With Keith having moving on to be the Minister at Slough Baptist Church on Monday 12 September 2022, his Thought for the Week has now ended.
Here is an archive of the last few months of the posts.

FINAL Thought for the week 05/09/22

Best is still to come 

 
“Why the best is still to come”

‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.” Revelation 21:1
 
It’s not always easy to say goodbye. Emotional farewell scenes are the stuff of TV dramas and films. In a few tear jerking moments, a speech from the main character is designed to inspire and encourage those left behind.
 
After 18 years as Minister of Lower Earley Baptist Church I am about to move to Slough. As I’ve been reminded Slough is not the end of the world! Indeed, Slough is famous for many things including Mars bars and the BBC comedy ‘The Office.’ It also has a wonderful Baptist church in the town centre where I will be working from mid-September.
 
At times like these it is tempting to only look back.
 
There have been many highlights to celebrate from our 18 years in Lower Earley. Family dramas. Church building projects. Special events and the daily work of serving God together in Lower Earley. As the new season dawns without my involvement there is a touch of sadness. I’ll miss the busy, crazy, ups and downs of life in Lower Earley. We said it often – and meant it more – this is our church family where people really do love Jesus and care for one another.
 
A lot has happened in 18 years. None of it would have been possible without the power of God’s Holy Spirit and the amazing people who are part of His church. Whether you’ve been with us from 2004 – or have just arrived recently – God is glad you are here. I am glad you are here. Your love and prayers have meant so much over the years.
 
My departure has been described as the end of an ‘error’. I’m hopeful that was a typo!
 
The sadness of going is necessary for the opportunities of the new to arrive. In due course you will start the process of considering the vision for the future of Lower Earley Baptist Church.
 
Where is God leading?
 
How can I get involved in the kingdom work?
 
How can more people hear the good news about Jesus?
 
These are important questions for us to answer as individuals as well.
 
With Jesus the end of something – no matter how long or fun it has been – is not final. The Bible tells us that the best is yet to come.
 
One day Jesus will return. If we know him as our friend and saviour, we’ll be joining with the millions of others who have followed him over the years and entering a wonderful new heavenly home.
 
It will be better than the best days at Lower Earley. It will be so much greater than the great days that lie ahead in Slough and Lower Earley. In God’s Holy City we will enter a world where the old ways are gone and gone for good.
 
In Revelation 21:3 we read: ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’
 
The future is bright. In a world filled with so much bad new we have some really good news. In Christ we have this tremendous hope.
 
So, it’s a temporary goodbye for now. And a looking forward to the day when we will enter the Holy City and say a ‘hello again’ not just to one another – but to the God Almighty.

Keith Wilson, 05/09/2022

There was no Thought for the week in August 

 

Thought for the week 25/07/22  

sitting comfortably 

“Are we sitting comfortably?”

“Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.” Genesis 11:32
 
At first glance we do not appear to have much in common with Terah. Terah lived a long time ago. Terah lived in a land far, far away. And just how many candles did Terah have on that final birthday cake?!
 
Terah may have lived for a very long time an even longer time ago but there’s more of Terah in us than we might at first think. You see Terah got stuck in Haran.
 
In his second letter to the church in Corinth (known as 2 Corinthians) the Apostle Paul encouraged Jesus’ followers to live by faith. This is what Paul wrote: “For we live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
 
It’s time for a bit of honesty here. Hands up how many of us actually keep to this? We might be able to do it for a little bit of the day after a particularly rousing talk or conference. We might even manage to do it for a whole day or even a week of mission activities. But trying it for a trial period isn’t what Paul had in mind.
 
Paul suggested that we live 24/7 by faith.
 
What might that look like in terms of our finance? Our homes? Our conversations? Our dreams? Our ambitions?
 
I’d like to suggest that living by sight rather than faith is what many of us choose. Because Harran is a lot more comfortable than Canaan.
 
In Genesis 11 we are introduced to Terah the 70-year-old father of Abram. We’re told that later in life Terah took his family, including Abram and Sarai, and set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan.
 
