Freedom in salvery?! Surely not.

I really don’t know how Jesus’ disciples managed to keep up with him as spoke to them on that Galilean hillside that historic day. He had only been preaching for a few minutes but already their entire world had been turned upside down and then they discovered that [without any training] they had become the sole exponents of the truthful light of Jesus’ message.

Before their minds were able to settle Jesus suddenly makes another extraordinarily contradictory claim:
"Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God's law will remain until its purpose is achieved. So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
"But I warn you--unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all!” Matt 5:17-20

Because we sometimes focus heavily of God’s love for us through Jesus Christ [which is right] we forget about His call to righteousness which is just as much an integral part of our faith. This gospel is not to be mistaken for one of acceptance [even though it accepts everyone]; it is a gospel of revolution. It is a call to devotion and holy living, it is unnervingly counter-culture. But instead of giving us a list of abstract laws to adhere to Jesus himself is our role model; we are to look to him and imitate him. In doing so we find ourselves free from sin, but in becomes slaves to righteousness we become completely free and completely us (our true character shines out through righteousness – we discover our radiant beauty):
“So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!” Rom 6:15-18 (Msg)

How do we know when we are imitating Christ? When we love God [wholeheartedly], love others [relentlessly] and tell others about the hope [and joy and fulfilment] we have found in Christ.

“I am a lineman for the County.”

I was driving through Risca the other day and the usually busy road was made even worse by traffic having to navigate around a van with one of the elevated platforms on the back which fixing a street lamp. I had to wait ages to get passed it, all very frustrating (although the weather was nice, and I enjoyed wearing my new shades which I think are very cool).
However, as I passed the van I noticed that there was something written on the plastic barrier around the platform: “God said, ‘Let there be light’ and so He created Linemen to distribute it.”

I thought that was lush. As well as making me chuckle it caused me to think; God created us to be ‘Linemen’ distributing light too. No matter what we are doing [whether we are happy or sad, full of energy or exhausted, industriously active or incapacitated] we are distributors of God’s light. This is exactly what Jesus said to those gathered on the hillside to listen to his revolutionary sermon [as well as us today].

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matt 5:13-16 (Msg)

It makes you think about things doesn’t it. How much light can we say our life gives off?
Do our words and actions and attitudes illuminate anyone’s path? Or do we obscure their view of God’s light as we cast our own shadow?

Lord, make me a Lineman for your County.

Everything on its head!

On Sunday Sarah Croft was preaching in our church on how we prioritise our life, on what place we give to God and what this tells the world around us. All of this was fuelled from Jesus’ ‘Sermon on the Mount’.
Afterwards I began to read this sermon again it is astonishing, not from an academic point of view but from practical angle. Jesus here is talking about how we live.

I finally convinced Ruth watch Terminator 2: Judgement Day with me. There is a famous scene when Sarah Conner comes face to face the Terminator again. She is unaware at that moment that he has been sent back in time to protect rather than kill. He [Arnie] holds out his hand to her and says, “Come with me if you want to live.” (cleverly echoing a line from the previous film).

That day on which Jesus found himself on the mountainside with a group of people, that looked to him for hope. He began to speak and it was as if he was saying, “Come with me if you want to live, truly live.”
From the word go he turns everything on its head, he lists everyone who God blesses and it is the most unexpected list:
"God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them. God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too.” Matt 5:3-12 (Msg)

The list does not feature the heroic, the powerful or the creative. Instead God seeks to bless the screw ups that need Him [and know it], the distraught [who struggle to even comprehend hope], the unnoticed [who can’t imagine God fighting their corner], the abused and the bullied [who’s bruises are gently touched by the Healer himself]. All of them are desperate for God, but it doesn’t end there; God is desperate for them and this turns everything on its head.

As Jesus began speaking on that hillside that day lives were going to change. In fact these truly revolutionary words are still changing lives today; His words creating new possibilities just as they did at the dawn of creation. You can never hear these words without something happening inside; this is the beginning of a revolution. It is no revolution of passive resistance either, this is a rejection of the status quo in favour of something more. Something so fantastically more that the great minds throughout history have struggled to grasp it, and children gleefully lay hold of it.

As Jesus began speaking things were going to be turned upside down and one thing will emerge: Life - uncontrollable and full of salvation! This is a sermon of liberation, our liberation. It begins with blessings, progresses to the Cross and finds its conclusion in our lives. But it doesn’t end there, our lives are the story of liberation for those who come after us.

More than words.

When you’ve been reading your Bible have you noticed that Paul, in his letters to various churches, manages to issue the most breathtakingly simple [and yet complex] instructions? Like an inspiring team coach his words somehow cause a strength and determination to arise within you; a feeling that was not there a moment before. What is more, his words are not only fuelled with experience, they seem to have an accuracy and suitability that comes from beyond him! In fact you can only describe it as your Creator [and Saviour] speaking to you directly from eternity.

“Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” Eph 6:13-18 (Msg)

How do you feel?
Breathlessly inspired? Ready to win?!

Our spiritual armour is not just descriptive words or inspiring imagery; they are essential qualities if we’re to see our team [church] qualify [save souls].
In a couple of weeks time we’ll be having a church picnic and undoubtedly the cricket bat and ball will emerge [it always does] and before you know it the air will be full of encouraging cries from team mates. But once the bat is away do we still find it as easy to spontaneously encourage each other, as if our very existence depends upon it?
C’mon! Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Potential epitaph: Very old but very relevant?

I’d like this to be my epitaph [one day].
The trouble that we all have is that we are inevitably children of our time. My parents struggle to understand the things that define my generation and similarly (even though I am young still) I am occasionally baffled by the zeitgeist of the generation below me. It’s unavoidable.

We have so many young people (well, younger than me) in our church who are totally on fire for God. Their passion is endlessly inspiring, however one thing they lack [unavoidably] is time. While they mature in many aspects of their faith so fast, there are some aspects which have to take time to develop.

Because of these ‘generation gaps’ it is perceived by both older and younger generations that one does not relate to the other; they occupy different worlds. But that is simply not the case. If our lives are based upon the truth that Jesus is the only way to salvation then we will always be relevant. We not have a clue what the kid’s are talking about when they throw the words “gansta” and “pirate” but because of the truth burning within us we are dangerously relevant.

