Journeys to the Ancient Paths

Our secret words define our public declarations

2012-01-16T15:06:00.000Z

“What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” (Luke 12:3 NIV) “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.” Psalms 33:16–19 Armies, warriors and

Life is Chaos without Faith

2011-09-15T07:38:00.000+01:00

“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Mark 1:16–18) To paraphrase David Bosch, the disciples of Jesus - called as firstfruits to us all - stand in stark difference

Eros vs Agape

2011-05-27T10:55:00.001+01:00

Religion’s First Resound: I insure myself, I'm mediated I excuse myself, I'm exonerated I explain myself, I'm validated I extol myself, I'm vindicated I empower myself, I'm celebrated I evade myself, I'm devastated Redemption’s First Refrain: Christ is my Rock, He mediates Christ is my Rewarder, He exonerates Christ is my Reason, He validates Christ is my Redeemer, He vindicates Christ is

No Scar? A poem by Amy Carmichael

2011-05-25T08:26:00.000+01:00

Hast thou no scar? No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand? I hear thee sung as mighty in the land; I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star. Hast thou no scar? Hast thou no wound? Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent, Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned. Hast thou no wound? No wound? No scar? Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,

Lord, let us not pick at the scabs

2011-05-18T06:46:00.001+01:00

Are you wounded, are you scarred? People who have suffered the violent loss of loved ones will tell you that such memories never seem to fade into the long term memory banks - they remain forever lodged in short term recall. So, the slightest trigger brings to mind the violence and the loss, as though it were happenening all over again, today. Is this our lot? How did the ancient martyrs'

To What Purpose are the Powers of Observation Given?

2011-05-07T09:20:00.001+01:00

When I afford myself the luxury of mere observation, I afford myself the sin of criticism.We never really know the depths of a man’s heart – we judge by external appearances. Do we really know good from evil, just by observing the actions and appearances? Who is more righteous, Neil Armstrong or Morgan Freeman? Margaret Thatcher or Rowan Williams? Nelson Mandela or Pastor Fred? Barack Obama or

Leap into the Void, Yves Klein, 1960

2011-04-30T09:21:00.000+01:00

What causes the UK to blaspheme God?

2011-04-24T09:56:00.000+01:00

Could it be true that a bad church puts good people in a bad light, while a good church puts even bad people in a good light - that is, the light of Christ? The gospel is, after all, good news for bad people. And a church is the carrier of that gospel, or it is nothing at all. And what is a "bad church", we might ask? Only judging ourselves and our work, could it suffice say that a “bad church

The feather or the whole bird, sir?

2011-04-20T08:51:00.000+01:00

Why settle for a feather - a remnant - when the whole bird is offered? Why be happy hearing the occasional coo when the dove wants to come and roost? It beats me. Why my heart so often misses the impulses of the Spirit. Why I do things that make an agency fly away, which is also the only agency that can stop me doing those things. Has a western world surrogate emerged in creating centres

At the End of Man's Prospects, there lies Faith

2011-04-13T07:29:00.000+01:00

From Publicity to Intimacy

2011-04-09T07:44:00.001+01:00

This slide is from a 4-pane powerpoint display that my friend Mike Ward passed on to me. It lured me back to my psych 1&2 studies I took in uni to break the boredom of engineering modules (anyone remember the bending schedules?). The mysteries of the human soul, ah! I still think so many of us underrate the powerful role the "psuche" plays in our relational dynamics (i.e. In the overall success

Leaving no Room for "Janctification"

2011-04-05T10:10:00.000+01:00

QUESTION FROM A PASTOR, FOLLOWED BY MY RESPONSE:In Michael Eaton's book ("No Condemnation") it seems like Genesis 22 has special significance in the release of the covenant promise. Could you comment on this? Is it like a promotion via figurative death? Why such an extremity apart from the typology to atonement?I agree with the 2 stations of faith doctrine. Trusting God in

Secular prophets...

