Richard Walker's Blog

Missions Not Martial Arts, Please!

2012-01-31T17:45:00.004Z

In a somewhat densely written post, Mike Bull suggests that the remedy for feminised men in churches is not more testosterone and martial arts etc, but a knowledge of the call of God on their lives - in other words to be on mission. Talking about the men and women of our great evangelical past, the Wilberforces and Newtons etc, he cites:

"This evangelical generation changed the world, or major parts of it at least: they broke the international economic system of the day because it was unjust; they reformed prisons, factories, poor laws, and anything else they could think of; they saw major revivals, and huge numbers of conversions; when it came to gender politics, they taught men to be gentle, and women to be active in ministry."

But it would appear that as the church retreated from public life, this expression of gender politics has gone into hyperdrive. The movement lost sight of the mission and instead focussed on personal, private moral reformation.

"[The feminisation of men in the church] seems to me to arise primarily out of particular set of historical circumstances in which the interests of clergy and women aligned against a dysfunctional masculinity, and men were increasingly expected to conform and submit themselves to a cultural form of femininity, rather than to Scripture."

In short, it would appear that it is not so much a recovery of biblical masculinity that is needed, as a recovery of biblical mission. True (gospel) masculinity finds it's place in the upward call of God and doesn't need to justify itself or be politically assertive and self-aware. Men and women can then work together under the direction of the Holy Spirit for the reformation of the church, the transformation of culture and the renewal of the whole creation!

What man (or woman for that matter) is up for a mission as big as that??!

Full article here.

God Is On The Move

2012-01-21T23:01:00.002Z

Have just got hold of Michael Bull's new book Bible Matrix II: The Covenant Key. In the preface, he writes:

God likes to move stuff. Motion is life and beauty and productivity. Stillness is stagnation, decay and death.

As we saw in Bible Matrix, the work of God in Man is not merely there and back again. Nature abounds with cyclical motions, from atomic spin to the "circle of life" to the rotation of galaxies or the identical cycles of the movements of a clock.

God's moves are most certainly repeated cycles, but the Bible gives up a more interesting philosophy than that held by the pagan thinkers, who never expected anything to improve. Biblical history is not a spinning top, but a wheel. It is turning for the sake of going somewhere. Bible history is Man on a mission.

God sends Man out because he wants Man to come back with something, and the Bible is full of such missions.

...

But the word mission is a little impersonal ... so the Bible uses a more personal relational word: Covenant. God's covenants are his initiating words that keep things on the move.

Looks like a fascinating read. This along with the soon to be published book by Mike Reeves: The Good God: Enjoying Father, Son and Spirit, mean I'm in for a real truth treat. :-)

Philosophical (but terribly polite) Pirates

2012-01-17T20:24:00.004Z

Legend of the Americano-Evangeli-Christian Sphere Mark Driscoll has been accused of claiming all British preachers are cowards. He counters that accusation here.

Responding to his plea, may I be the mouse that roared and say that the following video, lovely as it sounds and as personable as the speaker is (and I think he is extremely personable) it is philosophical piracy. (Mobile users click here.)

You can't live in Christ's world, taking all his benefits and graces and expect him to lie down and take it. His mercy is very great, his call to all is universal and his forgiveness total, but they are not eternal. One day the door will shut.

The mistake we all (not just the atheists) make is if/when we claim we're on to something new. We aren't. Philosophical piracy may pedal its wares under cooler sounding names such as "New Revelation," "Final Prophecy," "New Age" etc., but it's something that has gone on since the dawn of time - ever since Adam and Eve thought they were on to something as they tucked into a delicious looking bit of fruit.

Some Videos Beautifully Explaining Baptism - Not What you Might Expect

2012-01-13T16:03:00.002Z

Ever wondered why (if you're a Christian) you should be baptised? It symbolises the passing through death (down into the water) to new life (back up again) - Passing from the family of Adam to the Family of God in Christ; from the old humanity to the new humanity.

Here are some videos that help explain. WARNING if you're anything like me, you'll need tissues to hand and make sure no family china /liquid is anywhere in your immediate vicinity:

The video makes mention of the Hebrews coming out of Egypt and being given a new identity - the Israelites. If you don't know that story, watch the next video:

Happy Friday! :-)

Trinitarian Heresies

2012-01-11T21:09:00.014Z

At this week's BTF, we looked at Trinity and some of the classic heresies people have fallen into over the years. All of these heresies in some way fall short of the statement:

God is three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Each person is fully God; there is one God

The Heresies:

Modalism
That God is a single being who wears the masks of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as he appears in history. What this lot make of Gen.19:24 and Matt. 3:17, I'm not sure.

Tri -Theism

That there are three Gods who are as different from each other as I am from you and who come together to divide the booty of creation. What they make of Heb.1:3, I'm not sure

Clone-ism

That the Son and Spirit are clones of the Father. The Son is the exact representation of the Father, but he is not a clone. Here is a mystery to be held in tension. Just as Jesus is fully man and fully God, so he is fully the representation of the Father and his complement. There is unity of nature and distinction of personhood: Heb.1:3 again. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, but he is neither the Father nor the Son (John 14:23).

Subordinationism

That the Son and the Spirit are both eternally God, but that they are somehow less God than the Father, they are "divinity diluted." If the Father was a 100W bulb, then the Son and Spirit would only be 60W bulbs. John 1:1-2 states otherwise.

Arianism

Perhaps the most common heresy: that at some point before the whole universe was created, the Son and the Spirit were created. There are no verses to refute this per se, but the early church fathers felt that the Son's divinity was so strongly affirmed in Scripture (e.g. John 1:1-2) that "begotten" in places like 1 John 4:9 (sometimes rendered "only") could not mean created.

Adoptionism

That Jesus was a normal human being, but at his baptism, he had special powers conferred upon him by the Father, a bit like when Peter Parker got bitten by a special spider and woke up superhuman. Again - John 1:1-2 says otherwise.

Which of these lesser understandings of God do you most easily fall into?

I probably fall into Subordinationism most easily. I think that because Jesus serves his Father, and that he can be "squeezed" into the body of a human, he is somehow inferior. That is exactly how the world thinks, (that if you are are small and serve you're inferior) but this is not how God thinks and I need to learn how to think his/their thoughts after him/them. ;o)

Jesus Reigns, Follow Him: Notes from Sunday's Sermon

2012-01-10T18:45:00.004Z

At this time of year, many experts are wheeled out on to TV, radio etc. and asked for their professional opinions on what will happen in 2012. Something in human nature loves to speculate about / prophesy the future. What about you? How is your 2012 shaping up? Good? Bad? Boring? A mixture of all three?

What’s the conversation that turns over in your head when you get space to have your own thoughts? Proverbs 23:7 (in many translations, not ESV) says that the way a man thinks defines who he is. How is your thinking shaping your destiny? Are you sleepwalking through life? If so, Matt. 7:13-14 needs to be a big wake up call.

What role will Jesus play in your 2012? Is he the genie who gets you what you can’t get for yourself? The superhero who you draft in to save you in times of trouble, but ignore until the next disaster? Or the King of the universe to whom you say “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” The question is not what role will Jesus play in our lives in 2012, but what role does he want us to play in his story this year?

The greatest reality we are all caught up in is the loving eternal reign of Jesus Christ, who, after his death, resurrection and ascension up to the Father has been made King of everything (Ps. 45:6-7, Phil. 2:5-11). Remember the illustration of a video gamer: whatever else we wrap ourselves up in to give ourselves meaning and identity (husband, father, job title, hobby enthusiast, outstanding volunteer etc) it will all mean nothing when this life is switched off and we are woken to find ourselves before the judgment seat of Christ, unless it was done out of love for, faith in and obedience to Jesus Christ.

Back at the very beginning of the Bible, God created the first humans – Adam and Eve – in the image of God. They would be a prophetic picture of what Christ and his people would do thousands of years later. God gave Adam and Eve the mandate of multiplying across the face of the whole earth, taking hold of it and making it fruitful – (harvesting food and materials, inventing things and creating civilisations that worship the living God). They rebelled against God, but have still multiplied across the whole earth. However, they have made a name for themselves in all they do, not for the God who gave them life.

But when God sent his Son into the world – a totally new kind of humanity was created. A humanity not made in the image of God, but having in it the very reality of God, one in which the Spirit dwelt perfectly. When a person becomes a Christian they are filled with this reality of God by the Holy Spirit. They are a totally new kind of human being: 2 Cor. 5:17. Since Pentecost, this new humanity, with the delegated authority of Christ (Matt.16:17-19) has also been spreading out across the face of the earth, but their mandate is not one of creation / invention etc but of redemption – bringing forth a harvest of righteousness, peace and joy; beautifying the earth with holy love in anticipation of the return of King Jesus.

That could sound like an overwhelming mission, but it simply means this: dare to ask Jesus what he wants of you this year and then dare to trust in the fact that as you do it, he will provide for you. You and I are like soldiers, a soldier isn't responsible for the big strategy, that is for the commander. A soldier just needs to follow orders.

In the things that are within your control – leisure time, disposable income, life ambitions etc. ask Jesus what he wants from you and dare to follow. In the things that are beyond your control – family relationships, job commitments, medical condition etc. ask Jesus how you can move within those confines to honour him and bring him pleasure. Put in place routines that remind you to ask Jesus what he wants from you and that stop you from drifting in to autopilot. Possible routines: reading the Bible in private and when out in public having a WWJD bracelet or screen saver for your phone to remind you to talk to him.

Who knows what our lives could look like by the end of the year, who knows what our church could look like – who might be amongst us, if we simply dared to listen, trust and follow his promptings.

The Best Way to Avoid Neuroses...

2012-01-03T19:49:00.005Z

Below is a video by A. J. Jacobs on how healthy living nearly killed him! If you are having trouble viewing it on your smart phone, click here.

On a day when I got home from work to find a large part of one of my trees where my car should have been, I'm so grateful for Jesus' words in Matthew 6:31-33.

How do You Worship?

2012-01-02T14:38:00.013Z

The vast majority logging on to this post would be amused by the tree hugger on the right here. But humour aside, that our bodies express the attitude of our hearts is something we cannot get away from. So what does the position we take (literally) when worshipping say about us?

Ancient peoples would (amongst other things) bow before their gods of sun, moon, rain, fertility etc when they worshipped them (Dan.3:5). The people of God would bow in corporate worship before YHWH. (Ex.4:31)

As "modern" people we don't like that kind of thing, it smacks of bondage, servility and ignorance. Secular man doesn't express the worship of his idols through bowing and sacrifices, but through study. He studies the natural world and contemplates it, using the fruits of this contemplation to bestow upon himself ever greater glory in the form of freedom and prosperity.

But modern man is not just a contemplator. At football matches there are always great displays of emotion, however there is no bowing. Modern man will happily and extravagantly love his gods, so long as his gods deliver the goods.

So, that there is little kneeling in most churches may be as much a reflection of the culture they live in as any Biblical conviction. Evangelicals prefer to sit and think about their God rather than bow before him, using their clever reflections to bring glory to Jesus. Charismatics prefer to dance and jump rather than bow, believing that ostentatious displays of affection bring glory to Jesus. It seems when it comes to bowing, only the Catholics, Anglicans Orthodox etc make any significant effort.

I realise I'm grossly stereotyping here so don't get hung up on my straw men, instead, let it be a trigger for the following reflection:

What does the physical position you adopt in private or public worship say about you and your attitude to the Living God? Consider the writer of the book of Hebrews when he says:

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:22-29

It strikes me that he would encourage us to (physical) expressions of exuberance, reverence and contemplation.

Only when you meet the true and living God, does this blend of all three make any sense.

Boxhill on Boxing Day... Well almost.

2011-12-30T01:05:00.003Z

On 3rd March I'll be doing five 8 mile loops around Boxhill. The first on foot, the second, third and fourth on a bike and the final lap back on foot again.

As a result, I thought I'd go and check out the course.

It's not as bad as I feared, but the circuit finishes with a gentle but relentless 2 mile ascent (about as steep as the worst part of Kendrick Rd in Reading).

After running round once, I have that depressing feeling that I have a lot more to do before the course becomes my friend.

Abraham and Zechariah: More in Common than You'd Think

2011-12-26T11:26:00.001Z

Abe, Sarah and Isaac

Here are some parallels between Abraham, the great patriarch and Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist:

Both are priests. (Gen.12:7, (Lk.1:8-9)
Both are men of faith for many years, are old and have no children because their wives cannot conceive (Gen.18:11, Lk.1:7)
Both have a messenger from Heaven to tell them that they are going to have sons through the power of God (Gen.12:2, Lk.1:11)
Both express incredulity at the promise of God, (Gen.17:17, Lk.1:18) but whilst Abraham is let off, Zechariah should have known better with all that history behind them.

Zech, Liz and John

Both Abraham's son, Isaac and Zechariah's son, John will live lives that prepare the hearts of the people to receive the Messiah. Isaac by the story of his life and John by preaching a baptism of repentance (Lk.1:76-77).
Both Abraham and Zechariah have their eyes firmly fixed not on their earthly prosperity, but on the salvation of God and Heavenly destiny (Heb.11:10,16, Lk.1:68-69,78-79).

Another International Christmas Day Lunch

2011-12-25T19:12:00.001Z

Another International Christmas Lunch at [address removed for security reasons]. India, Nigeria, Malaysia, Botswana and Ghana were all represented around the table. Malaysia brought music, Nigeria brought poetry, Botswana and Ghana brought games and India and the Home Team brought food.

I thought I had been abstemious with the amount of food I bought this year, but I still have a barrel load of left overs! It's already freezing and will not reappear until at least half way through April!

As you can see from the photo, we forgot to pull the crackers until half way through the meal. I am particularly proud of the table decoration. I'm discovering creative talents these days, I didn't know I had.

Happy Christmas.

What do Santa and the Living God have in Common? Less than You Think

2011-12-25T13:00:00.012Z

Great poem. Not your usual predictable anti-commercialist tirade. Makes you think.

[Author's script here]

Enjoy...

The Perfection and Powerlessness of both Creation and Law

2011-12-24T16:53:00.003Z

This morning I listened to a classic of Christian Literature: Athanasius: On the Incarnation. You can pick it up for free (along with lots of other stuff), here.

One of the things that struck me was that Athanasius appears to be saying that as sin increased, so revelation (grace) increased to curb our corruption and point us to God. In other words, Adam understood very well the way of salvation through Christ to the Father and that it was not ignorance (as so commonly assumed) that lead him and Eve astray, but deliberate disobedience of the full revelation of God in Christ to him (Ps.19:1-2, Rom.1:19-20), hence such a mighty curse. He says:

God knew the limitation of mankind, you see; and though the grace of being made in His Image was sufficient to give them knowledge of the Word and through Him of the Father, as a safeguard against their neglect of this grace, He provided the works of creation also as means by which the Maker might be known. Nor was this all. Man's neglect of the indwelling grace tends ever to increase; and against this further frailty also God made provision by giving them a law, and by sending prophets, men whom they knew. Thus, if they were tardy in looking up to heaven, they might still gain knowledge of their Maker from those close at hand; for men can learn directly about higher things from other men. Three ways thus lay open to them, by which they might obtain the knowledge of God. They could look up into the immensity of heaven, and by pondering the harmony of creation come to know its Ruler, the Word of the Father, Whose all-ruling providence makes known the Father to all. Or, if this was beyond them, they could converse with holy men, and through them learn to know God, the Artificer of all things, the Father of Christ, and to recognise the worship of idols as the negation of the truth and full of all impiety. Or else, in the third place, they could cease from lukewarmness and lead a good life merely by knowing the law. For the law was not given only for the Jews, nor was it solely for their sake that God sent the prophets, though it was to the Jews that they were sent and by the Jews that they were persecuted. The law and the prophets were a sacred school of the knowledge of God and the conduct of the spiritual life for the whole world.

He continues:

When the madness of idolatry and irreligion filled the world and the knowledge of God was hidden, whose part was it to teach the world about the Father? Man's, would you say? But men cannot run everywhere over the world, nor would their words carry sufficient weight if they did, nor would they be, unaided, a match for the evil spirits. Moreover, since even the best of men were confused and blinded by evil, how could they convert the souls and minds of others? You cannot put straight in others what is warped in yourself. Perhaps you will say, then, that creation was enough to teach men about the Father. But if that had been so, such great evils would never have occurred. Creation was there all the time, but it did not prevent men from wallowing in error. Once more, then, it was the Word of God, Who sees all that is in man and moves all things in creation, Who alone could meet the needs of the situation. It was His part and His alone, Whose ordering of the universe reveals the Father, to renew the same teaching. But how was He to do it? By the same means as before, perhaps you will say, that is, through the works of creation. But this was proven insufficient. Men had neglected to consider the heavens before, and now they were looking in the opposite direction. Wherefore, in all naturalness and fitness, desiring to do good to men, as Man He dwells, taking to Himself a body like the rest; and through His actions done in that body, as it were on their own level, He teaches those who would not learn by other means to know Himself, the Word of God, and through Him the Father.

