We’re into 2020 – may God lead, guide and bless us all together as the year unfolds!

I ended 2019 by thinking of Joseph, imagining him pondering the meaning of ‘Immanuel’ – God with us (Matthew 1:23). I imagined him a couple of years after Jesus’ birth, turning the following questions over in his mind … and coming to some sort of conclusion. See what you think:

Joseph: “How do you reconcile ‘God with us’ when God’s people are under the thumb of the Romans and the corrupt, vicious king Herod?
How can I make sense of a census being called with Mary pregnant and having to make an arduous journey all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem?
And why was there no guest room available when finally we got there? We had to use an animal’s feeding trough as a makeshift cot!
And later, following the visit of the Magi, why did so many mothers in Bethlehem have to be plunged into grief just because we’d been there!?”

“I’ve thought about it a lot, and I’ve sort of reached a conclusion. If we think that ‘God with us’ means that everything in life will be sorted and pleasant, nothing going wrong, always fair, makes sense etc. then we’re going to be sorely disappointed. Life just isn’t like that. The life of faith isn’t like that.
If we think that ‘God with us’ means that God is somehow bound to answer every prayer the way we’d like, we’re going to be disappointed.
If we think that ‘God with us’ means that life is going to be carefree, without stress, then dream on.

“No. I reckon that ‘God with us’ is more about God being with us in the unfairness of life; in the mess, in the painfully unexpected, in the hurt, in the tears.

“I don’t know what will become of Jesus. I don’t know how the promises and prophecies will work out. What will it mean for Jesus? What will it mean for God to be with him?
Will it mean that he’ll send the Romans packing? Will the nation rally to him and hang on his every word? Will everything go well for him? I don’t know. Some of the prophecies don’t sound too hopeful. Will people be fair to him? Will he know pain and hurt? Will he feel abandoned by God? Surely not! But then, only time will tell!

Just let me finish by saying this: Whatever it is you’re going through at the moment, good or bad, know this: God is with you!”

Alan’s ‘notes to self’ as he ponders the move to Worle Baptist Church.

As far as ministry is concerned, the Christmas season has always been the busiest time of the year. Add to that all the preparations with friends and family visiting, driving back to Wales to visit friends and family … and, well, you get the picture!

Don’t me wrong, I’m not complaining. I love it really (deep down!). But as I was walking to the local shops the other day, two verses came to mind which I’ve long linked together.

“Apart from me,” said Jesus, “you can do nothing”  &  “I can do everything,” discovered Paul “through him who gives me strength.” (John 15:5 and Philippians 4:13)

Those words of Jesus alarm me a bit (a lot actually) and especially at this time of the year. They tell me that I can be (very) busy doing nothing! Nothing that will make a bit of Kingdom difference. Nothing that will count for eternity. Anything I do in my own strength and out of my own resources is me ‘ doing nothing’. BUT, everything done in his name and by his Spirit is another matter altogether! Strengthened by Him, I can make an eternal difference. All the Christmas preparations for each and every Christmas service, consciously submitted to him, relying on him for ‘strength’ and all done for His glory, is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference that will last forever.

I must go to Worle embracing this truth, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year! Bring it on!

Alan’s ‘notes to self’ as he ponders the move to Worle Baptist Church

At the moment I’m dipping in and out of a book by James Lawrence (‘Lead On’). Here’s what caught my eye in it today:

“I recently met a minister who is just retiring from over forty years of very productive leadership in the same post. As I left I asked myself what was my abiding impression of this person and what had kept him going? My answer was simply that he kept looking forward to what God was going to do next.”

“It sounds simple, but he displayed an almost child-like quality of trust that the Holy Spirit would lead him and his community. He was also prepared to deliver the ministry to which he and the whole community were called. The result was he could point to at least four different phases in the life of the church, each one distinctly different. He finally came to the difficult conclusion that it was time for him personally to move on.”

“The lesson is to look forward … Keep looking forward and be open to whatever new direction God may have.”

This rang a peal of bells in my heart. God told me it was time to leave Exeter. God is telling me he is doing a new thing. May I/we be attuned to his will as the Spirit leads us at Worle Baptist Church.

Alan’s ‘notes to self’ as he continues to ponder the move to Worle Baptist Church.

As I prepare to move to Worle, I’m seeking to take a leaf out of the apostle Paul’s book (Philippians 3:13,14). It means prayerfully putting the past in perspective and allowing myself to be inspired by what lies ahead. Confessing Jesus as Lord in the present means surrendering both my past and future into his sovereign hands.

The present has, however, taken an unexpected turn. Helen’s need for an operation within the next few weeks following her diagnosis with breast cancer wasn’t in the script we had drafted! We are currently being upheld and encouraged by the love and prayers of ‘old’ friends here in Exeter and ‘new’ friends up in Worle. Typing this on Tuesday evening (3^rd December) we still don’t know when Helen’s op will take place. But we do know who’s in charge of the diary! And so we continue to trust God that He’s got it all covered and sorted. Proverbs 19:21 comes to mind: Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. ‘Amen’ to that!

Alan’s thoughts as he gets ready to move to Worle Baptist Church as its next Minister.