Terah got up and stepped out in faith. Terah was living by faith not by sight. Think of taking your family and everything you have and setting out for a new place where you’ve never been before.
 
We like the idea of living by faith. But just like Terah we can get stuck. You see there was a bit of a problem with going to Canaan – it was already occupied. Think of the awkward conversations that occur when you get on a train and your reserved seat is already occupied.
 
What do you do? What will the person who is already there do?
 
No doubt the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites (they really are in the Bible – check them out!) and Jebusites would have something to say when Terah and family rocked up.
 
As Terah thought about his step of faith the problems it would involve must have seemed immense. Stepping out in faith is one thing – to live by faith another thing altogether.
 
So, when Terah came to Harran they settled there.
 
We don’t know much about Harran. Perhaps it was a comfortable town with good cafes and restaurants. Perhaps it was clean with a nice oasis and parks. Maybe it had a lively night life. We simply do not know what appeal Haran held for Terah. All we do know is that Harran is not Canaan.
 
You may desire to live a long life. You may long for a comfortable life. But if our desire is not really to live by faith, we can miss out on so much.
 
What might have happened to Terah if he hadn’t stayed in Harran? Might it have been Terah, rather than Abram, who received the blessing and promises God was ready to give? Sometimes to get all that God has in store for us we’ve got to keep going.
 
Today are you sitting comfortably in Harran or travelling to Canaan?

Keith Wilson, 25/07/2022

Thought for the week 18/07/22 

Time 

“Kanban: At the Right Time”

‘You see, at just the right time…” Romans 5:6
 
None of us like things to be too late. It’s frustrating if someone we are due to meet is running late. It’s annoying when a train or bus fails to turn up at the right time. Things arriving too early can also be a problem. If our hot meal is served before we are ready, it can turn cold. Not a problem if we’re having salad but hardly ideal if it’s a lovely roast dinner covered in now solidifying gravy.
 
In an ideal world everything would be at the right time. Neither late nor early.
 
Shortly after World War Two engineers were trying to rapidly increase industrial production. In Japan an engineer called Taiichi Ohno came up with a clever system. (I do wonder about the confusion he must have faced throughout his life with the surname ‘Ohno’!) Mr Ohno created ‘Kanban.’
 
Kanban?
 
This is a system of cards that makes sure manufacturers have all they need at just the right time. A request is made and written on a card. In this way parts and various pieces that need to be assembled are requested and arrive just-in-time. Too late and the assembly line must shut down. This is costly. Too early and Mr Ohno’s employers have paid for items that they don’t yet need. Also, costly.
 
In an ideal world everything would be at the right time. Neither too late nor too early.
 
When it comes to our faith it’s interesting to read that work Jesus came to do occurred at ‘just the right time’ (Romans 5:6)
 
What was the right time?
 
Paul writes: ‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly...’ (Romans 5:6)
 
It’s not nice to think of someone as being ‘ungodly.’ Yet that’s the position we find ourselves in if we do not know and accept Jesus as our Lord.
 
Jesus came into the world to pay the price for our sins at just the right time.
 
Recognising that we are ungodly sinners is not nice. We have failed God. We have sinned. And God knows all about the mess we are in. And God still loves us.
 
It’s not easy to recognise that we’re in a mess. It’s even harder to accept help.
 
Who needs help?
 
You do. I do. The downside of life is that ultimately, we are powerless. The upside is that, thanks to Jesus, we are offered to transforming power of forgiveness.
 
At just the right time.
 
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
 
This is good news for us. And it’s good news for a hurting, broken world.
 
If you’ve got a piece or card or paper take a moment today to think of someone you know who is hurting or struggling today. Could you write their name down and request that God intervenes in their life at just the right time?

Keith Wilson, 18/07/2022

Thought for the week 11/07/22

fear

“Nervously Praying for Boldness”

So do not fear, for I am with you.” Isaiah 41: 10
 
Life is full of scary things. Our fear often causes us to be silent. I wonder if we can nervously pray for boldness? In thinking about boldness, I wonder if you’ve ever felt scared – really scared.
 
