A top British Judge has caused something of a stir in the media by claiming that the breakdown of marriage is one of the key factors in the problems facing modern Britain. You can read what he said by clicking on this link.
Some of the comments that have been left on the article also reveal how our society feels about such values.
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
The prodigal God
I have just started reading Tim Keller's 'The Prodigal God.' The first couple of chapters have proved though provoking and the rest promises to be equally so.
Keller begins by establishing what Prodigal means, it is not wayward or lost as we tend to think of it, but it means "reckless spendthrift", to spend until you have nothing left. He makes the point that the younger son is prodigal but so is the Father in the way he loves and welcomes back the younger son.
In Chapter 1 Keller points out that Jesus ministry seemed to attract the Prodigals, those like the woman at the well, or the woman caught in adultery, the tax collector and so. Whilst the religious elder brother types are offended and reject his teaching.
Keller then raises an issue I found particularly thought provoking. Contemporary outsiders don't seem to be attracted to church, rather we attract the moralistic people. If our preaching and people don't have the same effect on people that Jesus did, then we must not declaring the same message Jesus did. He goes on to say: "If our churches aren't appealing to younger brothers, they must be more full of elder brothers than we'd like to think."
Keller begins by establishing what Prodigal means, it is not wayward or lost as we tend to think of it, but it means "reckless spendthrift", to spend until you have nothing left. He makes the point that the younger son is prodigal but so is the Father in the way he loves and welcomes back the younger son.
In Chapter 1 Keller points out that Jesus ministry seemed to attract the Prodigals, those like the woman at the well, or the woman caught in adultery, the tax collector and so. Whilst the religious elder brother types are offended and reject his teaching.
Keller then raises an issue I found particularly thought provoking. Contemporary outsiders don't seem to be attracted to church, rather we attract the moralistic people. If our preaching and people don't have the same effect on people that Jesus did, then we must not declaring the same message Jesus did. He goes on to say: "If our churches aren't appealing to younger brothers, they must be more full of elder brothers than we'd like to think."
Monday, 22 June 2009
Christianity, sex and free Speech?
Andrea Minichiello Williams, barrister and founder of the CLC says few Christian leaders or individuals realize that buried within the Corners and Justice Bill, to be debated tomorow (23rd June) is a clause which could prevent Christians openly stating what the Bible says, and Christians have believed for 2,000 years, about issues such as homosexual conduct or even marriage.
She said: “No-one would imagine that a Bill to do with Coroners could contain anything about free speech and with all the media attention on MP expenses, this vital issue is going unreported by the media. If it got through as it stands, it would have devastating consequences for Christian witness and integrity in the UK. Church leaders and individuals Christians answering questions about their faith could well find themselves the subject of a police investigation and arrest just for speaking and living according to the Bible’s teaching on sexuality and marriage.”
Why not sign their online petition by following this link: http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=760
She said: “No-one would imagine that a Bill to do with Coroners could contain anything about free speech and with all the media attention on MP expenses, this vital issue is going unreported by the media. If it got through as it stands, it would have devastating consequences for Christian witness and integrity in the UK. Church leaders and individuals Christians answering questions about their faith could well find themselves the subject of a police investigation and arrest just for speaking and living according to the Bible’s teaching on sexuality and marriage.”
Why not sign their online petition by following this link: http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=760
Thursday, 18 June 2009
You've got lies
I have been directed to this today as an article designed for ladies about the perils and problems inherent in watching chick flicks, its by Beth Spraul from Capitol Hill Baptist Church in the States and it is well worth reading and thinking through. http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/wp-content/uploads/youve_got_lies.pdf
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Church and the future
Last night we got to thinking about the future of the church. At what point does church begin to become uncomfortable? At what point does size impact upon your vision and values? Undeniably developing gospel relationships is only possible in groups of certain sizes, so what is too big and when do you start planning for the next thing?
I was reminded of the S-curve of Church growth, a diagram is below. Churches grow, but as they approach capacity growth levels off, before they eventually stagnate and then begin to decline. Arresting a declining church is much harder than redirecting a growing church. The red dotted line on the graph below indicates a point at about 80% at which growth starts to slow. The church is comfortable and begins to lose its evangelistic edge.
