wellfield church

Discouragement, encouragement and serving

2012-02-11T20:55:00.001Z

Dr James Dobson, writing about the value of showing genuine interest and care in someone else:

"Suddenly, the beleaguered patient no longer feels alone - the most depressing of human experiences. 'Someone cares! Someone understands! Someone assures me with professional confidence that I will survive. I'm not going to drown in this sea of despondency. I have been thrown a life preserver by a friend who promises not to abandon me in the storm.' This is real therapy, and it exemplifies the essence of the Christian commandment that we 'bear one another's burdens' (Gal. 6:2).

"This same Christian principle offers the most promising solution to your inferiority and inadequacy. A person's own needs and problems seem less threatening when one is busy helping someone else handle theirs. It is difficult to wallow in your own troubles when you are actively shouldering another person's load and seeking solutions to that individual's problems. For each discouraged reader who feels unloved and shortchanged by life, I would recommend a conscious practice of giving to others. Visit the sick. Bake something for neighbours. Use your car for those without transportations. Most important, learn to be a good listener. The world is filled with lonely, disheartened people like yourself, and you are in an excellent position to empathise with them. And while you're doing it, I guarantee that your own sense of uselessness with begin to fade."

(From "How to build confidence in your child", p163-164)

Helpful?

Clear vision in Rwanda

2012-02-01T09:39:00.002Z

Some friends in Rwanda (above) recently wrote the following:

Determine [a Rwandan Christian] talked of the genocide back in 1994 and how it had had a devastating effect on his life – he spoke of how he had lost the will to live because he had seen so much death at the hands of his own people and tribe. He came to the conclusion that the only thing worth living for was those who were still living in Rwanda – that they would not experience a second death – a spiritual death. He remarked that the second death was far more dangerous than the first death that many Rwandans experienced in 1994. He said, “Because then we knew people were dying, we could hear them scream and see the dead bodies. But spiritual death is slow and eternal, people don’t even know they are dying.” He concluded, “the only way to bring Spiritual life is through the Word of God and that is why I am here.”

How can we get this kind of clear sight?

Why rule-keeping can't rescue

2012-01-26T15:27:00.000Z

Tearing my hair out over Romans 7, I found this brilliant quote from Matthew Henry (left):

"The law, by commanding, forbidding, threatening, corrupt and fallen man, but offering no grace to cure and strengthen, did but stir up the corruption, and, like the sun shining upon a dunghill, excite and draw up the filthy steams."

People not structures

2012-01-18T22:14:00.000Z

"The search for effective programmes will fail. In God’s service there are only effective people."

That's a quote from Mark Ashton's book, 'Christian Youth Work'. Isn't it brilliant? There's all sorts of discussion around about how church structures should work; whole denominations are split over different patterns of church leadership. We could easily get bogged down with making sure we've got the right things happening each week, and could easily think everything is going well with church when our busy programme is working like a well-oiled machine.

Perhaps this is a timely reminder that our energy should be put into people - making each other more godly. That way, whatever programmes we do or don't have really doesn't matter. What we will have are people living and doing right.

Everyone needs compassion

2012-01-11T13:56:00.000Z

The first of the Laura Ingalls Wilder 'Little House' books - "Little House in the Big Woods" (the story of her own childhood, growing up in a pioneer family in a log cabin in around 1871) ends with these words:

Pa said, “Go to sleep now.”

But Laura lay awake a little while, listening to Pa’s fiddle softly playing and to the lonely sound of the wind in the Big Woods. She looked at Pa sitting on the bench by the hearth, the fire-light gleaming on his brown hair and beard and glistening on the honey-brown fiddle. She looked at Ma, gently rocking and knitting.

She thought to herself, “This is now.”

She was glad that the cosy house, and Pa and Ma and the fire-light and the music, were now. They could not be forgotten, she thought, because now is now. It can never be a long time ago.

I don't know if you have to read the whole book to feel the emotion of that, or whether you need to be tired, or have small children. But there it is: the beautiful memory of being a small child. "Now is now." The gutting perspective is, of course, that it was written as an older lady, who is now dead.

We have a four-year-old daughter. We have the privilege of giving her special childhood moments. Yet she too will grow old and one day die. You can't hang on to a single moment.

A happy childhood is a wonderful blessing. But all those people out there, whether they have happy memories or not, are just like that little child, who once was, but who quickly grows and will be gone. So fragile. So sad.

A challenge for 2012: instead of viewing people as tough, cold, secure or complete, let's remember what they really are - fragile, and passing. What they need more than anything else is the compassion of a Saviour, who gives a future that can be held on to.

"When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

(Matthew 9:36-38)

Jesus came ... to preach

2012-01-04T08:59:00.000Z

Following the last in our series on 'Why Jesus Came', and the shocking point from Mark 1:38 that, according to Jesus, preaching is more important than healing, I was reminded of this quote from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. (For those who don't know, he was a famous Welsh preacher who had been a Harley Street doctor previously.)

"It is not often that I make any kind of personal reference from this pulpit but I feel this morning that I must speak of an experience which bears on this very subject. When I came here, people said to me: 'Why give up good work - a good profession - after all the medical profession, why give that up? If you had been a bookie for instance and wanted to give that up to preach the gospel, we should understand and agree with you and say that you were doing a grand thing. But medicine - a good profession, healing the sick and relieving pain!' One man even said this, 'If you were a solicitor and gave it up, I'd give you a pat on the back, but to give up medicine!' 'Ah well!' I felt like saying to them, 'if you knew more about the work of a doctor you would understand. We but spend most of our time rendering people fit to go back to their sin!' I saw men on their sick beds, I spoke to them of their immortal souls, they promised grand things. Then they got better and back they went to their old sin! I saw I was helping these men to sin and I decided that I would do no more of it. I want to heal souls. If a man has a diseased body and his soul is all right, he is all right to the end; but a man with a healthy body and a diseased soul is all right for sixty years or so and then he has to face an eternity of hell. Ah, yes! we have sometimes to give up those things which are good for that which is the best of all - the joy of salvation and newness of life."

Remembering God's priorities

2012-01-01T20:58:00.000Z

How can you trust God when things don’t go as we would choose?
Don Carson, on James 1:1-18, suggests that we ask two questions:

[1] Do we want a God who is like a genie in a bottle, who does only what we wish? (In which case, who is God?)

[2] When we suffer, do we remember that God has given his Son for us? (He is not self-interested, but guarantees our good by what he has already given.)

Therefore, respond to trials by trusting him, growing in maturity, and looking ahead to what God has promised us.
“The truth of the matter is:
- God is more interested in your holiness than your happiness.
He is more interested in your faithfulness than in your financial success.
He is more interested in your purity than in your power.
He is more interested in your endurance than in your reputation.
He is more interested in your self-control than in your sexual prowess.
He is more interested in your eternal life than your external wealth.
He is more interested in your long term joy than your short term fun.
He is more interested in your good than in your desires.”

Don Carson, 1999

Proverbs 18:2

2011-12-29T10:35:00.001Z

"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding

but delights in airing his own opinions."

Who do you think of when you read that?

What personal moment does it make you look back on and cringe?

Who is the model of the opposite?

How should it shape the way we relate to other people inside and outside of the church?

Will the world still be here this Christmas?

2011-12-23T16:57:00.005Z

Some friends of ours from Christchurch, NZ, have sent us their seemingly millionth email of the last 18 months entitled "we are ok!". We usually hear this before we are aware of an earthquake in their area...!

Interesting to read their accounts. The liquifaction (where the ground turns to liquid under pressure) sounds particularly terrifying. Fascinating from a gospel perspective to think of something so solid as the ground suddenly not being real for a few moments! So it got me thinking: what is real? And are we aware of eternal realities as we go about our daily business or do we look around us at the world and think it's all so solid that it's going to be there for ever, carrying on as it always has done. Because a mere earthquake can turn the ground to jelly. So imagine what's going to happen when God wraps up this damaged and wicked world and calls all people to account for the lives they have lived.

The school holidays have made my personal Bible reading times a bit sketchy (!) so I sometimes get a bit lazy in my thinking during this time. Life in our society is so comfortable and easy. Christmas is coming. Sure, it's all about Jesus, but actually all my time is going into planning and preparing the meal to end all meals for the day after tomorrow...

But I need to remember the bigger picture. We might not even make it to Christmas day. God might call an end to the world any time.

Our job as believers is to keep each other going until the last day of judgement. And also to call other people to turn from death to life, and to be rescued from God's anger by his wonderful kindness and generosity.

Jesus came to save sinners

2011-12-21T11:09:00.000Z

"Here is a trustworthy saying worthy of full acceptance:

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst."

(1 Timothy 1:15)

Christians sometimes have the reputation of being self-righteous, looking down at others. Let it never be so with us. At the very heart of all we're about is Jesus coming to earth to rescue us. And Christmas is a good time to think about how much we needed that rescue.

The problem is not just how much we mess up our lives. Whether we're in a total mess, or whether we look quite together outwardly, our sickening attitude towards our loving God casts a huge shadow. Have we loved him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength? Have we cared for him as we ought? The ultimate judge is not pleased. Yet he loves, and sent his Son, Jesus, to save even us, his enemies.

"And when I think that God his Son not sparing

Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in.

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin."

Can you take it in? People like us ... loved so much. Praise God.

If you are reading this as someone who is not a church member, but a friend of ours, please forgive us if we keep trying to rope you in. But please understand - we're not doing it for our ego; it's because we are so astounded at the fact of Christmas, that Jesus came to save sinners like us, that we want others to know too. As someone has put it, we are merely beggars telling other beggars where to find bread. And what joy can be found in knowing what Jesus Christ has done for us!

Climate change: can it be stopped?

2011-12-10T11:02:00.000Z

UN climate talks are drawing to a close in Durban. It is feared that India, China and the USA will find that time has conveniently run out before there is time to sign the agreements. Meanwhile, many people in poor countries are facing disaster, almost certainly because of excessive global carbon-emission.

The issues are extremely complex, and it would be silly to comment with so little insight. But closer to home, an interesting observation: fuel prices have rocketed; we are being told that supplies will start running low; and yet there are more 4x4s around than ever!

Here's the universal issue of the human heart: when push comes to shove, sinful people care for no-one but themselves. To illustrate - if there was a food shortage in Leyland, do you think people would hold back and share it evenly? Or do you think Tesco would be carnage until everything's been grabbed? It's the same with natural resources - if it's running out, I'll grab mine.

One of the most telling comments you hear is from older people who say, 'At least I won't be around to see it'. Is that how much people care about their grandchildren?

Sin. 'When things get tight, I'll grab what I can.' We should pray for the world leaders discussing climate change, that by God's grace much suffering would be avoided (1 Timothy 2:1-4). But we can't be optimistic about people's good will; the human heart is selfish (Galatians 5:20). Ultimately, people destroy one another. The best thing we can do in the face of these overwhelming issues is point people to Christ, that sinful hearts would be turned around. As we do that - the work Jesus gave us, Matthew 28:19 - we're doing the most significant work in the world.

Where have all the Mormons gone?

2011-12-05T20:56:00.001Z

A while ago, we had Mormon missionaries all over us. They were calling at all our doors, and bumping into us in the streets, almost as if they were ... well, targetting us. They even visited Wellfield. But we haven't had any for a few months now. I hope they haven't forgotten us.

It's not that I enjoy the discussions, particularly, or that I like 'taking people on'. I don't. But my heart breaks for these guys. If they're not meeting Christians, what hope have they got of considering that what they're taught by their organisation might not actually be true? They're not allowed to doubt what they're taught - if they do, they might lose their salvation! The devastating irony!: they are not being led to salvation! If only they were allowed to engage with us, instead of being whisked off as soon as they start looking at the bible for themselves.

So, come on Wellfield - let's pray for new opportunities to connect with these young people who are so trapped. And let's be grateful for the "truth which sets us free".

The press - leading the way or following the public?

2011-11-28T21:26:00.005Z

Thoughts on the Leveson Inquiry

I don't know if anyone else has been following the Leveson Inquiry, currently taking place, inquiring into the practices and ethics of the press. I certainly have been. And I hope some of the foul people involved get what's coming to them. I really do.

The stories have been heart-wrenching: the McCann family with their 2-year-old twins, being set upon by photographers, frightening the children, banging on car windows, hiding in the bushes outside their house. The Dowler family who mistakenly thought that Milly was still alive when they discovered new space on her voicemail, when the messages had actually been deleted by NoW reporters. Also "celebrities", some of them among our most creative and talented people, having every aspect of their private lives out there for the public to chew over on a daily basis.

A mouthy paparrazo was on the radio, defending their intrusive practices in a delightfully obnoxious manner. Noone needed to challenge him. He condemned himself.

Interestingly (providentially?) I gained perspective on this in preparing our weekly ladies' Bible study on James ch.3 using some great notes by Philip Jensen and Kirsten Birkett. See the following:

"The gutter press exists not because of particularly evil publishers, but because the public buys it. We love gossip. We love hearing it, we love spreading it, and we especially love being the first with the news so we can shock others."

Outrageous! Is this really us?

I think it is.

Shame on us, who are so proud and at the same time insecure, that we need to know the details of other people's lives so we can feel superior. Shame on us for our nosiness, and voyeurism. Why do we need to know everything about everyone? It is the mature person who walks away from the opportunity to find out some juicy titbit about someone else.

We hypocrites would like to know about other people, but would rather die than reveal similar intimate details about ourselves.

It is overwhelmingly wonderful to know a God who knows all the intimate and humiliating details about our lives and minds, and yet still gives us the dignity of being worth everything to him. At the heart of the universe is one who sacrificed himself more than we will ever understand to rescue people like us from the depths of our own sin, from condemnation and judgement.

So let's give other people a break. After all, God gave us one. Don't buy gossip mags (doesn't the title tell you something might be wrong there?!). I don't want to be a part of the world which pays the wages of the paparazzi. We've got better things to fill our minds with.

Why bother with church?

2011-11-25T21:33:00.001Z

'You don't have to go to church to be a Christian.' So goes the saying. Actually, for most people, the first half is enough: 'You don't have to go to church'! No. I suppose not. Most of us have not always been 'church-goers'. (In fact, I can remember throwing my rubbish at a couple of 'church-goers' along with everyone else on the bus home from school. They were the definite losers in my mind.)

Plus, there's plenty of reasons why not to go: - it's boring; it's outdated; there's better things to do (like stay in bed. Or watch TV. Or poke your eyes out with a pencil, for that matter.) But don't let past experience or preconceptions or what you saw of it on TV or what people have said put you off. Here's some reasons why it's well worth paying us a visit one Sunday morning, if you don't already come:

[1] You look at the bible. When else would you ever do that? It's a book that's changed the world, shaped so much of our culture, turned countless lives around. To read it and hear it explained, to question it and talk about it - what an opportunity!

[2] We deal with the biggest questions of life - because that's what the bible deals with. Answers to the meaning of life, life after death, why the world is the way it is, why we are the way we are ... and answers that add up. Why shy away from that?

[3] You meet God. ('...Sorry... What? You don't really mean that...') Yes - when 'God's people' get together, God's with them; he speaks through the bible; he hears prayers; he changes our hearts. The first time I was brought to a 'real' church, I was blown away by this. These people really knew something - they really connected with their God - and not in a spooky way, but a warm and strangely natural way. I'd been in churches, cathedrals and all sorts before. But a church where people really engage with God in the bible is something special.

[4] It's not boring. It's the highlight of my week. Our kids, too, look forward to it. In fact, I don't think anyone at Wellfield would say otherwise. (Correct me, if I'm wrong.)

So why not come along soon?!

Making the most of Christmas

2011-11-17T11:27:00.000Z

There’s lots of stuff to get ready for Christmas isn’t there? Cards, presents, decorations, food, travel plans. Have you started? Are you panicking?

Christmas has become a big thing in this country. Everyone goes through the motions of preparing all of these things. But what are people celebrating? As Christians we’re fortunate enough to know what we’re celebrating – that God was loving enough to send his son Jesus to become like us, so that he could die for us.

Since we know why Christmas really is good news, and why it’s worth celebrating, we have a real opportunity. It’s a good opportunity because we’re doing the same thing as everyone else, and it’s a good opportunity because we can do things differently to everyone else.

Most people send Christmas Cards, but the majority have cuddly penguins or trees or santa or robins on them. Why not give a gentle reminder that Christmas is about Jesus with the cards that you send? You might like to look here http://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/christian-living/gifts-and-cards-1/christmas-cards

People like to give each other presents. Increasingly, people seem to want to buy more and more presents. Presents aren’t bad, they are one way of showing people you love them. But they’re certainly not the only way. Don’t go over the top, don’t feel you need to compete and buy people bigger and better presents. You might also want to take the opportunity to be direct to family members and say “there are more important things than presents. Please don’t buy lots of expensive things for us, or for our kids” That’s not to say that we can’t spend any money at Christmas – there’s lots to be enjoyed, just think carefully about it.

