Whose life is it anyway?

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. (Gal 2:20 ESV)

I was reading Galatians in my new ESV, and this verse stopped me dead - pardon the pun! I don't know whether it was a rhema moment, where the living word of God jumped out, or just the change of wording that caused the magnitude of these familiar words of scripture to sink in afresh; probably it was a bit of both.

These words are immense! What a change it would make if we really lived like this every day. I'm not saying I've never understood these verses theologically before - of course I have - but it occurred to me afresh that we daily face many issues and questions that quietly and implicitly ask the question, "Whose life is it anyway?" and without thinking we often respond equally implicitly - "Mine." However our life is not ours: my old life is dead; my new life is Christ's. Our reaction to life's circumstances should convey the reality of our theological convictions.


It's not my free time - it's his time.

It's not my career. Getting ahead in my job is not the ultimate goal.

It's not my ministry. The kingdom does not exist to forward my ambitions! I live to serve his kingdom.

It's not my money. I came with nothing, and will leave with nothing. I am but a steward of what he entrusts to me.

It's not my life, to do what ever I want with - it's his life to do whatever he wants.


If I live this way, then the rest of the verse applies: the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. If I don't then I am a "Zombie Christian" -- a dead man walking!

All the World's a Stage... ?

"All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts" - (As You Like it - Act II, Scene VII - William Shakespeare).

Famous words from the bard, but is the world a stage? While it is true that everything we do here on earth is significant and being watched, we are not doing it as actors on a stage to get recognition or applause. We should not seek the limelight for fame's sake, nor weigh our words for the pleasure of men. We have been called to a greater purpose; we are part of the eternal advance of his kingdom. We do not run the race for our glory, but for his; not for the pleasure of man, but to please the heart of God.

Better (though less poetic) is to say, "All the world is an amphitheater, in which every man must run his race."

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Heb 12:1)

... this is not a dress rehearsal!

Iron Anniverary

This weekend is Jacqueline's and my Iron anniversary: we have been married 6 wonderful years. "Iron" doesn't have quite the same ring as some of the other anniversary names. It's not as romantic as gold, silver, ruby or diamond - though it is less expensive!

This year we are not giving each other presents of iron! We are going for a romantic weekend away in Stratford-upon-Avon. We are staying in a luxury hotel, going to a performance of As You Like It at the Royal ShakespShakespeareere Company, and having a meal out at our favorite restaurant. It's also two nights of freedom away from our little boy - we love him dearly, but will appreciate the break.

Here's a quote about Iron that seems appropriate:
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Pr 27:17)

All godly relationships do us good, and none so much as the relationship we have with our spouse. Who else knows us better or speaks into our lives on such a regular basis.

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favour from the LORD. (Pr 18:22)
I praise God for all the favour, blessings and good things I have received from the Lord, through my marriage to Jacqueline these past six years.

Delight in the Law of the Lord

I got a new Bible yesterday. It's an ESV Classic Reference Bible. The ESV (English Standard Version) is a relatively new (2001) translation which is a Literal Translation (word for word) in the tradition of the ASV and RSV (NASB, and NKJV also fit into this category). Rather than a dynamic equivalence (idea for idea) like the NIV, or a paraphrase (verse for verse) like the NLT. I already have many copies of the NIV, a NLT, a NKJV, and various others. I decided on the ESV because it comes highly recommended, and has had scholars such as Wayne Grudem (whose systematic theology I find very helpful) on the oversight committee. I have also been reading it online and found it good to read. For in-depth study of the word, I want a version that is as close as possible to the original text whilst still flowing well in modern English.

I love the word of God! Whatever version of the Bible you read - it's good to delight in the Law of the Lord. Here's a passage from the ESV I read this morning that highlights the importance and blessings that come from delighting in God's word.



Psalm 1

¹Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.



³He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
⁴The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.



⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

To the Ends of the Earth

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Hab 2:14)

Another of the great truths that kept coming again and again at the Bible Week, was that the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God. Our view of the end times, it not one of doom and gloom (though we do not deny there will be hardships and trials) but of the ultimate victory of God's Kingdom in God's earth.

This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Mt 24:14)

It's great that as I write members of our local expression of Jesus' church are fulfilling this call to go into all the earth. Two members of our cellgroup left to go the the Philippines for a missionary visit with YWAM last week. Several others from the church were already there, and some more are flying out today. They will be delivering clothes and bibles to needy people. Providing education in basic health care. Spending time in a boys' prison where 18 boys accepted Christ last year. It's a great work - it's God's work. He wants the whole of his earth to be blessed and reached by his people.

They will be based at a place called Cagayan De Oro. If you have Google Earth you can find it here:cagayan.kmz. If you haven't got Google Earth, and you have broadband it's well worth a download. Whether you want to pray for God's earth, or just entertain yourself with a fantastic free interactive atlas with real satellite imagery that you can zoom as far in as the cars on the streets in some places! And as you zoom around and in and out just consider - it's all destined to be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God. Amen!

Isaiah 43

But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze...

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed-- I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?"...

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.


The title for our Bible Week this year was "All things New." When I read this chapter of Isaiah his morning, some of these verses just leapt out at me! It was if I was reading a summary of what God has said to me at the Bible week. This is what the Spirit of God stirred within me:

I am doing a new thing with you. This is the beginning. It is a time for holiness - a time to deal with the small sins that you thought I overlooked; to be pure - like a refreshing stream of water without pollution or taint, that delights my heart and brings refreshing to others.

It is a time to see me afresh, to see me in my glory, to see me and to worship me - for this is why you were created, this is why you were chosen, and this is why you were redeemed. This is why I saved you, that you might be a people who proclaim my praise.

It is a time to step out and be my witnesses. Do not fear man. Do not be afraid. The giants you fear, are but bluff and bluster. I am with you and you will not come to harm. I am watching over my people and my word to bless and to fulfill.

It is a time for the streams to flow in the wasteland. Those areas in your life that are dry and hard will flow with a freshness of my Spirit - and you will go out into those areas in your region that people have said are dry and dead and I will overflow my Spirit from you out into the barren places and bring life, and bring fruit and produce a harvest for the honour of my name and for my glory, declares the Lord.

Hello Again!

I'm back from the Bible Week. It was a great time. The only disappointment was the weather - it rained... a lot! But even the worst of the British weather couldn't dampen the spirits of God's people.

There is so much I could say about the week it is hard to know where to begin. So here is a quick top 10 of my highlights from the week.

1. Worshipping the Lord with hundreds of God's people gathered together (a taste of heaven here on earth).


2. Rising to the challenge of growing in the purposes of God for my life.


3. Seeing the lives of friends touched and transformed by the power of God.


4. The report on how our giving last year has led to thousands of lives being touched, and thousands coming to know Jesus as Lord - all over the world.


5. The opportunity to give generously to see even more happen this year.


6. The privilege (and challenge) of serving the children in Globetrotters group 2... especially Sand-pit duty! ;-)


7. My son saying he wanted to sing "Ba ba black-sheep" to Jesus.


8. The view of the deer from the window of our warm and dry static caravan, 12 minutes drive off site


9. Andrew Hughs throwing dried pasta shells over the crowd, pretending they were live cockroaches. As he said - we will never forget that illustration!


10. Catching up with old friends from around the country
    

Needless to say, all the teaching was fantastic and inspiring. I have come back with a set of CDs of those messages that particularly stirred me, and those I missed through serving the children.

I'm glad to be back now. Not because I'm glad it's over. But now is the beginning of working out all that God has worked into me over the last week. I can't wait to get started!

Week Away

To all my friends in blog-land: see you in a week's time. Unless of course you are going to the Ministries Without Borders Bible Week too - in which case: see you there!

It's going to be a fantastic week. Great fellowship, hundreds of people worshiping, inspired and prophetic teaching, ministry in the Holy Spirit... but sadly no opportunities to blog. I'll tell you all about it when I get back.

