Hmmm ... (By Oliver Tucker)

Loneliness left alone...

2007-06-04T14:26:00.000+01:00

Loneliness is a topic not often addressed by evangelical Christians. Yet the bible has a great deal to say on the matter.

Have a listen to this short Bible overview on the subject:

This has been copied from an old tape. Sermon given by Tony Sargent @ Worthing Tabernacle (1998) I think!

Put up here without known permission but doubtful of objection. Please comment if this is false and the file will be removed with immediate effect.

Totally Bad Manners.

2007-06-04T12:14:00.000+01:00

Was fascinated reading one of Britain great publications on the train. Here is what the 'last word' said...

"Having good manners only works in two types of situation - when everybody is
equal, or when everybody know their place. These days both situations are
extremely rare; and we're all touchy as hell about our status."

(Extracts from The Week 02/06/2006 Is. 616 Article 'How Britain became addicted to bad manners' by William Leith)

What exactly is the 'these days' and how does one get on to a perch to see that this is only a characteristic of our 21stC society?

We are all equal but we do not acknowledge our place. We are rebels against God. The human heart would rather God was dead

This article was right in saying:

"The bloodline of bad manners is a long and distinquished one; the history
of any art form reads like a littany of transgression"
"Manners only work to the extent that people agree on them... In a world of
constant novelty, social codes break down. Our main response is to become more
agressive."

Am I really naive to say "What else is new?"

In Extremis (Abelard vs. Bertrand)

2007-05-28T14:14:00.000+01:00

Went to see the play ‘In Extremis’ @ Shakespeare’s Globe with Becca on Saturday. The play set in 12thC France depicts the battle between Philosophy and Catholic Mysticism.

I found myself agreeing with statements made by both of the protagonists. Abelard in stating that reason is a gift given by God and Bertrand in his position that we need revelation from God.

Both Characters came out badly ‘ethically’ speaking, Abelard in using his position as teacher to bed Heloise (under the age of consent) and Bertrand in his political manoeuvres.

The play (I feel) left me with a mood of ambivalence toward philosophers and mockery of the “derangement of (the) self-flagellating monks” (Time Out London 23/05/07). They were both caricatures of how these positions are perceived in today’s culture.

The question I left with is “Who do I side with? The passionate philosopher or the nutter?”

When presented like that there seems to be little choice, but is that the choice we have? Only if these caricatures are the only things we ever see…

How our society needs to hear the words of the gospel that come with power, the Holy Spirit and deep conviction that tell of how we can be those who have:

“turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for
his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from
the wrath to come.” (I Thessaloninas 1:9-10)

Love him or Loath him?

2007-05-11T00:15:00.000+01:00

Dawkins, everyone has something to say about him.

I have just finished reading his interview with Ruth Gledhill (Times Religon Correspondent) entitled 'God... in other words' (10/05/2007).

As I read, it became clear to me that the interview was not between two factions but between one 'Liberal Religous type' to another.

'Liberal' in the sense of wanting individuals to have the final word on truth (not God)
'Religous' in the sense of having firm convictions...

E.g
(1)Dawkins claims "Humanity is approaching a staggeringly impressively close near-to-complete understanding ... (the tradgedy is) that people are deprived of this not by misinformation or lack of education, but by deliberate distortion, by organised misinformation"
(full of conviction but firmly individualistic...)
(2)Gledhill herself writes "words have power," and echoes Dawkins thoughts on 'transcendence' (she loves the word 'numinous' too).

Their unity stemmed from a disdain for Biblical Orthodox Evangelical Christianity. The article climaxes with Gledhill's reflection:

"I'm not superstituous, but there is something faintly transcendent about Dawkins in the flesh. But I didn't tell him that of course. He'd just accuse me of making it up."

The only word I can use to describe how I viewed their opinion on life is 'sentimental'.
It seems very sad to me that those people held in such high esteem by many seem to have
a head,
a heart,
and a tongue,
in what they are saying, but no gut at all, because ultimately they are squirming away from the Lordship of the maker of the universe in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the majority of the UK are following them in their convictions and their ultimate destination.

Experimentation

2007-05-03T14:21:00.000+01:00

This is a video of me and my brothers fooling around along time ago. This is not for the light hearted!

Tasty Treats ...

