Amazing Rescues

In church history amazing stories are found. God rescues his servants – sometimes in the nick of time. In his Mystery of Providence John Flavel (c 1627-1691) gives several examples.

• There are the Protestants besieged in Beziers, France, delivered because a drunken drummer went to his quarters at midnight and rang the town alarm-bell, not knowing what he was doing, at just the moment when the Protestants were about to be attacked. 
• There is the spider that weaves its web over the mouth of an oven just after little Pierre Du Moulin (1568-1658) had hidden in there during the 1572 St Bartholomew Day massacre in Paris, creating the impression that no-one had been near that door in a while. 
• Flavel also mentions Pierre Merlin (1503-1633), chaplain to Admiral Coligny, who was sustained for many days at a time by a hen that daily lodged an egg in the place where he had hid himself from his cut-throat pursuers.

We can add these

• A rather offbeat story is that of Bernard Gilpin (1517-1583) who, in the time of Queen Mary, despite his strong Protestant sympathies, was minister of Houghton-le-Spring, in the North East of England. His enemies eventually complained to Bonner the Bishop of London and a royal warrant was secured for his apprehension. He prepared for martyrdon in London, requesting his house-steward to provide him with a long garment suitable for him to wear to the stake. However, on the way to London he fell from his horse and broke his leg. This delayed his journey south and before he got to London, the news came that Mary had died. He at once returned to Houghton-le-Spring, where he continued to labour for years to come.
• The Scottish missionary to the New Hebrides, now Vanuatu, John G Paton (1824-1907) wrote of more than one instance when he was in mortal danger but escaped with his life. Once he woke to find his house surrounded by armed men intent on killing him. He knelt and made his final prayer but went out to reason with them. “At last” he says “some of the Chiefs, who had attended the Worship, rose and said 'Our conduct has been bad; but now we will fight for you, and kill all those who hate you.'" Another time, a man ran at him with an axe but he was defended by a Kaserumini Chief who snatched the spade Paton was working with and defended him. Another time a native called Ian summoned him to his sickbed. As Paton leaned over him, he pulled a dagger and held it to Paton’s heart. Again, he thought his time had come but Ian suddenly wheeled the knife around and thrust it into the sugar cane leaf. “Go, go quickly!” he said. Paton ran for his life the four miles back to the Mission House, “faint, yet praising God for such a deliverance”.
• A more modern example would perhaps be Hassan Dehqani-Tafti (1920-2008) of Iran. In November 1979 two gunmen entered his bedroom. Four shots were fired that narrowly missed him. His wife Margaret preserved the pillowcase with its four bullet holes as a reminder of the deliverance. A fifth shot passed through her hand as she flung herself across her husband's body to protect him.

Persecution and martyrdom

Somewhere near St John's Wood I think it was that some 40 gathered for worship. The meeting was interrupted and 27 were brought before Sir Roger Cholmly. Some women managed to escape but 22 were committed to Newgate and remained there seven weeks. The jail keeper explained to them all they needed to do to be released was to hear mass but this they could not do, so 13 were burnt, seven in Smithfield and six at Brentford (two others died in prison, the other seven survived). The seven who died in Smithfield were called Pond, Estland, Southam, Ricarby, Floyd, Holiday and Roger Holland. They were sent to Newgate, June 16 1558 and executed June 27.

Roger Holland, a merchant-tailor of London, was first an apprentice with one Master Kemption, at the Black Boy in Watling Street, giving himself to dancing, fencing, gaming, banqueting and wanton company. He had received for his master certain money, to the sum of £30 and lost it all at dice. This set him on escaping to the continent.

He shared this with a fellow servant in the house, Elizabeth, a believer. She had recently inherited a legacy and so she gave him £30 to cover the losses on condition that he reformed his way of life and come and hear the gospel preached and read the Bible, calling on God for grace in prayer.

Within six months Holland had become a zealous Christian and was used in the conversion of his father and others when he visited Lancashire. His father gave him £40 to start a business in London. He used this to repay Elizabeth and shortly after the two were married. It was the first year of Queen Mary. He was not martyred until the sixth and final year of her reign. He was among the last to die in Smithfield.