Put another way, creation and law do teach us well enough the way to be saved, but they are powerless to effect that salvation. The greater our corruption, the more obvious their impotence became. This then is something of what Paul is getting at when he says: "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man" Rom.8:3.

Only God can save and that he joyfully does is humbling and good news indeed.

Happy Christmas!

[Thanks Glen for flagging this up.]

Not What I Was Expecting...

2011-12-21T10:00:00.001Z

Back in September I declared some goals I wanted to achieve between now and the end of the Autumn Term. How have I been getting on?

Most have begun (apart from the garden and the book reading) but, I must admit sheepishly, are far from finished.

Regarding the garden, I tend to zone out when the subject is raised as I'm no Alan Titchmarsh and I don't really know where to begin. As for the reading? Well... err...[awkward silence] Not to mention the relative dearth of blogging.

What I didn't know back when I conceived those ideas was that a certain lovely lady, for whom I had held a flame of affection for many years, who had twice honourably rebutted my advances and who I thought had walked out of my life for good in the Summer of 2010, would suddenly reappear on the horizon of my world - coming towards me.

I met Elli again at a wedding [Thanks Pete and Milly] in early September and feelings that I'd laid to rest for good, or so I thought, disconcertingly sprang to life again, much like in a Jane Austen novel, I guess. Moreover, something in me sensed that she was in a different place than she had been before. So after the wedding, I braved writing a letter declaring my "soft spot," (again) and asking her out, then waited for an eternity of 5 days (a nervous wreck) until the reply arrived. To my astonishment, I found my affection reciprocated!

Suffice to say, two and a half months in and things are going very well! I think about her lots and often wonder if this type and quantity of happiness is really possible / healthy / legal, as I think my heart might just go pop!

Carol Time!

2011-12-20T12:04:00.001Z

At our church carol service on Sunday, we saw a video put together by the great Josh John:

The music in the background contained snippets from a hauntingly beautiful 15th Cent. French carol called Noel Nouvelet (English version words here):

Christmas Meditation: The Heart of the Giver

2011-12-16T19:57:00.005Z

It is more blessed to give than to receive is a phrase you hear a lot at this time of year and it’s not just from clever kids who want to blackmail their parents into getting them presents! It's something we genuinely believe to be true.

In the school Christmas play this year, "A Modern Christmas Carol" (an impressive reworking of the original Dickens' classic by one of our drama teachers), we saw programme producer Ebenezer Scrooge learn that it's more blessed to give than to receive; as the ghosts of Christmas TV specials past, present and future took him on a life-transforming journey from selfish money grabber to joyful giver. Had that journey gone in the opposite direction, we would have been horrified and forlorn.

You may have seen the little advert produced by the dept store – John Lewis showing a young boy who can’t wait for Christmas, not because of what he's going to receive, but because he can’t wait to give his messily wrapped present to his parents (This ad has, I bet, brought tears to many an adult’s eye up and down the country.)

Indeed, one of the things it means to be a mature adult is to be a giver. When we arrive in the world as babies, all we can do is take. All we can give the world, in tangible terms, is soiled nappies. but as we grow up to be adults, the expectation for our correct development is that we become givers: to our families, to our communities and to our nation. The only thing more shocking than a selfish child, is a selfish adult.

But why is it like this? Why is it that when we see acts of kindness, our hearts grow warm and something in us says “yes” that is the way the world should be? Why is it that sharing is right and hording is wrong?

The reason is that every human being is made in the likeness of the God who is a giver and when we give, give generously, give sacrificially, give joyfully, we are reflecting / echoing the heart of the God who is the ultimate giver. At Christmas, Christians celebrate the generosity of this giving God who gave the best gift he could to the world – his very own Son.

This gift of Jesus means three things:

1. We now know what God is like.
No one has ever seen God (Jn.1:18). The best we can come up with on our own when we think about what God is like, is that he must be powerful and clever - since he created the known natural world and universe. But Jesus has made him known - close up and personally known. The words of Jesus are the words of God, the actions of Jesus are the actions of God – the very heart of Jesus is the very heart of God. There is nothing left to guess about God once you have met Jesus.

2. We can know friendship with God.
If we're honest with ourselves – none of us are perfect – we all have faults and imperfect creatures cannot stand in the presence of a perfect and holy God. We are unworthy to stand before him, but in the gift of Jesus, God started a process - completed at Easter - whereby he reconciled the whole world to himself (2Cor.5:18-19). We can now know God as Father, not fear him as Judge (Jn.3:16).

3. We can live with God forever.
Even without the imperfections mentioned above, it's impossible for us human beings - made out of the dust of the earth - to stand in front of God without being burned up – it’s a bit like plugging your t.v. directly into an electric pylon and then being surprised when it explodes. The surge of power is too great. God's gift of Jesus means that though our bodies will one day ware out and die, we can be resurrected to a glorious and eternal life where we shine like the sun (Phil.3:20-21, Matt.13:43).

So thank God for Jesus! For in Jesus, God offers you his very heart. What will you do with that gift this Christmas and indeed all year round? Remember too, the next time you give, you're doing nothing original (Ec.1:9), but you are beautifully echoing the great Giver, who has given his heart to the world through giving his Son (1Chron.29:14-15).

Belated Fun Friday!

2011-12-10T07:55:00.001Z

Thanks to my brother for pointing out this.

Towards a Better Answer - Maybe

2011-12-07T20:56:00.003Z

buzzlol.com

There'll be some things I write here that I'll unreservedly regret, others only half so. This post is an example of the latter.

Maybe this isn't quite right either, but it is an improvement on the previous post - I hope.

As I understand it, angels did sing as Jesus created the universe - Job 38:7, but their song fell silent at the shock of Adam and Eve rebelling against God - for now not everything was good, some things were really, really bad. That song was silent for thousands of years (Rev.4:8,10)

However they break forth in new song when the eternal Son returns to Heaven, the glorious victor - triumphing over sin, death and the devil and being given all authority and power by his Father (Rev.5:9).

But maybe I'm still barking up the wrong tree.

Believe it or not, I'm not big into angelology.

From Idolatry to Ideology aka From a Rock to a Hard Place.

2011-12-02T20:42:00.005Z

In a sermon I listened to recently, a passing comment was made that Israel gave up worshipping idols after the Exile. Up until that point, they had been repeatedly warned by the prophets not to go "whoring" after images of created things - contravening the second commandment (see Exodus 32 for the most famous example).

That didn't mean that everything was OK though...

By the time Messiah arrived, the problem was not overt idolatry but overt legalism. Jesus never once said: "put away your idols," but in Matthew 22, he does rebuke them for their worthless belief that their ideology of rules (and inconsistent ones at that) would justify them before God.

Idolatry and Legalism
United

Of course, idolatry and legalism / ideology are both alive and well today even if they are not as obvious as in the above examples. We continue to lust after created things, (materialism / eroticism etc.) And whilst traditional political ideology may be totally discredited in the West, the self-help sections of the internet, bookstore and broadcast media prove that we are just as prone to think that the main thing we need to fix our problems is a legalistically executed three, five or seven point action plan.

The human heart cannot transform itself, it can only find ways covering over its imperfections - trying to make itself look good when deep down it is utterly flawed. We may be able to fool each other some or even all of the time. But he who sits enthroned in Heaven looks incredulously upon it all. We think we look good, but we are about as sophisticated as a dog chasing his own tail.

We need transformation, not reformation. We need the reality of God through Christ by the Spirit, not the image of God through Man (Adam) by the Law.

34 and Counting

2011-11-30T17:21:00.008Z

Yesterday I turned 34.

Most of the day was average.

Amongst the cards there was this "true to form" poetic offering from mother:

Great oafs from little infants grow,
It is a truthful saying.
Full four and thirty years have rolled,
And all of us are praying
That Rich will ever greater grow,
In oafishness and knowledge,
By cycling much and preaching loud
And eating bowls of porridge.

My favourite gift was this one, a new addition to the staffroom cupboard, decorated by a very dear friend. Hopefully, having my name on it in big letters means it won't go walkies:

I like to think of myself as a Bob Parr.

Ascension @ BTF Tomorrow Night

2011-11-20T17:05:00.001Z

Today at RFC, Dave Bish preached an outstanding message on the Ascension! Whether you were there or not, do go to the church website and download it, there is much there to enjoy and meditate on. Worth a(nother) listen, imho!

In God's beautiful timing, tomorrow night, we'll be thinking more on the event of the Ascension at Biblical Thinking Forum (@Church office), joining up some more of the dots and seeing more of how this incredible event fits into the big picture of all that the Father, Son and Spirit are up to in history and how we get our lives in sync with this awesome and glorious reality.

If you want to catch a flavour of what we'll be talking about, click here for a copy of the notes.

Secular Pseudo Saviours

2011-11-15T07:21:00.006Z

In last week's sermon at church, Sitho explained how Jesus is the true and final prophet, priest and king. Listen again here.

It got me thinking, (yes dangerous I know), because one of the popular myths of our time is that as a society we have left the ridiculously primitive and superstitious ways of our Neanderthal forebears behind in favour of more civilised, enlightened and sophisticated modes of existence. Or to put it another way, the human race (in the West at least) has finally "grown up," and in doing so, thrown off the shackles of religion in favour of a narcissist voyage of discovery. (There is of course some truth in the fact that humanity is "growing up," but that can remain for another post...)

So our culture has created a pseudo trinity. In a secular (and to all intents and purposes - atheist) universe, the only thing left that can transcend human experience when you've given up on eternal persons is "empirical" principles. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all usurped (as if that we possible) as Rationalist science, liberal democracy and free markets have conferred upon them much more weight and credit than they ever deserved or asked for.

Instead of the priest, we have the scientist - teaching us what is really real and working on our behalf to deliver us from ev... I mean our ills and fears.

Instead of the prophet - we have the politician declaring to us our woes and how we can change to avoid calamity and bring about Hea... I mean Utopia on the earth.

Instead of the king - we have the business leaders and bankers who through their reigning credit facility and employment powers provide meaning, structure and rule for our everyday lives. Theirs is the kingdo... I mean the property, the influence and the money. Now and for a while yet.

The question is not do I need a saviour, but rather who or what is my saviour? And can they come through for me when it really matters? In life...? After death...?

The Seed of the Gospel

2011-11-05T23:10:00.004Z

This blog entry comes to you from my smartphone on the train as I'm trying to maximise my use of time and fit everything in! What a frenetic world it is!

It seems to me that one of the nasty bi-products of the otherwise good debate that continues between creationists and evolutionists is that we spend so much time trying to shoehorn evolutionary theory into Genesis 1 (or vice versa depending on our starting point) that we lose sight of what God most importantly wants to tell us in Genesis 1, namely about his glorious gospel.

Genesis 1 is like a seed, out of which the great Tree of Life that is the gospel of Jesus Christ grows and flourishes.

A seed may not look like the tree it will one day become, but the essential DNA is there, all that's needed is water, food, sunlight and a gardener.

The world of Genesis 1 is like a seed which the eternal Son shines upon as he takes hold of it, feeds and waters it, with the ultimate aim of seeing his loving Heavenly Father's purposes flourish.

Genesis 1 has all the elements of the gospel, it's just that we need new eyes to see.

Who Did Ezekiel See?

2011-10-26T12:07:00.006+01:00

Shame that in this interpretation, the Man looks more like a grandfather than a son.

The Glory that Ezekiel meets in Ezek.1, is not an impersonal light-bulby type glory, but a personal one who later in Ezek.3:23 stands and talks with him.

In fact, He looks similar to the Man, Daniel sees in Dan.7 and the Man John meets in Rev.1 and given that only God can deal in the impossible - like being eternal - I reckon they are all appearances of the same person. Yet no one has ever seen God (John 1:18)

So no prizes for guessing who I think it is - the eternal second person of the Trinity joyfully and obediently revealing His unseen Father to the world and fulfilling all his Father's purpose (Matt.11:27, Rev.1:17, Heb.1:3).

What Do Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have in Common with an Ox, a Lion, an Eagle and a Man?

2011-10-25T18:01:00.010+01:00

If you're familiar with the writings of the early church, you'll know that they associated the gospels of Jesus with four living creatures: an ox, a lion, an eagle and a man. Depending on who you read, you will associate the different animals with different gospels for different reasons, and who knows - perhaps there's meant to be a certain ambiguity to them, it keeps us human control freaks humble and on our toes.

James Jordan (no prizes for guessing that I side with him thus far) sees Matthew with the Ox, Mark with the Lion, Luke with the Eagle and John with the Man. The Ox being symbolic of Priesthood and Sanctuary, the Lion of King and Kingdom, the Eagle of Prophet and World and the Man of Messiah fulfilling the first three restoring us to fellowship with God.

(If you didn't know anything about what I have just written, don't worry, neither did I until about 5hrs ago! But if you're like me then this is interesting stuff.)

These four animals connect back into the Old Testament both to the visions at the beginning of Ezekiel (see also Rev.4:7) and to the layout of the camp of Israel in the Wilderness. Jordan writes:

Now, these are the four gospels. From ancient times it has been known that Matthew wrote first (despite all the nonsense of liberals during the last century). Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, in his out-of-print book The Fruit of Lips, presents some compelling arguments to show that each of the gospel writers was adding to the previous writer, and in fact that each gospel picks up where the preceding one left off in terms of theme.

He goes on...

Matthew presents Christ as Ox/Moses. His book is full of speeches, for the ear is central. Jesus is law-giver. God is the Father and the God of heaven, and "kingdom of heaven" is Matthew’s term (pointing back to the symbolism of the Tabernacle).

Mark presents Jesus as a man of action. Mark presents Jesus as Lion/David, performing great works, swiftly going here and there, for the hand is central. In Mark, Jesus always does things "immediately." Mark is shorter than Matthew not because Mark wrote first (what a silly argument!), but because Mark does not provide the great sermons. The field of action is the land.

Luke presents Jesus as the Eagle/Prophet, interacting with gentiles and women much more than the other two. In Luke, Jesus is always on the move, and half of his book is taken up with the Travel Narrative to Jerusalem, for the foot is central. The Spirit receives the great emphasis in Luke and Acts. The field of action is the world.

Finally, John presents Jesus as Man, the Image of God. The phrase "son of man" used in the other gospels points to Jesus as second Adamic priest, king, and prophet. The phrase "son of God" used in John points to Jesus as the image of God, true humanity as well as true God. John’s Jesus tours the sanctuary, which represents heaven. Thus, John puts us in the Throneland.

To fully understand the bits I have quoted, read the complete (not too long) article here.

Behold Your God: Biblical Thinking Forum Handout

2011-10-17T21:09:00.003+01:00

Last week, a bunch of us met to think about five ways Jesus fulfills the prophetic Old Testament hope.

For those interested, the handout is available here. It's for note taking rather than doing the job for me, so only if you know where I am coming from will it really be any use to you. Feel free to use if you would like.

That said in summary:

Jesus is the true man - the better Adam who after his death like sleep, receives a bride and becomes the head of a new humanity.

Jesus is the true son - the better Isaac who is the miraculously born son, offered up by his father as a sacrifice and who as a result receives the pre-eminent blessing beyond that of any of his contemporaries.

Jesus is the true prophet - the better Moses who leads the people out of slavery and teaches and fulfills the words of God from a mount(ain).

Jesus is the true high priest - the better Aaron who, as our great forerunner goes through baptism (death and resurrection) into the great holy place of God and is anointed with an eternal blessing that he shares with his people.

Jesus is the true king - the better David who crushes the great accuser of God's people and brings them peace and security.

Theology For All The Senses

2011-10-15T14:44:00.009+01:00

James Jordan's teaching has begun to have a significant impact on the way I read the whole Bible. Not that I've stopped thinking for myself, or that I unquestioningly agree with all he says, you understand. Why is that?

R. R. Reno puts it well in his forward to a book celebrating the life ministry of this man still living.

Jim takes texts such as Leviticus seriously on their own terms. He brings to life the intense concreteness of tabernacle and sanctuary, and he allows the prophets a retrospective restoration as well as a prospective anticipation. As Jim has helped me see, the Scriptures are forever reaching back and renewing even as they reach forward to fulfillment in Christ.

The themes that Jordan sees running through the Bible are not abstract and philosophical - cut loose from any kind of day to day reality - as our modern (scientific?) mindset so readily assumes. He deals the message of the Bible in ways you can see, hear, eat, drink, smell and touch.

Hmmm... That's beginning to sound like a theology of Incarnation - the Word becoming flesh - and I'm beginning to see that that's the point.