2007-04-26T16:07:00.000+01:00

Found some tasty treats recently:
http://www.piercedforourtransgressions.com

http://richardperkins.blogsome.com/

http://pjcockrell.wordpress.com

Studying Mark 8:11-21. Both the Pharisees and the disciples don't get the feeding of the four thousand:

To the Pharisees stubborn verdict on Jesus already (Mark 3), We see that:

1. Jesus presence is sufficient (for us to know who he is)

To the Disciples immediate self concern, We see that:

2. Jesus identity is clear

It is blindingly obvious but they need a miracle to see it. They need healing of their spiritual blindness. This word says to us:

Have we already decided who Jesus is? (Stubborn Pride)

Are we too concerned with our own wellbeing to see who Jesus is? And especially the astounding claim his worksmake about him? (Introversion)

If so we need to heed what we learn here and look to the Jesus come into human history to be the bread of life for us. Him who by taking our judgement on the cross and gives us life in his resurrection if we turn to him.

Don't be blind.

Knowing and Having

2007-04-14T14:43:00.000+01:00

Recently been reading:

"He is there, He is not silent." By Francis Shaeffer

It is technical in its detail but I never felt lost (even if a bit confused!) Certain parts of his writing felt really true about how I can feel sometimes about the world around me. He says after the work of Rousseau, Kant and Kierkengaard...

"Young people today live in a generation that no longer believes in the hope of truth as truth ... rationality is seen as leading to pessimism. We can have mathematical knowledge but man is only a machine"

"Man is only the machine; man is only a zero, and nothing has any real meaning. I am nothing - one particular amoung thousands of particulars. No particulars have meaning, and specifically the particular of myself. I have no meaning; I die; man is dead"

Sounds depressing yet my Faith in God has been built up because as much as we feel this way it turns out we can't live this way, simply because 'He is there, He is not silent'

To the Christian there is no problem of knowing because we believe he is there and he has spoken. Schaeffer articulates this well and I cannot recommend this book highly enough (as apparently the foundation of most of his work).

Recently I have been looking at Gods Word to us in Genesis in the account of Jacob and Laban 30:25-31:55.

God is with his people (Gen 30:25-43).

His people are distrusting idolators (Gen 31:1-21)

Yet ..

God protects his people (Gen 31:22-55)

Laban comes after Jacob as he has run away. Gods people are keeping hold of there idols - Rachel nicked Labans. Yet God protects them because he is with his people (31:42). All other gods and idols are shown up to be of value little more than that of a pack of tampons!

I Praise God that he is with those that trust him. I Repent of idolatory that is useless.

Schaeffer tells us there is no problem of knowing our world because there is a God. In the Lord Jesus Christ we can have him with us for eternity. We can have him who is with us protecting and providing for us and will bring us through to his New Creation!

What did you think of (blank)?

2007-03-29T16:21:00.000+01:00

Got this from workshops. One of the Church workers put it together and it seems to be very useful to start thinking through a Christian approach to any art whether film or music or whatever else ...

(N.b If I am breaking any publication rules posting this please notify and I will delete this post!(Think it is ok though!))

QUESTIONS TO ASK OF ART?

Remember: when it comes to a worldview (see James Sire, The Universe Next Door, IVP) the following questions are important?

What is ultimate reality?
What is the nature and meaning of history?
What happens after a human’s death?
What is the human predicament? What is its solution?
The following questions help us to engage better with contemporary film, music, and literature. Some questions, to be sure, lend themselves better to one medium than others. Still, the notion of worldview issues is the aim of asking any question.

To which, I add my own further questions:

Does this worldview (explicit or implied) describe the universe we already know?
Does this worldview describe the ‘you’ and ‘me’ we already know?
Is it consistent with itself?
Is it liveable?

So, therefore:

From what you can see and tell, what do you think are the director’s, author’s, or performer’s, presuppositions?
What questions and issues does the ‘work’ raise?
What light, or answers, or insights does the work offer concerning these issues?
Does the work say anything about ‘truth’? What understandings of ‘truth’ emerge from this work?
What truths (in this case, from the Christian notion of true truth) are revealed in this work?
What view(s) does the work present as to who men and women are?
What criteria does it seem to reveal regarding being human? Does it tell you anything about what it means to be human?
What views are offered concerning human relationships?
Is there any view or philosophy of what is history?
Does the artist require us to make any intellectual or moral somersaults to accept the work’s worldview and conclusions?
Can you see any overall thrust to this work? Have you been rubbished or built up by this work?
Bear in mind:
The weight of supposedly lightweight films, books, music or cultural events increasingly crushes or weakens the knowledge of truth, history, morals, and virtues.