A few years ago, I was really scared during a visit to Chessington. Although I was approximately 40 years older than the intended audience, I still volunteered to accompany one of our two children into the Reptile House. As the doors shut and the darkness covered us, I suddenly remembered an important detail – I don’t really like snakes, Iguanas or even tortoises. I wasn’t a celebrity, but I wanted out of here!! All we had to do was follow the trail. As our eyes adjusted to the gloom it became apparent, we were not alone. Behind glass tanks were the reptiles. Like most creatures in a zoo, they looked bored and sleepy. Praise God!! As we stepped back a cast member stepped out. So unexpected was the appearance of ‘Duckula’ that I let out an ear-splitting scream. I was terrified!!
 
There may be other occasions when we do not want to be scared.
 
In the middle of the night. When the Doctor approaches us. When our child leaves home. As a bill or bank statement pops into the inbox.
 
Life is filled with so much scary stuff.
 
Again, and again the Bible invites us to not be frightened. To tell someone to simply not be frightened is of course bad advice. We can’t just switch off feelings like that. Instead the Bible will often propose an alternative. Alongside the injunction to not be frightened we might be encouraged to think about other stuff instead.
 
In 1 Peter 3 we read: “Do not be frightened. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.” (1 Peter 3:14-15)
 
When we feel scared or frightened or just plain terrified, we have a choice. We can focus on the situation that is causing us angst and fear. Or we can focus instead of the character and nature of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
 
What’s the worst that could possibly happen?
 
In the Reptile house the possibilities for bad things happening seemed endless. However, logic dictates that most customers will not meet a grizzly end. In life too the possibilities for bad stuff happening seem endless. Yet logic dictates that even in life most of us will not meet a dreadful end.
Or at least, we don’t have to.
 
1 Peter 3:18: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
 
When we focus on Jesus, and what he has done for us, we are pulled closer to God.
 
Or as Isaiah puts it: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand.” (Isaiah 42:10)
 
Let’s nervously pray for boldness this week and to know that God is indeed with us.

Keith Wilson, 11/07/2022

Thought for the week 04/07/22 

cant 

“Confident Christians?”

‘Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence...” Hebrews 10:19
 
Are you a confident person?
 
As a British citizen, for that’s what my passport says, I share our common national trait for self-depreciation. Unlike some nationalities, notably those over the Atlantic, we don’t like to boast or brag about our abilities. We’re usually the first to mock ourselves or put ourselves down. The result can be a fear of standing up or standing out. Our achievements casually dismissed, and our confidence steadily slips.
 
What about our faith? Are you a confident Christian?
 
Research shows that the reach of the Church is greatest through the normal everyday relationships of Christians. In other words, the mission of the church, that Great Commission Jesus left us to fulfil, is best done by the friendships and day to day relationships that only you and I can really cultivate.
 
Which is great.
 
Except the same research also shows that the majority of us think that other believers would be better at talking about Jesus than we are.
 
If being humble is a good thing, can there come a point at which a lack of confidence is a bad thing?
 
We live out a lack of confidence in our faith in all sorts of subtle ways. We avoid difficult conversations. We fear being asked difficult questions lest we should be found to be clueless. We leave it to someone else to do – when we really know God asked us to do it.
 
The author of Hebrews notes that we should have confidence.
 
This confidence is not based on our skills and abilities. Rather it is a confidence that flows from all that Jesus has done for us.
 
In Hebrews we read: we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place
 
In the Temple the Most Holy Place was off limits to ordinary worshippers. Once a year the priest could enter but only after many conditions had been fulfilled. For an ordinary person to even contemplate going there was simply unthinkable. In the Most Holy Place God could be met. If any old person could enter the Most Holy Place, it meant God could meet with anyone.
 
How can we dare to enter such a holy place?
 