The challenge at about 80% capacity is to launch, change or challenge the church so that it can begin another growth spurt, so that it retains its evangelistic edge and the growth curve looks more like this:
That change, challenge or launch can look very different. It can mean moving to a bigger venue thus increasing capacity and giving space to invite non-believing friends, it could mean increasing the number of services in the same venue, or it may mean starting a new church somewhere else.
The challenge of Acts is to depend on God and be bold not comfortable with the great news of Jesus Christ.
Questions for Father's Day
I've used these here before but with Father's Day on Sunday they are good things to be thinking about. In our churches we need to ask men great questions, not just give them easy answers, we need to address the questions that men are asking in our preaching, here are some suggested questions:
- What does becoming a Christian mean for my masculinity?
- What is Biblical manliness?
- What does biblical holiness look like for men today?
- What is success?
- How do I deal with guilt feelings?
- What is male sexuality? Is purity possible for the modern man?
- How can we nurture family life?
- What is Christian leadership? How is it developed?
- What are the basic disciplines of the Christian man?
- What ministry skills need to be developed? How? Will the church do it?
- What is biblical business conduct?
- What is integrity? How is it developed?
- What does it mean to be married for God?
Men follow men. Its fascinating working through Luke 9 and 10 as Jesus teaches his disciples how many of these issues come up and are addressed again and again.
Monday, 15 June 2009
The challenge of discipleship
"Materialism is the pursuit of power, independence, comfort and security, and it is the biggest threat to our discipleship, because discipleship is the very opposite of that it is the pursuit of God seen in following Jesus and brings with it rejection, suffering and even death."
Its easy to listen to comments like that above and agree with them intellectually but how do we know if materialism is really our problem? Its helpful to carry out a little diagnostic on ourselves by thinking and praying through the following:
1. What do I value?
2. What am I scared of?
3. What are my dreams for my children?
4. Where do I want to be in 5 years, 10 year?
5. What if I lost it could I not live without?
Its easy to listen to comments like that above and agree with them intellectually but how do we know if materialism is really our problem? Its helpful to carry out a little diagnostic on ourselves by thinking and praying through the following:
1. What do I value?
2. What am I scared of?
3. What are my dreams for my children?
4. Where do I want to be in 5 years, 10 year?
5. What if I lost it could I not live without?
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
What is failure?
I have just been reading an article in this months Evangelicals Now reviewing a book on church planting. It contained within it the scary statistic that 3 in 5 church plants fail.
But there was no definition of what it meant to fail as a church plant. For example would the Ephesian Church be a failed church plant because it ceased to exist? Is it failure to last 5 years? Is a church plant only successful if it becomes self sustaining and financially independent?
It made me think about why we plant churches - we plant churches to see the lost saved, discipled and reach maturity and thus complete the race. So when does a church fail? I think there are a number of ways that a church plant can fail. We fail when we do not preach the gospel or teach the Bible, we fail when we do not seek the lost, we fail when we do not disciple those who come into our church families.
This means that in terms of 'success' or 'failure', for want of better terms, a church plant that lasts only 12 months but sees the lost saved and then at its closure channelled into other churches where they go on and grow can be more 'successful' than an established church which lasts for years but never reaches out with the gospel or sees believers mature in the faith.
Church planting is about a gospel response to a gospel need. In Britain that gospel need is great but so is resistance to the message, so are misunderstandings about the Bible, God, Christianity and the gospel. This means that gospel work, establishing and planting churches is hard work!!! It takes a long time to build relationships, it takes a long time to demolish barriers, it takes a long time to correct faulty thinking and misunderstanding, it takes a long term commitment to establish that you as a body of God's people - the church - love the people and the area.
Church Planting is a long term commitment to hard work but it is worth it to see someone won for the gospel.
But there was no definition of what it meant to fail as a church plant. For example would the Ephesian Church be a failed church plant because it ceased to exist? Is it failure to last 5 years? Is a church plant only successful if it becomes self sustaining and financially independent?
It made me think about why we plant churches - we plant churches to see the lost saved, discipled and reach maturity and thus complete the race. So when does a church fail? I think there are a number of ways that a church plant can fail. We fail when we do not preach the gospel or teach the Bible, we fail when we do not seek the lost, we fail when we do not disciple those who come into our church families.