2011-03-16T08:32:00.000Z

“History isn’t about smooth lines and projections that follow nice curves. On the contrary it is very non-linear, and every now and then a black swan will fly across your screen and change everything....The EFSF (European Financial Stability Fund) is just a ponzi scheme in which governments that are already in the red pledge to get even deeper into the red to bail out those of

No Dominant Synapse

2011-03-15T07:22:00.001Z

"The human brain is composed of billions of massively interconnected nerve cells called neurons, working in parallel. Information is transferred from one neuron to another in the form of electrical impulses through connections called synapses. A typical neuron is connected to several tens of thousands of other neurons via synapses. The neural structure keeps changing throughout the human life. A

Ex Qs Me

2011-03-11T09:24:00.001Z

“We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.”(1 Corinthians 8:1–3 NIV) If Intelligence Quotient (IQ) were a true measure of mental acuity and capacity, high IQ would speak of the potential for competence. If Emotional Quotient (EQ) were a true

The regular crowd shuffles in - and costs us the prize

2011-03-07T09:10:00.001Z

“I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man

The One-Sided Nature of our Salvation

2010-10-15T09:18:00.001+01:00

“On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;

Atrophied inside our AMPsuits

2010-10-11T08:12:00.000+01:00

I don't know why, but the picture on the right is close to the image I woke up with the other morning. I am prepared to acknowledge this was "I, not the Lord"! Even so, this is the thought that emerged...could it be true that we are inside an AMPsuit? Can we use our talents, gifts and positions in business and the church to leverage more power and prestige than is due? Could it be that how we

Zeroing in on Himself

2010-10-08T07:19:00.000+01:00

Psalm 73:24-26 "You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." When I read this, I realized in a fresh way what the purpose of my life is in God’s eyes – through all His wisdom and

A Word for the Restless

2010-09-23T06:00:00.022+01:00

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you" ( 1 Thessalonians 4:11) "Quiet" - hesuchasa: to live in tranquility; not over-busy nor busybodies; not moving to and fro, but staying put and tending to/minding your business. So wrote Paul to the whole church. He was compelled by the Spirit to move and preach.

An Ode to Frank

2010-09-19T09:11:00.001+01:00

Can you identify with Frank Abignale Jr., aka Leonardo di Caprio - the main character in the movie "Catch Me if You Can"? He was the son who so desperately wanted to impress and bless his dad Frank Sr. that he posed as an airline pilot, a doctor, an attorney and prosecutor before being caught. I can. I have often felt like a phoney. Without grace. In my darker moments, I certainly don't quite

Moving the Massive Mountains

2010-09-13T07:24:00.000+01:00

You know, the good things really can be the enemies of the best. Especially “in church”. We have two hundred years of church momentum that tosses her head and dares to be challenged. No all of it mind you – the preaching of the gospel, hard work, loving the world, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked…. Momentum is our Mountain, yet Motive does count more than a whole

Righteousness that makes us Relevant (A Lovesong for the Illiterate)

2010-09-08T09:01:00.001+01:00

“Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to these words. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12-13 NIV) There is no power in reading and studying and writing, unless it is accompanied by and arising from

How much space do you need to be spacious?

2010-08-20T17:38:00.003+01:00

So, life is busy. It is eclesiastically-correct to confess that you have regular Quiet Times. It is actually quite hard in such a techno-noisy world. Really. Truly. History is in compression for the advanced world. There is money to be made, bills to be paid, goals to be achieved, visions to be reached, ambitions to be serviced. A little legalism makes us feel bad, but then we find a free

The Mammonic Monastery

2010-08-03T08:45:00.000+01:00

Money is our crack cocaine,Our bigger barn and build-a-brain.Dollars are a flowing stream That soothe our days with custard cream. Banknotes are our currencyBeyond all else we care to see.Nature's fine and music's greatBut peace and rest can watch and wait. We're into shops we cruise the malls -Designer brands in retro halls;And all the while the voice of GodGoes quietly and strangely odd. We

2010-07-31T10:40:00.000+01:00

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”(Matt 23:25-26 NIV)

"And that's all I have to say about that". Forrest Gump

2010-07-27T15:39:00.001+01:00

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for

The Quashy Quadruped

2010-07-23T09:03:00.000+01:00

An Ode to Heavy Ecclesiology The Quashy Quadruped She filled his eyes with elegance, Her white wisps dancing down the aisle - They found heaven for a while... Until Bigfoot Elephant Waltzed into the room. Those days were big-benevolent; Their blue skies stretched a million miles - They spied their Creator's smile... Yet that Greygod Elephant Forbade this independent

A Few Thoughts on the Challenge of Relationships

2010-07-19T08:16:00.000+01:00

Gossip. Something that is 90% true about a person, is not trueFlattery. You are vulnerable to flattery to the degree you are insecureGames. Don’t over-think communications before they happen. Naivety wins you God’s favorFatherliness. Even as you get older, treat younger men as fully fledged brothers.Perspective. Practice treating people relative to God, not relative to yourselfInvestment. Give

