Richard Maclannan's Blog (what else to say?)

Boasting about the future

2009-04-27T15:21:00.002+01:00

Today, I read this verse in the Bible.

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day will bring forth" (Prov 27:1, NIV)

James 4:13-17 is similar.

"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

Here are some thoughts I had.

- Boasting about tomorrow presumes I'm in control of tomorrow. But I'm not. I don't know what will happen. I don't know who I'll meet, what I'll say, what will be said to me. I don't even know whether I'll be alive tomorrow. I'm a "mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" according to James. Jesus is also coming - he's set a day, calling it Today - and that day could be tomorrow.

- Knowing who is in control of tomorrow means that I can't boast about tomorrow. God is definitely in control of tomorrow. He was there in the beginning, he will be there in the end. So this means I must revere him. I must entrust all of my daily plans to him - and know that if he wills it, then it will happen. And whatever he wills, he wills for the good of his people - and so I should gladly thank him for all that he has allowed to happen in a day.

- Knowing who is in control of tomorrow doesn't mean I shouldn't plan for tomorrow. Note that word is "boast". It is not "plan". "Boasting" is arrogance, it presumes I control something, when I clearly don't. It sets me up against God. But God has asked me to plan for things.

He has given me work. And work is there for daily provision of needs. (After all, Jesus presumes that the farmer plans for the harvest, so that he might eat as a result of his labour.)

God also commands the believer to be ready to give an answer to anyone that asks for the reason of the hope I have in Christ. To not plan for that is not only foolish, but also shows my underlying contempt for others - that the grace given me might not reach them too.

But more importantly than that - Jesus is coming. And this now means that I should be alert - for I do not know the time or the hour. There is eternal planning to be done by me now. Such planning is simple: "Forgetting what is behind, and straining towards what is ahead, I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me". It is focusing on Christ, looking to Him, imitating Him in his humility, trusting Him for daily forgiveness and grace, seeking first His kingdom and righteousness.

Birthdays - some thoughts.

2008-09-15T07:07:00.005+01:00

Over the past few years, but more recently (and even today for those whose birthday it is!), I've been thinking about birthdays, and how Christians could respond to them. So often, we write "Happy Birthday" - but what does that mean?

So here are some random jottings. If you read this (and for all I know, this is something that no-one might read), you could feel free to comment about other things that I've missed.

"Happy Birthday"

means we praise God because He created us in our mother's womb. He gave us birth, He knitted us together (Psalm 139).
is a reminder that God has sustained us throughout our lives so far (Psalm 139 - "all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be")
is a time when we receive gifts from people. But how much more does His people's Father in heaven give good gifts to his children!
shows His people that they are closer to His return than they were before.
should make us realise that we're inherently weak (because we're getting older - we age, but He doesn't) and make us rely on Him more.
should remind His people that He has given us new birth, where time isn't an issue.

Happy Birthday indeed!

What's in a name?

2008-09-15T07:00:00.002+01:00

I looked up my name on a name meanings website recently. Apparently the name "Richard" means "powerful, rich ruler". Woteva.

It's funny how we attach meanings to people's names, as if by giving them that name, we define their character.

But who is the only person whose name perfectly matches his character? Whose name, meaning "the LORD saves", or "God with us", or "God's Anointed One", perfectly describes his character?

It's Jesus Christ, Immanuel. For it is he who shows us that God does indeed save - because Jesus became "God with us" - he became a man. He died a death to save sinners like me.

But he's also God's Anointed One, the one who reigns on High as King of Kings, and the one who is the perfect priest, who intercedes for his people.

When such a great character is revealed by the names attached to the Lord Jesus, then it is right and good to praise Him.

The struggle, but the hope - Psalms 42 & 43

2008-09-02T22:41:00.004+01:00

Tonight, at the EEFC prayer meeting, we studied Psalms 42 and 43. This couldn't have come at a more convenient time for me, where

- I've returned from a Christian Bible boot camp, and am finding the battle against sin and apathy hard
- I've woken up late for a couple of days, or have been distracted, and have thus missed reading my Bible (something I really want to do)
- the joy of salvation has been quite far from my mind. (In fact, my prayer has been "Restore to me the joy of your salvation (Psalm 51:12).)

And yet, in these Psalms, we read (3 times) the refrain "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God."