Something Fishy

2011-10-08T18:02:00.001+01:00

Have you ever wondered why Christians adopted a fish as their first ever brand logo? Reasons abound on the interweb, and I have no reason to disagree with them, but I wonder if it also goes beyond the pragmatic (avoiding persecution) and the practical (using his disciples' own jobs as a convenient illustration on how to do evangelism) to something that expresses the deep, broad sweep of God's actions in history - his plan of salvation. Let me explain...

Back in the Old Testament, the people of God, starting with the patriarchs, were shepherds looking after sheep, cattle and goats etc. (Gen.45:10). This was "convenient" as they needed a bundle of them for use in the sacrificial system that God's covenant would require at that point in history.

Moreover, shepherding was an activity that was done on dry land. Back in Genesis 1 on the third day, God raised the land up out of the turbulent waters of the great deep and set it above them. In the Bible, being on land is a picture of being in Christ - the solid rock; being in water is a picture of being under judgement. Salvation is being taken from the turbulent waters and placed on the dry land. (Ps. 40:2, 66:6, 69:1ff etc). It's not a metaphor that's hard to understand, how long can you do life treading water or fleeing Jaws?

But it's more specific than that - the turbulent sea is likened in the Bible to the enemies of God and his people (Is.57:20, Jude.1:13). In the Old Testament, this was the Gentile nations. In the New Testament, it's those who refuse to welcome the Lordship of Christ and who, under the authority of the great serpent (Rev.13:1), want to devour the people of God completely. Waves lapping at the shore - trying to "devour" the land - is a picture of how the enemies of God try, unsuccessfully, to destroy the testimony of his Christ and consume his people.

So come to the New Testament, the fulfillment of the covenant in Christ and the great commission (Matt.28:19-20) and a new "job" is given to the disciples - that of fishing (Matt.4:19, Mk.1:17). Plucking fish out of the water is a picture of loving your enemies and plucking their souls out of darkness.

Just as fishermen are carried in a boat (like an ark) propelled by the wind across the sea to bring back a harvest from the deep. So too God's people, commissioned and carried by Christ in the power of the Spirit, move out across the face of the earth to bring people out of the dark waters of judgement and death up into the bright, firm, secure and life giving love of God in Christ.

I Almost Fell For This One...

2011-09-25T06:56:00.004+01:00

Checking email on my phone is a new world for me and as a result, this phishing scam almost reeled me in, beware...

We detected an unsuccessful login attempt from an unfamiliarlocation. For the security of your account, kindly Re-Login Below
Secure Login
The Google Team.

Link sends you here:

Only when I noticed the web address had nothing to do with Google that I actually smelt a rat!

Was Jonah the Prophet Merely Racist?

2011-09-23T21:27:00.006+01:00

In an attempt to achieve some of my goals, I have combined them! So out running this evening I took some mp3s on Jonah. The bad news is: I pulled a muscle - ridiculous. I wasn't even straining and I ended up spraining! Most frustrating I can assure you. I had to hobble home in front of all the kids playing football! :-( Anyway, that's not relevant to this post...

When most of us think of Jonah the OT prophet, we tend to cast him as a Jewish nationalist / racist. It's obvious isn't it? Why else would he want to run away from God's command to go to preach salvation to Gentiles at Ninevah?

The mp3 I listened to whilst attempting to run / hobble home suggests that this is far too superficial a reading of the story. Yes, Jonah is a compromised man who needs grace and a transformed understanding, but as a prophet set apart by God himself, is it really fair to label him a bungling bigot? God gives grace to sinners, but he doesn't give his prophetic office to any old xenophobic baffoon.

Consider the following...

Back in Deuteronomy, the LORD promised that if Israel was unfaithful, he would provoke them to jealousy by leaving them and giving his covenant blessing to another people (Deut.32:21). This is exactly the context of Jonah, who was a prophet in Samaria (Northern Israel) under Jeroboam II (2Ki.14:23-25). Jeroboam was no saint, rather he was an apostate king, and the people followed him into sin.

So when the "Word of the LORD" comes to Jonah and tells him to go to Ninevah. Jonah knows that this is the beginning of the fulfillment of that Deut.32:21 prophecy. A fulfillment that would find its fullest expression in the New Testament (Acts 13:45,17:5, Rom.10:19, 1Thess.2:14-15). It's not a hatred of the Ninevites that drives him in the opposite direction, but a grieving realisation that God is beginning to close the Old Covenant - something he doesn't want to face up to. Israel have ceased being the Head and would soon be the tail of the nations (Deut.28:44).

Interesting thought, I thought.

Testing 2

2011-09-21T06:47:00.003+01:00

Whilst eating my porridge with cranberries, I thought I would see if I can upload a photo to my blog via iPhone. So here's my dinner from last night - a Chinese recipe: Liver, broccoli and ginger soup. :-) (Yes, I know I'm sad!)

Gained Time Goals: Progress Check 1

2011-09-20T21:28:00.001+01:00

So, it's been just over a week since I publicly stated some goals for this term. How have I gotten on?

Well, progress has started slower than anticipated due to unexpected visitations.

My new training app

On Monday, the lovely OfStEd gave our school "the phone call" so I was on bestest behaviour all week! :-S Whilst optimistic, we can't assume anything and await the formal publishing of the report - a few weeks from now.

As a result, I'm on track with the 1/2 marathon training, (no pun intended) grasping the nettles, literally (and it hurt for over 24hrs afterwards) in the back garden, and I've begun to plough the streets of Whitley in prayer, in hope of a new harvest, but the rest remain, as yet, untouched.

We have my housemate's stag do this weekend. So I doubt we'll see any acceleration in progress just yet. :-)

Testing

2011-09-18T21:52:00.003+01:00

Just seeing if my new phone can post to my blog ok...

An RFC First... I think.

2011-09-12T20:55:00.001+01:00

Mark Amos, a member of our church, has had his first article posted on the NewFrontiers theology blog!

This is jolly exciting!! Why not go and have a peek...

Gained Time Goals

2011-09-11T21:52:00.005+01:00

Now that I'm part time at work, I figure I should probably have some goals to help me focus in the gained time! So here goes, by Christmas I hope to have:

Improved my running up to half marathon distance. (I am currently so unfit I can barely complete 5k without collapsing and I've signed up for the Reading Half Marathon and another duathlon next Spring to encourage some umph creation!)
Finished listening to James Jordan preaching through the OT prophets (almost a sermon every weekday night between now and December! :-S
Planned Biblical Thinking Forum 2012.
Transformed the back garden into an "eat your heart out Eden Project" masterpiece.
Finished at least three books that I've started reading, but haven't yet had the discipline to complete.
Walked down and prayed for every street in Whitley.

Feel free to ask me how I am getting on and I'll try not to get defensive if I'm not achieving (any of) them in the way I had envisaged.

True Equality Without Fudging DIfferences?

2011-09-08T19:31:00.001+01:00

Source

If you're like me, then you will say a hearty "Ay-men!" to the belief that the true God is a loving community of three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You'll also "big it up bruv" (I've been working with adolescent boys for too long!!) when you hear someone say that within that divine community there is equality of personhood, but distinction and subordination of roles. The WILL of the Father is worked out through the OBEDIENCE of the Son in the POWER of the Spirit.

But here's a question. How do you maintain that distinction and subordination without somehow losing the equality? The reason I say that is because in this shadow world where we now live - temporarily, we talk a good game about the equality of humanity but in truth, we don't really believe it. We value some people more highly than others, we just do. The President of the United States is more important than an anonymous nobody fleeing the famine stricken plains of East Africa.

How do you avoid mapping that fallen assumption onto your view of God?
How do you avoid falling into thinking that because the Father calls all the shots, he is more important than the Son and the Spirit? How do you maintain - genuine heartfelt equality for all the Trinity and how does that flow into your everyday relationships with those who are made in the image of the Trinitarian God?

Peter Leithart, citing Brian Trainor, gives a helpful corrective to our thinking. Get ready for some grammatical gymnastics. He says:

What is in the ‘mind’ of the Father is sovereign but what is in the mind of the Father is the Son, the eternally beloved object of his being as Father, in much the same was as a mother ‘is’ . . . the ‘consciousness of her new-born child.’ The Son is the ‘eternal, absolute end’ of his (God’s) being as Father; the Father is the ‘eternal, absolute origin of his (God’s) being as Son, and this sovereignty of each in the ‘divine consciousness / perspective’ (for want of a better term) of the other ‘is’ (or eternally generates) the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is sovereign in the sense that love, or the Spirit of Love, is the supreme, sole and eternal ‘origin and end’ of the life of the Trinity, whereas the Father is sovereign, not so much in authority, as in the sense that he is the ‘author-ial’ source of all that is. . . . The Father is Author; the Son Authors; the Son is the ‘verb’ of the Father’s ‘noun.”

He suggests that “we should think . . . in terms of the Son having all authority and the Father having none. Jesus is not second to the Father in authority, for Jesus is the Word of the Father, is the authority of the Father as original Author, is the One who conveys, ‘authors,’ makes present, bears, crystallises and expresses his Person, the Father as original Author.” My one quibble here is the thought that the Father “has none.” Not so: Because the Son is idios to the Father’s being, the Father “has” the authority/authoring that is the Son just as surely as He has His Fatherhood or anything else for that matter. Other than that, Trainor’s comments seem entirely Athanasian.

In case you didn' know, Athanasius was a goodie in church history.

He finishes with a lovely illustration. Feels like he's on the same page as me - or should I say - I'm on the same page as him?

Practically, this works out in the family as a model of servant headship, service through authority. Trainor summarizes a lovely passage from John Paul II who “unequivocally . . . endorses what Paul teaches in Ephesians 5:22-23 concerning the authority of the father as head of the home, but he (John Paul II) also insists on ‘mutual subjection’ or a kind of ‘triple subjection,’ that is, on the subjection of the wife to the husband as ‘head’ of the house, of the husband to the wife as the ‘heart’ of the home, and of both to Christ as their common Lord and Saviour.”

Full article here

I'm in Good Company

2011-09-07T19:30:00.000+01:00

Andrew Wilson is doing an interesting series over at the NewFrontiers thelogy website on one of the paradoxes in the Church, namely: if Christians really believe in the authority and clarity of the Bible, why do they disagree (and fall out) so much about what they think it's really saying?

It's a good question.

As he writes, he cites examples of things he has publicly taught in the past which have turned out to be plain wrong...

I, for example, have already believed, and taught, lots of things that I have since discovered were based on wrong or very unreliable evidence, ranging from the trivial (the rope around the high priest’s leg when he went into the Most Holy Place), to the potentially quite important (Gehenna was a rubbish dump in Jesus’ day, which explains the language he uses about it), as well as several interpretations of texts that I would never advance now (Hebrews 10:26-31 is threatening Christians with a loss of reward). It’s not just me: DA Carson cited a whole bunch of his own blunders in his book Exegetical Fallacies, and one friend of mine tells me that in Terry Virgo’s early days, he preached that when we worship God, “we literally make him bigger”, so I’m in good company. Following Tom Wright, then, I now tell people on training courses I run that some chunks of what I teach them will be false – it’s just that I don’t know which chunks they are, or I would change them.

I can think of a few of my own and sympathize with his pain, no doubt there are others I haven't seen yet and so ask for your continued patience! :-S

Most of all, I'm glad that my standing before God is not based on my theological correctness (perceived or otherwise), but on Christ's compassionate and indestructible righteousness.

Full article and food for thought here.

The Bridegroom Builds the House, the Bride Beautifies it

2011-09-02T15:18:00.000+01:00

Whilst it doesn't apply any more in some "modern" cultures, in many parts of the world, when a man leaves his parents to marry and set up his own family, he will build a house from scratch himself.

Then, dowry paid, he will welcome his bride into that abode and she will take that house and by the work of her hands and the fruit of her womb, beautify it (or to give it a bible term - glorify it) and make it not just a house, but a home - full of life.

This is a metaphor, (not a moral imperative - which is good news cos I'm useless at DIY - I think that a monkey nut is something you throw into the chimp enclosure) that shows the relationship between Christ and his Church.

Right back at the beginning of time, under the direction of his Father, Jesus the Son built a three-storey house (water-land-heavens) called Earth (Jn.1:3, Col.1:16, Prov.8:30). He then placed his bride - created humanity - in charge of that house with the mandate to beautify it (Gen.1:28) with life.

All this was a pattern - a prophetic image that would later become a reality after the resurrection of Jesus and the giving of the Spirit. Now a new humanity - a true humanity - is filling the earth and beautifying it, preparing this earthly house for the return of her bridegroom.

Christians don't "go to heaven" at least not in any ultimate sense. True Christian hope is for the renewal of this earth, the one on which you are standing right now, it is what they are (or should be) living for, working for, praying for, dying for after the pattern of the one who gave everything to have them in that new world with him. (Matt.16:24)

When the Spirit and Bride say: "Come Lord Jesus" (Rev.22:20) It isn't a "Come Lord Jesus and take me away from this dreadful place, put me on a cloud and give me a harp," it's a "Come home - all is ready! (Prov.9:1) Come and take your bride in your arms and make her happy with your love forever." (Song of Songs 8:2)

Looks like there's a bit of work to do before this house is ready. So we pray: "Let it be on the earth as it is in Heaven..." (Matt 6:10)

Irony & iPhones

2011-09-02T00:00:00.000+01:00

My mobile phone contract came up for renewal, so I've just come into the 21st century and got an iPhone. I was only able to get the 3GS if I wanted to upgrade free, which I did!

Before I made the leap, I got salivating by watching the following video. Would be interested know if you saw the same irony I did.

The irony being that tens if not hundreds of people have spend years of their lives working on developing this clever little box, worked through the night to meet deadlines, gone home dejected because they hit some technological riddle that they thought unsolvable, only to go home some time later absolutely euphoric because cracked that same riddle.

Producing something of intuitive simplicity was at times anything but intuitive and definitely monstrously complex. They want you to know that too, so you can be impressed and smile as they deduct those hundreds of pounds from your bank account knowing in your heart that the huge figure is not only wholly morally justified, it's amazing value!

I happen to agree and am not being sarcastic! In this case the workers are definitely entitled to their wages! :-)

What I find ironic and tragic is that many of the very same people - due to the empty ways of life handed down to them by their forebears (1 Pet.1:18) - will go home and tell their partners / family / pet dog / pot plants that all natural life - infinitely more complex than any machine like this - randomly appeared by chance - blind to and/or happy with the incredible disconnect in their thinking (Isa.44:20)

Surely we can show them a better way than this...

A Same-But-Different Beginning

2011-09-01T11:56:00.001+01:00

Today started as any other, although for me it marks the beginning of a slightly different journey.

If I had said nothing, you probably wouldn't have noticed any change whatsoever, but today I become 0.8 of a real teacher as I go part time.

The theory being I'll work 9-5 Mon-Fri and take nothing home at evenings and weekends (other than in exceptional circumstances). This would leave me free in the evenings for more theological study and pastoral care.

The challenge for me will be in making sure I fill the free time with the right things and knowing when to say no.

It's exciting, but (now it has arrived it's) also a little daunting, as I don't really know where it will lead just yet.

Also, if you suddenly get the impression that my gifts and general hospitality towards you are not as generous as they used to be, you're probably right. Please just smile understandingly. It won't be because I don't love you as much. :-)

PXR Borneo 2011

2011-09-01T11:20:00.003+01:00

I forgot to mention that I'd be out of the office for a month or so in Borneo, although those of you who read here regularly might have spotted clues in some of the July posts.

School-trip-tastic it has been. We visited these places, with the help of these people.

Some of the many highlights for me were - in no particular order:

Snorkeling amongst tropical fish
Conquering Mt Kinabalu
Trying Durian fruit (described as eating a mixture of over-ripe strawberries and raw onion in a room with a gas leak!)
Air conditioning!!!
Sleeping in a hammock
Watching the boys freak out when they got attacked by a leach!
Meeting orangutans and other wild life.
Being asked to speak at a local church - fortunately there was an interpreter.
Hearing the dawn chorus
Reading books - when I got the chance
Sharing a room with a retired Royal Marine, now Outdoor pursuits freelancer, and hearing many an anecdote about military life.
The food
Chinese films featuring jumping vampires
Members of the group who were prepared to laugh at my jokes
Saya oran putti gilla!
The people of Long Pasia
Being told by one of the boys that for a French teacher, I was "surprisingly intelligent." Read into that what you will! :-)
Writing cards to all the team on the last day.

Planning to go to Ethiopia in 2013. If all goes well, I may even be a qualified Mountain Leader myself, by then.

A National Hero

2011-07-28T14:11:00.006+01:00

Today Britain lost one of its best defenders (2Ki.2:12, Isa.31:1).

Radio 4 paid homage to John Stott CBE on the Today programme, but as is the way with modern media, by lunch time, he had been all but forgotten, just a page remains.