GJ McGrath

Logged off

2007-03-12T16:58:00.000Z

Wow...

Just worked out what I had changed my user-name and password to under this new google thingy.

Good flippin times.

Making Friends @ Natural History Museum

2006-12-13T16:18:00.000Z

I suck at blogging

2006-10-25T18:00:00.000+01:00

At first I started this thing as some personal space to put thoughts and stuff. It was very useful while in Australia to share my pics with the family.

But of late (i.e the last 12 monthes), I have been reticent to post anything at all.

I am uncomfortable with Blogging. At heart I don't like doing it.

Some reasons:
1. I do it to flout my intelligence and flatter my ego.
2. I do it for popularity. To fit in.
3. I don't write very well. I have been astounded by my little brothers blog and how heart felt it is to read (See the link in the side bar ->)

Reading the book of Proverbs. They are not meant to be taken as theologically accurate statements but as practical advice for living. So don't take this as law. But the following words I have pondered today:

18 He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

(Proverbs 10)

Anyone who hasn't given up looking at this is welcome to respond as I consider this question. See you in another 12 monthes!

Sand Boarding in NZ

2006-08-13T00:31:00.000+01:00

Bay of Islands

2006-08-13T00:21:00.000+01:00

In our hot tub with the bay in the background 37 degrees warm ....

Arrived in Auckland

2006-08-09T11:05:00.000+01:00

Pictures not too coherent apologies ...

More ...

2006-08-04T04:41:00.000+01:00

Palm Cove

2006-08-04T04:28:00.000+01:00

Rottnest Island

2006-08-01T14:51:00.000+01:00

More from Perth and Margaret River

2006-08-01T14:35:00.000+01:00

Perth 2006

2006-08-01T14:27:00.001+01:00

21st Birthday Party

2006-05-11T15:40:00.000+01:00

If you are reading this and you know me, you are invited!

London Men's Convention 2006

2006-05-01T23:55:00.000+01:00

Update: Next year am working as a Ministry Apprentice @ Duke Street Church Richmond. Starting 04/09/06. This is a privilege and a challenge.

Last weekend I spent at the Royal Albert Hall for the London Mens Convention. I would thoroughly recommend booking up for 2007. It was brilliant. It did exactly what it aimed to do; it encouraged men to live for Christ.

This was my first experience of the convention. The focus of the day was the Holy Spirit. The seminar options looked at prophecy, speaking in tongues and 'baptism in the spirit' e.t.c. The best part for me were the main expositions showing us that the Holy spirit:
... gives life (Romans 8)
... gives truth (John 16: 5-16)
... gives holiness (Galatians 5: 13-26)

More to follow. This update was prompted by Gaz Leaney (and by the way what Dave were you refering to?)

2006-02-20T22:39:00.000Z

Stuffed up with a bit of a cold.

Thinking about how it has incapacitated me reminds me of something I heard someone say the other day. They said: "The greatest need of this world is Jesus Christ."

Whilst I am fed up of not being able to breath, the world is crippled by an even worse problem. That is separation from God.

My medecine is Lemsip Max Strength capsules (although I have been told Beechams all-in-one is better!).
The only medecine that can save the people of the world is the man Jesus Christ. Not a lot of point beating around the bush with other stuff. Jesus is the only sufficient clause in the solution to our problem.
Jesus said the world is hungry. Jesus said he was the bread. The bread of life and merely eating it (interacting with it intellectually and personally) gives life - access to God.

That is a big deal. If you want to check it out you can look at: http://www.life-online.org

2006-01-23T10:41:00.000Z

What can wash away our sins?
WHAT can make us whole again?

NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS

What can wash us pure as snow, welcomed as the friends of God?

NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
But the the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'" (Luke 2: 10,11)

Ransomed
Healed
Restored
and Forgiven am I because of the blood of the KING.

Hallelujah!!!

2005-12-08T13:57:00.000Z

Q&A:

How would you respond to claims that Christmas is no longer about Christ?