Check out what happened when a young (probably still teenagers) couple brought their baby son to the temple for the first time:
[When Simeon had finished prophesying over the child] Jesus' father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother, “This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel, a figure misunderstood and contradicted — the pain of a sword-thrust through you — But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are.
Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem. Luke 2:33-38 (Msg)

How old was Anna?! She was older than anyone in my church and yet she was dangerously relevant to the current generation because she was in tune with God; she recognised the Messiah even though he was helplessly reliant on his teenage mother. People who have grown closer and more intimate with God as they have grown old will spot God at work when no-one else is aware of it.

By the time I am too old to move around by myself I would like to be dangerously relevant to society. I want to be so close to God that I would see tears welling up in the eyes of young people talking to me because they hear the very voice of Jesus whispering under my own aged tones.

This is a desire that all Christians have shared, but it costs [our lives]:
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him…” Phil 3:10

Where’s your name – part 2.

Quite some time ago at work when I was manning the phone lines, I recall answering one particular call:
“Hello, National Statistics; Andrew Carey speaking.” [it was my standard greeting].
“Hi,” said the guy on the other end of the line. “I wonder if you can help me with the form you have sent me to…” His voice trailed off all of a sudden. “What was your name again?”
“Andrew Carey.” I replied thinking that he was just checking to see if I was one of the contacts listed on the form he had in front of him.
“But that’s me. My name’s Andrew Carey.”

He was quite taken back because I was the first Andrew Carey that he had ever come across. I however have come across a few more. For example, there is an Andy Carey who must live near by somewhere since he runs a local rambling group and organises walks up Twm Barlwm. I discovered him when I was given a leaflet with all this information on (also the of the photo from the children’s event called the ‘Teddy Bears picnic’, which was advertised on the reverse of the leaflet, was more alarming than anything you may have seen in the ‘Blair Witch Project’!!!).
I came across another of my name-sakes when I was doing some filming at the Welshpool narrow gauge railway. I turned up to the first stationed, weighed down with heavy camera equipment, only to be confronted by a huge sign that said: ‘Your station master today is: Andrew Carey.’ I initially panicked thinking that there was no possible way in which I could complete my filming and run a railway station. When I raised my concerns with one of the conductors he explained that I was not that Andrew Carey. I later met the little bearded man who shared my name and I realised that we were definitely not the same person.

There is another place too where my name appears, a location more exciting than you can possibly imagine; can you imagine meeting someone by chance and as you greeted them with a firm handshake you suddenly noticed that your name was written on the back of their hand. How weird would that be!?
Well imagine the first time you actually meet God face-to-face [in Heaven]. You’re stunned by the holiness of His royal splendour. You hardly know what to do but you remember seeing people kiss the hands of kings and the like and you instinctively think this is suitable. As God extends His hand (in awe you have not yet dared look up at His face, and so you have yet to notice His beaming smile, almost breaking into a laugh of delight and joy) you notice something written on it. It suddenly captivates you because it seems somehow familiar. You begin to recognise it; surely your eyes must be playing tricks on you, but no. On the back of God’s hand is your name; lovingly written in astonishing detail. You have never seen your name look so beautiful. How is your name on God’s hand?
“Look, I've written your names on the backs of My hands.” Is 49:16 (Msg)
You look up and the expression on God’s face gives away why your name is there, because you are loved; completely loved.

Its fantastic being a Christian isn’t it!

Where’s your name – part 1.

Have you ever written a shopping list on the back of your hand (only to discover when you are in the shop that you have washed your hands one too many times and it is now just an illegible smudge)?
Or written down someone’s number on your hand because it was the only surface available at that moment? Of course you have.

Or what about in your younger days (when you were easily infatuated), did you ever sit in class writing the name of your new crush on the back of your hand? Intricately encircling it with any number of hearts, as if this somehow transformed your feelings onto some higher emotive level? I bet you did :o)

Well check this out:
“Look, I've written your names on the backs of My hands.” Is 49:16 (Msg)

Your name is not written in biro; it is not a message that will wash off or loose its meaning. God wrote your name on His hand because He is infatuated with you, He is completely in love with you [just look at the cross].
You probably carry a picture in wallet or on your mobile phone of your girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, child or any other loved one close to your heart. God does the same, He has your name written on the back of His hand. Mind blowing isn’t it; the hands that flung stars into space [with astonishing accuracy] have your name etched upon them lovingly.

So the next time you see your name depressingly written on the top of a credit card bill, an unimpressive bank statement, or on your badge in work or the cover of your books in school remind yourself that your name also appears somewhere else; somewhere you truly belong.

Have Nun of it! – or, Dismissed thoughts.

Ruth and I were watching ‘The Convent’ on Wednesday night. It really struck a chord with me since one of the women was really struggling to control her thoughts, especially when they were supposed to be meditating on Scripture. Her battle reminded me of my own at times.
How often do you find that you are less in control of your thoughts that you’d like to think?
You try to have a ‘clean day’ but there seems to be this battle that rages in your mind and you rarely feel like you are on the winning side. My battles often end in a cease-fire which really means that I have lost. I’d never share with you what goes on in my mind but it tears me down [from God’s presence].
We’re not alone either:
“I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.” Rom 7:18-20 (Msg)

Does this mean that we have no hope, no control over our minds? No, in all things (including the battle over our thoughts) we are more than conquerors!
Here it is [the complete truth!]: Because of Christ, we win!
When you were in primary school did you ever join in the sports day? I ran (often in some bean bag related event) but I was never fast enough to win. I never had a ribbon pinned to my shirt that would later be translated into a medal.
Look down at your shirt now. Can you see it? You have a ribbon pinned to you. You’ve won [because of Christ]; it’s as bright as the sun!
“Set your minds on things above [where Christ is seated at the right hand of God], not on earthly things.” Col 3:2 (check out the Message version)

How do you defeat those thoughts that threaten to drag you down to the world’s level?
In ‘The Convent’ a nun offered the women an amazingly simple and profoundly victorious bit of advice. Here it is: Dismiss them. Simple as that. Brush the thoughts to one side saying [over your shoulder in a dismissive manner], ‘You’ve no authority, I belong to God, not you. Get lost!’
And here’s the battle cry of your victory:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!… The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:4-7

You and I are going to have a victoriously ‘clean day’. So dismiss the thoughts who’s company you have no desire to keep and then treat your mind:
“Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” Phil 4:8 (Msg)

The only way to know we're in Him.

