Holiday Reading

Preparing for next weeks holiday by getting some books to read whilst relaxing - when not swimming/ playing with the boys.

Neither Poverty nor Riches by Craig Blomberg, published by IVP

Explores a Biblical Theology of possessions. Looking forward to reading it especially as Don Carson's endorsement if so positive: 'On a subject as sensitive as this one, it is extraordinary to find balance and propehtic voice rolled up in one. In my view, this is now the best book on the entire subject.'

The other is:

What is a Healthy Church Member? by Thabiti Anyabwile, Published by Crossway

Examines what kind of community the church should be and outlines Biblical priorities for the church member.

Africa Needs God!

Matthew Parris is a well known Atheist so I always look out for his column in the Times. I have to say I wasn't expecting what I found though.

“Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it’s Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.

It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I’ve been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I’ve been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good…”

To read the rest of the article click here.

The gospel is as true is Britain, as life changing, as dynamic, as necessary as it is Africa.

The Three Trees

This is one of those stories that I read with my children and love.

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!".

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!".

The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."

Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.

The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!", the first tree said.

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me" he muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for the animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, and not filled with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcuter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river, instead she was taken to a little lake.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" the once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."

Many many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams.

But, one night, a golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox. "I wish I could make a cradle for him.", her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful." she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew that she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.
But, on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And everytime people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

Author: Unknown

Money and the Gospel

If you click on this link there ia a sermon on The Gospel and Money by Tim Keller: http://download.redeemer.com/rpcsermons/vision2005/Gospel_and_Your_Wealth_-_11-06-05.mp3

It is helpful reminding us that everything we have is given by God, but that it also remains God's given to us for us to invest for him.

YGP - Church Planting Forum

Church Planting Forum

'What you heard from me entrust to faithful men’ (2 Tim 2:2) Growing the next generation of faithful and creative church planters from within the local church.

A Biblical, practical, prayerful partnership and catalyst for Gospel growth and initiatives across Yorkshire.

The next forum will take place on Wednesday 25th February 2009 at Christ Church Central, Sheffield.

For those who:Have planted a churchm are planning to plant a church or who dream of one day planting a church.

PROGRAMME

9:30 Arrive (refreshments)

10:00 Multiplying leaders, multiplying churches (1) - Richard Perkins

10:45 Question Time

11:00 Coffee

11:15 Multiplying leaders, multiplying churches (2) - Richard Perkins

12:00 Discussion time

12:30 Lunch (bring your own)

1:15 News and Prayer

2:00 Depart

Richard Perkins grew up in a small village in Northamptonshire. After university he served as an Air Engineer Officer in the Royal Navy and then he became a teacher. He is currently senior pastor of Christ Church Balham (South London) which he and 25 others planted in 2002. He’s married to Rosslyn and they have three children. Perks plays rugby and cricket and Pompey are his premiership team of choice.

worship at Christmas

What would you say you worship? We all worship – we all have something that gives us significance and that matters intensely to us.

Luke ch2 gives us a picture of just that in Augustus Caesar (1). What is Caesar doing? He is carrying out a census of his empire. Why? Because he wants to know how great he is, in fact my hunch is that he wanted it recorded so that he made his mark in history. Do you see what gave Caesar significance it was his empire, how many lands he had conquered, who he ruled over, the extent of his power.

You see it again in Matthew with Herod – why does he kill all the infant boys in Bethlehem because his rule, his reign, mattered more than anything else.

How about us, what gives us significance? Maybe it’s a relationship, or family, or career, or money, or things. We may think they give us significance but ultimately each of those things will leave us dissatisfied – if we centre our life on relationships we will be jealous, emotionally dependent and manipulative, unable to take even perceived criticism. If we centre our life on family we will try to live our life through theirs and what happens when they grow up and leave? If we centre our life and identity on work and career we will be workaholics and what happens to our sense of worth if we lose our job, if we centre our life on money and possessions we’ll never be content and end up envious of others and bitter because you can’t take it with you. If you centre your life on religion and doing good you will end up judgemental and proud.

I wonder what you think sin is. Most people think sin is breaking the Ten Commandments, or any other commandments, it is doing bad things, or not doing good things. But actually sin is more than that, it is seeking to establish a sense of self by making something else more central to your significance, purpose and happiness than your relationship with God. In fact the 10 commandments start out with that very idea “You shall have no other gods before me’. Sin is failing to live rightly relating to God.

Christmas is about God in his Son telling us we worship wrongly, how to worship rightly and living a life of perfect worship in our place.

Christmas - its not about us

If you had to come up with a slogan to sum up the society we live what would it be? Perhaps L’Oreal have come closest with ‘Because you’re worthy it!’ That sentiment; you deserve it, you matter, is actually behind most advertising.

I was listening to a radio show when someone said they loved Christmas because it was the one time of the year when we think about others. It made me think – is that true? Is L’Oreal’s slogan turned on its head for a couple of weeks at Christmas? I have to say I’m not convinced about that.

There is a danger that we can carry the 'because I’m worth it' idea over into our reading of the Christmas story. Why did Jesus come – because I’m worth it! Actually yes Jesus is important but actually it’s all about us we can think. But you notice as you read through Luke 1 and 2 that man is almost missing. The real focus is on God.

Don't waste your sexuality

Joshua Harris video 'Don't waste your sexuality. Worth watching, praying about and thinking on.