Ten Current Thoughts

2010-07-18T09:34:00.000+01:00

Most of us waste huge amounts of time mediating, advocating and justifying on behalf of ourselves. When we do this, it reveals a lack of revelation of the Cross in us. The gospel brings freedom, or nothing, depending on how free we are who preach it and on whether we are prepared to defend that freedom under religious persecution. The church is a spiritual reality being made manifest through

Fear of God the All Knowing

2010-07-14T09:04:00.000+01:00

““Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man’s wife. Should I not punish them for this?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? “Go through her

Prophetic Corruption

2010-07-06T18:22:00.001+01:00

The very essence of prophecy is God's powerful word. The hinge of this power is obedience to His voice. Trying to be reasonable; to please the majority or the powers; to protect position and current benefits; to not defile tradition; to defend the economic class we were born into....all these steal the power and profoundness of prophetic community.

Rope Making is not Blessed

2010-06-30T08:25:00.001+01:00

““You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” (Matthew 5:3-4 MESSAGE)When we consider verse 3, is it not true that we are so good at manufacturing rope; at keeping up appearances; at leaving prayer to the very

"Follow Me" by Ira Stamphill

2010-06-27T08:26:00.002+01:00

I traveled on a lonely road and no one seemed to care.The burden on my weary back had bowed me to despair;I oft complained to Jesus how folks were treating me,And then I heard Him say so tenderly,"My feet were also weary, upon the Calvary road;The cross became so heavy, I fell beneath the load,Be faithful weary pilgrim the morning I can see,Just lift your cross and follow close to me.""I work so

Ditching the cup of water for the reservoir

2010-06-23T08:41:00.003+01:00

There is no doubt that the end game of Christianity is made up in small but outrageous acts of love, service and self-sacrifice. There are no rewards to attending meetings and worshipping - surely these are already rewards in themselves? Surely also there can be no rewards in setting up lives or churches to self-exist in a middle-classist kind of way? Likewise, are we going to get rewards by

Oh My

2010-06-20T08:41:00.005+01:00

There are now 15 million AIDS orphans, of which 12 million are in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 3 billion people live on less than £2 a day. 80% of humanity live on less than £7 a day. 28% of all children in developing nations are malnourished. 800 million people worldwide are chronically undernourished. 1 billion people cannot read a word. 128 million children have no access whatsoever to education.

Fame by No Other Name

2010-06-06T07:42:00.003+01:00

What does it mean to be famous? How much are our own definitions coloured by our grooming, by noise and color and the dazzle of this present age? We live in a strategic, humanistic world. But for all man’s cleverness, those who stand out in history aimed at something more than rational ability. Consider the splendor of Beethoven’s 9th, the delicacy of a Shakespearean sonnet or the power of a

1 John 2:15-17

2010-05-26T07:39:00.004+01:00

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.16For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. This is an excerpt from Michael Eaton's remarkable essay entitled, "Expository Preaching", which features in Greg Haslam's "Preach the Word". This is a 623 page gem of essays by 20 well-known contemporary British preachers, and is a "must-have" for any preacher or preacher-to-be...'"For anyone embarking upon Christian ministry, the first step is to ask, "What kind of ministry

Pastorman, get your Woman out the Woozifier

2010-05-05T08:07:00.004+01:00

So, have you overcooked the nature and level of partnership in your marriage?What does the Bible expect of a "wife"? To know she is equal before the Cross; to be filled with the Spirit; to work easily with her husband in the home; to be godly; to use her gifts and graces (surely?!), to enjoy Jesus day by day and keep walking on her own adventure with Him.As women get older and

Gossip is the Ash Cloud of the Christian Airforce

2010-04-23T12:00:00.002+01:00

“Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts. Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart. A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors

The Bible's Role in Sacrifice or Self-Enrichment

2010-04-20T09:16:00.004+01:00

I thought for a moment the other day - a flash moment - of those now famous words of the RAF pilot-martyr (enshrined in his final diary entry)... "the universe is so vast and ageless that a man's worth can only be justified by the measure of his sacrifice". I memorized them then, somehow feeling deep inside that he was more accurately reflecting the gospel than thousands of prosperity-addicted