This is the title of a short passage but deeply challenging passage in John’s first letter:

“Here's how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments.
If someone claims, "I know him well!" but doesn't keep his commandments, he's obviously a liar. His life doesn't match his words. But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love. This is the only way to be sure we're in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.
My dear friends, I'm not writing anything new here. This is the oldest commandment in the book, and you've known it from day one. It's always been implicit in the Message you've heard. On the other hand, perhaps it is new, freshly minted as it is in both Christ and you—the darkness on its way out and the True Light already blazing!
Anyone who claims to live in God's light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. It's the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God's light and doesn't block the light from others. But whoever hates is still in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn't know which end is up, blinded by the darkness.” 1 John 2:3-11 (Msg)

This leaves me so deeply moved [for many reasons] that I don’t know what to say.
Love is active; it is not merely the absence of any ill-will towards anyone, love demands action. Love allows us to deal with the pain of relationships; when two of us get together there is naturally a friction at some time, but love is how this is overcome.
‘Naturally’ we learn how to cope with people we don’t always gel with. ‘Supernaturally’ we learn to love them! We love because Christ is in us, and the strength of our love is reliant on Christ alone [not those around us].

“Love from the centre of who you are; don't fake it.” Rom 12:9 (Msg)

My brother, my sister [in Christ] I want to love you more. Sorry for when my actions have blocked God’s light rather than making it visible.

Embracing change.

Prayer has a great many characteristics but by far its greatest is change; us changing in God’s presence. This desire we have for fusion in our lives centres on change – our will melting into God’s as we pray ‘let Your will be done.’

Just look at the Lord’s prayer. Praying this prayer [and meaning it] is a massive invitation for God to transform [and change] our lives!

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matt 6:9-13

[This] prayer is all about personal change. It focus’ us on God, teaching us to desire His Kingdom more than the world in which we live as foreigners. In God’s presence we are also taught to pray for His will to be done, not ours. This involves change and surrender. There is also the desire to be led by the Holy Spirit from temptation. At times this involves a change from the paths that we sometimes choose to take.

When we pray (really pray and not just repeat or rant) we will not be static people; we will be a people being transformed from glory to glory (His glory). Prayer will never leave us unchanged; instead we will be drawn closer to God with each breath.
If you are struggling to pray, don’t try to pray; simply desire be transformed in God’s hands and prayer (in one form or another) will naturally flow.

Reservoir or River?

Do you feel blessed?
You better believe it baby!!!

God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, ‘He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.’ 2 Cor 9:8-9 (Msg)

As I read this I began to realise that I occasionally think of God’s blessings in terms of accumulation. Paul doesn’t mince his words in this letter; the accumulation of blessings was never God’s intention.
Since God is our Heavenly Father it is natural that He wants to involve us in His work, and so He blesses us so that we can be ready to bless. Young children try to imitate their parents and this is the behaviour that God encourages [and inspires]. No blessing is a dead-end; it may rest in our lives for a time, or be consumed by us but it will fuel our own giving. Our lives should not have reservoirs of blessing which we store up in case we run out some day. God gives so that we can join Him in giving! Blessings are a river that flows through our lives giving life [to other rivers and the ‘wildlife’ that dwells on the banks]. This river of blessing (which means that we are always ready to give) will never dry up, but if we build a dam to store it up it can easily swell up, break the banks and destroy all that we have.

Be a river, not a reservoir, so that you can gleefully [and rejoicingly] join God in His business of blessing.

Catering for large numbers, Jesus style!

My friend Toby and I are different in a great many ways. One particular difference we have is in the way that we prepare for a long walk.
A few years before I got married (or indeed met my wife-to-be) there was an exceptionally heavy snow fall one Sunday morning. As a result no-one was able to get to church. I immediately threw on my big coat, hat, scarf and gloves, put an apple in my pocket and headed off to explore. I walked from the top of Ty Sign down through Risca along to Abercarn and up over Twm Barlwm before returning home exhausted, tired, hungry, wet, cold and lucky to still be alive (the footpath was more treacherous than the innocent looking snow led you to believe). The walk took me the best part of the day.
Toby on the other hand is a much more prepared chap. In our student days Toby decided to walk us over to Twm Barlwm from Newport. It was late summer and so he made sure that we all had hats to offer some protection from the sun and strong shoes for the journey. He had also packed a thermos flask of tea a Tupperware box of freshly made flapjacks, a few sandwiches, a map of all footpaths and a compass! All very prepared; he meant business. Of course he forgot about the thermos when he threw his rucksack over a river we were attempting to cross. It made a tinkling sound as it bounced off far bank. As a result we lost out on our cup of warm tea when we reached the top of Twm Barlwm, but the thought was there.

What do our actions and preparations reveal about our expectations and desires?

"There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish.” John 6:9

On Sunday I was reminded of one character in John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, the young boy. The hill side was packed with people who appeared not to have prepared for their adventure with Christ or did not know when they left the house that they would be chasing after Jesus. There must have been some wealthy people among the crowd, well known personalities etc, but not one of them was mentioned. Instead Jesus’ attention was focused on one young boy who he set out from home that morning having decided he was going to stick with Jesus for as long as he could, and that meant preparing to do so; he’d made himself a lunch that [push comes to shove] could last him a few days.

What does this tell us about the boy? What example does he give us?
Does this demonstrate a lack of faith on his part in that he didn’t believe that God could meet his needs? Not at all, it demonstrated a passionate commitment.
Christian’s should not have a lazy attitude and call it ‘faith’. The Apostle Paul, for example, worked hard in the marked place to ensure that he could support himself at times and not burden young churches. This is not to say that he didn’t trust in God’s provision, it tells us he knew he had a part to play. God has equipped us out of His reservoir of blessing so that we can provide for ourselves and others [at times].
If the boy, with his passionate and determined attitude to follow Jesus, had not let this impact his actions in packing himself a lunch, instead heading off ‘in faith’, would Jesus have performed the miracle?
What miracles [and amazingly divine provisions] are sometimes hindered in our lives because we want God to do it all rather than playing our part?

The beautiful game – or, A greater victory!

Has anyone been watching the World Cup? :o)

Of course you have! Even if you don’t know the first thing about the sport (like me) you are bound to have at least watched some of a match. Take last Thursday, for example, I would usually be watching the mayhem of ‘Coach Trip’ unfold at 6pm (C4) but I sacrificed this just to watch England play.