Pacman

Game on! Time for a bit of fun and some healthy competition. Here is a computer game I wrote. It is a clone of the arcade classic - Pacman. The HiScore table is global, so let's see who can get the highest score.

You may need to be patient the first time it loads. If you have problems, make sure that your Browser is Java enabled. You will need to click inside the game before it will respond to keystrokes.




Controls: Use the arrow keys to move around. [P] pauses and unpauses the game. [ESC] to kill yourself off quick.

Techie Details: I originally wrote this game in the mid '90s in AMOS for the Amiga home computer. A couple of years ago, I ported it to Java so it could run inside a web browser. The hardest bit was getting the HiScore table to be persistent and universal. The security restrictions imposed on Java Applets make this quite a challenge. I finally achieved it a few days ago - so enjoy!

Riddle me this...

Now I have published all my Kingdom of God notes, what next? Tomorrow I intend to share with you another one of my writings. This one is of a very different nature. Here is a riddle about it - can you guess what it is going to be?

I am written with care, yet not to be read.
I have keys, but open no lock.
Your time spent with me will vanish with glee,
So keep one eye on the clock.

Kingdom Promise

Here it is! The final part of my Kingdom of God notes. Well done to anyone who has read them all thus far. What better topic is there to end on than the ultimate fulfilment of God's Kingdom purpose on the earth and the return of King Jesus?

In this section we will look at how the Kingdom is yet to come – the ultimate coming of the Kingdom with the return of the conquering King. We will examine the scriptures that speak of the kingdom coming in its fullness on the earth, and the eternal rule of righteousness in the new heavens and the new earth. We will discover how a correct understanding of the ultimate fulfilment of the Kingdom should affect how we live today.


Kingdom Promise [pdf 85.3KB]

Curry Night

Had a great time last night with some of the guys from the Nuneaton cellgroup, and Lee. There was plenty of humour, and laughter and great food! We also spoke about the works of God - we reminisced about the great things he has done in the past (Lee shared his testimony again of how he turned from drugs and violence to give his life to Christ), and of the amazing things that are happening overseas (the accounts from India of people being raised from the dead, and new believers simply taking the Bible at its word, without any education in scepticism or doubt, and going out healing the sick through their prayers, and leading many others to know Jesus as Lord.) Yet we also spoke faith to each other that these things were not just for the past, and not just for other nations - but for us, here and now. I shared what I had discovered about the 1905 revival in Nuneaton, and how the whole atmosphere of the town was changed in just one week.

A lot can happen in one week; people, towns, nations can be changed forever. That's the expectation I have for the upcoming Bible Week that I am going to with the churches linked by Ministries without Borders. I'm going expecting to be changed, equipped and empowered, and to come back ready to make a difference for the Lord, in Nuneaton, in the UK... in his world!

Kingdom Progress

Here is the penultimate part of my Kingdom of God notes. It is on an exciting topic - Kingdom Advance. It is an awesome privilege to be able to play a part in the eternal advance of God's Kingdom.

In this section we will see that the kingdom is still coming. That it is not something that is just passively received but something that is actively advanced. Like Joshua we have met the King, but we still need to take the kingdom. We will examine the ways that we can actively advance God’s kingdom, and so hasten his coming.


Kingdom Progress [pdf 85.3KB]

Revival in Nuneaton!

A headline from the past, that is destined to be a headline in the future!

One hundred years ago the Welsh Revival was in full swing. During this time, there were similar localised revivals in England. One of these was in the Midlands, and the epicentre was Nuneaton. It started in 1905 after a week of united prayer in the town. Soon after, special trains had to be put on to transport the people coming into the town for the prayer meetings!

See these articles for more information:
THE WELSH REVIVAL OF 1904-05 - Oliver W. Price
WESTERN MAIL, Dec 9th 1974

Sometimes the folks in Nuneaton feel like they are on the edge of what is going on, or that they are overlooked in the strategies and plans for the region - but on God's map Nuneaton is not on the edge, it's right in the centre! The revivals of the past, are just foretastes of the ones yet to come.

Kingdom Present

This week I will give you the final 3 installments of my Kingdom of God notes. These three sections focus on the threefold nature of the Kingdom: The Kingdom Come, The Kingdom Coming, and the Kingdom Yet-to-Come. (Rather than switch alliteration, I have called these: Kingdom Present, Kingdom Progress, and Kingdom Promise). So here is part 7: Kingdom Present.

In this section we will look at how the Kingdom has already come. Jesus came and ushered in the Kingdom of God. He is the King of the kingdom, and the only way we enter the Kingdom is through him. We will see how the Kingdom was established by Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.


Kingdom Present [pdf 87.3KB]

Male and Female he created them...

I watched a very interesting documentary last night on BBC1: Secrets of the Sexes. It seems Science is now confirming what we knew all along - Men and women think differently! The sexes are different, not just physiologically, but psychologically too.

Although some stereotypes were debunked, many were confirmed. Women in general are better at empathy, and men at spacial awareness. There was a great part in the programme where a man and a woman had to answer questions while having a brain scan. They were shown pictures of people and asked what emotion they were displaying. The woman's brain scan showed lots of activity in the part of the brain responsible for emotion - she accessed her own emotions to empathise with the pictures she saw. The man's brain scan was equally telling - there was zero activity in that part of the brain! He answered the questions as a purely intellectual exercise.

Why does society have a problem with differences? Why is it politically incorrect to say that women are different from men or to say that people from one culture are different from another? The reason seems to be that most cannot distinguish between difference and inequality. If two people are different - one must be "better" and the other "inferior". So highlighting the difference between the sexes is seen as "Sexism" and highlighting the difference between cultures is seen as "Racism". Whilst such prejudices are to be condemned, the pendulum has swung too far the other way; political correctness is robbing us from rejoicing in the diversity of God's creation. Every human being is different, but all are loved equally by God who "shows no favouritism". What society should be striving for is not a sexual equality that tries to ignore the differences between men and women and pretends they don't exist, but a sexual equity, that recognises the differences but treats each with the same respect and value.

Kingdom Parables

Here is part 6 of my Kingdom of God notes.

In this section we will discover that Jesus’ teaching was full of instruction about the Kingdom. We will examine some of these teachings to see what they tell us about the Kingdom. In particular we will look at the parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13. We will see how the message of the Kingdom is received, how the kingdom grows and expands, what the kingdom is worth to those who find it, and of the great separation at the end of the age.


Kingdom Parables [pdf 92.1KB]

More Free Software

A couple more great free software applications to draw to your attention.

w.bloggar

Desktop blogging tool for Windows. Allows you to jot down your thoughts as and when they come to you in a Notepad like editor, and then automatically logon and publish them when you are ready with a single click. Essential tool for the busy blogger.

pdfCreator

Convert almost any document to pdf accurately and for free. Works by creating a psudo-printer. When you select this printer from Word (or whatever other application you are using) instead of printing it creates the pdf document after prompting you for the filename.

See also:
Free Software

Kingdom Paradigm

Paradigm: (n) One that serves as a pattern or model. [dictionary.com]

Here is part 5 of my Kingdom of God notes.

In this section we will look at what is probably the greatest example of the Kingdom in the Old Testament: the Kingdom of David. There are so many parallels between David’s kingdom and the Kingdom of God, that it is no wonder the Messiah is predicted as one who will restore David’s throne. It is a time of peace and prosperity, justice and mercy, when all the enemies are conquered. It is a place where worship fills the streets and God is restored to his rightful place in the midst of his people.


Kingdom Paradigm [pdf 80.0KB]

Isaiah 6

Isa 6:6 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

I'm reading through the book of Isaiah at the moment. It's one of those books where certain chapters jump out at you. It's all God's word, but there are certain sections which are particularly stirring.

The first of these chapters (to me anyway) is chapter 6 where Isaiah gets his commissioning. What I love about this passage is Isaiah's faith. His trust and his confidence (not in his own abilities) but in God. When God asks who should go, he immediately volunteers, even though he does not yet know what he is volunteering for. It is only afterwards that the Lord tells him what he is to do and what he is to say. But the fact that the request comes from God is enough for him, he doesn't need to know any more.