Trials, Files and Furnaces

2010-04-18T08:09:00.002+01:00

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:2-5 NIV)Who of us

Midnight Plight of the Middle-Class Brass

2010-04-09T07:55:00.004+01:00

Not quite plastic tough elasticMakes me spastic thisMiddle class brass bubbleThat keeps me calm in An ocean of troubleAbove pathetic but Unsympathetic anaesthetic thisMiddle class mask that doublesMy deceit as a priceless antique In the rubble.Oh Hollywood have a heart and fall silent For one moment as I glimpse a Flash of your dirty knickers.I thought I saw the quite absurd -It could have been a

My Changing View of Mission

2010-04-01T09:00:00.005+01:00

Well, here we are at Easter 2010, the time to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God loved the whole world that He sent His only Son on a Mission to rescue us all from our own sins. For many centuries, "mission" was a term aimed at God and his self-revelation to the world through Jesus Christ. It is His mission! He is the One Who so loves the world that He gave His only Son. It

Faith for Today and Tomorrow lies in the Empty Tomb (Part 2)

2010-03-30T10:09:00.004+01:00

We can lose sight of the reality of Resurrection Life. in so doing, we lose overcoming faith. “Keep the Faith”! As we saw in Mark 16:14, the disciples did not believe Christ had been raised from the dead, yet they had walked with Him and seen His miracles. What happened to change their perspective?Well, firstly what did not happen is that it was NOT a cognitive

Faith for Today and Tomorrow lies in the Empty Tomb (Part 1)

2010-03-25T15:12:00.006Z

Mark 16:14 "Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.Do you know that a man can believe that Jesus died for his sins, and yet never quite believe that Christ was raised from the dead to have a real relationship with him? But do you think that God wants his church

Church Unity is the Highest Evidence of Personal Maturity

2010-02-13T12:42:00.006Z

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom 15:5-6)“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am

Hoisted on his own Petard

2010-02-05T08:00:00.000Z

“Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A gallows seventy-five feet high stands by Haman’s house. He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Hang him on it!” So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.” (Esth 7:9-10 NIV)Haman loved position, and hated anyone who did not

Prediction and Peace

2010-02-01T08:38:00.002Z

Christian Prediction ought to be, "what IS God doing TOMORROW?". He is the great "I Am". He is building His church. He is the spirit of prophesy. He has the whole world in His hands. He created Time as a means through which He can interact with His creation.Christian Peace ought to be: "Who are you, and what would you have me do today?". He has left us His peace. He has

Once Born, Forever Born

2010-01-27T08:00:00.001Z

"I was born again, “according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4)! He is the perfect Father, who sought me out while I was His mortal enemy, deep in sin. If I am saved by grace alone, then “it is no longer by works” (Romans 11:6). He put the seed of the gospel in my conscience, gave me over to conviction of sin, and led me to the Cross of Christ. I confessed with my mouth and

Goodness Gracious

2010-01-26T08:23:00.003Z

We try hard to change things, so hard that if they change we take the credit. We just don't see the evidence of Grace when we live in prayerless perfectionism. It is at the same time egotistical and exhausting. God is perfect but not a perfectionist. We see this in scripture, in the frail lives of those who wanted to believe. God opened Sarah’s womb in spite of Abraham fathering Ishmael. God sent

Esse

2010-01-20T09:32:00.010Z

"When I radiate rightnessFull of incredible light-nessPeople hear Christ-nessBut are left Christ-less"I realize now more than ever what a difference there is between Christ and doctrine. Being Bible-based and teaching-centred is no guarantee of the softness of heart and firmness of faith that delights God. It generally produces the opposite - superficial relationships, pride and disqualification.

Evidence

2010-01-16T08:16:00.002Z

Christians are material witnesses to Christ’s death and resurrection, through the indwelling of the Spirit and a first hand testimony of the life of God in them. In fact, the indwelling Presence makes them more than witnesses – it makes them material evidence to a real historical event that occurred 2000 years ago. Sin is the devil’s attempt to tamper with the evidence; to

THe Children of the Desolate Woman

2010-01-15T12:26:00.001Z

Only when the Holy Spirit enters a person can there be Life. Only when a man enters a woman can there be conception. Only when a preacher embodies his message can there be revelation. Only when a bee climbs into a flower can there be pollination. So then, how much life, conception, revelation or pollination can we expect in a church movement built only on associations and convocations? Without

When I'm Surveyed (Nehemiah's not Dead)

2010-01-13T10:03:00.002Z

My life is a castle and the castle’s cast down: The walls all collapsed and the turrets half-crumbled; The singing well silent; the mighty all humbled. This castle in ruins, with stones all around. Nehemiah’s weeping, His tears full of pain: He’s heard of my plight, He’s heard of my pillage, He’s seen visions of my destroyed little village. Nehemiah’s tears will me whole once again.