Christmas is really exciting for children. There’s a lot of hype, and at school they start doing Christmassy things weeks if not months before! Get them excited about the real meaning of Christmas. Think about looking at the Christmas story together through December. Chat about what’s most important about Christmas, because it’s easy to be dazzled by the celebration, and forget what you’re celebrating.

Spend good time with family over Christmas. Extended family can be really easy to spend time with, but some of the hardest people to talk about the gospel with. Invite them to come to church with you on Christmas day, whether you’re here, or staying away – they might just say yes because of festive spirit! And if you’re looking at the Bible story with your kids, invite them to listen in on that too.

Christmas is a great time to show real hospitality. If you can’t have people round at Christmas, when can you? Invite your neighbours round for Mulled Wine and Mince pies – be generous, and get to know them better. Or if big gatherings aren’t your thing, why not have some close friends round for a practice Christmas dinner?

Whatever you choose to do to make the most of Christmas opportunities, make sure you’re prepared. In 2 Timothy 4 v 2, Paul says “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season” and in 1 Peter 3 v 15 Peter says “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” If we want to make the most of Christmas, we’d better be prepared to tell people why we think it’s worth celebrating.

(By Helen)

Machine Gun Preacher - Review

2011-11-14T12:34:00.000Z

Wow. The most harrowing film I have seen in a long time. It is the gritty true story of Sam Childers, tough bad-boy biker from a trailer park in Pennsylvania. Released from prison, he arrives home to find his wife's 'found Jesus'. What follows is the gripping account of his own conversion, the establishment of a church for trailer park and biker types, and his transformation into a man with an intense passion for the victims, especially children, of the appalling civil war in southern Sudan. So involved and driven is he by his mission, that he gives up all at home, becoming increasingly absorbed by his cause. By the end, he is waging a mini war against the oppressing 'LRA', freeing as many captive children as he can manage.

The final credits show pictures and video of the real Sam Childers, the last of which is him asking the pertinent question:

'If your family member or child was abducted, and I could get them back for you, would it matter how I did it?'

This is the message of the film. In the face of such evil, does not the end justify the means? Can you really sit back and criticise the actions of a man who cares as much as this?

The graphic scenes of the film leave no room for armchair critics (because they are the scenes of real life - and death - in Sudan). There is so much to think through - and neither the images nor issues raised will leave my mind quickly. And yet I think the following are lessons for us to learn straight away:

We ought to be ashamed about our complacency whilst evil rampages in the world. In one scene, Childers is ranting at his church back home, saying Jesus does not want sheep, but wolves - with teeth! Leaving aside the questionable handling of scripture there, the sentiment is challenging: are we comfortably roaming around, or are we driven and fighting?

Then, the next big lesson becomes identifying the enemy. Atrocities in Africa are sickening. But they are just a symptom of the fallenness of the human race. It is important to oppose the symptoms, but it's the root causes that must occupy our greatest efforts. How telling that through 30+ years of horrendous civil war, the church in Sudan wasn't asking for guns, freedom or even food so much as bibles, training for pastors in preaching the Word, and prayer. The work of our mission partners in Nairobi is even more significant than relief work for the traumatised children. (I say that soberly.)
It is vital to support our brothers and sisters in their terrific needs around the world. Yet God has placed us in families and communities where we are. He has commanded us to care for these. Though it is right for some to be sent to where certain needs are greater, we must fight with passion where we are now. You don't need to go to toughest Africa to be a 'wolf'.
The need for the right people to lead. Childers shames us by his drive. But so many of the frustrations of his story are because he was not grounded in his faith nor stable as a character. People need grounding to do the real work well.
Accountability. Self-appointed pastors and missionaries are dangerous. Plenty of people in the film pointed out enormous dangers of Childers' approach. They were not all armchair critics. Frustrating as it may be for the more visionary among us, when we move forward, we move together. (Though, let's be sure to move forward.)

Gratitude

2011-11-12T19:53:00.000Z

"O Lord, I am astonished at the difference
between my receivings and my deservings,
between the state I am now in and my past gracelessness,
between the heaven I am bound for and the hell I merit ...
O that such a crown should fit the head of such a sinner!
such high advancement be for an unfruitful person!
such joys for so vile a rebel!"
(Taken from "The Valley of Vision: a Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions".)

Look how far we've come!

2011-11-05T09:13:00.002Z

How have things changed at Wellfield in the past 18th months or so?

It's important to ask the question. We don't want to become stale in the way we do things, in our membership, or in our individual lives. Our church was set up by St Andrew's to reach harder-to-reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. So how are we doing?

I want to say that I am hugely encouraged. It's been amazing to see a few people with very complex lives come to faith in Christ from the first time (people who wouldn't have heard the good news without Wellfield), and all sorts of people have come into contact with us and the message of Jesus who are further away from being saved at the moment.

This is great!

I remember times when the Wellfield Sunday meeting has felt a bit pointless (even though it is NEVER pointless to meet around God's word to hear from him!)... It never feels pointless now. It feels like a real community and our Sunday meetings are the highlight of the week. Our music may be naff (singing to a CD is a just a tad hilarious...but at least we can all stay in our seats for it...) but it is always great. Our monthly lunch gatherings after church are a high point for our children, certainly. And there are some great cooks at Wellfield!

I think "doing our own thing" on a number of occasions instead of running back to our "parent" church St Andrew's for all the big celebrations (Christmas- see picture-, and holiday club) has really served to make us feel like a family. And that draws people in. It might seem small, but it is hugely significant in eternity.

When I was still involved at St Andrew's, I longed to make spreading the gospel to people outside church a greater priority. But when life is so busy with church activities, it just doesn't happen so easily. The people who are drawn into a big church like that are totally different to the sort of people who are drawn into a little church like ours. Our new people would perhaps have sat on the sidelines of a big church and left after a while without anyone noticing. At our church they are at the heart of things.

So let's keep on changing and growing. Not getting stagnant and boring. Let's be excited about the best news in the world, which is ours to share with Leyland.

Halloween

2011-10-31T16:22:00.000Z

"The problem with Halloween is that it's become too commercial. We need to get back to the real meaning of it."

Have you ever thought about what's really going on at Halloween? The historical origins are a bit vague and complicated, but the idea of celebrating witchcraft and dressing up in horror costumes? What are you actually doing?

I know for most people it's "just a bit of fun". But here's a couple of reasons you might want to think twice:

[1] Behind the fun, there is a reality. Witchcraft is real; the occult leads many to open the lid on horrible, unseen spiritual powers that they can't control. For most people in the world, this is blindingly obvious - they experience it daily. Even in Leyland, I've come across several people who are scared out of their wits because they've messed with this stuff and found they're in deeper than they wanted to go. Why do we want our kids playing games with this?

[2] Why would you celebrate what's scary and evil? God has made so much that's good in the world for us to enjoy. In fact, it's all made for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 4:4). Why, then, turn to stuff that twists it and screws it up?

So, sure, have a laugh. Enjoy sweets and pumpkins. But there's a wonderful God who wants to give and give. He's proved it in sending his Son, Jesus, to save us. Why would you not want to enjoy him instead?

Boxing films

2011-10-21T09:30:00.000+01:00

I've enjoyed working through the Rocky films this last few Sunday evenings for our film nights ... but here's some clips from some quality boxing films! Which is your favourite?

"Why do Christians take everything so personally with Christ?"

2011-10-17T16:50:00.000+01:00

Has Larry David got a point? Why should Christians get so up tight about people's attitudes to Jesus? This clip summarises beautifully what people think about Christians getting so passionate about Jesus.

I'm not going to go all serious in response to a comedian. We know there are many reasons why Christians should tell people to follow Jesus. It's not like liking lobster. But here's the problem: - it's not that we have to prove him wrong; it's that we Christians actually agree with him! We know what people think: we know they think we're being too pushy with our personal opinions. So what do we do? We stay quiet. If they don't like lobster: fine. If they don't like Jesus: fine.

They won't understand why we must talk about him and tell people to follow him. But we do understand. We don't want to upset people; but let's remember what we know as we keep 'going on' about him! Who knows how many Larry Davids there are out there who've never heard a reasonable answer to their objection?

I know what's best for me!

2011-10-12T16:56:00.000+01:00

As a child, I remember thinking how odd it is that you only see the world through your eyes. Other people have a whole different view of the world. You can never see theirs. Only your own. So at the end of the day, their viewpoint doesn't really matter that much. (Weird child? Probably. Should have just been watching Bagpuss like everyone else.) The truth is, most of us grow up only really caring about our own viewpoint.

The biggest problem is that we even think in those terms in relation to the God who sees all things. Because I think I've been running my life, I think I know what's best for me.

Here's a quote from Stephen Altrogge's book, 'The Greener Grass Conspiracy':
"In Psalm 23:2-3 David says of the Lord, 'He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.' Notice that David doesn't say, 'I plot the best course for my life. I am the captain of my ship. I will go wherever my heart desires.' David realises that God is his shepherd, his captain, his leader. God will lead him to places of rest. God will restore his soul God will lead him in righteousness.

"We're convinced that a particular thing will bring peace, order and restoration to our souls. We look around, and we see the other people who have what we want, and they look so happy. They skip down the street holding the hands of their little children. They gaze into the eyes of their lovers. The smile as they mow the lawn of their new five-bedroom, four-bath, three-car-garage house. Meanwhile, our lives seem so whacked out and dysfunctional.
"But we really don't know what's best for our souls. If God allowed us to follow our own plans, we wouldn't end up on paths of righteousness that leads to still waters. We would end up in empty, barren wastelands of sin and destruction. God is the one who restores our soul. Sometimes he restores us by giving us what we desire, and sometimes he restores us by withholding it..."

My view of the world is not only one among billions. It's minuscule compared to God's. I need to keep remembering, he knows best.

Pray for new churches, believers and missionaries

2011-10-03T09:35:00.000+01:00

The AIM prayer diary's entry for yesterday:

"New Churches, new believers and new missionary workers often experience fierce spiritual attacks as Satan seeks to destroy them and their work in their early days, through traumatic events, slow progress, loss of old friendships, difficult new relationships. Pray for strength to persevere, and for awareness of God’s presence with them in the challenges they face."

We know how that feels. Let's be praying for the Harkers and others in similar situations this week.

(By the way, there's some interesting articles on their website at the moment - see under 'sites we like'.)

The encouragement of slow church growth

2011-09-28T09:19:00.000+01:00

Don't you love it when you read something in a book that agrees with what you already think?! I've been going on recently about how we've got the worst of both worlds in telling people about Jesus:

Culturally, people are miles from the gospel. When we read about John Paton preaching to cannibals, we realised society around is quite a lot like them!
But they don't want to hear the good news of Jesus, because they think they already know what it is.

I've been reading a book by Steve Timmis, called 'Multiplying Churches'. He puts it much better:

"... church planting is a long-term initiative, and that ought to be written into the contract. On a human level, this is particularly so when trying to plant amongst those who have no interest whatsoever in organised religion. In my experience, it can take anything up to three years of building a relationship with such people before there is a willingness to even listen to an explanation of the gospel. From then it can take up to two years before there is a readiness to respond, primarily because they are so ignorant of what the Bible teaches, and therefore of what the gospel actually us.

"While this ignorance may seem to echo to situation the early church found itself in as it expanded into Gentile territory, it is in fact rather different. Today the ignorance is compounded by prejudice. Then Christianity was something new. Today it is 'old hat'. People think they know what it is, and have already decided they want nothing to do with it. It's almost as though having been raised in a country with a Christian heritage they have been inoculated against the 'disease'..." (p.123)

How is this encouraging to us? Well, it's someone else saying it: slowness in normal, and to be expected. Don't panic: out of love for people and trust in God, keep doing what we're doing - with patience.

The ‘Second Generation’ Syndrome

2011-09-19T17:25:00.000+01:00

The book of Joshua is a high point in the bible - the people loved God and did what they were told, so God gave them victory. The next book, Judges, spirals into lowest points of depravity - and all by God’s people. It screws up everything.

What makes the change? The opening chapters of Judges explain:

“After that whole [Joshua] generation had been gathered to their fathers [ie died], another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10)

In spite of all the victory and wonders, somehow, somehow, that wonderful relationship the people had with God failed to be passed on to the second generation. You wonder what went wrong. Who was at fault? Did the Joshua generation not tell them clearly enough? Were the second generation just so stubborn? Whatever the case, there’s a very sober warning for us as a church: avoid the second generation syndrome.

It could take various forms. Here are three possibilities:

[1] We could be that second generation. Christians who have gone before us, possibly even those who told us about the life-giving message of Jesus, lived wholeheartedly for him. We must avoid the tragedy of being complacent where they were not, being casual about what they took seriously, being lazy where they worked hard, being cold-hearted towards Jesus where their hearts were on fire.
[2] Our children could be that second generation. It’s so easy for those who have grown up in Christian families to not appreciate the wonder of God’s salvation. If our children take it for granted, it would spell disaster. We’re to keep reminding them of how wonderful Jesus is so they would never forget it.
[3] We could create that second generation. Not just with our children, but with all who we pass on the gospel to - or fail to. We would be at fault if we settled for a casual telling people about Jesus. Jesus himself told us to ‘make disciples’ - that is, followers. In other words, we need to teach people to truly love Jesus, and rigorously follow him. Otherwise, we’ve sold them short of the true wonder of knowing God.

How to read Judges

2011-09-12T10:23:00.000+01:00

(See 'What's going on' page for larger image and intro to Judges)

Next Sunday we're starting our series on Judges, which will take us through until early December. Some of us might be familiar with some of the stories in the book - perhaps Gideon, or Samson. But what does it all mean?

I recommended yesterday that we start reading it ahead of each Sunday's reading. Some of the stories are quite long, and it will help if we've already got our heads in them. To save us getting completely lost, though, here's a few tips:

[1] Remember where this is in history.
As chapter 1 explains, this is the period immediately following the time of Joshua, when God's people took control of the land. All the talk of battles, war and enemies is in that context - not immediately ours! We have to remember that they were told to be God's instruments of judgement on the thoroughly evil people already living in the land of Canaan. (Bear in mind God's promise to Abraham back in Genesis 15:16: "... your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.") Joshua's job was to clear them out. Therefore, it can be a mistake to be sentimental when reading Judges, and forget the brutal job they had to do, and why.

[2] Be aware of the structure.
Chapters 2-3 introduce us (as we'll see on Sunday) to the repeated pattern of the book. Over and over, it goes like this: the people forsook God; God punished them; they cried out to God; God sent a rescuer (a 'Judge' - not the wig-and-gown type). After a time of peace, the people rebel again and the cycle starts all over. Spotting this helps to identify where we are in a story. The variations each time round make us ask, 'What's specific for us to learn this time?'

There are 12 judges. In spite of amazing high points, the cycle pattern turns out to be a downward spiral. The book ends in sick depravity.

[3] Look to Jesus.
The judges are often the most unlikely heroes. The failures - and death - of each one makes us look forward to the ultimate Saviour. Each week, guaranteed, we'll be saying, 'Thank God for Jesus!'

Holiday club 2011

2011-08-20T23:53:00.000+01:00

Riots

2011-08-09T14:54:00.007+01:00

www.christian.org.uk/news/comment-london-riots-are-a-moral-breakdown

Agree wholehartedly with this comment from Mike Judge at the Christian Institute.

Obviously the breakdown of the family has played a big part. But how should we deal now with people who are already what Lord Baden-Powell called "poor-spirited wasters"? Well, Baden-Powell's solution in the army was simply to give them hard physical work. And lots of it. Wish it would happen. People are just crying out for strong leadership, iron discipline, and clear boundaries.

This is a part of reaching people with the gospel. If you hate all forms of authority, you're going to have a bit of a problem with God. It's a question of remedial help for people whose consciences have already been hardened, people who are just "takers" and give nothing back. As a church we can help individuals one at a time who we encounter but it is reeeeally hard.

It is my hope that the authorities will be tough in dealing with this mess, and that the policy-makers would start to value the family more. It is not a quick fix. It has taken several generations of family disintegration to produce social conditions such as these, so any good input now will take several generations to show itself in family structures. I wonder if any policy-makers have the patience for long-term investment when our democratic system kicks them out after 4 years if they haven't produced good results.

"My son, if sinners entice you,
do not give in to them.
If they say, "come along with us;
let's lie in wait for someone's blood,
let's swallow some harmless soul;
let's swallow them like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
throw in your lot with us,
and we will share a common purse" -

my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
for their feet rush in to sin,
they are swift to shed blood.