To respond to this question it is important to look at what Christianity says about Christ. It says …

GOD (Rules) God really exists! He made the world, and that includes you and me. We believe this because he has clearly revealed himself in the historic person of Jesus Christ whom he raised from the dead. Jesus is the rightful ruler of the world. See Gen 1:1; Mt 28:18; Phil 2:9-11.
MAN (Rebel) None of us has lived consistently as though this was the state of affairs. We have all by degree assumed that we have the right to run our own lives. Sometimes we have consciously disobeyed God; at other times we have just ignored him. It amounts to the same thing, rebellion. See Mk 7:21-23; Rom 3:12; 1 Jn 3:4.
GOD (Repent) In Christ, God tells us that this is not our world to live in according to our selfish desires. It is God's world. Therefore we should stop rebelling against him and live in the world the way he has designed us to live in it. He calls us to come into his 'Kingdom', that is to submit to his kingly rule in our lives. See Mt 7:21; Mk 1:14,15; Acts 17:30.
WHAT IF I DON'T? (Unforgiven) If we refuse God's offer of forgiveness and reconciliation, we will remain unforgiven and unreconciled. Ultimately, rebels will be overthrown. See Mt 7:23,26,27; Rom 1:18; 2 Thess 1:8,9.
WHAT IF I DO? (Forgiven) If we stop rebelling and bring our lives under God's rule, he treats us as though we had never rebelled against him. He accepts us wholeheartedly because Jesus in dying on the cross took upon himself the punishment we deserve. A whole new relationship with God then opens up. We become his friends and are adopted into his family. See Jn 3:16; Rom 6:23, 8:1,15; Col 2:14.

We live in a so-called Post-Christian culture here in the UK. We live in a nominally Christian country that has accepted the views of the enlightenment that as Nietzsche famously said “God is dead” and that something can be true for one person but not another. Amid this there is still the values and institutions of a Christian past. Some may think so but the way Christmas is celebrated today has little to do with Jesus Christ.

What differences would you like to see in the way people view and celebrated Christmas within the United Kingdom, and do you think this ideal will ever become a reality?

There are many things that are good about Christmas even if you are not a Christian. The fact that Christmas has come to be associated with family time together is great and the excuse to show loved ones that you do love them is brilliant. But these things alone do very little to change the ultimate reality that we are all headed in one direction and the way we celebrate Christmas does nothing to change this…

We are all rebels and have to choose whether to stop going our own way and receive God’s offer of forgiveness and live under his rule or carry on in rebellion.

The way I would like to see people in the UK celebrate Christmas is to assess whether or not Jesus is the rightful ruler of the world come into time to show us who he is and to die to bring us into relationship with God.

One way the students of Bristol can do this is by attending the Student Carol Service at Christ Church Clifton this Sunday and taking a personal and intellectually approach to the person of Christ.

It could be argued that without the present giving and other aspects of Christmas, which aren’t specifically religious, many people would not find Christmas relevant to them. Would you rather people celebrate through these secular channels than not at all?

Christmas is relevant to all. The angel said to the Virgin Mary:

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

This little child in the manger is God. God in human form. Who through dying on the cross in our place will give us the to stop our rebellion and be accepted under God’s rule again.

Someone once said to me:

“It makes no difference what you believe if what you believe makes no difference”

If we don’t respond to Jesus, it does not matter how we celebrate Christmas because we are still going our own way apart from God in rebellion and whether or not we have an advent calendar makes no difference to this. This is what is important.

Those that do celebrate Christmas through secular channels, I think we would all agree, should try and have consistent belief systems. If you are going to give gifts at Christmas you check out the amazing gift of Jesus Christ!

Many people from other religious backgrounds such as Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Jews celebrate these secular elements of Christmas, how do you feel about this?

Let me quote something I was recently reading on the internet. This person was on a cruise ship:

“On Christmas Eve, when many followers of Christ around the world were going to midnight services for quiet and worship, the guest entertainment host on our ship led us through a myriad of secular Christmas-time songs. Frosty's and Santa's songs were in attendance that night, as was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer's. "I'll be Home for Christmas" was an ironic favorite as nobody on the ship was actually home for Christmas. I scanned the faces of the red and green dressed audience that evening. The songs fell quietly upon desperate countenances that seemed to say, "Is this all there is?" While those songs are delightful in their proper context, like birthday cakes and candles, these surface-features of Christmas made the celebration that evening feel lifeless, tame, commercial, mechanistic, uninteresting, shallow, brutish, and banal. It was like eating a pound of sugar without the substance of the rest of the bakery … I wonder how the secularization of Christmas has really offered us anything 'reasonable'?”
The fact that Muslims and Hindus celebrate Christmas is not a big deal. What is a big deal is what the arrival of this little baby means for you and me …

2005-05-30T18:25:00.000+01:00

Watched a film the other night called the 'butterfly effect'. It is defined (by wikipedia.com) as "a phrase that encapsulates the more technical notion of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory. The idea is that small variations in the initial conditions of a dynamical system produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system."