The original writer of this Psalm was a man who served in God's temple (Son of Korah), but was away from the temple at present (implied in 42:4, 5b), and thus, in OT times, away from God's presence. He felt downcast at not being at the temple - his soul thirsted to be there - it's what he wanted.

It felt like God had rejected him, it felt like God had forgotten him (43:2; 42:9).

What's the cure? Talking to himself ("Why are you so downcast, O my soul?") that he might remind himself of the hope in God, of God's salvation, and God being God, and that the restoration of the former days of being in God's temple would happen.

But also talking to God. For after he has spoken the repeated refrain (as mentioned above), he "remembers God" (42:5b), he says to God (42:9), he asks God for help from his enemies (43:1), he asks God for direction (43:3).

But where's the Christian's hope today? It's the certain hope of resurrection, of being with God, where there will be no downcastness any more. It's the looking forward to singing with God's people, around God's throne (42:4). It's the certainty that should death occur before Christ's return, that we will be with God (43:3-4).

While the Christian knows the power of God to vindicate them from situations in this life, here in the future is where the Christian's eyes are.

Because here, in the present, but a present that guarantees that glorious future, the Christian sees Jesus. God who became man, who was downcast, and said on a cross, "My God, why have you forgotten me", who was taunted, who had people saying "Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God...Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" (Matthew 27 from verses 42-43).

And yet the same Jesus ,who was rescued from deceitful and wicked men, who now rules on high, on whom the downcast Christian can focus their eyes and see certain vindication, because he was raised from the dead.

Christian, are you downcast? Put your hope in God, for you will yet praise him, the one who saves you, the one who is the true God and can guide you. Amen.

Wow - it's been a long time, and how familiar passages can strike you!!

2008-08-12T22:32:00.002+01:00

I can't believe I haven't posted all year. But it's there to be seen. And so now for something rather exciting.

Tonight, at our prayer meeting, we were taught from Hebrews 12:1-3. Here it is, from the NIV.

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

We learned that there are two top tips for persevering through the Christian life.

- Throw off your sin. No real race runner runs in their tracksuit, or deliberately does things that will affect how they live. And so the Christian must throw off anything that hinders. It's so easy to become affected by sin, so we must be ruthless. We must ask God to point out those things that entangle us.
- Fix your eyes on Jesus. Why? Well he's marked the race out for us. Just as in the London Marathon, they lay a blue line down for all the runners after them to follow, Jesus endured and has come out victorious. We need only fix our eyes on him. It was his joy to endure the cross, that he might mark out the race for those who follow him. It's our joy to focus our eyes on him, the victor, now. Life is hard at points, but this is where we have the encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Christ - those who are still enduring and those who have endured. And we have the continual helping of that same Lord Jesus through His Spirit, urging us on to live lives that glorify Christ.

The implications are clear (at least, they are now)

- how on earth can I ever be selfish and not encourage my brothers and sisters to live for Christ?
- how on earth could I ever take my eyes off of the Victor and look at other stuff?

These are my prayers.

"Above all" - Lenny LeBlane & Paul Baloche - an alteration?

2007-12-29T12:02:00.000Z

Some of you will know this song. The tune is excellent. The words are, for a great part, great Bible - speaking of God's supremacy since creation, Jesus' purpose in coming to earth, his death, and his current authoritative position. Lenny LeBlane and Paul Baloche have done well in exalting our Lord Jesus.

With all of these positive attributes, there are a few lines which I find unhelpfully unclear, and, some may argue, disputable.

"...like a rose, trampled on the ground, you took the fall, and thought of me, above all."

My difficulties with these lines stem from the following 3 reasons.

Jesus arguably thought of his Father's glory more. (John 17)
The "rose trampled on the ground" language is different to that used in Scripture. Here's how this could go wrong.

- I can only understand this phrase by what it means to me, not by Scripture in its context.
- Each one of us is different, so we will think about this in different ways, and come to different conclusions.
- Some people may mistakenly think this is Scripture, and use this as such. That would be bad news.
If we are to understand these lines correctly, we'd have to ask Lenny and Paul for their interpretation. But this all sounds too much like modern art, where the painting is more fully understood by the artist's description next to it. And it may even distract from the rest of the song. Imagine if we'd have to put up a "note" next to these lines saying "This is what these lines actually mean."

For these and other reasons, I know churches who wouldn't sing the song. But in thinking about this over the past months, the song seems also to incorporate ideas from Philippians 2:5-11, where Christ, who had equality with God,

made himself nothing
became obedient to death on a cross
was exalted by God to the highest place
has the name above every other name.