How useless to spread a net
in full view of all the birds!
These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they waylay only themselves.
Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain.
It takes away the lives of those who get it."

Proverbs 1v 10-19.

Head over Heels - how to fall in love and land on your feet.

2011-08-05T08:39:00.007+01:00

"Why do you suppose the reproductive urge within us is so relevant to cultural survival? It is because the energy that holds societies together is sexual in nature! The physical attraction between men and women causes them to establish families and to invest themselves in their develpoment. It encourages them to work and save and toil to ensure their survival. Their sexual energy provides the impetus for the raising on healthy children and for the transfer of values from one generation to the next....In short, the sexual aspect of our nature- when released exclusively within the family- produces stability and responsibility that would not otherwise occur."

The older that Dr. James Dobson gets, the more valuable, I think, is his wisdom. Here is a man who has been faithful to his wife, and made her a happy lady, for 50 years. This is someone whose advice I take seriously! His newest book "head over Heels - how to fall in love and land on your feet" is pretty short, and at pounds per word comes out as pretty expensive... but you know, maybe he doesn't repeat himself so much these days. Maybe it's pithier, more focussed wisdom. Which, for a guy over 70, is pretty good going in the mental agility stakes.

This is a book that I will be strategically leaving in the kids' bedrooms as they grow older. What great advice for young people embarking upon romantic relationships. He shows our insubstantial characters for what they are, infatuation for what it is, and mature, lasting commitment as the goal we are aiming for. He encourages young people not to sell themselves short when choosing a spouse. And also the consequences for individuals and societies when we don't make the right choices.

He is a Christian, and so knows the power of forgiveness and restoration. He is also a compassionate guy, and unusually for one of his generation, doesn't mind talking about sex, and sexual deviations.

The challenge for us as parents is to have good marriages, and thereby to create stable homes for our children who will invest in the next generation.

A model prayer?

2011-08-01T15:22:00.003+01:00

Who's leading in prayer next Sunday?

"Confess your sins to each other"

2011-08-01T14:40:00.000+01:00

Those are words from James 5:16. The context is that there is some sin which causes sickness. The antidote is confession and prayer, which leads to healing.

I thought it would be worth a little think about this in response to the Q&A time yesterday morning about openness and honesty. Here's the issue: sin spoils. It robs us of life in one way or another. And the nature of it can often be shameful, which can drive us into isolating, destructive patterns of behaviour. That is quite obvious with some sins - for example, some forms of sexual sin (especially pornography, pain-related eroticism, promiscuity, etc), or compulsive lying, or excessive drinking. But all sin is destructive and isolating, even if less obviously so.

A healthy church has a unity, a one-ness. We are saved not into a vacuum, but into a community - the local expression of God's gathered people. There is always a closeness between Christians, simply because we are members of God's family. And yet because of sin, there can often be a wariness to trust one another even within the local church.

So an openness about our sin is vital - we mustn't live false lives with one another. And yet it would not always be appropriate to confess all of our specific sins to all the gathered church, because not everyone can be trusted with that level of information about us, nor ought everyone to be burdened with our issues. Certain cults force this sort of 'openness', which is then used to hold hostage those who have confessed. That is not the flavour of James 5. However, there ought to be some trusted members to whom sins can be confessed.

It is a scary thing to do! Secrets that have been long held are hard to reveal. But the result is healing. Marriages are strengthened as spouses confess to each other - and forgiveness is given. The church is strengthened as friends trust one another and seek to help one another grow in Christ. Outsiders are drawn in as they observe the depth of trust and relationship between Christians.

So, some practical tips for us as a church:

Develop closer friendships. Spend time together.
Be vulnerable with each other, as is appropriate. Don't resist conversation about more meaningful things sometimes.
Don't be too intense with each other. Intensity is an unhealthy over-seriousness which gets in the way of real relationship.
Don't be shocked by sin - our own, or each others. Don't even be shocked by your spouse's confessions. Sin goes deep, and can show itself in very ugly ways. As long as we are in this body, we will all have terrible confessions to make from time to time. Respond with seriousness, grace and prayer.

What does your family need?

2011-07-25T15:06:00.005+01:00

"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves." Psalm 127v1-3.
I've started a diary (not a daily one!). Instead of writing my thoughts on Facebook or a blog, that is (although a bit of hypocrisy here: this is obviously a blog.. but when Mark asked me today if i had anything to write on here, this was the main thing on my mind). I was thinking that it would be good, in 15 years' time, to look back at my diary, at this time of raising young children, and remember the lessons learned, see how I have grown spiritually and as a person, and, importantly remember-what-not-to-say to young mums...

One of my thoughts was this one: that the good things we want for our children are not financial. We want for them a good relationship with God, a safe and loving family, good health, happy self-disciplined characters, and ability to make good and lasting friendships, good food and sustenance, good rest.

Doesn't this take the pressure away from parenting? And it is really hard work, raising children, we are not deluded about that one! - but the anxiety about financial goals and provision for our children is a huge burden to carry, and isn't it great to know that the things that we really care about can only be given directly from God's hand? Whether we have enough money for a university education, nice holidays, whether they "get ahead" of their peers, whether we can afford the right toys and clothes... these things will do nothing to help their characters, and certainly will not guarantee good health and rest.

What a joy to rely on God daily, and not on man.

This was my thought today, and it gave me a happy heart.

How does the gospel change us?

2011-07-18T11:42:00.001+01:00

We finished with Isaiah yesterday for the time being, with chapter 54. But what a chapter! 53 is the well-known one, all about Jesus, his death and resurrection. God's 'Servant', Jesus, came to die to bear the punishment for our sins. But where does that leave us? Chapter 54 in a nutshell: with profound joy.

There are three pictures of people being turned around. The first is of a woman unable to have children. And even if not a direct issue for us personally, we all know the feeling of fruitlessness in life. The older we get, the more we're aware that life doesn't produce what it ought. (Which is one reason we're so grumpy and miserable as we get older!) It's deeply upsetting. But Jesus changes all that: with him, we at last have a life that's truly productive, fruitful. We are united again with the Maker of the universe and our purpose for living. With Jesus, our life is going somewhere; we have something to live for that won't let us down - a great future with God.

The second picture is of a woman who thinks her husband has walked away. The agony of loneliness. Another very painful picture, and one we all know in relation to God. We feel he's walked away. He's put us on this earth, and for what? But again, the picture is turned around as we grasp the truth of the previous chapter: if God sent his Son to die for us, we can know for sure that we are loved, no longer lonely. In fact, the reason God felt so distant was that we had walked away; yet our guilt is no longer even mentioned here. God loves us with a never stopping love. No more emptiness, aloneness, guilt, shame.

The third picture is of people beaten, because their city is sacked and broken. Another picture of great distress - and one we all know the feeling of in this life we live. Everything we have falls apart. All we live for comes to an end. But with Jesus, all that changes at the deepest level: their city is rebuilt with ridiculous extravagance: Sapphire, rubies, precious stones ... The death and resurrection of Jesus totally turns life around: no longer broken, but alive! Secure! Rich for ever!

Now, consider that for life-changing: if we've got life secure as that - which we have, because of Jesus - why would we live for anything else? God has given us fruitfulness, love, life, security, riches forever; why waste our lives on other things? Live all out for him. Enjoy knowing him; work at a life that pleases him; make it our life's work to tell the world about him.

Church is not a hobby. We are the people given the most wonderful turn-around by Jesus. Does he not drive our ambition, our passion in life? Should we not throw all our energy, money, choices, life into him? Because with him, life overflows. Joy drives us. As we grasp what Christ has won for us, we invest in what we can't lose; give ourselves to what can't be taken away.

Loneliness and the Christian

2011-07-11T16:54:00.001+01:00

Albert Einstein

Loneliness is a terrible thing. In fact, it's the first thing God said was not good - "It is not good for the man to be alone ..." - so he made Eve for Adam. It's one reason marriage was invented; marriage (as God intended) can be a great antidote to loneliness. But in this fallen world, it's no longer the main answer. For one thing, marriage is not for all, for one reason or another. And besides, there are plenty of married people who are as lonely as anyone.

Genesis chapter 11 tells the story of the Tower of Babel. People tried to make community apart from God - 'If we work together, we won't need him!' sort of attitude - and they tried to build a tower to heaven. (Some would say a sort of ancient United Nations.) What did God do as a suitable punishment, and to stop them? He confused their languages, so they could no longer communicate easily. Isolation, lack of connection with people, is a result of rebellion against God.

In our fast-pace modern world, loneliness has created a pandemic. Esperanto never took off. Facebook doesn't quite fulfil. Soaps aren't really the answer to recreating community in your own living room.

But there is an answer. It's the gospel. As we turn back to Christ, by his grace, the curse of loneliness is lifted. It's one of the things we don't have to wait to death to have - it's for now. How does the gospel make a difference? In some ways, things get worse as a Christian! As if it wasn't hard before, now we stand apart from the crowd. And yet the gospel is still the key answer, in two ways:

[1] We're never alone. I know the idea of God being with us can seem a bit like a child's invisible friend. But it's not so. Just because God is unseen, doesn't mean he's not real. A distant lover gives companionship - it's the knowledge that someone out there loves you. And the time will come when God is seen. All other loves are shadows of his. A person is never truly known if not known by God, who is eternally relational (Father, Son and Spirit), and the source of all knowing. Can you take that in? The central person in the universe relates to us as family. He loves us so much he would give his life for us. He has done.

[2] Because we are now his family, we become part of his new community. The church family is a big deal. The local fellowship is so important; we are not just generally part of 'church' on a big scale, but relate personally. I would say that in the church fellowship, there is a level of belonging unknown elsewhere. Becoming a Christian is a u-turn from the isolationist, me-centred, each-man-for-himself world, to a community of genuine love. In my experience, there is a genuineness of love in church, showing itself in people making big and real sacrifices to serve others, which can only be a result of hearts changed by God.

All wonderful. But doesn't this create a huge challenge for us too? Firstly, it's the challenge of looking at our own hearts when we feel lonely (as we all do sometimes): could it possibly be because I've been backing away from the church fellowship? Have I been serving others? Have I been praying for them, caring for them, meeting regularly with them? If I feel out on a limb, could it be that I've drifted?

Secondly, there's the challenge of keeping on looking out for others. If others are in more lonely situations, are we getting tired of the effort of including them? That's an effort the whole church must share in. If I'm not active, organised and deliberate in spending time together, it's not just me who's affected - it's a cruel carelessness towards others. So, let's ask the question: have we been careless? Have we grown slack? The great thing about grace is that each day is a new start - if we've not been as caring as we should be, then - today - let's make amends.

Law Abiding Citizen vs James Musa Rike

2011-07-04T10:28:00.000+01:00

Law Abiding Citizen

The film 'Law Abiding Citizen' has something deeply satisfying about it - and yet deeply disturbing too. Gerard Butler plays a man (Clyde) who is victim to the horrible murder of his wife and daughter, and achieves the most extreme and planned out revenge - not just on the murderers, but also on the whole legal system who 'let him down'.

That's the satisfying side. We all feel it: extreme evil must be dealt with extremely. Evil demands justice. But as the film goes on, it becomes apparent that Clyde is worryingly similar to the original criminals.

Now let us meet James Musa Rike. Following the country's presidential elections, there has been a fresh wave of violence towards Christians from Muslim extremists. James is a Christian living in Northern Nigeria.

James and Dune, with three of their children -
including 13 year old Sum at the back

A few weeks ago, his home was attacked. Midnight - but no prince charming. No glass slipper. Instead, running into the night as men burst into the house with guns and machetes. James was powerless as his one year old and three year old children were shot down. Then he held his 35 year old wife, Dune, after she had been shot and slashed with a machete. She said to him, “Hold on to your faith in Jesus, and we shall meet and never part again.”

James next heard the cries of his 13-year-old daughter a few yards away. “I rushed to my daughter, only to discover that she too was cut with a machete on her stomach, and her intestines were all around her,” he said. “I held her hand and began to pray, knowing she too was about to die. She told me that the Muslim militants told her they would kill her and “see how your Jesus will save you.” The girl told her father that she responded by telling them that Jesus had already saved her, and that by killing her they would only be making it possible for her to be with Him. James prayed for her as she died.

How would you respond to that? James said the incident has simply strengthened his faith in Jesus. “Whatever is the situation, I will never forsake Christ,” he said. “All human beings are created by God, and our attackers must know that they need to abandon anything that will lead them to destroy creations of God.”

There is just one major difference between Clyde and James. It's an understanding of Romans 12:19-21: "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,', says the Lord... Do not overcome evil with evil, but overcome evil with good." Trust in God is what it boils down to. James knows God is good and fair. He can entrust the matter to God, who will punish fairly and adequately. And he can live on in the grace of God, knowing that all people, even evil murders, need to hear the gospel of Christ.

Beautiful feet

2011-07-01T09:55:00.001+01:00

Walking In Shadow from AIM On-Field Media on Vimeo.

You've probably seen this before. But coming up to Isaiah 52:7 this Sunday, I thought we should have it in mind.

Sunday Club at its best

2011-06-30T10:03:00.004+01:00

Last week, the little group of kids were learning about the story in Luke 5:1-11, where Jesus blows the minds of Peter and friends by a miracle fishing trip. (In the words of Zoe (age 4) that evening, 'First, they didn't catch no fish. Then they caught loads of fish!' ...with arms outstretched for emphasis.)

So they were acting out the story with pretend fishing; first time they caught nothing. That's the way the story goes. But Zoe said, 'No, I've caught some crabs.' She wouldn't back down - just insisted she'd caught a net full of crabs. Oh, well. Move on.

Then, when they told the story, they started by saying, 'When we tell the story, just put your hand up if there's anything you don't understand.' Zoe puts her hand up straight away. Leaders pause. What do we do here? Reuben (6) helps out: 'I think she doesn't understand the word 'understand'.'

The Last Samurai ... and The Last Christian

2011-06-25T11:30:00.007+01:00

We enjoyed the film the other night. (For an ace review, check out Martyn's article on http://thebearspeaketh.blogspot.com/.) It's a sad story of the death of a beautiful culture, a bit like Last of the Mohicans. Annoyingly, Tom Cruise survives.

It is sad to see cultures and peoples destroyed, often so brutally. But it made me wonder, will there ever be a sad film made about The Last Christian? I reckon, for three reasons it could never be.

[1] It would not be a sad film. We are, I think rightly, sentimental and gutted to hear about people's and cultures being destroyed - Aborigines in Australia, 'Indians' in the Amazon, Native North Americans, Bushmen in Southern Africa, and so on. But Christians? It's as Jesus said: "The world will hate you". That's the flavour of our country at the moment, certainly - humanists and homosexual activists are passionate about ridding Britain of the church. In parts of the Arab world (even now Iraq), people have almost done it. People would rejoice to see the last Christian. But what a loss it would actually be.

[2] Christianity is multicultural. There is no such thing as a Christian tribe or a Christian culture that you could tie down and eliminate. The church is made up of "every nation, tribe and tongue". African and American, Chinese and Chilean Christians will be almost as different from each other as the cultures they are from, yet united in the same beliefs and the same trust in Jesus Christ. Eliminating Christians would be like trying to stamp out a giant half-inflated balloon - squash it in one place, and it just bulges up somewhere else.

[3] God won't let it happen. "I will build my church", says Jesus, "and the gates of hell can't stand against it." In many places people have tried (and still do try) to eliminate Christians. But God still builds his church, in spite of severe persecution.

As African Christians are learning well today, it is possible to be a Christian without losing your cultural identity. It may be right to protect minority cultures in the world. But in the new heavens and earth that God will make, there will be people of all flavours; individual cultures will not die there; we won't be all identical. The priority, therefore, is not preserving cultures for now, but in telling all peoples about Jesus, the king over all.

