KEEPING ATTENTIVE

Either Way.....

2012-01-30T09:15:00.003Z

I was talking with someone in our church last week who has cancer. It's lying quite low, not terribly advanced...but it's there....and it shouldn't be.

It was noticeable that they didn't seem terribly troubled and were seemingly relaxed about the forthcoming oncology appointment. I pushed and poked around a little, as you do as a Pastor, trying to discover more about where this peace was coming from. I asked at one point whether there was any trace of anxiety at all. "None at all", came the reply.

"And why do you think that is?" After all, no matter how confident we are in God, no matter what wonderful track record we have of His sufficient grace, we wouldn't begrudge someone a smidgen of worry, would we.

"Because either, way I win."

You cant argue with that.

Not when the Apostle Paul said much the same (Phil. 1:21).

And this person meant it. They really did.

Very humbling. A testimony to God's grace indeed.

Be Yourself

2012-01-18T09:25:00.002Z

I was talking with someone the day before yesterday about the need we all have to be the people God has made us to be. There are certain roles we have to fulfill but within that we need to be true to ourselves....that sort of conversation.

The next day I came across this extract from one of CH Spurgeon's lectures (another Spurgeon quote I'm afraid!) that both encouraged and challenged me. (Usual caveats about culturally-bound sexist language apply)

There is not only a work ordained for each man, but each man is fitted for his work. Men are not cast in moulds by the thousand; we are each one distinct from his fellow. When each of us was made, the mould was broken;—a very satisfactory circumstance in the case of some men, and I greatly question whether it is not an advantage, in the case of us all.

If we are, however, vessels for the Master's use, we ought to have no choice about what vessel we may be. There was a cup which stood upon the communion table when our Lord ate that passover which He had so desired to eat with His disciples before He suffered; and, assuredly, that cup was honored when it was put to His lips, and then passed to the apostles. Who would not be like that cup? But there was a basin also which the Master took, into which He poured water, and washed the disciples' feet.

I protest that I have no choice whether to be the chalice or the basin. Fain would I be whichever the Lord wills so long as He will but use me. But this is plain,—the cup would have made a very insufficient basin, and the basin would have been a very improper cup for the communion feast. So you, my brother, may be the cup, and I will be the basin; but let the cup be a cup, and the basin a basin, and each one of us just what he is fitted to be. Be yourself, dear brother, for, if you are not yourself, you cannot be anybody else; and so, you see, you must be nobody.

How you prevent this becoming a liscence for being obnoxious....I am what I am.....this is me/my style/my personality...... I don't know. Still - worth reflecting on.

A New Year Thought

2012-01-05T14:03:00.002Z

It's a been a while.....

I thought I'd break this extended blog fast with a quote from Spurgeon that has encouraged me at the begining of the New Year.

I've always got mixed feelings about NY because you look ahead and you just have no idea what's going to happen. Will I be celebrating and rejoicing or weeping and mourning? You just don't know! It's a good thing we don't know what lies ahead....had I known what was ahead last year I....well I've no idea, let's just say that it's a pretty good thing I was clueless!

But God knows, He really does, and that truth is indeed the pillow upon which I rest my ahead.

Anyway here's CHS:

But here is the joy, here is the peace of Christians, that our salvation is a finished one!
We have not a farthing to pay to complete the ransom of our souls.
We have not a stitch to set to finish the robe of our salvation.
We have not an act to perform, a prayer to offer, a tear to weep, a thought to think in order to finish the work of our redemption!
I know that all these things shall be worked in us and, that by the Spirit of God we shall be made to do them — but all that shall not be with any view to the completion of our salvation — that was finished in the Person of the bleeding Lamb of Calvary! . . .

Either Christ completed all that was necessary for your salvation, or he did not!
If he did finish it, then rest in him and be glad, and say, "I am secure forever because my salvation is finished. I have nothing to do but to live to the honor of him who has completely saved me by his Grace, his blood, his righteousness.

Looking with Luke

2011-09-13T21:48:00.002+01:00

On Sunday we started a new series in Luke's gospel and I've not been this excited about a new series for a while.

It's partly getting back to some systematic exposition where the bible really sets the agenda, where we don't pick and choose the bits we want to expound - we just do the next bit (pastorally that's really helpful because you avoid people saying: "Ahhh, you picked that text because of what I told you last week" - "No, actually it's just the next bit....but funny how God knows you're life....!")

It's also because I know we need to look closely at Jesus so that we might be certain of what we're being called to....which interestingly is the exact same reason that Luke says he's writing his book. He wants Theophilus to be sure that following Jesus is worth all that's it's inevitably going to cost a man of his stature and position. Luke says "I've investigated, I've looked carefully, I've interviewed people I've not just relied on others, I've done the leg work myself, and I've done it so that you can know that Jesus is worth everything." We owe Luke a tremendous amount . This humble, self effacing , intelligent, thorough man has contributed more to the New Testament than any one else (knocking out even more text than Paul!)

I'm excited! Looking forward to part 2 this w/e.

To listen to last Sunday click here: http://lymingtonbaptist.org/sermons.html

Here are some of the points raised and the questions we asked ourselves:

In pain but not in despair (5-7) what’s ultimate for you?
God sees and hears… (8-17) where are you struggling to believe?
I am Old……...I am Gabriel (18-19) I am_________ I am Jesus
God disciplines His children (20-22) how is God trying to get your attention?
God removes our disgrace (23-25) will you reach out to Him in faith?

The Goodness of God in a Fallen World

2011-09-07T23:31:00.002+01:00

My new coffee grinder (of the burr variety) arrived this afternoon....God is good!

Let Jesus Argue With Your Soul About Being Anxious

2011-09-07T09:51:00.001+01:00

This piece from John Piper is, I think, really encouraging. Most of us worry, some of us worry a lot....

It echoes Lloyd Jones (and indeed the Psalmists) who call us to "preach to our souls". Lloyd Jones said that we spend far too much time listening to ourselves and not enough time talking to ourselves!

We should be slow to treat Jesus as if he doesn’t know what he is doing. He is not naïve in the way he deals with our anxiety. In Matthew 6:25-34 he tells us three times not to be anxious (vv. 25, 31, 34) and gives us eight reasons not to be anxious.

Evidently he thinks this will help. So don’t call it simplistic. Call it grace. Believe him. Take every reason and preach it to your soul as true. Say,

Soul, this is true. Jesus Christ says so. Trust him. He died for you. He loves you. He created you. He knows you. No one — no counselor, no pastor, no friend — knows as much about you as he does. Listen to him. Let these reasons sink in. Bank on them. Now, let’s get up and do what we need to do. Be gone anxiety.

Here’s a summary of what he said:

• Life is more than food and the body more than clothing (Matthew 6:25).

• God feeds the birds and you are more valuable than they are (Matthew 6:26).

• It's pointless. It adds not one hour to your life (Matthew 6:27).

• If God clothes ephemeral grass, he will clothe eternal you (Matthew 6:28-30).

• Unbelievers are anxious about stuff. And you are not an unbeliever(Matthew 6:32a).

• Your father (!) knows that you need all these things you're anxious about (Matthew 6:32b).

• When you seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, what you need is added to you.

• Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Tomorrow's trouble stays there (Matthew 6:34).

Do I Really Love Jesus?

2011-08-31T16:33:00.001+01:00

Do you ever wonder whether you really love Jesus?

To be honest I don't (wonder that is); I kind of just assume that I do.

But there's a problem here....presuming my standing before God is very dangerous. The Scriptures teach that we should make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10) and that we should examine ourselves to see that we are in the faith (2 Cor.13:5). We should be asking ourselves some critical questions. Not questions about whether we're trying hard enough, for it's all by grace, but questions about whether we're truly walking in faith and repentance or whether we are in fact just relying on something we said or did more years ago than we care to remember.

J. C. Ryle (Anglican Bishop, 1816-1900) gives us some pointers as to how what genuine love for Christ looks like. He writes:

If we love a person, we like to think about him. We do not need to be reminded of him. We do not forget his name or his appearance or his character or his opinions or his tastes or his position or his occupation... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!

If we love a person, we like to hear about him. We find a pleasure in listening to those who speak of him. We feel an interest in any report which others make of him... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!

If we love a person, we like to read about him. What intense pleasure a letter from an absent husband gives to a wife, or a letter from an absent son to his mother... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!

If we love a person, we like to please him. We are glad to consult his tastes and opinions, to act upon his advice and do the things which he approves... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!

If we love a person, we like his friends. We are favorably inclined to them, even before we know them. We are drawn to them by the common tie of common love to one and the same person... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!

If we love a person, we are jealous about his name and honor. We do not like to hear him spoken against, without speaking up for him and defending him... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!

If we love a person, we like to talk to him. We tell him all our thoughts, and pour out all our heart to him. We find no difficulty in discovering subjects of conversation... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!

Finally, if we love a person, we like to be always with him. Thinking and hearing and reading and occasionally talking are all well in their way. But when we really love people we want something more... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!

Holiness, (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press,) 247-249.

So what if that's not us and we want it to be? The path of "trying harder, getting up earlier, doing more" is legalism and death. What we need to do instead is to see Jesus in the pages of the Bible - see his worth, his work, his provision, his grace. We need to see him through hearing the Word with faith (1 Sam. 3:21, Gal. 3:3-5).

In short we need to bring the gospel to bear on our paucity of love and see God work in our hearts. And he will!

Our Toxic Culture

2011-08-26T01:15:00.004+01:00

I thought this letter from Steve Clifford, head of the Evangelical Alliance, was worth quoting in full. There certainly is a vacuum of ideas and I really don't think those at the helm in the UK have any sense of which way to go when it comes to the societal challenges we face. We really are in uncharted waters and huge rocks lurk just beneath the surface. Maybe the Church could step up and.....be the Church.....

A letter to members of the Evangelical Alliance concerning the recent riots in the UK, 18 August 2011

Although it seems that everything that can be shaken is being shaken, there is a danger that within a few weeks life will have moved on, the images will have faded, we’ll be back to ‘business as usual’ and nothing will have changed.

But we have to change. It is now obvious that our society is just not working and our national culture is toxic. Our house is built on sand - we have no place for God, no space for values or virtues, and a social environment in which it’s really hard to talk about right and wrong.

In the wake of some of the worst and most widespread social disorder that this country has experienced, the analysis is already taking an obvious focus. Things like family breakdown, the loss of fatherhood, lack of discipline in schools, the collapse of a sense of common good, the rise of individualism and human rights culture have long been highlighted by many Christian commentators – but have largely fallen on deaf ears. However, what has been described by one commentator as ”the all-too-predictable outcome of a three-decade liberal experiment which tore up virtually every basic social value” may now provide Christians with a renewed voice and a more attentive audience.

The truth is that, as a nation, we have created new gods, with materialism and consumerism now defining our social relations. The ‘stuff’ we acquire - designer clothes, the latest flat screen TV, car or mobile phone – shouts out ‘this is who I am’. We worship at the temple of our shopping centres, our credit cards paying homage to consumer gods. So why, in a society that tells its young to ‘get rich quick or die trying’, were we surprised when some of our number went shopping without cash or a card? Anaesthetised by an over-reaching welfare state and incentivised by an insatiable free-market, many of our young people are spiritually impoverished. Drugs, cheap booze and celebrity culture fuel this. Lacking respect for others and for themselves, some have simply opted out, seeing society as something that happens for other people, but not for them.

Where was the voice making it clear that these attitudes were ‘wrong’? It seems that the institutional shaking has exposed a crisis of public leadership. Complicit through a lack of moral leadership, and ill-equipped by the unworkable ideals of secularism, our politicians are now struggling for answers.

We need genuine social cohesion, a willingness to invest in the small and trust in community, allowing faith communities and those who act like them to do what they know best, build relationships, support and care. But how do we get past the liberal elitism and political correctness which has all too often suffocated living communities.

First, we need to vocally reject the economic liberalism of the right and the cultural liberalism of the left, and affirm the need for a renewal of Christian principles in public life. As the fallen idols of the state and market continue to wreak havoc in materially and spiritually impoverished communities across the UK, it is vitally important that Christians turn up the volume in the national debate.

In his recent address to the 2011 National Prayer Breakfast in the Palace of Westminster, director of the Message Trust Andy Hawthorne OBE gave numerous examples of young lives transformed by the gospel. Stating that “The Bible works … and Jesus really is the solution to our countries problems”, he challenged our leaders to understand the truth that ‘as the Church goes, so the nation goes’. This is our challenge.

With calm having returned to our streets (if only for the present), as the analysis and reflection begins, Christians need to play their part in finding ways of helping families to prosper. It’s the building block of a stable society. The 21st century family comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but we all know that a committed relationship for life between a man and a woman has to be the best place for children to prosper. Let’s call for government to look again at employment, tax and education. As a nation, how can we support the family and make it a bit easier to be a parent? If we don’t, the gang will take its place, providing support, respect and a place for belonging.

And we have to look again at education. We are all thankful that there are some great schools out there, with wonderful teachers doing brilliant work. But sadly there are still failing schools, and in our larger inner city education centres where discipline is almost impossible, we have seen expectations crash and the prospects for employment diminish.

Our toxic culture of failed families, failed education and failed employment, has created a significant underclass in all of our major cities.

As Christians we need to be reminding ourselves and our neighbours that those we saw on the streets are our young people, our young adults. Although they were a minority, they are still part of our communities and we have a responsibility to see change - for them but also for the well being of our communities as a whole.

Throughout the unrest, we saw both the worst and the best of how we are living together. It was great on Tuesday morning to wake up and see that alongside images of burning buildings, wrecked cars and exhausted police officers, there were an army of broom carrying local residents refusing to give up their streets to the rioters. This was an image of hope, and it gave an insight into the often untold story of the Church at work in the UK. We were among the street cleaners, and we were also opening up our buildings, providing refreshments for emergency services, collecting clothes, basic supplies, offering advice on insurance claims and re-housing those who have lost everything. Many church leaders provided genuine local leadership in the crisis, and Christians across the country visited neighbours, the elderly and vulnerable – and Street Pastors have been out every night of the last week. And of course there’s the secret weapon – the Church was praying, and how they were praying; with so many large meetings, small meetings and public vigils. I’m convinced we saw God answering prayer. Who knows what would have occurred if God’s people had not been asking?

So where to from here? In the vacuum of ideas, this is a time of unprecedented
opportunities. We have to see change and the Church, God’s people – rightly positioned – are the catalyst for such change in our nation. This is not a time for fear but for hope.
Here are a few practical steps we can take immediately to detoxify our culture with salt and light…

• Take action – get involved in (or start) church projects for renewing our battered and neglected communities
• Continue to pray for healing in our communities – for peace and security. And pray
for wisdom for our local and national political leaders
• Contact your local MP or councillor, and graciously express the need for a renewal of biblical principles in social policy decisions – citing examples of Christian action
• Contact the local and national media, and graciously express the need for a renewal
of biblical principles in public life – citing examples of Christian action
• Look at how you and your church can get involved in shaping politics and
government by visiting www.susa.info

Steve Clifford
General Director
Evangelical Alliance

Remembering Our Leaders - John Stott

2011-08-24T16:29:00.006+01:00

I heard the news that John Stott had died from the Bishop of Mubende whilst in Uganda. We were out in the middle of goodness knows where and he'd just led (and our family had just sat through) a four and a half hour church service. We'd had some lunch (a story in itself) and I was asking him who had influenced him in his spiritual journey. And then he told me about the great man's death a couple of days previously.

I was pleased for Dr Stott, he was 90 and was now with his Lord but sad for the rest of us who will miss his huge contribution. And his contribution was ongoing - his last book was written when he was 88!

I only heard him speak once (and it wasn't all that great to be honest) and I've only read a few of his 50 books but his impact on me has been massive. This is in large measure due to the fact that without him the whole Christian landscape that we enjoy today would be so much the poorer. So many of those who have helped me in my Christian walk and ministry have been mentored and shaped by him.

He fought battles that we don't have to fight anymore. Battles over the scholarly integrity of the Bible; he led the way in showing that our Scriptures are academically coherent and reliable. Battles over the relationship between evangelism and social action; no longer do we see them as separate - it's just a non issue now but back in the day if you cared for the poor you were considered to be a liberal. Battles over whether or not Christians should be involved in political and social issues; he said that of course we should in fact, he told us, to have the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

John Stott helped me to understand the Bible and to love clear doctrine. His commentaries are phenomenally helpful. He also modelled to me a commitment to unity and to working well with others. When we're so quick to fragment and divide this has been a gift to the Church.

With the Langham Partnership he did more than just talk about the need to support majority world church leaders he got on and did it.

And there's loads more that could be said.... This link will take you to the EA's tribute that's worth a read.

http://bit.ly/r4inLC

Let's not idolise those who help us but rather honour them in ways that honour Him. Kind of like Hebrews 13:7 says.

What "John" Did

2011-07-27T17:40:00.004+01:00

I came across this in the LICC magazine recently and I share it here with permission.

It looks like something bad is about to happen. How does the disciple respond? Mark Greene meets a man with bottle and spirit…

‘John’ works for a drinks company – not a soft drinks company, but a hard drinks company. He’s a Christian, and convinced that God called him into the job. One day, ‘John’ finds himself on a business trip in the Far East. One of the ways that business is done in the Far East is to go out drinking together at the end of the day. John has rules about this. He goes with the team and he doesn’t get drunk. Now, in the Far East, the kinds of places executives go drinking almost always feature beautiful hostesses. Some are there to serve drinks, and some offer rather more. John has rules about the kinds of places he goes to. And he sticks to them.

One evening, his team is out with some suppliers and John realises that one of his colleagues has taken a real shine to one of the hostesses who is particularly luminous. As the evening proceeds John grows more and more concerned that his colleague, a married man, will proposition her. But what can he do? The place is buzzing, there are suppliers and colleagues and the hostesses… but his heart ached and he fervently prays: ‘Lord’.

A little later, John finds himself in the facilities. By coincidence, perhaps, his colleague is the only other person there. So, as they are facilitating, John turns to him and says: ‘Are you having a good evening? I can see you have some decisions ahead of you. As your friend, I would encourage you to make sure that the decisions you make tonight are the same as those you’d make tomorrow.’

Now, that is some sentence. And although John is a bright, articulate man, he’s in no doubt that it came from the Spirit (Mark 13:11).

Ten minutes later the colleague left the club with the hostess in tow. John’s heart ached more. A little later, John left the club and went back to his hotel room and got down on his knees by his bed and prayed and prayed. A couple of days later it became clear that his colleague had in fact propositioned the girl…

However, she had told John’s colleague that she wasn’t that kind of hostess, but asked if he’d be interested in a long term relationship. He then stayed up until 3.00am talking to her, much of it about her sorrow because her boyfriend had left her.