This means that in terms of 'success' or 'failure', for want of better terms, a church plant that lasts only 12 months but sees the lost saved and then at its closure channelled into other churches where they go on and grow can be more 'successful' than an established church which lasts for years but never reaches out with the gospel or sees believers mature in the faith.
Church planting is about a gospel response to a gospel need. In Britain that gospel need is great but so is resistance to the message, so are misunderstandings about the Bible, God, Christianity and the gospel. This means that gospel work, establishing and planting churches is hard work!!! It takes a long time to build relationships, it takes a long time to demolish barriers, it takes a long time to correct faulty thinking and misunderstanding, it takes a long term commitment to establish that you as a body of God's people - the church - love the people and the area.
Church Planting is a long term commitment to hard work but it is worth it to see someone won for the gospel.
Monday, 8 June 2009
The question we need to answer?
How do I know that I am not coasting in the Christian life? Helpfully someone pointed out yesterday that the way to know that you are not coasting is by answering this question about the word of God: When did it last change me?
When was the last time I changed my thinking as a result of what I read? When was the last time it changed the way I acted? When was the last time having heard the word preached that I acted on it?
It is always encouraging to see people engaging with those sorts of questions. But we also must be asking that question and answering it for ourselves.
When was the last time I changed my thinking as a result of what I read? When was the last time it changed the way I acted? When was the last time having heard the word preached that I acted on it?
It is always encouraging to see people engaging with those sorts of questions. But we also must be asking that question and answering it for ourselves.
Friday, 5 June 2009
Is the Bible wrong?
Where if anywhere do you think the bible is Wrong?
The Bible is not wrong anywhere, it is infallible (2 Tim 3:16).
There are, however, places where we interpret it wrongly and that’s why it matters that we wrestle with it not just read it assuming we know what it says. Too often we approach a passage assuming we know what it says, or pour it into our predetermined framework of ideas, traditions and theology. What we need to do is allow the Bible to determine the framework, to challenge our thinking, our preconceptions and our living.
The Bible is not wrong anywhere, it is infallible (2 Tim 3:16).
There are, however, places where we interpret it wrongly and that’s why it matters that we wrestle with it not just read it assuming we know what it says. Too often we approach a passage assuming we know what it says, or pour it into our predetermined framework of ideas, traditions and theology. What we need to do is allow the Bible to determine the framework, to challenge our thinking, our preconceptions and our living.
Equipping by the Spirit
The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Saul with great power in 1 Samuel 10v5-7. Is there an equivalent anointing for the modern Christian?
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit comes on characters like Saul to equip them for kingship, though it also leaves them. David in Psalm 51:11 prays after committing murder and adultery that God would not take his Spirit from him. It is a specific anointing given to certain individuals.
There is a difference post Pentecost, however, now the Spirit dwells in God’s people (Acts 2:4), it takes up residence there and is with all God's people. However there are also times when particular anointing is given for a specific task. In Acts we see it in: Acts 4:1-13, (8) “Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said…” (31) “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” They are filled with the Holy Spirit, but also specifically equipped on certain occasions.
Luke uses the phrase filled with the Spirit about particular moments when people are empowered for particular tasks. As Jesus promised Luke 12:11-12.
Is there an equivalent anointing today? I think there is equivalent anointing today – when the Holy Spirit enables us to answer questions, to speak boldly. It is given for a particular time and situation.
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit comes on characters like Saul to equip them for kingship, though it also leaves them. David in Psalm 51:11 prays after committing murder and adultery that God would not take his Spirit from him. It is a specific anointing given to certain individuals.
There is a difference post Pentecost, however, now the Spirit dwells in God’s people (Acts 2:4), it takes up residence there and is with all God's people. However there are also times when particular anointing is given for a specific task. In Acts we see it in: Acts 4:1-13, (8) “Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said…” (31) “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” They are filled with the Holy Spirit, but also specifically equipped on certain occasions.
Luke uses the phrase filled with the Spirit about particular moments when people are empowered for particular tasks. As Jesus promised Luke 12:11-12.
Is there an equivalent anointing today? I think there is equivalent anointing today – when the Holy Spirit enables us to answer questions, to speak boldly. It is given for a particular time and situation.