He came to our house when I was a young whipper-snapper, (yes I am name dropping) and apparently (although you understand I find this hard to believe), I incited my brother to call him "stupid head." Not the finest hour of my childhood. As you can imagine, my parents were absolutely mortified. Stott himself was, as you would guess, incredibly gracious.

Whilst I haven't followed closely the writings of this great man, (I can only remember reading The Incomparable Christ cover to cover. That and a quick dip into other people's copies of his BST commentaries) I did grow up under a father who was massively influenced by him. I will probably never fully appreciate the weight of that blessing until after I'm dead myself.

As a bachelor, he had no children, but his legacy to subsequent generations will be greater than any son or daughter of his might have passed on.

Tis for us who remain to take up the mantle.

SuperTED

2011-07-28T09:04:00.005+01:00

This is clever, but it's a shame that the conclusion has been disemboweled of any moral force.

Something else to make you think:

Something that makes you realise our civilisation is in the throes of death:

In Other News...

2011-07-27T17:54:00.001+01:00

...I'm generally not into nepotism or cronyism, but... my brother preached a sermon recently on Psalm 73. He's definitely much better at being concise and getting quickly to the point than I am.

20mins of time well spent here.

Holiday Reading Options

2011-07-27T16:32:00.002+01:00

Wondering what to take along with my Bible on expedition as reading this year:

The front runners are:

Because I like cycling.

Because I want to get to know our
future colonial masters better...

Because I want to get to know Borneo better...

Because I need a heart that is warmed by Christ...

Along with a handful that I have dipped into already, but not yet managed to finish...

Family Event: "Walk Thru the Bible" 9-10 September

2011-07-20T16:14:00.004+01:00

If you're like me then one of the things you think about is how to communicate the great story of God that is the Old Testament to people of different ages and backgrounds who have never heard it before. What are big themes and the simple keys that unlock great swathes of text? What do I need to know so that I / we can experience the journey through the Old Testament as a voyage of discovery rather than a frustrating road to nowhere? And how do I do that without making it cheesy or condescending?

Well...

I have it on good authority that Walk Through the Bible, have organised a family-friendly event to do that very thing - walk through the Old Testament.

If you're someone who wants to get a grip of the Old Testament either for personal enrichment or so as to teach / talk about it with others, then this is your event. Invite your friends, invite you family, invite your friends' families...

The cost is £14 per adult, including a manual to take away. However, if the cost is too much, you can just pay what you can afford. They do need to know numbers in advance, so let me know if you'd like to be a part of it and I will forward you the contact details.

It will take place over two days: Friday 9th September 7pm - 9.30pm, then Saturday 10th September 9am – 1pm @ St Peter's Church, Bradfield, RG7 6EU.

I can't make the Saturday morning, but would like to get to the Friday night if they'll let me.

For more of what it's like, watch this short video...

Classic Comody

2011-07-17T17:47:00.001+01:00

I find the two Ronnies and their team of writers hard to beat when it comes clever word play and scenarios. Here are three of my favourite examples:

Government's Religious Equality Consultation Closes 15 July - Have Your Say

2011-07-13T20:28:00.006+01:00

The government is garnering opinion here regarding religious equality and how it can be legislated for. Consultation closes tomorrow, (15 July). Why not log on and have your say?

Below are my "shoot from the hip" responses to the questions they asked
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Are there any areas of the law concerning equality and human rights and religion or belief – or the way that courts have interpreted and applied it – that concern you?

Yes,
1. When persons are suspended / sacked for refusing to endorse a particular moral/political position or perform a particular task due to conscience esp. when that conscience is informed by Christian beliefs.
2. When persons are suspended / sacked for offering advice or help to persons on the basis of conscience esp. when that conscience is informed by Christian beliefs.

Which legal cases or issues concerning equality and human rights and religion or belief are most significant, in your view? (If you prefer, you do not need to specify the names of particular legal cases; generic descriptions will suffice).

Ones like this, where a simple offer pray for someone gets them into very hot water.

In your view, are there competing interests in the area of equality and human rights and religion or belief? if so, what are they and do you think the law strikes the right balance between these interests?

I realise it is a hugely complex issue, for matters of religious belief cannot be judged upon in a court of law. My fear is that we have sleepwalked into a great irony; that in trying to be tolerant and impartial, a rather reductionist brand of secular atheism has emerged as the (intolerant? and) dominant hand in the justice system.

Can you identify any values or principles that you think could be used to address dilemmas or disputes relating to religion or belief? For example, these might be legal, religious, moral or 'common sense' values or principles.

My fundamental starting point is reconciliation that reflects the self-giving love of God displayed in Jesus Christ. The "problem" with this is that you can't write sacrifice into the statute books - rights and self-sacrifice are antithetical! Oh dear!
Failing that - not sure I have any clever ideas.

Can you suggest any criteria that could be used to decide whether or not religion or belief should be accommodated in the case of employees who wish to wear certain clothing, jewellery or symbols?

1. Anything that inhibits a person to person - face to face encounter should be outlawed.
2. I would use the slogan 'self-expression but with discretion.' A turban is discreet - a 15cm huge bling Crucifix is not

Can you suggest any criteria that could be used to decide whether or not religion or belief should be accommodated in the case of employees who wish to be excused from performing certain tasks on grounds of their religion or belief (also known as 'conscientious objection')?

When the process that the employee is being asked to perform or the viewpoint they are being asked to endorse, encourages their client / service user to think of themselves in philosophical terms that the employee doesn't agree with.

Can you suggest any criteria that could be used to decide whether or not religion or belief should be accommodated in the case of employees who wish to work flexibly to permit religious observance?

Official religious festivals

Can you suggest any criteria that could be used to decide whether or not religion or belief should be accommodated in the case of employees who wish to have prayer, meditation or quiet rooms provided; have washing or changing facilities provided or have certain dietary requirements met?

This can be encouraged / rewarded without being enforced. For example I don't see the point of making a small business with limited resources adhere to a hundred and one laws that meet everyone's personal preference, how will they ever get off the ground.

Can you suggest any criteria that could be used to decide whether or not religion or belief should be accommodated in the case of employees who wish to post or distribute literature relating to their religion or belief?

Difficult one. Wouldn't want to outlaw it, but at the same time moderation please - perhaps connected to a person celebrating their religious festivals it would be deemed appropriate to distribute literature of some kind.
Public notice boards are fare game too. If a colleague can sell their no longer needed bunk bed on the office notice board, a Christian should be able to advertise their church's Alpha course.

Eyes of Fire

2011-07-12T17:36:00.004+01:00

All of us do stupid, ill-judged and impetuous things.

Sometimes we get away with them, sometimes we don't. In certain cases, that moment of inattention, folly or impatience gets caught on camera and broadcast to millions of people all around the world:

I've had more accidents and even more close shaves in a car than I'd like to admit, so I'm willing to bet that the emotional well-being of the France Television Driver at the centre of this incident will be broken into tiny little bits, and that's before you start to consider the ruin incurred by any subsequent legal action.

Millions of enthusiastic viewers, thousands of media pundits and hundreds within the pro-cycling fraternity will all have their opinion on what should have been and what should now be as a result of this unfortunate turn of events. They will cast their eye and pass their judgements and driver-man will have to stand and face their glare.

Yet what this driver is going through - standing in the intense heat and light (so to speak) of the global media spotlight is a mere and faint echo of the true and greater spotlight we will all stand under at the end of our lives when we stand before Christ.

In the real world of the Bible (as opposed to the strange one we inhabit ;-), eyes are symbolic of passing judgement. Deep down, we know this because we use them constantly to inspect and to test things out (whether good or bad). When I'm trying to work out whether a pupil at school is guilty of the misdemeanor for which he stands accused, I need to see his body language as well as hear his statement before I can decide the course of action.

In Revelation 1, John meets the resurrected and glorified Christ and describes his eyes as two flames of fire (Rev 1:14). It's these two flames of fire that in an instant, pierce through all our moral pretense and layered self-deception to who we really are, and we fall down on our faces - dead.

It is these eyes of fire that will test the works of our lives, and see if they were like straw and wood, or like gold, silver and precious stones (1Cor.3:13).

It is these eyes that will bring judgement and say either: 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' (Matt.25:34) or 'Depart from me, you [who are] cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' (Matt.25:41)

Are you ready for the day when the physical eyes of the eternal, almighty Son of God will be fixed on you - probing you? If not, then click here and let the prayer of David become your own, for surely his mercy is VERY great! (2Sam.24:14)

South Reading Churches Funday Promo Video

2011-07-04T18:29:00.004+01:00

This Saturday is the big South Reading Churches Funday. A free event for the local community. I'll be MCing. Should be a blast.

Wedding Address for Mr & Mrs Riches

2011-07-03T08:02:00.012+01:00

The following is based on one of their readings: Revelation 21:1-4. For those interested it's my first ever address with a chiastic structure!

A. Great joy
So Tom has got his girl, Hannah has got her guy. The pursuit which Tom began, two and a half years ago at the dawn of 2009 has finally paid off! Hannah played hard to get, treating him mean to keep him keen, but Tom persevered and won her heart and the rest, as we say, is history, for here we are! And the boy did good! :-)

Both Tom and Hannah have worked diligently towards this day and waited patiently for it. Moreover, they're not keeping their joy to themselves, they're sharing it with us. We're caught up into this great celebration. No celebration among family and friends is complete without food and drink, and so in a little while we will feast together and complete our joy. Tom and Hannah will then leave their friends and family and go on finally to complete their joy later tonight, but we won’t go into that. Children, if you don’t know what I mean, ask your parents.

B. The veil has been lifted
Now the observant ones amongst us will notice that Hannah is wearing a veil, and that when she arrived, Dad lifted that veil from over her face.

Veils are coverings. Veils cover things that you’re not allowed to see (Ex.26:33). Veils speak of prohibition. They say a big NO!! Do not touch, do not taste, do not smell and do not look upon for if you do, you act at best foolishly and at worst, wickedly. The veil Hannah is wearing today is symbolic of the barrier that has been between her and Tom. That whilst they have loved each other greatly, love has not yet been allowed to have its greatest expression.

There is a time and a place for everything and God makes everything beautiful in its time (Ecc.3:11). Now, that veil has been lifted and love may have its fullest expression - to use a bible phrase, (Gen.29:23) Tom can now go in to his beloved Hannah without fear of guilt or regret and with great joy.

C. Preparations that were made
Love may now have its fullest expression because all the right preparations have been made. Just as a doctor is not allowed to enjoy earning a doctor’s salary until all the necessary exams have been passed, so too in God’s world, man and woman are not allowed to enjoy the intimacy of being husband and wife until all the preparations have been made. And for Tom and Hannah, the preparations have been made.

In many cultures across the world, (including the Bible's) the man must pay a dowry to the bride’s family to win her. If you live in South Sudan where I was last year, a man will pay for his wife with cows and the number of cows paid depends on the social standing of the families making the transaction. In white British culture, this kind of dowry payment has all but died out. The closest any hopeful bridegroom gets to a dowry payment is giving a nervous, sweaty-palmed handshake to his potential father-in-law as he stumbles his way through asking permission for the daughter’s hand in marriage.

Now that permission has been granted the two have made themselves ready. Tom has scrubbed up ok and Hannah looks both beautiful and radiant in the dress she has prepared. Moreover, Reading’s Love Nest directory has a new entry: 4...(not posted on internet for security reasons). There, they have prepared a place where they will live out these awesome vows they have declared today, until death finally separates them.

D. Marriage is not an end in itself. It is a prophetic echo of the great marriage
Now why do I say all this? I say it because, as the reading we had from Revelation 21 makes clear; God has created (the theatre of) marriage so that we can understand something of how he wants to be united to his people for ever. Human marriage between a man and a woman is one of the great prophetic echoes of God. These prophetic echoes are not only to be understood in the mind, but felt in the heart and experienced in the body.

Through being children of loving parents, Tom and Hannah have known, felt and experienced an echo of the love the Father who is in Heaven. Today as they step into each others’ arms, they step into another echo of God, the love that Christ has for his church.

C1. Preparations are being made
Just as Tom and Hannah have made their preparations, Jesus Christ – the eternal Son of God has made his Dowry payment. He did not give a herd of cows to be united to his bride the church, he gave something infinitely greater, his very own life as he bled and died on a cross 2000 years ago.

God the Father, thrilled with his Son’s love called him out from death up to his side in Heaven and gave to his victorious Son the Holy Spirit whom the Son has now lavished upon the church so that she can prepare herself to be with him forever (Ac.2:33). She is making herself ready by gathering a people out of all the families of the earth who love Christ, the great bridegroom and his Father, brightest and best.

And in Rev 21, we see that the Love Nest of the Son of God is finally made ready. Christ has vanquished and exiled his enemies. There is now perfect peace. Tom and Hannah's love nest will be nothing compared to what the New Creation will be like, the place where Christ and his church will dwell together, in the house of their great Heavenly Father (Jn.14:2)

B1. The veil will be lifted
Just as Dad lifted Hannah’s veil today so that Tom may go in to her. So too we see here in Revelation 21, that the great veil has been lifted.Where do I get that from? From verse 1 where it says there was no more sea.

Back at the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 1:6, on day 2 of creation, God separated Heaven and Earth, with a veil, he put up a partition, a separation, and he hid himself from view. God gave this veil the title sea (in Rev.21:1), in Genesis 1 it was called “waters above.” We modern people have re-named it space.

A veil was necessary between God and man because carbon-based life forms like you and me, made of dust, cannot look at God and live. To be able to look upon God without dying, you have to be transformed and made like him.

That process of transformation was begun at the cross, when the spiritual barrier of sin was done away with. Symbolised by the fact that when Jesus died, the veil in the Jerusalem temple that denied access to God was torn in two. We could now look at God with the eyes of faith through believing and obeying the words of Jesus.

That transformation will be finally completed as Revelation 21 shows us when the physical veil of space is removed and those who have waited patiently for Christ will have him revealed to their physical eyes. No longer will there be any coverings, limits or prohibitions. No longer will there be any need of faith. Christ and his bride will enjoy intimacy and love together forever. Then it truly will be as the Lord’s Prayer states: the same on the earth as it is in Heaven for the two will have been united as one.

A1. Greater joy
The pain and tears that flowed from being part of a world that was bound by disorder (sin), disappointment, distress, disease, decay and death, is no more. The Church, once persecuted and afflicted for her devotion to her bridegroom, once faint and weary from the experience of separation from her true love, (Song of Songs 5:8) and forbidden the fullest expression of that love, is now overtaken with joy and fully revived as she gazes into her lover’s eyes. He quietens her heart with his love (Zeph 3:17) and nourishes her at the banqueting table of his delights (Song of Songs 2:4) where she will be with him for ever.

Exhortation
Tom and Hannah, may I urge you as best I know how, to do everything in your power that you can to make this your marriage one that both joyfully anticipates and faithfully reflects the great marriage of Heaven and Earth of Christ and his Church.

Friends and family of Tom and Hannah. You, like me received an invitation to this wedding, which you happily accepted and for which you made the necessary arrangements to be here. You, like me, have witnessed this great occasion and felt something of the joy.

But we all have a greater invitation, to a greater wedding. I know that many in this room are making preparations for it already. Are you? Will you be there sharing in the joy of that great day when Heaven and earth become one, when Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united to their people or will you be exiled from that union into outer darkness forever? That wedding day will come quicker than you expect. The inviting hand of Christ is extended to you today; in as much as it is down to you, do everything you can to grab hold of it.

Richard Vs. Richard

2011-07-01T21:21:00.001+01:00

No this isn't a personal take on Romans 7, but a juxtaposition of two famous Richards. First Mr Dawkins on keeping religion out of science and politics and second Mr Warren on a life of purpose. PS I haven't watched them, so don't ask me about them just yet.

NewFrontiers in a Nutshell

2011-06-30T07:44:00.005+01:00

I love being part of a group of people who love Jesus and who are both so local and so global. Watch on...

From Newfrontiers on Vimeo.

The Three Most Important Unions

2011-06-27T16:36:00.000+01:00

Ron Frost in his doctoral dissertation quotes the following from Sibbes. I thought it was rather good:

Whence [how] is it that we are sons of God? Because he was the “Son of Man,” - “God in our Flesh.” There are three unions, the union of natures, God to become man, the union of grace, that we are one with Christ and the union of glory. The first is for the second and the second for the third, God became man that we might become one with God, God was “manifested in the flesh” that we might be united to him and being brought again to God the Father, we might come again to a glorious union.

Other quotable nuggets include:

The work of justification is, he [Sibbes] insisted, a gaze in which the believers are led “to turn aside from the contemplation of our own works and look solely upon God’s mercy and Christ’s perfection.”

Sin is characterised by two chief evils – a vain love of the world and an excessive self-love.

“…the only power by which humans can deal reciprocally with God is love, and that marital love is the highest form, the love that best expresses that union.