Now there’s a thing. The man who wanted to use this woman as a prostitute becomes her pastor. And maybe he learned more about how wrong his impulse to sleep with her was by having propositioned her than if he had simply left the bar at 11.30 pm. He learned that a hostess in a bar can have a life beyond that bar, that a hostess in a bar could be a woman with a heart that’s tender, a heart that can be broken, a woman with hopes and dreams for her own life…

But what about John?

Now there’s someone who loves their colleague/neighbour as a whole human being. And is confident that God’s ways are good for other people, and cares enough to intervene. There’s someone who believes in prayer, who knows how to call out to God in the maelstrom just as Jehoshaphat did in the middle of the battle (I kings 22:31-33) when there is nothing he can do himself. There’s someone who is confident in God to act – even if he can’t think how. There’s someone who also knows how to pray in the quiet place. There’s someone who asked others to pray for that trip before he went, someone who has involved the people of God in a frontline of mission that they themselves will probably never be in.

Bottle, spirit, prayer and the support of God’s people – it’s a mighty potent cocktail.

2011-07-10T17:01:00.002+01:00

Ephesisans 1:15-19a
Learning to Pray from Paul

In church we're continuing to learn about prayer from Paul. How did he talk to his Father in heaven? What were his priorities? Here we see him telling the Christians in Ephesus that he was giving thanks for them and praying for them.

You can listen to tpart 7 of the prayer series by clicking here:
http://lymingtonbaptist.org/mp3s/Prayer%20pt%207.mp3

V15 Ever since I heard about your faith. What is he actually giving thanks for when he says their “faith”? What’s he really getting at?
And your love for all the saints. Why is this such a big deal? So what that they love one another? (Jn 13:35)

V17 May the Holy Spirit enable you to have insight, discernment, wisdom and revelation (this after all is part of the Spirit’s “job description”) so that you can know God better. Of all the things that Paul could pray for this 1st Century church (leadership development, “Alpha”, illness, government/cultural oppression, finance…) why is Paul praying that they know God better? Knowing God is fundamental to living well. We fail to live well in God’s world, we end up turning from him and his authority – we sin – because we don’t trust God and we don’t trust him because we don’t know him. If we knew him, really knew him, we would trust him and if we trusted him we would not turn from him. We would therefore live a life worthy of our calling, we would glorify him and enjoy him forever. Take some time to explore the link between knowing God/trusting him and not sinning. What do you learn?

V18 I also pray that at the centre of you’re being you know:
The hope: biblical hope is a promise of God not yet realized. Paul prays that the Ephesians would know their sure and certain future hope in Christ. He prays that they would realize that this life is not all that there is. This life is but a mist (Jas. 4:14), a vapor and we need to see things in the light of eternity. “We reflect too little on the future and almost never on eternity” (DA Carson). What is the nature of this hope? How do we experience it now and how will we experience it in the future?

The inheritance: God’s inheritance; the inheritance he possesses or bestows. “His”, along with v11, 14b indicates the former. Paul prays that they know that they are God’s chosen people, belonging tohim, cherished, dearly loved and precious. What difference would it make to our daily lives if we really knew that we were God’s precious inheritance? How would that change our reaction to events and our hopes and aspirations?

The power: power for the Christian is not power to be a winner, always on the front foot, always achieving with no set backs. Power for the Christian is about being able to endure, to keep looking to the Cross, to continue to trust knowing God’s goodness, joy, peace, sufficiency even when circumstances might be adverse. True gospel power is displayed most significantly in weakness. What does the display of God’s power look like in our lives? How would this power it manifest itself in those times when we face adversity and in those times when things are going especially well?

How would it be if we prayed for ourselves and others that we would know God better, the hope we have in him, the security we have because we are his inheritance and his great power that is available to us. Let us pray these things – for ourselves and for one another!

Jesus is the True and Better

2011-07-07T16:23:00.003+01:00

I had a meeting with our "Live Kidz" leaders (7-10 year olds - the children that is) this week and I was talking about how it's important to point children to Jesus in all the teaching that's given. The need is particularly acute with the Older Testament because it's harder to see how this fits into the gospel of Christ. The danger is that we can end up moralising ("David was brave so we should be brave, Samson slept around and gave away secrets vital to national security and...we mustn't do that.....etc").

But how do you do that in a way that displays Christ in all his atoning work, and interprets the text without allegorizing, stretching the meaning, or distorting the context. Not easy but Tim Keller does it well and hence my big plug to the leaders to become well acquainted with the The Jesus Storybook Bible (which contains much of his teaching).

When writing a follow up email to those leaders I included an extract from some classic Keller teaching which gives some good, clear examples of what it is that we need to be doing. I've pasted it in below, I think it's great:

“Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:27)

Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us (1 Corinthians 15).

Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out for our acquittal, not our condemnation (Hebrews 12:24).

Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void “not knowing wither he went!” to create a new people of God.

Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. While God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love, from me,” now we can say to God, “Now we know that you love me, because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love, from me.”

Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.
Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant (Hebrews 3).

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.

Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends (Job 42).

Jesus is the true and better David, whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk losing an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb – innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He is the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the Lamb, the Light, the Bread.

The Bible is not about you — it is about him.

Indeed it is!

Off to the Smoke

2011-06-20T21:06:00.003+01:00

I leave tomorrow for three days in the Smoke, the Big City....Town!

I'm going to be in London for this year’s Evangelical Ministry Assembly, a conference for Pastors. Last year’s key note speaker was John Piper which obviously I couldn’t miss (!) and this year it’s Tim Keller so I’m going again!

The first time I heard Keller, which was at the EMA conference probably some five year’s ago, it changed my life – I’d never heard the gospel explained in the way he unpacked it. It really was a defining moment.

I’m really looking forward to getting some great input and the opportunity to catch up with some old friends. Follow this link to read more about the conference including subject matter and speakers: http://ema2011.proctrust.org.uk/the-details

Hearing with Faith on Sunday

2011-06-10T00:15:00.003+01:00

By Jonathan Parnell:

Charles Spurgeon writes...

The real reason why God's people do not feed under a gospel ministry, is, because they have not faith. If you believed, if you did but hear one promise, that would be enough; if you only heard one good thing from the pulpit here would be food for your soul, for it is not the quantity we hear, but the quantity we believe, that does us good—it is that which we receive into our hearts with true and lively faith, that is our profit (excerpted from "The Sin of Unbelief").

The massive consumerism of our age has taught us to be critical. We are constantly confronted with options—from allergy medicines to zero-calorie soft drinks. We examine and test and compare, ultimately landing on the preference of our personal market. This isn't necessarily bad, except that we often fail to check this mindset at the door of the Church's corporate gatherings.

Everything about the worship service can become a target set before the scope of our critical eyes. And we dismiss those things that fail to meet the status of our personal market, complaining as if it were a bad cup of coffee. The real problem—you know, of course—is not the details of corporate worship. It's us. It's what Spurgeon says: we lack faith.

Whether we benefit from the worship service depends on if we "receive into our hearts with a true and lively faith" the things that are spoken, sung, and preached. Take Spurgeon's words to heart and pray for the Spirit's help. May you gather this weekend in faith, eager to hear from God.

A Bit of Motivation

2011-06-07T20:25:00.002+01:00

Last night I cajoled two of my children into going to an event at Testwood Baptist Church. There are very few things I lean on the kids to do.....ok.....there's quite a few but it doesn't feel like a lot of things to me....and this event was one of them. It wasn't a church service or religious gathering in any way. It was something quite different and I really wanted them to be there.

It was an evening with professional explorer and adventurer Debra Searle. She's basically a freelance motivational speaker hired by the blue-chips to wow their staff teams and fire them up for taking the next hill. Anyway these two kids needed, in my humble opinion, some motivation and inspiration. We weren't disappointed!

Crumbs! This woman's amazing!!

Debra, a non rower and her 6'5'' professional rower husband wanted to row across the Atlantic. No small task. They planned it for a couple of years and then went for it. on the first night he realises that he's actually got a phobia of open water! Can you believe it.....they'd only ever trained in Poole Harbour!

Anyway after a week he's a wreck and needs to be taken off the boast because he's having panic attacks and the whole thing. Another week later a rescue boat finally comes and picks him up but she decides to stay. She wants to carry on by herself. Long story short, three and a half months later she makes it to Barbados.

Unflipping believable!!

She survives storms, sharks, whales, tankers.... a non-rower rows across the Atlantic in three and a half months!

There were loads of neatly packaged lessons that can be taken out of this achievement (in addition to the old "you can do anything if you put your mind to it" which is so totally ridiculous that it's not even worth bothering to critique) but the thing that I took away was the incredible resilience of the human spirit. The ability to keep going. To not stop. To absorb pain, crushing loneliness, massive disappointment. Just incredible.

That's it really. I was just blown away.

The Problem of Forgiveness

2011-06-02T16:39:00.002+01:00

I came across this from CS Lewis about forgiveness. I think he says it pretty well.....hard though....

….you must make every effort to kill every taste of resentment in your own heart—every wish to humiliate or hurt him or to pay him out. The difference between this situation and the one in such you are asking God’s forgiveness is this. In our own case we accept excuses too easily; in other people’s we do not accept them easily enough.

As regards my own sin it is a safe bet (though not a certainty) that the excuses are not really so good as I think; as regards other men’s sins against me it is a safe bet (though not a certainty) that the excuses are better than I think. One must therefore begin by attending to everything which may show that the other man was not so much to blame as we thought.

But even if he is absolutely fully to blame we still have to forgive him; and even if ninety-nine percent of his apparent guilt can be explained away by really good excuses, the problem of forgiveness begins with the one percent guilt which is left over. To excuse what can really produce good excuses is not Christian character; it is only fairness. To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.

This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single great injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life—to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son—how can we do it? Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night ‘forgive our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us.’ We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it is to refuse God’s mercy for ourselves. There is no hint of exceptions and God means what He says.

C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory p181-183

It's Been a While.....

2011-05-23T16:58:00.002+01:00

Well it really has been a while.

I've still been keeping attentive to God and his work or at least....I've been having a pretty good go. It's just that....well.....blogging's not been right up there on my list of stuff to do.

The last eight weeks have been the most exhilarating, crushing, sweet, devastating, rewarding and depressing weeks of my life. It's been extraordinary.

Some of the stuff, like fostering and catastrophic hard drive failures will probably be written about. Other stuff won't be, at least, not for a while.

I can tell you this though. Spurgeon was right to say that the doctrine of the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which we can rest our head to sleep.

A Reality Check on Using Gifts

2011-04-06T23:19:00.006+01:00

The Busy Christian’s Guide to Busyness by Tim Chester is one of the most refreshingly helpful books I've read I a very long time. I love the bit where he challenges the consumerist approach that is characteristic of much contemporary church ministry, an approach that says, amongst other things, that we need only serve in accordance with our gifting: Jonathan is a Christian worker who has complained of feeling tired and overworked ever since I have known him. I tried working through his priorities with him, but it made no difference. He recently took a 3-month sabbatical because he was worn out. At the end he was still complaining about feeling tired. Now he wants to ‘operate in his gifting’. And, funnily enough, his gifting doesn’t include administration of paperwork. He only wants to do what enjoys. Anything else makes him weary. But that’s the way life is! Sometimes work is energising and exciting. But everyone has irksome responsibilities that make them feel weary. Indeed, for m ost people in the world, their work is mainly drudgery. It is arrogant and selfish to suppose we have a right to do only what energises you when most people spend their lives on factory production lines or bent over in fields. We can’t design perfect working lives because we don’t yet live in a perfect world. Jonathan doesn’t need another sabbatical or a new job. He needs to learn self-control and self-denial. Paul talks about spiritual gifts so we value the diversity in the church. He doesn’t tell individual Christians to identify their gifting and stick to it. He tells Christians to be servants, looking to the interests of others and modelling ourselves on the self-giving of the Cross.

How the Gospel Enables Us to Forgive

2011-03-31T23:57:00.005+01:00

In his book Married for God Christopher Ash comments on a favourite parable of mine, the Unmerciful Servant.

The point of the story is not to say to us “You really must forgive one another: forgiveness is very important”. That is true, but would not actually help. When, especially in a marriage, the hurt is done it is very hard to forgive and just being told to forgive just doesn’t work.

No, the point of the story is that you and I need to understand the astronomical debt we have been forgiven if we are disciples of Christ. And once we begin to grasp this truth the gates of our hearts are opened so that we can forgive even very serious debts owed to us.

God works in us to enable us to forgive. Once we really know the forgiveness that Jesus Christ offers, there is in our hearts a new dynamic. Grace pours into our hearts, and that same grace can pour out from our hearts to our husbands and wives to forgive, to heal, to reconcile, to follow hurts with welcome and conflict with tenderness.

The Gospel is not about moralising. It is about encountering transformative grace and allowing that to change us and, in so doing, change others.

10 Ways a Christian Should Respond to the Earthquake in Japan

2011-03-14T21:47:00.002Z

This post from Adrian Warnock is, as usual, helpful and insightful - at least to me (an important caveat!). It's not the last word but a good place to start. Anything that helps us to do some serious reflection on such a major tragedy must be good.

As Japan braces itself for a possible further serious earthquake, and deals with the consequences of such massive devastation caused by the last one, not to mention the risk of a major nuclear incident, how should Christians respond? Please understand that none of this is intended to claim that we have all the answers to such a disaster. In fact, like Job’s friends’ initial response, often the best thing we can do is say absolutely nothing, and share people’s pain.

I write this article with many unanswered questions. But, unlike those who allow suffering to drive them away from God, I am convinced that only God makes sense of suffering. For if the Japanese who died really were just the random fruit of evolution, why should it matter to us if they died? But if each of them are made in the image of their creator, and lovingly crafted together in their mother’s womb, our inherent feeling that suffering is NOT welcome in this world makes perfect sense. God loves every human being, they are precious to him.

1 We should not be surprised. We like to imagine that we are safe in the world. The truth is that, like what may well be tens of thousands of Japanese who have drowned, we will all die one day. Whenever that day comes, it will feel to us just as sudden, just as unwanted, and just as shocking. But despite our trying to pretend otherwise, we are not immortal, and there is no guarantee that we will live to a ripe old age (Hebrews 9:27).

2 We should be humbled before the awesome power of “Nature,” which is actually the creation of a sovereign and awesome God whose power is greater than 10,000 tsunamis (Job 38:1-41). These scenes quite rightly should take our breath away, and make us realize how foolish our pride truly is. We came from the dust and will one day return to that same dust.

3 We should not assume that the end is at hand. Yes, there do seem to be a lot of natural disasters lately. Yes, Jesus did predict such things. But he also told us not to be alarmed, and there have been many such natural disasters over the centuries. We do not know when Christ will return, but have a task to do in “speeding” his coming. (Mark 13:7-8, 2 Peter 3:12)

4 We should not assume that the end is not at hand. A disaster like this should remind us that Jesus said he will come like a thief in the night when we are least expecting it. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-8)

5 We should not specifically blame the Japanese. There is a tendency to quickly jump to judgment in some evangelical circles. Perhaps this is because we secretly believe that because of our so-called righteous living we have made a deal with God that will protect us in this world from early death and other disasters. If we can therefore persuade ourselves that the Japanese somehow brought this on themselves, our delusion remains intact. The Bible knows nothing of such thinking, at least in the vast majority of occasions. There are a few biblical situations where natural disasters were the specific judgment of God. But these were rare, and God always ensured people knew about it by a proclamation from his infallible prophets. What seems to be far more common is the idea that God sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45), and that accidents do not tell us that their victims were more sinful than us, but that we all deserve death just the same (Luke 13:1-5). See for example these two quotes:

“As I look for a moment upon the poor mangled bodies of those who have been so suddenly slain, my eyes find tears, but my heart does not boast, nor my lips accuse — far from me be the boastful cry, “God, I thank thee that I am not as these men are!” Nay, nay, nay, it is not the spirit of Christ, nor the spirit of Christianity. While we can thank God that we are preserved, yet we can say, “It is of thy mercy that we are not consumed,” and we must ascribe it to his grace, and to his grace alone. But we cannot suppose that there was any betterness in us, why we should be kept alive with death so near.” Charles H. Spurgeon, vol. 7, Sermon 408.

“You see what a horrible end those people came to; they didn’t think it was going to happen. O they knew they were going to die someday; but they didn’t know what that would mean. The horror of their end took them by surprise. Well unless you repent, that is the way it is going to be for you. Your end will be far more horrible than you think it is. You will not be ready for it. It will surprise you terribly. In that sense you will LIKEWISE perish.” John Piper

6 We should not blame God, but we should pray. We believe in a Sovereign God. But we must not make him out to be the author of sin (James 1:13). God knew the earthquake was coming (Isaiah 46:9-10), could have stopped it and didn’t, and as per Romans 8:28 will work this out like everything else for his glory and for the good of those who love him. He will also use it to awaken fear in hearts, so that the gospel can then bring peace and salvation (Luke 13:1-5). But that is a very different thing from making God the pleased creator of this event. Some assume that choosing not to stop something is the same as initiating that event. I do not believe that is so. We must not curse God, or charge him with wrongdoing (Job 1:22). But we must pray and ask God to limit the pain these terrible events have caused, and to use them that many might turn to him.

7 We should understand that suffering is in the world because of sin in a general sense. Death entered the world because of human sin. (Romans 5:12) Because our forefather sinned, and because we go on sinning, the world has been subjected to a law of decay (Romans 8:20-24). We live in a fallen world. In a fallen world many things are broken and do not work as God intended them to originally. Thus humankind’s sin, rather than Japanese sin is responsible for this disaster.

8 We must not assume that the devil “won” this time God was not asleep. Satan, is indeed described as the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), and is therefore in some senses responsible for disasters. However, he does not have a free hand. He is prowling around seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). But, as in the case of Job, God is perfectly capable of preventing his actions, and does indeed put a limit on them. If Satan was free to do whatever he wanted in this world, we can rest assured there would be far more disaster than there is now. He is after all a murderer (John 8:44). We are right to be angry at the effects of all this death and destruction that he causes, but not right to ascribe to him more power than we ought! Anger is in short a natural response to such suffering, but should not be directed at God.

9 We should look forward to the day when there will be no more pain The very fact that suffering feels so wrong should point us to the fact it was not part of God’s original plan, nor is it part of his glorious fulfillment. One day there will be no more sea to destroy lives and separate loved-ones. (Revelation 21:3-4). What a glorious day, we should long for it more and more as our TV sets bring such devastation into our living rooms.