The Believer and delighting in the Law
Romans shows us that by the Law we are shown our sins. The law condemns me. How do we then delight (Psalm1) in the law?
The key question is what does it mean for the Psalmist to delight in God’s law before the coming of Christ? To delight expresses all that makes the godly man happy, it is obedience to God's law that brings happiness. For the Psalmist this meant living in teh light of the law looking forward to the promise it contained.
That will be different from what it means to delight in the law for us – we delight in the law fulfilled in Christ. We also delight in it in the sense of living by it written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit as promised by Jeremiah. It is as we obey the law not as the cause of our salvation but as a way of living in the light of our salvation that we delight in it.
The key question is what does it mean for the Psalmist to delight in God’s law before the coming of Christ? To delight expresses all that makes the godly man happy, it is obedience to God's law that brings happiness. For the Psalmist this meant living in teh light of the law looking forward to the promise it contained.
That will be different from what it means to delight in the law for us – we delight in the law fulfilled in Christ. We also delight in it in the sense of living by it written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit as promised by Jeremiah. It is as we obey the law not as the cause of our salvation but as a way of living in the light of our salvation that we delight in it.
Why don't I feel the Spirit?
We have seen the truth of the work of the Spirit and seen his great power. Why don’t we FEEL it when we would expect great power to change us?
Feelings are not great indicators of our reality the book of Malachi warns about that. By contrast the Bible calls us to understand our relational reality and live in the light of it. My hunch is that if you ask my two boys if they feel like I am their dad that they would look at you like you had gone out, they wouldn’t have a clue what you were on about. But if you were to watch them you would see that they relate to me as their dad. They ask me things, they try to please me, they are disciplined by me, they come to me when they are upset, and so on. So it is with us and the Holy Spirit, he is at work in us in everything we do.
What is it that you expect to feel? Is it just a longing for an experience? The Spirit moves every time we pray because he enables us to speak to God. The Spirit moves by making God’s word live for us – when we get something from the Bible and it begins to change us it is not due to our intelligence but the Holy Spirits working. We also underestimate the way the Holy Spirit is changing us, often it is others who see the Holy Spirit at work in us, or we can discern it over a period of time.
Perhaps part of the problem behind the question and a very real danger for us is that we resist the Spirit – Acts 6:8-7:60.
Feelings are not great indicators of our reality the book of Malachi warns about that. By contrast the Bible calls us to understand our relational reality and live in the light of it. My hunch is that if you ask my two boys if they feel like I am their dad that they would look at you like you had gone out, they wouldn’t have a clue what you were on about. But if you were to watch them you would see that they relate to me as their dad. They ask me things, they try to please me, they are disciplined by me, they come to me when they are upset, and so on. So it is with us and the Holy Spirit, he is at work in us in everything we do.
What is it that you expect to feel? Is it just a longing for an experience? The Spirit moves every time we pray because he enables us to speak to God. The Spirit moves by making God’s word live for us – when we get something from the Bible and it begins to change us it is not due to our intelligence but the Holy Spirits working. We also underestimate the way the Holy Spirit is changing us, often it is others who see the Holy Spirit at work in us, or we can discern it over a period of time.
Perhaps part of the problem behind the question and a very real danger for us is that we resist the Spirit – Acts 6:8-7:60.
Predestination and Prayer
If everything is predetermined by God and our paths chosen what is the point in praying for anything?
Predestination is something according to Paul that we should praise God for! (Eph 1), not something to argue about. It is something that should bring security. God has chosen us since before the foundation of the world. Though the Bible is also clear that this does not remove our accountability for our decision about whether to trust Jesus as Saviour or not.
The source of prayer is the sovereign will of God, the motive for prayer is God acting, and the
enabler of prayer is the Holy Spirit. We learn to pray as we read God's word and discern his will, hence the importance of the Lord's prayer as it gives us a glimpse of God's concerns.
Our prayer should express our confidence in the God who works all thing according to his will, who can and will achieve his purposes. Prayer is not ineffective, God loves to hear his people pray and the Bible shows us many incidence of God responding to his people's prayers.
Why bother to pray? Because God tells us to pray. Jesus prays, even in Gethsemane though he has come for the very purpose of dying on the cross. We therefore ought to pray in part as recognition that we are dependent on God, but also as children who want to speak to their loving Father. Prayer is about relationship, and as God's children our prayers are to be centred on God’s desires his will, the family concerns.