This approach displaced marriage from its presumed status in creation as an end in itself, with procreative, social and societal functions. Instead it gained a new status by illuminating, proleptically, the divine-human relationship that begins at conversion and continues into eternity. Thus, mystical marriage surpasses human marriage in the same way that an eternal reality is greater than a temporal reality.

The Medium Is The Message

2011-06-24T19:56:00.008+01:00

As a kid, we didn't have a colour TV in our house until 1987, we only got a video in 1990. So, up to the heady age of 13, if I wanted to watch something like Battlestar Galactica or Thunderbirds, anything that took place over dinner time, I had to negotiate with Dad and Mum.

These days, i-players and the like have made such negotiating scenarios redundant. But tonight, I sat in front of my computer monitor (which for all sorts of reason, now sits in the living room) and chomped my way through some of Freddy's delicious Chinese left overs whilst watching stuff.

What did I watch? Well, Warren Cole Smith has written a book: A Lover's Quarrel with the Evangelical Church.

Here he is, giving a 37min synopsis of the book. For me, the best bit is from 28min in where he talks about how the medium is not morally neutral, it changes the message:

“The remarkable thing about television is that it permits several million people to laugh at the same joke and still feel lonely.” T.S. Eliot

If you want to watch a truly Christian "movie" don't look at the big screen or the little one, look at the flesh and blood lives of people who have been transformed by the one true Word - Jesus Christ.

Through the Spirit of God, the Life of Christ becomes the life of his Church (Gal.2:20). Through that same Spirit, the story of Christ, becomes the story of his people (Phil.3:10-11).

I then dumbed down with a bit of light sci-fi entertainment and watched, What Darwin Didn't Know. ;-)

The Great Digital Disconnect

2011-06-22T18:19:00.000+01:00

Funny isn't it, how what would be considered at best weird and at worst outrageous in real life, is fine, ney encouraged, in the strange world of virtual "reality":

"Build Down" to Borneo

2011-06-17T19:47:00.005+01:00

For those of you who didn't know, I'm off on a busman's holiday to Borneo, South East Asia this August, taking a bunch of boys from school on a Leadership and Personal Development Expedition provided by these guys, who I must say are very good!

To that end, I have begun a weight loss campaign, for two reasons:

I've not been doing as much triathlon training or racing this year, which, of course, wouldn't be a problem except that I've continued to eat like an Olympian and as a result, my belts and shirts are groaning under the strain!!
The high humidity of the Asian jungle with all its creepy-crawlies will be much harder to endure if I am carrying more natural "insulation" than deemed necessary.

The target sheets are up at work and home so that everyone knows. Pride will therefore force me to at least make a good go of hitting the ridiculous target I have set myself, It's so ludicrous, I dare not share it here for fear of being either mocked or sectioned. And for those of you who worry about me, don't. I'm only fasting between meals. ;-)

I even purchased a copy of the latest Weight Watchers' ProPoints bible to help me, although it does have me somewhat flummoxed as it suggests that a banana has no energy in it. Maybe that's why our home grown tennis talent has been so slow round centre court in the last few decades! Somebody hand them a Mars Bar!

So far so good - 3 days in and I'm ahead of target! I even enjoyed my home made vegetable soup. Chicken stock powder and tom-yum paste make anything taste good! But it is the honeymoon period and with just over six weeks left, it could still go either way!!

To Which City Do You Go?

2011-06-15T18:30:00.007+01:00

Andrew Marr has done a very interesting documentary on the rise and nature of the megacity. He points out that it seems to be humanity's destiny to move from the village to the city (available until 26-Jun-11).

What makes me smile, is that this is nothing new. The Biblical plumb-line is clear, we are not seeking a return to Eden. Humanity is moving from a rural setting (Gen.2:8) to a city (Rev.21:2).

The question is therefore not, where are you going, for we are all on a pilgrimage to a city, but to which city are you going? Have you, like Abraham, set your sights on the Heavenly city whose architect and founder is God? (Heb.11:10,16) Or have you set your heart on pilgrimaging to Babylon - the great city of Man? (Dan.4:30)

Have you set your heart on pleasure and maybe a little fame and fortune in in this world? To be sure, these man made metropolises have an alluring call, (Prov.9:13, Rev.17:1-2) and many unthinkingly heed it (Matt.7:13). But friend, know for certain that these cities, built by men to glorify themselves (Gen.11:4, Dan.4:30) will eventually pass away (Rev.18:10)

However, there is a city that will never pass away, but few find it (Matt.7:14). This is not due to its obscure geographical location, but because not many want to be associated with its founder. Those who do, know a joy unspeakable and full of glory as they make their way there.

Marr also asks whether the secret to a successful city is bringing the "village" in with you. Again, we find in the Bible that the partial perfection of the Garden, the life-giving river and tree (Gen.2:9,10), are found in the complete perfection of the Heavenly City (Rev.22:2). We moderns are far too slow on the uptake! :-)

To which city are you making your pilgrimage?

The Motorcade and Wisdom of God

2011-06-14T17:45:00.004+01:00

I've blogged on 1 Kings 19 before here.

Elijah meets the Word (Christ) in the cave, who tells him to go out and stand in the presence of the LORD (Father) who is about to pass by. What follows is wind, earthquake and fire before the peaceful and gentle, (but by no means quiet) voice of the Almighty is heard.

Why the wind, earthquake and fire?

Jordan suggests they are part of the motorcade of God that goes before him. Kings used to have soldiers and horsemen proceed in front of them, before you saw the carriage they were in. President Obama will have any number of vehicles in front of him before you see him go past in his "beast."

Another way to think of it is like an underground train approaching the station platform you're standing on. First you feel the movement of air, then you hear the sound of the wheels on the track, then you see the lights in the distance before the train itself finally rolls in.

The same happened back in Exodus 19, as the LORD (Father) descended to meet the LORD (Christ: Jude 5) who had ransomed this people out of Egypt.

This time round however, Elijah is not as forgiving as his forbear Moses. Where Moses interceded for the people, Elijah says in effect, let 'em have it. Why this "failure" of grace on Elijah's part?

The competition with the prophets of Baal back in the previous chapter (18) wasn't just some power mongering Who's the Abba / Daddy face off for competing deities, it was a judgment on the nation. In saying that the God who answers by fire is truly God, Elijah is saying that the winner God has authority and power to judge.

Had the Baals any power, they would probably have sent fire capriciously on all the people, (because they can) but they don't and these false prophets wear themselves out calling into the air.

Then Yahweh, sends the fire of his wrath and judgment, not onto the idolatrous king Ahab and the people he has led into sin, but onto a substitute - a bull sacrifice. Not only that, but with God's anger soaked up by the sacrifice, his gracious face is turned to the land again and the sound of rain is soon heard, a sound that has been missing for three years.

Yet after all this, far from humbling themselves before God, Ahab and his wife Jezebel, go after Elijah even harder than before, causing him to run back to Sinai (aka Horeb) where the law was first given, to bring a lawsuit against this idolatrous king and his people.

The LORD (Father) answers. He is about to do as Elijah has requested and remove this idolatrous king, shown in the fact that he orders Elijah to anoint Jehu as king of Israel and reminds Elijah that there is nevertheless a perfect remnant (7000) left in the land, meaning that whilst it is time to judge the king, it is not yet time to judge the people.

However, peeved and vexed Elijah might feel, God is not caught off guard and his plans will not be thwarted.

And so it is today. God's anger and grace have both been perfectly revealed at the cross of his Son - Jesus Christ. His grace extends to all, both those who receive him and those who refuse to humble themselves before him, but that gracious offer will not last for ever.

The merciful motorcade of God is passing through. Will you humble yourself and jump on board or stay behind and be without the divine defender when the wrath of God is finally and fully unleashed on those who refused to have Christ take it for them?

Becoming What You Behold

2011-06-13T17:37:00.002+01:00

I realise that for most people in the world, this image commemorates a glorious exodus from a dark age of myths. I just think it's tragic. Isa.44:20

The Bible is clear, you become what you behold. 2Cor.3:18

Behold a monkey long enough and you'll become one.

A Cheesy Start, But A Good Ending

2011-06-12T21:39:00.000+01:00

My housemate, Freddy forwarded me this video. It starts off as classic Christian cheese, but the ending is quite powerful. Have a watch:

1 John 2:1-2

The Glory And The Fall of King Solomon

2011-06-08T19:22:00.004+01:00

The Visit of the queen of Sheba is probably the climax of Israel's Old Testament history.

A Father (David) has set his Son (Solomon) on the throne of Israel. This son is indued with great wisdom to rule his people, there is peace in the land and very great prosperity. The temple and palace are completed, and the one who is known as the Glory of the LORD (Heb.1:3) is among his people at Jerusalem (2Chron.7:1)

The rulers of the other nations rejoice and bring their tribute to this wise son of David (1Ki.4:21, 5:7). The Queen of Sheba comes in person to see this great nation that the LORD has established under a wise king, and she is quite overwhelmed (1Ki.10:4-5).

Yet in the very next chapter after her departure, we see Solomon turn away from the LORD and go after false gods. We are left under no illusions that whilst he has been great in worldly terms, this son of David is not the Son of David who has been promised to come from King David's family line and who will reign for ever (2Sam.7:16).

As an aside, it's sobering to note that in the two great father-son relationships of the Old Testament: Abraham and Isaac and David and Solomon, both the sons fall into major disobedience.

Isaac refuses to honour the prophecy of the Lord spoken over Jacob and tries to bless Esau. How ironic that he tries to disinherit God's appointed heir - the younger brother, when that was exactly what he experienced at the hands of his father, Abraham and (half) brother, Ishmael.

Solomon, despite all his public wisdom, in private allows his heart to run after other gods, no doubt because of his love for his many wives. Again, how ironic for one who wrote the Song of all Songs.

Nevertheless, even with all its corruption, we can still clearly see how all this symbolically points forward to the end of Revelation when the Father of all Fathers installs Jesus his Son as king of all kings in the new Jerusalem and together they reign over their people. A people won out from every family of the earth into the great eternal family of God.

On Being Like God

2011-06-06T19:03:00.005+01:00

If you've been taught that the essential thing about God is the omni-powers (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence etc) then 2 Peter 1:4 poses a problem.

Peter tells us that Christians will share in God's divine nature. Now, if God's nature is primarily a list of omni-s then sharing in God's nature means we will become omni-beings, but that poses at least two problems:

We become equal egos with God himself. A preposterous thought to any card carrying evangelical Christian, but more fundamentally...
You can't have a watered down version of omni-powers. You are either omnipotent or not, either omniscient or not. You can be no more "half-omniscient" than you can be "half-alive."

Fortunately, the logical contortions posited by the philosophers aren't required. Jesus Christ reveals God as a community of love. The most fundamental thing you can say is that God's nature is life-giving love. So coming to share in this loving God's nature is no problem, because whilst omnipresence cannot be perfected in a finite being, love can (John 17:23). The difference between the love of God and his perfected people is one of degree not type.

Love will be perfected in those who love Jesus, and that is a moment he is very much looking forward to. (Song of Songs 5:2)

On Giants' Shoulders

2011-06-05T16:03:00.010+01:00

Following on from "The Breeze of the Centuries" (Some quotes here), Mike Reeves has published the second book in his trilogy of great historic theologians: On Giants' Shoulders.

Included here is Karl Barth, whose great 13 volume life work "Church Dogmatics" is something I have recently purchased.

Feeling intimidated by it, I thought I would poke my nose into this latest Reevesian tome to see if I could glean any hints and tips before I pack my theological rucksack and head out to scale this Eiger of a work! I'm pleased to say, I found encouragement, for he said...

Perhaps most important of all, though, the fact that Barth writes in such a sermonic, almost story-telling, style actually means that the reader can relax. Failing to fully grasp a few pages really will not matter, for the sweep of the argument is larger than that.

Barth is like theological marmite in Christian circles, many love him, others think he was distastefully maverick. Whilst he was no doubt far from perfect, his brilliance (as far as I can see - and the reason I saw fit to invest nearly £200 in the 13 volume set) is in his desire to understand everything out of a centre in Jesus Christ, including God himself.

He doesn't dream up in his own head what God is like and then go to the Bible to find evidence for his philosophical hunches, making Jesus the convenient left-over skivvy of the Father. He starts with Jesus, the revealed radiance of the Father (Heb.1:3) the wisdom and power of God (1Cor.1:24), the source of all treasures and knowledge (Col.2:3), the cornerstone (Eph.2:20) around whom the whole edifice of reality (not just the church) is structured and moves out from HIM to Trinity and then finally to us.

He has it the right way round I think. He doesn't trust his own "rational" idea / feeling about God - he comes in faith to the Son (Jn.3:18, 6:40, 14:9-10).

Savouring the God Revealed by Jesus

2011-06-04T22:09:00.004+01:00

Today saw me with friends in London at a conference at All Souls church. It was hosted by UCCF's Theology Network and CorDeo.

Unfortunately, signal failure between Maidenhead and Slough saw me miss the first one and a half sessions. For those interested, all four talks can be found here.

For me, apart from the content, two other highlights stand out:

Meeting people who I have come to appreciate through the blogosphere / internet, like Glen Scrivener, Ron Frost (see blogroll) and Mike Reeves.
Seeing a couple of excellent and honed preaching styles in quick succession. Seeing them all in such a short space of time helps you to see their complimentary strengths.

The Bankruptcy of Humanity's Navel-Gazing

2011-06-01T10:50:00.013+01:00

Back in 2002, the BBC aired what became an award-winning four part documentary series by Adam Curtis called The Century of the Self. It's probably my favourite documentary series to date. Although if you watch it, I'll understand if you think I'm odd. It's available on YouTube and I blogged some thoughts on it here back in Sept 2009.

The rise of psychoanalysis provided another bag of sand for the foundation on which the temple of atheism is being built. If he takes fallen humanity seriously with all its selfish contradictions, the best the psychoanalyst will ever be, is a prophet of doom.

This is what we see again in a new documentary by Curtis: All watched over by machines of loving grace:

(part 1 here, part 2 here)

Whether sinful man embraces the pagan idea of history known as spaceship earth / maintaining the status quo / equilibrium / ecosystem etc. or hijacks God's view of history as progressing toward a glorious conclusion and instead of calling it "New Creation" calls it Utopia, he is doomed to failure and under divine judgement for his presumption.

Fallen man is a dead star, a black hole, destructively sucking everything he can out of the universe into the oblivion of himself.

He must humbly come to the Sun, the all compassionate Christ - the endless fountain of life, love and joy that is outside himself and greater than himself if he wants to truly live - to be loved and to love, to be known and to know, and to have a place in the life of God forever. (John 5:26, 7:38, 17:23)

Truth and Lies All Mixed Up

2011-05-30T22:22:00.000+01:00

What would you say if someone showed you this. To be sure there is truth in here, but it's mixed up with so much misconception. Unravelling it is quite a task:

A Thought on The Great Marriage

2011-05-30T16:26:00.005+01:00

It's interesting to note that when God makes his salvation promise to the human race after the fall in the Garden of Eden, he doesn't include Adam, he only includes Eve (Gen.3:15). Why is that?

This isn't because God is giving Adam the cold shoulder treatment, rather he is pictorially presenting a spiritual truth, namely, that Adam is (spiritually) dead. He can no longer bring life and health to the human race. Yes, he and Eve will have children, but his offspring will be spiritual stillborns and will not inherit eternal life. If they want eternal life, Adam, Eve and their descendants will have to seek it from a source other than their biological father.

Eve, now a spiritual widower, (and herself subject to death) is given the promise that through her one will come who will break that curse and thus restore life to humanity and, by implication with it, the consummation of marital joy.

She will one day be married to a new Adam, a second Adam. An Adam who is not made in the image of God, but who truly is God. A new Adam who comes not from below, from the dust, but one who comes from above, from Heaven itself. A true Adam who brings not death, but life - eternal life - that is fellowship with God the Father and God the Son through God the Holy Spirit. An Adam who transforms this frail bride of dust to be suitable glorious divine bride for himself. A bride whom he calls to follow him through death to resurrection life. A Bride who is transformed into his nature and likeness.(1Cor.15:45-46ff).

This bride does not have the appearance of godliness through mindless and heartless obedience to law, (Col.2:22-23) for what relationship is pleasurable if it is only founded on rule keeping? Rather, she has become a participator in the holy love and divine nature of this new Adam through his death and resurrection. She is the (re)new(ed) sister-bride (Gen.2:23). Just as God did not expect the first Adam to marry an aardvark, (Gen.2:20) God the Father will not unite his Son to one who is not like him, who is not of the same Spirit.

Thus having been raised to life in the Spirit and united to the new Adam (Christ) and his Father, the church - the bride of Christ - will enjoy marital bliss in the paradise of the renewed world for ever.

It is to this great reality, that all our little marriages point.