Past, Present and Future

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13,14)

Just as Paul had his past (good and bad) in proper perspective, so I need to keep on ‘forgetting what is behind’ and then peer into the future on tiptoes.  Paul wasn’t going to let his past dictate what he did in the present. Rather, it was the thought of what God had got lined up that energized him. There was a goal at which to aim, a prize to win. Thinking of Worle, I sense something similar – there’s a new and renewing energy within me, a “can’t wait to get started” feeling. There are so many things buzzing about in my head, ideas that I’m scribbling down on my “futures list”. I’m looking forward to getting our praying heads and hearts together to discern what God has in mind so that together WBC can ‘press on’ into the future.

So far it’s been about forgetting the negative stuff in Paul’s (distant or immediate) past. But there were good things that also needed to be forgotten. Paul was a gifted, energetic founding apostle of the church of Jesus Christ. He had been used by God to bring many to faith. He had established church after church on his missionary journeys. He’d been faithful through many a persecution. He could have become very proud of his past achievements and been tempted to rest on his laurels. But no – these things too, Paul chose to file in ‘forgetting’. I have to ‘forget’ whatever has been achieved in Exeter. A new chapter is waiting to open before me in Worle. I must look ahead. Exciting!!

A Bit of Explanation … “It’s all very well,” I hear someone say, “this talk of ‘forgetting what is behind’ – but doesn’t Scripture encourage us to remember the past?” Quite right. We are indeed to draw strength and encouragement from what the Lord has done and to remember the lessons of the past. So what does ‘forgetting what is behind’ mean?

Forgetting in the Scriptures often carries the sense of breaking the hold that the past might otherwise have over present behaviour and attitudes. A classic example of ‘forgetting what is behind’ is found in the attitude of Joseph towards his brothers. There was nothing wrong with Joseph’s memory, but in his treatment of them he demonstrated that he had ‘forgiven and forgotten’ (Genesis 50:15-21).

When we read that God will remember our sins and iniquities no more (Hebrews 10:17), it means that our forgiven sins do not affect our standing with God nor do they influence his attitude to us.

Past, Present and Future

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13,14)

This is my ‘go to’ verse at the start of every New Year. My call to Worle invests it with even greater significance as 2020 approaches. I first preached from this text with the following headings way back in 1989. It’s been my guide for most of my ministry. I think it always will.

Paul had the PAST IN PERSPECTIVE,
with the FUTURE IN VIEW,
and therefore he had the PRESENT IN HAND.

Philippians 1:12-18; 3:4-8

What did it mean for Paul to have the past in perspective? There were things in his past that he was ashamed of. He once hated the name of Jesus of Nazareth and did all he could to stamp out the Christian faith. And he was oh so proud of his Jewish heritage, both what he was by birth and what he went on to achieve as a top notch Pharisee. He could have been either crippled or driven by guilt. But even though he once described himself as the ‘chief of sinners’, he knew the grace of God lavished on him through faith in Christ his Saviour. Grace puts all our past sins in perspective. We are forgiven! We can forget them! His grace is enough!

But it wasn’t just his own past sins that could have dragged Paul down. There were also the sins of others – Paul was seriously sinned against. At the time of writing his letter to the Philippians, Paul was under house-arrest in Rome, chained 24/7 to Roman guards. And, quite shockingly, it seems that there were fellow Christians in Rome, who out of envy and rivalry, gave him a frosty reception. So frosty, in fact, that they set about preaching the gospel in such a way as to get Paul into deeper trouble (1:15-17). Paul, however, cultivated a forgiving heart towards them, even rejoicing that, although their motivation was shot, they were nevertheless preaching the one true gospel (1:18).

Starting a new ministry in Worle I don’t want any baggage loaded into the removal van to make the journey up the M5. In whatever way anyone at any time has offended or hurt me, then God grant me the same grace he gave Paul so that I too may continually forgive and forget, remembering that the Gospel is more important than my ego or feelings.

Next time, more stuff to forget …

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!  There is only one thing worth being concerned about. (Luke 10:41,42)

There will be so many things to do: People to get to know, agendas to set, vision to cast etc., etc. etc.. Everything so new and exciting! Together with the church, priorities will have to discerned – everything can’t be done at once! There is one thing, however, that I must keep before me as I prepare to go to Worle. It was highlighted at the church’s Away Day –  ‘keep your eyes on Jesus’.

Reflecting on Psalm 27:4, that ‘one thing’ is to dwell or abide in Him, growing in my love for the Lord and his people, worshipping and following Him wholeheartedly. My first priority as the church’s new minister is to be a disciple of Jesus. Mary was ‘sat at the Lord’s feet’ hanging on his every word. That’s where Christian leadership and ministry begins. Never forget it!

Another familiar ‘one thing’ Scripture comes to mind (Philippians 3:13,14), but that’s for next time!

I’m just getting this (my first ever blog) up and running, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

My name is Alan Bailyes and I’ll shortly be on the move from Exeter to Worle. I’ve been the Senior Minister at Pinhoe Road Baptist Church, Exeter since September 1996. In October 2019 I accepted the call to become the next Minister of Worle Baptist Church. When the move will happen has yet to be determined, but in the meantime, this Blog will enable me to share my thoughts and feelings as we prepare to begin the next exciting chapter in the service of the Lord and his people.