Psalm 129 and Ploughing furrows

In agriculture it is good to get the seed deep into the ground if it is going to flourish and initially people would use hoes to create holes in the ground into which the seed could be scattered. Early on it was realised that a more efficient method is to create a furrow in the ground, an extended hole, a sort of trench. This is done with a plough. Here the psalmist says it is as if the enemies of God's people have been ploughing furrows into the backs of the people. He says that the furrows are long because it has been going on a long time - from the slavery of Egypt to the opposition of the Canannnites and especially the Philistines through to - and we do not know when this psalm was written - the carrying off of the people of the northern kingdom by the Assyrians and then the southern kingdom by the Babylonians.

Faith - John Paton's Aniwan definition

John G Paton was a 19th century Scot who went as a missionary to the South Seas, to what was then the New Hebrides but is now called Vanuatu. One of the things he did was to reduce one of the languages (Aniwan) there to writing and translate the Bible into it. One of the things he discovered early on was that there was no word in Aniwan for "faith." It is pretty difficult to translate the Bible without it. One day, the story goes, he went on a hunt with one of the natives. They shot a large deer in the course of the hunt, and tying its legs together and supporting it on a pole, laboriously trekked back down the mountain path to Paton's home near the seashore. As they reached the veranda both men threw the deer down, and the native immediately flopped into one of the deck chairs that stood on the porch exclaiming (in Aniwan), “My, it is good to stretch yourself out here and rest.” Paton immediately jumped to his feet and recorded the phrase. In his final translation of the New Testament this was the word used to convey the idea of trust, faith, and belief - to stretch out and rest. That is what we need to do - to rest on Christ. That is what ministers must preach.

Hubris - Two ancient examples

The ancient Greeks spoke often of hubris, the word they used for pride or self-confidence. They had many stories of how hubris would lead to a character's nemesis, his downfall.

Achilles

Perhaps you know the story of Achilles in Homer's Iliad about the Trojan War. Achilles is Greece's best warrior. He kills many of Troy's greatest warriors. However, as the battle rages ons, at a certain point Achilles stops fighting. Achilles captures a beautiful princess named Briseis and falls in love with her but the Greek leader Agamemnon is angry and takes Briseis from him. Achilles is depressed and refuses to fight.

With Achilles not fighting, the Greeks began to lose the battle. The greatest warrior of Troy was Hector. He confronts Patroculus who everyone thinks Achilles because he has borrowed Achilles' armour. With the help of the god Apollo, Hector kills Patroclus and takes Achilles' armour. Achilles then rejoins the battle in order to avenge his friend's death. He meets Hector on the battlefield and, after a long fight, defeats him. Achilles continues fighting but the Greek god Apollo knows his weakness, his heel. When Paris of Troy shoots an arrow at Achilles, Apollo guide it so that it strikes Achilles on the heel. He dies from the wound. It is his pride that has been his undoing.

This is Peter's problem too. He thinks he is invincible and indispensable but like Achilles he is not.

Icarus

Perhaps you know the story of Icarus the son of Daedelus.

Ancient Crete was ruled over by the Minoans. Daedalus was the man who designed the magnificent Palace of Knossos on the island. It remains have survived to this day.

King Minos and Daedalus had a good relationship at first but they fell out at some point. The Labyrinth was said to be a maze built by Daedalus to trap the mythical monster the Minotaur and to imprison others who would then be killed by the monster. At some point Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his young son Icarus there.

Daedalus soon planned a way for he and his son to escape. He figured that escape on foot or by sea could not work so it had to be by air. He created gigantic wings, using branches from an osier tree kept together with wax. He taught Icarus how to fly but warned him to keep away from the sun because the heat would make the wax melt, destroying the wings.

The two managed to escape the Labyrinth and flew into the sky. However, the young and self-confident Icarus flew too near the sun and despite his father's warnings the wax melted and he plummeted into the Icarian Sea.

Another of Aesop's fables against pride and self-confidence

Another of Aesop's fables tells of a milkmaid who had been out to milk the cows and was returning from the field with the shining milk pail balanced nicely on her head. As she walked along, her pretty head was busy with plans for the days to come. 

