Mark was previously Minister of Swaffham Baptist Church in Norfolk after training at Spurgeon's College and Woodberry Down Baptist Church in London.  Prior to entering full-time ministry, Mark was a teacher for 14 years.  

Mark hails originally from Wales and has a wife, Rhiannon and two children, Michael and Bethan as well as a crazy dog called Judy.

Hi Everybody

The Credit Crunch. It sounds like a brand of biscuit doesn’t it? But the problems in the world economy have affected us all to a greater or lesser extent and will continue to do so for some time. For some it has meant the loss of a job or short time working. For others it has been the loss of investment income. We’ve seen many prices go down, but we’ve also seen old familiar shops like Woolworths close their doors.

Things have been so comfortable in Britain for so long that this uncertainty and turmoil are a bit of a shock. We thought that the banks would never get anywhere near going bust. Yet even the Government is struggling to stop the downward financial spiral. We’ve always thought that we can get ourselves out of bother because our country is rich.

Compare this with life for many living in the world’s poorest countries; who face uncertainty on a daily basis; whether that be natural disasters or war. For many there, they have no resources to fall back on, no insurance, no government intervention. It’s interesting that it’s in these poorer countries that the Church is growing so rapidly and people more generally seek to put their faith and trust in God. Is it because people in these parts of the world daily experience the reality of trusting in God rather than money?

We’ve been so self-sufficient in our own ability to generate our personal security, based on acquiring wealth, that we’ve forgotten that trusting Jesus as Saviour and Lord is the only real foundation to life. Jesus spells out the danger of trusting in our money very clearly in Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” As we look to Jesus, we see that the only true security in life and eternity is in Christ.

Yet we have a Lord who turns minuses to pluses. During periods of uncertainty the natural instinct of people is usually to protect their own interests, looking after number one. Yet surely during these difficult economic times we as God’s people have a great opportunity to live differently, obeying the command of Philippians 2:4, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” With unemployment expected to double by the end of 2009, help is going to be needed. I wonder what it would be like if, in a year’s time for instance, the Christian community across the UK were able to say that over that year they had put aside even more money and goods in order, not to help themselves, but to help and bless those in deep financial need. It’s quite a challenge isn’t it? We may be feeling the pinch, but this isn’t an excuse for not looking out for others. Like the poor widow of Mark 12, who gave even out of her poverty, we have been called to radical Christian living, and perhaps now is our God-given opportunity to show it.

Mark Reid

(this was based on an article by the Evangelical Alliance in its Friday Night Theology series.)