This means that in the dynamic system known as 'life' every single of the smallest things we do can have massive consequences for everyone. For example in this film the main character Evan time travels demonstrating this theory. On one occassion (film spoiler warning!) he gets put in a mental intstitute on another he causes his girlfriend to become a prostitute and much more. Finally (*BIG SPOILER*) he kills himself to end the dynamic system of life which causes him so much pain.

I was reminded of the horror of this life which I feel somewhat sheltered from. I am humbled that I am part of God's amazing rescue plan. That I am "in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world" (Revelation 13:8)

2005-05-07T17:11:00.000+01:00

A recent sermon I heard @ Christchurch Clifton - Bristol

Freedom in Christ Alone (Galatians 2:1-21)

Paul said that all you need is faith in Christ alone. Others said you must keep the law. But they did not give in and go back to the law, they kept true to the gospel (v5) and the church leaders shook hands in agreement in the truth of the gospel (v9).

Jews came from James and Peter was fearful and drew back from the gentiles as a hypocrite (did he not think there was freedom in the gospel?) He drew back because of fear of the views of others (the Jews).

Paul's response was not to use guilt or emotion to rebuke Peter. He shows him that he is not acting in line with the truth of the gospel. This is not power play – one club vs another. Paul desires for them to be consistent. We are made slaves again when we do not live in line with the gospel the truth that we are free in Christ.

Peter went wrong because he did not trust that:

(1)The way in is faith in Christ – They knew the Jewish law could not justify! None of us can ever be good enough for God. The hope lies in what Christ has done.
The basis of citizenship is not customs but a passport of identification. That is Christ and that is all that matters!
Of everything you do ask: Is it in line with the gospel? Or is it slavery? We are to be inflexible with the gospel but flexible with human traditions ...
What are the ways we are hypocrites? What are the ways that we enslave? Sin is self sufficiency. Going back to the law means going back to not listening to God.

(2)The way on is through Christ – I have been set free to live for Christ. This is not just new status but new life!
This is not a licence to sin but the only way to fight sin. It all depends on Christ. This new life is saying - “Jesus I can't do it!”
The life of faith is living in line with the gospel (for example the attitude to the poor v10) :
We are not justified by serving the poor (Not legalism).
We preach the gospel. We preach that there are riches in Christ! This makes it only natural to give to the poor and share the gospel with them ...
The way to godliness is not more rules or more effort - that is taking control (self-sufficiency).
Instead trust the gospel. The truth that I am helpless. That I am dead without him, so that I can look to him. We should want to know more about what Christ has done! Faith comes from security in what he has done.

The Christ we live for loved me and gave himself for me (v20).
Don't live in fear of the acceptance of others! You are accepted by God!
If you go back to rule keeping and doing it in your own strength you say Christ died for nothing (v21)! Don't do it!

The way in is faith in Christ.
The way on is through Christ.

2005-04-06T23:55:00.000+01:00

Was asked to write an article for a friend for his website under the title 'Beyond what you see ...' Here it is credit to Amy Orr-Ewing who is the source of most of these words:

Perceptions have a huge effect on our understanding of subjects and events. Perceptions do not, however change the reality that there is something to be perceived. The death of Jesus of Nazareth is something widely perceived to be a farce. Not only did the God-man die but whatever he was achieving by dying appears inconsistent with his apparent resurrection 3 days later!

The Roman emperor Nero had an obsession with the group of believers calling themselves the 'Christians'. He enjoyed torturing them to death. He either burnt them to death as torches for his palaces or he fed them to lions. The problem he had is that they all died singing praises to their God. They all died with a smile on their faces. In contrast Jesus attitude to his death was completely different. In the garden of Gethsemane the Bible records that Jesus prayed in anguish, that he was so unsettled he practically sweated blood (Luke 22:44). Jesus death was clearly something out of the ordinary.