He reminds me of that other hero of faith - Abraham. In Hebrews 11 we are told "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Again the fact that the call came from God was enough, he didn't need to know the details.

That's the kind of faith and confidence in God that we should have. He never calls us to do anything that is beyond us, or too difficult for us to achieve. He never sets us up to fail. He only has the best possible plan for our lives. When he calls us to do something or go somewhere - that should be all we need to know. I want to be one who jumps to my feet, not one who checks the small print.

More on Faith and Science

I have just discovered an excellent Blog: Real Physics, written by a Christian with a doctorate in physics. He argues extremely lucidly (much better than me) against Darwinian evolution and for Intelligent design.

I wonder how many such individuals it will take before the Darwinists drop their assertion that evolution is a universally accepted theory amongst the scientific community, and that all who disagree are uninformed and naive??

See also:
Faith and Science
In the Beginning [on Roger's blog]
In the Beginning (2) [on Roger's blog]


[UPDATE: The author of Real Physics has pointed out that "Intelligent Design" is a movement with views that he does not completely endorse. I used this term in ignorance of this fact. See the comments to this post for more information - or better still visit MJ's site and see what he has to say for himself - it's good stuff!]

Kingdom Prophecies

Here is part 4 of my Kingdom of God notes.

In this section we will examine some of the passages in the prophetic writings of scripture that speak about the Kingdom of God. In particular the book of Daniel where the greatest kings of this world were shown in vision and demonstration that their mighty kingdoms were nothing compared with that of the King of Kings.


Kingdom Prophecies [pdf 82.3KB]

Guess the Bible Verse

Time for another fun weekend competition. Below is an illustration that didn't make it into the Good News Bible. Can you guess which verse it is for?

Breakfast Fellowship in the Sun

Had a great time of fellowship and food this morning with the Nuneaton cellgroup.

We met at ours this morning, and sat out on the decking in the morning sunshine drinking fresh filter coffee, and eating croissants and bacon buns. Now that's living! The children had fun too, running around in the garden.

It was a big success. Have to do it again soon.

Go with the flow

I had an expectation that we would have an encounter with the Holy Spirit last night, and I wasn't disappointed!

I met with the folks from Nuneaton, for the mid week meeting we call "Cell". Normally we follow a pattern known as the 4W's. Welcome, Worship, Word, and Witness. Which encapsulate the four most important things that should happen when we meet together. Fellowship, focussing on God, hearing his voice, and going out equipped to do it. Last night we had a plan along those lines, but God had a different plan - we never got past the worship.

God gave us a word through a prophecy, that he was going to open doors for us, and we should step out and push them. The Spirit was moving, and I felt that we shouldn't move on until we had received the word more specifically. In the end we ended up praying and laying on hands for all the members of the group in turn. It was a powerful time - everyone went away with an extra impartation from the Spirit, and a specific word from God, of which doors he wanted them to push.

I love meetings like that. I like coming together to meet with God's people, but I love it when we powerfully meet with God. That's what it's all about. Any structure or program only exists to serve the life it contains, and should always defer to that life. We should never love our pattern or way of doing things so much that we cannot defer to the Spirit's promptings. When he is moving, we shouldn't move on - but go with the flow. He leads the best meetings!!

Kingdom Power

Here is part 3 of my Kingdom of God notes. This is on a key subject - Authority.

In this section we will see that the Kingdom of God is all about delegated authority. All authority belongs to God, but he has chosen to delegate authority to man. Just as there is absolute equality between the members of the Godhead, yet a submission to the Father by the Son, and to the Father and Son by the Spirit, we will see that God has established the same structure of authority in creation, in the family and in the church. We will discover that to truly exercise authority in the Kingdom, one must first be under authority.


Kingdom Power [pdf 83.1KB]

Siblings Safe

You have probably heard by now about the dreadful terrorist attacks on London this morning.

One of my brothers and my sister currently live in London. I have just heard that they are both fine and unharmed - Praise God! My brother was at a tube station when the bombs went off, but he was able to get out and walk back home. My sister is currently stranded at Heathrow, with no public transport to get her home, but my mother has been able to book her a flight up to Edinburgh to stay with her.

Pray that they will know God's peace at this time (they are not believers). This is the second time they have been in proximity to a terrorist atrocity. They were in New York on holiday on September 11, 2001.

Kingdom Properties

Here is part 2 of my Kingdom of God notes.

In this section we will investigate what the Kingdom of God is like. We will see that it is an eternal Kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy. It is unshakeable, unstoppable, ever expanding – destined to fill the whole earth. It is a Kingdom with values that are totally contrary to those of the world.


Kingdom Properties [pdf 90.1KB]

Kingdom Purpose

I have decided to make some of my old teaching notes available to the readers of my blog on a relaxed licensing. Basically you are free to copy and redistribute them in any format (paper or electronic) without needing my permission, as long as you credit me as the author, do not use them for commercial purposes, and do not change them (apart from minor corrections) to say anything different.

First up are my Kingdom of God notes. This is part 1 of 9 (the rest to follow). Read the synopsis below to see if you want to download the file.

In this section we will explain what we mean by the Kingdom of God. We will discover that it is the essence of the eternal plan of God. It is the manifestation of his divine rule and authority on the earth, not confined to any geographic limits or even to the church. It is the heart of the gospel, the unifying thread throughout all of scripture, and it embodied Jesus’ ministry while he was on earth, and now he is in heaven. It is the ultimate triumph of this unshakable kingdom that will see the King return in glory.


Kingdom Purpose [pdf 82.4KB]

The Bible in a Year

Ever tried to read the Bible through in a year? I have many times, and even succeeded once or twice! Currently I am in my second year of reading the Bible through in 2 years. I am getting more out of this; it is far more manageable, easier to catch up when you fall behind, and gives you more time to meditate on what you are reading.

Whether you take 1 year or 2 years, I would recommend to every Christian to read through the whole Bible. It's all God's word, and it's all there to do us good. If you don't have a plan to read it all, you generally tend to stick to what you are familiar with. If you are unfamiliar with some of God's word then you are more likely to be led astray by fine sounding yet unbiblical doctrines (and yes, there are some out there!) The mature man of God who is familiar with the whole world of God will not be easily swayed by every wind of teaching, or the ideas of the latest band-wagon or best-selling paper-back.

If you do want to try this, you don't have to wait for 1 January! And with the wonders of modern technology you don't even need a specialised 1 Year/2 Year Bible, it's as easy as reading your favorite Blog. (btw. you can easily use a 1 Year Bible as a 2 Year Bible; just divide the readings in two, and ignore the dates at the top).

The One Year Bible Blog Is a daily blog that provides links to the scriptures, a basic outline and exegesis, and gives you the opportunity to leave your reflections in the comments.

Also if you have an RSS Aggregator, such as sharpreader or feedreader. Then you can subscribe to the Bible in a Year in either the popular "One Year^® Bible" system, or the M'Cheyne system. There is a list of feeds available at http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/share/rss2.0/.

Tomorrow's Worship Yesterday

Yesterday was our "Church in the Park" day. It was a fantastic time. The weather was great. There was a great turn out. Simon preached a clear message, and Matthew and the worship team did an outstanding job of filling the park with the praises of God.

I love worshipping God outdoors! Is it just because I was born-again in a field in Royal Deeside? Is it just because growing up in the beauty of Scotland, I have always been inspired to worship when outdoors, surrounded by the wonder of God's creation? Is it because I am a mad extrovert who enjoys making a fool of himself in public? The last isn't true by the way, and none of these are the real reason.

I love worshipping God outdoors, because when I do, I am playing my part in fulfilling the kingdom mandate of God - to fill his earth with his praises. One day the whole earth will be filled with the worship of God. When we fill the earth, even when it is just our little part of it, with his praises, we are doing something very powerful and prophetic. We are bringing tomorrow's worship into our today. We are bringing the worship of heaven to the earth. As Matthew said in his post on Friday: this is not a light that his meant to be hidden away within the four walls of the church meeting, but put on a stand for the world to see.