I've got some other lines, but am not sure of the copyright here. If I'm not allowed to interfere with the song, then fair enough. Please tell me and I'll remove this (as I'm not here to offend, but to encourage). If I can interfere with the song, I guess you should note this on any display or projection of the lyrics. (P.S. Any comments on copyright stuff, or links to information there upon gratefully received.)

Here, then, is the chorus with my alterations in italics.

Crucified,
laid behind the stone;
You lived to die,
rejected and alone;
then You rose,
ascended to Your throne;
You will return,
but now You reign
above all.

The Cross of Christ - quotes from Preface and Chapter 1

2007-08-18T15:03:00.000+01:00

I certainly don't have time to post them all at once! This book is amazing, and is a great resource for anyone teaching the cross. Written over 20 years ago, the book addresses a lot of issues, and reasons for the Cross of Christ.

For any Christians that might be feeling that the drum of the substitutionary atonement of Christ is only being banged now by the authors of "Pierced for our transgressions", "The Cross of Christ" firmly bangs the same drum. (And what a necessary drum it is to bang.)

Here are some quotes, all taken from "The Cross of Christ" with study guide, John Stott, ISBN 0-85110-674-9

"For the cross is at the centre of the evangelical faith. Indeed, as I argue in this book, it lies at the centre of the historic, biblical faith, and the fact this this is not always everywhere acknowledged is in itself a sufficient justification for preserving a distinctive evangelical testimony." p7

"...the meaning of the atonement is not to be found in our penitence evoked by the sight of Calvary, but rather in what God did when in Christ on the cross he took our place and bore our sin." p9

"What, however, I shall try to show in this book, is that the biblical doctrine of atonement is substitutionary from beginning to end." p10

"There is no alternative to careful exegesis of the text" p12

"From Jesus' youth, indeed even from his birth, the cross cast its shadow ahead of him." p17

"Do Christians really for the sake of the cross 'count the world but loss', and 'boast' in it alone, and 'sacrifice' everything for it?" p19

"A universally acceptable Christian emblem would obviously need to speak of Jesus Christ, but there was a wide range of possibilities...the chosen symbol came to be a simple cross...[Christians] wished to commemorate as central to their understanding of Jesus neither his birth nor his youth, neither his teaching nor his service, neither his resurrection or his reign, nor his gift of the Spirit, but his death, his crucifixion." p.21

"...the centrality of the cross originated in the mind of Jesus himself." p.25

"...the Synoptic evangelists bear a common witness to the fact that Jesus both clearly foresaw and repeatedly foretold his coming death." p.28

"...the paradox John records can hardly have been accidental, that the hour for which he had come into the world was the hour in which he left it." p.29

"It was from this chapter [Isaiah 53] more than from any other that he [Jesus] learnt that the vocation of the Messiah was to suffer and die for human sin, and so be glorified." p.31

"The apostles were quite familiar with this legislation [that 'anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse'], and with its implication that Jesus died under the divine curse. Yet, instead of hushing it up, they deliberately drew people's attention to it...They did not think of Jesus as in any sense deserving to be accursed by God. They must, therefore, have at least begun to understand that it was our curse which he was bearing." p.34

"...in the nature of the case the resurrection cannot stand by itself. Since it is a resurrection from death, its significance is determined by the nature of this death." p.35

"If (as may be) the book of life is said in [Revelation] 13:8 to belong to 'the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world', then John is telling us nothing less than that from an eternity of the past to an eternity of the future the centre of the stage is occupied by the Lamb of God who was slain." p.40

More soon! :-)

This is so wrong...and yet so funny

2007-08-07T17:33:00.000+01:00

I've nicked this from the Facebook group "Calvinism: The group that chooses you". It makes me cringe, but in so many ways, it's really quite apt.

What is it you want?

2007-07-10T22:04:00.000+01:00

This post forms thoughts from a talk we heard at our church prayer meeting tonight (Jonty Allcock).

Often this seems such an innocent question. "What is it you want?" could also be translated as "What is it you daydream about?", or "What is it you think about most?"

In a recent magazine, an article from a "life-coach" (a logically bizarre concept) showed ways that you can live your dream.

1. Know where you want to be (obviously...)
2. Believe in yourself.
3. Write your goal in big letters and put it on your fridge.