God speaks where you least expect

2011-06-22T13:53:00.006+01:00

Isaiah 49:
I love going to Wellfield Church on Sunday mornings, how could I not love hearing God’s word? This Sunday was an all age service which I always enjoy; great fun with the children but noisier than usual and lots of distractions which you would expect. Not always the easiest to take things in and it’s based at child level of understanding anyway, so just sit back and enjoy.
Well, as usual God’s word and Mark’s preaching pointed a finger right at me again! How does this keep happening I ask, does anyone else feel the same?
Isaiah 49:1:
Listen to me, you island; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
Who is speaking? Well as we foundout during some games at the beginning of our church service, the answer is - JESUS!
And going by this verse, If we live anywhere on this planet that God created we need to listen. The strangest thing is, you hear His voice when and where you would never expect it.
I heard His voice at the cinema! What, I hear you ask? Well, to cut a long testimony very short, it all began with going to see Mel Gibson’s film – The Passion of the Christ. It was released in 2004 and depicted the final hours and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ.Seeing the film moved me to want to know more and ask, “Who is this man who would die for me?”
Back to the Sunday Service: we were told how God’s people enslaved in Babylon wanted to get back to Israel, when in fact they needed to get back to God; Hope in God/Jesus is what matters in life, not where we live or where we want to live. Hearing this made me think of my life before I became a Christian.
A little more testimony: I moved with my husband Andrew down to Chorley in Lancashire from Edinburgh in December 1987. Our son Ross was due to be born the following March. As a Yorkshire lass, moving from Edinburgh to Lancashire, I knew no one other than my husband’s boss! I never really ever settled, even though I found friends, established a good career, and moved to Leyland, still always felt unsettled. I would have given anything to move to Yorkshire or Edinburgh again.I kept telling myself that I would have my life sorted by the time I turned 40 years old in July 2004; perfect house, perfect relationship, perfect figure etc., etc.! Guess what? I did it; I found what I was looking for!
I just didn’t realise what I had been truly missing in life, the answer was – JESUS! You see, I went to the cinema at the Easter, was moved to want to find out more about Jesus. After shopping in Tesco one Saturday, I was waiting for a lift across from St Andrew’s church. Outside the church I saw a poster mentioning ‘the Passion of the Christ’; the next day I went to St Andrew’s church and would you believe it, one month before turning 40 years old, I became a Christian. I finally realised I couldn’t sort anything out for myself, but Jesus could. I’ve never managed to get the perfect figure, but I’m more than happy to swap that worldly goal for salvation! The Lord sure does work in mysterious ways.
Something else big changed in my life, I now love living in Leyland, Lancashire, and I no longer want to move to Yorkshire, Edinburgh or anywhere else. That is until the Lord takes me home, to my true home to be with Jesus!
Oh and even better, in November 2007 my husband Andrew became a Christian also, so now we are praying for our son Ross.
Getting back to Sunday’s sermon on Isaiah 49: Jesus is the answer to all our problems, Jesus is our only hope. He may be hidden to us, but if we listen hard, you never know what may happen.
Isaiah 49:2
He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrowand concealed me in his quiver.
Jesus is the hidden hope, God uses strength through weakness. We are weak, but if we take strength from our Lord Jesus and keep witnessing through the way we live our lives every day and tell others of Jesus, others may come to the Lord. We may never be there to witness their change of heart, but you never know, I give thanks every day for my husband finding hope in Jesus. But that’s his testimony; maybe he will share it with you one day!
Thank you Jesus.

(By Jen)

Contradictions in the Bible

2011-06-15T09:43:00.005+01:00

Question time last week, from Isaiah 46:

"How can it say in v9:

'Remember the former things, those of long ago'

when it said in chapter 43 v18:

'Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past'?"

Great question. The old chestnut, 'The Bible is full of contradictions' is normally made by people who've never read it. (I generally reply to that, 'Can you show me one so we can talk about it?') But here's one staring us in the face!

The question of contradictions in the Bible cuts deep: if it has any contradictions, it is undermined. It cannot be the word of God; it's only the word of man. On the other hand, if the unity of the Bible can be seen, it is a huge testimony to its status as the word of God - and therefore must be taken more seriously than anything else in the world.

What about this example, then? I think the answer is fairly simple, after a little thought, and boils down to context. In chapter 43, God is appealing to people trapped in the past, always looking over their shoulder at the great things God used to do. He's saying, 'Don't get stuck there! I'm still alive and well! You think I'm just history? Well then, watch! - Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past: see what I'm doing now.'

In chapter 46, God's proving that other gods are false. And one point he makes to prove it is the point from history: which other god, through history, has foretold what he will do and done it? Which other god has shown its power throughout all those generations? 'Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am god, and there is none like me.'

All the time, in normal conversation, we say things that would be contradictory taken out of context. That's normal. Though people often do contradict themselves - because we're lying, or exaggerating, or forgetful, or fickle.

One of the things that most encourages me to keep believing the Bible is the word of God is that the more I read it, the more the 'contradictions' go away. But with any work of man, the more you read/watch it, the more contradictions you find. It's good that the Bible is not simple. It makes us think. It raised questions to us that often take years for us to get answers to. But it all adds up. Keep reading, and discussing it together, and you'll see!

Emmerdale and Assisted Suicide...

2011-06-09T10:04:00.007+01:00

I was really moved last night by the sterling performances during what I felt was one of the toughest episodes of Emmerdale I've seen in a long time... Yes, even I watch Emmerdale!

It dealt with the final hours of Jackson Walsh's (Marc Silcock) life as he begs his mother Hazel (Pauline Quirke) and boyfriend Aaron (Danny Miller) to help him end his life. After a tragic car accident, Jackson was left tetraplegic, unable to move from the neck down. It came as no surprise that Emmerdale would decide to take the character of Jackson down this road as it's fast becoming a hot topic - the ethical debate over whether or not it should be legal to take or help another person to take his or her own life. The acting of all three was amazing and very touching for a soap cast.

But what do you think? Now in the soap we'll begin to see the consequences play out. At the moment, this is illegal and both Aaron and Hazel will face charges of assisted suicide which can carry a 14 year prison sentence. But people are fighting to have the law changed to allow for someone to have their death hastened. We continue to hear stories of people traveling to foreign countries to have their lives ended and there is a large outcry - perhaps even you feel this way - to allow this to happen.

It's not hard to sympathise with someone like Jackson. A young man, in love, healthy and able bodied suddenly finds his world is now confined to a wheel chair. He can't interact with it other than by talking, can't reach out and touch, feed himself, go to the bathroom. He feels the weight of being a burden to his Mum and his boyfriend. He doesn't have hope, he can't be cured, he will live like this possibly for years before death finally creeps up on him...

No wonder he looks to immediate death as the only release from his suffering. But there is one fatal, tragic flaw in such thinking - what good reason do we have to believe that it will be better for him to die than to live? Think about it - he doesn't know what waits for him on the other side. It's a major gamble to play and the odds aren't in his favour.

Does anyone know what waits on the other side? Yes, there is one person who does: the one who came from the other side and told us what awaits us, Jesus Christ. He gave the proof that he had the power over death by dying and then raising himself to life three days later.

Hebrews 9:27 :"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment..."

Without the forgiveness Christ won for us by dying in our place on the cross, taking our crimes against God upon himself, people are judged and the punishment - eternal, final, separation from a perfect, loving and holy creator God. A far worse fate than any physical trauma we might ever have to experience.

I know for myself, if I died right now I'd be facing a hefty sentence - guilty of countless crimes from lies to lust to theft and on and on... I agree with one of the writers of the bible when he says:

1 Timothy 1:15 : "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst."

What the fictional character of Jackson needed was hope. Hope that one day he would he would be treated for the worse disease known to all mankind - that of sin. He needed to put his trust in the great Physician Jesus who could heal the crippled and the lame, but came to heal the truly sick sinners like you and me.

Matthew 9:4-8 "Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men."

(By Martyn)

Isaiah 46-47, family and idols

2011-06-06T09:34:00.004+01:00

Who was it who said, “You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family”? How true!
I envy people who seem to have such close happy families. Always visiting each other (and enjoying the experience), phoning each other up, having family meetings to sort out a problem as a united front, always there for each other. Maybe I was brought up watching to many episodes of ‘the Waltons’!
I suppose for every close family, there are just as many families who for whatever reason don’t have much contact with each other, that is, other than the usual wedding or funeral.
The family I was brought up in has never been the closest, I like to think it is because we all live some distance from each other, but I’m not so sure.
At Wellfield church today we looked at Isaiah 46 – 47. One part made me instantly think about one of my four brothers. None of them are Christians, but they are aware of my Christian faith. Only one of them has made his opinion very clear on the subject.
He is a self-made man, and has cut himself off from all the family for a good few years. In an attempt to build bridges, I sent him a birthday card which contained a Christian verse. It worked, he did make contact, I received an email. Not the happy reunion I had planned, it was a tirade of abuse against the family and my Christian faith.
I was told never to send such a card again, that only weak minded people need such crutches to help them through their pitiful lives, etc. You see, my brother doesn’t believe he needs God. He has a great wife and children, with a big house, fantastic holidays and financially secure because he is so successful in business. Such a self-made man doesn’t need God!
Isaiah 47:10 You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, “No-one sees me”! Your wisdom and knowledge misled you when you say to yourself, “I am, and there is no one besides me”.
I despair at the idols my brother has made of his worldly success in life. I pray to God, and ask for prayer for him from my brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that he will put his trust in Jesus and hear the words of Isaiah 46:4 … “I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Having listened to the sermon and thinking of my brother, it would be easy to go home and think – he is terrible sinner and needs to realise his idols have replaced the one true God. But, I am just as rubbish as he is. Yes I am a Christian and have a relationship with God, trusting in Jesus Christ, but what are my idols? None? Oh, if only I could put my hand on my heart and honestly say that. I look at the way I live my life, the way I spend my time and money. I am human, tainted by the fall as everyone else. I love my family, my husband and son, nice clothes and jewellery, money burns a hole in my pocket and I turn to food for comfort at the slightest hint of stress and for any excuse of a celebration.
Have I made idols of any of these things? I look into my life and the answer has to be….. well, what do you think? I’m not giving all my secrets away!
So I ask myself, what is the difference between my brother and me? Not that much really, we both have our idols in life. Our big difference is that I have Jesus as my redeemer, and with God’s word and fellowship of my church family I can look at my life and know that there is only one true God!
So you actually can choose your family, and I am happy to say that my father loves me and chose me.
Praise the Lord!
(By Jen)

"Who made God?"

2011-06-04T11:25:00.006+01:00

One young person in church asked this recently: "If God made everything, who made God?" It's a popular question in high school - and how funny that since she asked, we've been looking at Isaiah 40-55 as a church, where virtually every chapter gives a clear answer.

For example, our memory verse a couple of weeks ago:

"Before me no God was formed,

nor will there be one after me.

I, even I, am the Lord,

and apart from me there is no saviour."

(Isaiah 43v10-11... and I know: you're all humming it to that cowboy tune now!)

Or how about this:

"I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me.

I make known the end from the beginning,

from ancient times, what is still to come.

I say: My purpose will stand,

and I will do all that I please."

(Isaiah 46v9-10)

The answer is: No-one created God. That's what sets him apart from everything else, and all other so-called gods. He has always been, and always will be. And if that hurts your head, so it should! - God is that big.

That is why we have to take him super-seriously. There is no higher authority that we can appeal to on the day God judges us. He is the ultimate one. Therefore when his voice shouts out from the sky over Jesus, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" (Mark 9v7) ... we had better do so. Listen to what he says about the one way to be rescued from the judgement we deserve from God; listen to why Jesus said he had to die on the cross and rise again (Mark 10v45).

Why are we running our own holiday club this summer?

2011-05-29T16:21:00.004+01:00

Three and a half years ago, St Andrew’s church ‘planted’ Wellfield. Why? Because, as a mission-minded church, it recognised that something had to be done to reach the many people of Leyland who would find it difficult to fit in at St Andrew’s. (In the bible, non-churchy people were often the very ones who felt most at home with Jesus too - so it’s a good move!)

For the last three summers, Wellfield has joined in with St Andrew’s ‘Holiday Club’ in the summer. It’s a few days of fun activities and presentations to introduce children to Jesus. Tons of work goes into it. And we’ve thrown our lot in with that wholeheartedly. But St Andrew’s mission is not what we were sent to do. At last, we’ll run our own small thing this year, with St Andrew’s blessing.

St Andrew’s will miss a couple of good leaders or so. But they’ll be thrilled to pay that price - because they’re a mission-minded church. If there were any bad feeling or resentment because they’ve lost a few leaders and children, that would of course be silenced at once by the rest of the church: because - did I mention? - they’re a mission-minded church!

It’s a bold step for us to take on something like this. But we need to. The St Andrew’s big holiday club will never reach some people - and some of the people we’re making friends with. We’ll run a very different type of holiday club to learn how to reach others. That’s why we exist.

We’ve loved being heavily involved in St Andrew’s holiday club for three years. But we have been sent to reach others. Our involvement with St Andrew’s holiday club over the past few years has actually taken away from our mission. Although it’s a brilliant way for us to link up with the larger church in some ways, it has really sucked our resources for the week, and meant that on the ‘holiday club Sunday’ there’s loads of people missing from the Wellfield meeting, the new folk then feel abandoned, and anyone that we’ve worked hard to invite to holiday club gets invited to St Andrew’s and we never see them again: the last one not a problem in some ways, but it’s not what we were sent out to do.

So ours is to run at the same time as St Andrew’s, in order that we can focus on our mission, perhaps reach a few harder-to-reach families (although that is of course a longer-term goal), and have the manpower to do it. It’ll be fun! It’ll be exciting! But it’ll be done in a ‘Wellfield’ way: small, flexible and chilled. We’ll be including the smaller tots, and doing something along the lines of our Sunday programmes for children, but with more games and activities. A great chance for our children to spend the time together and with one or two friends too. Can’t wait!

The Skiddaw expedition

2011-05-22T16:00:00.005+01:00

For the survivors of Skiddaw 2011, here's a few memories. In all the world, you can't beat the English Lake District - especially for the bunch of hardened SAS-trained troopers of Wellfield blokes and friends. (Though we were overtaken by one or two girls jogging up.)

Gospel and social action

2011-05-16T09:10:00.004+01:00

Following on from the helpful questions that were raised yesterday morning from Isaiah 42:

The mission organisation Crosslinks ran a campaign a couple of years ago with the slogan, 'She's well-fed, educated and may die tomorrow without Jesus.' That, in a nutshell, is the issue.

The difficulty is, you can show pictures of poor people, hungry people, homeless people, orphans, earthquake victims, flood victims. But you can't show pictures of people without Christ. The former, rightly, are heart-wrenching. But the latter, unseen condition is the more serious one. Life on earth, or eternity: where will we focus our efforts?

We must not, of course, be hardened to the desperate needs we see. But the most critical need is for people to hear the life-saving gospel of Jesus. That must drive our vision, time and giving. We mustn't lose our focus because of needs that can be seen. And sometimes big needs can become the enemy of the biggest - if they distract us from the commission Jesus gave us:

"Go and make disciples of all nations."

Being devoted to... prayer (Acts 2:42)

2011-05-11T08:59:00.003+01:00

We all find prayer difficult! It doesn't matter who you are or how long you've been a Christian, prayer simply doesn't come easy to any of us. Maybe that's why the Scriptures tell us to pray - and, as in Acts 2:42, call on us to be devoted to prayer.

There are times when we do pray. We pray at church, at the prayer meeting and at our bible study. We pray when things go wrong. However, if this is the only time we pray, then it isn't being devoted to prayer. This kind of prayer is like only chatting to your partner twice a week and wondering why your relationship isn't going too well. To build and maintain a relationship takes commitment and dedication. It means speaking every day and speaking on a deeper level than just saying 'please can you do this for me'. Being devoted to prayer means, being devoted to God, to your relationship with God. And this is going to take some effort. But the effort is more than worth it.

We have a great privilege as Christians to talk to God; and God guarantees He will listen. So lets grab this privilege with both hands: lets be praying, each and every day. Lets set aside some time during the day just to speak to God - and then on top of that, speak to Him throughout the day: when chatting with a Christian friend; when shopping; when we arrive at work; at the difficult moments; and, of course, thank him when things go right.

This is what it means to be devoted to prayer. So lets encourage one another to start working towards this even this week.

(By Mike)

Jesus vs Nostradamus

2011-05-09T20:55:00.002+01:00

We're looking at the book of Isaiah as a church at the moment. From chapter 41, it argues the case that God is unlike any other because he alone tells things that are going to happen before they do.

"I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes -

one from the rising sun who calls on my name...

Who told of this from the beginning, so that we could know,

or beforehand, so that we could say, 'He was right'?

No-one told of this,

no-one foretold it,

no-one heard any words from you.

I was the first..."

(Isaiah 41:25-26)

I was bothered by this argument - because I thought, 'Surely others have predicted the future?' I've heard people talk about the likes of Nostradamus (the chap in the picture), who predicted Hitler, 9/11, the death of Diana ... and basically most major world events you could think of. What's different about what God says?

Well, it doesn't take much study or brain-power to see the two are completely different. When God tells the future, he's precise and deliberate. For example:

(a) In these chapters of Isaiah, he specifically names the man who will set his people free from captivity in Babylon - Cyrus. Sure enough, the Persian king Cyrus set them free a century or two after Isaiah had died.

(b) In the Christmas story (Matthew 2:1-6), when the Magi ask king Herod where the king of the Jews is born, Herod's Bible boffins say 'Bethlehem' - and quote God's prophet Micah. Sure enough he's there.

With Nostro, there's nothing specifically stated. It's only with hindsight that people say, 'Oh look - that's what he said!'