My only disappointment with the day was that more of the adults in the church didn't take this great opportunity we had to fill the park with his praises. The youth and the children set the standard instead. When we sang "Here I am to worship... Here I am to say that you're my God," what we communicated with our actions (or inactions) was something very different. I'm not meaning to be critical, I just think it was an opportunity missed. The day was a great success in showing the world that we are normal people who are full of life, but our commission is not to fill the earth with the knowledge of the glory of the church...

enough said. It was still a fantastic day in every other respect. Many people worked very hard to make it so and deserve to be commended.

Have I got news for you? - Round 5

Time for a bit of Friday fun. Here's another caption competition. See what you make of this:



< Round 4

Did I read the manual?

Praise God for gadgets! I had fun playing with my new video camera last night. Was a bit frustrating though. I set it going to transfer from a previous tape I recorded onto my DVD-HDD recorder (another great gadget!) It takes about an hour to complete. Half way through it failed with a "copy protection" error. I'll have to dig out the manual to find what that's all about.

Maybe I should have read the manual before I started.... nah! But it did get me thinking. We often plough straight ahead into situations that seem familiar, without consulting God or his word, because we think we know what we are doing. This is how Joshua came unglued at Ai; after the victory at Jericho he thought he was a pro, he thought he knew what to do.

I have found out many times, yet still need to remind myself, that however familiar I am with the word - I still need it on a regular basis. Daily is best (though I'm not religious, or superstitious about this). When I read God's word regularly, even when it doesn't seem directly applicable to my current situation, I do better in life than when I just try to cruise on my reserves. Reading God's word keeps us on track.

Jos 1: 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

If you want some more on how important the word of God is to us, let me recommend Sue's Blog. Sue is a good woman of God, a member of Living Rock Church, and lives in Nuneaton (a great place to be!). She has just recently started Blogging, and is currently sharing on the importance of the word of God, based on her meditations on Psalm 119. Why don't you visit her site and give her some encouragement?

New for Old

Woohoo! I just got a new Digital Video Camera delivered today! For months now my old video camera has been broken. It's just been sat on the shelf gathering dust because I haven't known what to do with it. I looked on the 'net for advice with the particular problem I had, but the prognosis was very bad. Then, about a month ago I emailed JVC directly to see if there was anything I could do. They put me in contact with an official UK dealer. He also said my camera's problem was going to be very costly to fix, but there was an alternative. Basically, I send him my old busted camera and he sends me a nice shiny new (reconditioned) camera as a "Service Exchange." Fantastic! For less than the price to fix my old camera, I get an even better and newer model. To top it all, my dad (the proud grandparent back in Edinburgh who wants lots of footage of his grandchild) has offered to foot the whole bill! How could I refuse an exchange like that? Now I have it, I'm wondering why I didn't do this months ago.

It reminds me of an even greater exchange I once accepted....

You see, humanity is broken. You don't have to watch the news for long to realise this is true. We like to pretend that it's just the minority, but the truth is that the divide between good and evil does not run along any partisan lines - be they geographic, cultural, or religious - but right through the middle of every human heart. As the song goes "There is good and bad, in everyone." It's not just the murderers, thugs and suicide bombers who have this problem - we all do. We like to pretend this is not so, that we are better. We make colourful excuses for our own actions, while seeing others in black and white. But right and wrong is not subjective, there is an absolute standard - God's standard. It's a standard we have all failed to meet. The "bad" within us that separates us from God is what the Bible calls "Sin". What's more this problem has a very bad prognosis. There is nothing we can do to repair our condition ourselves, and the price to fix us is very high indeed - more than we could ever pay.

That's the bad news, but the good news is that there is an alternative. God offers us a great exchange. We give him our busted old life, and he gives us a brand new life not only free from the problem of sin, but full of his wonderful power. To top it all, he has already paid the price in full. The standard we could never reach, Jesus reached for us, and the price we could never pay, he paid for us. He died on the cross to take our punishment, and rose again to give us new life

How do we accept such an offer? Well first we need to recognise our condition. If we don't know we have a problem we can't accept a solution. Next we need to do something about it. Knowing my camera was broken on its own did not help me, I had to do something about it. We need to go direct to the person who can help - God. Then we need faith. I had to take a step of faith to get my camera fixed. I had to send off my camera (broken, but still valuable) without seeing what I was going to get in return. Then I had to give my credit card details, again without having seen anything. Having confidence is what we have not yet seen is what the Bible calls "Faith". To accept our solution from God, we need to have confidence that he exists (obviously) and that he wants to help us. The rest is simple - acknowledge your problem before God, and surrender your life to him. Ask him to forgive your sin, and to give you his new life and power to enable you to live the way he indented. Then tell someone! "If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) Once you have this new life you'll wonder why you did not do this years ago!

If you want to know more, please email me: chris (dot) hhodges (at) lineone (dot) net

Bart Calling

Phone call for Al... Al Coholic... is there an Al Coholic here? Wait a minute...

I found this link today to all of Bart's crank calls to Moe! Classic! I laughed so hard, I had to wipe the tears away!

Anyone else have some classic Simpsons' moments to share?

From the lips of infants

If anything even comes close to the wonder of salvation, it must be fatherhood! Being a dad has changed me forever, and has given me such a precious insight into the Father's heart of love.

This morning our son fell out of bed. He got stuck with his head on the floor and his body still on the mattress. He cried out: "My Dada! My Dada!" As soon as I saw what had happened I snatched him up, and held him close. His tears dried, and he was absolutely fine.

Sometimes we like to think we are very mature. We have the theology, the faith, the experience in our walk with God. We like to think we can cope with anything. But I felt stirred again, that though God wants us to be mature, when we are in trouble, what he responds to is that heart cry that expresses our relationship and dependence - "My Dada!" This is how Jesus taught us to pray, and how he himself prayed ("Abba, Father", literally means "Daddy God") Do we think we are more mature than Him??

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father. [My Dada!]"

Proverb for the Day

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. (Pr 11:25)

So..
Be a blessing... and be blessed!

Bread and Seed

2Co 9:10-11 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

In a previous post, I mentioned how we can be reticent to ask God for what we want. I want to take this a bit further. Not only should we come to God for what we need, but we should ask for even more! God doesn't just want to give us bread to satisfy our own hunger, but also seed to be sown to meet the needs of others. God wants us to be channels of his blessing. That was his covenant to Abraham, "Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed." Paul says in Romans "It is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring" - That's us! We are meant to be a blessing to the whole world. How do we do that? By doing good on all occasions. Blessing others with the overflow of the blessing that we have received from God.

God wants to bless us abundantly. Not so we can hoard it, but so we can give it away! So we can be generous on every occasion. When we pray for a financial need, we should ask for more than we need, so that after we have met our need, we can also sow our money to bless others. In the same way, God does not just want us healthy, but praying for the sick and seeing them healed. He does not just want us to be surrounded by friends, but for us to go out and befriend the friendless. He doesn't just want us full of the Spirit, but using our spiritual gift to edify the body and extend the kingdom. He does not just want us to be a success, but for us to sow our time and energies to help others to become all they can be too. If you read 2 Corinthians 1:5-7 you will see that this applies even in the sufferings and trials we go through; we don't just come out strengthened and comforted, but enabled to strengthen and comfort those who are currently enduring the same thing. A farmer who only cultivates enough to meet his own needs will come to ruin; if he does not have enough to both eat and sow, he will either starve, or go out of business!

This principle also (primarily?) applies to the word of God. In Isaiah 55 the prophet says:

Isa 55:10-11 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

The word of God that is over our lives, that will not return to God empty but will achieve all that he desires, is also bread and seed. It's not just to bless us, but to bless others. God wants me blessed so that I can be a blessing!

