Indian chief – He loved each one.
Llewellyn Edwards

Dear Friends

Changing Easter – Constant Gospel

You may have wondered why Easter fell so early this year – a friend sent me the following information on the changing date of Easter.

Have you realized how early Easter is this year? As you may have heard, Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20).

This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare.

Here’s the interesting info. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our

population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier!

Here are the facts:

1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you’re 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

The good news is that, while Easter may keep changing – the Gospel remains constant – God’s from-the-foundation-of-the-world love paid the price for your sins and redeemed you for eternity.

Llewellyn Edwards

Dear Friends

The BIG and the small

Are you God? If you had to tick a box that asked that question, you’d obviously tick the ‘No’ box – otherwise you might be considered a candidate for an asylum. But how often, in fact, do we live our daily lives as if we are God. We expect the world, the people, and the circumstances around us to mould themselves to our wishes. We expect respect from everything as if it is our (divine) right.

The bumper sticker – ‘Actually I do own the road’ – brings a smile of recognition to most of us. Like the lion tamer who one day finds the lion roaring back or the disciples confronting the storm or Gadarean demoniac, we suddenly are rudely reminded that we are not God – not even in control.

The question confronts us with the issue of perspective and working out what is the Big and what is the small in life. In our recent Sabbath School lesson we read the story of the disciples seeing the transfigured glory of Christ then the next scene is one of their inability to cast out a demon. That was a lesson in perspective – who is Big and who is small.

There are many situations in life where this perspective needs to be understood. One is in regard to the church. Henry Cloud, a clinical
psychologist and author of ‘Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality’, tells the story of a wealthy and successful CEO who was in a church committee and was in full flow on the item under discussion when he stopped, and asked the committee’s forgiveness for his acting as if he was the CEO of the church rather than a disciple and servant of the Lord of the Church. Wow – here was a man who knew what is the Big and what is the small.

Is it possible for church leaders – presidents, elders, treasurers, Pastors, deacons etc., to slip into control (God) mode and think the
church and its members are for our purposes rather than His? Leaders can laud it over the church and think its members and funds are for their (good) purposes and control rather than the reality of being servants and good shepherds who will give their lives for the sheep (John10:11-12).

So what’s BIG and what’s small in your life?

Llewellyn Edwards

Dear Friends

In recent months the state of the nation’s health has featured in the news. In a government report part of its introduction reads as follows:

Also an article in the 15th November 2007 Daily Mail, under the title “Want to live longer?” suggested that one way to live longer was to be a Seventh-day Adventist! The article reads:

This information was among some of the discussion when the Mission Executive Committee met on 19th and 20th January 2008. We believe that the health needs of our nation correspond to the traditional lifestyle values and expertise of our Church.

The Committee therefore has taken the decision to adopt ‘Health Outreach’ as the major thrust being used by the Scottish Mission as a bridge to the general public of Scotland. This approach would embrace CHIP and other health development initiatives. To that end a steering committee is being set up to develop the strategy and resources for this exciting initiative.

I ask that each will pray that God will bless our efforts to share God’s interest in the wellbeing of all the peoples of this land.

Affinity fraud – check it out!

An article in the news over the past few weeks reports on how four church goers swindled over £3 million from more than 1000 fellow worshippers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in England. The gang made promises of BIG returns and used the money for their own purposes, so the reports state.

The story is a classic example of what is known as ‘affinity fraud’ and comes as a warning to all both individually and church organizations.
Affinity fraud is nothing new – one story that illustrates it is found in 1 Kings 13:1-31. Note verse 18 and ask yourself what the true prophet should have done. Isn’t it so that he should have thoroughly checked out the story of the older prophet and not simply trusted him because of his ‘affiliation’? The Bereans did well in that even though the preacher was the Apostle Paul himself they examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true [Acts 17:11 NIV].

The story of the fraud in the papers has lessons for us, not least in our own financial investments but also in the way we handle and account for offerings and tithe collections in our churches. The principles of dealing with fraud also are important in the way we deal with gossip and hearsay or ideas propounded by the literature we read or DVDs we view; an idea propounded in a Sabbath School class and even theories set forward by the preachers in our pulpits. Paul warns that we hold to truth if even he [by affinity] or an angel tells us otherwise! See Gal. 1:8.
Here are a couple of websites worth visiting to read about how to avoid affinity fraud – check it out!

http://www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk/news/affinity_fraud.html
http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/affinity.htm

Llewellyn Edwards

Dear Friends

It has been a good year for our church family in Scotland.

Yes there have been setbacks, disappointments, illness and also the loss of loved ones but these have happened in the context of the knowledge of the God who works all things together for good and in the knowledge of the hope of the coming of Jesus. Nevertheless the church has grown in so many ways and my heart is greatly encouraged by the stories of faith, love and commitment from around our churches. Let me touch on a few examples.

In Edinburgh the contact and witness amongst the other churches particularly by the choir has been excellent, while in Dunfermline the stories of the warmth of caring fellowship and the decisions for the Lord of so many youth there is heart warming.

Dundee too has seen baptisms and sought to reach out to the community; also their vision for a larger house of worship is inspiring.

Aberdeen church is experiencing a ‘good problem’ with the challenge of the building being too small on many Sabbaths for the attendance – what an exciting challenge to go into the New Year with!

The Inverness group have worked hard all year in seeking to share their faith and we look with anticipation to the Lord to water the seed they have planted.

Crieff church has had its struggles this year but these are met by the growing strength of their community and excellent programmes such as the hosting of the Forgiveness Exhibition.

The loss of the health outreach of Roundelwood is a blow that must be met and redirected toward outreach at the local churches in programmes such as CHIP. I am encouraged by the enthusiasm and human resources that the Lord has placed in our midst for such ventures. I would ask that we all keep in mind those of our members who work at Roundelwood under a different ethos.

Irvine and East Kilbride continue to shine brightly and patiently sow their seeds of witness – through outreach and love for one another.

And what shall I say of Glasgow and their plant in Faifley – bursting at the seams, rousing praise and singing, dedicated and enthusiastic outreach, talented members and now the beginnings of a new vision for the church in the community.

Another indicator of growth is our membership. At the 2006 Mission Session we set a tentative target of a membership of 400 by the end of 2010 – as I write we are only a handful away from passing that mark. It seems the Lord would have us set our faith goals higher.

My thanks go to each of the elders and lay-leaders and individuals without office – who have stepped to the mark serving the Lord and their churches and in doing so have collectively lifted our work marvellously.

May God bless our people in their homes and work and in our church communities – to his honour and praise, and that world might see that we are His disciples because we love one another.

Llewellyn Edwards