10 We should share the glorious gospel of Jesus that brings us hope and work to relieve suffering. The temporary nature of life, should prompt us if we have any compassion at all to be looking for opportunities to talk of our savior. In addition, and as a vital part of our outreach, some of us should consider giving to the specific relief funds being set up to help Japan. But all of us should look for ways to relive suffering far from where we live, but also on our doorstep. We are called to “remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10) and demonstrate the love of Jesus with the word of the gospel, and the deed of alleviating pain. We cannot and should not turn aside like the good priest, but instead should spend ourselves as the good Samaritan did, all the time pointing to the one who with limitless resources gave himself that we might all live.

Thanks Adrian - appreciate your input.

Deceit, Religion, Murder, Adultery and a Sunday School Teacher

2011-03-12T11:12:00.004Z

A friend of mine sent me this link to the Radio 4 Today programme for yesterday. It raises all kinds of questions about our capacity for duplicity even in the midst of (accountable?) Christian community. I found what the criminologist said about compartmentalism very interesting.

Public image v private reality....

Scroll forward to the "1 hour 23 minutes" point.
http://bbc.in/fhabG4

"Yes....no....I don't know!"

2011-03-11T15:15:00.000Z

"Can a man who is warm understand a man who is freezing?" (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn)
I read this quote in "The Week" and it's really messing with me. I mean I just can't shake it off. I think it's supposed to say something about how we relate to others and maybe the Incarnation but I don't know what.....

Why your church doesn’t feel like family

2011-02-12T16:00:00.004Z

This is vintage Mark Driscoll....

Do you ever feel like you're a bit neglected at church, like you're not quite at ease, like it's not really connecting with you, like it's not....well....family? Watch this clip and prepare to be challenged about your attitude towards and expectations of church. What will it take for church to be like family.....

http://tiny.cc/icw68

Large Sails and Little Ballast

2011-02-10T23:26:00.003Z

Large spiritual passion with small doctrinal understanding is large sails and tall masts on a tiny boat in high winds. It will dart wildly over the surface for a hundred yards. Then one wave, or one crosswind, will bring it all crashing into the unforgiving sea.

Give as much attention to enlarging the depth of your ballast as you do to the height of your sails.

Of course, if you are a sixty-ton flat-surfaced barge, with a broken engine, pray for God to give you sails and wind. (John Piper)

This is Your Moment!

2011-02-08T08:17:00.003Z

My family went to listen to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra on Saturday night. We'd got the best seats in the house, it was the business! We’d never seen anything like it - truly awesome. But, we soooooooo nearly missed it.....

There I am, it's midday and I’m going through the in-tray trying to figure out what bits of household admin need to be actioned and what can be left for another week. Then I come across these tickets......the tickets I’d bought six months ago for a BSO concert at the Pavilion. Long-story-short, I had to do a bit of a selling job to convince everyone that this would, in fact, be a great thing to do even though one of them had booked to go on a sleep over that night (Louise was disappointed but she’ll get to do it again).

So we get there and the whole thing is astonishing. So much of it was captivating but one thing totally caught my attention; the percussionists (of which there were half a dozen.) I couldn’t help but do something of a time-and-motion study to work out whether all of them were, actually, needed on stage at the same time. I came to realise though that there were certain times when you definitely did need them all, even if it was for but a brief moment.

There was this one guy who had what looked like a child’s rattle with bells on and every now and then he'd pick it up and give it a little shake; if you’d blinked you’d have miss it. That was it, his moment! He might have pinged the triangle as well at one point but this was basically it; the rattle and the triangle.

The interesting thing was that this was why he was on the stage in his tail suit dressed all dressed up to the nines. This was his moment. If he wasn’t aware, if he wasn’t concentrating he’d have missed it. The conductor points at him with his little pointy-stick thing ("baton") to draw him in but he needed to be watching. "This is it buddy, this is your moment, you're on. Do your thing. Here it is!" And he did do his thing. And then it was over.

The Bible says that our one and only life is but a vapour, it’s but a mist (James 4:14) and it also says we’re God's masterpiece, created to do (or to perform) good works (Ephesians 2:10). And so in our one and only life, for which there is no dress rehearsal, it’s our moment, it's our turn. God is pointing to us and He’s calling us to look to Him, to trust Him, to find our satisfaction and joy in him.

The whole of our life is like the percussion player with the little rattle and in the light of eternity it’s even shorter than his momentary interjection. The whole of heaven is on the edge of its seat, leaning forward with bated breath saying "Do your thing, this is it, this is your moment, trust Him, look to Him, seek Him". And every time we do, every time we choose to believe the truth about the Lord Jesus, that He loves us, that He's enough for us, that our joy can found in Him...then this wonderful masterpiece is shown and the composer’s work is shown in all its glory and fullness and all those listening think "Wow, that composer’s amazing!"

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Call It What You Will

2011-01-27T19:18:00.002Z

I love this.....forwarded by my friend Tim, a Calvinist pastor in the Arminian Salvation Army (now that's a tough gig!)

We are Christians. Radical, full-blooded, Bible-saturated, Christ-exalting, God-centered, mission-advancing, soul-winning, church-loving, holiness-pursing, sovereignty-savoring, grace-besotted, broken-hearted, happy followers of the omnipotent, crucified Christ. At least that’s our imperfect commitment.

In other words, we are Calvinists.

But that label is not nearly as useful as telling people what you actually believe! So forget the label, if it helps, and tell them clearly, without evasion or ambiguity, what you believe about salvation. If they say, “Are you a Calvinist?” say, “You decide. Here is what I believe . . .”

I believe I am so spiritually corrupt and prideful and rebellious that I would never have come to faith in Jesus without God’s merciful, sovereign victory over the last vestiges of my rebellion. (1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 3:1–4; Romans 8:7).

I believe that God chose me to be his child before the foundation of the world, on the basis of nothing in me, foreknown or otherwise. (Ephesians 1:4–6; Acts 13:48; Romans 8:29–30; 11:5–7)

I believe Christ died as a substitute for sinners to provide a bona fide offer of salvation to all people, and that he had an invincible design in his death to obtain his chosen bride, namely, the assembly of all believers, whose names were eternally written in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain. (John 3:16; John 10:15; Ephesians 5:25; Revelation 13:8)

When I was dead in my trespasses, and blind to the beauty of Christ, God made me alive, opened the eyes of my heart, granted me to believe, and united me to Jesus, with all the benefits of forgiveness and justification and eternal life. (Ephesians 2:4–5; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Philippians 2:29; Ephesians 2:8–9; Acts 16:14; Ephesians 1:7; Philippians 3:9)

I am eternally secure not mainly because of anything I did in the past, but decisively because God is faithful to complete the work he began—to sustain my faith, and to keep me from apostasy, and to hold me back from sin that leads to death. (1 Corinthians 1:8–9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 1:25; John 10:28–29; 1 John 5:16)

Call it what you will, this is my life. I believe it because I see it in the Bible. And because I have experienced it. Everlasting praise to the greatness of the glory of the grace of God!

Accountability is Overated

2011-01-26T14:21:00.001Z

Accountability is overrated. It really is.

I used to bang on about how the antidote to all manner of vices was to have people around us. Don't be isolated. Have friends. Meet with them often. Talk about what's going on in your life.

Now I see things differently.

Over the last few years pretty much all the people I've known who have found themselves in, well, let's just say "trouble" (and I've known a lot of people in this category) have been those who would be described as being in "accountable relationships".

So, my conclusion....having "accountability" doesn't work. People still make ridiculous choices that shipwreck their lives and those of others. It doesn't work.

At least, it doesn't work the way we naively thought it would.

The fact is that we're only as accountable as we want to be.

We can share "what's going on for us" and still not say what's really going on. We can ask one another how things are and simply assume that the asking of the question is sufficient knowing that if we leave it at just "asking", others will do the same for us. Don't really ask, don't really tell.

I mean, let me ask you: When was the last time you took a risk in the information you disclosed to someone you would say you were "accountable to"? Or do you always play it safe, not risking yourself or the relationship? If you're not....chances are you're playing at accountability. And it's a dangerous game. You look like your back is covered but in reality it's totally exposed.

It might be worth doing some reflection on this.

Who do we have in our lives who we know, love and trust (and who know, love and trust us enough) to say the things we desperately need to hear? To what extent are we deepening, and investing in these relationships by an ever-more bold (brave, daring, audacious, courageous) disclosure of our shadow-side?

PR for God?

2011-01-17T12:02:00.003Z

It's been a challenging two weeks. Chris' sudden and unexpected death has dominated most of my awake hours...and a few of the others.

I really liked him.

He was my friend.

That doesn't always follow when you're a pastor. (Sorry for the shock that might be for some.) He used to phone me up and ask how I was doing. He prayed for me on the phone. He lent me gardening tools and was gracious when I broke his chainsaw. Come to think of it I still have his petrol strimmer in my garage....

And then there are the questions....and I have so many questions. I say that even as a convinced Calvinist who gets excited, comforted and challenged by stuff like unconditional election and irresistible grace. I say that too as one who doesn't think God owes him anything and certainly not explanations. But I do wonder where he was when Chris most needed him.

I wonder too how to speak about the wonderful God we worship, the Jesus who can meet our deepest needs etc etc, to men and women who at the best of times consider the whole thing to be a load of old nonsense for themselves ("but if it works for you.....oh......it didn't work for you....".) Not easy.

I've felt, wrongly I know, but I have felt like God's PR guy in this, a kind of Max Clifford, who's got to spin the story of how God fell asleep on the job. I guess I'm feeling it becasue the Chris thing has come hard on the heels of a few other issues around the place that have made Jesus and his sufficiency look, well, sub-optimal to say the least.

I don't need to justify God but I sure as heck would like Him to present himself a bit better.

How Still We See Thee Lie?

2010-12-22T10:26:00.002Z

I was really challenged by my aunt and uncle's Christmas letter this year. I've cut and pasted an extract below.

The whole Israel/Palestine issue is something that I've never really got my head round, I'm quite ashamed to say. It's not been helped (he says rather defensively) by the prevalence of pro Israel groups I've come across since being down here on the south coast. It's not just the fact that Christians are keen to pray for Israel but that amongst some there's a view that Israel can do no wrong at all and even to suggest that Israel might be at fault is tantamount to blasphemy. Anyway this naivety just annoys me so I've kept my distance.....which I shouldn't have done really.

So I'm reading John and Jane's letter and I'm moved... I'm still not sure what to believe or what to do but I am stirred....and I want to know more....

We have had a full and interesting year – with a number of highs and lows. Our highlight was a 10 day visit to Palestine / Israel in May with the Amos Trust, We spent 6 nights in Bethlehem and 4 in Nazareth. It was inspired by people we have met over recent years, and particularly at Greenbelt last year, who indicated that if you want to understand what is actually happening in this land once called Holy, you need to come and see and listen to the Living Stones. It was a life-changing experience. The effect of being within Bethlehem which is now surrounded by the 27ft Israeli wall is quite horrific. Many of the population, both Christian and Muslim, are cut off from their land, their livelihood and their roots. The number of Christians is diminishing at an alarming rate. We met with Palestinian and Israeli groups who are working for justice and peace for all the people of the land using non-violent means and we were deeply humbled at their faith and determination. However the corporate humiliation and daily obstacles being imposed on the Palestinian community are shocking to witness. Our group was a diverse one and we met and shared with so many people of real faith and determination. You may be interested to learn more of what is happening through the new organisation – Just Peace for Palestine – www.justpeaceforpalestine.org . John is hoping to return to Palestine with Amos Trust in April 2011 to help rebuild a Palestinian house, demolished by the Israelis, just outside Bethlehem. This will be a challenging experience in every way, but hopefully a symbolic act of solidarity. 'We have each been asked to raise £1,000 for materials and I have set up a JustGiving site to invite donations -
http://www.justgiving.com/John-Henson0

As we approach Christmas we are aware particularly of the pain of those who live in Bethlehem and in occupied Palestine - aware that there are few visitors who come to that city to celebrate the birth of our Saviour and where the Shepherds’ Fields are now largely overlooked by illegal settlements. The Wise Men could only reach Bethlehem today by accessing endless checkpoints and would need a permit to come and worship the Christ child! A quote from Canon Naim Ateek seems to sum up our thoughts – ‘it would be good for today’s Magi to visit Bethlehem. They do not realise that the genuine answers to peace lie in everything the child of Bethlehem has stood for – humility, openness, love of others, forgiveness and even sacrifice of oneself for others’.

Craving Fidelity

2010-12-15T11:12:00.007Z

In prep for the 10 Commandments series next term I just read this and thought "Flip me...that's sooooo true!"

In spite of the high divorce rate and the cavalier attitude we seem to have about marriage, something in our human soul hankers after that elusive fidelity that marriage promises. When actress Jeniffer Aniston and her handsome actor-husband Brad Pitt broke up, one stunned and disappointed fan bemoaned the split: "If they can't make it, who can?" Though perhaps misplaced, the hope of these fans taps into a structure that God placed in the world as a picture of his fidelity to his people.

Edmund Clowney, How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commmandments

We all want fidelity, we really do.....

How Human Was Jesus?

2010-12-14T15:49:00.004Z

I listened to Mark Driscoll yesterday preaching about the humanity of Jesus....best thing I've done in a long time I can tell you. Do the Kingdom a favour and take some time to listen (or watch) this sermon. Not only will you get some profoundly good input you'll laugh till your sides ache.

I guess most of us will be comfortable with the idea that Jesus is fully God but do we really get that He was fully man? This doctrine has profound implications for how we do life.

"When you need Jesus most you don't get disappointment you get get sympathy".

He understanding our weakness because he's been there..... check it out....

http://bit.ly/2sk64q

Baptisms, Plectrums and High Speed Trains

2010-12-08T10:27:00.003Z

Well, it's been a while has it not. I sort of missed blogging and didn't miss it all at the same time.....

Last Sunday morning was amazing. I don't mean "amazing" as in what all pastors are supposed to say about their church services in the week following, I mean really breath taking.

We baptised six people. (Yeah I know, kind of like buses, nothing for ages (12 months in our case) and then loads come at once). I knew them, of course, and I knew their stories but it was only when I was standing in the water, hearing them share their story and make significant affirmations about their faith in Christ before the congregation that I was really confronted by the sheer grace, goodness and power of God. Six people; a cross section of ages, backgrounds and Christian experience, some knowing the Lord for a long time, others for just a short time, all declaring how God had saved them for a new life with Him.

They say that the person with an experience is rarely at the mercy of a person with an argument. It was certainly a powerful witness to the many non-believers who were present.

In the evening I was leading the service. I was speaking about Holy Communion and how it was like a birthday party and a high speed train (great images I'd picked up from Tom Wright). Anyway, just as we're about to start, my younger son Jack who was playing bass in the band, swallowed his plectrum and began to choke. He was whisked out the back and a medic started the old Heimlich Manoeuvre. Meanwhile I'd spotted a guy in the congregation who I was pretty sure was medical consultant (he'd never been to LBC before) and he came to join the fray. Anyway, long story short, he stopped choking and was taken to Southampton A & E.

Meanwhile I cracked on with the service. Singing hymns about the faithfulness of God and preaching on His real presence with us was all the more poignant knowing Jack had had a very narrow escape and still wasn't out of the woods.

Is God only faithful and His grace only effective when things go well....what if things had turned out differently as they so easily could have done....? With Spurgeon I believe (I hope in all circumstances) that in trials the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which I lay my head. And what's more the simple fact is that the only reason, any of us, ever take a next breath at all is because of the mercy and grace of God. It's only because of Him....

So an eventful day that started, and ended, well.....by His grace.

Fat Face and the Voice of God

2010-10-22T00:04:00.004+01:00

I heard a guy I know say this evening that he'd felt God speak to him through the label attached to a t-shirt he bought in Fat Face. It said:

"It's never too late to be the person you could have been"

Feel like saying: "Discuss. 2000 words"!

Gutsy Guilt

2010-10-05T16:24:00.003+01:00

The dominant pastoral issue in my ministry over the last ten years has been sexual sin. I've spent more time giving spiritual direction in this area than any other. I know that some who read this will be shocked. I know some will want to bury their head in the sand. I know that some will not be able to relate to it at all. I understand that but the reality still stands.

In many ways none of us should be surprised because we live in a sex-saturated culture where sex is used to sell anything and everything and where our children are sexualised from their earliest years. We live in a world where young girls who can barely walk are first cajoled into wearing high heels and T-shirts with Playboy motifs, before progressing into a grim future dominated by an internet-based youth culture that pressurises them into dress and behaviour which defines them overwhelmingly as sexual objects. What's more we can access any image we like from the privacy of our own home and it's only a mouse click away.

What are we expecting? That God's people would be immune?

We've got to fight back!

Not with the banning of porn or ever more sophisticated internet accountability software (which I heartily endorse and if you've not got some get it (see covenanteyes.com)) but with the historic, orthodox gospel which brings us a far greater vision to capture our affections and the power to find our joy in God (do the Kingdom a favour and read something by Tim Chester that will help you unleash the power of the gospel - You Can Change and Captured by a Better Vision to name but two books).

But we also need to fight satan himself who wields the lie that sexual sin disqualifies us from God's favour and service. This lie has been devastating to so many (you want to know why the church is struggling to engage men......?)

Today I was reminded of an article that John Piper wrote some years ago called "Gutsy Guilt". How we need to hear its message today. Please read it and be bold enough to share it with others. By God's grace sexual temptation might not be a challenge for you but if you're part of the LBC community it's a challenge to a good number and, at the risk of repeating myself, we're in 21st century so it shouldn't be a great surprise.

He was speaking at a conference with George Verwer, the founder of the mission organisation Operation Mobilisation. He writes:

Verwer's burden at that conference was the tragic number of young people who at one point in their lives dreamed of radical obedience to Jesus, but then faded away into useless American prosperity. A gnawing sense of guilt and unworthiness over sexual failure gradually gave way to spiritual powerlessness and the dead-end dream of middle-class security and comfort.

In other words, what seemed so tragic to George Verwer—as it does to me—is that so many young people are being lost to the cause of Christ's mission because they are not taught how to deal with the guilt of sexual failure. The problem is not just how not to fail. The problem is how to deal with failure so that it doesn't sweep away your whole life into wasted mediocrity with no impact for Christ.

The great tragedy is not masturbation or fornication or pornography. The tragedy is that Satan uses guilt from these failures to strip you of every radical dream you ever had or might have. In their place, he gives you a happy, safe, secure, American life of superficial pleasures, until you die in your lakeside rocking chair.

I have a passion that you do not waste your life. My aim is not mainly to cure you of sexual misconduct. I would like that to happen. But mostly I want to take out of the Devil's hand the weapon that exploits your sin and makes your life a wasted, worldly success. Satan wants that for you. But you don't!