Yet, in Matthew 20:17-34, we see this question asked twice by two different groups of people.

The context is: Jesus is going to Jerusalem. And Jerusalem is where the king is. And James & John realise that now is their time for glory. They can be enthroned next to the king! Amazing. They then make a request of Jesus through their mother - "We want to sit at your right and left in your glory"!

On James & John's fridge are obviously the phrase "Greatness hunters". They want to be great with their king. And they want to be there ahead of the other disciples.

What they don't realise is that the earthly "throne" that Jesus will take up is his cross. It is this that Jesus has on his fridge - the cross. This is his focus.

But look at the contrast with the "mercy hunters", directly after this passage. Jesus contrasts the two "greatness hunting" disciples with the "mercy hunting" blind men.

Jesus, focussed on the cross, stops. Jesus, the Son of David (God's king), the Lord (a phrase they use 3 times compared to James and John's none), fixed on his lifetime's mission, stops - for two blind men. These men were insignificant - the crowd were asking them to be quiet.

They have nothing to give Jesus. And Jesus asks them "What do you want me to do for you?".

They are only looking for mercy. And Jesus has compassion on them, and cures their sight. Their reaction - to follow him along the road.

When we come to talk to Jesus, how do we pray? Do we pray "Give us what we want", as if we were on a level with Jesus, as if, somehow, Jesus owes us something.

Or do we realise our real state - poor, pitiful, outcast, undeserving, spiritually blind? Do we realise God's king, the Lord, is the one to whom we should be asking for mercy?

How very vain I am, if I presume in my praying that I am anything equal with Jesus - he who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

I praise him that he heard me ask him for mercy to open my spiritually blind eyes, that I may see him and follow him. What now for me as a follower of his, than to keep asking him for that same mercy!

So he's gone up the mountain - what now?

2007-06-28T07:06:00.001+01:00

Consider these parallels (and contrasts).

Acts 1v9-11

"After he said this [that they should be his witnesses by the power of the Holy Spirit], he was taken up before their eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven".

- Jesus goes up a mountain
- A cloud hides him from their sight
- The disciples stand there waiting for him to return.
- The same Jesus will come down in the same way you've seen him go up (but this time as Judge)

Exodus

- Moses goes up a mountain
- A cloud hides him from the sight of the people of Israel
- The Israelites stand at the foot of the mountain waiting for him to return.
- Moses comes down in the same way he goes up (except his face is left shining, and he brings the Law, that which judges and condemns all people as guilty).

So what's the difference?

In Acts, the people devote themselves to prayer and proclamation of the gospel under the power of the Spirit. In Exodus 32, we read the following.

"When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down the mountain, they gathered round Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what's happened to him."

What's the greatest danger for the Christian as they "wait" for Jesus to return? That they say "As for this fellow Jesus, who rescued us from our slavery to sin, we don't know what's happened to him."

Praise God for his Holy Spirit - his continued presence with the believer - who enables the believer to proclaim his name, pray, be reminded of what he's heard of Jesus, and lots more.

Pray that we would never be taken to make idols in place of the risen, ascended Jesus. He is coming back - soon!

The greatest danger for Christians

2007-06-12T22:12:00.000+01:00

I wonder how true this statement is.

"The greatest danger Christians face is to go through the motions but to lose the edge that Jesus Christ is the majestic Lord."

We're certainly in danger if we see church as something to fill our Sundays.

We're certainly in danger if we just come to meet friends we've known for ages.

We're certainly in danger if we find our experience of church dull or boring.

If we find ourselves in that danger, here's an obviously simple solution.

Remember Jesus Christ.

Remember that he is the majestic Creator God, seated on a throne in heaven.

Remember that, if you're a Christian, he left that throne and came to serve - to die even - for people like me and you.

Remember that he has risen - he's certainly God - and is now seated on that throne in heaven once more.

Remember that he will one day come again to gather his people into his kingdom.

Now, if that's not exciting, well, I don't know what is... :-)

The horrid cup and the cup of forgiveness

2007-05-25T21:38:00.000+01:00

Matthew 26:27-46 is simply packed full of stuff. But here's some ideas.

The cup is horrid

The horrid cup is full of God's anger against people who have done wrong against him.
Everyone deserves to drink the horrid cup.
One day, God will come to judge - the horrid cup has to be drunk.
But Jesus is drinking the horrid cup - and he has done nothing wrong!