“… we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.” (Hebrews 10:19)
 
As a Christian I must balance 2 truths about myself. First, I am a sinner and therefore unworthy to approach God. If I focus only on my amazing ability to mess things up my confidence and self-worth rapidly disappear.
 
Thankfully there is another, more powerful truth about myself which I also need to accept. God knows that I am a sinner. God knows just how good I am at being bad. But God still allows me to enter the ‘Most Holy Place’ thanks to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
 
The result is a confidence to draw near to God.
 
Whatever life may bring us this week let’s be confident that we can approach God. And knowing that God is both with us and wants to be with us, let us have the confidence to face life full on.

Keith Wilson, 04/07/2022

Thought for the week 27/06/22 

axe

“Where have all the men gone?”

‘For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
 
The Church in the UK is losing its men. Of course, it is also losing woman too. But it’s the loss of men that is really noticeable and somewhat confusing. According to a Tearfund survey 65% of regular churchgoers in the UK were women while only 35% were men. In the past 20 years some 49% of males under the age of 30 have left church. Some fear that in 30 years’ time there won’t be any males left in our UK churches.
 
What on earth is happening?
 
The Bible has loads of examples of males who follow Jesus.
Jesus himself was a bloke who had no problem whatsoever about hanging out with other blokes. Indeed, Jesus would hang out with some pretty unsavoury characters. From the 12 disciples that we know about some were would be terrorists. A few were hard working fisherman – not afraid to call a spade a spade – or a fish a fish! And one – Zacchaeus – was a tax collector.
 
If Jesus could attract men like Zaccheus, why are churches today losing men?
 
Perhaps some of the problem is the image we offer people of the God we claim to follow. If we’re honest God is just a bit too much of a bloke for most of us to deal with. God gets angry about wrong stuff. God has issues with injustice and wrong ways of living. The God of the Bible is just a little bit too much like scary bloke from down the street.
 
In our efforts to deal with ‘bloke’ God we ‘ve sanded down his rough edges and put him in a smart set of acceptable clothes.
 
The problem with the nice, sensitive, allergen free God is that it’s only one side of God.
 
God is all loving, but he is also God almighty.
 
In an attempt to connect with my inner man, I tried axe throwing at the weekend. It was a terrifying experience for both the instructor and those waiting in the queue line. But that’s another story. The story I want to jump to takes place in 2 Kings chapter 6. Here the prophet Elisha is hanging out with a bunch of other prophets. One of them is cutting down a tree when his axe head falls into the water.
 
Assuming the water is deep, this is a disaster. You can’t chop down trees without an axe. And iron axe heads, back in the days before B&Q were expensive items. I think they still might be. If you’re a bloke chopping wood, you don’t want to lose your axe head.
 
Would his Mrs be bothered? Probably not.
 
Would the church be praying for the safe return of the axe head? Probably not.
 
Was the bloke devastated and grief stricken? Of course he was. Why?
 
“It was borrowed!” (2 Kings 6:5)
 
At best this is going to get him serious ridicule for months from his mates. At worst his former friend may be chasing him with another axe. It’s bad news for our lad.
 
Until Elisha comes along and makes the iron axe float. A wood chopping bloke with an axe is a happy man. A wood chopping bloke reunited with his slightly wet axe is a very happy man.
 
I don’t think God cares very much about axes – floating or not. But he does care about our men.
 
How could we help our men find God?

Keith Wilson, 27/06/2022

Thought for the week 20/06/22 

 

 Keep calm and trust God

“Keep Calm and Dig?”

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.” John 14:1
 
A poll was published by YouGov in 2020 that showed 56% of Brits believe in God. That’s pretty encouraging. I also believe there’s a God. But is it enough to simply believe there’s a God? Or do we need more in such troubling times?
 