So what?

[1] It's really annoying when people treat the Bible like a Nostradamus prophecy. In the first Gulf War, someone quoted Jeremiah about fast locusts coming from the north. Why not look at the plain meaning instead of looking for the hidden codes?! (Because then it's not all about us and our self-centred generation, I suppose.)

[2] If you answer the question in Isaiah, "Who [else] told of this?", you have to say the God of the Bible is unique. The Father of Jesus is the only true God. Not a popular view, but a proven fact on this evidence. We need to get in line with him.

[3] All God's promises are fulfilled in Jesus - that's what the Bible story's about. When someone's been right so many times, we'd better take his still-to-happen prophecies seriously: that Jesus will come back to judge the world, that he'll come when people are not expecting him, and that only those who trust in him and follow him will be saved through that.

Jesus vs Nostradamus? Sorry, Nostro: you lose. (Like your beard though.)

When church works in real life

2011-05-01T21:13:00.004+01:00

Jen writes:

My heart is filled with thankfulness.

I returned to church last Sunday 24th April, after a ten week break. Break is the right description, as I truly had what is commonly called “a break down.” I have suffered from anxiety and depression over the years and at the beginning of this year, the dark cloud managed to engulf me. Usually I see it coming and manage to “sort myself out” before it’s too late, but not this time! I give myself too much credit actually; it’s usually my long suffering husband Andrew who helps me stay on track, so thank you Andrew!

During this time of anxiety and depression, I tried to hide and avoid everyone who I know, and who knows me and how the “normal me” is. It seems strange that at the time when I needed friends and family most I ran in the other direction from them, strangers were no problem to me as they didn’t have a clue about how I usually act and cope with things.

I said I tried to hide and avoid people, but I am glad to say, when I needed them most, my Wellfield church family didn’t give up on me. They gave me space and time to deal with the situation and kept informed of my progress through Andrew; they sent texts, emails, and cards to show their love and consideration. I received flowers and books and even children’s hand drawn pictures with little messages, and many invitations to meet up on a one to one for coffee and cake. These acts of love and kindness meant so much to me and have helped my gradual return to church family life and recovery in general.

So on return to Wellfield church I was greeted by hugs and welcome wishes, my heart was melted when little 2 year old Luke Whittaker came up to me unprompted with his arms outstretched for a cuddle, and then on leaving church after the service, little 4year old Jessica Marsh gave me a kiss and a cuddle good bye. The adults and the children all made me feel as if I had been truly missed and lovingly welcomed back, I admit that I did get a little emotional at times, but in a good way.

One of the songs we sang that just seemed perfect to me was:

“My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness“

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who bore my pain;
Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace
And gave me life again;
Who crushed my curse of sinfulness
And clothed me in His light
And wrote His law of righteousness
With power upon my heart.

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who walks beside;
Who floods my weaknesses with strength
And causes fears to fly;
Whose every promise is enough
For every step I take,
Sustaining me with arms of love
And crowning me with grace.

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To him who reigns above,
Whose wisdom is my perfect peace,
Whose every thought is love.
For every day I have on earth
Is given by the King;
So I will give my life, my all,
To love and follow him.

“My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness“
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2003 Thankyou Music

As I joined in singing this song with my church family and friends, I realised how much I had missed out on good gospel teaching, and felt reminded of God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice for me! I admit that even though I had tried not to, I had lost sight of this and once again realise just how much I had and have to be thankful for!

So a big “thank you,” to all Wellfield church family, my brothers and sisters in Christ for putting words into action and reaching out to me.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV 20011)
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

The 'devotional life triangle'

2011-04-30T09:42:00.005+01:00

We all learnt about the 'fire triangle' at school. (Remember? Probably not.) Fire needs 3 things to work properly: food, oxygen and heat. (All coming back now, isn't it!)

Other things have triangles too - such as the 'washing up triangle' (not in school text books). Washing the dishes needs 3 things to work well too: soap, heat and friction. If you skimp on one, you need to make it up with the others!

But here's one for what many Christians call our 'devotion life', or 'quiet times' - helpfully crystallised by something Graham Daniels said recently: our devotion life needs 3 things - bible, prayer ... and meditation. (The last is a big theme in the bible, but neglected in our church circles a little. I think it's done, just not talked about much; sounds too hippie.)

So in order to build a good personal relationship with the Living God, we need to read our bibles, pray, and think - that's all 'meditation' means.

If we miss out 'bible', it becomes vague Eastern nonsense - just thinking about nothing.

If we miss out 'prayer', it becomes brain-fodder - understanding what God says to us, but not bringing our thoughts and responses back to him.

If we miss out 'meditation', it becomes cold duty - we do our daily bible reading and prayer, but then job done. It's not sunk deep, and we relate no more closely to the Lord.

Greatness in service: review of 'We Were Soldiers'

2011-04-27T08:57:00.005+01:00

In the film 'We Were Soldiers' you see a quality in Mel Gibson's character, Lt Col Hal Moore. The devout Catholic Military leader is given the task of flying his team into Vietnam at the start of the American involvement in the conflict. The film follows the true story of how he prepared, led and cared for his division to the very moment they withdrew from the field. Facing off against impossible odds, Moore is seen as the servant of all whilst displaying some of the most manly, brave, courageous and heart warming care for people under this charge. His speach early on sums up his attitude beautifully - he intends to be the first man on the battlefield - and the last one off it.

I think this is an example of what it means to be the least among all. Moore never let his rank or prestige elevate him above his troops to the point where he no longer cared for them. He prays for a troubled soldier. You even see him taking an horrified soldier who's accidentally called an airstrike on his own team mates and lovingly calling him back to the work he MUST do in order to save their lives.

For me this has called me back to reality. I could enjoy the sun, take a break, relax. Take the much needed rest time - surely i deserve it? But Jesus would call me back to the hard work that still needs doing... Is it wrong to enjoy the good things of life? No, of course not. They're gifts from a loving creator. But for the Christian, the world is still in decay. It's rotting and we're to be salt and light, a preservative to retard death and prolong life. We're to be busy at the work Jesus has given us to do. Rest is good, but at the end of the day, if we want to be great and face eternity knowing we did all we could for a broken world, we'll need to knuckle down and do the hard work now.

For me, that means getting on with loving my family, serving their needs and demonstrating what Jesus is like in thought, word and deed. It means praying hard for my mates, their troubles and their needs. It means using time in the best possible way, not wasting it or spreading myself so thinly people get ripped off. Helping people practically. Using my skills to serve them. Spending time with them. Calling them to the God they're rebelling against and begging them to stop being AWOL and get reinstated by their true Commander and Chief, Jesus Christ, who died for them to forgive them.So while you're enjoying the sun, spare a thought for a hurting world in need of a Saviour.For the people who know me, i want to echo Lt. Col Hal Moore.
This is my pledge to you guys...

"Let us understand the situation; we're going into battle against a tough and determined enemy. I can't promise you that I will bring you all home alive, but this I swear, before you and before Almighty God: when we go into battle, I will be the first one to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off. And I will leave no one behind. Dead or alive, we will all come home together. So help me God."Ephesians 6: 12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

(By Martyn)

'Good' Friday?!

2011-04-23T14:37:00.004+01:00

It may seem strange to call yesterday 'Good Friday', after all we remember Jesus dying and usually if we were to call the anniversay of someone's death a 'good' day, people would probably think we were rather disrespectful and that we can't have liked the person who died much at all!

BUT Good Friday is very different and calling the remembrance of Jesus' death 'good' is for neither of those reasons, in fact it is quite the opposite...

Firstly, calling the day ‘Good Friday’ suggests that we are remembering something good, but the nature of Jesus’ death was definitely not a 'good' death. Jesus died in the most horrific and humiliating way, on a cross; He hung there by his hands and feet until He died. It was a slow and agonising death and in no way could it be said that it was 'good'.

So why on earth is it called ‘good’ Friday?! Jesus dying on the cross is the most amazing example of how God uses all things together for good and how he could even use the evil actions of the self-seeking men surrounding Jesus' trial and death in His perfect plan, for good and to answer our biggest need!

I believe the reason for the name ‘Good Friday’ is found in the effect of Jesus’ death. The fact that Jesus willingly died that first 'Good Friday' means that He took the punishment we deserve, He bought us much needed forgiveness from God and it meant that although we don't deserve it, we can have a relationship with God, the loving, good creator of the universe...

Calling it 'Good Friday' is a reflection upon how good God is and how amazing it is to be able to have a relationship with Him...and Good Friday reminds us of the serious means (ie Jesus' death) that was necessary to deal with our rebellion and rejection of God and enable us to have a relationship with Him...

...and being able to have a relationship with God isn't just 'good', it's the best news in the world! But 'best news in the world Friday' doesn't have quite the same ring to it!

When fundamentalism is liberalism

2011-04-16T13:13:00.002+01:00

I was very interested by the most recent Louis Theroux programme on the Phelps’ family church in the USA. These people are self-styled fundamentalists, they rejoice in all of God’s “judgements” (ie. when someone dies of cancer, or in an accident, or fighting in a war… the Phelps’ family church thinks that these are signs of God’s anger and therefore we should all be joyful about these tragedies). Louis had a great time with his trademark liberal tone and bringing his own worldview to bear on theirs.

The interesting thing is that I came away from the programme thinking that these people had a lot of good things to say (about taking the Bible seriously, and taking God’s judgement seriously) but they had missed a huge dimension of the Bible’s portrayal of God: his character. Countless passages in Scripture say how judgement is God “strange” work, and how his heart breaks to see humanity so rebellious against his good rule (Ezekiel 18v23; Hosea 11v8 etc etc..). Absolutely, his wrath is directed now against the world as we all go our own way further and further into immoral living and wickedness. But it is insane and deeply unnatural to rejoice in individuals’ deaths as if somehow God is rejoicing about tragedies too. The Phelps family have made God in their own image: self-righteous, unbalanced, and uncaring.

They have taken Bible passages about rejoicing in the final judgement of God (Revelation 19v3), and have viewed every event in life through that lens, skewing the meaning of other passages to fit that. I’m not even sure they had read some bits of the Bible.

“Liberals” in the church are those who take their scissors to the bible and cut out the bits they don’t want. The liberal movement has done much to undermine Christianity in our society over the last century or two. “Fundamentalists” are supposed to be the opposite of that. But isn’t it interesting that “fundamentalism” can become the new “liberalism”? Whatever your particular agenda, when you’re selective, rather than taking the bible as a whole, it’s liberalism.

“Fundamentalism” is the great evil in our world, in popular opinion. Fundamentalists do terrorism, start wars, make enemies. But true Christian fundamentalists are not like this. Christian fundamentalists want to know God as he chooses to reveal himself in the Bible, and not a version of God we have invented ourselves. That’s what it is to follow Jesus fundamentally. Christian fundamentalists love their enemies. At least that’s what Jesus told us to do. We have a wonderful God who does not ignore evil and will judge, and we rejoice in that, but that doesn’t take away from his compassion, forgiveness for those who trust in Christ, and above all, love.

Men of Wellfield: a chance to serve and grow!

2011-04-06T11:34:00.004+01:00

The few of us who have been reading through books on Friday mornings have taken a breather. But we're going to re-launch on Friday 29th April.

'Ah!', I hear you say; 'That's the date of the Royal Wedding!' Well, leave all that to the ladies! We can start the day with a stonking book.

'But', you say, 'it's a bank holiday. I'm not having a 6.30 start!' But here's a deal: why not start your bank holiday with a 7.30 start and hot bacon butty? Tempted? You can be home by 8.30! (Then we'll do 6.30 as usual in the following weeks.)

If you haven't been coming on Friday mornings, here's why you might want to:

1. We'll read 'Total Church' (by Tim Chester & Steve Timmis) - it's exactly about how to do church our sort of way.

2. In order to get on with the work, we need to grow, and think - that's what good books are for.

3. If you say, 'I'm not a good reader', then that's the best reason to come! Neither am I - that's why it's good to meet together to talk about a book; it disciplines us, and gets us doing it; it helps us bounce ideas off each other - it gives reading purpose!

4. We're all so busy - therefore we meet when we're not doing anything else. And clear thinking helps us not get cluttered with our time, but use it well.

5. If you're in on the discussion about how church should be, it makes you less of a passenger in the church, and more of a partner in the work, at the hub of it and owning it.

So, are you coming? You can get the book on Amazon, or 10 of those.com etc. Read the intro and chapter 1 for the 29th.

Go on - you know you can! And girls: get your man the book, and send him along!

For better, for worse...

2011-04-04T21:24:00.004+01:00

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death us do part, according to God's holy law, and this is my solemn vow...... with my body I honour you, all that I am I give to you; all that I have I share with you; within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

I didn't have to look up these vows. I remember them really well, from my wedding nearly ten years ago. And there have been many times when I've had to remind myself of them!

I'm really gutted at the moment about a few of our friends giving up on marriages because of "irreconcilable differences". It just seems so hopeless, with entrenched opinions and a total failure to see the other point of view. It's always very easy to see someone else's faults and very hard to see your own! In my experience, it's NEVER EVER the case that in a marriage dispute one party is totally in the right (shhhh.. don't tell my husband I've admitted this one...!).

I know that some situations are dreadful, abusive, destructive and hopeless. But to see this from the eyes of a child..... Reuben (our 6 year-old), last night prayed for a couple "that they would love each other again". Might seem simplistic (when life is actually so complicated), but really I think there's something in his views.

It would be interesting, I was speculating today, if instead of making a custody order, a court made an order telling a couple they just had to get back together and work through their differences. It would be what children want, that's for sure. They are very clear-thinking about families and loyalty.

We want to say as a church, that if there are people out there, who think that their marriage might be salvageable, but don't know where to start, we want to try and help if we can. Please get in touch. Kids might have a point to make about families after all.

Lessons learnt from St Andrew the Great

2011-03-30T09:58:00.010+01:00

I had the privilege of speaking at the 'Great Escapes' - the student mid-year getaway for St Andrew the Great ('StAG') in Cambridge - last week. Here's a few reminders and lessons learnt for us.

Rigour in doing the basic things of church well. A big church with a strong history could rest on its laurels. But StAG continually work really hard at the basics. They are constantly reviewing everything - how Sunday meetings were run, how the preaching was - even when they ran games on the Escape: 'how could we do it better'! And they recognise the huge value of personal discipleship and make sure that they're really caring for every individual.

Question times. There was a question box for students in response to the talks, and over a hundred questions were submitted! That wasn't just because of larger numbers; it was because they have an eagerness to learn God's Word and understand. Yes, they are Cambridge students and have active brains. But that ought not to be something limited to them. We need to work at encouraging each other to work hard at thinking, and be hungry to engage with the Bible.

Urgency with patience. The work of the gospel generally feels slow - seeing people grow in their love for Christ, or seeing people become interested in the first place. But StAG are not growing weary of their work. It is possible to be patient, waiting for God to work in his way and his time, whilst maintaining an urgency in our mission. I wonder if we've become a little sluggish?

Small 'events' to draw people in are a good thing. StAG are a big church, and therefore need to highly organise their programmes of events. We are small, and therefore more informal by nature. But we still need to organise ways in for people to hear the good news of Jesus. 300 years ago, churches could just keep preaching the gospel faithfully, and see the work of God in people's lives - because in those days, most people went to church to hear. (They had to by law!) Now people have no idea why they would even want to hear about Jesus. So we need to properly organise ways that people will gently get to know us, get to hear about Jesus, and be drawn in to the regular Sunday get-togethers where they can hear from God's Word. Check out the article on 'POSS', 27th September 2010.

The difference between regeneration and conversion

2011-03-26T08:57:00.003Z

Regeneration: posh word for 'new birth' - as in what Jesus said:"No-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3) You can't see it happening, and it's entirely God's work.
Conversion: the human act of turning from sin to trusting in Jesus for forgiveness and new life - as in Mark 1:15: "Repent and believe the good news!"

These two things obviously go hand in hand. But as Graham Daniels pointed out last week when I was away with St Andrew the Great, Cambridge, knowing the difference affects how we tell people about Jesus.

We can bring about 'new birth' no more than we brought about our own natural conception. (Something we probably don't want to think about too much.) So here's the danger: it's possible for someone to say 'Yes' to the message about Jesus: 'Yes, I'll become a Christian!' Someone might do that for all sorts of reasons - the heat of the moment; an emotional response to a great preacher, etc. But it's possible to do that whilst not actually being regenerated.

How would you know if someone's 'conversion' was true or false? In the words of Bob Marley - time will tell. The bigger deal than praying a prayer of response is: are you still trusting Jesus in a year's time, or 10 years' time? That would be the proof that you're truly regenerated.