And it's not just the word that is over us that is bread and seed. It is also the word that is in us. Moses explained to the Israelites in the book of Deuteronomy that the reason God gave them "manna" in the desert, was to teach them that "Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." The word of God is to be our "daily bread," just as the manna was for the Israelites. But it's interesting to note how the manna is described:

Ex 16:31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

Is it coincidence that the manna is also described as "bread" and "seed"? I think not! God has always intended that whatever blesses us, we should use to bless others. Our daily bread, is also our daily seed. If you read something that blesses you in the word - don't keep it to yourself!

God wants to give you bread and seed today:
Be blessed... and be a blessing!

1,000 Hits

A landmark day for my Blog. I have just had my first 1,000 hits. Over 800 of those have been this last month alone. Nearly 100 people have viewed this site, from the UK, USA, Norway, Canada, South Africa, Luxemburg, and India. Thank you all! I'd especially like to thank all of you who come back regularly - you're the ones who keep me Bloggin'

What do you want me to do for you?

Mk 10:51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

If Jesus asked you this, how would you respond? As I broke bread with the folks from Nuneaton last night I challenged them with this question. After we had passed round the bread, I asked them to call out to Jesus what they wanted to receive from him, and then take the cup and drink. It was awkward at first. We have been trained not to say "I want" - it's impolite. We have been instructed, and rightly so, that when we come to God to worship, we do not come with a list of requests, but with thanks and to focus on him - but there is a time to ask! We miss out and rob ourselves, if when God asks us what we want, we are too polite or reserved to say anything. James says "You do not have, because you do not ask God."

When we come to the table of the Lord, we remember and worship him for who he is and what he has done, we recognise the covenant we have with one another, and we look forward to his coming again in glory, but we also come to a table laden with provision and blessing. The bread and wine represent the body and blood of our Lord, and all that he achieved for us on the cross. We come to the outstretched arms of our Saviour and to his question - "What do you want me to do for you?"

As we passed round the cup and declared to Jesus what we wanted from him we found that far from being a selfish and self-centred exercise, it was wonderfully powerful and liberating. We laid our requests at his feet so that we did not have to worry about them any more.

Have I got news for you? - Round 4

This time it's the caption competition. See who can come up with the wittiest caption for the following picture.



< Round 3

The Best Man is Back!

This is me with my good friend Lee Callaghan. He was my Best Man at our wedding back in 1999. Almost immediately afterwards he drifted away from God, and we lost touch. He went through a very rough patch and over the last 6 years, although we live in the same town we have hardly spoken.

The good news is a week ago he phoned me up to say he is back on track. He has given up smoking, and drinking, his emotional highs-and-lows are under control, and best of all he is full of the Holy Spirit and zeal for the Lord, and attending Church regularly.

I spent the evening with him yesterday, and really enjoyed myself. He is such a refreshing man to be with. There is not a pretentious bone in his body - what you see is what you get. He is open and honest and says what he feels. When he is full of God it is totally infectious!

Numbers 11 - Part 4

Time to return to Numbers 11, there is something else in this passage that is significant.

There is no exclusion for those in the purpose of God

However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. (v26)

This verse is not intended as an excuse to stay at home on a Sunday morning! ;-) For whatever reason, these two young men were not included in the natural, yet God still included them in what he was doing in the Spirit. God is not constrained by our geography or by meetings, he knows those he has called, and he will never exclude us from what he is doing.

When I lived and worked in Manchester I had a job that took me abroad for long periods of time. It was hard for me spiritually, and I often felt like I was missing out, and not being used as much as I would be if I was attending regularly. But God is so gracious! One Sunday morning in 1994, when I was located in the German town of Stade, I woke up early, alert and wide awake - which for those who know me will know is a miracle in itself! I felt God tell me clearly that I needed to go up a hill on the other side of town and pray. I went, and found in a clearing in the woods a park bench - not a soul in sight. I felt urged to pray for the meeting back in Manchester, that his Spirit would be outpoured and flow in a way that was greater than anything that we had experienced before. I stormed the heavens for about an hour, and then went back to my hotel room. That night I called up some friends back home - they were bouncing with excitement... guess what had happened. God had moved sovereignly on the meeting, people were falling over under the anointing of the Spirit left right and centre, and lives were touched and transformed in an instant. It was the beginning of the "Times of Refreshing" or as it was called elsewhere the "Toronto Blessing."

Now, I'm not claiming that it was my prayers that caused this to happen. It was a sovereign move of God. But because I had prayed, when I heard the news my heart leapt with excitement and praise for God. I may have been in another country far away, but God in his grace and mercy had still included me in what was going on back home.

Feeling excluded is a terrible thing. God never wants us to feel that way. Whatever events or circumstances may conspire to make us feel excluded, God wants us to know that he will never exclude us. If you are God's he can and will meet you and use you wherever you are. Those two men caused more of a stir than all the others put together!

< Part 3

Doing Good

God is good all the time, everything he does is good. Jesus came and showed us the father; he only did what he saw his father doing. Peter said of Christ "He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil." Everything Jesus did was good, and a reflection of his father who only does what is good.

Now we as the Church, are Christ's ambassadors, his body, his representation on the earth. The scriptures tell us that we are "Created in Christ Jesus to do good works" and exhort us to "Do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Sometimes Christians are derogatively called "Do-gooders", but that is what we are! We do good, because we belong to a God who only does what is good.

That's the theory. But what counts is the practice. We are created for "Good works" not just "Good words!" So how do we put this into practice? If you have some practical examples of how to share God's love in good deeds, or things that you have done that have had a positive response why not share them here?

Have I got news for you? - Round 3

Because the last one was so popular (and short-lived) here is another odd-one-out round.



The next four are: Matthew Ling, Boris Johnson, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Kiefer Sutherland. See if you can work it out before James!

< Round 2

God is good all the time.

We had another great celebration on Sunday. All the congregations of Living Rock Church were together, and we had Keri Jones preaching. One of the themes that came through the worship and the word, was the goodness of God. He is good all the time, and everything he does is good. It is not just his miracles that are good, but all his works. Every day is a good day, because each day is the day that the Lord has made, and he does not make anything that is not good.

Today is a good day. I thank God for the coffee I drank when I woke up; I thank him for the air-conditioning in my car as I drove to work on this hot summer's day; I thank him for my health; but most of all I thank him that I am his, that he has called me to be a part of his purpose in this world. God is good!

Have I got news for you? - Round 2

It's the odd-one-out round.



Today's four are: Roger Aubrey, George Cloony, Frank Abagnale Jnr., and Christopher Eccleston.

< Round 1

Eating Together

Last night I went out for a fantastic Chinese Buffet with the good folks from Living Rock Church who live in Nuneaton, Bedworth and Bulkington. We meet together regularly to seek God, hear his word and encourage one another in the practical aspects of outworking our faith. However, recently I have been stirred again with the importance, not just of meeting together - but eating together.

Meal times are very significant in scripture. When we eat together we are sharing life. God expresses covenant over the meal table, and it is over his meal that we express that covenant with one another. Jesus was always eating with people.

Even in secular thinking the importance of eating together is understood. Sociologists agree that much dysfunctionality within the family unit can be traced to meal times. Families that eat together regularly and talk to each other over the table, are more stable and healthy than those that don't.

I believe this is one area of church life that we need to guard. If we are not careful the business-like aspects of running the church can overtake the family-like aspects of sharing life together. Presentations, memos, brainstorming sessions, feedback-forms and such, are all well and good in their proper place, but these all have their origin in the boardroom; they should never take precedence over the personal contact and sharing life that is the pattern that comes from the throne room.

Admin is essential (I know that, my wife is an Administrator), but admin always flows out of life - life never flows out of admin. The sad thing we learn from the church history of denominations is that the pattern of admin can remain long after the life has departed. If we don't want to become a cold business venture, a dysfunctional family, or a lifeless pattern of admin, we must keep the "eating together" in "meeting together."