The Bible says that “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Heaven is described as being part of the kingdom of God. It follows that to live in this kingdom you have to live with the Son of God (Jesus) as King. Living with Jesus as King starts by examining the claim that “The wages of Sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

It makes no difference what you believe if what you believe makes no difference. Will you look beyond what you can see?

More updates soon (I Think).

2004-12-26T16:38:00.000Z

Today is BOXING DAY ....

The Scripture Union 'Encounter with God' daily reading notes had this to say:

"The mystery of the incarnation, of God made flesh, should make us think again. So often our view of God is too small; our vision too restricted, our imagination too limited. We need a fresh sense of awe and humility. Christmas stands as a correction to any idea that we have arrived, a rebuke to the arrogance of twenty-first century humanity."

Micah 5:4-5a (New International Version)

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the LORD ,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be their peace.

A recent lesson learnt: Never think you have arrived. Never cease to rely on God.

2004-11-29T19:06:00.000Z

Learnt some good stuff recently from from Romans 14 (on responding to disagreements in church and misunderstandings):

(1)Accept other believers
(2)Recognise the sincerity of other believers
(3)Remember that God's judgement is the only one that counts
(4)Don't let the liberty we have cause others to stumble in their faith
(5)Don't let that liberty destroy the church
(6)Learn when to keep your mouth shut (elaboration in James 5)

I think this is something we all need to pay attention to . Most of us aren't that tolerant and need to be willing to learn from others. Perhaps even those who we disagree with ....

This is really important read John 17:20-23.

2004-09-19T15:52:00.000+01:00

I guess you would say I am your archetypal churchey Christian. Not many people can relate to me. I am part of the church. A glorious place because it is full of such great diversity. And although you may not like the theological language, all members of it are sinners, continually bound to failure. Jesus says (Luke 19:10) that he came to seek and save the lost. Isn't it quality that the fact that we fail is proof that he did come to save the lost (he is who he said he is)! The church is always failing.

Since my Church split I have had a hard time understanding what church is supposed to be and how I am supposed to relate to it and I guess I am finally getting to grips with it. I guess the lyrics from a song express my sentiments now:

What a beautiful letdown
painfully uncool
The church of the drop outs, the losers,
the sinners, the failures, and the fools.
What a beautiful let down
are we salt in the wound?
Let us sing on true tune.

This true tune I have found in the Bible:

Colossians
The Supremacy of Christ

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church ......

2004-08-14T16:19:00.000+01:00

A quick update from the island of Samos in Greece. Been thinking over a few statements I have heard recently, please feel free to share your views on whether you think them true or false.

It makes no difference what you believe if what you believe makes no difference.

There are no prefect people only perfect intentions.

Keep it real

2004-07-20T23:26:00.000+01:00

Am struggling quite abit being home after the otherworldliness of the university lifestyle. As soon as you return it is like you are back in your same old life as if you never left yet knowing that you have changed quite a lot even though there is some of you that remains the same. (sorry about the poor english)

Everything is so strange because I really want to do big things for God yet remain stuck in some of my old ways. Ifound this really helpful. It kind of comes from talking to the pastor at my church but also the purpose driven life (day10).

Purposedrivenlifesays that life is all about surrender either to God or to any of the other “idols” we are quite good at making for ourselves (basically anything else which isn't God). Anyways this is what I discovered in my conversation with my pastor. We looked at :

Romans 10

14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
16But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" 17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

The key verse in our discussion was verse 17. If I want to do big things for God. I must surrender to him. I can only do this if I trust him and I can only do this if I know him. If I hear his message through his word. God wants surrendered people.

CS Lewis quoted by Rick Warren says “It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to his personality, that I first begin to have real personality of my own.” I think this is important for me because I have been trying to achieve things in my own right not really trusting God.

2004-06-20T14:42:00.000+01:00

Friday saw the end of an era - my first year of university ahhhhhhh. Jonny (My room mate) left and so did pretty much everyone else and I was a little bit lost. This drove me to remember what was said at the last cu meeting of the year about contentment from philipians 4v10-23. We are not content if we hold to (1)Material Things and if we rely on our satisfaction to come from (2)People or relationship. Everything we do must be done in God's strength if we are to be content in it. This is what Paul discovered.