In work one of the teams near where I sit put on a World Cup sweep stake. Just to join in one of the girls, who doesn’t have the slightest interest in sport of any kind, bought a ticket; the team she picked from the hat was…. Brazil! What are the chances!!!
After this strange things then began to happen. For example her sister came home the other day amazed to find her sat in front of the TV enthusiastically cheering on ‘her’ team! How the chance of a cash prize changes people’s view of things :o)

Any way, loads of people are watching the World Cup for a whole number of reasons. This means that they are being exposed to something rather unusual; have you noticed it?
The theme music that the BBC has adopted totally surprised me. Rather than celebrating a World Cup victory (or the hope for it) it celebrates a much greater victory… The Cross. The music they open each program with is the hymn ‘Thine Be The Glory’ (and so it is broadcast on at least three occasions a day – that’s way more than Songs Of Praise!). The England team are even carrying the cross emblazoned across their shoulder. If you find yourself talking about the football this week why not bring into the conversation a victory greater than 1966.

Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
Endless is the victory, Thou o’er death hast won;
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave clothes where Thy body lay.

[Refrain]
Thine is the glory, risen conqu’ring Son,
Endless is the vict’ry, Thou o’er death hast won.

Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
Let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
For her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.

[Refrain]

No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life;
Life is naught without Thee; aid us in our strife;
Make us more than conqu’rors, through Thy deathless love:
Bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above.

[Refrain]

Christian Top Trumps!

It’s tough not to but do you sometimes think of the church like Top Trumps? You know, an ‘Evangelist’ beats a ‘Pastor’; an ‘Apostle’ scores higher than an ‘Elder’; a ‘Deacon’ trumps a ‘Cleaner’ etc. But that’s not at all how it works.
In human terms God was having a ‘funny five minutes’ when he dreamed up the church.
We sometimes find ourselves thinking/believing that our position in the church is defined by what we do and our level of responsibility or accountability. But that is just our worldly mind playing tricks on us! God really opened my eyes when I read this sentence the other day in my daily devotional:
“As Christians, our value to God comes not from what we do for Him, but in what we are to Him.”

I know that I sometimes fall foul to a way of thinking that convinces me that because I am not some superhero of the Christian faith (like those international evangelists etc) then God’s promises don’t apply (it doesn’t mean that I don’t think they are true – this thinking allows me to accept their truth and still rule them out of my life) and that God quite naturally ‘overlooks’ me when he wants things doing in His Kingdom.
All of that is complete nonsense though! Hokum!!!!

TRUTH:
“Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.” Matt 6:26 (Msg)
“See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are!” 1 John 3:1 (NLT)

"Believe me: …The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I'll do.” John 14:11-14 (Msg)

The impact of sacrifice.

During our worship in church on Sunday we began singing a fantastic Matt Redman song (‘Lord, let Your glory fall’). As we sang it we began to make it our own song and I remember us singing one verse over and over…

A sacrifice was made
And then Your fire came
They knelt upon the ground
And with one voice they praised

There was something in this verse.
We sang it again and again. Even though this was our worship to God, God’s voice was somehow in this song speaking to us too. And then I suddenly got it.

Fire, God’s fire (the fire of the Holy Spirit), only comes after a sacrifice is made; no sacrifice, no fire – it’s that simple. As this dawned on me I was became aware of all the times I had prayed for the fire of God in my life and it had not come. Now I realised that this was not because it wasn’t there, or available, but because there was nothing on the alter. I wanted a fire that cost me nothing. God does not offer cheap fire; He is an all consuming fire. However, when a sacrifice is made – when we lay our lives [all of our life] on the alter (Rom 12) – then God will not hold back His fire; His glory will fall upon our lives and everyone will see it.

We also had a number of people being baptised on Sunday; it was awesome! Each one of them have seen God’s glory fall in their lives.
The following day in work a woman stopped me and asked whether Bethel was the church that I went to. After I had confirmed that it was she began to tell me that she had just been to lunch with a friend whose cousin’s…. [oh, it was all very complicated and so I stopped listening to the spontaneous genealogy]… daughter was among those who had been baptised and the whole family had noticed how much she had changed for the better since she went to the church. And more than this the wider family were also talking about it! She no longer had a chip on her shoulder, she was full of life and joy and it was all because of Jesus!

When the fire falls people notice.

Someone I could live for.

My wife Ruth has been off work sick for a month now as a result of being pregnant (it hasn’t been an easy by any means) which has meant that I have been driving into work on my own. One of the plus sides to this is that I get to listen to music at some wonderfully unsociable volume. A CD that I have been listening to is one that friends once bought me, and I am glad they did; ‘Revolution’ by YFriday.
Over the past few days I have been finding the chorus to one of their songs, ‘Someone I could live for’, particularly poignant.

You are someone I could live for
You are someone I could die for
You are someone I could live for, You.

This echoes Jesus’ [uncomfortably] challenging description of discipleship:
“And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of Me.” Matt 10: 38 (Amp)
Is this what you would say if someone asked you what it was to be a Christian? Of course not; Jesus can sometimes be the greatest liability of the Christian church! (I’m being deliberately absurd of course :o) But if we are honest we want the security of salvation with out the cost of discipleship. That is not how Christianity works though; it is not something that saves our lives, it costs our lives!

"Don't think I've come to make life cozy. I've come to cut — make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law — cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don't deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don't deserve me.
"If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me.” Matt 10: 34-39 (Msg)

Is Christ worth living for?

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” Rom 12:1-2 (NLT)

YES HE IS!!!!!

“Chicken” Chow Mien!

My wife has been a vegetarian for some time, well for longer than I can remember.
Therefore, when on a recent shopping trip to Morrison’s, I was surprised to see her casually putting a Chicken Chow Mien Pot Noodle into the basket (she’s pregnant hence the sudden desire for these unexciting snacks).
“Is that vegetarian?!” I asked, thinking that she had taken leave of her senses. Needless to say I was amazed to see her point out the ‘suitable for vegetarians’ logo on the side of the pot! What is the world coming too!!!!
The same is also true of most beef flavoured crisps; all of them suitable for vegetarians! What‘s that all about?!

As Christians it is important that we make sure that we do not run the risk of becoming the spiritual equivalent to beef flavoured crisps.

"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth.” Matt 5:13

The followers of ‘The Way’ were first called Christians in Antioch. It wasn’t meant as a complimentary name initially but it was attributed because people saw Jesus Christ in this group of people.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…” Phil 2:5

Jesus was evident in all of them; in the way they spoke, reacted, carried out their business, cared for each other and in raising their kids. They were different; people could spot them a mile off. Even if they were timid ‘back row’ believers they were easily noticeable on the street. And it wasn’t just in this one city either. Look at Stephen, the first Christian martyr Can you possibly guess what was his role in the church? Pastor? Evangelist perhaps? What about prophet? An apostle maybe? No, he was a steward; he was the ‘guy on the door’ but Christ was shining in his life.