"This good, rich milk," she mused, "will give me plenty of cream to churn. The butter I make I'll take to market, and with the money I get for it I'll buy a lot of eggs for hatching. How nice it will be when they are all hatched and the yard is full of fine young chicks. Then when May day comes I'll sell them, and with the money I'll buy a lovely new dress to wear to the fair. All the young men will look at me. They'll come and try to court me - but I'll very quickly send them about their business!" 

As she thought of how she would settle that matter, she tossed her head scornfully, and down fell the pail of milk to the ground. And all the milk flowed out, and with it vanished butter and eggs and chicks and new dress and all the milkmaid's pride.

This is Peter again isn't it? He can picture himself speaking up fearlessly for Jesus and not being at all afraid to testify. He can even imagine dying for Jesus if necessary. In reality his pride is his undoing. The other disciples are no better.

Warnings and ignoring them

I remember how when I was a student they told us that the fall off rate for students who attend Christian Unions is over 50% in five years. I thought "Well, I won't be like that - nor will my friends". However, although I am still a Christian all these years later, as are many of my friends, I would guess that figure is about accurate.

I have often read how common it is for ministers to leave the ministry before they are five years into ministry. You tell yourself - not me, not me. However, such warnings are there to be heeded as are the warnings found in the Bible against falling away.

Warnings

Warnings are important. These days, practically everything you buy in a shop carries some kind of warning. The warnings on some can seem a little ridiculous.

For example, I am always surprised when you buy things that need to be kept dry and they contain packets of silica gel on which it says "Do not eat". As if you would open a new camera, say, and then eat the silica gel packets round it. There are others - Sainsbury’s peanuts: ‘Warning – Contains nuts’ Sleeping pills: ‘Warning – May cause drowsiness’ Superman outfit - Does not enable wearer to fly. On a household DIY drill: ‘Not intended for use as a dentist drill'.

It is too easy to start ignoring warnings. When God warns us we must listen.

Two Aesop's fables against self-confidence

Among Aesop's famous fables is the story of the hare and the tortoise. There is some argument about what it teaches but certainly the hare's misplaced self-confidence is part of his problem. There are various versions but most begin with the hare mocking the tortoise's feet, prompting the tortoise to challenge the hare to a race. The hare says, 'Those are just words. Race against me, and you'll see!'. He then asks who will mark out the track and serve as umpire and the tortoise suggests the fox as being honest and intelligent. When the time for the race has been decided on, the tortoise does not delay, but immediately takes off down the race course. The hare, however, lays down to take a nap, confident in the speed of his feet. Then, when the hare eventually makes his way to the finish line, he finds the tortoise has already won. 

A lesser known fable makes the same point, among others - that of the fox and the cat. A fox was boasting to a cat of its clever devices for escaping its enemies. "I have a whole bag of tricks," he said, "which contains a hundred ways of escaping my enemies." "I have only one," said the cat. "But I can generally manage with that." Just at that moment they heard the cry of a pack of hounds coming towards them, and the cat immediately scampered up a tree and hid herself in the boughs. "This is my plan," said the cat. "What are you going to do?" The fox thought first of one way, then of another, and while he was debating, the hounds came nearer and nearer, and at last the fox in his confusion was caught up by the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen.

Michael Gove - Adoption

We are used to the idea of adoption. A couple, or sometimes an individual, will adopt a child whose parents have died or who cannot look after the child for some reason. An example of someone like that recently in the news is the Conservative politician Michael Gove. In an interview he said 

I was adopted, spent first four months of my life in care.
And, I think that my parents in choosing to adopt me, were taking a risk.
They didn't know what they were getting into in a way.
They gave me everything. In my life I want to prove to them that the risk they took, the chance they took on me, was the right one.

In Paul's time things didn't work like that. Because of the risk involved Romans tended to adopt sons when they were fully grown. Only then would they confer on them all the privileges of belonging to that particular household.

Edward VIII on remembering who you are

The Duke of Windsor, the man who briefly became Edward VIII, when he was growing up, was often reminded of who he was by his father, King George V. Edward wrote in a memoir 

My Father was a strict disciplinarian. Sometimes when I had done something wrong, he would admonish me saying 'My dear boy, you must always remember who you are, for if you remember your identity you will behave accordingly.