This leads me back to the realisation Paul had in his letter 2 Corinthians 5:14-6:2. We now live for Christ, we no longer have a worldly perspective and we have a "ministry" to share that of a saviour that has reconciled men to God. Which we are "Ambassadors" of. This morning in church we looked at Revelation 2:1-7 just about how the church in Ephesus had lost its first love and I guess that is what I mean in my last post.

2004-06-08T09:08:00.000+01:00

Had a really good weekend away at in Wales with Bristol CU (http://www.bristolcu.org.uk). We were looking at 1 Samuel and drawing some key themes out of it. The two themes (which I can remember, there might be more I was asleep alot) were "Ritual vs Reality" and "Pattern vs Principle". In 1 Samuel 4 the sons of Eli are in a war against the philistines and are losing. They choose to bring out the Ark of the Covenant to help them win the battle. Also in Numbers 20 Moses is commanded to speak to a rock to get water from it, but instead he strikes it twice with his staff because this is what had worked before at Horeb (Exodus 17). On both these occasions God was limited to a pattern of work.

In the same way today in the church I think we limit God, in our expectations we limit him. The work of the church becomes more of a ritual than a reality. Reading another blog (http://nickturnbull.blogs.com/nicks_blog/) I found the comment arguing the case for a rich "retelling of the story" in the church. I put it to you that it is not a retelling of the story in modern terms which is needed but a break away from the patterns and rituals we have got into. What I mean is that we need to be disciplined and practical in the outworking of our faith remembering the dynamics of the early church and the passion they had which is recorded in Acts. We need to have a reliance on the character of God and hold fast to his Gospel of salvation. Deuteronomy 4 records the obedience God demanded of the Israelites so that they could "take possession" of the land God was bringing them into. I want for this same unshakeable discipline in the church. There is a song that contains the line "Lord send revival, Start with me" and this I believe is the best way to start but chat to me about more practical details I am thinking through.

2004-05-25T23:19:00.000+01:00

Lord I have heard of your fame: I stand in awe of your deeds, O lord. Renew them in our day, in wrath remember mercy. Habakkuk 3:2

Is this a test of faith? How well a person can identify and support this claim How much meaning it has for us? We have been studying Habakkuk in hall fell, it seems to me that we live in a similar world to the one where Habbakkuk interceded with God for. One where the church "the law is paralysed and justice never prevails," (1:4) the body is divided and weakened and not able to share the abounding injustice of a God who would sacrifice part of himself to engage with us. Habakkuk leaves his encounter with God in a submission to God and an understanding of how God's plan of salvation has been mapped out across history.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights Habakkuk 3:19

Have Christians denied that Christ has set us free from sin into true freedom that of serving him? When we study the Bible do we deny that we are equipping ourself with the belt of truth and the feet fitted with readiness (Ephesians 6:10-20). We need to be practically active in applying scripture to our ownlives and in our community and the institutions we are part of.

2004-05-01T23:16:00.000+01:00

Just watched 'Shaun of the Dead' and was amazed by how true a depiction of the world it holds today - the people we interact with in our lives are zombies in many respects and if we look into ourselves can see it in us too. Bristol is as good as any a place to analyse this Globalisation / McDonaldization / Rationalisation. The social spectrum of this world has been "disenchanted" (Max Weber), it has lost its meaning. I see students engaging in whatever satisfies them: drug culture, sex, clubbing, intellectualism and popularity, similar things can bee seen in the business men and women that walk the streets, and the potential can be seen in the students of Clifton grammar school in their blazers. The education system composed of lectures on enlightenment thought and the pressure of peers seems to lay down an iron cage of world understanding. David Hume arguing for a determinist understanding of human agency says "Above one half of human reasonings contain inferences of a similar nature, attended with more or less degrees of certainty, proprtioned to our experience of the ususal conduct of makind in such particular situations" (David Hume - Enquiry concerning Human Understanding p156 1999 Oxford University Press). It is my belief that the world is now so rationalised that well over half our human reasons for action come from a similar understanding of the world which has numbed us to the life we should all be living. It is now then more than ever that the world need to remember the testimony of a man who lived two thousand years ago and said of himself "I am the way the truth and the life" (John 14: 6) that all might live a life not in a box but in freedom from the slavery of this iron cage that is cast upon everyone.