Put the other way round, there can be a big time delay between regeneration and conversion. The 'seed' might be sown when someone heard the gospel in their teens, but never make a proper response until 20 years later. You might be regenerated as a small child, but only express a response later on.

Therefore, the thing to avoid is always pressing for a response here and now in people. That's not the big deal - though it might stroke our egos for people to visibly respond to our message. In fact, that sort of thing could do real harm if people are not truly regenerated - which is God's work alone. We wouldn't want people thinking they're Christians when they're not, would we?

No - our work is to sow the seed of the Word - tell people about Jesus. And pray. Our job is simply to be like the midwife, facilitating, helping the process along. Not manipulating people towards a response. That's why our work as a church must be steady, low-key, watching for where people are responding, patiently encouraging people to respond - knowing when to 'push', and when to step back!

Understanding the Holy Spirit's work makes us real servants of the church

2011-03-19T21:42:00.005Z

Thanks to the church family at Wellfield for freeing Mark for a week to come down to Norfolk. He's currently speaking at 2 back-to-back student "getaways". Students from St Andrew the Great in Cambridge have gathered to be fed and watered spiritually after a busy and draining term.

Speaking as a visitor, it is thoroughly encouraging to see about 80 students (and there's more coming on Monday!) who are so keen to learn how they can best serve God. There are those who are on the path to paid Christian ministry. There are those who want to go overseas to serve God. There are also those who are heading towards huge salaries that will be able to fund Christian workers as well as support themselves.

Mark spoke this evening and I am so helped by the things he said. This evening was "The Spirit and the Church". Many Bible passages were touched on. The one that is often misused (1 Corinthians 12-14) was perhaps the most helpful. He knocked on the head "I have a gift: I must use it" mentality. Instead, that passage shows us the diversity of the church, the gifts within it, and shows us how to serve others in any way we can. The more we are frustrated that our "gifts" are not being used, or the more we want to assert ourselves in this way, the more damaging it is for our churches.

The thrust of all his talks has been "other-person centredness", something which exists at the heart of God in the trinity, and therefore must be at the heart of our churches. If God can use me to take care of you, then I can trust him that you will take care of me. What a great logic! I found it incredibly powerful, and am (I trust not the only one) going to head back to my church with a fresh sense of belonging to the people there, and a burden to love and serve them in any way needed, even if it is not the way I feel I'm best suited to serve.

Thanks to God for his word to us, to Mark for his work in teaching it, and to our church for sending him down here for this week.

OUCH! Church planting hurts.

2011-03-17T17:01:00.004Z

Wellfield church is a "plant". Not a dusty greeen thing in the corner of your living room, but a "spin off" (Quoting Vicky Fielding) of St Andrew's Leyland, the large parish church in the middle of the town. We have only been going for 3 and a half years (I know because I remember our little girl was just born when we started!).

We were "sent out" by St Andrew's church because they wanted us to be able to reach more people. And that's what we're doing. Because of the different style of our meetings, the smaller numbers, the different location, we are reaching people who would not feel at all at home in a church building. One of our recent visitors said "I feel really comfy here". The idea is that if we can reach the "unreached" of Leyland with the good news of Jesus, then we can reach anybody. Any of our friends or colleagues who might be interested in knowing about Jesus would find us an easy bunch to join.

That's what we're about, but some of us recently have felt the continued pain of being sent out from the big church. Many relationships that we treasured have lapsed a bit. That is the most painful thing, especially when we bump into old friends all the time, and find that we now know very little of each others' lives! But you know, that's the only way churches grow. As we get busy in life, producing children, committed at work, trying to invest in our marriages, we can only maintain a limited number of relationships at once.

So if we are to befriend new people, which for many of us is outside our comfort zone, it is at the expense of relationships that we hold dear. It would be so much easier to stick with what we know! But God's kingdom is never going to advance that way. We are so grateful for the leadership of St Andrew's who have liberated us from commitments at our old church in order that we might spend our time investing in new relationships and seeing our little congregation grow.

Let's keep on trusting God and going forward with him, in faith that he will do his work through us.

Catching a glimpse of heaven...

2011-03-14T20:35:00.006Z

Just got back from our church weekend away – it was BRILLIANT! Although we were away for less than two full days, it was so refreshing, encouraging and enjoyable...

I think the best part was just being able to spend time with my church family. In the busyness of life when it's hard to grasp even a few hours together in an average week, it was such a treat to spend the best part of two days together; just getting to know each other better, having fun and really being a family. We shared meals, we served together by cooking & washing-up, we played games together and some of us went out for coffee or for a walk together. It was so lovely just to look around and see people chatting together, playing games, laughing together and to see people helping out with other people's children – spending time with them, entertaining them and looking after them.

One of the main things which struck me from the great teaching we had from John's gospel was the sheer importance of LOVE and UNITY within a church family and I felt a lot of that over the weekend – spending time with people who share your faith in Jesus and are also trying to live it out. It was so encouraging to be able to praise God together, to pray and discuss how God's challenging us together.

This weekend helped me to look forward to heaven! I was thinking about how brilliant the weekend was and how I'd LOVE it to be like that all the time. It is a bit of a disappointment to think about going back to work tomorrow, it was sad that the weekend had to come to an end! I can definitely see how Christians can be tempted to live in a Christian bubble – how much easier and comfortable that would be! BUT God hasn't called us to an easy and comfy life! He wants us to live in the wider world, to face up to how tough life can be in this fallen world, to reach people for Him and show others what He is like. Time together this weekend has really equipped me for this week to come.

It was like a little glimpse of heaven, where all of those who trust Jesus, all of God's people, will be there, truly united, praising God and enjoying His company and enjoying the company of other believers, and we'll never have that Monday morning feeling again! How truly amazing that will be!

Foundations for life, which won’t crumble?

2011-03-07T16:29:00.008Z

You know when a line from a song strikes you? Well, I was struck by a line from a song a while ago. It was: “if all beneath me falls away, I know that you are God”. It got me thinking about what is beneath me, as my foundation? What do I subconsciously and consciously rest and rely on? Where’s my SECURITY? If certain things in my life did fall away, or disappear, what would make it hardest for me to say to God – you ARE God, you are still good, you are still in control? If certain things were taken away from me, would I find it hard to trust God’s goodness and the fact that He is in control? Would I find it hard not to doubt that God is God?

Society tells us that our foundation should be money, or self-belief, or family, or a job – and of course, these things aren’t intrinsically bad, but they can fall away. As a foundation to build our lives on, they can crumble and they can disappoint – and often they do; they are changeable. Sadly a job can be lost, a friend can disappoint, money can all too easily disappear, self-belief can be shattered when we mess up…and if that’s what we rely on, where does that leave us? If our security is in those things it can leave us feeling hopeless and crushed. I’m sure we’ve all felt some degree of the disappointment that comes from misplaced trust, which can leave us feeling empty…

The line of the song particularly struck me because at the time I didn’t have a job, income was low, the future was uncertain and it was hard. BUT it struck me that it was not a completely hopeless and crushing situation, because my foundation isn’t in a job, or in money; it is in God; He is so good, He is so loving and HE is the only who who doesn’t change or fall away. It’s all very well to know the theory, but it’s quite something else to cling onto God when times are tough and other things do fall away and I pray God will keep me saying that He is God, completely good and in control, even when those inevitably tough times come.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;

my hope comes from him.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, you people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge.’

Psalm 62:5-8

(By Natalie)

How much is your Bible worth?

2011-03-04T08:38:00.006Z

This video [United Bible Societies, shot by Dianne Becker] has been doing the rounds - and I'm really pleased they've allowed us to put it here. It's about the Kimyal People in Indonesia receiving the New Testament in their own language at last. See what you think!

The problem with macho Christianity

2011-02-28T15:49:00.003Z

There's a difference between manly and macho. We're all for manly Christianity - the sort that makes men into real men. (The girls love that sort of Christianity too.) That's why don't have any airy fairy wooly wet vagueness at church. Jesus wouldn't have stood for that. We seek to have clear thinking action in response to the bible.

But there's a macho version around too. It thinks it's manly. But there's a subtle - though fundamental - difference. It's not new. We saw it in John 13v37 on Sunday in Peter. He says to Jesus, "I will lay down my life for you." Macho is about being the film hero. It's about being able to handle anything. It's the thought that 'I can do it, and no-one can tell me otherwise.'

Of course, there's a kind of good side to Peter's attitude. He's wants to give everything. He's all for Jesus, and he's determined to do the right thing, whatever the cost. But, as Jesus points out, there are two things to get right first; two opposites, things Peter needs to learn:

(1) Macho Christianity forgets that we need Jesus to serve us.

It's the lesson Peter should have learnt when Jesus washed his feet. Sure, we don't want men to behave like children - except in this one respect: we need help from Jesus. There's a time to stop fighting, and trust Jesus. That's what Jesus says in 14v1: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."

(2) Macho Christianity forgets how weak we actually are.

Jesus replies to Peter, "Will you really lay down your life for me? Before dawn, you'll disown me three times." It always strikes me with macho old men - they still talk strong, but they're weak. It's not fitting! And morally, we're all pathetic. The best intentions are not realised. We can't live up to serving Jesus any more than Peter could. But by his grace.

Jesus is not looking for men who will save his name - as if he depends on us to fight for him. He's looking for men who trust him to save them. Are we manly enough to face reality and do that?

A life wasted

2011-02-21T20:50:00.005Z

This is a way that leads to stagnation - unrealized potential, unfilled longings. It leads to a sense that I'm not living my life; the one I was supposed to live. It leads to boredom, to what Gregg Levoy calls the common cold of the soul.

To sinful patterns of behaviour that never get confronted and changed,

Abilities and gifts that never get cultivated and deployed -

Until weeks become months

And months turn into years,

And one day you're looking back on a life of

Deep intimate gut-wrenchingly honest conversations that you never had;

Great bold prayers you never prayed,

Exhilarating risks you never took,

Sacrificial gifts you never offered

Lives you never touched,

And you're sitting in a recliner with a shriveled soul,

And forgotten dreams,

And you realize there was a world of desperate need,

And a great God calling you to be part of something bigger than yourself -

You see the person you could have become but did not;

You never followed your calling...

(John Ortberg: "If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat" p34-35)

Service ... with a smile

2011-02-16T11:50:00.006Z

"The man who loves his life will lose it,

while the man who hates his life in this world

will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25)

The 'paradox of happiness' says that those who seek it don't find it, whilst some who seek other things do find it. True! But here, Jesus speaks of the greatest paradox of them all: the paradox of life. Love your life, live for yourself, serve yourself, and you'll lose out on life. But hate your life, treat your own interests as nothing as you serve Jesus and others, and you find real, everlasting life.

We saw in John 12 on Sunday, that was Jesus' pattern. He gave up his life so that others might live. But the chapter is full of examples, positive and negative: people either living for themselves or living for Jesus. The best was Lazarus' sister Mary, who extravagantly poured perfume on Jesus as an expression of utter devotion to him.

If we know Jesus as the life-giver, the one who raises the dead to life (John 11), then our response is rightly to abandon ourselves to serving him. Kill ambitions for our own glory, or comfort, or ease - before they kill us! Live to serve Jesus, whatever the cost - because that's where true life is found.

Order - not disorder - in God and the church

2011-02-09T13:52:00.007Z

A quote from D Broughton Knox (The Everlasting God, p69-72) on something we touched on a few weeks ago. I know it takes a while to get your head round it. But in a world that hates the idea of authority it's a good reminder.

"There is order in the Trinity: Father, Son, Spirit. This order does not imply inferiority but is an order among equals... From the doctrine of the Trinity we learn that there is order in ultimate reality. God is a God of order. This suggests that there is also order in created life. If the order of relationships in created life is confused, the relationships will be jarred... Order does not imply subservience or inequality... The Father is greater than the Son, but not as we evaluate greatness, for according to the real values of God the servant is the greatest; subordination is not an indication of inequality but of order. There cannot be subservience where there is complete love, complete other-person-centredness. In the Trinity although there is order there is no dominance on the one hand or subservience on the other, but only a relationship of love.

"... It is especially important that the congregation, which is the outward and visible sign of Christ's church and of the heavenly life, should reflect the principle of equality and order, which is basic to reality itself, so that the rest of society may learn from the way it sees Christians ordering their lives."

The hard work of relaxing

2011-02-02T10:37:00.002Z

"A stitch in time saves nine."

"Make hay while the sun shines."

"He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son,

but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son."

(Proverbs 10:5)

In the bible's story of creation, the seventh day never ends. It's the day when God rested from all his work. Rest is a good thing, something to look forward to and enjoy. But in order to get it and enjoy it rightly, work must be done first. There are no short cuts here; there's a time to work, and a time to rest. If you rest during the work time, you pay for it later. That's a fact of life we'd do well to keep reminding ourselves of.

It's seen in all aspects of life. A slow start in the morning can mean a late night of working. Failing to pay off the bills and debts leads to more serious problems to come. Even in family life: put in the hard work of training a baby saves a huge uphill struggle in future months; teach a toddler discipline, and the later childhood years become a greater joy by far. Life functions well when we work hard at the time to work. Rest comes when the job is done at the right time.

That is the pattern of life as God has made it. It is true in an ultimate sense too. The bible story unfolds to reveal the 'seventh day' as the ultimate rest - when God's people will enjoy being with him in the perfect new creation for ever. What joy! What rest! But now is the time to work. As Christians, we have been given the task by Jesus to 'Go and make disciples'. He never promised us an easy time now; in fact he told us to 'take up our cross daily' and follow him. Trials will come for our growth and discipline.

So let us not grow weary in our work now. Keep our eyes fixed on the rest to come, which we will enjoy for all eternity. But in the meantime, the 'crops need gathering', and the 'harvest needs bringing in.'

Book review: "How to pray" by RA Torrey

2011-01-23T15:51:00.003Z

The blokes have just finished reading this on Friday mornings ... and the girls are reading it on Thursday mornings. I'm so pleased it's been reprinted (for just £1!); I have half a shelf full of books on prayer, but not many actually get me praying. This one does.

Torrey was a sidekick to the influential evangelist DL Moody over a hundred years ago. They both had Pentecostal/charismatic leanings, and sometimes I find myself raising my eyebrows at some of his emphases and conclusions. But even when I disagree with him, I find I have to take him seriously - because he always wants to take the Bible seriously, and his love for Christ is so passionate. Whenever we've been discussing the book, we always at least say: '... but he's got a point, hasn't he?'

Torrey's ruthless analysis of bible verses is very challenging. Time and time again we find ourselves knowing that if that's the case, then pray! Motivation and practical advice abound.It's the sort of book to come back to again and again whenever prayer gets sluggish. Thank you Mr. Torrey.

The joy of keeping the Sabbath!

2011-01-20T15:55:00.003Z

It was good to look at the bible's teaching on 'the Sabbath' last night at growth group. It's a subject that Christians can get very worked up about - whether you should work, or shop, or play sport on a Sunday - and we didn't want to upset anyone over it. But we did see something very striking.

It's seriously strong teaching in the Old Testament: death to anyone who works on the seventh day! And yet it's hardly mentioned in the New Testament. The only direct teaching we find there on the matter is that you're not to let anyone judge you over the issue; it's just a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16). The importance of looking forward to 'rest' is fulfilled in Jesus.

What I think we failed to see is just what good news that is! From the story of creation onwards, 'rest' is what it's all been looking forward to: fulfilment, peace, an end to all our strivings. With Jesus, we have that rest! We know forgiveness, peace with God, even God as our Father. Wow! What the world strives for and longs for, by God's grace we have. As the Christmas carol says:

O ye beneath life's crushing load,

Whose forms are bending low,

Who toil along the climbing way

With painful steps and slow;

Look now, for glad and golden hours

Come swiftly on the wing;

Oh rest beside the weary road

And hear the angels sing.

Jesus: "Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Devoted to... the breaking of bread

2011-01-13T15:04:00.003Z

How do you go about remembering something - particularly something important - when you’ve got a brain like a sieve? Tie a knot in your hanky? Write it on your hand? Leave a reminder on your phone? Doing something tends to work better for me than merely trying to remember. And I often find that setting a reminder makes me remember anyway! There’s something of this going on in what the bible calls ‘breaking of bread’.

‘The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.’ (1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Jesus’ death is so important and affects so many different parts of our lives. That’s why he wanted us to remember it above all else. We forget our partners’ birthdays, our car keys, or the shopping; but this is something we really mustn’t forget - our lives depend on it!

So Jesus took two everyday things - bread and wine (a staple part of the Middle Eastern diet) - and made them the key reminders. It was a simple and easy gesture which would continually remind the early disciples of the central aspect of their faith. So its no surprise to find the early church was ‘devoted … to the breaking of bread’ (Acts 2:42).