Challengeability

2010-01-11T08:38:00.001Z

Some are too challengable: the weak consciences. Some are only challengable after a time: the independent consciences. Some are unchallengable: the hard consciences. A few are challengable in Realtime by God and friends: the soft consciences. Be soft

Pliable Parenting

2010-01-09T12:19:00.003Z

If the kindness of God leads us to repentance, this surely is central to how we raise our children. The law was put in place as a guardian only to the Jews. We must not confuse loving correction with the heresy of preparationism, that being a misguided belief that putting the moral law on someone is a necessary preparation to receiving the gospel. Jesus was the full embodiment of the gospel - to

Missing Fruit

2010-01-05T09:36:00.006Z

Kind words are rarely clever;clever talk is seldom kind, still he builds the little platforms for the windmills of his mind. Those mills use up some yardage in a yard with little space, as he crowds his own dominion with things that hide his face. Such things are not organic - those organs of success that play their faulty music inside

Waiting for God - the Lost Art

2009-11-26T10:27:00.003Z

Is 40:28-31 ESV “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their

How Deep is your Love?

2009-11-24T09:11:00.003Z

Jesus was a loving and compassion Man. He wept. He longed to gather Jerusalem to the gospel. He cried out to God. He forsook comforts to be in the villages and amongst the people. He had no place to lay His head. He took pity on people. He fed people. He washed people’s feet. He saved you to take you into Deep Love too. To know His love for you, how true. But then to love others like He loves

Five Plain, One Purl - Knitted to Jesus

2009-11-10T14:01:00.006Z

It was so good to be back in South Africa in October. Wow, to see friends who have grown in grace. My friendship with Wynand has endured through 12 choppy churchy years, as we have both swum through deep waters in different cities. But to stand and minister into the flock he has raised up through sweat and tears, through an outrageous passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ - scandalous really,

The Boy who would be King

2009-11-05T03:23:00.003Z

(Lament for the Christian Manager)He was a waif of gutter born;God took him in, a child forlorn.He smiled at last, a son of grace;A prince unveiled, all stains displaced.He grew up strong, he ate fine fare;He lost his frown, he lost all cares.His robes they shone with firstfruit love;Hopes rose like suns in skies above.But then one day he took to fear:"What if I lose this life, this cheer?What if

In Washington DC, Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007....

2009-10-12T07:55:00.003+01:00

....The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.After 3 minutes a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman

Born in '64

2009-09-29T09:04:00.003+01:00

Now I am happy for my life's world to get smaller,as long as my small life does not get worldlier.I am more comfortable to be a coach to future preachers of truth,but more desperate than before never to preach as one who coaches truth.I am at peace that my ambitions were so self-engrossed,But, mark my words, my ambitions will never be peaceful.I have more rest now in the One who preserves my

Glamorous UnGlamorous

2009-09-12T08:27:00.000+01:00

“How, 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? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!””I picked up a tin of “matt clay” hair product, for “that choppy look”. That’s funny,

Uncountably Accountable

2009-09-09T21:36:00.002+01:00

Is it truly possible to control a man's heart by controlling his behavior, his office or his geography? Is this what "accountability" has boiled down to? That if a we be part of a church, team, home group or denomination, we are safely “accountable”? Joab, Lot, Judas, Demas were not accountable. Controlled maybe. They were all "in team".A man's heart is what guides him. Above all else, guard your

Worldly Wisdom

2009-09-07T14:01:00.002+01:00

1 Cor 1:26-27 “Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is nonsense in the world to make the wise feel ashamed. God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed. “ Whenever I live and speak by the world’s wisdom, I lose God’s strength and wisdom. And WHAT

Bricks or Sticks

2009-07-18T07:47:00.000+01:00

(Really, the choice is plain,Where loss is gain andGain is dross;Where’s might’s not right andBlind is sight.The choice is here andHere right now:Not What? and When?, butWho? and How?)Men with sticks, they tap and lean;Blind and weak, they know their need –They know the Crutch is how they’re freed.Three-legged friends, in whom I’ve seenRelease from soulish, selfish ends.Now men with bricks know