To read the rest of this article click here.....http://bit.ly/947Mw1

Redeeming Singleness

2010-09-30T17:23:00.002+01:00

It's hard for a pastor who's been married since he was just turned 22 to teach about singleness . But I've always had a passion to see people, particularly married people (I figure single folk know most of the stuff), well taught in this area. So consequently when I want to lean in to this area I've sought to draft in others to help. I'm doing the same now by advertising Barry Danylak's recent book, Redeeming Singleness, published by Crossway. John Piper wrote the forward - here's the whole thing. I commend it to you whether you're married or single (that is of course, after you've read everything you can by Tim Chester!)

The greatest, wisest, most fully human person who has ever lived, never married. Jesus Christ. His greatest apostle never married, and was thankful for his singleness. Jesus himself said, that in the age to come we do not marry. And he added that the age to come had already broken into this world.

Therefore, the presence of single people in the church not only “attests the sufficiency of Christ for the reception of God’s covenantal blessings in the new covenant,” but also reminds us “that the spiritual age has already been inaugurated in Christ and awaits imminent consummation.”

When I met Barry Danylak at Tyndale House in Cambridge, England, in the summer of 2006, I was amazed at the research he was doing on a biblical theology of singleness. Not only was the scope of it unprecedented, but the theological and practical insights struck me as biblically compelling and practically urgent. I don’t know of anyone else who has ever provided the extent of biblical reflection on singleness that Barry has provided for us here.

Both marriage and singleness demand the most serious and solid biblical insight. These are realities that affect every area of our life and thought. We cannot settle for superficial pep talks. Our lives cry out for significance. And significance comes from seeing ourselves the way God sees us. Including our singleness. My guess is that virtually every single who reads this book will finish with a sense of wonder at who they are, and how little they knew about this gift and calling.

Barry is keenly aware of the progress of redemptive history and its stunning implications for the single life. Early in that history, marriage and physical children were fundamental to the blessings of the Mosaic Covenant. But they are not fundamental to the New Covenant the way they were then. And what is beautiful about the way Barry develops this historical flow is that the glory of Jesus Christ is exalted above all things.

Barry elevates but does not absolutize the calling of the single life. It’s greatness lies in this: “It is a visible reminder that the kingdom of God points to a reality which stands beyond worldly preoccupations of marriage, family and career.” Indeed. And that greater reality is the all-satisfying, everlasting friendship of Jesus himself in the new heavens and the new earth. Marriage and singleness will be transcended, and Christ himself will make those categories obsolete in the joy of his presence. A life of joyful singleness witnesses to this.

Just DO Something

2010-09-28T19:47:00.003+01:00

Here's a snippet from Kevin DeYoung's book from last year, Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will. Sounds like my kind of book on guidance to be honest. I really don't know where this obsession with "finding God's will for my life" has come from. Western, individualistic narcissism at it's worst...OK maybe that's overstating the case a bit. Anyway let DeYoung rattle your cage a bit!

Simply put, God's will is your growth in Christ likeness. God promises to work all things together for our good that we might be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). . . . God never assures us of health, success, or ease. But He promises us something even better: He promises to make us loving, pure, and humble like Christ. In short, God's will is that you and I get happy and holy in Jesus.

So go marry someone, provided you're equally yoked and you actually like being with each other. Go get a job, provided it's not wicked. Go live somewhere in something with somebody or nobody. But put aside the passivity and the quest for complete fulfillment and the perfectionism and the preoccupation with the future, and for God's sake start making some decisions in your life. Don't wait for the liver-shiver. If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God's will, so just go out and do something.

Sign Me Up!!

2010-09-21T12:41:00.002+01:00

Check this out from Carl Beech and the guys at CVM..... really, you need to see it. Ok so it's written specifically for bloke's but who's going to say it's not right on the money.

Love the bit about the need to stop sulking, take it on the chin and get over it.....would like to say that to a few people I can tell you! (perhaps I just did.....).

Am talking about some of this stuff at E4 on Sunday....think I'm on a roll from last w/e! We so need to get in the game.... 7 marriages, 8 leaders.....

http://youtu.be/yHZIPAVY1DE

No Sacrifice

2010-09-17T20:36:00.002+01:00

Andy Doel is a top bloke and I'm so chuffed he's part of our church. I dropped into the youth club tonight and took the opportunity to thank him for co-leading the youth camp the previous weekend, he'd done a brilliant job. The guy's got a full-on job, two kids, he does youth work on Friday nights and Sunday mornings as well as stuff in the gaps and he said.....he said, "I enjoy it, it's no sacrifice." And he meant it. He loves serving. I told him he reminded me of the thing David Livingston (the pioneering missionary and explorer) had said whilst addressing Cambridge University students on 4 December 1857.....

People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger now and then with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause and cause the spirit to waver and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.

How to Glorify God at Work

2010-09-17T00:43:00.002+01:00

It's a great Q. How can you glorify, that is to say, how can you shine a great spotlight on Jesus whilst at work? Surely it's got to involve a little more than not cheating on expenses and showing up on time. John Piper describes well what it means:

Do your work in such a way that Christ looks more important than your work. Seek to make and use money in such a way that Christ looks more important than money. Seek to have relationships with people in the work place such that Christ is more important than those relationships.

Now, that doesn't imply that relationships go down in effectiveness and importance. It means, in fact, that they go up! Because if Christ is infinitely precious to you, you will now have resources for the relationships and for the work that you wouldn't have had otherwise, if those relationships were god.

If they are god, you are drawing strength from them and eventually people are going to feel that. "You are using me. You may be really really interested in me, and you may want to spend time with me. But I'm starting to feel drained by you."

Whereas, if Christ is all, and he sends you into that relationship with resources, then the feel should be, "I like being around you because you are ministering to me. You are not taking from me."

So whether it is people, whether it is money, whether it is activities, we do them all. We are very good at them. We should be creative and industrious and excellent in all of our work in order to adorn the gospel and do it in a way that Christ is shown to be more valuable than any of those things.

Social Networking Boot Camp

2010-09-04T10:58:00.002+01:00

Irony of ironies I'm writing this from a day seminar in London on social networking and the church. To be honest the subject matter leaves me cold but I knew it was something I had to be at - to find answers but more importantly to learn what the questions are. So I'm here with Lawrence who's tech savvy and who I'm hoping will help apply some of the learnings. The challenge is to cut through the dross and total inanity of much of the stuff to get the good that can, potentially, be massively significant for the mission and discipleship. Let's see what happens.....

Vintage Willard on Spiritual Growth

2010-08-20T14:39:00.007+01:00

Dallas Willard is the leading writer in our day on spiritual formation (the business of becoming more like Jesus and becoming more centered on him as our ultimate, God-honouring, joy and treasure). In this bit of video he's being interviewed by John Ortberg (who wrote what amounts to an "Idiot's Guide to Willard" in his book The Life You've Always Wanted - Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary Life). Definitely worth a look. (it's 6 minutes). I love the thing he says about grace being opposed to earning not effort - a common misconception.....

http://vimeo.com/13268061

What's the Minimum Required?

2010-08-19T09:50:00.002+01:00

We live in a day and age where we're pretty keen to know, in all sorts of situations, what's the minimum that's required. Students want to know what the minimum required standard is for a certain grade, we want the best deal, the least cost solution, we want to be able to get as close to the fire without being burnt, husbands want to know.....actually, just let's leave it there. I think we get the idea.

Anyway sometimes I'm asked what's the minimum that's required to be "saved" (why do I wince inwardly when I use that word even though it's straight out of the bible?) What are the most basic things a person needs to believe in order to be put right with God. It's a good question and one worth pondering particularly, if the bible is to be believed (and it should), our eternal destiny is at stake. we could spend a long time in the wrong place if we mistakenly believe that "believing that Jesus is the Son of God" is all that is required, or even that "He died on a Cross".

I found this from John Piper quite helpful:

Paul says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." He says, "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved."

So I take texts like that and begin at the core—the death of Jesus. He died for our sins, which means I must believe I am a sinner. A person that doesn't believe he is a sinner can't be saved. If there is nothing to forgive, Jesus didn't do anything for me. If he didn't do anything for me, I'm not believing him for salvation. If I'm not believing him for salvation, then I'm not saved. So you must believe you are a sinner.

You must believe that there is a God who has created the possibility for sin. That is, sin by definition is the falling short of the expectations of your Creator. So there has to be a Creator God out there who has expectations of humans. God expects humans to trust him, love him and live for him. And we fail.

Which leads us to the third thing we must believe. Because we fail to trust, love and live for God we are under his holy judgment—his wrath. You've got to believe that.
If you are a sinner and there is a holy God, and if you are defining sin as a falling short of that God, then in order to understand what he is doing to make things right you must understand that God is angry about sin. He is a good and just judge.

So, what has he done to solve the problem of our alienation from him? He has sent his Son into the world. You've got to believe in the deity of Jesus. Psalm 49 says that no man can pay a ransom for another man. A few verses later, in verse 15, it says God will pay the ransom.
He couldn't have used John, or Peter or Paul to die for us. He had to have the God-man die for us. So the deity of Jesus is essential.

You also must acknowledge what Jesus did. He lived the perfect life. I don't think you can believe that Jesus sinned and still be saved. Because then the sacrifice made for you was not what God required, and you aren't believing in what God did for you. So Jesus is the sinless Son of God and he gives himself up to die in my place.

This substitutionary dimension of the death of Christ for my sins is necessary. There are lots of ways the Bible talks about this and I think you can be very confused about some of them while still being saved. I don't want to start listing off all the ways the Bible talks about the atonement and how confused you can be about them while still being saved. Let's just say that what is required is the core of the gospel—that the remedy is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who never sinned got in my place and took the wrath of God for me. He died in my place.
If he had stayed dead, we would still be in our sins. So you must believe he rose from the dead. So now he has risen from the dead.

I am willing to stop there. This is the cluster of essentials for salvation. You might be able to bring to mind some things that are so theologically attached to this cluster that I would say, "OK that has to be included as well." But if someone asks, "What do I have to believe to be saved?" My answer is, you must believe this cluster of things about yourself, about God, and about the cross.

One more thing. I am assuming something because the question was, "What do I have to believe?" But I should make clear that you have to believe something about belief. Meaning, you must believe that belief is required. If you say, "I get all of what was said, but now I'm going to work so that God can make all of this count for me. I'm going to keep the law 85% so that all this redemptive work will count for me," then you've missed it. You're not saved.

For salvation you must believe that instead of working for this salvation, Jesus has already done what needs to be done. We receive it. "As many as received him, who believed in his name, he gave them the right to become the children of God." So I think sin, God, cross and faith. That is the summary, the core of truth surrounding those four things.

Purity

2010-08-18T17:40:00.001+01:00

John Tauler was a 14th century mystic who although having some theologically, lets say, creative ideas said this great thing about purity.

A pure heart is a heart which finds its whole and only satisfaction in God…to which all that is not of God is strange and jarring.

Which is interesting given Jesus said:

Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.

Are There More Gifts For You To Unwrap?

2010-08-18T13:28:00.011+01:00

I found this really helpful from John Piper:

Is the Holy Spirit under emphasized in Evangelical circles?

Sometimes we hear people say that the Holy Spirit is the "forgotten person," or that he has been ignored and that we need to bring the Holy Spirit back in full force.

I have been around long enough to know that there are seasons when the Holy Spirit is over attended to. And there also are seasons when he is under attended to.

If you are asking me about right now, I would say that he is probably under attended to somewhere, maybe in "young, reformed and restless circles" — or whatever this movement is called - especially as it concerns the fullness of the work of the Holy Spirit. Not his role in effectual calling, but his gifts. His necessity for powerful witness. 'Wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes upon you... You will receive the Holy Spirit and you will be my witnesses.' So maybe we are under emphasizing the necessity and the power of the Holy Spirit for witnessing.

Also, I was just thinking the other day that we downplay the work of Holy Spirit in terms of his varied gifts. This is under emphasized too much in our reformed churches, and in typical evangelical churches.

Here is an illustration. If you've been praying for a person, or maybe even for yourself, to be delivered from a sin or sickness and if that moral or physical issue hasn't yielded to your prayer for years, but you still struggle from the moral or physical ailment, there are a few things to consider.

One absolutely biblically correct factor to take into consideration is God's sovereign timing. He wants you to pray and he is going to answer you, but it may not be for 13 years. In David Mathis' teaching the other night on Psalms, he drew attention to the fact that Joseph was sold into slavery and didn't understand why he was going through tremendous pain for 13 years. But when he became the vice president of Egypt and saved the seed of the Messiah, it all became clear. "OK, now I get it Lord, I'm willing."

But at year 6... 7... 8... 9... 10... 11... 12... you are saying, "God I'm trying to be faithful and I get lied about. I get thrown in prison. What is up with your children being treated this way?"
Everybody has stuff like that in their life. And timing is one answer. What about gifts being another answer?

Here's what hit me the other day. If there are gifts of healing. If there are gifts of faith, gifts of miracles, gifts of discernment. That means some Christians are going to be granted answers to those prayers where others aren't. So maybe the reason I'm not getting the answer to my moral struggle or my physical struggle is because I haven't asked Jane to pray for me. And Jane has the gift of healing. Or Jane has the gift of discernment of spirits and can see something here that needs to be seen.

But I've locked myself in my closet, "God save me. God help me. God strengthen me. God deliver me!" And God is saying, "Uh... I have taught you about spiritual gifts and you don't ever avail yourself of them. Don't come complaining to me saying that I haven't responded to you when I have gifts waiting for you and you never open the package."

So I think that I could do better, and we can do better at that level.
So the answer is that in various groups, various ministries of the Holy Spirit are probably underrated and under emphasized.

So in what ways might we be missing out on the Spirit's ministry because we don't seek and ask? How about we make more of a point of sharing in our different groups (Core Groups and Life Groups) the needs that we have and see what gifts the Lord might be wanting to use to bring about His work?

Back in the Saddle

2010-08-18T12:52:00.002+01:00

My sabbatical and the family holiday which followed has been great.... life giving, energising, inspiring- all that it should have been and needed to be. Now it's time to re-engage and I can't wait.

Whilst away I saw the 10th anniversary of my induction to the pastorate at Lymington and I'm more committed and excited than ever about the work here. I'm gaining steam not losing it!

I'm looking forward to seeing what the Lord is going to do in us and through us as, together, we learn to love Him well and enjoy Him greatly.

Counterfeit Gods

2010-07-06T12:20:00.002+01:00

I’ve really appreciated reading Tim Keller’s book Counterfeit Gods. It’s helped me to identify the idols in my own life, that is to say those things that I look to instead of God to give me what only He can give. But more than a personal challenge it’s helped me to understand how we might connect the message of the gospel to our friends who, in many ways, appear to enjoy better lives than we do as Christ followers. Published just as the financial markets crashed it couldn't have been more timely.

In a chapter that looks at the idol of power Keller talks about how we are unable to heal ourselves. Try as we might we need Another to heal our hearts so that we no longer look to power to give us the security, identity and purpose that God alone can give. The same could be said of every other idol (success, political ideology, beauty, the opinion of others, children, relationships, morality….), we need God to work in us to heal our addiction to false gods.

Keller uses an extract from CS Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader to illustrate this superbly well. He writes:

One of the main characters (in the book) is a young boy named Eustace. He clearly had a lust for power but he expressed it in the mean and petty ways that only a schoolboy could; in teasing, torturing animals, tattling and ingratiating adult authorities.

One night Eustace found an enormous pile of treasure in a cave. He was elated and began to imagine the life of power and ease he would now have. When he woke, however, to his horror, he had turned into a hideous dragon. “Sleeping on a dragon’s hoard with greedy, dragonish thoughts in his heart, he had become a dragon himself.”

Becoming a dragon was “a cosmic natural consequence”. Because he thought like a dragon he had become a dragon. When we set our hearts on power we become hardened predators. We become like what we worship.

Eustace was now an enormously powerful being, far more powerful than he had ever dreamed, but he was also fearful, hideous, and completely lonely. This, of course, is what power for its own sake does to us. The shock of his transformation humbled Eustace and he longed to be a normal boy again. As his pride faded the idolatry in his heart began to be healed.

One night Eustace the dragon met a mysterious lion. The lion challenged him to “undress”, to try to take off his dragon skin. He managed to peel off a layer but found that he was still a dragon underneath. He tried repeatedly but made no further progress. The lion finally said:

“You will have to let me undress you.” I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it.
The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off…he peeled the beastly stuff right off…and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I’d turned into a boy again.

The lion of the fairy tale, Aslan, represents Christ and the story bears witness to what all Christians have discovered, that idolatry – seeking to find our ultimate joy in something other than God (in Eustace’s case, his idol was power) – leads to spiritual and, more often than not, emotional and relational death. What’s more it points to the fact that we cannot save ourselves. Try as we might to modify our behaviour, as hard as we try to find our security and value in God we can't do it. We might see modest change but deep down we remain the same.....we need Christ to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

However, as Keller points out, if we let the futile experience of chasing after other God’s humble us and we turn to Christ then out of death there can be resurrection. We can emerge, finally, fully human with a tender heart that is reoriented towards God. But….it’s a work of grace that He does as we yield ourselves to Him.

Returning from Retreat

2010-06-20T14:14:00.002+01:00

I’m on the train travelling back from being up North. When I say up North I’m talking proper North, not what I used to consider North – Birmingham – but like, north of Newcastle! I’ve spent a week pretty much on the Scottish border in the middle of absolute nowhere. In fact, we were so far north that at 10:50pm it was still light, I kid you not – proper North!

Anyway, I was spending a week at the “Mother House” of the Northumbria Community. The Community is a network of hugely diverse people, from different backgrounds, streams and edges of the Christian faith that’s committed in its desire to express an ongoing exploration into a new way of living for Christ that offers hope in the changed and changing culture of today's world. They’re inspired by, draw from and live in the spiritual tradition of monasticism with an identity rooted in the history and spiritual heritage of Celtic Northumbria and, whilst a dispersed community, they have a base (Mother House), Nether Springs, which is where I stayed.

I was there for a “Leadership School” for church leaders and it was some of the best leadership input I’ve received. However, unlike other retreats and conferences I’ve attended the twelve of us on the programme were actually part of the Community, living and sharing life with them including the regular Offices (set times of prayer) and chores.

Richard Foster right at the start of his ground breaking book Celebration of Discipline says that "superficiality is the curse of our age". I remember quoting this when I first arrived at LBC and talking about the need there is to live deeply. We skim over the surface of life as we move at break-neck speed and just as it’s impossible to create anything of any real value (a painting, a meal, a relationship…) whilst at Mach 2 we can’t cultivate life in God whilst moving so fast. I’m really aware of this issue in my own life and hence, not only a 12 week sabbatical, but a five day incarceration in this monastic community. To submit to a rhythm of prayer, reading, reflection, rest, work and even a couple of pilgrimages was a gift and I know it’s been hugely helpful.