We also must remember who we are as Christians. The Holy Spirit leads us and lives in us. That changes everything. We are children of the king. Don't forget it.

Good deeds - Here's one I prepared earlier

You know the famous phrase from the children's programme Blue Peter 'Here's one I made earlier'. When they were making those various handicrafts or cooking things on the children's programme they would often have one completed or part completed to show you, as there was not time to finish the whole thing in the time allowed on the show. Well, we can think of good works as being a little like that. God has prepared in advance certain good works for us to do – all we have to do is to bring them to completion. Here is the path says God – walk in it. We are not in the position where we have to do the whole thing ourselves. No, we simply have to let God work on us and bring about his will for us. That doesn't mean that it is easy – being worked on is just as difficult as working, worse in some ways. So it is not us working hard to win God's favour. No, as Christians we have already known God's favour. What we now need to do is to live it out. All that is necessary is there, once we trust in Christ.

Faith - no place for boasting

You can't boast about your faith, either. As Paul tells us – it's not from us it is the gift of God. I suppose people do boast about gifts – hey, look what I got for Christmas; look what someone gave me. But really there is no place for boasting here. 

As for boasting about what we've done or what we're going to do, that is completely out of court because it is not through these that we are saved. It's like someone being given a birthday gift by you and looking through it and saying 'Yes, it all seems to be there. That's about what I deserve. I'm glad I made the effort to be extra nice to you last week so that you would get me exactly what I wanted and what I, after all, do deserve'! What? That was a gift not some sort of wages!

Grace - no place for boasting

Would a man boast because he had been rescued from drowning? It would sound odd. 'Hey, look at me, I was nearly drowned and I got rescued. Aren't I clever?' What? You can't say 'Hey, I'm going to heaven'. Yes you may be, but not because you deserve it. You're no different to the next person, certainly no better. 

You can't boast about the grace of God. Hey, God chose me. It's something like saying 'Hey, look at me I've got blue eyes' or 'Look, I was born with four limbs'. Only because of the kindness of God to you. It wasn't anything you did. God chose me. Yes, but why? Grace means undeserved favour and so it can't be because you deserve it.

Grace - undeserved love

Grace is a bit like love but grace is undeserved. I love my wife and my wife loves me. We love each other because we saw something in each other we loved. Now if she had loved me even though there was nothing about me to love - that would be grace (in fact grace comes into it because there are things about me not to love and she shows me grace). Grace is undeserved love.

Christians do fall down - unlike weebles

They used to advertise a toy on Television in the seventies with a little saying that went 'Weebles wobble but they don't fall down'. Well, a righteous person is not like that. He can not only wobble but he can also fall down. Christians do hit problem.

Second Coming and patience - the farmer

In James 6 we have an illustration of patience, one drawn from everyday life. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. The farmer is a paragon of patience. He is used to waiting. He waits for the rains to come to water his crop and for the right time to harvest his crop. In Palestine he waits for the first rains after planting and then the latter rains before the harvest to water the crop. No doubt he is sometimes anxious but as he looks to the sky he trusts that all will be well. Meanwhile he works away with great diligence at the various daily tasks that confront him.

Second Coming - Waiting for Godot

Waiting for someone to come is not easy especially when you don’t know exactly when they are coming. Some of us are not very good at waiting at all. It is easy to grow impatient. Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot explores this to some extent. It is a play where “Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it's awful!”. Even though we know the Lord is definitely coming it is easy to become agitated, to get frustrated or wearied in this world and to fail to look forward to the glorious return of the Lord. We must not do that. Rather, we must persevere and be patient to the end.

Second Coming being ready - Emergency services

Christians readiness for Christ's return is like a lifeboat crew or any emergency service. The call could come at any time and so what they need to do is not to try and guess when a call may come in but to make sure that they are ready at any point to respond. In fact the idea of a fire or ambulance crew spending their time discussing when they are likely to be needed instead of concentrating on making sure that they are ready at any moment is a frightening one. If I need them I want them ready whether they’ve guessed when I’ll need them or not.