Sibbes' Prayer

2011-05-28T12:27:00.008+01:00

I found this prayer of Richard Sibbes (1577–1635), quoted in the introduction to Ron Frost's doctoral dissertation, which Dave Bish kindly forwarded to me recently. I've copied and pasted it here and attempted to keep the style whilst "bridging the language gap" for the sake of those reading this who are not familiar with ye olde Englishe, (e.g. those in our church family whose first language is not the same as mine). I apologise in advance for anything lost / disfigured in the bridging process. :-)

Gracious and holy Father who has... sanctified this day for your own service and worship, and for progressing us in the way of salvation, please, sanctify our hearts by your Holy Spirit now, so that we may perform our various obediences in a way that brings you your greatest glory and us our greatest comfort.

Unworthy as we are in ourselves to appear in your great holy presence, because of both the sins of our nature, and the sins of our lives. We look not to ourselves, but to you who is our gracious and merciful Father through Jesus Christ and to the abundance of your love and mercy.

And in so doing, we beseech you to speak peace unto us through your Son Jesus Christ, and say to our souls by your Holy Spirit, that you are our salvation.

We beseech you also for clearer evidence that we have your favour, let us find the blessed work of your Holy Spirit [amongst us] opening up our understanding, clearing our judgements [giving us discernment], fanning into flame Godly passions, uncovering our remaining sin and corruption, and framing us in every way to be those in whom you take great pleasure and delight.

And grant, we beseech you, that at this time [said just before a sermon] we may learn your holy will, and then labour to frame our lives thereafter, in such a way as to be for your greatest glory and for our greatest comfort, and this we pray for Jesus Chnst his sake your only [begotten] Son, and our blessed Saviour Amen.

Jonathan is a Type of John the Baptist

2011-05-24T17:55:00.007+01:00

Jonathan, the son of Saul, is, unlike his father, quite a man of God. He sees what God is doing and rather than getting in the way, he does all he can to ensure it comes to pass. As I've pondered this, I'm beginning to think that Jonathan's life be a prophetic picture (a type) of John the Baptist. Here's a comparison, by no means exhaustive - feel free to comment with observations:

They are both born into a royal household.
Jonathan, the son of King Saul - 1Sam.14:40
John the Baptist, tenuous I know, but related as a cousin of Jesus who was a direct descendent of King David - Lk.1:35-36

They both take on the "seed" of the serpent.
Jonathan - 1Sam.14:6
John the Baptist - Mt.3:7

The people were expecting these men to be their king
Jonathan - 1Sam.20:30-31
John the Baptist - Lk.3:15

They both willingly and joyfully hand over their mantles of authority to ones greater than they.
Jonathan - 1Sam.18:4
John the Baptist - Mt.3:14-15, Jn.3:30

They are both killed by those who sought their lives.
Jonathan - 1Sam.31:2
John the Baptist - Mt.14:10-11

Their deaths are both lamented by those for whom they had prepared the way.
Jonathan - 2Sam.1:17
John the Baptist - Mt.14:12-13

Am I Antichrist or Just Struggling With Sin?

2011-05-20T22:53:00.015+01:00

A friend of mine told me that in their lifegroup discussion of the recent sermon I preached, they discussed the difference between someone who is antichrist, and someone who is struggling with sin. It's an important distinction to make. If, as a Christian, I give in to sin, does that mean my heart is antichrist?

These kinds of of discussions can be fraught with difficulty and need a lot of pastoral wisdom and my desire is to comfort the disturbed, but also disturb the comfortable. So, given that my sermon threw up the discussion point, here is a slightly more thought out version of what I might have said, had I been in on the coversation...

To answer the question, run yourself through two tests, one for the head (truth) and one for the heart (affections).

The Head Test
This is the classic do you believe the Bible on what it says about Jesus test. The following is not exhaustive, but hopefully it touches all the main bases:

Do you believe that Jesus is fully God and is one united Godhead with the Father and the Spirit? (Jn.1:1)
Do you believe that Jesus has co-existed with the Father and the Spirit eternally? (Jn.1:1)
Do you believe that Jesus, at the command of his Father, created everything that we can see and everything we can't by the power of the Spirit? (Jn.1:3)
Do you believe that Jesus perfectly and without loosing any of his "God-ness" united himself to the human race by being miraculously born as a helpless baby 2000 years ago? (Rom.8:3)
Do you believe that Jesus has revealed sinlessly, perfectly and uniquely all that God is both in himself and for us (Jn14:9) and that in him are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge? (Col.2:3)
Do you believe that at the cross, Jesus willingly bore the wrath of the Father, himself and the Spirit for all the rebellion of the whole human race defeating the power of sin, death and the devil? (Heb.2:14-15)
Do you believe that coming to Jesus is the only way to receive the eternal life from God? (Jn.14:6)
Do you believe that Jesus will judge all people at the end of history - sending those who reject him to a place of eternal death (punishment) whilst welcoming those who love him, and have been transformed into his likeness, into a renewed world to enjoy friendship with him and his Father through the Spirit forever? (Matt.25:31ff)

If the answer to all these is yes, then you pass the head test. If the answer to any of these is no, then you're at best playing with fire and at worst, a heretic, (1Jn.2:22). Not language we like to use in our appeal to everyone age.

That doesn't mean you can't have questions about these things or find them intellectually confusing. (Esp. the whole - "Will God condemn those who have never heard of Jesus? thing. That one makes my head spin somewhat.) It does mean that fundamentally, (in your soul) you embrace Jesus' testimony of who he is and who you are to be the true one, and not any wacky idea you, I or we dreamt up about him some day back when...

But we aren't safe just yet. The head test is a necessary foundation but it is not a sufficient one. The devil and his angels believe the right things, but they aren't going to be saved, (Matt.25:41, James 2:19). So too, you can believe the right stuff - even do mighty things in the name of Jesus (Mt.7:22-23) and still be cut off at the end from eternal life.

So we have to move on to...

The Heart Test.

Do I love and obey the Jesus of the Bible who is identified above? Do I love him? Really love him? Do I love God the Father who he has revealed to me? Do I love the fellowship of the Spirit who desires to walk with me and show me the Father and the Son? (Jn.14:23)
Do I love God brightest and best, more than anything else in this world? (Mt.10:36-37)
Do I relish the thought of being united with Jesus and his Father through the Spirit forever in a new creation? (1Pet.1:8)
Does the hope of being with Jesus forever shape more and more of the day to day reality I live? (2Cor.3:18)
Do I love everything that I love in this world through Jesus' eyes with the love that he has given me for them / it? (2Cor.5:16)

Of course, none of us does this perfectly. My heart is one big idol factory, desperate to make things other than God, god in God's place. That's where God's grace is so life giving. It doesn't depend on the perfection of my moral performance, (1Jn.1:8-9), but it does require faith (albeit stumbling at times) to welcome the promises and love of God (Heb.11:13-14)

Christians can have moments (Peter - an evening) or even seasons (David - at least 9 months) of getting beguiled by sin and the things of this world. I should know, I've been there all too often. They can have a big backsliding event before God graciously snaps them out of it.

But if you meet one whose eyes show no sparkle, or heart shows no relish at the thought of being united to God in love or if they show no fear of being under his rebuke for their waywardness, then you have to come to the conclusion that the hard-hearted spirit of antichrist is on the throne of their life and not the soft and tender-hearted Spirit of Jesus. (1Cor.16:22) And so pray for a miracle of resurrection.

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Having shot my bullets, I am nervous that I have missed something big and obvious. :-S And I'm hoping that you'll tell me...

Looking Forwards Not Backwards

2011-05-18T18:43:00.003+01:00

A spin off meditation from Sunday's sermon:

I know it's stating the obvious, but no one drives anywhere by looking into the rear view mirror, for the simple reason they will soon hurt themselves (and others) or if they're really unlucky, kill themselves (and others).

We learn that lesson quickly in the physical world - not just because of the consequences that happen to us when we don't look where we're going, but because deep down we know that (for 99.9% of the time) we were made to live life facing forwards. A person who is trying to live life by looking behind themselves all the time is not a normally functioning, socially well adjusted person. You don't need a degree to work it out - it's just obvious. :-)

God made us that way for a reason - that reason is destiny. We are all going forward somewhere. Time is marching on to a destiny and we are all caught up in that destiny. This means that the primary focus of our identity is future-centred not past-centred.

Problem is of course that we spend most of our time summing up our identity retrospectively, in terms of past achievements (pride) and failures (self-pity) along with those things over which we have no control. I am Richard Walker because in the past I was born into a family called Walker and my parents named me Richard. I'm a teacher because in the past I got a qualification. I'm a failed triathlete, because I'm stumpy and enjoy pie-eating too much. I'm a seasoned traveller, because of former expeditions to far flung places etc etc etc. You get the picture. Most of our self-understanding and self-justification comes from hindsight. If you don't believe me, look at your CV.

Every so often you and I might be future-centred in our thinking. Usually it's just after clinching a job at interview. "I'm going to be a ..." Or after you've just got down on one knee: "I'm gonna be a husband." Or after you've been to the hospital: "I'm gonna be a Dad." And all of a sudden, life is filled with enormous anticipation as the new future reality begins to shape your present world.

Whether we are Christian or not, life is future-centred. We are all going somewhere. All of us will end up in front of the judgement seat of Christ. We can look backwards and ignore this destiny, or we can look forwards and embrace it with the help of Christ himself. (Lk.12:31-32)

Paul does this well. He is not amnesic about the past, (Gal.1:13) but he does not let it overshadow his heart or negatively shape his identity and his future. Don't know about you, but I want to be more like him:

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

The Wheat and the Weeds

2011-05-17T19:24:00.001+01:00

At last night's Biblical Thinking Forum, we talked about how God's people have always been in conflict with Satan's people. It was a great session - possibly my favourite from the year so far! I think people are beginning to understand the way my quirky mind works! ;-)

Here is a copy of the handout - feel free to steal / rehash etc as appropriate.

Forsaken the World : Rooted in Christ

2011-05-15T21:51:00.001+01:00

Sermon Notes on 1 John 2:15-27.

John has been going through some tests whereby Christians can see if their confession of faith is genuine and also see who is trying to lead them astray into a false gospel. Here are two more: 1. How you love the world, 2. How you discern and deal with the antichrist.

Do not love the world (v15-17)
Love of the world and love for God are mutually exclusive, (Luke 16:13): “No servant can serve two masters, but there’s more to it than that – if we love the world, the Father’s love is not in us. We’re not really saved.

When John talks here about the world, he’s talking about all of this life that is ruled by the devil (Eph.2:2): imprisoned by sin and cursed by death. Difficult to imagine on sunny days when life is good, but it’s true. John is urging his readers not to prop up/endorse either explicitly or implicitly the pagan status quo. Whose empire are you building? The empire sold to you by the spin doctors and dream weavers of this world or the empire of Jesus aka the Kingdom of God?

Clearly certain behaviours/lifestyles are off limits, but what about those hundreds of good things that can easily become idols in our lives e.g. sport, work, money, spouses, children... Here are three questions you can ask yourself to test if your attitude is good? 1. Is it forbidden/permitted in the Bible? 2. Is it a priority? 3. Can I give thanks in my heart to God with a clear conscience as I do it? If yes, carry on. If no, just stop it.

The Will of God is that we delight in his Son, (John 6:40). God loves the world (John 3:16) but his love is redemptive, saving it from itself and the pollution of sin. Christians should love the world like that – selflessly and redemptively, not selfishly and destructively.

Discerning and dealing with antichrist (v18-19)
Popular (Christian) culture thinks of antichrist as some world leader who will emerge at some point in the future and whilst that may happen, the reality is bigger and more subtle than that. It’s a term to define anyone who has refused to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and saviour, preferring to listen to something / someone else. Jesus talked about these people in his explanation of the parable of the sower, Matt. 13.

In this, the last hour (last phase of human history), God has poured out his Spirit for his people to take the gospel of Jesus to the ends of the earth. Therefore Satan, is upping his game also, to get as many people thrown off course as possible. This should not make us fearful, but it should keep us alert. To be antichrist is to have something on the throne of your heart that is not Jesus, or forcing Jesus to share the throne with something else. Are you dabbling in antichrist?

Staying Rooted to Jesus (v20-25)
The Spirit of God guides us into all truth - John 16:13-14. This is supremely through the Bible and secondly through supernatural impartation to the church. True supernatural impartations will always agree with the Bible, if not, they are not from God, but another spirit and must be ignored.

It doesn’t matter how religious you are or what your belief in God is – if you don’t have Jesus it is worthless. Many worship the gods of their own imagination be they the product of an individual (e.g. New Age), or a collective imagination that creates a famous religion like Islam or Hinduism, or Mormanism etc

You don’t need anything more to teach you. The seed of the Gospel sown in your heart, needs simply to be allowed to grow and develop. Don’t try and genetically modify it. Just let it grow. The seed will become a plant, the plant will bear the fruit of the Spirit. John 17:3 says that eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son – having them live in you, (John 14:23). So cultivate that relationship, knowing by faith that it will grow naturally. Don’t believe the lies that you have to supplement Jesus with … (fill in the blanks).

Living in the Anointing (v26-27)
1 Tim 5:17 says that those who teach in the church are worthy of a double honour (they are also judged more severely), so when John says that we have no need of any teachers he is not contradicting Paul, or suggesting we all become maverick lone ranger Christians, he’s saying that the Spirit who wrote the Bible and who lives in you will testify to the truth or falsehood of what you are hearing in the church, you don’t need to look for any other form of (worldly) authentication.

Clothing Share

2011-05-11T21:02:00.000+01:00

Something a bit different from the Bible in a year plan... (If you want to hear more on Saul and David, come to the next Biblical Thinking Forum.)

Psalm 104:2 talks about how Israel's God - Jehovah - wraps himself in a garment of light. Clothing in the Bible is less to do with avoiding lust and shame, (something that the legalists and moralists would lead you to believe) and more to do with glorification, authority and position.

So that the LORD is wrapped in light in this Psalm is not because he is feeling exposed, but because he is highly exalted and truly glorious!

Having recently read Ruth, my mind went straight back to the moment when Ruth asked Boaz to spread his garment over her (Ruth 3:9) i.e. to become her kinsman redeemer and marry her. Boaz duly and speedily did so. That is a picture of Christ and his church.

The garment of righteousness Christ gives to his church is not so much one that she walks off with, but one that she joins him inside. The two become one flesh - wrapped up in glorious holy light - united together forever - Rev.7:15 - in the kingdom of Christ and his Father.

Jesus - Time and Eternity United As One

2011-05-07T11:11:00.004+01:00

In his book Beyond Smells and Bells, Galli quotes Pope Benedict XVI (before he became pope). The Scripture refs are my own insertion:

Cosmic time, which is determined by the sun, becomes a representation of human time, [Eccl.6:12] which moves towards union of God and the world, [Rom.8:21-22] of history and the universe, of matter and spirit - in a word, towards the New City whose light is God himself. Thus time becomes eternity and eternity is imparted to time.[2Cor.5:4]

Galli picks up the significance of this with reference to the incarnation - the Son of God becoming like one of us - when he says:

In the Son, time co-exists with eternity.

And so with those who believe in Jesus. We are in the world, but not of it. We are citizens of a kingdom that transcends time, but we sojourn on a time-bound earth. We are people who in the same breath pray "thy Kingdom come" and "give us this day our daily bread."

Beginnings of Promise

2011-05-03T21:30:00.003+01:00

1 Samuel 9-10

I find Saul a tragic, but fascinating character. He begins with such promise, but ends in such ignominy. How can one do that? Especially when God is in control? There are loads of things I don't understand. This is one of them.

Rather than say anything more, I'll repost something I wrote 18 months ago, It's my best guess to date at trying to understand how it could all go so terribly wrong...

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The Forgetfulness of Fervour Vs. the Fruitfulness of Faith.

If you're like me, you can fall into the trap of thinking the following:

Display of fervour = Faith.

In this thinking, the most important thing in life is to hype yourself up about stuff and make sure you are around those who do the same, but that is not the view of Jesus the master.

We can fool each other (and ourselves) most, if not all of the time if we are all complicit and gullible enough, but God knows the heart. He is not interested in ostentatious displays of devotion per se. Through the Son and in the Spirit, he is in the business of birthing and nurturing a new humanity. One which lives by the obedience of faith.

A famous Old Testament king called Saul, had fervour by the bucket load with the best of them, but his life ended in doom and should serve as a sober warning to all who confess the name of Christ, not to fall into the same trap; starting well but finishing worse than we began.

That is not to say that there should never be great displays of devotion or fervent prayer or that spiritual gifts are not for today, (they most definitely are imho :-). Like a jealous lover, Jesus has no interest in flaccid and lukewarm devotion from his beloved. Moreover, Jesus was not known for being a quiet little church mouse. But it wasn't his volume that got the attention of his Heavenly Father, nor his ability to stir up a crowd, it was his reverent obedience.