Predestination is something according to Paul that we should praise God for! (Eph 1), not something to argue about. It is something that should bring security. God has chosen us since before the foundation of the world. Though the Bible is also clear that this does not remove our accountability for our decision about whether to trust Jesus as Saviour or not.
The source of prayer is the sovereign will of God, the motive for prayer is God acting, and the
enabler of prayer is the Holy Spirit. We learn to pray as we read God's word and discern his will, hence the importance of the Lord's prayer as it gives us a glimpse of God's concerns.
Our prayer should express our confidence in the God who works all thing according to his will, who can and will achieve his purposes. Prayer is not ineffective, God loves to hear his people pray and the Bible shows us many incidence of God responding to his people's prayers.
Why bother to pray? Because God tells us to pray. Jesus prays, even in Gethsemane though he has come for the very purpose of dying on the cross. We therefore ought to pray in part as recognition that we are dependent on God, but also as children who want to speak to their loving Father. Prayer is about relationship, and as God's children our prayers are to be centred on God’s desires his will, the family concerns.
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Reaching the unreached
20th May saw the conference Reaching the Unreached take place in London at St Helen's Bishopsgate. I couldn't go but the audio is available over on Tim Chester's blog (http://timchester.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/audio-from-reaching-the-untreached-conference) including the question Time which I have found very interesting.
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The sin in all of us - greed?
The British media is in a continued and sustained feeding frenzy over the MP's expenses scandal. It is undoubtedly a scandal. And the irony has not been lost on many people that these MP's now repaying thousands and standing down at the next election are the very same ones who decried the large pension Sir Fred was and continues to draw at a time of banking crisis. That those who cried immoral and outrageous have now been shown to be outrageous and immoral.
But I can't help if there is another irony, their greed is there for all to see, but is ours just better hidden? If subjected to that level of scrutiny how would we fair? These MP's claim it is within the rules, it is permissible, the rules were wrong. But it is another example of sin and its effects. It highlights the nature of greed, and greed is something we all need to beware of.
In Ephesians 5 Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus: "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."
But I can't help if there is another irony, their greed is there for all to see, but is ours just better hidden? If subjected to that level of scrutiny how would we fair? These MP's claim it is within the rules, it is permissible, the rules were wrong. But it is another example of sin and its effects. It highlights the nature of greed, and greed is something we all need to beware of.
In Ephesians 5 Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus: "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."
Monday, 1 June 2009
How should I vote?
That was a question I was asked a couple of times yesterday. This Thursday sees the local elections, European elections and in Doncaster Mayoral elections. How should the Christian vote?
I don't feel it is right for pastors to direct their people in how to vote, it is a matter for personal prayer and thought. But it is right to exhort people to vote. Especially as in Britain faith in politicians is at an all time low, and my hunch is that not many will vote this Thursday because why bother as they are all as corrupt as each other. It matters that Christians exercise their right to vote to influence society, we need leaders who make godly choices as MEPs, MPs and Mayor.
Here are a couple of pointers however; are some of the parties/candidates standing on a platform of oppressing the poor and foreigner? The Bible would call us to stand up against that.
What is that candidates voting record like on issues like abortion, the equality bill, embryo research etc...? You can see at www.theyworkforyou.com input your postcode it will tell you who your MP is and you can see how they voted. You can also then link to write to them.
Whatever your decision please vote in the elections.
I don't feel it is right for pastors to direct their people in how to vote, it is a matter for personal prayer and thought. But it is right to exhort people to vote. Especially as in Britain faith in politicians is at an all time low, and my hunch is that not many will vote this Thursday because why bother as they are all as corrupt as each other. It matters that Christians exercise their right to vote to influence society, we need leaders who make godly choices as MEPs, MPs and Mayor.
Here are a couple of pointers however; are some of the parties/candidates standing on a platform of oppressing the poor and foreigner? The Bible would call us to stand up against that.
What is that candidates voting record like on issues like abortion, the equality bill, embryo research etc...? You can see at www.theyworkforyou.com input your postcode it will tell you who your MP is and you can see how they voted. You can also then link to write to them.
Whatever your decision please vote in the elections.
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