The trick, of course, will be maintaining a healthy, biblical and life giving rhythm on my return to normality. But the whole point of what I’ve been exposed to this week has been keeping attentive to God in the ordinary….saying the “Midday Office” in the time it takes for a kettle to boil, acknowledging the grace of God not simply before a meal but before enjoying any of God’s good gifts (TV, chess, watching a play, reading a newspaper, taking a bath), detecting grace in a bit of banter over washing up….that’s the real issue, noticing, trusting and enjoying God in the whole of life.

It's Been a While!

2010-06-13T13:03:00.002+01:00

Well it's been a while since the last post and it isn't because not much has happened, quite the opposite. Let me mention some of the highlights now and over the next few weeks I hope to pick up on some of the detail.... so, what's been really good?

Attending a day seminar with Dallas Willard. This guy is one of the leading writers on spiritual formation (how we become more like Jesus) in our day. He loves Jesus and when he's not writing books he's a professor of philosophy at a state university in the USA. A very bright guy who said some extremely useful stuff - much of it I have to say went over my head. I got the impression that if you asked an awkward question he could just prove your non-existence! Glad he's on our team though...

Reading Adrian Warnock's book Raised with Christ. Great to think for a bit about how the resurrection impacts everything. Previously I'd had a far too narrow understanding of its implications but this book has really helped me to see I'd missed quite a lot!

Listening to a guy who used to be a senior manager with John Lewis and is now Director of Hospitality and Welcoming at Birmingham Cathedral. He was leading a day for the Baptist Union on welcoming and integrating newcomers to church. Some really helpful stuff not least the sobering statistic that in a survey conducted for the C of E 92% of all the people who go to church for the first time never return because they don't feel welcome........exactly!

Spending the day with Mark Mitchell in Chester. Mark runs three car dealerships with an annual turnover of £35million, he's got 100 staff (with the lowest turnover in the business) and is one of the most successful operators in the industry. He also loves Jesus and runs his business accordingly. It was quite amazing to see him in action, to sit in on meetings, to meet some of his managers and to have the opportunity of asking a multitude of questions. I hope to write more about this visit but suffice it to say that the overwhelming impression was that Mark was a Pastor to his people - staff and clients.

Visiting St Mary's, Upton (Wirral) for their monthly "Sundays at 7" service. For the last 6 years the pretty ordinary, traditional church has run an incredible monthly event to strengthen believers and reach seekers. The format is simple; glass of wine, special guest (this month they had Henry Olonga, the international cricketer) who is interviewed, presentational music and high, high quality everything (sound, video, lighting, publicity). It's so simple and very effective.

Meeting Andy Hawthorne, CEO of The Message Trust in Manchester. The work this organisation does is truly transformational as they take the gospel to the most difficult to reach young people and the toughest housing estates in the city. Again this was another opportunity to quiz a Christian leader about vision, faith, and leadership.

Spending time with Graeme Skinner, the vicar of St Mary's, Upton, and asking about his experience of leading a local church. He's a wise man who's leadership has changed in recent years through an experience of significant loss.

Having lunch with Russ Lowman, a full time elder with Church Central, an NFI church in Birmingham. Again, great to be able to talk church leadership and share some best practice. They're doing some great stuff in the city and it was really useful to hear some of the story.

Receiving regular spiritual direction from David Hugget. He's helping me to reflect on some of the issues raised as I visit places, read books and meet people. I'm really grateful to him.

Enjoying a week with the family during half term. Two sets of friends came to visit plus we had a day on the Island.

So hopefully that gives you a bit of a taster. Much food for thought!! Please pray I continue to keep attentive during this privileged season.

Do you Sin Comfortably?

2010-05-12T10:43:00.002+01:00

Here's a good articulation as to why being in the Bible regularly is imortant if you want to grow and change as a Christian:

"The more we instil the Bible into our heart, mind, soul and bloodstream, the harder we will find it to sin comfortably. The Bible enlivens our conscience and drives us back to God in repentance and a longing to live as it pleases him."
Chris Wright Life Through God's Word: Psalm 119, cited in You Can Change, Tim Chester

Staying Awake

2010-05-10T18:26:00.003+01:00

It's the first day of my 12 week sabbatical. I get quite embarrassed talking about it actually. I feel bad that mine seems to be the only profession that offers such a thing and even then my Anglican friends get them only every ten years.... if they're lucky. I guess I know that if I don't pay attention to the condition of my own soul in a really intentional way then I'm going to end up totally ineffectual at best or out of ministry and probably in a nut house at worst.

After working really hard to get my "desk cleared", staying up all night to watch the election, overseeing Forest Fire, getting three hours sleep on Saturday after collecting yp from an event and burning midnight oil into the early hours of this morning I feel knackered.

And so it's my core stability class (I arrived bang on 2pm) and I'm laying on a mat breathing gently and trying to stay engaged with what the physio is saying, desperately trying to stay awake. Trying but failing. Falling asleep wouldn't have been so bad but it turns out I was snoring.

Think I need a rest. As I write the ferry is just pulling into Yarmouth.... 4 days of solitude. A bible, a notebook, John Grisham and a book about dead Christians.......soooooo looking forward to it.

Sitting and Waiting

2010-04-26T15:04:00.001+01:00

A couple of months ago the physio department at Lymington hospital suggested I take one of their 6 session core stability programmes to help with some ongoing back problems.

So I turn up for the first week.

In fact as I write this I'm sitting in the reception area waiting to be summoned to who knows where. I'm 15 minutes early and I'm here, waiting, with NOTHING to do. I never go anywhere without at least some of the contents of my "reading tray" but not today. What was I thinking as I left my study? I tried as best I could to time it so that I could drive to the hospital, park, find the place and be just in time to go straight in. Something has gone terribly wrong. What a complete waste of 15 minutes. I could have DONE something, but no, I just have to sit here waiting.

Note to self.......either come prepared to sit and "be" or take something but but don't put yourself through this ordeal again. A guy's just arrived and signed in. Now he's got it right, 4 minutes to spare. Oh to be him! But wait, here's someone who's arrived with just one minute to spare. Awesome performance. Much respect etc.

Ok time to go........

Top Ten Reasons to Vote

2010-04-22T18:52:00.002+01:00

Not sure what all the fuss is about? See if this helps....

1 Voting publicly recognizes that we submit to the authority of the political system in our nation as established by God (Rom. 13:1–7).

2 Voting recognizes the equality of all people and their right to speak and be heard (Deut. 10:17–19).

3 Voting is one way that we can obey God’s command to seek the good of those around us and our nation as a whole (Jer. 29:7).

4 Voting shows that we care deeply about who our leaders are as we are urged to offer prayer and intercession on their behalf (1 Tim. 2:1,2).

5 Voting is a simple yet significant way we can do something about politics in our nation. ‘All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing’, Edmund Burke (see Ps. 34:14).

6 Voting makes a difference the way a grain of salt makes a difference, and that is how we are to influence our society for good (Matt. 5:13).

7 Voting is a privilege not to be taken for granted. Those of us who reap the benefits of living in a democracy should play a part in upholding the principles of democracy.

8 Not voting is a form of voting, as it will influence the outcome. We need to take responsibility for our actions, as well as our lack of actions (Luke 10:25–37).

9 Voting is part of our stewardship to use all the resources we have been given in ways that honour God; to waste a vote is to squander a gift.

10 Voting is the way we delegate our own responsibility to take care of the planet to others more capable, so we can pursue our own vocation.

(Source EAUK)

The Curse of Public Swearing

2010-04-21T12:26:00.002+01:00

You know how sometimes you come across someone who says (or writes) just what you've been thinking (or saying) but haven't been able to express. You think "Yes - that's it - what he's just said...that's what I want to say!"

This happens to me a huge amount. I guess that's one of the reasons I use a blog - I'm always finding stuff that's someone else has said so much better than I could ever articulate.

The latest occurrence was a few minutes ago when I read Ryan Gilbey's column in the Guardian online. I think he's got a great point:

Last Sunday, I took my nine-year-old daughter swimming. There was a towel hanging up at the poolside, bearing the letters "fcuk. "Isn't that a rude word?" she grinned. "Almost," I replied. After swimming, we passed a billboard advertising an exhibition by the photographer Rankin. The poster posed the rhetorical question: "Fancy a Quick Rank?" Classy.

There are worse things that can come out of our mouths than obscenities; I'd be more upset if one of my children used the word "gay" as a pejorative. What grates is the commercial potency that becomes attached to swear words and sexual innuendo through the determination of ad agencies to smuggle as much schoolyard naughtiness as possible past the Advertising Standards Authority. What must that say to children about the preoccupations of the adult world? Only that coarseness sells.

Well said.

Weird....In a Good Way

2010-04-15T10:07:00.003+01:00

I worked a couple of hours at Costa yesterday. OK, I wasn't feeling 100% but it was exhausting. I left after my short shift and headed back to my study at the church absolutely done in....and I still haven't mastered the Flat White.....

I'd only been in a few minutes and one of the guys was telling me that they'd gone to church recently. Their friend had wanted to go and didn't want to go alone and so my colleague had nobly volunteered to go along too.

I asked him how it had gone and he said:

"Yeah, like, I mean, it was really kind of like really weird [said as a question....!]. Somewhat hesitantly I said:

"Weird in a good way?"

"Oh yeah weird in a good way!" He asked if my church was like that and I said:

"Weird in a good way...I guess it is!"

I want to be weird in a good way. I'm not sure I should blend in as much as I do.

Ditto the church. I want us to be weird for good reasons like the fact that we're seeking our joy and satisfaction in Christ rather than other stuff, that we're serious about living for the honour and reputation of Him rather than anything else. I want us to be that kind of weird.

CPR for Spouses

2010-04-02T14:30:00.002+01:00

Came across this on Piper's Blog and was deeply moved by it's simplicity. He got it from Ray Ortlund who I've never heard of but who sounds like he's got some good stuff to say....

“Let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:33

God made Adam first and put him in the Garden with a job to do, a mission to fulfill.

In the heart of every fallen man is the self-doubt that wonders, “Am I man enough to climb this mountain God has called me to? Can I fulfill my destiny?” A wise wife will understand that question at the center of her husband’s heart. And she will spend her life answering it, communicating to him in various ways, “Darling, I believe in your call. I know you can do this, by God’s power. Go for it.” In this way, she will breathe life into her man.

God made Eve from Adam, for Adam, to help him follow the call.

In the heart of every fallen woman is the self-doubt that wonders, “Do I please you? Am I what you wanted?” A wise husband will understand that question at the center of his wife’s heart. And he will spend his life answering it, communicating to her in various ways, “Darling, you are the one I need. I cherish you. Let me hold you close.” In this way, he will breathe life into his wife.

The Lens of the Exodus

2010-03-26T11:18:00.002Z

Ever since Tim Keller helped me to understand that the Gospel is not the "way in" to the Christian life but the "way on", not the "ABC" but the "A to Z" (obviously needs to be said as an American!) I've believed and taught vigorously that the Gospel is the lens through which we should view the whole of life. It effects everything; how we pray, our self esteem, how we view others, how we cope when stuff goes wrong, how we're motivated....the list goes on and on. What I hadn't fully appreciated until about 20 minutes ago was that we see this modelled in the Older Testament. In my QT's these days I'm in Deuteronomy and this morning I read:

If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.
Deut. 15:15

In other words Moses is instructing the people to view life through the lens of the Exodus. "Allow the reality of the Exodus, your deliverance from slavery - a deliverance that was not of yourselves but entirely of God - allow the truth and reality of this to infect the way you think about others."

Reflecting on the West Wing

2010-03-16T21:17:00.003Z

I've been watching Season 1 of the West Wing with Jack and we've just watched episode….whatever…..the one where the President has the opportunity to save a guy who's on death row. Long-story-short, without Bartlett’s intervention to commute the sentence the dead man walking will be toast. The episode sees him seeking the advice of all those who come across his path during that most crucial of days (and all tell him he should commute). Finally, as midnight, the time of execution rolls around, Bartlett, a reasonably devout (whatever that means) Catholic is in The Oval Office with his family priest (he’s already spoken to the Pope on the phone – as you do).

There’s a really powerful interchange about how Bartlett wants to be addressed…..

FATHER CAVANAUGH: I don’t know how to address you. Would you prefer Jed or Mr. President?
BARTLET: To be honest, I prefer Mr. President. You understand why, right? It’s not ego.
FATHER CAVANAUGH: I didn’t think it was.
BARTLET: There are certain decisions I have to make while I’m in this room. Do I send troops into harm’s way? Which fatal disease gets the most research money? It’s helpful in those situations not to think of yourself as the man but as the office.
FATHER CAVANAUGH: Then Mr. President it is.

…..and then Bartlett talks about the fact that he’s been unsure what to do about the death row guy, and he’s deeply, deeply troubled.

FATHER CAVANAUGH: Did you pray?
BARTLET: I did, Tom. I know it’s hard to believe, but I prayed for wisdom.
FATHER CAVANAUGH: And none came?
BARTLET: [shakes his head] It never has. And I’m a little pissed off about that. [He looks at his watch, which says it’s a few seconds before midnight. It hits him hard.] [dead serious] I’m not kidding.
FATHER CAVANAUGH: You know, you remind me of the man that lived by the river. He heard a radio report that the river was going to rush up and flood the town. And that all the residents should evacuate their homes. But the man said, “I’m religious. I pray. God loves me. God will save me.” The waters rose up. A guy in a row boat came along and he shouted, “Hey, hey you! You in there. The town is flooding. Let me take you to safety.” But the man shouted back, “I’m religious. I pray. God loves me. God will save me.” A helicopter was hovering overhead. And a guy with a megaphone shouted, “Hey you, you down there. The town is flooding. Let me drop this ladder and I’ll take you to safety.” But the man shouted back that he was religious, that he prayed, that God loved him and that God will take him to safety. Well... the man drowned. And standing at the gates of St. Peter, he demanded an audience with God. “Lord,” he said, “I’m a religious man, I pray. I thought you loved me. Why did this happen?” God said, “I sent you a radio report, a helicopter, and a guy in a rowboat. What the hell are you doing here?”
[He pauses. Bartlett looks very upset.]
FATHER CAVANAUGH: Today He’s sent you a priest, a rabbi, and a Quaker, Mr. President. Not to mention his son, Jesus Christ. What do you want from him?
[Bartlett is given a note by an aide confirming that the execution has taken place, he crumples the paper and looks desolate.]
FATHER CAVANAUGH: Jed. Would you like me to hear your confession?
BARTLET: Yes, please.

It doesn't get more profound than that, on so many levels.

Changed by Faith

2010-03-09T09:53:00.003Z

From Tim Chester's wonderful book on progressive sanctification, a kind of John Owen for dummies!

In Greek mythology, the Sirens would sing enchanting songs, drawing sailors irresistibly towards the rocks and certain shipwreck. Odysseus filled his crews ears with wax and had them tie him to the mast. This is like the approach of legalism. We bind ourselves up with laws and disciplines in a vain attempt to resist temptation. Orpheus, on the other hand, played such beautiful music on his harp that his sailors ignored the seductions of the Siren song. This is the way of faith. The grace of the gospel sings a far more glorious song than the enticements of sin, if only we had the faith to hear its music. (You Can Change, 64, Tim Chester)

Are You Sinning by Not Rejoicing?

2010-03-05T01:15:00.000Z

I think we all sin by needlessly disobeying the apostolic injunction to “rejoice” as much as by anything else. C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.

Teaching on What?!

2010-02-21T08:44:00.001Z

The teaching for the next couple of E4’s will centre around church leadership and in particular the role of Elders, Deacons and the “Church Meeting”.

Now I know what you’re thinking.

“Isn’t there anything else more useful that we could be hearing about? Surely there must be something (anything in fact) that’s more relevant to “whole-life missionary discipleship” than stuff about church government?”

Well, here’s the thing:

The church is a reflection of God’s Son. That’s why leadership of the church is of utmost importance. The church is how the great hope – eternity with God in Christ – is to be seen. In the time between Christ’s ascension and His return, Christians in covenant with one another – loving and caring, encouraging and sharing, correcting and bearing over the years – present the clearest picture of God’s love that this world can see. (Mark Dever in Elders in Congregational Life, Phil Newton)

If the church is the hope of the world (and I passionately believe it is), if it exists to reflect Jesus to the world (as Mark Dever says) and if it’s designed to display God’s plan of salvation to the heavenly realms (as Ephesians 3:10 says) then how the church is organised and led must matter. It must be the case that the stuff in the Bible about how to arrange things concerning church leadership is important to pay attention to because, to put it bluntly, it impacts the greatest enterprise that’s taking place on the face of the planet.

For a long time now I’ve been prayerfully considering what the Bible has to say about the important role of Elders and Deacons and our Leadership Team spent part of an away day twelve months ago reflecting on some of the issues. I’m planning to share some of this material at E4 with the aim of strengthening our understanding of what the scriptures teach and also to encourage people to pray into what we discover.

If you’re around it would be great to see you for the first of this series which will be on Sunday 28 February, 11:45am.

Walking in the Light

2010-02-20T15:19:00.004Z

At MSG on Tuesday we were thinking about “walking in the light” (1 John 1:5-2:6) and how in doing so we expose our hearts. It’s quite a painful thing in many ways because as long as you’re in the “dark” you can kid yourself that things aren’t that bad. But, step into the light and you see that actually….

....the reason you didn’t help a neighbour out wasn’t that you “just didn’t have the time” (as you’d told yourself and them) but that you didn’t think of it as terribly advantageous to you…

....and the reason you got “delayed at the office” wasn’t that you really were so busy but that you couldn’t be bothered to help bath and settle the kids and so chose to walk through the front door just as your wife was coming down stairs….

Walking in the light of Christ shows us to be who and what we really are and then, and then we can repent, trusting in the work of Jesus for forgiveness, receiving grace and mercy, moving on knowing the strengthening work of the Spirit. All the time I walk in the dark I’m ignorant of my true situation and I miss His grace.

Anyway, we talked about this and other stuff for a while and then I shared a list I’d compiled, from a number of sources, of questions we can ask ourselves (or those who have given us permission) to help ensure we’re walking in the light. One of our number, quite understandably, made the point that reading the list was pretty depressing because, if we were honest, we were probably not doing very well on any of them.

On one level this person was right……if it were a list of things we “had to do” then absolutely let’s give up now! But on the other hand it could, I suggested, be viewed as a joyous thing that keeps us from deluding ourselves (and how badly do we need that!) These questions expose our hearts and if we aren’t where we should be we can respond accordingly, namely repent and receive grace. When we do this with others it’s even more of a transformative and life-giving thing.