The Christian's Inheritance (Final)

2009-07-14T07:40:00.002+01:00

Christ and the Twofold BlessingSo, how does the Christ fit in with the two-fold blessing of the inheritance promise made to Abraham – that of nations and generations, dominion and dynasty, geography and genealogy?Am I opposed to any form of inheritance in the here and now? Well, in spite of Christ’s words that we were to “invite those to supper who could not invite us back” (that we “might have

The Christian's Inheritance (Part 3)

2009-07-10T11:44:00.000+01:00

Major Malady – Missing the Christ-HermeneuticHumanism is ugly in any form. This anthropocentric tug came into force the moment Eve bit into the apple . It is man’s way of doing things his way. It is man’s way of remaining focused on man – this goes beyond the Tower of Babel even into Christian ministry .God wants us looking to Him, for everything. In life and in death, in sickness and in health,

The Christian's Inheritance (Part 2)

2009-07-07T09:00:00.002+01:00

The Twofold Promise in the Present Tense – for the “Israel of God” Abraham today remains “the father of all who believe”(Rom 4:11). As for Israel’s acts and rebellions, “these things happened to them as examples and were written as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Cor 10:11).I see the two thrusts of God’s syntheki covenant still thrusting through the church, which

The Christian's Inheritance (Part 1)

2009-07-01T08:58:00.003+01:00

Preface – “The Not’s”The Psalms start with David telling us what righteousness is NOT. So too, regarding our inheritance as believers in Christ, let me commence by declaring what I do not believe.I do not believe in some distant promise of paradise, as the sole inheritance of believers. The moment God saves us, we inherit, and continue to inherit. Acts 2:41-42 “Those who accepted his message were

The Joy and Comfort of God's Absolute Sovereignty

2009-06-11T09:24:00.003+01:00

There is such an overwhelming flood of scripture that confirms and underlines the majestic, absolute and unstoppable Sovereignty of God Almighty. He is Sovereign over Creation (“let us make man in our image..”); over all nations (“from one man God made every nation, and determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live”); and now, over our lives, our salvation and our

Shoreless Ocean

2009-06-07T09:19:00.007+01:00

Shoreless ocean,Boundless sea,Endless riverCarries meBloody SaviourOn a Tree,Joyful loverCovers meMighty Maker,Great is He,Punished CaptainConquers meHoly Jesus,Sinless seed,Suff’ring ShepherdCares for me

Losing Confidence in Earthly Things

2009-05-26T09:54:00.008+01:00

“Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be

Fullness

2009-05-15T08:14:00.002+01:00

"’I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly’. John 10:10So, we are picking out this theme because this is, after all, what Christianity means, this is the Christian offer, the Christian possibility. Our whole trouble, surely, is that we fail to realize this: we are ever reducing the gospel, making something small out of it, something that we do, our practice

Compassion's Passion

2009-05-11T17:26:00.003+01:00

We live in a world full of knowledge and knowledge transfer. Power goes to him who receives and transfers the most and the fastest. But Darwin has invaded our church relationships when discipleship boils down to teaching, when pastoring reduces to advice, when friendship shrinks to an Ideas Gallery.And then come the valleys and potholes of life. The Crisis Moments. The private 9-11s. Now a friend

Letter from America

2009-04-25T13:23:00.008+01:00

It is a great privilege to be travelling in America with my dear British friend Ant. I realize all the more what it means to "friend deliberately and minister accidently" - a sentence God dropped into my heart some 2 years ago. Ant and his lovely wife Helen planted the church we are now based in, some 9 years ago in north London. GOSPEL COALITION CONFERENCEWe attended a conference this week in

Inscrutable and Impenetrable Me

2009-04-18T09:21:00.007+01:00

There are many masks in the world. Tribal ones, theatre ones, ballroom ones.And then there are the ones we wear every day. Mind you, not everyone deserves access to the Authentic You. It is one thing tossing pearls to pigs, but it is something more painful besides having those pigs in your bedroom.My deeper thought today though, is that in covenant, we should be Real People. Preachers and elders

The New Law of First Response

2009-04-11T07:23:00.005+01:00

I have just preached on Christian Joy, a fruit not a product of personality. The “joy of Thy Salvation”, as firstfruits joy that should never leave us - the worst that can now befall is that we die and wake up in paradise. The joy of ongoing friendship with the Spirit - the firstfruit of this love relationship, according to Galatians 5:22. And there is even “the joy set before us”, even as it