What is Christmas all about

St Helen's Bishopsgate have produced this excellent video about what Christmas really is:

Christmas is about God's glory

Re-reading Luke 2 in preparation for next Sunday I couldn't help but be struck by something I'd missed before. The chapter opens as if it is all about Augustus Caesar's glory when actually the chapter is overwhelmingly overtaken by God's glory. The events of Christ's coming are first and foremost about God being glorified by Zechariah and Elizabeth then the angels then the shepherds and final by Simeon and Anna. It poses a question do we think of Christmas too much as being about us? Even in Christian circles the focus is often on what God has come to do for us in sending Jesus. What he actually does is send his son so that he gets the glory he is due from his people who are refusing to give it to him.

Christmas is overwhelmingly about God being glorified will we make it the same?

Stocking fillers

Here are some great books that would make good stocking fillers:

And now let's move into a time of nonsense, Nick Page
Created for Worship, Noel Due
Experiencing the Spirit, Graham Beynon
Foxes Book of Martyrs
Jesus @ Work, Graham Beynon
Knowing God, J I Packer
The Because Approach, Andrew Baughen
The Busy Christians Guide to Busyness, Tim Chester

The Deliberate Church, Mark Dever

The Goldsworthy Trilogy, Graham Goldsworthy

The Radical Reformission, Mark Driscoll

The Reason for God, Tim Keller

The Word Became Fresh, Dale Ralph Davis

Total Church, Steve Timmis and Tim Chester

Christmas Services

Christmas giving

Struggling for presents here are a few books that would be good to give:

For children:

The Jesus Story Book Bible

The Beginners Bible

More Marriage resources

The Marriage Course is a seven week course which is designed for all marriages and is established on Biblical principles. The interactive nature of the course and manuals is excellent. We haven't run one yet but we will be doing in the near future.

A Surprising Lady

What do you think of when you think of the book of Esther? I guess its the brave heroine bravely going before the king at great personal risk to herself and saving God's people as God maintains his faithfulness to his covenant. And that is the final image of Esther, but surprisingly at the outset of the book Esther is very different and so Mordecai.

Chapters 1-2 are a little bit like the prologue of a novel, setting the scene as we meet the characters: there is Xerxes – the king, his sycophantic adviser's, Vashti the bold ex-queen, Mordecai the Jew, and Esther his cousin.

Then in chapter 2 after the removal of the old queen we see the reality of living in the world.

1. A World of Pressure
(1-4) King Xerxes does not come out of these opening chapters very well, he’s a party animal (ch1) and here ch2 we see he’s into pleasure. His advisers say why not hold a beauty contest and the winner (4) must please the king - there are two criteria beauty and performance in bed (14). It is definitely not X-Factor.

It is then strange to see Esther taken into this competition. It’s not what would you would expect to see or read, especially not when the passage emphasises her Jewishness. It seems that Esther is unwillingly taken to the court (8) but once there she seems to have done what was expected of her.

One of the intriguing things is that she kept her Jewishness secret under Mordecai’s instruction. It is certainly a messy situation which raises lots of questions as Esther is under pressure, as she faces being taken to the kings bed and assessed.

It is a reminder that pressure is natural for the people of God. Aliens and Strangers – that is what the Jewish were scattered throughout Persia. Living in lands and under rulers who did not know or follow God. Esther is not a manual telling us how to do that, how to live in a world which has very different standards and ideas to the Bible. She does not take a stand as Daniel and his friends did? (Is there a deliberate contrast there?) It is not advocating compromise. It is recording the facts.

2. The Sovereign Lord
What we see in the book of Esther is that God works through the muck and mistakes for his glory. Indeed it is one of the OT’s big lessons. (e.g. Gen Jacob and wives and children- is not recommending it is recording it). I think something similar is going on here.

This is not giving us Esther as a template to follow – keep quiet don’t tell anyone you are one of God’s people. Go along with the prevailing morality of the day. But it is showing us that God works through the muck, grim and mistakes to work out his sovereign purposes.

God will use Queen Esther, not because he approves of her actions and Mordecai's secrecy but because he is sovereignly at work. In God’s grace Esther is chosen despite her mistakes and God will use her to save his people and be faithful to his promises.

God places Mordecai where he can overhear and react – so that he will be where God needs him to effect God’s salvation. So God fulfils his promises to Abraham. Because what is at stake is God’s promises.

It poses the question - will I trust God? As a people in exile in a land hostile to God and Christian living will I trust him. Maybe we feel guilt for past mistakes and think that limits our usefulness to God. Esther tells us that God uses failures, in fact that is why Jesus has to come because none of us get it right. But God can use failure who realise they need to stand for him as Esther and Mordecai do in the rest of the book.

Evangelist conference MP3's

The MP3's of Ian Garrett's talks from this years Evangelist conference are available for free at the website. Or just click here to see all past conference downloads.

Praying for wisdom to take the right opportunities

In modern England it is a privilege to be in a position of having too many opportunities. It has struck me that we live in a time of unrivalled opportunity in one sense. In many places old peoples homes are welcoming of Churches putting on afternoon services because so many of their residents grew up in church. They need to hear the gospel and it is an opportunity we must take.

But on the other hand there seem to be lots of opportunities in schools to be involved in assemblies and to deliver RE. Again another opportunity which we pass up at our peril. But which is very different because so many of these youngsters have no other contact with the gospel or with those who genuinely have faith that changes them.

In a world with so many opportunities - all those in between those mentioned above - we need to pray that God would give us wisdom in where we allocate resources and time, we need to find out what our peoples and our own passion is for and where we are best equipped by God's spirit to plant, water and reap the seed.

A Passion for Life

The website for A Passion for Life has been updated and resources are available to order and download. Why not take a look by clicking on this link: http://www.apassionforlife.org.uk/ .