Here’s the list we shared. May it help us walk in the light that we might have fellowship with Him.

Questions we can ask one another to help us walk in the Light:

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass onto another what was told me in confidence?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
5. Am I self‐conscious, self‐pitying, or self‐justifying?
6. Did the Bible live in me today?
7. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to someone about my faith?
10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
12. Do I disobey God in anything?
13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?
19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I going to do about it?
20. Do I grumble and complain constantly?
21. Is Christ real to me?
22. Have you been a testimony this week to the greatness of Jesus Christ with both your words and actions?
23. Have you been exposed to sexually alluring material or allowed your mind to entertain inappropriate thoughts about someone who is not your spouse this week?
24. Have you lacked any integrity in your financial dealings this week, or coveted something that does not belong to you?
25. Have you been honoring, understanding and generous in your important relationships this past week?
26. Have you damaged another person by your words, either behind their back or face‐toface?
27. Have you given in to an addictive behavior this week? Explain.
28. Have you secretly wished for another's misfortune so that you might excel?
29. Have you been completely honest with me?

Another Monday

2010-02-15T17:24:00.002Z

They come round with frequent regularity and here we are again, almost at the end of another Monday.

Stephen is a student at Moorlands College and he's on a five week block placement. He wants to find out whether pastoral ministry is for him so not only is he shadowing me (an eye opener I think after just one day) but he's also moved in to our house. I figured he may as well as get the whole "pastor with wife and three kids" 24/7 experience!

I'm 24 hours free from my Episodic Cluster Headaches so I'm praying that they've gone for another season. They really are the weirdest (and most painful) thing. By the end of this cluster I could set my watch to within a few minutes of when they would come - bizarre. I got supplied with another 4 O2 cylinders today as well!

Preparing for an overseas conference I'm speaking at this w/e. Well OK, it's the Isle of Wight which is as close as I'm likely to get.

Really behind on prep for E4 where I'm going to be teaching on biblical eldership.....really need to put some time into this as its a critical subject for reasons I hope to blog about shortly.

Soooooo looking forward to listening to Part 2 of Matt Chandler's series on progressive sanctification tomorrow night at MSG. Again need to prep for this to get maximum return on it. Love the fact my group get to hear this great teacher.

Back working at Costa tomorrow afternoon which I'm really looking forward to.

Need to reflect on the degree to which many evangelicals have a faith more akin to something out of the New Age rather than the Bible....it's just that I'm meeting so many people who believe that if they do a pile of stuff like read the bible, show up at church, do a mission trip, not get drunk etc then somehow God owes them a nice life. When life hits them in the face, as it does they say, "How could you do this to me God?!" and stomp off. Anyway......

Night in tonight - yes!!

Two Films, Two Fridays

2010-02-06T17:15:00.002Z

Yesterday I watched The Damned United, the film of David Peace's book about the 44 day reign of Brian Clough at Leeds United. Now I’m not a football fan but what a cracking film! The previous Friday I'd watched Ron Howard’s film Frost/Nixon which, by coincidence, also starred Michael Sheen.

Two Fridays, two great films but I realised afterwards that what would have really added to the enjoyment would have been to have watched them with someone else - so long, of course, as they didn't chat, ask questions or generally make any noise at all during the showing (I'm a bit OCD like that!).

Now I like my own space, which is why I'll often watch films by myself but I now realise that there is a loss, there is a downside, and that is the fact that with noone to share the experience then the enjoyment is, well, just not as great as it might have been.

And as it happens CS Lewis said a similar thing in his book Reflections on the Psalms

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed. It is frustrating to have discovered a new author and not to be able to tell anyone how good he is; to come suddenly, at the turn of the road, upon some mountain valley of unexpected grandeur and then to have to keep silent because the people with you care for it no more than for a tin can in the ditch; to hear a good joke and find no one to share it with. . . .

Good point well made!

A Passion for World Mission

2010-02-01T22:04:00.002Z

I've just finished leading the first meeting of our newly launched World Mission Team - I'm buzzing.

I went into the meeting knackered and suffering the aftereffects of my second cluster headache of the day (yes, they're back! Google it if you want to find out more) and, as much as I wanted to be there, I didn't want to be there. However the enthusiasm and energy in the room was so energising!

We've got a clear plan for giving WM the high and central profile it should have in the church and we've got a team of people committed to making it happen. Love it!!

There's not much more important than taking the Good News about Jesus to those who know nothing of it; partnering with others to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. It really is a privilege.

Starting on "The Path"

2010-01-21T15:10:00.002Z

At our MSG (Mid Sized Group) we’re starting a series looking at how God brings about change in our lives, what's knownin the trade as “progressive sanctification”.

This isn’t just a nice thing to do know about – it’s the ball game!

We’ve been called by God to become like his Son (Rom 8:29, Gal 4:19, 2 Cor 3:18 just for starters…it’s all over the place….the image of God in us which is all marred and distorted is to be straightened out so we can reflect his glory to the world) and this isn’t just “something we gotta do”, it’s our purpose, our calling AND the source of all joy.

I want more than anything to find, ultimately, all my joy and satisfaction in Christ.

I want to be a man who says “all I need is Jesus” but I quickly discover that, in fact, I need a pile of other things to be satisfied (the affirmation of others, healthy kids, a tidy work space, time for “me” so I can watch the films I want to watch, evidence of fruitful ministry, friends who don’t disappoint me…..and the list goes on and on.

So the question is how do I get to a place where these things, great as they are, have their rightful position and are not in the place of Jesus as the source of all joy and satisfaction in my life. But most importantly of all, how on earth do I make sure these things don’t rob God of the glory that is due to him because of the fact that I end up saying “Hey Jesus is really good but he, the Son of God and my Redeemer, is not, actually, when it comes down to it, in the final analysis enough for me.” To say such a thing is an outrage, a grievous evil against the holy God who is our Father and yet…..and yet, you and I say it by our actions all the time.

The great news of the gospel is that God wants to change us by his grace. He loves us and wants to rescue us from a life wasted by making other stuff ultimate. He loves us as we are but he loves us too much to leave us as we are. That’s fantastic!

So at MSG for a while we’re going to be taught about how this ongoing work of God changing us, this sanctification, actually works. The Bible teaching is going to be done Matt Chandler as we listen to his sermon series “The Path”. I think his teaching is superb and incredibly helpful and the Lord has certainly used it to work in my own life.

I'm looking forward to it!

God @ Work

2010-01-06T15:04:00.002Z

I have a passion to help people to see their workplaces as arenas for gospel ministry.

Historically Christians have so majored on the church "gathered" that the church "scattered" has been the poor relation. The fact is that we are as much church when we're in the board room, factory, kitchen, classroom, or bar as we are when we are "at" church. However to our shame and great cost we've created a sacred-secular divide where we believe that the stuff that really matters to God are church services, bible studies and "singing carols outside Tescos" but closing a million pound deal, reducing our golf handicap or putting in the third lot of washing is well....."secular". The fact is, of course, that God is mad keen about all of it and everything can, and should, be done in such a way as to shine a spotlight on Jesus.

This term at LBC we're going to be ramping up our commitment to encouraging whole-life missionary discipleship in several ways including a five part sermon series. I'd also like to make available the following prayer that I hope will be a challenge and an encouragement:

My Heavenly Father, as I enter this work place, I acknowledge your presence ahead of me.
I speak Your peace, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your perfect order into this office.
I acknowledge Your power over all that will be spoken, thought, decided, and done within these walls.
Lord, I thank You for the gifts you have blessed me with. I commit to using them responsibly in Your honour.
Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job. Anoint my projects, ideas and energy, so that even my smallest accomplishment may bring You glory.
Lord, when I am confused, guide me. When I am weary, energise me. When I am burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit.
May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy, and a smile to all that I come in contact with today.
And Oh Lord, when I leave this place, give me travelling mercy.
Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it.
Lord, I thank you for everything You've done, everything You're doing, and everything You're going to do.
In the Name of Jesus I pray, with much love and thanksgiving....Amen.

Reckless?

2010-01-03T21:12:00.003Z

Challenged by tonight's service led by the young people of the A2 group. Their theme: Being Reckless for God.

They made the point that there's good and bad recklessness and the kind that the Bible advocates is the kind where we act in response to the call of God and leave the outcome to Him. We were reminded that it's not just about the big stuff like getting martyred, it's also about the small stuff.....walking across a classroom/boardroom/factory floor/open plan office/bar to deliver some act of undeserved kindness....abandoning the outcome to God. Faith.

Given that it says somewhere that without faith it's impossible to please God I'm asking what I'm currently doing that without God coming through with his presence and power I'm going to fall flat on my face. What am I doing that constitutes this reckless, "abandoning the outcome to God" kind of faith?

I'm also reflecting on the motivation for this "reckless" living. It's got to be the Cross. Surely it's the Cross that propels me into risky living and enables me to know that however it turns out God is still 100% for me and he will use all things - even spectacular failures - to display his glory.

Anyway....great service from the YP.

Also liked seeing my elder son "in the pulpit" doing his first bit of preaching!

Eastwood's Last

2010-01-03T20:46:00.003Z

Watched Gran Torino (2008) last night. What a great film! It's hard to describe it and do the theological reflection I'd love to do without giving away the killer twist at the end. But I'll have a bit of a go....

Clint Eastwood, in what he says is his last appearance as an actor, plays a racist veteran of the Korean war who despises the ethnic minorities who have moved into,and he would say ruined, his neighbourhood. James Christopher in The Times wrote: "I doubt there's another actor who could smuggle this much toxic xenophobia into a thriller and make it look like a forgivable generational quirk". He plays the part brilliantly. However, when his "gook" neighbours find themselves harassed by gangs Clint comes to their aid. In so doing he finds a level of redemption for himself and, in a climax that spectacularly avoids the easy Death Wish/vigilante cliche, the neighbours also find their freedom.

Definitely worth a look.

A Great Night!

2010-01-01T20:50:00.002Z

Last night's LBC party was just fab.... I reckon it was one of my favourite New Year's eves I've had. I just loved it. We've not done one before and it worked brilliantly with young and old having a great time with trad party games, combined with a bit of a barn dance and a bit of a disco. At LBC we never used to be much good at doing this kind of fun stuff together but with a number of events under our belt I think we're getting there.....we're learning to play together which is more than just a nice thing, it's really significant for our calling.

Decade Horribilis!

2009-12-22T19:07:00.002Z

"Flippin ek Mark Greene - you're awesome!" What Mark wrote for LICC about the decade that's just coming to an end is absolutely spot on. As much as anything it's a wake up call to the church to recognise that the gospel is the only answer to the challenges we face and that we should step up and make this Good News known:

In December 1999, Britons voted John Lennon's 'Imagine' as the song of the millennium – reflecting, perhaps, our tentative hope that the 21st century might herald a better world. It hasn't. A decade ago most of us hadn't heard of Al-Qaeda and had never lived through a financial meltdown that threatened the economy of the world. We now have. And the conditions and ideologies that led to them have certainly not been addressed.

Here in Britain, we now have the unhappiest children in the G20 (UNICEF) and the most miserable adults in Europe (WHO). And only 6.3% of us go to church monthly. I do not despair for the church - Jesus will build his church - I ache for our nation.

In Romans 1 Paul posits that the further a culture moves away from the truth about God the more decadent it becomes. In today's Britain:

Blessed are the brazen for they will be applauded.
Blessed are the beautiful of body for they will be adored.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for fame for theirs is the kingdom of Cowell.
Blessed are the selfish and the individualists for their ends will justify their means.
Blessed are those who don't strictly believe in anything for they can dance to any tune.
Blessed are the drug-dealers, dream-weavers, make-over mavens and jingle-writers who help us forget our fractured hearts and our clipped wings and the echoing chasms of our souls.

In such a culture, we have no reason to be ashamed of the gospel. In a culture of salvation by works, the good news is that God loves you - whatever. In a culture where everyone is thirsting for transformation, the good news is that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation - reborn once and for all - with the minute-by-minute provision of the Holy Spirit to help live his deeper life minute by minute.

So then we - prayerfully, humbly, determinedly, lovingly - can do no better than seek our Master's voice for how we are to live and share this life day by day, place by place with those we have been called to serve.

After all, on the threshold of a new decade, has anyone really got a better offer than Jesus' invitation: 'Come to me all ye...'?

Good point very well made Mark. I need to really get this.....

Pastoring When You Can't "Pastor"

2009-12-21T09:47:00.000Z

Thought you'd be interested to see this latest on Matt Chandler. If you've read previous posts you'll know that he has recently had a malignant brain tumour removed. I'm watching his story unfold and I've been deeply moved with what's happening. I'm also drawn to the fact that he's continuing to pastor his church as he's going through all this. I don't mean he's "leading" the church, running the organisation, etc I mean pastoring. He's feeding, nurturing, protecting and, I would say, disciplining the flock of God (1 Peter 5) that he's called to pastor and he's doing this by the way he's living with this terrible situation.

Below I've posted in the video that was played to his church this w/e. Again I'm humbled by what he says. One thing that caught my attention: "One of the reasons this is good for all of us..." What do you make of that?!

Message from Matt

Suffering Well

2009-12-17T14:07:00.002Z

James tells us to consider it pure joy whenever we suffer trails of many kinds. Trials - "pure joy"? Is he serious? Malignant brain tumours - pure joy?? Really?!

Those of us who want to be gospel centered and Christ honouring have got to get hold of this and the wealth of other scripture about suffering. I'm struggling more and more with Christians who find it easier and more agreeable to believe in a God who doesn't want to allow suffering and who therefore is somehow on the back foot much of the time rather than to believe in a God who reigns over all, who ordains all things for his glorious purposes and who supplies sufficient resource to enable us to be more than conquerors in any and every situation.

How do people ever live in the face of pain and loss when they don't have the assurance that comes from the fact that God's totally sovereign and He's our Father who loves. I don't get it.

Previously I posted Matt Chandler's DVD about the surgery that he was about to go through. Yesterday we heard the pathology results and I've posted below some of what the Elders wrote to their church. It's powerful and humbling, and I have to say, compelling and attractive. Allow your heart to be moved and do pray for Matt, his family and the church.

Dear church,
In the first chapter of Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes that whatever imprisonments, beatings and trials he may have suffered, they all “serve to advance the gospel” of Jesus Christ. We implore you to keep the gospel of Christ as the main focus as we walk with Matt and Lauren through this trial.
On Tuesday, Dr. Barnett informed Matt and Lauren that the findings of the pathology report revealed a malignant brain tumor that was not encapsulated. The surgery to remove the tumor, the doctor said, was an extremely positive first step; however, because of the nature of the tumor, he was not able to remove all of it.
Matt, who is being released from the hospital today, is meeting with a neuro-oncologist this week to outline the next steps of the recovery process. There is a range of treatment possibilities but the exact course of action has not yet been determined. He will continue outpatient rehab.
The Lord is calling Matt and Lauren and The Village Church body to endure this trial. It will be a challenging road for Matt, his family and our church body. The gospel is our hope and the Lord is our strength. Matt and Lauren continue to find solace and hope in Christ. They weep facing this trial, but not as those without hope and perspective. The gospel clarifies their suffering and promises more of Christ through it all.
You have done a wonderful job respecting the family, and we ask that you continue to do this. They are processing all of this together and need you to give them precious space. Please do not visit them at their house unless personally invited by the Chandlers. The best way to serve the family is to continue to be faithful in prayer.

Picket Fence Theology

2009-12-09T21:14:00.003Z

The last few Sundays at LBC have been a great encouragement. Last Sunday was no exception.

Another testimony of someone being healed, this time John. Prior to that we'd heard from Dee, Richard, and Audrey. Ralph had also shared his experience of the sufficiency of the Lord's grace in the face of terminal cancer. You could feel a rise of faith in the room each time we heard these wonderful stories. We've also had two men become Christians over the last couple of weeks, David and Adam. Further still we've seen a significant change in the atmosphere surrounding our Friday night youth work. We highlighted the urgency of the need this time last year as the increasing numbers of young people and police involvement was making the viability of the ministry uncertain. We started to pray and saw a marked change so much so that now we hear that the police have officially recognised that things have improved in the area significantly.

At some churches this stuff is just ordinary, at LBC, where we've been labouring hard for little obvious fruit, it's immense!

It's been important too that alongside all this we've talked about the "now and the not yet" of the Kingdom - "picket fence" theology as Eleanor Mumford puts it. Sometimes we see God break in in power, healing and saving people but sometimes.....we don't. Now you see it now you don't. Fence, gap, fence, gap.

We continue to remember, therefore, that as we pray for more and greater manifestations of the Lord's glory we trust in His total sovereignty. It's His work and in His mercy He chooses to use us - God uses "means" or "secondary agents" as Calvin likes to put it - but it's all down to Him.

So just as when things are tough and there's not much fruit on the tree we're confident because the gospel tells us we're known, chosen and loved unconditionally so when things are going well and the stuff we've been praying for is happening we're humble because they gospel tells us it's all by grace.

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

2009-12-07T14:03:00.003Z

We had a great time as LBC gathered together yesterday morning but more on that at some other point.

I talked for a bit before I got into my main message about the pastoral need there is around our church to get a better grasp of the truth about God's sovereignty. I've just become so aware recently that we've got to get this aspect of doctrine better nailed down because the absence of a strong, Biblical understanding of suffering is causing no small amount of pain.

Jack's got his arm in plaster (again) and as I was out in the car with him last week I asked him, rather mischievously, "So, Jack, did God want you to break your arm?"
"Of course he didn't!" Came the reply followed by a noise representing incredulity that only adolescents can make when their parents have asked a ridiculous question.
"So how come you're arm's broken?" I asked nonchalantly as we continued to drive.
"Yeah, well it's not His fault I slipped over!"
"So you're saying he couldn't stop it..... the God of the whole universe who put stars into space couldn't stop a medium sized, twelve year old boy from slipping over on a basketball court?"
At this point I could hear the cogs whirring....
"No....yes....no.....Dad!!!"

I put the question to him another way and simply asked him whether or not God had allowed his accident. Jack recognised that if God was the all powerful God he'd been brought up to know then, yes, for some reason, God had indeed allowed him to slip over. The alternative, an impotent God who had limited powers, who was often on the back foot and would wring his hands wishing he could do more was no God at all.

As we approached our destination I reminded him that God was also His Father who loved Him even more than I did and as a Father, the perfect, all powerful Father, He would never let anything happen to us that would do us ultimate harm. He was a Father who would only ever let things happen to us that would be for our good.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (Romans8:35,37, NLT)

Hard, so hard when you've got your arm in plaster and you can't play bass for weeks.