How does this happen? We have two key elements to our faith; the first is that we acknowledge the Fatherhood of God (easy to do, most people you meet will ‘believe’ in God), and then we must follow Christ (our Christian faith is based on discipleship, a decision to die to self and follow Christ – this demands commitment). When this happens we are no longer ‘world friendly’, becoming counter-culture; not fitting neatly into their mould. A breath of fresh air; God air. As a result we either anger [or frustrate] them because we challenge their views just by being, or we will see them melt as they find their hunger for something more than this life being satisfied in Christ’s presence in our lives.

Christianity that does not involve discipleship [following Christ], living by His rules (where we do His will and not ours) will keep us from being ineffective, or the Christian equivalent of beef flavoured crisps for vegetarians!

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1: 5-8

Trust and obey?

When I was little I remember singing a song in Sunday School that went something like this:
Trust and obey
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus
Than to trust and obey

It was accompanied by a catchy little tune which is why I can still remember it today. It wasn’t a complex melody either, and the words were incredibly simple, and yet the truth in the song still resonates powerfully. As I hum it to myself I am more deeply challenged by it now than I was when I was a child.

I am [reasonably] well educated, and so I love getting to grips with things so that I can understand them. I guess it gives me a sense of control over things. This, however, is not how our faith works. How easy it would be if God called us to “understand and obey”; we would have no hesitation in doing things for God if we were able to fully understand them first. But God calls us to “trust and obey”, and it gets worse – our happiness is reliant on this!
This is not because God wants to keep us in the dark; it’s just that there are some things that we’ll never grasp this side of heaven. It just won’t happen, but we don’t like it that way. Our longing is to understand and accept, trusting makes us feel vulnerable.

“Mark this:” [Jesus said] “Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them. Mark 10:15-16

Children trust. They can’t help it, they seem perfectly happy to accept the limitations of their understanding. In fact they seem unbelievably happy! Here Jesus is trying to explain to us the importance of accepting God’s kingdom [and authority] in our lives. Realising this allows us the freedom to [really] enjoy God directing our lives.

How to show Christ – or, ‘When in Rome…’

We often remind ourselves that our lives are the only gospel that people in the world will see. We therefore make the most of every opportunity, honour God with everything we say and do; being a good witness.
But do we think the same when we are in church? Are we as careful to reveal Christ to one another on Sunday, or at house group or at any time during the week?
I have to be honest with you; I will not always reveal Christ to you as I should. There are times when you will see more of me than you will of Jesus, and as a result I may hurt or hinder you. I’m sorry if this happens because I don’t mean it.

To address this we have to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that nothing is perfect yet. One day we will be (hallelujah!) but because we are becoming more like Christ and are not yet like him, we must realise that we are going to be in a church of bruised feet because we simply cannot help stepping on each others toes occasionally. This does not mean that we can stomp around the place; there is simply no excuse for this. But when two people start dancing together (ballroom style) they will occasionally step on each other, not maliciously but because they are not yet synchronised. This is done by accident but we still bear the marks of it and we must lean to respond to this correctly and not by knocking the other persons block off.

When Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome he suggested a way to live which will develop their faith, build the church and be a witness to those around them. We often apply his teaching to our lives in the workplace etc, but it also applies to how we live in the church.

We are not always going to get on (because I like things my way and I think I know best and when I realise that I don’t I get irritated) and we may step unintentionally on each others toes, but we need to know how to handle this is a way that reveals Christ and allows us, as well as the other person, to grow.
Paul’s ‘advise’ (although we’d be foolish not to view it as a command) is simple, occasionally difficult to implement, but in the end is transformationally impressive. Go on – try it out. Step outside of that box you have made for yourself or which people have put you in.

Paul’s advise on how to handle people when they ‘step on your toes’ in such a way as to give God the glory:
Be affectionate. (Rom 12:10)
Be prayerfully patient. (Rom 12:12)
Bless your persecutors. (Rom 12:14)
Be humble. (Rom 12:16)
Don’t take revenge. (Rom 12:19)
Defeat evil with good. (Rom 12:21)

In the thick of it.

I have to say that, in an unexpectedly fresh way, the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Christians in Ephesus has blown my mind. Not that I didn’t know any of this stuff before, but its freshness has caught me unawares.
When I went to have my eyes tested the other day I didn’t think there was anything really wrong with them; maybe not 20/20 but pretty good nonetheless. However, when the optician put various lenses in front of my eyes I was amazed by the sudden clarity. Nothing had changed but it all looked excitingly new all of a sudden.
Apparently I have 20/16 eyesight at best.

This is the effect that Ephesians 1 has been having on me from the very first words right up to the last sentence of the chapter.

“At the centre of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.” Eph 1: 22-23

Galileo transformed our whole understanding of God’s creation with one ‘simple’ observation. He said that rather than the entire universe rotating around the Earth, our solar system was rotating around the Sun. Now, you may be shrugging your shoulders and thinking to yourself, “er… yeah.” But this was originally rejected as a demonic suggestion. Now of course we readily accept it as true and it informs our understanding of God’s creation; because of it we grasp God’s constructional genius and design work.

These last few verses in Ephesians 1 resound with the same ground breaking cry as Galileo’s observation. Here Paul reminds us that the ‘church’ does not revolve around the world, navigating around popular opinions and social conventions. Instead the ‘church’ is the centre of it all; not at the centre, it is the centre!
This isn’t just an kooky idea, it’s the truth and therefore we cannot be sidelined, just as you cannot ignore the Sun no matter how much you try. However, if the Sun fades all life on Earth ends. The same is true of the church, when God removes us [in the rapture] that is it; show’s over. We are therefore integral to life on Earth. Regardless of whether the Sun is still shining, without the church there would be no life.

Has this Paul’s words transformed or refreshed your view of the church?

A while back I made a colleague at work smile when he asked me to describe where my church was located. I tried to think of a landmark that he would be familiar with. “It’s the church which Zanzibar nightclub is next to.” I told him. He paused for a moment and then laughed. He liked the way that my description suggested that the church was of more importance than the night club. I did not say that we were next door to the nightclub as though we were neighbours to this mighty landmark. My description was that the club was next to the magnificent landmark which is the church.