The horrid cup can be taken away

Jesus drinks the horrid cup for his disciples (those who follow him)
Jesus drinks the horrid cup, because he is God.
I deserve to drink the horrid cup, but Jesus drinks it for me.

Jesus can give the cup of forgiveness

As Jesus drinks the horrid cup, taking it away from me, so he gives the cup of forgiveness for many
The cup of forgiveness covers all my sins.
Jesus can give the cup of forgiveness to those who see he is the only one who can take it away.
Communion is a sign that Jesus has taken the horrid cup, has drunk it to its dregs, and has given the cup of forgiveness to Christians.

Joshua enters the promised land

2007-05-03T13:59:00.000+01:00

Just come back from a lunchtime study with a couple of fellow Christians at my work - which has been really helpful. Today's was the first meeting for a long time, down mainly to us all being busy at points, but, at least on my part, was a combination of that, and being downright lazy.

Joshua 5:1-11, then, is the first diary report we get from the Israelites in the Promised Land. And we notice that, now, even as then, the LORD's promises are being displayed. He has subdued the nations around him by displaying his mighty power in rolling the sea back. No-one is daring to touch the Israelites.

And now the LORD chooses to renew his eternal covenant (that which he first initiated with Abraham in Genesis 17). All of the men are circumcised. Notice that these men don't know about Egypt, they were born in the desert. None of those who disobeyed in Egypt have entered.

When they heal from the circumcision, God then announces that the reproach of Egypt has been "rolled away". And then, 40 years, to "that very day", they eat the Passover in memory of the LORD's rescue of them from Egypt.

This would be just history, if God hadn't revealed himself similarly to each believer. They, who have been born in to a line of sinful human beings, enslaved by that sin, have had the reproach of that sin removed from them, because God has said so through Jesus. Jesus takes that sin - he dies on the cross. This is how it is removed.

All of this undeserving, but God then provides for the Christian the promise of a land (new heavens) where one day the removal of reproach will be fully realised. The transition of sinful bodies into heavenly bodies guarantees this.

How amazing God is! A great bible study, but a great certainty. He who promises and has delivered before, will deliver once again.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Jonathan Edwards: a God-centred life

2007-01-27T16:46:00.000Z

This post will serve 3 purposes, I hope.

- It will give people a chance to see some interesting quotes from Josh Moody's book "The God-centred life".
- It will provide a good overview of the book for anyone wishing to buy it.
- It will provide derision for my fellow Cornhill colleagues, who read this book months ago, when they realise I only recently finished it.

Josh Moody sets out to show us insight from the life of Jonathan Edwards for today. He doesn't want to study Edwards for a history lesson, but see his life, which he argues was (and I guess now very much is!) God centred.

The book could read a little easier, and there are points where Moody's sentences befit the language of the time of Edwards. However, there are some excellent bits to note here - anecdotal, and otherwise. This exercise is as much a reminder for me of what I read as (I hope) it is enjoyment for you.

"As Bill Clinton said in a public lecture at Yale University, 'Anyone who believes in absolute truth is just wrong'. Clinton was apparently unaware of the self-contradiction involved in an absolute denial of absolutes" (p.17)

"Is Edwards's manner of preaching commendable today? I think the answer is both yes and no. The answer is no because part of the reason why Edwards managed to sustain such an intense focus in his sermons is that his congregation was more biblically literate than the average congregation nowadays." (p.23)

"He [Edwards] believed his calling as a preacher was not simply to evoke a positive response, but to teach biblical truth and engage an appropriate response to that truth." (p.23)

"Edwards's church experience was self-consciously shaped by biblical teaching about the church. He was a Puritan, part of a Reformation movement that had sought to purify the church. Today many evangelicals think the Bible does not tell us anything about church government or church structure or 'how to do church', but merely about the message of the gospel." (p.24)

"Reading Edwards's sermons, I [Moody] am constantly struck by a sense of how much of our preaching today is play-preaching." (p.36)

"When people associate hellfire preaching with Edwards, it is only because it is rare to preach in such a way today." (p.37)

"Preachers should not tell stories; they should tell the story." (p.45)

"Put away the projector and instead take out the Bible. The preached word need not be dry, boring or unattractive. It is fire, life, a sword." (p.47)

"Why discuss preaching and the church? Is not revival [the subject being discussed] something different altogether? Are not preaching and the church too mundane, too lacking in mystical or experiential elements to be associated with that category of revival?" (p.47-48)