In 1938 and 1939 the British government commissioned a series of posters deigned to prepare people for the much-feared outbreak of what would become World War Two. Today we think that the most widely used poster had the phrase ‘Keep Calm and Carry on.’ Over 2.45 million versions of this poster were produced. However very few were ever used. Instead, posters with the phrase ‘Keep Calm and Dig’ were preferred. It was only in the year 2000 that a ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ poster was found in a bookshop in Alnwick. Since then, it has gone on the grace everything from posters to mugs and T-Shirts.
 
Keep calm and carry on. It appeals to our British stoicism – that famed ‘stiff upper lip’ that outsiders watch with a mix of admiration and puzzlement. That sense that we, as a nation, are to be defined by self-discipline, fortitude and remaining calm in the face of adversity. The original designers thought the words would help as people faced troubling times.
 
Today we once again face deeply troubling times.
 
Do we need to simply keep calm and carry on today?
 
Troubling times.
 
Concerns about high fuel prices.
 
Fears about our incomes.
 
Concerns and fears about where or how the next war or looming disaster will emerge.
 
How can we keep calm and simply carry on in a world like this?
 
Back in Jesus’ day people also had lots of reasons to be concerned and fearful.
 
Brutal Roman occupiers imposed violence and high taxes on an unruly population.
 
Terrorism and war were never far from the news.
 
Add in natural disasters and the ever-present threat of poverty and hunger.
 
These were troubling times.
 
This was a population desperate for change and fearful of how that might occur.
To his listeners. To us today. Jesus said this.
 
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
 
Jesus had in mind far more than words for a poster or range of nicely marketed goods.
 
Jesus wanted people to know peace.
 
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1
 
In uncertain, dangerous times why are we not to be troubled? We can find peace in troubled times by not just believing in God – but also believing in Jesus.
 
If we think there’s a God – we can also know there’s a Saviour. And the Son invites us to come and take a place in his Father’s house (John 14:2)
 
Today the Son invites us to come home.

Keith Wilson, 21/06/2022

Thought for the week 13/06/22 

love and justice


“An Uncomfortable God?”

‘The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.” Nahum 1:2
 
If you only hear half the story – have you really heard the story?
 
It would be frustrating and confusing to enter a cinema halfway through the latest blockbuster.
 
If you enjoy a good book, you would be rather frustrated to discover that it stopped mid drama.
 
If you friend is telling you important news but gets distracted – you want them to finish the story.
 
Few of us are content to only get a tantalising glimpse – we want to see the full picture.
 
So why do we tend to tell people only half the story when it comes to talking about God?
 
This week we’re focusing on mission. We want to tell people that God loves them. We want to tell the story of how God showed his love for us by sending Jesus to earth. It is an amazing story of love, drama, and rescue – our rescue.
 
Yet this isn’t the full story.
 
It’s true that God is love and that God loves us.
 
It is of course true – praise God – that Jesus was sent to rescue us from our sins.
 
But there’s another side to God that we may be less confident telling others about.
 
Our God is a God of love. Our God of love is also a God of justice.
 
I used to be embarrassed about passages such as those found in Nahum. (Yes, it really is a book in the Bible – I checked!) The world we live in appears to be an increasingly unjust, unfair, and cruel place.
 
We can’t watch and read the news without feeling some of the pain and anger that God feels too.
 
Children left homeless by pointless wars. Families suffering as a result of unprecedented price rises. Rich and powerful people trampling on the rights of the poor and weak.
 
We can hear such things and feel quite helpless.
 
What can we do?
 
The issues are as huge as they are complex.
 
We can walk away and distract ourselves with something else. Or we can pray and take each issue to the LORD.
 
Nahum adds, ‘The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.’
 
Sharing our faith involves inviting people to turn to God. When we turn to the LORD, we are turning to a God who will one day judge the living and the dead. When we hand such situations to the LORD, we are doing more than praying – we are also preparing our hearts for kingdom action.
 
Turning to God is more than ticking a box and hoping love will save us. Turning to God is turning away from sin. And turning away from sin is more than trying to think good thoughts. It’s about changing the here and now towards kingdom living.
 
In Micah 6 we read, ‘And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’

Keith Wilson, 13/06/2022