Because we are here so is God’s presence. We are not peripheral; we are central because God is with us.
You may only be 9 years old playing football in the school yard with friends, but because Christ is in you the world revolves around you as you reveal God’s grace and favour.
You may just be an insignificant office worker, but that does not truly describe you; you are life, you are God’s church, you are hope and light.
You may be enjoying the summer time of retirement, having an afternoon of uncelebrated success on the bowling green. But you are not there just for your own pleasure; you are there for God’s as he places you along side those who need to hear His message of life.

Jesus, be the centre.

Not just free!

Are there degrees of freedom? Can we be partially free?

Our Pastor (who also doubles up as a part-time Prison Officer) has told us about prisoners who become ‘institutionalised’, i.e. they become comfortable with the routine of prison life; they stop thinking for themselves and let others govern their lives and actions. These guys struggle when they are released because the prison no longer runs their lives. While having freedom they are mentally imprisoned still to their prison life; they continue to behave like inmates.

We too can suffer from a similar thing ourselves. We come to Christ and something unexpectedly wonderful happens – we find ourselves set free; free from our sin and its [eternal] penalties. We can barely believe it; can this really be happening to us! We are excited and full of joy. But when the adrenalin rush of our new life wears off we find ourselves still hanging on to our failures; even though we walked free of them we find ourselves picking them up again because we struggle to understand our lives without them. But that is not the life that God has planned for us, and took delight in preparing. We are not just free – we are abundantly free!

“Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making.” Eph 1: 7-9

Rejoice! You are free.
How you failed yesterday does not hinder you today – you are free!
Just because you refused to be obedient to God last week does not mean that he’ll never trust you again. Say sorry and make yourself available for service – you are free!!
You are ABUNDANTLY free!!!

In the beginning…

The things they didn’t teach you in school, eh!

When I was in school I was led to believe that everything began with a big bang. In reality this was no where near the beginning; the ‘story’ began well before then. It’s like referring to ‘A New Hope’ as the first Star Wars film (even though from the word go it referred to itself as episode 4); there were another three that came ‘before’ it, a whole new story that gives us an entirely different angle on things. We used to think that the Star Wars saga was all about the heroism of Luke Skywalker, but it wasn’t; it was all about the redemption of Anakin Skywalker (or Darth Vader).

Any way, I was taught that everything began at the ‘Big Bang’. Later I discovered that this big bang didn’t start things off, it was God’s decision to create the universe that began it all. This blew my mind and revolutionised my world. Now, if that blew my mind wait until you read the following; it’ll totally melt you noggin*!

“Long before [God] laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure He took in planning this!)” Eph 1: 4-6

Everything – absolutely everything – began because God decided to adopt you (and I) into His family! It didn’t begin with a ‘Big Bang’ (although that may have happened), it didn’t begin with the words ‘Let there be light’ (although they were undoubtedly spoken), it all began with God saying ‘You are mine my child.’ And as He said this He simultaneously (because He is God after all) planned it all out - the cross, everything - and it gave Him pleasure. Thinking about you gave God pleasure – can you believe it [well, yes you can because it’s true!].

When God created light and everything else, He looked at it like a satisfied craftsman and nodded to Himself, ‘That’s good; I like it.’ But before He even set about all of this He had planned out how He was going to adopt you and this gave Him pleasure; not just satisfaction but pleasure.

I can tell you this now; my noggin is well and truly melted!


* The use of ‘noggin’ here relates to the cranial matter commonly used for intelligent thought but is nowadays more often cluttered with hours of television and the occasional bit of useless trivia which we try to convince others is interesting or delude ourselves into thinking that it’ll come in handy at some pub quiz one day.

What if...

Do you sometimes imagine how things ‘could be’?
Play them out in your mind?
When Ruth and I first starting dating my imagination would work overtime trying to imagine how the evening would pan out. I’d think about what I’d say, and then what she’d say and how perfect it would be.
Things never always turned out that way; sometimes it would be better and at others I would manage to get things wrong in such an unexpected manner.

This morning [during my cubicled quiet time] I read something stunning in Paul’s letter to Christians in Rome. It was just one verse, but it winded me. Each sentence I read made me repent and desire God more simultaneously.
In fact read it for yourself and imagine what your life would be like if you used this as a motto to live by (not aspiring to it but actually living to, using it as a road map for life to get you to where you want to be).

“Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fuelled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.” Rom 12:13

Paul wrote this down, not because it sounded good or would make him popular, but to encourage us. He wanted to help us live an enjoyable and exiting life – and this is how you do it!
But how often does God find me hungry and smouldering rather than fuelled and aflame?
Would God describe me as ‘cheerfully expectant’, or does He need to scream for my attention? Jesus said that we would define ourselves as friends of God if we were obedient, but how quickly I neglect my servant nature assuming that our friendship is just the way things are and requires nothing of me. In fact when was the last time I woke up in the morning and asked, ‘Lord, what do you want me to do for you today?’ and actually waiting around to hear what He says, rather than shrugging off uncomfortable requests as though they were a bad dream.
How often have I thrown up my hands and quit, rather than bent my knees and prayed.
How many Christians have parted company with me just as needy as they were before hand (or perhaps even more needy). Some of these I may never have met, separated by continents and our lives touch as I choose what to put in my shopping basket.
How often am I predictably hospitable?

Lord, keep me fuelled and aflame so that people will know that You live in me by my attitude and actions. Help me be a signpost of salvation to someone.

Your call.

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, once turned to a young man who claimed that he had never had a call from God. “What?” he bellowed. “You’ve never had a call? You mean you’ve never heard the call!”
The truth of this made me smile because I know that it is rarely the case that God is silent, it is more often the case that I don’t listen because what I hear is not always what I want to hear (it’s as if God is not actually listening to me!). This reminded me of something that I had read in Pete Greig’s book ‘The Vision and the Vow.’