I said I didn't know why God had allowed it but I did know He was in charge, that we were loved by Him and that the Bible says (James 1, 1 Peter 1) God uses even bad stuff to do really important work in us.

As I talked with Jack I wasn't at that point aware of the news regarding Matt Chandler's brain tumour. Matt is a 35 year old pastor in the States who has been significantly used by God. He has a passion for Reformed doctrine in general and the work of God in sanctification in particular and has seen his church grow from 150 to 5000 ish in 7 years. I mention this last bit about the growth in his church because it adds to the question: Why, Lord, would you do that? Matt's surgery was on Friday and before he went in he recorded this video message which was played at his church this weekend. Do watch it and allow God to encourage you regarding his sovereign, sustaining and sufficient grace.

Video from Matt

Being Human, Being Holy

2009-12-04T08:50:00.003Z

I'm rereading Jim Packer's book A Passion for Holiness, a book that had a big impact on me when I was a student at LST. The idea that holiness is not ethereal, it's not about hair shirts and no sex (was it Richard Foster who put it like that?) has really caught my attention. Packer says holiness is essentially about becoming more human. He writes:

Genuine holiness is genuine Christ-likeness and genuine Christ-likeness is genuine humanness - the only genuine humnanness there is. Love in the service of God and others, humility and meekness under the divine hand, integrity of behaviour expressing integration of character, wisdom with faithfulness, boldness with prayerfulness, sorrow at people's sins, joy at the Father's goodness and single mindedness in seeking to please the Father morning, noon and night, were all qualities seen in Christ, the perfect man. Christians are meant to become human as Jesus was human.

Holiness....becoming more like Jesus, becoming more authentically human, becoming more alive!

When You Don't Feel Like it, Take Heart

2009-11-26T14:02:00.003Z

I found this by Jon Bloom on Piper's blog and thought it was really helpful...thought you'd like it....

Did you wake up not feeling like reading your Bible and praying? How many times today have you had to battle not feeling like doing things you know would be good for you?
While it's true that this is our indwelling sin that we must repent of and fight against, there's more going on. Think about this strange pattern that occurs over and over in just about every area of life:

Good food requires discipline to prepare and eat while junk food tends to be the most tasty, addictive, and convenient.

Keeping the body healthy and strong requires frequent deliberate discomfort while it only takes constant comfort to go to pot.

You have to make yourself pick up that nourishing theological book while watching a movie can feel so inviting.

You frequently have to force yourself to get to devotions and prayer while sleeping, reading the sports, and checking Facebook seems effortless.

To play beautiful music requires thousands of hours of tedious practice.

To excel in sports requires monotonous drills ad nauseum.

It takes years and years of schooling just to make certain opportunities possible.

This goes on and on.

The pattern is this: the greater joys are obtained through struggle and pain, while brief, unsatisfying, and often destructive joys are right at our fingertips. Why is this?

Because, in great mercy, God is showing us everywhere, in things that are just shadows of heavenly things, that there is a great reward for those who struggle through (Hebrews 10:32-35). He is reminding us repeatedly each day to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Each struggle is an invitation by God to follow in the footsteps of his Son, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Those who are spiritually blind only see futility in these things. But for those who have eyes to see, God has woven hope (faith in future grace) right into the futility of creation (Romans 8:20-21). Each struggle is a pointer saying, “Look! Look to the real Joy set before you!” So when you don’t feel like doing what you know is best for you, take heart and don’t give in. Your Father is pointing you to the reward he has planned for all who endure to the end (Matthew 24:13).

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Setting the Pace

2009-11-19T23:51:00.003Z

For the last nine months or so I've been running four mornings a week with a friend. When Gene first mentioned that he ran at 5:30 it never, ever, occurred to me that he meant "a.m." It wasn't even as though I thought "I wonder whether he means in the morning or afternoon?" I just assumed he meant after work - so I asked if I could run with him and he said he would be glad of the company. Only later did I realise that he meant 5:30am.

Anyway, long story short, we run together and I can honestly say that most mornings when it's wet, cold and dark the only reason I swing my legs out of bed at 5:15am is because I know that Gene is going to be waiting for me at the end of my road. No other reason. Left to myself I'd roll over and sleep some more telling myself that one day off won't hurt. Such is the benefit, indeed the necessity, of accountability.

This morning I learnt another lesson.

I was training by myself and I found that I ended up running quite a bit slower. When I run with Gene we spur each other on and generally we keep a pretty good pace up but this morning, on my own, I was telling myself that I was doing OK and that I was certainly working hard enough. At the end of the 4 mile circuit, however, my watch told me another story. It had been a rubbish pace whilst I had convinced myself otherwise. The fact was that I needed Gene to prevent me from coasting. I suppose a runner by himself could end up pushing himself too hard and so needs a pace setter to prevent premature exhaustion..... but I guess I'll never know about that scenario.

I realise that to pursue spiritual growth I need accountability to maintain healthy life-giving disciplines but I also need a pace setter who'll prevent me from kidding myself that I'm making good progress when I'm not. Left to myself I'll coast but with others who will spur me on, who'll say "Come on, let's pick up the pace for a bit", I'll thrive and grow.

"You don't believe THAT nonsense!??"

2009-11-12T11:00:00.002Z

Grabbed a coffee at Costa on the way in this morning and Fiona told me she was having to hold the fort for another hour single handed. I sort of offered to help, what with being on the paid staff I kind of figured that I should, but I had sooooooo much to do..... great relief when my sort of offer was declined. Anyway half an hour later I was back as I had a hunch the Manager was doing what managers do: putting a brave face on it. I was right.

Long story short, I'm pushing out Lattes, Cappuccinos, clearing tables and washing up like a pro and then Fiona says: "It's Friday 13th tomorrow!" Without looking up I replied: "You don't believe all THAT nonsense do you!". We're then on to the next thing.... "Small Latte with an extra shot, the milk really, really hot and in a cup not a glass - please"..... but I find myself thinking how dismissive I'd been of someone elses belief. Some people really do buy into the whole superstition package and it's a big deal to them. I hadn't even bothered to find out what her belief really was, I'd just rubbished the whole idea. Nice one Dave. Really cross-culturally sensitive! (Turns out that she's actually not superstitious at all...apart from the ladders thing).

Log Cabin in Slough

2009-11-11T21:47:00.003Z

Last night I spent the night in a log cabin in Slough. Bizarre! Nice cabin, great company (just Dan and me, Dave couldn't make it...grrrrrr!), OK food (ready meal from Waitrose and organic cider in a box), rubbish location (next to the M4 and under the approach to Heathrow).

Anyway, on the way there and back I listened to the most amazing church service I'd ever heard. Seriously. I've not experienced anything like it. The sense of the presence of God was awesome, God's Word so powerful. The absolute reality of the sure and certain hope that we have through Christ infused everything that was said and done. It was incredible.

It was a service of thanksgiving for a young woman, who had died of cancer just before her 36th birthday. Louise and I had prepared her and her husband for marriage some 12 years previously. Two small children are without a mother. The situation is awful and yet, and yet.....God.

The grieving husband spoke powerfully about the love he had for his wife, his own grief, his questions and his fears for the future. But above all he spoke of his absolute confidence in the sovereignty of God and the sure and certain knowledge of his Fatherly care. As I listened to this and the sermon that followed I felt like I was witnessing a miracle as great as any healing I've ever seen or heard about. Jesus is amazing! This stuff really works. At some point I'll post what I listened to so you can make your own judgement.

All by Grace

2009-10-25T17:08:00.003Z

I've been reading and listening to Martyn Lloyd-Jones recently and have been really helped and encouraged by him. The quote from "The Doctor" below underlines what we've been teaching at LBC over the last few months concerning the fact that everything we have and are is by the grace of God alone - grace which keeps us both humble and confident:

Paul always kept the grace of God in view; it kept him humble; it kept his spirit sweet; it kept him from the horrible sin of self and of pride and self-importance. Christians have nothing to boast of. We are what we are entirely as the result of the grace of God. (David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Christian Warfare : An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10 to 13)

Disappointed with Jesus?

2009-10-19T09:32:00.004+01:00

This morning I finished reading Gavin Calver's book Disappointed with Jesus? : Why do so many young people give upon God ? It's been in my reading pile for a long time now and I'm really pleased I got to it at last. It's a quick read but very worthwhile. Gavin asks why it is that so many young people with keen Christian parents end up walking away from the faith.

This has been something that has puzzled me for as long as I can remember. Why is it that two children with the same parents, same upbringing, same exposure to the gospel....same everything....can end up making radically different choices about whether or not to follow Jesus? Why can truly godly parents, who model the faith well, who pray over their kids and do all the "right" things see their children kick over the traces, wanting nothing to do with Jesus whilst parents who, to put it kindly, are not desperately good examples of discipleship, who don't do anything remotely intentional to help their kids find faith have children who are radically on fire for the gospel. I meet parents who wonder whether their children would have gone on with God if they had had regular times of family Bible reading and worship. I meet other parents who wonder whether their children would have gone on with God if they had not had regular times of family Bible reading and worship. Can we put it down simply to the sovereignty of God who dispenses saving grace as he wills? Ultimately I believe, at the end of the day, that that is the bottom line but it isn't the whole story.

Back to the book.... Gavin tells his story of growing up in a household of faith. But his was no ordinary household. His dad was one of the most significant Christian leaders this country has had in the last 30 years; the national leader of Youth For Christ, the co-founder of Spring Harvest and the head of the Evangelical Alliance. How do you find your own identity and faith when everyone knows who you are and more to the point when everyone just expects you to toe-the-line. It's a great story with some real challenges and encouragements for parents and church leaders.....crumbs, I'm sounding like a book review.

Anyway, it was good - try it!

How Are You Feeling?

2009-10-13T18:41:00.002+01:00

The Psalms are great becasue they connect with so many of our emotions and, as my former Pastor used to say, "When we can't speak to God the Psalms speak for us." And they certainly do. Here are some of the emotions you'll encounter in the Psalms.

1 Loneliness
2 Love
3 Awe
4 Sorrow
5 Regret
6 Contrition
7 Discouragement
8 Shame
9 Exaltation
10 Marvelling
11 Delight
12 Joy
13 Gladness
14 Fear
15 Anger
16 Peace
17 Grief
18 Desire
19 Hope
20 Broken heartedness
21 Gratitude
22 Zeal
23 Pain
24 Confidence

How are you feeling? You can always find yourself in the Psalms.

Meaning and Life

2009-10-05T16:41:00.003+01:00

I was interested to hear Fi Glover, whilst interviewing one of her guests on Saturday morning (Radio 4), describe the meaning of life as:

trying, failing, trying again and failing better.

Initially it just sounded hopelessly (literally) humanistic but then, as I gave it more thought, I wondered whether there was a bit more to it than I had first imagined......

Religious Persecution?

2009-10-01T18:28:00.002+01:00

I recently read about a couple of cases of alleged religious persecution (Daily Telegraph). What struck me was that I could imagine the two situations occurring as described and seeing a case for both agreeing with and disagreeing with the action taken against the Christians concerned. Increasingly followers of Jesus are given a hard time for living out their faith but it seems to me that sometimes, maybe, perhaps, the hard time might be justified…..

Christian Primary School Receptionist Sues Over Religious Discrimination
Jennie Cain, a receptionist at Landscore School, alleges that she and her five-year-old daughter were discriminated against and harassed because of their religion and that the school was “anti-Christian”. She claimed her daughter Jasmine, who is a pupil at Landscore, had come home from school in tears after being told off by a teacher for talking to another pupil about Jesus, Heaven and God. Mrs Cain, 38, then wrote an email she claimed was private to 10 close friends from her church to ask for prayers for her daughter and the school. The email was passed to Gary Read, the headmaster, who called the receptionist into his office and told her she was being investigated for alleged serious professional misconduct. At the time, Mrs Cain, described herself as a "quiet Christian'' who would never force her beliefs on others. She said: "I do feel our beliefs haven't been respected and I don't feel I have been treated fairly. I don't know what I am supposed to have done wrong.”

In return, Mr Read claimed Jasmine had been overheard frightening another girl about the prospect of going to hell if she does not believe in God. He said: “We conveyed to her mother in a perfectly respectful manner that we did not expect this to happen again.'' The headmaster insisted that the school was tolerant of all faiths but could not go into detail about the prayer email as it “contained an untrue allegation about the school”.

Mrs Cain said she was subsequently investigated by an internal panel and found guilty of serious misconduct. She appealed and lost.

Manchester Police Intimidated Preacher, Lawyers Allege
Lawyers have asked the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester to answer allegations that police officers intimidated a street preacher and falsely accused him of ‘inciting hatred with homophobic and racial comments’. Volunteer evangelist Miguel Hayworth (29) and his 55-year-old father were approached by three policemen as he was reading passages from the Old and New Testaments in St Ann’s Square. Mr Hayworth says a plain clothes officer told him, ‘It is against the law to preach and hand out tracts: preaching causes offence and handing out tracts is harassment’. He alleges that a second officer accused him of inciting religious and racial hatred and warned his actions were being videoed. The Christian Legal Centre has instructed religious rights barrister Paul Diamond to take Mr Hayworth’s complaint to Greater Manchester Police.

The Magnificent 1

2009-09-24T08:12:00.004+01:00

I've really been challenged by one of my own sermons......Sunday's specifically......so at least I've reached one person!

Just like the bandits in the Magnificent 7 (Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn....an awesome lineup!) who raided the little Mexican village, stealing their freshly harvested wheat and generally being pretty unpleasant; the Midianites were oppressing the Israelites....stealing their freshly harvested wheat and generally being pretty unpleasant (Judges 6). They cry out to God for some help and he sends them a prophet.

How devastatingly disappointing.

As Dale Ralph Davis (my favourite Older Testament scholar), points out, it's like breaking down on the motorway and the garage sending you a philosopher rather than a mechanic. They could really have done with some hired guns (as in The M.7) - preferably a few AK47's and an Apache Helicopter Gunship. Instead they just ended up with God's Word. "Well thanks!"

They wanted to escape their circumstances. God wanted to interpret them.

I need to get this. The Word of God does the work of God and it leads to freedom. I might want whatever the equivalent of an AK47 is for my situation but perhaps, maybe, God just wants me to hear his voice concerning what's going on....why it's happening and what it's all about.

In the end of course God does provide a hired gun to bring deliverance - Gideon. And Gideon, like all the Judges, just points forward to the ultimate Judge who rescues and delivers us from everything that robs us of the blessing God has purposed for us. The magnificent 1.

Fast Cars and Pampering

2009-09-19T11:12:00.003+01:00

Louise is at Radiant 09, the national women's conference, this weekend. She'd be the first to admit that it's not really "her thing" so as a wind up before she left I read to her the pre-conference blurb that describes it as "3 days of heaven by the sea" including a pamper room and a fashion show. How different from the men's conference I was at last weekend which had the strap line "Stand Up and Fight!" (to which all are encouraged to respond with a macho "Huuuuhhhh!") No pamper room for us men - just sport and a fleet of fast cars to play with.

Don't get me wrong I think gender-specific stuff like these conferences is really important and I'd be the first to say that the biggest flag wavers for Radiant 09 should be the men (certainly any husband worth his salt should massively encourage his wife to go anywhere where she can be renewed in her faith and passion for Jesus....what else does Ephesians 5:25-29 mean.....). But it does highlight the obvious, yet often ignored fact, that generally speaking, your average man and your average women are different and need to be reached in different ways.

I can't help thinking that given the fact that the Church generally communicates in a way that is attractive to women (which is strange since it's run by men....maybe it's the long dresses some of them wear....) and that it is haemorrhaging men at a shocking rate then maybe, just maybe, we need to be less apologetic about intentionally doing the stuff that will get connect with blokes.

"Give Em Hell!"

2009-09-15T19:44:00.002+01:00

At a recent Leadership Team meeting we shared what we were each doing in our personal Bible reading. One of our number said they were in the Psalms and were challenged about how to approach what are called the imprecatory Psalms - you know, the ones that demand that God reduces all our enemies to dust and dashes the heads of their babies against the rocks, those ones.

John Piper's sermon on Psalm 69 is really helpful as he goes beyond the rather lame excuses/reasons that are often put forward for these Psalms ("the Old Testament was the time before God became a Christian so he liked those kinds of prayers." etc)...

Satisfaction in Justice?
When you are watching a film, and great evil and injustice are portrayed, and you bristle with anger at what they seem to get away with, and some noble, humble, sacrificial person risks his life, and captures the villains and brings them to justice, is it good to feel a deep satisfaction that justice was done?
And in your own real life, how should you feel about those who have wronged you—perhaps terribly wronged you? How should you feel, and how should you think? And what should you do?
Psalms That Curse
There are a group of psalms that are called imprecatory psalms because they include imprecations, that is curses, judgments against God’s enemies. These psalms are usually considered problems for Christians because Jesus taught us, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27–28). And Jesus prayed for his enemies on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). So it sounds like these psalms are doing the opposite of what Jesus said and did.

Let’s take Psalm 69 as one of the most extended imprecatory psalms and try to understand it and how it should shape how we think and feel with God.

Here are the links if you want to have a read, a listen or a watch:

Pour Out Your Indignation Upon ThemPsalms: Thinking and Feeling with God, Part 5
Listen Watch Download Podcast
Excerpts: Listen Watch

Leaving the Building

2009-08-14T21:32:00.002+01:00

It's just turned 9:35pm, I've finally cleared my in-box and my desk and I've penned the notes I wanted to write to a couple of our key players - I'm free to go - I'm done! My holiday starts here! (Ok, so I've got a visit to make tomorrow but apart from that, apart from that....I'm finished!) I love the feeling - always have.

I'm sitting at the bottom of the stairs to my office as I write......the building's silent. All I can here are the occasional shouts and screams of the YP out on the street who would normally be hanging out in our building next door at this time. But it's the holidays and everyone needs a break.

Time to go. One of the things I love about Louise is that she releases me on nights like this to do what has to be done in order to finish well (even though I'd said I'd be back at 5, and then 6 and then "It's probably going to be more like 8") - and I have.

I'm leaving the building!

The Sinfullness of Sin

2009-08-12T13:44:00.002+01:00

I had a sight test yesterday. At the same time as that bit of excitement I was (and am) reflecting on some of the pastoral issues that I’ve become involved in over the years through my calling to be a Pastor. So much havoc has been caused by spiritual blindness.

Sin is grievous and one of the main reasons is that it blinds us to the Truth. It keeps us from seeing the reality of our Father in heaven and what he says about the wonderful life we can enjoy as his children. Sin results in us believing lies that in turn take us further and further away from the Life and Truth that we can have in Jesus.

That’s the sinfulness of sin!

We end up believing that up is down, that black is white and left is right and we even quote scripture to back our position – we become that blind!