I thank God that in Living Rock Church this is something we are good at. On Sunday we had a wonderful time of breaking bread and sharing life together. But I know there is more for me, and for us, to press into in this area.

Have I got news for you?

If like me you kicked back on the sofa with a beer, expecting first class entertainment and political satire from the recording of "Have I got news for you?" you made last Friday; only to find that the series has ended and you've got something with Anne Robinson instead. Here's something to ease the pain.

It's the missing words round. This comes from a real headline.


Mayor uses picture of Pope for                     
 

Sowing Kingdom for the Kingdom

Tomorrow afternoon it is my privilege to be teaching the School of Worship students for their final class of the year. It will be my third time with them this year, and I have found them a pleasure to teach. They are hungry for the word, and ask me deep questions. It is a double privilege because of what I am teaching them - The Kingdom of God. It is the second year that Matthew has asked me to teach this subject, and I count it an honour to be able to impart such a vital subject.

I was also delighted this week when I had a couple of requests for copies of my notes. There are a number of ladies from Living Rock Church who are going out to Cuba later this year to do some teaching to the ladies out there. One of the subjects they are covering is The Kingdom of God, and two of the ladies who are going have asked for copies of my notes on this subject.

One of the greatest blessings pronounced in the natural is "May you live to see your children's children" (Pr 128:6). I believe it is the same in the Spirit. Certainly for me, the greatest reward I get from teaching the word is when I see others communicating the truths that I had a hand in imparting to them. In the thinking of the world, this might be considered as plagiarism, a teacher might be tempted to consider his revelation as his personal property to be kept that way. But that's not how I view it; everything God gives me is not mine to keep, but it belongs to the body. Seed is meant to be sown. It's great to reap a harvest from the seed you sow, but it's even better if you release that harvest to be sown again for an even bigger harvest. A teacher of the word is not just meant to communicate his revelation in the word, but also his ability to impart it. The whole purpose of ministry in the church is not to secure its own niche, but to reproduce itself. [See Numbers 11 - Part 2]

Jesus, who was frequently referred to a "Rabbi" - teacher, is our ultimate example. He taught the multitudes, but he also instructed the twelve so that they might continue his teaching, and reach many others that he alone could not reach. When he taught on the Kingdom Jesus said - "Every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom..." Go no further, those who have been instructed in the kingdom are addressed as teachers. What we have received, we are meant to pass on, and what we pass on should be sown without strings, so that that those who receive it can pass it on themselves. (The great thing for the teacher is, when you have released your revelation in this way - God gives you more! When you prove faithful with little, he entrusts you with much.)

So it is with great pleasure that I release my notes to go to Cuba, and when I am teaching the students tomorrow, I will not just be seeing the few faces in the room that my words will touch, but all the many others that I will never meet that they will touch themselves with the wonderful message of the Kingdom.

What is Success?

Browsing through my old school's website, I came across this quote from Robert Louis Stevenson, also an ex-pupil. I think you'll agree, it is truly inspiring!

"That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it; who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had."

Floreat Academia

I have just discovered that my old school The Edinburgh Academy now has its own entry in Wikipedia. Famous ex-pupils include Magnus Magnusson the original television presenter of "Mastermind", and James Clerk Maxwell, the great physicist (and devout Christian) whose equations of electro-magnetism feature in my previous post "And God said..."

Our Words are Binding

I went to a wedding today. As the couple made their vows before God, it reminded me of how important our words are. For the law of the land, there has to be a legal document signed, but before God it is our words that are binding. It is once they have made their confession before God and man that they are declared husband and wife, not after they have signed the register.

These days people put little value on words. These are cynical times, and there have been too many promises broken. Unless you "have it in writing" it seems that a person's word means very little. (Anyone who has moved house in England will know what I mean!)

But it was not so in Biblical times, and it is not so before God. When Joshua made a promise to the Gibeonites not to destroy them, and then found out that this was in conflict with a direct command from God, he did not say - "Phew, good job they don't have anything in writing." He had given them his word, and his word was binding.

It is not just in making promises that our words are binding either. Jesus said: "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven". How do we do this if not through our declaration?

God has invested a lot of power and authority in our words, it's no wonder the Bible has so much to say about how we use them. We should not use our words lightly, or use them against a brother or sister in Christ. We should use them wisely for the advance of his Kingdom.

Numbers 11 - Part 3

Time for my third and final (for now) post on Numbers 11.

The Unlimited Provision of God

But Moses said, "Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, `I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!' Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?" The LORD answered Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."

I know that God is my provider. I know that his provision is unlimited. Yet when I am in need, I still try and work out how God will provide for me (As if he needed my suggestions!) We do it though, don't we? (Or is it just me?) When I am in a financial need, I try and think of the ways that God could provide the money for me - "Someone could drop a cheque through the post", "I could get an unexpected tax rebate" etc. What I love about this part of Numbers 11, is that God can provide for us, even when we don't have the faintest idea how he could possibly do it! To Moses it seemed like an impossibility. He went though a list of options in his head on how God might provide, but still he couldn't see a way out. There was no way God could provide meat for more than half a million hungry mouths in the middle of the desert when there wasn't so much as a skinny cow in sight.... But God did provide!

When you are in a position of need or difficulty, and there doesn't seem to be any way out. Just remember - God can make a way where there is no way. Nothing is too difficult for him. You don't even have to be able to imagine how he will do it, just ask and trust. He can do more than all we can ask or imagine.

< Part 2

Hello Canada!

A big hello and thank you to all my Canadian readers! I have just checked my stats, and I now get more hits from Canada than I do from the UK.

And God Said...

The recent dialog I have had in Faith and Science, has raised the old argument that Genesis tells us the what not the how of creation. This reminded me of a humerous T-shirt I used to have when I was a Physics undergraduate. The slogan on it read as follows:

And God said...

  ∇ · E = ρ / ε₀

  ∇ × E = - ∂B / ∂t

  ∇ · B = 0

  c²∇× B = (j/ε₀) + (∂E / ∂t)

...and there was light.

Numbers 11 - Part 2

Continuing on the subject of what I love about Numbers 11; here is my second point:

The Contagious Nature of Anointing

I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone. (v17)

It is very significant that God does not say here that he will put his Spirit on the 70 elders, but that he will put the Spirit that is on Moses. Now obviously this is the same Spirit. There was not a different Holy Spirit on Moses, than was available directly from God. But this is the way God chooses to work; he imparts the Spirit through those who are already full of the Spirit. He chooses to impart gifts through those who already move strongly in that gift. Whatever anointing we have is contagious; it is designed to be passed on.

We see this clearly in Ephesians 4, where the ascension gifts of Christ are described. "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (v11-12). We see that these ministries are not just to do a job - but to enable God's people to do the same job. Thus a prophet is not just someone who prophesies, but someone who makes the church more prophetic. This is exactly what we see in Numbers 11. The contagious spirit that is on Moses, the great prophet, causes 70 others to become prophetic and move out in the prophetic gift.

This is how ministries are supposed to work in the church. If they try to do it all themselves it becomes a burden. But if they communicate their gift and anointing to others, and each one plays their part, then the whole body is built up. Jesus, as in all things, is our ultimate example. He did not just do the work himself, but he too imparted himself to others, mainly to 12, but at another time it was 72. The seventy in Numbers 11, would thus seem to be a foreshadow of the seventy-two in Luke 10.

< Part 1

Numbers 11

I was recently asked why I chose Numbers 11 for my 1 chapter that I would like to read for 1 month. (See Which Chapter? on Roger's Blog)

I love this chapter of Scripture. Numbers is an oft-overlooked book of the Bible, with many considering it to be dry and boring, just list of genealogies and the like. But there are some real gems in this book, and this chapter in particular is fantastic. There is so much in it. In my next few posts I will attempt to enthuse you about this chapter. Here's my first point:

The First Prophetic Mention of Pentecost

But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!" (v29)

There are three prophets in the Scriptures who foresaw God's plan to pour out his Spirit on his people with a lasting anointing.