"Many of our churches, not the buildings but the people, are in a state of disrepair, of unbiblical compromise and sin, of lazy inattention and being stuck in the past. We need to rebuild our communities. We also need to explain the Bible, for there is a basic ignorance of what the Bible says and actually means." (p.48)

"Hard as it may be to believe now, in times gone by there was a danger some would go to listen to preachers purely for entertainment value. We cannot nor should we aim to return to those days". (p.50)

"Ineptitude in this area [the area of spiritual experience] has allowed crass manipulation to flourish in many a church, hostage to the 'God told me' trump card. It has also led to confusion, uncertainty, and a fear of spiritual experience like a fear of the unknown. Not a million miles away, heresies in the form of Mormonism, Christian Science and Jehovah's witnesses have flourished in the experiential vacuum. Then there are the hosts of individual Christians who deny clear teaching in Scripture, because what the Bible says goes against what they feel - and, after all, they have a personal relationship with God." (p.53)

"His [Edwards'] theology of salvation meant that personal realtionship with God could not be based on how we felt; instead, it had to rely upon the objective work of Christ on the cross, revealed to use by the Spirit in the Bible." (p.55)

"When the Bible says 'heart', it does not mean our feelings, not does it mean our thinking in terms of logic; it means the sum of our person, our gut, our thinking-willing-feeling union." (p.61)

"When a movement functions to convict people of sin and awaken the conscience, it must be of God, for this 'operates against the interests of Satan's kingdom, which lies in encouraging and establishing sin, and cherishing men's wordly lusts'" (p.73, with part quote from Hickman, 'Works of Jonathan Edwards' vol. 2, p. 269)

"We need to see ourselves as culture missionaries, inhabiting the culture in which we live, a part of it in some respects, but bringing a radically different message and way of living to it at the same time. This is not 'compromise' with the world, for, if that were the case, then God the Son's incarnation was a compromise. No, it was not compromise but sacrifice, a leaving behind of the familiar to take up the burden of reaching the lost." (p.78)

"If I wait for a work of God to come with no attendant failings, then I wait for heaven." (p.81)

"I am free, Edwards would say, to choose what I like but I am not free to like what I choose." (p.87)

"There is a tendency among those attracted to 'teaching' not to be active in evangelism, strategic planning or any such apparently more worldly activities." (p.126)

"Occasionally, I [Moody] hear statements like ... 'As long as they're talking about the cross, I'm happy' ... [o]f course, Jesus is the main thing, and the cross is the central issue of Christianity, and the authority of the Bible establishes our belief system soundly. ... No heretics or false Christian teachers come out and say they are against Jesus or the cross of the Bible, for no-one with a Christian conscience would be tempted by their message." (p.163)

" [T]o be Edwards-influenced means ... to find our ultimate source of information and teaching about God in the Scriptures, while learning from Edwards and other teachers of the past and present about what the Bible says." (p.173)

Luke: The authority of Jesus

2007-01-06T22:41:00.000Z

This was a long, but worthwhile exercise, which I hope you enjoy as much as I did. In preparation for a Cornhill exposition (http://www.proctrust.org.uk/cornhill/cornhill.htm) on Luke (Luke 20:1-8), I figured that the authority of Jesus was coming up. :-) So I decided to read through the whole of Luke, and find out where the places are where authority is mentioned, either explicitly, or implicitly.

I *know* I've missed some, but get ready for the longest blogpost so far. Any comments welcome.

Luke 1:4 - the gospel is certain, i.e. authoritative.
Luke 1:15 - John will be great before the Lord.
Luke 1:19 - Zechariah does not accept the authority of Gabriel.
Luke 1:32 - Jesus will be great and Son of the Most High.
Luke 1:76 - John is the prophet of the Most High.
Luke 1:76 - John goes before the Lord to prepare his ways.
Luke 1:76 - John gives knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins.
Luke 2:10 - Jesus is the Saviour; Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:28 - (In the temple) - Jesus is the salvation prepared in the presence of all the peoples.
Luke 2:34 - Jesus is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel.
Luke 2:40 - Jesus becomes strong and is filled with wisdom.
Luke 2:40 - Jesus has favour of God upon him.
Luke 2:46 - (In the temple) - Jesus is asking the teachers questions (but not because he needs to learn anything!)
Luke 2:46 - Jesus is sat among the teachers.
Luke 2:46 - Jesus creates amazement with his understanding and answers.
Luke 2:49 - Jesus is in His Father's house.
Luke 2:52 - Jesus increases in wisdom and stature and favour with God.