How does that look for us? It means to take communion seriously, reverently, regularly and in community. It’s so easy to drift from the heart of the gospel; but being devoted to remembering Jesus’ death in this simple way helps us not to drift. Plus, we need each others’ encouragement, so we ‘break bread’ together. We’re all equal before God - and equally in need of Jesus’ death for our forgiveness. We ‘break bread’ as part of our meals together, where all are welcome to express their trust in Christ by feeding on the symbols of his body and blood.

By Mike

Using down time to build up

2011-01-09T15:47:00.005Z

It's one thing to do the things we have to. (Like what the boss tells us, for example; or like preparing for Sunday Club in time.) But what about the things that don't make a difference if we don't? What about: reading a good book, reading the bible, praying, planning ahead, fixing things that could actually wait, calling someone we could call tomorrow just as well...

In the profound words of Reggie Perrin, 'The problem with living for the moment is that it buggers up the next moment.' Bit rude, but true. Let's think it through: I can put off reading a good Christian book. It doesn't make any real difference for today. I don't feel like I've missed out. But if I read good stuff regularly, I'll be growing in ways I didn't know I needed to. I'll be learning things I didn't know were there to learn. I'll be spotting areas of godliness I didn't know I needed to grow in.

I can survive without. Like I can survive without good meals. In time, though, I'd be healthier with them. If we want to be growing as Christians, living productive lives, being useful to others - then we need to learn the habits of useful things that others won't see immediately.

'... make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.' (2 Peter 1:5-8)

Do what you want - as long as it doesn't affect me

2011-01-01T20:36:00.002Z

It's the motto of the day. How many times have you heard that? How often have you thought it? Here's a long quote, but worth it - it's Dr James Dobson in a Q&A session:

"Question: Tell me why I shouldn't be totally free to do anything I want, as long as my behaviour doesn't affect anyone else.

Answer: Nothing that you do is without influence on others. To illustrate this fact, let me ask you to take in a deep breath of air and hold it for a moment. The air that you inhaled contains at least three nitrogen atoms which were breathed by every human being who ever lived; literally, a portion of that same vilume of air was inhaled by Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo da Vinci, and Winston Churchill. In fact, your breath also contained at least three nitrogen atoms which were breathed by each of the dinosaurs of ancient times. Every living thing interacts with every other creature on earth, and the smallest act can reverberate for centuries.

Let me illustrate this interaction further. Suppose in the year 1500, a seemingly insignificant event served to delay sexual intercourse in a couple who produced a child. By delaying conception, even by five minutes, it is likely that a different sperm cell would have penetrated the egg in the mother. That would mean that a different person would have been born as a result of that minute interference. Ther is a 50-50 chance that the sex would not even have been the same. Then, the influences of the person who might have been would be replaced by the impact of the person who was actually conceived, multiplied day by day throughout his lifetime. How many other conceptions would the replacement alter in a sixty-year period? It is impossible to measure, but the impact of that original act would echo through the decades, perhaps resulting in a totally different population on earth than exists today. Just imagine, for example, how different the world would have been today if Adolf Hitler's sibling had been conceived instead of the tyrannical dictator.

In short, it is incredible foolish to think we can do anything without affecting our associates and fellow citizens on this earth. For this reason I react with irritation to the idiotic motto of the dropout culture, 'If it feels good - do it.'"

Go, Dr Dobson - such wisdom, once again.

Oh what a lovely Christmas at Wellfield!

2010-12-28T11:53:00.015Z

The slow nature of Christian ministry

2010-12-20T16:04:00.002Z

It was Jonathan Milton-Thompson who said to us a year or two ago, 'You may not see the fruit of the work you're doing now. Maybe your children won't see it. It might be your great-grandchildren's generation who reap the fruit of your labours. It doesn't mean it's not worth it - so keep on!'

As we head towards the close of 2010, we are ever conscious of the meaning of Jesus' parable: his kingdom looks like a mustard seed. Nothing. Yet we hold on to the truth that it will be seen to be biggest thing of all.

Like our snow-covered garden, our church's progress may seem so slow and quiet. Illnesses, setbacks, people drifting (as well as those coming, and growing), frustrations, disappointments... The world around us carries on in its wreckless complacency towards Almighty God. Jesus is now forgotton from Christmas. The people we want to reach out to are so ingrained in godless ways it's hard to know where to start.

Yet Jesus says to us, 'Take heart! I have overcome the world.' (John 16:33) Paul says, 'Therefore we do not lose heart.' (2 Corinthians 4:16) We look ahead to 2011 with fresh hope and energy, knowing Christ will build his church. We remain joyful, faithful, delighted by the gospel of Jesus, trusting in his providence over all, pressing on energetically with visible results or not.

Church planting the African way

2010-12-11T09:13:00.003Z

Check this out: it's James Lagos Alexander, a bishop from Sudan. And here's how they do church planting.

So what do we learn from this? It's right to pray for many people to turn to Christ and be rescued by him. It's right to pray for church growth. But we should never expect that to be glorifying to us! Church growth is something God brings about, and if it happens, it won't make 'Wellfield' look good. It won't be so that we can feel nice about it. With growth comes pain. So if we're going to pray for it, we need to know we're praying for God's glory, not our comfort.

As some of us read in Torrey on Friday morning: "Many pray for revival... but many prayers for revivals are purely selfish. The churches desire revivals in order that the membership may be increased, in order that the church may have a position of more power and influence in the community, in order that the church treasury may be filled, in order that a good report may be made at the presbytery or conference or association. For such low purposes as these, churches and ministers oftentimes are praying for a revival, and oftentimes too God does not answer the prayer. Why should we pray for a revival? For the glory of God..."

We've got a lot to learn from the church in Sudan. True greatness is humility, that thinks not of ourselves but the wonderful kingdom of God.

God loves a nobody

2010-12-09T16:36:00.004Z

One of the striking points from Luke chapter 1 last Sunday was the way God chose Mary for one of the most amazing jobs in history. She wasn't a princess or a well-known figure. She was an ordinary working girl from a Northern backwater. (I found on Sunday that jokes at this point don't go down well.)

That's the way God is. To him, our 'nobodies' aren't nobodies. This Christmas, let's think about that person who no-one bothers with - who will live and die and no-one will particularly care. Let's invite them to church, or Christianity Explored in January. And if you feel like that 'nobody', then know this: you're not, in God's kingdom. Please come to church - because you're 'somebody' there.

Devoted to... the Fellowship

2010-12-06T09:44:00.005Z

To be a Christian is to be part of a community. The Bible teaches that Jesus died to make a people for himself - to bring sinners into relationship with himself and one another. Whilst coming to know Jesus is something an individual must do, continuing in the faith is far from an individual thing. Being a Christian is a hard task: people think we are mad, bad or just out of touch. If we are to keep following Jesus, then we need to help one another. Being devoted to fellowship therefore means being devoted to those in our local church, being devoted to our Christian brothers and sisters - not just on Sunday but all through the week.

We need to ask ourselves the question: do we spend time with others from Wellfield - not just our personal friends, but with all of our church? Wellfield is small enough that we ought to be able to spend time with everyone from our church within a fairly short space of time. We can do this through organised activities like Growth Group, Prayer Meeting and Sunday meetings; these are a great way to encourage people to follow Jesus as we look at the Bible and pray together. But if we only do this, I don't think that this counts as being devoted to fellowship. Socialising with each other, spending time just doing the ordinary things of life, shopping, chatting, eating, watching the game, whatever you do as part of your individual life can be done together with someone else. And it's often more fun that way.

This isn't about creating a separate community; far from it. It's rather about creating a strong community where Christian brothers and sisters can grow together, share their lives with one another, talk about the hard things, the private things and the things we're shy about; a community where we don't just talk politely but meaningfully so that we all go from strength to strength together. When we build such a community with the help of God, we find something which is very attractive to most of the world which is so often starved of such friendship and love. Then we can more effectively reach out to those around us, as we invite them to get to know us, and through that to get to know Jesus' community. Evangelism is made easier, as involving people in your life will naturally lead to them meeting others from Wellfield, a place where those gifted in answering questions or talking about Jesus can use their gifts, so those of us who aren't can concentrate on our own gifts. So lets pray and then start using our diaries to meaningfully plan people in to our lives, as this is the only way it will ever happen.

(By Mike)

1 Church, 4 Congregations

2010-12-02T09:51:00.003Z

St Andrew's has changed its slogan. It was there on St Andrew's literature last Sunday, and people immediately asked, 'Ooh [yes, they did], is Wellfield no longer part of St Andrew's?' Well, the aim is to help clarify things for us. Now that Buckshaw Village Church exists, the idea is that St Andrew's is now '1 Church, 4 Congregations, and 2 Cousin Congregations'... but that's a bit of a mouthful. However, it is an opportunity to answer the question, What exactly is our relationship to St Andrew's?

[1] The terms 'Church' and 'Congregation' are, I think, a bit blurry - 'Church' is the gathering of God's people around God's Word (like the Israelites around Mount Sinai in Exodus). So we (Wellfield) aren't just part of something else - we are a church. (Hence the name of our website.) This is even more so given that we meet in a different place with a specific mission - to reach people who 'don't do church'.

[2] There are various ways of 'planting' churches. We are aiming to gradually gain independence. For the time being, we're dependent on St Andrew's financially, and accountable to the Church Council. We're grateful for the help and support. But the bigger the organisation, the more red tape, inevitably. For the sake of reaching people with the good news of Jesus we will need more and more to 'do our own thing'. (Of course, we'll always want to encourage them, and they us.)

[3] This 'moving away' is in no way saying we dislike St Andrew's, or anything they do! So, for example, the fact that we've not advertised any St Andrew's Christmas events this year does not mean we don't like them. But for the sake of our mission, we're saying we reach people through our ways. The more we throw ourselves into that, the more we'll need to pray, and own it, and the more we'll be excited about it.

12 ways to make the most of Christmas

2010-11-19T11:46:00.003Z

Some of us are natural scrooges. We're wishing the next month or so away! Does your heart sink at the thought of presents to buy, shops to trawl round, food to cook…? Well think again! Christmas is a great opportunity for us as Christians. Instead of getting fed up, here’s 12 ways to make the most of it this year - if we plan now:

[1] Get to know your neighbours. Maybe you’ve been on ‘hello’ terms for years with the people on the street. Why not get them round for mulled wine and mince pies? I bet they’d come!

[2] Give you neighbours an invitation. Knocking on doors? No thanks! But at Christmas, it’s somehow natural: ‘Hello, I’m from no. 39 - we're involved in St Andrew's at Wellfield, and we're inviting people to come at Christmas...'

[3] Bring people to a Christmas service. Many people who don’t come to church love to come at Christmas - but they just want a friend to invite them. Could you be that friend?

[4] Chat to people. If you’re stuck in a shop queue for half an hour, don’t be sour-faced and miserable like everyone else - give the person behind a bit of the Christmas spirit!

[5] Invite people for Christmas day. Why should it be the same closed family group every year? Encourage someone from church by inviting them to join you!

[6] Enjoy the long evenings. They’re not something to moan about - they’re an opportunity to socialise! Don’t sit alone with the telly in December: have people round for food, drinks, games, films …

[7] Give real presents. Instead of indulging in the greedy materialism of our age, give something that counts: a Christian book, an offer of help, a financial gift to a Christian charity.

[8] Visit someone. Christmas can be a lonely time for some. Bring some cheer by taking time out of the busyness for a visit.

[9] Read a good book. Get something off '10 of those.com' that you’ll really enjoy, and have ‘Telly-free evenings’!

[10] Go to the staff parties. Spend time with colleagues … but stand out as different!

[11] Talk about Jesus … not Santa. Traditions can be fun. But don’t blur truth and lies! And show children the true wonder of Christmas, rather than ‘What are you getting…’

[12] Read your bible. Those accounts of Jesus birth in Matthew and Luke take our breath away. Why not read them afresh, and be thrilled all over again with Jesus?

Remembrance Day

2010-11-15T10:34:00.006Z

I missed being at Wellfield yesterday morning! I heard you had a great time. As you know, I was at St Andrew's, speaking at the Remembrance Day service. There was a less pompous, quieter atmosphere this year than there sometimes seems to be at these things, I felt - perhaps because 112 more British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since last Remembrance Sunday. I always find it moving, and it is a truly important thing to consider the sacrifice of others on our behalf. But as I looked at the gathered crowd, it broke my heart to think that so many there do not know the wonderful life that Jesus brings.

Earlier this year we had the funeral of Marine Paul Warren at St Andrew's. A lot of his fellow Marines took part in the ceremony; and that evening I happened to be in the Eagle where they were all having a drink. They’d been drinking since the afternoon. And one lad sat on his own in the corner, near us, and made a few tearful phonecalls. Then he sat there quietly chucking up and sobbing, until his sergeant came over to talk to him.

He said, ‘Sarg - is this what it’s all about? I’ve lost two friends now. Is this what we do?’ And the Sergeant said (in a kind voice), ‘We just get up, and we get on with it. I’m going to give you 5 minutes to get yourself together, and get over there with the rest of us. But yes, we just get on and do what we do.’

I know he had to say that. And they were the words of a leader. And I understand that the Royal Marines is a hard living, hard drinking culture. And I am full of admiration for them, for what they do. But I want to say to all the lads like that, ‘We can do better! There is more!’ We can do better than train hard, work hard, and drown our sorrows. There is more to it: because there is a God, who has power over all.

I want to say to every person who feels that emptiness and worthlessness: - come back to God! With him, in the midst of death there is life. Why try and handle life without him, when we can’t? Why try and handle life without him, when what he holds out to us is so good? - Forgiveness; life; a future with no war. Why fight against him, when we could live life with him? Why settle for the pain of this world, when he holds out the gift of perfect everlasting life with him?

In the words of Psalm 46:
“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

In a world that seems meaningless, uncertain, even disastrous sometimes - let’s remember that we find hope in the true God.

Humility and Helpfulness

2010-11-10T08:52:00.006Z

We saw in Romans ch.3 on Sunday how a right view of our sin leads to humility. I've been reading on, and in ch.12 the point is made that humility affects how we relate to one another: "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought ... each member belongs to all the others." (12:3-5)

What we do affects all the other people in church. Therefore we need to think carefully before every decision and whatever we say.

If I spout off against another church member, I'll damage the relationship between the ones I'm speaking to and about.

If I'm negative about some activity we're doing, I'll stop others being involved.

What may seem to me like a casual conversation piece can have a big effect on someone. So let's make sure the effect we have is to build up, enthuse, serve their spiritual good - not drag them down. How could you do that at growth group tonight?

Pudding recipes

2010-11-02T22:22:00.000Z

I thought you might like to have recipes for the puddings from last week - especially that gorgeous, decadent cheesecake!

Double Chocolate Cheesecake

Serves 8, Prep 20 mins Plus chilling

175g digestive biscuits
50g butter , melted
300g cream cheese
200g mascarpone
300g milk chocolate , melted
100g dark chocolate , melted

Crush the biscuits and mix with the melted butter. Press the biscuit mixture into the base of a 20cm springform tin. Mix the cream cheese with the mascarpone. Fold the milk chocolate into the cream cheese mix and then stir in the dark chocolate so that it looks streaky.
Spoon into the tin, level the top and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Mary's Mum's Wholewheat apple cake

4 fresh diced apples
2 cups sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla essense
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups wholewheat flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)

Place diced apples in a bowl
Add sugar, oil, vanilla essence, soda, salt and eggs and mix thoroughly
Sift dry ingredients and add to wet mixture
Pour into greased pan (23cm x 35cm)
Bake at 175degC for about 30 minutes

Cream cheese topping

2 cups icing sugar
½ cup butter
100g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla

Who's the key member of your family?

2010-10-31T18:28:00.003Z

Interesting. I've been reading Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, an American Psychiatrist and Psychologist, about Gender Identity Confusion in boys.

It is often said that a healthy adult relationship with the opposite sex results from a healthy childhood relationship with the opposite sex parent. This is obviously true for girls (Dr. James Dobson "Bringing up girls") where self-esteem is key to coping in the adult world relating to men. Self-esteem is something on which a father's love and affection has huge effect in girls.

How is this true for boys and how does it work? Dr. Nicolosi says that it used to be thought that GID in boys was caused by an unhealthy "symbiotic" bond between mother and son. But new observations and research shows that closeness between mother and son is fine, as long as dad is in the mix and does not withdraw. It is dad who teaches the son the appropriate level of interaction with the female world at the pre-pubescent stage, and also teaches how to relate to women in a loving, protective way. So- Dad is essential to creating a healthy relationship between mum and boy, with all the life-long consequences that gives.

This has whacked me in the brain this evening. Kirsten Birkett writes in "The essence of family", that modern culture puts mum as the lynchpin of family life, but Biblical study actually shows that dad is the key family member around which all others will gather. It's the pattern of loving patriarchy, and it's healthy.