How I need to ensure that I have 20/20 spiritual vision lest I miss the incredible grace-filled, Spirit empowered life that Christ offers me. I wonder what I’m currently missing because of dodgy vision.

Spurgeon, in his devotional Morning and Evening wrote on the sinfulness of sin and the danger of tolerating it. It messes you up and more….it robs you of what you might have.

“Sin . . . exceeding sinful.” —Romans 7:13
Beware of light thoughts of sin. At the time of conversion, the conscience is so tender, that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts have a holy timidity, a godly fear lest they should offend against God. But alas! very soon the fine bloom upon these first ripe fruits is removed by the rough handling of the surrounding world: the sensitive plant of young piety turns into a willow in after life, too pliant, too easily yielding.

It is sadly true, that even a Christian may grow by degrees so callous, that the sin which once startled him does not alarm him in the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin. The ear in which the cannon has been booming will not notice slight sounds. At first a little sin startles us; but soon we say, “Is it not a little one?” Then there comes another, larger, and then another, until by degrees we begin to regard sin as but a little ill; and then follows an unholy presumption: “We have not fallen into open sin. True, we tripped a little, but we stood upright in the main. We may have uttered one unholy word, but as for the most of our conversation, it has been consistent.” So we palliate sin; we throw a cloak over it; we call it by dainty names.

Christian, beware how thou thinkest lightly of sin. Take heed lest thou fall by little and little. Sin, a little thing? Is it not a poison? Who knows its deadliness? Sin, a little thing? Do not the little foxes spoil the grapes? Doth not the tiny coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes fell lofty oaks? Will not continual droppings wear away stones? Sin, a little thing? It girded the Redeemer’s head with thorns, and pierced His heart! It made Him suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. Could you weigh the least sin in the scales of eternity, you would fly from it as from a serpent, and abhor the least appearance of evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the Saviour, and you will see it to be “exceeding sinful.”

Pay and Display?

2009-08-07T14:32:00.002+01:00

I've just returned to the picnic table that's adjacent to one of the New Forest car parks. I'd pulled in en route home from a hospital visit to take time to read my Bible and pray...... there were a number of things weighing heavy on my mind and I knew that once home it probably wouldn't happen.

Anyway I decided that I didn't need to do the old "pay and display" as I wasn't staying long and I was practically in (well reasonably close to) the car park. Surely I didn't need to pay the £1.50, or whatever the sign would say, for a brief stop off? So having justified it to myself I read the first of today's Psalms - it was great! But, I've still got this nagging concern, partly about the ethics of not paying but more about about the size of fine I'd get once the guy in the yellow van paid a visit and spotted my car......"would I see him before he saw my windscreen?".

So then it's into Psalm 32 and the Lord hits me in the second verse with "Blessed is the man....in whose spirit there is no deceit." Thanks Lord for speaking so clearly. In that momet the bubble was burst. There was deceit in my heart. I was trying to get for nothing something that should have been paid for. Not the biggest deal in the world but big enough to warrant God bringing his Word to bear like a laser on my heart. Not a big deal..... but maybe in that phrase lies the problem.....

So I got up and went to the machine, feeling a strange sense of relief (which was interesting) and found I wasn't required to pay afterall.
Thanks Father for the lesson and thanks too for the power of your Word.

Just Me and My Bible?

2009-08-03T14:39:00.002+01:00

Picked this up from Adrian Warnock's blog who got it from Justin Taylor.....worth a read I think:

A Teachable Spirit by Justin Taylor

Only one book is absolutely essential to save us, to equip us to obey God’s will, and to glorify Him in whatever we do. Only one book gives us undiluted truth — the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Only one book serves as our ultimate and final authority in all that it affirms. That book, of course, is the Bible, God’s Holy Word. No wonder John Wesley once exclaimed, “Let me be homo unius libri” — a man of one book!

And yet the irony is that if we use only this book, we may in fact be in disobedience to it. We should count good teaching about the Bible — whether through commentaries, books, sermons, study Bibles, and so on — to be a gift from God for the good of His church (see Eph. 4:11; James 1:17). So what may look pious on the outside (“Just me and my Bible!”) can actually mask pride on the inside.

Acts 8 describes a story that might help us think through this. An Ethiopian eunuch — a God-fearing Gentile who served as treasurer to the Ethiopian queen — had made a five-month journey by chariot to Jerusalem in order to worship God. During his return trip he was puzzling out loud over the Isaiah scroll that he held in his hands. And the Holy Spirit appointed Philip to help him understand the meaning of the Bible. Philip first asked this man if he understood the passage that he was reading (chap. 53). The Ethiopian responded, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (v. 31). After inviting Philip to sit in his chariot, he asked him about whom this passage spoke. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus” (v. 35). Soon after, the eunuch insisted they stop the chariot in order to be baptized by Philip in obedience to his new savior and king, Jesus Christ.

To be sure, this is a historical narrative recounting an event. The purpose is not necessarily to guide believers today in how to read their Bibles or how to think about the teaching of God’s Word. But the elements within it nonetheless correspond to some wise principles we can adopt as our own. So let’s work through the passage again, letting the various points serve as triggers for our own reflection on understanding the Word of God and those who teach it.

First, the Ethiopian wrestles with and labors to understand the meaning of God’s Word. He doesn’t wait for help; he first tries on his own to figure out what the text is saying. He is not content merely to skim the Scriptures, putting a check mark next to his reading in the scroll for that day. And so it is with us — we must spend time in the Bible, working hard and trusting God for insight into its meaning. Paul expressed this as a command followed by a promise: “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything” (2 Tim. 2:7).

Second, the eunuch humbly acknowledges his own insufficiency and lack of understanding. He desires to understand what the Word says, he admits that he needs help, and then he asks for it. We should approach God first remembering that He wants to be asked and that He promises to assist us: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). And what should we pray? Psalm 119 provides many examples of how to pray for understanding and application. For example, verses 33–36: "Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!"

Third, the eunuch asks a good, clear, relevant question based upon his own wrestling with the meaning of the text. Asking good questions is evidence of good thinking. If you don’t ask good questions about the text, you won’t engage your mind and you won’t be able to evaluate the answers.

Fourth, he listens carefully to the Christ-centered, gospel-focused teaching before him. Jesus warned that we must take care how we listen (Luke 8:18), and the Ethiopian eunuch does just that. For many of us, our inclination is to talk first and listen second, but Christ-followers must be “quick to hear” and “slow to speak” (James 1:19).

Finally, he puts into practice what he has just learned from the Word and from his commentator. Philip had told him “the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35), which probably included the teaching that members of God’s covenant community will publicly identify with Christ in the act of baptism.

So the Ethiopian official models for us James’ command to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). So let us be the sort of people who prayerfully and carefully immerse ourselves day and night in God’s Word (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:2). Let us also be the sort of Berean-like people who receive good teaching about God’s Word “with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Justin Taylor is editorial director of Crossway Books & Bibles in Wheaton, Illinois, and is author of the weblog Between Two Worlds.

Defining Disaster

2009-07-30T08:58:00.004+01:00

Right now I'm putting the service together for Sunday morning and our music leader for this service, Hilary Kisler, has suggested a Tim Dudley Smith hymn that I'd never come across before. I looked it up (it's a great choice) and saw it was based on Psalm 91. Reading through the Psalm I come to an abrupt halt at verse 9:

If you make the Most High your dwelling -
even the Lord, who is my refuge-
then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

To be perfectly honest, pastorally, I tend to get really embarrassed by these kinds of verses particularly when they're used in public worship. I know that on Sunday morning when we read the text and then sing the hymn that's based on it then this verse is going to stick in the throat of a good number of people who have had some pretty bad stuff happen to them. ""No disaster will come near your tent", is that a fact!".

And, if it doesn't cause a problem then I'm going to feel equally as bad as it probably means that the Scripture is not being taken seriously ("I know it says that but it must mean something else....it's just one of those odd bits - the Bible's got quite a few of them!").

But as I reflected on it, not ten minutes ago now, concerned about the stuck in the throat thing, I was really struck by the way the gospel redefines our terms. The verse is either true or it's not true - it can't be true and false simultaneously - we have to chose. If we assume that it must be true for we know that God isn't in the business of telling us lies we have to ask "how is it true?".

It surely must mean that when we lose our car keys/a promotion/an entire career/ a loved one then despite the evidence to the contrary.... it's not a disaster. It might look like one, it might taste and smell like one but the Lord says that "no disaster" will come near us so it can't be one. The text also says that "no harm" will befall us and, again, it must surely mean that the loss we face is not something that will, actually, do us harm. Again despite what we're conditioned to think.

This is more than just playing with words and putting a positive spin on terrible stuff. Rather it's choosing to view our lives through the lens of the gospel, using God's definitions to understand what happens and not our definitions.

Biopsy Blows and the Helmet of Hope

2009-07-29T12:46:00.003+01:00

Read this from John Piper's blog (http://www.desiringgod.org/) this morning and thought it was great....let me share it with you:

The helmets referred to in the Bible are for protection in mortal battle. A blow to the head with a mace or a bludgeon would crush your skull and kill you.
So when Paul says that we should put on "for a helmet the hope of salvation" he means that there are blows that come to our spiritual life that could destroy us, if we were not protected by the hope of salvation.
The hope of salvation — that we will not perish but obtain eternal life in the presence of Christ — absorbs the blow and keeps it from killing us. Blows still come in war and in life. Helmets don't prevent blows. They just prevent them from destroying us.
One of my clearest experiences of how this works was in December, 2005. The urologist said there was an irregularity in the prostate. He would like to do a biopsy. When? Right now. I'll be back in a few minutes with the instrument. You can wait on that table.
In those ten minutes of his absence I felt a blow. He thinks I have cancer. He wants to do the biopsy instantly. As the blow descended on my head, the Lord positioned my helmet with loving firmness so that it wouldn't fly off.
This is the "hope of salvation" that he gave me: "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him" (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).
He brought this text to my mind as I sat on the table awaiting the biopsy. It did its work. It fixed hope on my head. It put brass between me and the blow.
I didn't notice till later that the "for" at the beginning of the promise in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 ("For God has not destined us for wrath..."), was connected to the helmet of 1 Thessalonians 5:8: "...having put on for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation."
In retrospect, God covered my head with the promise that this blow was not his wrath. He positioned the helmet of hope perfectly without my even thinking of helmets. I simply thought: This is not wrath; and if I live, I live with Christ, and if I die, I also live with Christ. With that he covered my head.
So go to the arsenal of God's word and get your armor. The blows are going to come. Without a helmet they will crush your skull. God has a helmet of hope fitted for your head. Put it on.

Let that truth infect your imagination today!

"It's Just The Next Passage"

2009-07-25T17:03:00.005+01:00

Tomorrow I'm preaching the final part of a year long series on Hebrews and I'm reminded of one of the great reasons for undertaking systematic bible exposition. My text includes 13:17:

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Not the most comfortable text to preach on as the Pastor but given it's just the next passage in the series and I didn't put it there or choose the timing (to fit in with that oh so difficult and controversial issue!) my life is made slightly easier. It's the same with some of the other tricky passages in Scripture....we're not generally inclined to preach on them and if we do then, understandably, questions might be asked about our motivation ("I wonder whether DG has such and such a situation/person in view...hmmm"!)

There are, of course, plenty of other reasons to have systematic exposition as the staple preaching pattern in the life of a church but just having to preach the next passage, whatever it is, ranks high for me.

Need Encouragement to Pray?

2009-07-20T10:08:00.005+01:00

If you're anything like me then from time to time you need to be reminded of just how important it is to pray and just how willing God is to respond to our prayer. How easily we can become distracted and discouraged from this most urgent and precious of opportunities. Do take some time to watch Terry Virgo (leader of the New Frontiers network of some 600 churches in 50 countries)preach on prayer from the life of Elijah and be freshly challenged and encouraged.

The video is in two parts:

Part One

Elijah Prays For Rain from Adrian Warnock on Vimeo.

Part Two

Elijah Prays Part Two from Adrian Warnock on Vimeo.

Required Reading!

2009-07-17T12:02:00.004+01:00

Not two minutes ago I finished reading CJ Mahaney's little book "Living the Cross Centered Life". What an absolute joy and inspiration it has been. It's ministered to my soul, strenghtened my heart and energised me for Christ centered living. It was Tim Keller who really helped me to grasp that the gospel is not just the "ABC" but the "A to Z", not just the way in to the Christian life but the way on and CJ Mahaney has done a similar job in helping me to understand the centrality of the work of Christ on the Cross. I'm ordering loads of copies for LBC because I so want everyone to read it before the start of the new ministry year in September. What a great thing it would be if we could all read it over the summer and get excited again (and perhaps for the first time) about Jesus. How we need Him to be central in the distracted times in which we live.

Missiology from Moyles

2009-07-12T18:32:00.000+01:00

This morning's E4 at LBC was somewhat different. Two of our guys, Richard and Martin, got us to reflect on an approach to mission that had well and truly been blown out of the water by Radio 1's controversial and outspoken dj Chris Moyles. They profiled him a bit so we all knew who we were talking about and then played a 7 minute extract from his breakfast show on Monday 1 June. He spent the time telling his 7million listeners how "amazing" (if he used that word once he used it a dozen times) he found the previous morning's BBC 1 live service from a church in Peterborough. He described how captivating he found the music and also the baptisms that took place. The guy was struggling to find words to express, well, how amazing he found it all - hence the almost constant use of the word! Search YouTube under "moyles church" and you'll see what I mean. He clearly didn't understand what he was seeing but he loved it and he took 7 minutes on a Monday morning to talk about it.

Richard and Martin played Moyles and then showed the service he was talking about and it was.....amazing. They then got us to reflect on what this all tells us about mission.

What struck me most was the simple fact that never in a million years would I have thought that a charismatic church service would have been appealing to a guy like Moyles and yet......and yet he raved about it.

I was brought up on the philosophy that if you want to reach the unchurched then you'd better make sure you were seeker sensitive; which basically meant not doing anything that would appear to be weird to non christians. But it was the weirdness of this church service that got Moyles attention. It was a good weird...... an attractive weird that drew you in because, although you didn't understand it and it didn't really make a lot of sense you knew, just knew that it was real.

Make no mistake it was the authentic worship of the Father by Christ followers filled with the Spirit that had the impact. Maybe we need to focus more on the level of our desire for the Father's presence and the Son's glory than on trying to make it all "acceptable" to people crying out for an authentic experience of something - anything - so long as it's real.

Happy Birthday Calvin

2009-07-12T00:42:00.003+01:00

It was John Calvin's 500th birthday on Friday.... I know he's dead but you know what I mean....If we know anything about Calvin it's likely to have something to do with five points, tulips and predestination (which, actually, isn't a bad start) but I discovered something else about twenty minutes ago whilst catching up on LICC's Connecting with Culture. He really helped us to see the dignity and value of ordinary hard graft. Allow me to quote Graham Tomlin's article:

John Calvin, the famous Genevan Reformer, was born 500 years ago (on Friday). To be frank, the contemporary world finds him a bit of an embarrassment, with his reputation as a serious party-pooper, prosecuting people for dancing at weddings and laughing in church. Under his influence, Geneva was a valiant, yet perhaps unsuccessful, attempt at creating a Christian city – a place where church and state worked together to make holiness of life a real possibility. Nonetheless, his influence looms large over Western society in several key areas.

First, he gave a new dignity to ordinary life and work. Until the Reformation, really serious Christians became either monks or priests. Calvin, on the other hand, argued that the primary way we show love for one another is by working for the good of other people through useful work that contributes to society, which is a the good gift of God. Ordinary secular work was not an unfortunate necessity, a drudgery that all sensible people should try to avoid, but was dignified by becoming the main means of showing our practical concern for others.

Whatever work we do, whether as doctors, bus drivers or teachers, should be seen through the lens of the contribution it makes to the running of a healthy and well-functioning society. As Alistair McGrath put it, 'The Calvinist was encouraged to engage directly with the world rather than to retreat from it.' Calvinists, though sometimes a little dour and serious, certainly were hard-working, dedicated to the good of the common life, rather than purely interested in their own salvation from this world.

Thanks John - and a belated happy birthday!

Growth Through Loss

2009-07-07T08:43:00.000+01:00

I was reflecting last night on something I'd recently read about John Owen. Owen, an Englishman, was born in 1616 and is generally regarded as one of the greatest bible teachers and theologians since records began. One of things that made him great was that his intellect was channeled into his ministry as a pastor. His writing is deeply practical and contains a huge passion to see people walk in holiness and thereby know intimacy with Jesus.

Not much is known about his life. But we do know this. He had eleven children and all of them, except one, died in childhood. The other died as a young adult. Owen's wife also died, when he was 59 and after 31 years of marriage. Since his marriage, and until the time of his death, he experienced the birth of a child or the loss of a child every three years.

"How great the pain of searing loss".

Unbelievable pain and brokenness. You just can't get your head round it. But what intrigues and challenges me is the link between his profound experience of loss and and his profound experience of God. What causes one man to run from God in the face of suffering and another to run to him? To what extent did God allow his suffering in order to shape the man for his purpose of writing great theology that would strengthen the Church for hundreds of years to come? I can't escape the truth of Hebrews 12 that tells us that if God is our Father then he will train and discipline us in what ever ways he deems neccesary for his sovereign and glorious purpose. As I said, hard to get your head round.

A Theology of Sleep

2009-07-01T11:56:00.000+01:00

In my Quiet Time this morning ("QT", to be honest, is probably too strong a term given the rich heritage of this evangelical practice.....I could barely keep my eyes open I was so tired. Nonetheless I was able to do a bit of speaking and listening that gave some acknowledgement, at the front end of the day, that He is the Potter and I am the clay....how easily and quickly I get that the wrong way round...) I was in Psalm 1-5. Through heavy eyelids I was moved by the power (and irony given my state) of Psalm 3:5:

I lie down to sleep;
I wake again, becasue the Lord sustains me.

"I wake again, becasue the Lord sustains me".... so.... everytime I wake up it's testimony to the grace of God. It's only because He is good, merciful and faithful that I wake up every morning. It means that even whilst I'm asleep God is still at work sustaining all He has made, which includes me! Maybe, if I grasp this truth in my spirit, then the simple act of waking up in the morning will become a means of grace for me (an instrument by which God imparts his blessing).....it would be great if it did.

Perhaps John Baillie in his book Christian Devotion really is on to something when he writes:

I think we hear far too few sermons about sleep. After all, we spend a very large share of our lives sleeping. I suppose that on average I've slept for eight hours out of every twenty-four during the whole of my life, and that means I've slept for well over twenty years. Don’t you agree then that the Christian gospel should have something to say about the sleeping third of our lives as well as the waking two-thirds of them?