The last was John the Baptist. He is recorded as being the greatest of all the prophets and yet we only have one recorded prophecy he gave: "After me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." It is interesting that his prophetic vision of Christ and his work, jumps straight from his coming to the baptism in the Spirit. There is no mention of the cross! Whilst the cross is essential to the salvation plan of God, it is important to remember that it was the means to an ends, not the ends in itself. It was for the joy set before him that Jesus endured the cross. Jesus, like John saw beyond the cross to see what was on the other side. A people filled with the Spirit doing the works of God on his behalf. A Church as a bride fit for the King. The true sign of our faith, is not a cross we wear around our necks, but the infilling of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The second was Joel: "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." This is the prophecy that Peter refers to in Acts 2:17 when he explains what is happening on the day of Pentecost. The promise has arrived! God has always desired to have a prophetic people, who are filled with his Spirit. Now after Jesus' triumphant resurrection and ascension, that promise is ours. The gift of the Spirit is not just for the spiritual elite, or those who a "charismatic", but for all. That is why Paul informs the Corinthians that they can all prophesy (1Co 14:31)

But the fist prophet to catch God's heart in this matter was Moses. And it is here in Numbers 11 that he voices that heart.

[To be continued...]

Faith and Science

On 1 April Roger Aubrey posted an article on his Blog entitled In the Beginning on the subject of Darwin's theory of evolution. I wrote a comment to this post that caused quite a stir. Roger posted it again as In the Beginning(2).

Since then the pro/anti evolution discussion that has ensued has outgrown the original purpose of the post. Roger has moved on to other things, and has politely asked that the debate be moved elsewhere. Whilst I think we had all come to the conclusion that there was little more to be gained from further debate, this is one of those issues that just won't go away. So if there is anything futher to be added; here is the place to do it.

The God of the Present

We often make a lot of verses such as "God has given us [past tense] everything we need for life and godliness", and Jesus' cry from the cross "It is finished" to mean that God has already done everything he needs to do. These are indeed great and wonderful verses that we build our faith on. There is however a problem as always, when these things are taken to the extreme. These verses do not mean that our God is just a God of the past or that all his work is "past tense."

When God rested after the 6 days of creation, it did not mean he went into retirement, or that his words ceased to have creative power. God has been actively at work in his creation ever since. Likewise Jesus' finished work of redemption does not mean that he has taken early retirement. He is still actively working in us and through us to manifest the fullness of that redemptive work in our lives and in the world. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He did not just heal people 2000 years ago, or as a single act on the cross - he heals today! His Kingdom is advancing today!

What gets me excited is what God is doing now, today, PRESENT TENSE!

Harder than it looks

This is a sliding bock puzzle based on a wooden Chinese puzzle set I saw at friend's house. The object is simple: get the large red square block to the bottom row by sliding the blocks into the vacant spaces. It's harder than it looks!

To play: Click on a block to make it active. The active block may be moved into an available gap using the arrow keys.

Daniel Notes

As promised, here are my notes for the "Daniel Masterclass." If you read them, please leave a comment in this blog.

• Part 1 - Daniel 1-2 [pdf 114KB]
  
• Part 2 - Daniel 3-4 [pdf 100KB]
  
• Part 3 - Daniel 5-6 [pdf 108KB]
  
• Part 4 - Daniel 7-9 [pdf 200KB]
  
• Part 5 - Daniel 10-12 [pdf 142KB]
  

You are free to copy and redistribute them in any format under the following conditions. You attribute me as the original author. You do not use them for commercial purposes. You do not modify them or use them as the basis for another work.

Protection and Provision

I picked up a new car this weekend. It's a T reg Saab 9-3 SE Turbo, with 104K on the clock. How I have come by it is quite a testimony to God's protection and his provision.

A couple of weeks ago I was driving my Ford Escort to work along the country lanes I have driven for the last 5+ years. As I came round a bend, for some reason I'm still not sure of, I lost control of the vehicle and it started to skid. I briefly managed to straighten up, but then lost control completely. The car span out 180 degrees, slid into the ditch and flipped up onto its side. I had to climb up the seats, and push the door open vertically, pull myself up onto the side of the car and jump down.

Miraculously I was not hurt at all, not even a single scratch or bruise! I am convinced this was the preservation and protection of God. I was praying in tongues at the time the accident occurred, and I felt strangely calm during the whole process. I just knew that God was with me and that I was going to be OK. A number of drivers had seen what happened and stopped to give assistance, they too were visibly incredulous that I was standing there totally unaffected. One of them even said to me - "You need to thank God that you are still here!"

Afterwards it really made me think. The words of Psalm 8 came to my mind. What is man that you are mindful of him? Don't get me wrong, as a Christian, I know that God loves me and cares for me, and that even the hairs on my head are numbered. But I couldn't help but feel humbled and in awe that the great God of heaven would care so much for me that he would miraculously preserve my life in this way.

The very next day a member of our church was tragically killed in a road accident. As I made my way to work that week, on the train and the bus, I had plenty of time to think and reflect. Why did God preserve me, yet take him? Why is it that sometimes God miraculously shields us from the troubles of this world, yet at other times he allows us to go through them? Why does God allow some of his servants to enjoy a long life full of vigour, yet calls others home early? I don't have answers to these questions other than this - God is sovereign, and he is always good. Sometimes that is all we need to know. I am very grateful to be alive, and while I still have breath, until the day comes when it is my turn to be called home - I will praise my God and live my life to please him, so that on that day I can hear those words - "Well done good and faithful servant."

The next week my car was declared "beyond economic repair." Although I felt very grateful just for life, and certainly felt I had no grounds for complaint, as I commuted in I felt a rise of faith. I knew that just as God had preserved me, he would also provide for me. I didn't have to wait long. That week my father-in-law was taking his car in for a service, and it just happened to be the last week on the job for the dealer he had known there for the last 25 years. He gave him an outstanding deal on the car I now drive. If he had gone in 2 days earlier, the car would not have been there, two days later and he would have already left. With the money I got from the insurance company, I only had to find another £1,000. And I now drive a much better car than the one I lost.

Praise God for his provision and his protection.

Phew! All Done.

I finally finished my notes for the "Daniel Masterclass" last night. It has been many hours work, but a labour of love. I'm pleased with the result. The final class is this weekend - it has gone so fast! After that I hope to make my notes more widely available.

Watch this space!

The King of the Kingdom

Eph 1:9-10 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

As you have probably gathered from my last few posts, I think Daniel 2 has lots to say about the Kingdom of God. I have only one more thing to add before I move on; probably the most important thing about the Kingdom - It's all about Jesus.

Jesus is the King of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is all about the coming rule of King Jesus. The vision of Daniel 2 is all about Jesus. He is the rock that was not cut out by human hands that struck the statue in it's legs of Iron. The four Kingdoms represented in the statue in Daniel 2 are the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Greek, and the Roman empires. It was during the Roman empire (the legs of Iron), in the reign of Caesar Augustus that the Kingdom of God invaded this world in the form of a baby laid in a manger. Jesus the promised Christ had arrived.

God's eternal Kingdom plan is centered, like everything else in heaven and on earth, around the person of Jesus. He is the one who humbled himself and became obedient, even to death on a cross, and is now risen from the dead, alive, exalted and seated at the right hand of God in heaven. He is the one "Like a Son of Man" that Daniel saw in chapter 7, who came in glory on the clouds of heaven and was lead into the presence of the Ancient of Days, the one whom all peoples and nations worshiped, the one whose Kingdom will never end.

The Kingdom of God comes when all things, whether in our lives, or in the world, find their rightful place under the feet of King Jesus. His is the Kingdom, his is the power, his is the glory and all authority. And when all things have been put under his feet - he is coming again! Amen, come Lord Jesus.