This means that the challenge for single mums and widows with young kids is a big one. In some sense, it's right to feel like "a family without an anchor". The loss for the family is huge. And the consequences for our society of "chucking dad out with the rubbish" are more serious than I first thought, for ongoing generations.

worry and beauty!

2010-10-29T19:02:00.001+01:00

I am blessed that at the moment I have a garden to look out on during my quiet times. I love looking out of the window before and after my prayer time and seeing the world which God has made.

For the past few weeks the trees have been green and I marvelled at how God had made so many beautiful things which I never really look at like the leaves on the trees. Each one is individual and beautiful in its own way and God made them, each one, just because He could, just because that is who He is. This morning as I looked out though, the leaves were brown, and orange, and red and we just as beautiful as when they were green. They are in a different stage of their life but still just as beautiful. Again I was reminded of our great God and how he looks after and cares for his world.

I'm reading through Luke in my quiet time and a verse comes to mind 'Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.' Luke 12:27. This is Jesus speaking and He goes on to say that therefore we should not worry, if God cares for each individual lily, on each individual leaf, whether it's new and green or old and brown, God will take care of us.

Too often I find myself worrying about what to wear, or wishing that I had the money to buy new things but there are more important things in life to worry about. 'For the... world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.' Luke 12:30-31

Do we really want a 'new creation'?

2010-10-29T15:21:00.003+01:00

Jesus said, "I am making everything new" (Revelation 21:5). It's a wonderful thought, when you look at horrific war zones or natural disasters or famines or injustice. But what about when you look at the best bits of this world - like when we were out walking near Kirby Lonsdale the other day?

And yes, though we've renamed the town 'Kirby Ponsedale' (they can be a little stuck up), and though there's still farm junk and thorns and barbed wire, it is staggeringly beautiful. The British countryside; the crisp frost; great oak trees; friendly cows breathing clouds of huff! (And wow: our kids not being scared of dogs!)

The best bits of this world are evidence of how amazingly God makes things. The fact he holds out to us is a new creation not of dreamy vagueness, or floating clouds. It's a remake of this world in perfection. All that's good about this world, with none of the bad bits to spoil it. The more I think about that, the more I want it. As Mark Ashton said, "We believe for death." That's when we'll see true goodness.

Of course, what will really make it is relationships (especially with Christ), rather than environment. But the point is, don't fix our eyes on environment here. When we see it at its best, say to ourselves, "There's better to come! There's better to come!" And fix our eyes there.

Happy to Serve

2010-10-22T10:30:00.004+01:00

No - nothing to do with a cheesy burger joint. Nor tennis. But church.

Jesus tells us (and sets the example) to be joyfully willing to be a servant of the church. He was the one who washed the disciples' feet. He was the one who gave up his life for our sake.

It never comes naturally to serve others, because we all think our needs are greater, and that our time is more precious than others'. But the funny thing is, the more we learn joyful service, the more we find we've got more time and more energy. Try it this week!

God, the Bible and Homosexuality

2010-10-20T10:03:00.006+01:00

Reading through the letter to the 'Romans' in the bible on Sunday mornings has all sorts of challenges. But culturally, the bit on Sunday morning was as tough as it comes: chapter 1, verses 18-32. People don't like the idea of the wrath of God, nor the idea that other points of view to Christianity are a sign of God's judgement. We're not allowed today to make exclusive claims to truth. But perhaps most difficult of all is what's said about homosexuality: that it is a 'perversion'.

People object to these words, or try to get round them in all sorts of ways. But they only make sense in the whole bible picture: that originally God made man and woman to enjoy sex within the context of marriage. It's not that God is anti sex, or trying to spoil our fun. The truth is, he's a generous, fun, good God.

Of course, all sorts of questions are raised (as they were on Sunday) about the nature of homosexuality - and there are wonderful answers for those who will hear. As Christians, our responsibility is to recognise the truth and goodness of God's word, and to lovingly persuade others of it; for Romans chapter 1 is there because the first step to receiving 'salvation' is acknowledging the darkness of the human heart.

Harry Brown: Jesus gone wrong!

2010-10-13T08:40:00.006+01:00

Have you seen the film? It's classic Michael Caine: good old-fashioned working class man has enough of the violent louts on the estate. It's gritty, for sure - the opening scene is of a couple of lads burning a little motorbike round the estate, shooting at a mum with a pram for fun. And it's deeply satisfying, as the old man Harry Brown decides he can do something (with perfect one-liners thrown in: 'You should have called an ambulance - for the girl!').

But as one critic (voxy.co.nz) points out: 'Even the basic tenant of vigilantism, not exactly a hot new concept, gets a stupefyingly simplistic treatment – it just plain works. Kill the kids who are part of your neighbourhood’s woes and the problems will simply go away.'

I thought the film was great. But, yes, the simplistic plot sells us short on four accounts:

(a) In real life, you can't do it. You can't sort out the problems. 'I see violence and strife in the city, day and night' (Psalm 55:9). We have to watch films about it, because real life it so rarely ends well.

(b) The film portrayed the depth of evil very well, and the reality of a godless society. But the seeds of utter depravity in the young thugs were sown by the previous generations who thought there was decent morality without Christ. Start making your own rules, and that's where it leads. Harry Brown: I'd rather have you as my neighbour than most. But you too are partly responsible for the mess. 'There is no-one righteous, not even one' (Romans 3:10).

(c) Films like this presuppose that Jesus is pretend. And if he's pretend, we have to take judgement into our own hands. But he will judge, utterly and fairly, in reality. I love the Michael Caine and Clint Eastwood characters. But they're hopelessly pale shadows of the real thing. And we have what they're craving: 'Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.' (Romans 12:19)

(d) With Jesus, there is the hope of mercy. The society in Harry Brown's estate seems totally beyond redemption. So kill 'em. Actually, we've seen that the grace of God has the most incredible power to turn the hardest of them. Lives ravaged by heroin, violence, lovelessness and perversion of every kind are not beyond the power of God's Spirit. We've got plenty of testimonies to prove it. It's true that 'There but by the grace of God go I'; but it goes further still: my sin is no less serious in living my 'upright' life ... in total disregard for my loving Maker. 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst.' (1 Timothy 1:15)

Devoted to ... the apostle's teaching

2010-10-10T21:45:00.000+01:00

What is a church? And what should it do?

Acts 2:42-47 in the bible give us a snapshot of what the first church was all about. This is the first in a series of five short articles on those fundamentals.

There are many things in the world which people use to base their life on. Some base their life on the culture they find themselves in, others choose a teacher, or a philosophy, a book or whatever pops in to their head on a minute by minute basis. Most Christians have based our lives on something like this in the past but have come to realise that these ways of doing things really don’t satisfy. Instead we believe we have a better way of life, something better to base of lives on!

We believe we have found the person who showed us how to live and who died and rose again so that we could have the 'slate wiped clean' and start to live this new life. This person was Jesus Christ; but Jesus lived two thousand years ago. So how do we go about following this God-man today?

Well Jesus prepared for this by choosing twelve men (‘Apostles’) who would live with him and whom he would teach, so that after he had died, risen and gone to heaven, they could stay and teach others about this amazing good news. So its no surprise that when we look at Acts 2 we find the first gatherings of Jesus' followers listening carefully to these men, and being ‘devoted’ to their teaching. They wanted to know what Jesus' life and death had meant and how it affected them.

As the church grew and the apostles got older it seemed wise for them to write down what they witnessed and what they had been taught so that future generations could benefit as well. When the writing was done, all those letters and books and visions of the future were eventually collected together and form what is known as the New Testament. This is the completion of all God has to say to mankind until he comes again. That’s why Christians, including the church at Wellfield, devote ourselves to it to this day!

We do this in a number of ways: we read the Bible by ourselves; we read and study in small groups; and we listen to someone explain it every Sunday. But if this is all we did, it would be a good start … but it wouldn't really be devotion - because knowing what the Bible says is only the first step. So the real challenge is to help one another to live out the teaching and example of Jesus on a day to day basis. It affects our conversations. It means we want to spend more time together. It means we care about each others’ lives. Because we know that the apostles’ teaching is life to us.

I believe in a God of love!

2010-10-08T20:30:00.000+01:00

I went to the 'Evangelists Conference' yesterday. The speaker was Sinclair Ferguson. (A Gordon Brown look-a-like ... and sound-a-like.) He made the point that when people say, 'I believe in a God of love', the honest answer is usually, 'No you don't.'

See, if you really believed in a God of love, you'd adore him and entrust everything to him; he'd be your passion and your life. The truth is, we generally believe the same lie that Eve fell for in the garden: that God is not being good to us. He doesn't have our best interests at heart. The truth more often is, 'I believe in a spoilsport God, a cruel God.'

Even as Christians, whenever we do our thing, instead of obeying God, we're doing the same thing: we're saying we don't believe God is good. Even after he's proved his love by sending his Son to die for us, we still hold back from him. What a bunch of eegits.

Wish I could have a chat with Russell Brand

2010-10-03T20:52:00.006+01:00

That's assuming I would be able to get a word in.

Just watched Russell Brand on Newsnight, and, although his high-energy speeches and unnecessary use of long words become tedious, it was fascinating to hear him say that he believes in God, is scared of death, and wants to make himself a better person but isn't finding it very easy.

It made me really want to have the chance to chat to him. He's reaching out for something greater than himself, but he doesn't know where to look. I am so grateful that I don't have to reach out into the darkness and find nothing to grab onto. Various people showed me, all those years ago, how I could meet God and be confident in the face of life and death. Where do we meet God? Only in the person of Jesus.

It is life. No guilt or slavery to my own weaknesses. No sting in death. Jesus said "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Tony Curtis - what a legend!

2010-09-30T20:30:00.005+01:00

So Tony Curtis is dead. I have to say he was one of the MOST gorgeous actors of his time. And young, strong and talented.

It really shocked me to see pictures of him as an old man. Just brings it home, that we are not long for this world, and whatever we have now (health, youth, family, money, strength) is not ours to keep. I don't know if Tony was ready to meet God, but I'm trusting Jesus to make me ready.

How is it POSS?

2010-09-27T15:14:00.003+01:00

We've got good news. We want people to know about it. That's one of the main reasons we exist. Just to keep ourselves motivated, we've said we want 40 adults to be meeting regularly together by October next year. We'll see how it goes, under God. The question is, how's it going to happen?

We don't believe we're so impressive or attractive that people will flock to us. We not going to stand on the street corners and shout about it, or do much knocking on people's doors. No real objection to those things - we just don't think it gets the message across very well. (And understandably puts some people off!) We just want to keep telling people we know and meet. Not in a scary intense way. But we pray for people; organise our social lives; actually socialise; and, as opportunity arises, speak. (And listen, too!)

Book review: "Bringing up Boys" - James Dobson

2010-09-26T20:58:00.006+01:00

I've only read five chapters, and I love it already. Having said that, I wasn't expecting anything else. James Dobson is one of the best Christian authors on the family and parenthood around. Some classics well worth reading are "The strong willed child", "Dare to discipline", and "What wives wish their husbands knew about women".

Some quotes from chapter 5 of "Bringing up Boys":

"Historically, when the family begins to unravel in a given culture, everything from the effectiveness of government to the general welfare of the people is adversely impacted.....the future of Western civilisation depends on how we handle this present crisis...Nations that are populated largely by immature, immoral, weak-willed, cowardly, and self-indulgent men cannot and will not long endure."

"We must make the necessary investment to counter these influences and to build within our boys lasting qualities of character, self-discipline, respect for authority, commitment to the truth, a belief in the work ethic, and an unshakeable love for Jesus Christ."

Very helpful. We know the challenges of our particular culture, and we know the challenges of our particular children! Perhaps we don't apreciate the likely consequences of our efforts with them now. An encouragement to all christian parents to keep at it, and to those whose kids are boys, a challenge in the face of a huge social attack on manhood and masulinity, to nurture healthy character in our sons.

ten in two

2010-09-25T20:01:00.000+01:00

I stumbled across a blog the other day and one post stopped me in my tracks. It was just what I had been thinking I should be doing with my life... Only the writer was actually doing it!

I really, really want you to have a read. It's short.
Here's the link to the post. Go on, read it now - I'll be here when you get back.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Good isn't it?

I think he's summed up pretty clearly what were trying to do at Wellfield. His challenge is to help ten people get to know Jesus and become Christians and his timescale for doing that is two years.

Do you remember at growth group when we were talking about where we'd like to be when Wellfield is five years old? That's two years off, almost exactly.

Who is up for the challenge?

I think having 'ten in two' as our main goal (both as individuals and as a Church) would absolutely transform Wellfield. It would totally change our priorities, wouldn't it?

We will have to rethink how we use our time, our service, our homes. Our prayer lives will change. It will affect the choices we make for our kids and our friendships.

But we'll be in it together - You get to know my mates, I get to know yours and we share Jesus together.

So, each of us aiming at ten people in two years? Are you up for it?

I'll post again later in the week with some ideas for how we could do it and with some encouragement if, like me, you read this challenge and felt like hiding for the next two years instead.

Godly saints and old hags

2010-09-19T14:27:00.003+01:00

Fron Mark's sermon this morning:

There are two types of old lady, aren't there? The lovely type... and the other. If you want to end up as the lovely, godly type, start practising now! Olive Bell, whose funeral was this week, was one of the first type. She was lovely. I remember her talking about when she and Ray had their son, how they lived in one room, with a curtain to pull across after the baby went to bed! It was one of her many fond memories!

Her granddaughter asked her to write answers to a load of questionsin her old age. One of the questions was this: "what's the best advice you could give to a younger person?", and her answer was this: "always be optimistic; look on the bright side; the Lord will provide and be with us always."

That's a lesson to our whinging generation. One for me anyway.

The Pope, Humanism and Hitler

2010-09-16T18:26:00.005+01:00

"As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the 21st century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society".

This is the conclusion of Pope Benedict XVI's speech today, with which the British Humanist Society has been so offended. Nice to have the boot on the other foot, and use the "intolerance" card to show the aggressive atheist and secular agenda for what it is. The Pope knows about the Nazis. He was in the Hitler Youth, and deserted from the army of the 3rd Reich towards the end of the war.

As Mark washed the dishes and I sat on the sofa reading about all this, Mark made the point that people only ever (try to) get rid of God so that they can do evil. So, although no papist myself, it is great to have someone with such a platform pointing these things out. Nice one, Benedict old man.

Dog Blog

2010-09-09T20:49:00.005+01:00

At the top of the blog page, there's a button that says 'Next Blog'. I didn't know we had another one, so I clicked on it. Turns out, it just takes you to another random blog. I clicked through about 10 or 15 other blogs. What was interesting was not the blogs (no way, mostly...), but that of that small number, three of them - yes, THREE of them! - where about people's dogs!

Now, I like dogs. At least, some dogs. And I like it that people have them at pets, and I'm happy for them to like them. But really, who thinks the world wants to know about their dog? Are these people dyslexic or something? Surely the world wants to know about God, not their Dog.

The order of things as laid out in the Bible is: God, people, animals. So in Genesis 3, as sin enters the world, it is seen in the order being turned upside down. The serpent leads the woman, who leads the man, who both disobey God. It's nice to have pets. But our obsession with pets as a society is a sign of rebellion against God. We care more for flea-ridden muts than we do about the glorious creator of all and giver of life.

Jennifer Aniston on families

2010-09-02T21:41:00.006+01:00

So Jennifer Aniston thinks it's just SO GREAT, we can have babies in our 40s, 50s and beyond, via medical whizzery. No need for a real man. Or a relationship. Or a family.

Jennifer Aniston doesn't know the God who made her. What does she really have? She's rich, pretty and famous. Dog poo.

Families are surely complicated, none can claim to be perfect, and some are very unusual in the way they work (!). But Ms. A. doesn't know better than God about the best place for kids. I think I'll stick with what he says.

Holiday of a lifetime?

2010-09-02T20:06:00.005+01:00

Aah! We've just got back from holiday. And the truth is, we're really glad to be back! Not because we had a rubbish time. (We didn't.) Not because the kids were driving us mad. (They weren't.) Not because the weather spoiled it. (It couldn't.) We're glad to be back because that's what holidays are for - coming home from!

If you live and work for holidays, they tend to leave you just slightly disappointed, don't they? 'You can have the best time ever, do whatever you want, spend money...' - and deep down, there's a nagging frustration. (Even if it's just because you know it's coming to an end soon.) But the question is, what are you living for? We're refreshed and rested, and grateful for the privilege of another family holiday. But we've come back to get on with the purpose of our lives: - to live for Jesus, to tell people about Jesus, that they may come to have life in his name just as we have done. Isn't that great?!