You Can’t Measure Volume with a 30 cm Ruler

2009-04-03T12:04:00.003+01:00

I fear so often I have taken a simplistic view of life and ministry in my past. Having gone through some major adjustments these past 2 years, moved continents and countered movements, seen some major flaws in me and others, wrestled with the basics of my identity again…And I am now happy to report that volume cannot be measured in one dimension.What I mean is that life is complex. I come from an

Our Great Need - Intimacy not Loyalty

2009-03-10T09:03:00.004Z

Many of us seem to end up yoked more to Christ's work than to Christ. There is no strength or persistent faith-source in that.There is no lasting joy. Joy is from koinonia with the Spirit of Jesus.There is no appealing life. Life is knowing God. "Ginosko" is being a close acquiantance.We are called as sons and lovers. Not servants and workers.Why do we all have so many moments like the crowds of

We can all cast pearls and we can all be pigs

2009-03-04T08:06:00.004Z

Matt 7:4-7 “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. “Ask, and it

Fleeing the Pharisee that hides amongst the Fine China

2009-03-02T12:00:00.003Z

““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full

You have died to the elemental spirits

2009-03-01T05:00:00.001Z

“If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body,

The Stained Glass

2009-02-27T19:35:00.000Z

I drew the curtains and saw the frosting on my window;A misty film a child on some earlier morn had espied -And others too, by the invisible now made manifest,Which shapes and lines drew in the imagination of my eyes.A good ten minutes passed staring at my stained-glass windowThe bottom half criss-crossed in a dry but dewy dance.Though the top of it was clear, unstained for viewing,I was captured

Adam Clarke on the Greatest Commandment

2009-02-25T07:14:00.004Z

“And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” (Matt 22:35-38 ESV)"The ancient author of a MS. Lexicon in the late French king’s library, under the word agape, has the

Big Gulps

2009-02-22T17:24:00.003Z

God created everything in full color. Jesus died for everyone in full agony. The Church was birthed in a full outpouring. We have been saved to have life, and life to the full.1 John 3:6 says, "no-one who llives in Him keeps on sinning". So many get paralyzed by trying not to sin, instead of just living in Him. You cannot half live in Him, because you have been fully placed in Him. Reckon this

serving as the King's servant

2009-02-18T07:11:00.001Z

““See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said

Acts Seventeen Verse Twenty Six

2009-02-14T07:13:00.004Z

Acts 17:26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling placeBeyond the steel and chrome that’s normalAnd the glass that chinks “success”,There is a dim dark line informalObserved by prophets through the messPast the cigar smoke of foundriesAnd the never-ending cars in rows,There is

Kingdom Coming

2009-02-11T09:23:00.003Z

"The mentality of the Pharisee places God at the centre of everything, but He's impersonal and powerless. Their God dwells mostly in the realm of theory and supposition. They excel at traditions that are convenient and reverence that's self-serving. But there's not much in the religious community that is actually Kingdom". Bill Johnson, Dreaming with God.Michael Eaton was right – we in missional

His love endures forever

2009-01-12T11:41:00.003Z

Hi friends. We are well and warm in the centrally-heated world of an English winter. Frost is ubiquitous, as are gloved hands and booted feet.I have been reading up on some 19th century church reformations. Did you know that for most people then, they would only ever live in their own village or district, for their entire lives? Even preachers tended to focus on small circuits (with some famous

Ballad of the Soft Gospel Victim

2009-01-07T14:36:00.003Z

I’ve flirted with JudasAnd eaten with LotI’ve chosen things that areAbove things that are notMy faith has been shallowMy virtues so weakMy reflexes selfishMy courage so meekI’ve spoken like AbelBut fought like a CainI’ve said all the right thingsWhile shifting the blameI’ve sworn on Thy mercyAnd sinned in Thy graceI’ve worn all the badgesBut walked not in Thy waysMy soul has deceived meMy mind

Personalizing Poetry

2009-01-03T09:57:00.006Z

“Come to the edge” by Guillaume Apollinaire, French poet and philosopher   On jumping into the unknown“Come to the edge.” “We can't. We're afraid.” “Come to the edge.” “We can't. We will fall!” “Come to the edge.” And they came. And he pushed them.  And they flew."The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, American poetOn making choices and living by their consequencesTwo roads diverged in a yellow