I was giving a friend a lift in my car, and we got talking about life. “I don’t know what God’s calling me to do,” he confessed, and asked me to pray about what it might be.
“Why?” I asked. “I already know what Jesus wants you to do!”
“You do?” he gasped with excitement. “So, what is it? What’s my call?”
I paused, enjoying the suspense. Drums rolled. String quartets tuned up. My friend held his breath…
“Your call,” I said slowly, “is to be a worship leader…”
He looked pleased, really pleased, so I continued:”… but not necessarily with a guitar in your hand.”
“Okayyy,” he murmured.
“Your call is to befriend that funny little lady at the end of your street…”
He seemed less pleased with this prospect.
“Your call is to feed the hungry and to spend yourself on behalf of the poor…”
By now he was looking distinctly troubled.
“… and to offer hospitality to strangers who just turn up in town needing a place to crash.”
Consternation.
“And it’s to fast.”
He was starting to look furious.
“And it’s to pray so long and hard that you run out of words and tears.”
There was no going back:
“Your call,” I continued, “is to preach the good news of Jesus to every person who will listen and to a few who won’t. Your call is to go somewhere, anywhere, wherever, whenever, for Jesus, and never stop. Your call is to love people no one else loves and to forgive them when they treat you like dirt – or worse. Do your job to the very best of your ability without grumbling about your boss or whining about your colleagues. Your call is to pray for the sick, and when they are healed, to dance all night. And when they aren’t, to weep with them and love them even more.”
I glanced across at him and was relieved to see that his expression was beginning to mellow.
“Your call is to honour your parents, pray for your leaders, study the Scriptures, and attend plenty of parties. Be a peacemaker in every situation: when the fight breaks out on the bus home late at night and when the gossip starts to circulate at church. Your call is to pick up litter when no one else is looking, to wipe the toilet seat, to pull the gum off from under the desk. It’s to get to meetings early and put out the chairs.”
By now he was smiling.
“Your call is to make disciples and to teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. And don’t forget to minister grace to them when they sin. Which they will. Your mission is to baptize and to cast out evil spirits. Your call is to bind up the broken hearts wherever you find them, and you will find them wherever you look. It’s to visit prisons. And hospitals. And to…”
“Yeah, yeah,” he interrupted good naturedly, trying to shut me up, but I was on a roll – and I knew he couldn’t leave, because I was driving the car.
“Your call,” I continued resolutely, “is to listen more than you talk and to listen with your eyes as well as your ears.”
He was shaking his head in mock despair. I carried on: “It’s to do the chores again and again without grumbling. It’s to buy ethical coffee and to recycle your bottles. And while you are at it, don’t forget to leave anonymous gifts on people’s doorsteps.”
By now we were both laughing, and I was finally running out of steam: “And when you’ve done all that,” I grinned, jabbing him in the ribs at each syllable, “come back and see me, and we can spend a little time praying about Phase Two!”

Pop idol.

I know you all remember Pop Idol and other shows like X-Factor.
A whole bunch of people lining up wanting to be chosen by a panel of judges (who have already decided what they are looking for) as well as the public (who are painfully fickle). They put themselves forward to be chosen; each one has chosen themselves and they want you to acknowledge them too.

Do you want to know something amazing; you don’t need to put yourself forward, God chose you. He sought you out, He came looking for you – and from the before the foundation of the world too!
“You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you,” Jesus said, “and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil.” John 15:16
No performing is required, no auditions either, or a reliance on phone voting by the public. God knew you and chose you. He said, “Come.” And held out the prize [His hand to lead us]. The competition was over before you were even born; He wanted you.

Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed. Matt 4:18-20

When you realise this aren’t you filled with a desire to lay down everything for Him?
I can’t remember who was responsible for penning this but it’s true: “It is only when we begin to see ourselves as chosen, called and commissioned by Christ that we shall have any real sense of our responsibility to present our bodies to Him ‘as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.’”

Sacrifice.

As a child I remember going to church with my parents. I can even remember the taste of the pews (don’t pretend that you never licked them either).
I’m not sure why but I also recall getting enthusiastically excited as soon as our Minister announced that it was time for the collection. Mum would give us each a coin or two. I’m not sure what denomination the coins were, but that didn’t hinder the pleasure I got from placing it in the wooden bowl as it passed by. It felt great but it didn’t cost us anything.

In fact even today on top of my tithe I also put an additional ‘gift’ in the collection basket, the amount varies; sometimes it’s everything that I have in my wallet and sometimes its just one of the notes in my wallet. The point is that on the whole it still doesn’t cost me. My standard of living has not been threatened by my ‘generosity’ to God. I have given out of my ‘wealth’ (by this I mean that I have enough to live on as well as treating myself to the occasional visit to the cinema, or purchase of a CD or book or DVD, or even buying a chocolate bar when I want… that’s wealth) and so it has cost me nothing.

King David once drew the line by refused to give God a cheap offering:
“I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." 2 Sam 24:24

You may also recall the widow who Jesus watched put 2 copper coins in the offering basket as she entered the temple. He said that she had given all that she had. This giving cost her, it was painful giving; it impacted her standard of living in that she no longer had anything to feed herself with. She cherished God so much as to give all she could. No one celebrated such giving; Jesus never even went up to her and said, ‘I saw how much you gave, well done.’ She gave everything (and, by implication, perhaps even her life if she could no longer feed herself); what an unsung un-named hero of faith.
Can you imagine giving your entire pay cheque one month? Is your immediate thought to justify not doing it? Me too.

Don’t you hate it when people’s giving makes you look bad.
I know what God deserves and yet I think twice about giving it. What is wrong with me!
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Rom 12:1

Thank God for mad people!

I just want to thank God for those madly obedient people who love Him!
Where would we be without them?!
Seriously, where would we be without them?
God weaves these people intricately into His redemption story in such detail that you could not possibly imagine it holding together without them. And yet their involvement balances precariously on their choice to be obedient.

Take Rebekah (read Gen 24), a young woman who was recklessly generous; instead of just drawing enough water for herself, without a second thought she gladly spent the next few hours drawing gallons of water for a caravan of thirsty camels.
It was indeed nice of her but it had massive consequences.
God had already told Abraham’s servant that the girl He intended to include in His redemption story was going to be recklessly generous. “You’ll ask for a glass of water,” God told him, “but she won’t stop herself from providing all the water your camels can drink. Even though the rope will burn her hands and the weight will strain her shoulders, she won’t stop, even when it makes her late for her evening meal. I’ve put this in her heart and she’ll be cheerfully obedient in doing this.”
Here Rebekah was casually obedient; it was in her nature to be generous. However, the next morning she was decisively obedient.