Global Mission

Mk 16:15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

There is nothing small minded or parochial in the Kingdom plan of God. It has always been a plan for the whole earth. His commission to Adam was to fill the whole earth, his promise to Abraham was that he would be a blessing to the whole earth, the vision in Daniel 2 is of a rock the fills the whole earth, and our commission as believers is to the whole earth. We are called to the world!

We can't all jet around the world with international ministries, but our calling is still global. We may do most of our work at a local level in a local church, but it's important that we remember that we do it as part of God's plan for the whole world. We should rejoice at the news of what God is doing in other parts of the world. We should be glad at the opportunities to release people or finance to parts of the world we will never go to ourselves. In our prayers we should lift before God his world, and not just our neighborhood.

If the message of the Kingdom has gripped our heart we will have no problem in supporting whatever God is doing, even if it is in another region, another country, and through another church group. It is all part of the same Kingdom plan to reach the world that we ourselves are a part of. If all our thoughts, prayers and passions are only directed towards our town, our street, our neighbors, then we have not grasped the nature of the Kingdom God has called us to.

The End Times

Mt 24:26-27 "So if anyone tells you, `There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, `Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Understanding the Kingdom purpose of God also helps our understanding of the End Times. If we have grasped that God's plan for the church is going to end in success and not failure it helps us separate the truth from the fictional and just plain bizarre.

I am often surprised and concerned to find how influential dispensationalist ideas have become in so many Christians' Escatology. In particular the belief in a Secret Rapture, seems almost ubiquitous. This doctrine states that all the Christians will be whisked off the face of the earth, leaving the world in the control of the Anti-Christ for the final tribulation. Does that sound like God's kingdom plan to you? Is the church going to be a beleaguered remnant just holding out against a tide of evil until it can be "airlifted" to safety, or is it going to be the triumphant Bride who has filled the earth with the knowledge of the glory of God, and prepared herself for his coming?

The scriptures are clear. There is not going to be anything secret about his coming! Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him (Rev 1:7) Yes, we will be caught up to meet him in the air, but this will not be at some secret prequel to the last day, but on that last and glorious day itself.

The rock in Daniel 2 expanded until it filled the whole earth, it did not shrivel into a corner and then get beamed up into heaven. If our doctrine of the end times is one of pessimism and gloom, then we have not understood the Kingdom.

Church History

Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Some Christians take a very dim view of Church history. They see the early church explosion being followed by an extended time of compromise and dilution of the truth. They would see events like the Reformation, the Charismatic Renewal (and some even include the advent of Cell Groups!) as steps by which we are struggling back to the level of the New Testament Church.

This is not how I understand the purpose of God for the Church - past, present or future! Daniel 2 does not describe a rock that grows for 300 years, only to fall into decline for a couple of millennia, when it starts to then grow again. Nor does the rock start to grow with any modern advance of the kingdom. The rock is Christ, and the unstoppable Kingdom growth began with him!

There is nothing backward in the purpose of God, it is one of continual forward advance and increase. God's heart of Restoration is not that we might recover the level of the New Testament Church; that was just the starting point, never the destination. His plan is that we build on the pattern laid out in the New Testament, growing in numbers, stature and maturity, until we become the spotless bride he is coming back for.

Yes, there have been some dark periods in history, but even in the darkest night, God's light has still shone strong, and his Kingdom has advanced. We would not be in the faith today if it were not for those who held onto the truth in such times. People may fall, church organisations may loose their way, but God's Kingdom is unstoppable! His plan was not in trouble until we came along! If we have advanced the Kingdom it is only because of those who went before, and if we do not, then his purpose will continue on without us.

Let us be proud of our heritage of faith as Christians and not despise those who held the torch before us in this race. If we do not learn from our history, we are destined to repeat it. We do not want to be those who wander round in circles in the wilderness, but those who realise "We have been called to the Kingdom for such a time as this," and who take our place in its great eternal history of advance.

God's One Eternal Plan

Eph 3:10-11 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A correct understanding of God's Kingdom is vital for a correct understanding of God's word. God does not have many plans that all end in failure (as the dispensationalists would have us believe), but one eternal plan that is destined for success.

God's commission to Adam is the same as the great commission Christ gave to the Church. To fill the whole earth with men and women in his image who rule on his behalf. This is his eternal Kingdom purpose, to fill the earth with the knowledge of his glory though a people in his image. Before the fall it was natural birth that was to have produced men and women in his image; after the cross it is spiritual birth (being born-again) that produces men and women who are being daily renewed into the image of God. The means has changed, but the purpose and plan is the same.

The vision of God's Kingdom revealed in Daniel 2, was not of many different rocks that grew and then faltered only to be replaced with another rock representing another dispensation and another administration of grace, and another plan of God destined to fail due to man's weakness; but of one rock representing the eternal kingdom plan of God that is destined to grow without any hint of faltering or failure until it fills the whole earth and accomplishes the eternal plan of he who set it in motion.

Praise God that we are part of God's eternal Kingdom plan in Christ! We are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

The All Conquering Kingdom

Da 2:35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing-floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

Daniel 2 describes the progress of the All conquering Kingdom of God. The rock did not come as an appendage to one of the existing kingdoms, but completely overcame and replaced them.

Not only does this again demonstrate that all earthly authority will return to God, but it is also true when the Kingdom comes at a personal level. We cannot just accept the Kingdom of God as an appendage to our old way of life. To truly accept Christ we must first reject all the ways we once walked in. That is why you cannot separate repentance and faith. God is not willing to share us. To gain his kingdom we must be prepared to embrace the cross, as death to self and a resurrection to God. We become new creations, just as the destruction of the statue and it replacement with God's rock represents.

Jesus also stresses this in his parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13. Both the parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price tell that the one who gained them first had to "sell all he had". We cannot exist in two Kingdoms. To enter the Kingdom of God means to forever forsake the Kingdom of "Me".

King of Kings

Da 2:37 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory;

Rev 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

I love Daniel chapter 2. The vision of the statue and the rock not cut by human hands that fills the earth is a wonderful image of the Kingdom of God.

Our God is the King of Kings. This phrase is used so often in Christian circles, and trips of the tongue so readily that we have lost the significance of what it really means. It does not merely mean he is the best King amongst Kings, but that he is the ultimate King over all other Kings. The rulers of the Nations are not the final authority, there is one who rules over them, just as they rule over others.

All authority comes from God. He is the source of all rule and governmental power on the earth. The message of Daniel 2 also shows that all authority is destined to return to him too. The rulers of the nations are just stewards and custodians of the authority they hold. It was not theirs to begin with, and it is not theirs to keep. God raises up who he wants, and God can just as easily take their power away. Ultimately all authority will revert to where it really belongs - The Kingdom of God. It was never God's intention that his earth should be ruled by a multiplicity of secular nations, but by one people in his image who rule on his behalf. God has not changed his mind, his Kingdom plan is still on track. The nations are just there as guardians over the earth until the rightful owner is ready to take possession.

It is interesting that this vision was given to King Nebuchadnezzar, one who's royal title was "King of Kings". He got given a dream by the true owner of that title!

Daniel Masterclass

Appologies once again for my absence from Blogging.

I have started the Series of teachings on Daniel that I mentioned at
the start of my Blog.This seems to be consuming almost all my free
time at the moment, as the weeks I am not teaching I am preparing the
notes for the next session.

It's going really well. We have had 2 sessions so far with 3 more to
go. I have 32 people signed up for the course. I'm really encouraged
by the numbers. It's great that that many people are prepared to get
up early on a Saturday morning to hear exposition from the Old
Testament.

Feedback has been very positive. Part of what I am trying to do in my
teaching is to show how Christ is revealed in the Old Testament (hence
my choice of Daniel - what better book could you choose? It was the
one Christ himself chose when he adopted the Messianic title "Son of
Man" over and above any of the others)

When things calm down a bit, I hope to start blogging some of my
insights from the word again. If there is the demand I may even post
links to the notes from my Daniel classes - just for my faithful
readers... (at least I know I have 1! -- Thanks Cerys :-))