As I blogged recently, whose eyes are you looking to grab in the doing of it? What is the outcome of your life? Do you go away from times with other Christians, times of reading your Bible challenged but unchanged? (If so, may I humbly suggest that your Christianity is more about flattering yourself than it is about faith in Christ). Or has God birthed something new in you that (being nurtured in continual private prayer) results in new expressions of the eternal life into which you have now been caught up? It might not be be clear to you which of those that is until some time after.

It takes a while for the seed to bear its fruit. Some seem impressive for a time, but then the cares/pleasures/pains of this short life close in on them and they fall away from their original expression of devotion to Christ, irrespective of how fervent that first declaration was.

The wrong kind of fervour looks good, but all it does is puff up the ego without nourishing the spirit (yours or anyone else's). The right kind of faith loves, exalts and honours Jesus Christ, nourishes the soul and blesses the world.

It is this kind of faith, the only true kind,which leads to godly action, irrespective of our outward displays of fervour, temperament or circumstance that we should prayerfully pursue at all costs.

Premature Kingship

2011-05-03T00:00:00.113+01:00

1 Samuel 5-8

Often sin is not taking the wrong thing, but taking the right thing at the wrong time. It was always God's intention to share his divine nature with us (2Pet.1:4), but Adam grasped for it at the wrong time, he didn't want to wait for God's appointed time (Gen.3:6).

When Moses gave the Israelites the Law, he said they would have a king, (Deut.17:15) but they now demand this good thing the at the wrong time and with the wrong motives.

Samuel's sons (and obvious successors) were not perfect, but Jordan suggests the Israelites use this as an excuse to ask for a king.

As an aside, Eli (1Sam.3:13) and even the great King David (1Ki.1:6) are both highlighted in Scripture as being dodgy dads, but Samuel is never charged with such neglect of discipline and so we should be wary of trying to pin responsibility for his wayward sons on him.

Three reasons why Israel is wrong to ask for a king:

1. They want to be like the other nations
They have rejected the calling to be distinct from the other nations of the earth.

2. The king they were to have was to come from the tribe of Judah
Jacob had prophesied many years earlier that Israel's ruler would come from the line of Judah (Gen 49:10). Judah's line had been put out to grass for 10 generations, due to the illegitimacy of his sons (Deut.23:2, see also Gen. 38), but that exclusion was nearly over, as we saw last week. Nevertheless, the people won't wait.

3. The Lord was already their King
The only reason they had experienced disaster was due to their unfaithfulness to the covenant God had made with them. Even when the Ark had been taken by the Philistines, the Philistines had returned it after God had humiliated their god, Dagon twice. He then went out before them in battle and thundered enabling them to rout the enemy. God was still very gracious towards his people and for them in every way. It was they who had given up on him.

Nevertheless, the almighty God of everything created, seen and unseen, goes along with these truculent demands of his people. The king God chooses (Saul) comes from the Benjaminites. At the end of Judges, the Benjaminites had made themselves a stench in the nostrils of the rest of Israel. The way they are judged by the rest of the nation has many echoes with the way God judged Sodom and Gomorrah. Was God now using Saul as an opportunity to graciously restore the tribe of Benjamin? I don't know. Maybe.

Even so, Jacob's prophecy was, again, spot on (Gen.49:27). The glory of Saul's reign would be short lived. The temptation for material gain and the praise of men, would prove too much for him.

To AV or not to AV?

2011-05-02T09:34:00.005+01:00

I can't in all honesty say I have wrestled over the question if AV vs FPTP, but I have pondered it a little with the help of these guys, had brief chats with friends who know a lot more than I do and come to a conclusion in time for Thursday's referendum. I'll let you guess what it is. :-)

However, standing back from the whole thing, I'm reminded that great social improvement doesn't come from tinkering with the systems, but from transforming the people. (Yes, I realise that is somewhat simplistic and that people and system are more intimately connected than I make out, but indulge me for a moment ;-)

Political systems, like money and guns, are not inherently good or evil, it's the hands of the humans who use them that dictate the reputation they end up having. It doesn't matter whether you have euros, pounds or dollars, people will still embezzle money. It's a transformation of the heart that makes people less greedy and more generous. Similarly, with monarchy and democracy. If the monarch is righteous, the people will love, honour and serve them for their own good and the good of the country. If the democracy is corrupt, everyone will grab what they can whilst the ship goes down, leaving many to flounder and drown, and whilst law may slow this process down, it's powerless to stop it.

I read an excellent quote recently, and can't remember for the life of me where it was, but it went something like this: Democracy worked well in the West when the voice of the people was the voice of [the Christian] God, that is to say that the Reformers had done such a good job of teaching the Bible to common folk, that whilst disagreements were plentiful, there was an essentially Christian view of the direction of history and a biblical moral consensus that held the people together. The voice of the people could therefore be trusted. With the loss of that consensus has come the loss of trust and direction.

Freedom makes a great soundbite, it's a soundbite that the Post-Christian West is trumpeting across the world, but it's a meaningless soundbite, if you have no idea where you're going. The self-centredness of “Survival” is not a common direction and it isn’t worth dying for.

So whether you vote or abstain on Thursday, do so with a clear conscience before God, and spend at least as much time praying for the government (1Tim.2:1-3) who will have the unenviable task of figuring out what your, my and everyone else's vote/abstention means in practice

Whatever the outcome, may the glory of Christ fill the earth as the waters cover the see. (Hab.2:14).

Hijack.

2011-05-02T00:00:00.002+01:00

Judges 3-4

It would appear, according to Samuel's opening comment that appearances of the Son of God were not common in this period of Israel's history. He was no doubt so appalled at the spiritual adultery of his people and especially his priests that he withdraws from them.

Eli was now blind, symbolic of his spiritual waywardness as he refused to restrain or punish his sons. Blood ties are not an excuse for faithlessness. The LORD calls Samuel, but Eli doesn't realise it's the LORD until the third time of asking.

The LORD tells Samuel all he will do as a judgement on the house of Eli. When Eli hears of this, he does what all who do not love God do, he fatalistically resigns himself to "God's sovereignty." Had he been godly, he might of had mind to do something like what David did. (2 Sam 12:21-22)

The arrogance of Israel is at such a height that in the midst of all her apostasy, she thinks that God will deliver her from the hands of the Philistines. God is not mocked, and the ark is not some kind of super-talisman to be wielded any old way (as claimed in Raiders of the Lost Ark). God would rather see it captured and sent into the hands of the Philistines, than build up his people in their own conceits.

Eli, when he hears of it dies as he falls over. He had grown fat off his abuse of the sacrificial system. That abuse now contributes to the his judgement - the breaking of his own neck.

We commit a great mistake if we put our trust in the appearances of godliness, rather than God himself. Whether that be personally in the form of legalistic rule keeping, ecclesiastically by relying on the slickness of our church meetings/strategy or nationally by assuming that because God had saved us in the past, he automatically will do it again.

The gift he gives us is the gift of himself through the person of Jesus Christ. Nothing less. To settle for less is foolish indeed, and opens the heart up to at best being pierced with many sorrows (1Tim.6:10) and at worst ultimate judgement. (Rev.21:8)

Hannah and Mary both Top of the Pops

2011-05-01T06:14:00.013+01:00

It is certainly possible that Samson (Jud.13:24) and Samuel were contemporaries, James Jordan thinks so.

Both Hannah, who gave birth to the great judge and deliverer, Samuel, and Mary who gave birth to the true and better Samuel aka Jesus sing about the birth of their sons.

One can't help but feel Mary had studied Hannah's song before she thought up her own with the help of the Spirit. Hannah sings:

"My heart exults in the LORD;
my strength is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
"There is none holy like the LORD;
there is none besides you;
here is no rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the LORD is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble bind on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
The LORD kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
and on them he has set the world.

"He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
for not by might shall a man prevail.
The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the power of his anointed."

About 8 centuries later, Mary echoes:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in) God my Saviour,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

Why not be like Mary and let your prayers include phrases like these? For in Jesus, all these things are true.

Help to Keep My Hand on the Plough

2011-04-30T23:34:00.002+01:00

I was recently asked for some prayer points. Thought I'd share them here.

That I would grow in the prophetic words spoken over my life.
1. That God would use my hands to write.
A word spoken over me when I accompanied Sean to Crown Church's Men's Day over at the WEC centre a good few years ago now. Am beginning to get upwards of 3000 hits a month on the blog - my primary outlet for this word (half of those hits are mine, checking it's still there and looking for punctuation errors/typos etc!! ;-) May there be more freshness, clarity and life in what I write, seeing more of Jesus and enjoying sharing him.

2. That I would take complex/deep biblical truths and make them simple to understand/digest for people.
This was spoken over me by Sitho when we went on retreat to Stanton House last year. Am really appreciating listening to James Jordan going through the Old Testament and want to ensure that the time I gain from going part time in teaching is put to fruitful study that blesses others and doesn't puff up my own mind.

3. That I would grow as a Pastor.
(Julian's word over me back in Jan.) Whilst the detail was a bit shaky, (I am already an elder) the sentiment was spot on. I often prefer to run like Saul and hide amongst the baggage (1Sam.10:22) than come out and stand tall and put my hand to the plough with the rest.

Personal points
1. Joy in the LORD
Whilst I feel like I have grown in many ways, I feel like there is a vitality that is lacking and that I have given away ground in some areas. I fear I'm getting a little too cool (in every sense of the word). I need to remember that obedience is better than the sacrifice of lips and learning.

2. Contentment in all circumstances
Days go by when I am happy in the Lord and feel like I want to run hard at singleness for the sake of the Kingdom (Matt. 19:12) Other days I burn with passion, (1Cor.7:9) feeling like a freak of nature and wanting to be "coupled up" like everyone else. I don't really know what else to say on that. I don't really know what I want. I know both paths are good.

3. More of a seamless life
I often feel like I run hard at some things in the home / work / church and then leave others to go to the dogs. I need a more consistency. I can't be perfect at everything, but I can definitely be less bad at a few things e.g. marking and gardening.

4. Disposable time/treasure management
I have lots of disposable time!! Lots of disposable income, I waste a lot of them both because I have so much of them unlike many who utilise well the little they have. I need more wisdom and self-discipline in this area.

Blest Pair of Sirens - Not As Weird A Title As You Might Think

2011-04-30T19:26:00.004+01:00

If you, like modern scientifically-biased me, were a little bit confused during the Royal Wedding yesterday by the piece "Blest Pair of Sirens," fear not, I did a little research...

It was a poem written by the great Milton and set to music later by Parry (of Jerusalem fame). In Greek Mythology, Sirens were bad news, but in this poem, they are symbolic of word and rhythm redeemed and put into the service of praising God. (Milton seems to have pre-empted Piper on his explanation of 1Cor.3:21-23 ;-)

I've added in brackets how I understand some of the symbolism, but I may be wrong.

In essence it looks like a plea that Thy Will be done, in Earth as it is in Heaven. (Matt.6:9-10) A call for Earth to be in harmony with Heaven. A call to antiphony.

The modern church has alienated itself from this kind of antiphonal liturgy, (e.g. Psalm 136). Whatever you may say about its historical and ecclesiastical abuses, antiphony is deeply Trinitarian - symbolic of that initiator-responder relationship that makes up the very fabric of reality. Father-Son, Christ-Church, Man-Woman, Heaven-Earth, Jew-Gentile, are just a few examples of how that initiator-responder relationship echoes absolutely everywhere.

We are called to symmetry, not originality. Heaven continually praises the Father and the Son through the Spirit, and the Earth will one day perfectly agree with and echo that praise...

BLEST pair of Sirens, pledges of Heav'ns joy,
Sphear-born harmonious Sisters, Voice, and Vers,
Wed your divine sounds, and mixt power employ
Dead things with inbreath'd sense able to pierce,
And to our high-rais'd phantasie present,
That undisturbèd Song of pure content,
Ay sung before the saphire-colour'd throne
To him [God] that sits theron
With Saintly shout, and solemn Jubily,
Where the bright Seraphim in burning row
Their loud up-lifted Angel trumpets blow,
And the Cherubick host in thousand quires [choirs]
Touch their immortal Harps of golden wires,
With those just Spirits [saints who are already with Jesus] that wear victorious Palms, [crowns]
Hymns devout and holy Psalms
Singing everlastingly;
That we on Earth with undiscording voice
May rightly answer that melodious noise;
As once we did, till disproportion'd sin
Jarr'd against natures chime, and with harsh din
Broke the fair musick that all creatures made
To their great Lord, whose love their motion sway'd
In perfect Diapason [harmony], whilst they stood
In first obedience, and their state of good.
O may we soon again renew that Song,
And keep in tune with Heav'n, till God ere long
To his celestial consort [host] us unite,
To live with him, and sing in endles morn of light.

Here it is for those, like me, who want to listen again...

Building Up the Father's House

2011-04-26T21:36:00.005+01:00

The book of Ruth feels like a wonderful little oasis of personal life that we can relate more easily to than all the killing and political machinations going on in the surrounding books. But let's be careful, lest we are too readily satisfied, interpreting this book in our own sentimental, romantic image and not looking for anything of greater depth.

Whilst the book is called Ruth, this is in a sense misleading, for it is about how God uses Ruth and Boaz to restore Naomi (Ru.4:14)

Echoes of Genesis 1 abound in Ruth 1. Adam and Eve were kicked out east of their covenant dwelling, the garden of Eden, after their unfaithfulness to the LORD. Now Elimelech and Naomi, instead of seeking God for mercy that he might lift the famine that he has brought due to the Israelites covenant infidelity, decide to throw in the towel and go East to the Moabites. There, Naomi suffers sorrow upon sorrow as death eats up all the males in the household.

But just as God promises salvation to Adam and Eve back in Genesis 3, so too on her return to Israel, even though she blames what she sees as the capricious sovereign will of God for her troubles, God still, through Gentile Ruth and mix-race Boaz (Matt.1:5) will restore her and turn her weeping into dancing.

Chapters 2-4 tell of that beautiful restoration. Boaz's and Ruth's primary drive in their union is not romance, but covenant fidelity to the law of the Levirite. They are the ones with the eyes of faith - deeply ironic, given their gentile blood lines.

Just as Adam became a dead bridegroom to Eve - unable to bring her to eternal life, or to bring forth the offspring that would take the glory of the LORD to the ends of the earth, so to Elimelech became (literally) a dead bridegroom to Naomi spawning weak sons who could not go the distance.

Note that it's not those who are born in the right place, but those who keep the covenant who become a source of life to Naomi and continue to build up the father's house.

Boaz is a name given to one of the pillars in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem (2Chron.3:17). For it was by the swift (Boaz means swift) and righteous action of this man that the house of the LORD was built up, the seed line was continued and the line and house of Judah could eventually come to prominence in the life of Israel i.e. when David took the throne. (Judah the lion had been put out to grass for 10 generations because of the shenanigans of Genesis 38. See Deut.23:2 and then count the number of generations from the illegitimate son Perez to David. That's why the otherwise seemingly random genealogy is there. Cool eh?)

Ruth is a picture of the true church who through her union to the bridegroom brings life and joy to a barren, bitter and dead world.

Christ is the true and better Boaz who perfectly keeps the covenant law and comes to build up his Father's house marrying a widowed, barren and dying humanity. He is also the true and better Obed. He is the offspring of promise, miraculously given, whom the whole creation longs for.

Neo-Evolution or Self-Deification?

2011-04-25T15:20:00.001+01:00

Interesting TED talk. Quite why he feels you have to believe in evolution to have an opinion on the debate of human (self) improvement aka evolution, I'm not sure, but it makes for interesting listening.

Easter Meditation: Treacherous Son of God - Beloved Son of God

2011-04-24T21:42:00.004+01:00

If you've seen films like The Passion of the Christ, you'll have met Barabbas portrayed as something of a mad character. Symbolically and theologically, this is probably appropriate, but on the day to day surface of things, if you're going to be prominently involved in any kind of credible insurrection against the Romans, you need to have some (worldly) marbles.

So consider him a moment and his brief meeting with Jesus.

He is a murderer (Mk.15:7) and a robber (Jn.18:40), clearly guilty of all with which they have charged him (Mt.27:16).

But here's the thing, (I never noticed it until recently), his name means "Son of the Father." Moreover, if Wikipedia is to be believed, his first name was Jesus (a commonly occurring name in those days, much like John or Matthew is to us).

So Pilate presents two Jesus' to the crowd that first Good Friday morning - both a "son of the Father." The difference being that one is a treacherous son, the other a righteous son. The first is a counterfeit son, the second the true son. The first is guilty of insurrection, robbery and murder, the second is totally obedient, self-giving and brimming with life.

The first is like his father Adam - who was a son of God (Lk.3:38), but committed insurrection against God, robbing the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and single-handedly murdering the whole human race by bringing death into the world.

The second is like his Father - God - bringing order out of disorder, life out of death, joy out of sorrow. In short reversing the curse of the first treacherous son.