Early the next morning, [Abraham’s servant] said, "Send me back to my master."
"But we want Rebekah to stay at least ten days," her brother and mother said. "Then she can go."
But he said, "Don't hinder my return. The LORD has made my mission successful, and I want to report back to my master."
"Well," they said, "we'll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks." So they called Rebekah. "Are you willing to go with this man?" they asked her.
And she replied, "Yes, I will go."
So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham's servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah's childhood nurse went along with her. Gen 24:54-59

Since girlhood Rebekah was no doubt regaled with stories of beautiful brides and breathtaking marriage ceremonies. No doubt every story that her nurse told her as she drifted off to sleep would end with the heroine marrying her prince. At night she’d dream about the dress she would wear on her wedding day; she’d anticipate the joy, the laughter, the dancing. Without a shadow of a doubt her family looked forward, with great delight, to their daughter’s wedding day too.
However, by leaving with Abraham’s servant that morning she was being decisively and sacrificially obedient. She generously gave God her dreams and He wrote her into His story of redemption culminating in the victory of the cross. While her actions were not overtly ‘spiritual’ in nature (no huge Holy Spirit anointing etc) who knows how the story may have turned out in the absence of such generosity.

Look back on your life and begin to realise how much your life has been changed by the casually generous obedience of one of God’s people?
Where would we be without them?!

I want to thank God for friends of mine. I know that there are many that I could mention but Pauline and Jon have recently blessed Ruth and I more that they could imagine.

After discovering our unexpected success at ‘trying for a baby’ Ruth and I began to realise how much was about to change in our lives. We were going to have to put moving on hold and all of a sudden our 2 door car (another blessing and another story) was going to cause us problems with baby seats etc. We thought how great it would be to have a 4 door car (of any kind) but since we’d never afford it we simply put it out of our minds.
Praise God – He did not put it out of His!
All God did was breathe a suggestion and Pauline and Jon couldn’t help themselves. Upon upgrading their car, they gladly gave us their old 4 door car! Madness. Thank you guys – and thank God!

Living is definitely active.

What have you made of your life so far?
Would you enjoy reading your biography or would it just seem like a tangle of loose ends and knots?
Do you sometimes find it too unbelievable to think that God would want to include you in His plans? Do you think that God couldn’t possibly use you because of your weak faith?

When you and I were saved we became a part of ‘the body of Christ’ (this is the church as a whole). Now, sit still a moment; don’t move a muscle. Are you inactive? No, you can never be truly inactive [not until you’re dead, at least!]. Even when you think that you are sitting still your body is incredibly active keeping you alive!
Similarly you have not been called to be an inactive part of Christ’s body – no one is called to be an inactive part of Christ’s body! You may have a grand function that everyone will applaud (like hands that play the piano or pick people up and care for them) or your activity may be unseen and secret but essential (like the heart pumping blood or the kidney purifying the blood).

“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.
God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” Rom 12:4-8 (NLT)

Whether we are ‘hands’ or ‘hearts’, we have an essentially active role within the church. If we become inactive (and we become inactive because we are not born [again] that way – we were not still born into the church) the body of Christ becomes disabled; you may think that no-one will notice but in the end it will cause a strain to other parts.
One of my eyes is weaker than the other (the stronger one does not know this of course – they don’t get to see each other after all). As a result if I am reading for a long period of time my stronger eye begins to ache because it is unknowingly forced to work harder, compensating for my ‘inactive’ eye.

I know that I am often guilty of thinking that my decision to do nothing in response to God’s call will pass un-noticed, but that is never the case. And so how can we prevent ourselves ceasing up and becoming inactive? The secret is in the beginning few verses of Romans 12:

“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Rom 12:1-2 (Msg)

A New Hope… or the story behind ‘The Empire Strikes Back.’

I read this story in a book I have been reading [in the bath] recently:

A young and relatively unknown actor called Mark Hamill had been delighted to land the part of Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie. Of course, the film went on to exceed every possible expectation of success, and Hamill enthusiastically accepted the invitation to return as Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back, despite a prior commitment to play a part in a low-grade TV series, due to be filmed around the same time. The producers of the TV show refused to release Hamill from the contract, confident that his presence would boost their ratings – especially if the Star Wars sequel should happen to do as well as the original.

Legend has it that, just days before filming was due to begin, Mark was involved in a car crash which left him with broken nose and a scar on his face. The TV company – having no use for a disfigured star – quickly released Hamill from his contract. But George Lucas’ response was very different: Seeing his baby-faced hero was now scarred and bruised, he re-wrote the opening scenes of the film. And that is why The Empire Strikes Back begins with Luke Skywalker not in the jungle as originally scripted, but trudging through snow – his face covered because of the cold – until he encounters a terrible snow-monster. The hideous beast strikes him across the face, leaving Luke scarred for the rest of the film. George Lucas had taken a disaster and used it to make the film better.

So many of us are disfigured by life, and we assume God will respond to us like the fast-buck TV company, by rejecting us for our imperfections – cutting us out of its plans. But in fact, like George Lucas carefully creating his masterpiece around Hamill’s scars, the Creator takes the wounds of our lives and uses them to make even better stories. The Bible calls this redemption. God does not reject us for our scars, and he does more than merely rescue us from our pain. God redeems our lives. He turns weakness into strength, ugliness into beauty, and weaves the scars of sin and pain into an even better story. Through David’s adultery, god gave us the beauty and comfort of Psalm 51. through the treachery of Judas, we are saved. Through a broken body on a cross, grace makes us whole.

Deal or No Deal!

Have you seen the game show called ‘Deal or No Deal’ presented by Noel Edmonds? For some reason it is thoroughly intoxicating!
The premise is simple: You have a number of boxes and you have to choose to discard them one at a time. What you are hoping for is that the last box you are left with has a large sum of prize money in it. The risk is that the box that you are holding on to, as though it is valuable, is in fact empty.
Is this how you feel? Like you are holding on to the treasured promises of God, but your worry is that they don’t really apply to you, and you treasure is worthless.

Has some sin in your life destroyed your confidence/faith?

You know that you are forgiven, and you rejoice in that, but deep down you think it is still something that God sees in you every time He looks at you. You shudder with shame to think that your worship could attract His attention, and so to avoid the shame of His stare you have stopped worshipping (not that anyone would know, you hide it well).

Listen to this: God has more grace in Him than we have sin in us.
That deserves to be in bold I think you agree!

[God said] “My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.” Once I heard that... I quit focusing on the handicap... It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 2 Cor 12:9 (Msg)

Our weaknesses, our [forgiven] sins (and they are all forgiven in Christ Jesus, by whose blood we have been washed completely clean), do not tie us down, hindering our growth or inhibit us being chosen to do God’s work… whatever that may be.
Here is the truth: You are an integral an active component to God’s family (‘frontline’ or ‘backroom’ it makes no difference). You are no mistake and you are lovingly adopted through Christ.
“Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.” Eph 1:4-6 (Msg)