The sad thing is that when presented with these two saviour figures - the people plumb for the counterfeit, quick fix saviour - Barabbas. They aren't bothered about fellowship with God and the renewal of creation, they just want (I would guess) rid of the Romans and a return to the glory days of the old Davidic dynasty.

See here how the good news of God is summed up so simply, how the righteous God-man suffers in the place of a treacherous humanity: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God (1Pet.3:18).

But it doesn't stop at God finding a way to tolerate humans who have betrayed him, its goes further to find us a place as dearly loved children in the family of God. For on resurrection morning Jesus says to Mary Magdalene that he is returning to his Father and her Father, his God and her God (Jn.20:17)

Through the power of God at the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, treacherous, mad and wicked people like you and me, can become the beloved children of the Father. If only we would humble ourselves before him and receive...

Can It Get Any Worse?

2011-04-20T09:03:00.001+01:00

Judges 17-18

Don't know about you, but when I read through Judges, I am struck by how the people only behave (at least in public) when they have a strong leader i.e. a judge in place. Once he (or she) goes, they descend into idolatry and chaos again. There seems to be no godly self-governing principle and (therefore) no appetite for transmitting the knowledge of God to the next generation.

Today's reading brings this whole theme to the fore. Not only do the people refuse to listen to God and do what's right in their own eyes but even Jonathan, the grandson of Moses, the mighty man of God, who led the people out of Egypt, is happy to serve as a Levite in Micah's house and does not tell him to rid himself of his household gods.

(Some translations say Manassah - Jordan says that the original is unclear in some manuscripts and therefore translated this way because the Israelites couldn't bring themselves to write Moses - connecting him with such apostasy was a shameful testimony to how far they had fallen.)

Moses went nuts when he came down the mountain and the nation had built a golden calf. His grandson however, seems to have no problem with this syncretism - making an offering to the LORD and then turning it into a carved image, in direct disobedience of the second commandment.

What's even more chilling is that Heaven is silent all through this episode. The only thing worse than God confronting you for disobedience is when he leaves you alone so that you can puff yourself up in the vanities of your own imagination fattening yourself up for greater judgement in the end (Ps.73:7,18).

Me thinks it's time for a king to bring some order! Not long from now, they will have one, but once again, it will all get off to a sorry start. If only they would humble themselves and not be stiff-necked before their God.

We may not have "household gods" like they did - but we are naive if we think that our attitudes are naturally any better than theirs were. Let the Word of God (Micah 6:8, 1 Pet.5:6) and not the roaming eyes of your heart be the guide for your soul and the souls of the generations that flow from your body.

Abstinence of a Different Kind

2011-04-18T17:05:00.001+01:00

Can't remember where I saw this, but made me chuckle...

www.catholicmatch.com

Meet Samson

2011-04-18T15:09:00.004+01:00

Judges 13-16

Most people think of the famous Bible character as having rippling muscles, rather like this:

But given the Philistines could not work out what gave him his strength, he probably looked more like this:

Delving a bit further into the detail, and you see that Samson is very much a "type" of Christ.

His birth is miraculous - Judges 13:2
He is a Nazarite - set apart for holy war - Mark 14:25
His name means "one who shines like the sun."
Moreover, the name of his enemies - the "Philistines"' means strangers/sojourners, but the word "Philistine" comes from another word which means to roll in the dust. The Bible is clearly making a connection here between the Philistines and the seed of the serpent. (Gen.3:14-15)
He causes trouble for the Philistine elders because they had subdued his people, Compare the confrontation in Judges 14:18 with Luke 11:46.

Consider then his story - how he defeats the Philistines in the strength given to him by the Spirit, how he clearly allows himself to be "deceived" to his death by a treacherous bride, and how his death brings victory and relief to Israel.

Consider also Christ - the sun from above, who comes in the power of the Spirit to apostate Israel - busy making converts twice as much offspring of Hell as she has become (Matt.23:15) - he allows himself to be betrayed by this faithless, apostate bride and handed over to death. But in his death, he vanquishes all his enemies and brings rest to his true bride, the people of the new humanity.

The Torture 40

2011-04-18T14:05:00.000+01:00

Anyone fancy a go at this? It's all about the hills!...

Torture40

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Don't Moralise - Enjoy the Story

2011-04-18T11:03:00.011+01:00

In the preface to A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament, Peter Leithart makes the following comments that I found helpful:

Christians teaching the Old Testament are constantly tempted to treat it as a collection of moral fables. Abram "lies" to Pharaoh in Genesis 12, and we draw the conclusion that Abram's faith was not sufficiently strong, and that lying is a bad thing. But the story ends with Abram being treated well by Pharaoh and receiving all manner of livestock (Gen.12:16). How such an ending discourages lying is not exactly clear: Abram does not just get away scot free, he is richly rewarded for his "lack of faith." To make this work, the moraliser has to say that the riches Abram receives are "deceptive riches" rather than the true riches received by faith. Moral piles on moral, all obscuring the passage they are supposed to illuminate. If we cut through the layers of moralising, we realise that the story is not well designed as a warning against lying. Why does Abram have to go to Egypt to lie? Why this lie? Why is he rewarded? One must simply say that there is more going on in Genesis 12, something that a moralistic reading of the Bible does not even hint at.
...
This book is designed to be read aloud at the dinner table during family devotions, and I have tried to write in such a way that even very young children will begin to grasp the sweep and beauty of the Bible...
...
I encourage parents not to underestimate what children can learn about the Bible. Unlike many books of theology, the content of the Bible is fairly easy to grasp. Even (especially?) a two-year old can understand what happens when someone's head is bashed with a tent peg (Judges 4:21). If trained to read the Bible properly, children can begin to see how parts of the Bible are connected to each other as one big story. I have been teaching the Bible to my children for many years, and many years ago they began to teach me by noticing wonders in the Scriptures that I had never noticed.

So what was going on with Gen 12 and the Abram lying thing? See here for more.

Just as Abram led his bride out of Egypt with the spoils of the king. So the "Angel of the LORD" (Ex.14:19, Jude 5) led his bride out of Egypt with the spoils of the Egyptian Empire.

He will do it again at the end of the age, when he hakes his people out of the world. (2Pet.2:9)

Why not buy it and use it for family devotions. Happy to lend out my copy when done.

:-)

Being a Real Man?

2011-04-16T21:35:00.001+01:00

We had a men's night at church this evening. We ate curry, but it wasn't that spicy actually.

Some women in our church had written down what they want to see from the men, we talked about that.

We also watched the following video. Let it challenge your sense of masculinity - in a healthy way!

Moses the Modern

2011-04-14T14:35:00.001+01:00

For those like me, i.e. on school holiday and time on their hands, this is quite amusing.

Is The Problem That We Try Too Hard to Visualise the Trinity?

2011-04-13T12:27:00.000+01:00

An excellent post by Dave Bish. Read the full entry here.

Just Enjoy It

2011-04-13T08:04:00.006+01:00

Judges 4-5

A couple of years ago, I was of the opinion that the only reason Deborah became a "judge" in Israel was because the men had all abdicated their responsibilities and that the whole situation was wrong. Deborah should not have held that office.

I now think I was somewhat short-sighted. That Deborah was a judge may well have been an exceptional occurrence, but it was not an evil one. Nowhere does the Bible condemn this state of affairs. For example, Isaiah does not at any point introduce his declarations of woe and judgement with the opening line: "Remember the former abominable days of Deborah?... This is like them..." I am thus of the opinion that neither should we.

I remain a complementarian. Men are to guard and govern the local church as a picture of how Christ guards and governs his global people. Women come alongside as helpers in the task. That's the way God has set it up for man and woman to reign over creation together.

So what am I saying?

I'm saying if you are like I was a couple of years ago, then may I encourage you to enjoy the story of Deborah and of how God delivers the people out of the hands of Jabin and Sisera, without getting into a flap about gender roles.

Deborah stirs up the people (Judges 4:6) to go out and vanquish their enemies. So too, the Holy Spirit, broods over the church stirring her up for conquest and expansion. (Acts 13:2)

The Only Defence is a Good Offence

2011-04-12T12:10:00.003+01:00

Judges 1-3

The conquest of Canaan was a Holy War, unlike any other campaign that Israel would wage in its subsequent history. After the main offensive drive, there remained pockets of resistance that were to be annihilated (believe it or not I squirm writing that).

The people begin well in this mop up campaign, but after a time seem to grow tired of the mandate for total wipe out, and instead go for the get-rich-quick, disobedient and easier option (no doubt spun as pragmatic and more compassionate) of keeping the people alive and making them slaves.

Leaving aside their disobedience for a moment, it is so deeply ironic that the very thing they have just been rescued from in Egypt, they then go and inflict on others for the sake of their own personal gain. Jesus had sobering words for these kinds of people (Matt.18:32-33)

The (Angel of the) LORD rebukes their folly. These people would become "thorns" piercing the flesh of Israel. The nation weeps, but history would suggest that, whilst some were no doubt sincere, the majority were churning out crocodile tears. For it is then that the seemingly impossible happens - within a generation the LORD has been forsaken for other gods (Judges 2:10).

How on earth did that happen? Surely there must have been some great national disaster that led them to believe that God had forsaken them, leading them to lose hope and faith. For surely nothing else could warrant such a casual turning from the LORD of all the earth?

The sad fact of the matter is that there was no natural disaster. Simply put, God's people were faithless. They became proud and conceited and let the things of God drop to the ground before them.

The simple truth is that living in the love of God, like any relationship, requires effort. It doesn't "just happen." Holiness doesn't come by evolution or osmosis and it certainly doesn't come through that passive brand of (English?) optimism that says "it'll all work out in the end" whilst doing nothing to bring that end about.

Winds in the desert do not produce furnished houses. The natural inclinations of a man do not produce holiness. If you want to build something great like a holy life, it takes painstaking time and effort (Heb.5:14). If you want the next generation to follow in your footsteps, it takes painstaking time and effort. The only defence is a good offence.

And so begins the anarchic downward spiral / cycle of 1. disobedience, 2. defeat, 3. (crocodile tear?) crying to God for help, 4. deliverance through a Judge that will characterise this Bible book and make them long for a king.

Ehud knew what it meant to have a good offence as he plunged his double-edged sword into fat king Eglon, the troubler of Israel. The writer to the Hebrews alludes to this very episode when he says (Heb.4:11-13):

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, [even that of Ehud's] piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.[just as Eglon was once he was eventually found by his servants]

He who shows the same merciless streak to the sinful impulses of his own heart as Ehud did to Eglon is wise, and will gain his life (Luke 13:24).

No-one ever won anything worth having by sitting around (Matt.11:12).

Bonus Gospel!!

2011-04-12T06:01:00.001+01:00

David Murray is professor of Reformed Theology at Puritan Seminary, Michigan. He has put together a series of videos that talk about the appearances of Christ in the Old Testament. He's drip feeding these out over the next couple of weeks on Vimeo:

CrossReference+ Episode 1

CrossReference+ Episode 2

Looking Backwards and Forwards

2011-04-11T19:18:00.005+01:00

The last chapters of Joshua reveal some interesting details about the history of God's people, which help us to make sense of what we'll see next in Judges and why Joshua presents such a strong ultimatum to Israel before his handover to the next generation.

You may remember that Exodus opens (Ex.1:8) with the statement that there arose a Pharaoh in Egypt who did not know (acknowledge) Joseph and what he had done for the nation. This Pharaoh had deliberately forgotten his history and so began to deal "craftily" with God's people by making them slaves.

But as highlighted here in Josh.24:14, the sad truth was, that Pharaoh's "forgetfulness" was God's judgement on Israel for forgetting him and turning to idols. God's people became slaves to Pharaoh when they gave themselves over to false gods.

How did it happen? Who knows? My guess is that they, a bunch of simple herdsmen, got beguiled by the social sophistication, prosperous ease and superior technology of the Egyptian empire, which at that time, was arguably the greatest civilisation in the known world. Instead of being God's people and giving themselves to redeeming the culture in which they lived, they became assimilated by it, sucking up it's assumptions and values. No doubt, they continued to pay lip-service to Yahweh, if for no other reason to maintain their distinct cultural and ethnic identity, but they clearly also spread their spiritual eggs over many baskets, saying to themselves these are a clever and well thought out people, how else could they have become so successful? I should learn from them and do what they do.

That God saw this rebellion coming, (Gen.15:13) does in no way excuse their idolatry, rather it shows how incredibly patient and compassionate he is with this wayward people - people just like you and me. In faithfulness to his promise, he still saves them.

As an aside, there's no mandate for church to create culture. We are here to redeem it. Christians are not innovators, but imitators of the one great redeemer - Jesus Christ. If the culture thinks that what the church is doing is "innovative" then that's because it has desperately lost sight of the God who made it. If the church thinks it's being innovative then it's more likely being heretical. There's nothing new under the sun.

The history of the Bible is that fallen Adam and his descendants create fallen culture (Gen.4:21-22). Jesus and his descendants (John 1:12) redeem it (Eph.1:10). Joseph foreshadows this in that he did not create the Egyptian empire, he redeemed it - Gen 47:25.

Anyway, back to the point...

Joshua is thus at pains to remind the people that not one, that's right - not one, not even an intsy-wintsy-teeny-weeny little bit of all God's promises had failed to Israel, so long as they walked in obedience to the covenant he made with them (Josh.23:14). No doubt the words of Deut.8:19 are ringing in his ears as he implores them.

Had you been there it would have probably been cringe-worthy and embarrassing. No doubt, some of the tribal elders thought Joshua was patronising them. But tomorrow, when you turn over the page to Judges, you'll find that his imploring was not at all misplaced.

It seems to be a recurring theme, ever since Genesis 1-3: God sets up, Man stuffs up. Here, God had planted his people in this good land, (Ps.80:8) but they would soon return to disastrous and idolatrous ways, proving that the human heart doesn't need reformation, but transformation. Salvation must come from above, not below. (1Cor.15:47,49)

Mafia Babies

2011-04-07T22:52:00.006+01:00

One of the perks of my teaching job is that my pupils do recommend some great video clips for me to watch and given that most of what I'm reading in Joshua is about land divisions (and I don't have much to say about that - yet ;-), I thought I'd post this very amusing little number instead! Enjoy:

Original here.

Conquest and Compromise

2011-04-03T16:33:00.008+01:00

Observations on Josh 4-7

As mentioned in the previous post, the people of Canaan are dreading the arrival of the Israelites. When they hear that God has dried up the river Jordan, their hearts melt with fear.

Israel consecrates itself to the Lord by mass national circumcision and Passover. Had the Canaanites had any sense, they would have seen this as their chance to strike (just like Simeon and Levi did back in Gen.34:25), but they are so awash with terror that even though the whole Israelite army gets laid out for a week like sitting ducks - they still don't try to gain an advantage.

As promised, back in Ex.23:20-21, the Son of God, then appears to Joshua under the title of "Commander of the LORD's army." Note the parallels between this encounter and the visitation at the Burning Bush back in Ex.3. Both Moses and Joshua are told to remove their sandals. Both the Angel in the Bush (Ex.3:2) and this Commander are ascribed the title "the LORD" (Ex.3:7, Josh.6:2). However, note also the contrasts. In the Burning Bush (or rather thicket) Moses sees (a picture of) Christ as the suffering servant and the one who through his own suffering will redeem his people, but Joshua meets Christ, the victorious warrior, ready now to lead his people into conquest and expansion. (Matthew Henry has a lovely comment on this.)

The people are briefed that this city is to be devoted to the LORD. No one is to plunder anything for himself or his family. It follows the Biblical principle of bringing the first of all we have to the LORD and not the leftovers. They march round the city declaring the victory of God and on day seven, the walls collapse and they put the people to the sword and raise the city to the ground. Rahab and her family are safely brought out and put "outside the camp", (presumably for ritual cleansing before being incorporated into the nation of Israel).

They all move on to the next town, Ai. But shock horror, they are defeated. Joshua wails before the LORD, but God won't have any of it. The reason for failure is compromise in the camp. Achan coveted things that he saw in Jericho and took them for himself. It is a sobering thing to see that when a Christian sins, they don't do it in isolation, it affects the effectiveness of the whole body of which they are a part.

Achan is charged and put to death, along with his whole household. (They knew he had disobeyed God - Josh.6:18-19 - and had not turned him over to the authorities in the spirit of Deut.13:6-11).

Joshua 7 is not a justification to mount witch-hunts on each other, but it should be a reminder that the success of the Church's mission does in some measure depend on the way we humbly, graciously and courageously confront wilful sin when we find it in ourselves (1Cor.9:27) and in each other (Matt.18:17). Not something that people like me, from an insanely self-centred culture, like to hear.

Matt.18:15-17 and James 5:16 are the key texts here. Repentance and reconciliation are always the desired outcome.