In Luke 3:1, we get a list of people that claim to be authorities. Most of these people come to question Jesus later on when he goes to the cross, and Jesus then proves his authority over them! (Pontius Pilate, Herod, Annas & Caiaphas)

Luke 3:3 - John proclaims a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Luke 3:4 - John prepares the way of the Lord.
Luke 3:6 - All flesh will see the salvation of God = Jesus!
Luke 3:7 - John speaks to the Jews, telling them they have no reliance on Abraham.
Luke 3:10, 12, 14 - When asked, John tells the people what they should do.
Luke 3:9 - God is wielding the axe. 3:16 - Jesus is wielding the sickle. Thus, Jesus is God.
Luke 3:18 - John preaches the good news (gospel).
Luke 3:19 - Herod rejects John's God-given authority.
Luke 3:22 - Jesus' authority given from heaven with the Holy Spirit.
Luke 3:28 - Jesus is confirmed through his ancestry as the Son of God.
Luke 4:3 - Jesus' authority as Son of God is questioned by the devil.
Luke 4:6 - Jesus is "presumed" by the devil to have no authority, and thus "offers" it to him, if Jesus would bow to the devil.
Luke 4:9 - The authority of the very word the Son of God has been using (and is!) is questioned.
Luke 4:15 - Jesus teaches in all the synagogues and is glorified by all.
Luke 4:20 - Eyes of all the people are fixed on Jesus.
Luke 4:32 - Jesus' word has authority; people are astonished at his teaching.
Luke 4:36 - Jesus' word has authority; he drives out evil spirits.
Luke 4:39 - Jesus' word has authority; he rebukes illness.
Luke 4:41 - Jesus' word has authority; he rebukes the evil spirits.
Luke 5:4 - Jesus' word has authority; he controls where the fish will be (in the nets of his apostles-to-be!)
Luke 5:17 - Jesus has the power of the Lord to heal (look at the fulfillment of his self-testimony in 4:18)
Luke 5:24 - Jesus has authority to forgive sins.
Luke 5:27 - Jesus' word has authority; he asks Levi to come, and he comes without question.
Luke 6:5 - Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (where the Sabbath was instituted by the LORD in the Old Testament).
Luke 6:19 - Jesus has the power to heal.
Luke 7:8 - Jesus is a man who has authority over people.
Luke 7:14 - Jesus' word has authority; he raises the dead.
Luke 7:22 - Jesus fully fulfils the Isaiah prophecy to John's disciples.
Luke 7:28 - John the Baptist is the greatest of those born of women.
Luke 7:30 - The Pharisees and lawyers reject the purpose of God for themselves, as they were not baptised by John.
Luke 8:1 - Jesus proclaims and brings the good news of the kingdom of God.
Luke 8:25 - Jesus has authority over the wind and the waves.
Luke 8:32 - Jesus gives permission to the evil spirits to enter the pigs.
Luke 9:1 - Jesus gives power and authority to his disciples over evil spirits, over disease, to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
Luke 9:26 - Whoever is ashamed of Jesus and his words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in glory & the glory of the Father & of the holy angels.
Luke 9:35 - Jesus, with the authority of the Law (Moses) and of the prophets (Elijah) next to him, is God's Chosen One - his words must be heeded.
Luke 9:43 - Jesus has the majesty of God.
Luke 10:19 - Jesus gives authority to the 72 to tread on serpents and scorpions (rather implicit "crushing" language of Genesis 3).
Luke 10:22 - Jesus has been handed all things by the Father.
Luke 11:1 - Jesus teaches his disciples to pray.
Luke 11:15 - Jesus' power is greater than the demons'.
Luke 11:20 - Jesus is the arrival of the kingdom of God.
Luke 11:31 - Jesus is greater than Solomon, the wise king.
Luke 12:1 - Jesus shows the Pharisees have no authority, because they are hypocrites.
Luke 12:5 - Fear him, who after he has killed, has the authority to cast into hell.
Luke 12:11 - The Holy Spirit has more authority than the rulers and the authorities.
Luke 12:20 - God has authority over a man's soul.
Luke 12:35-48 - Parable about a master.
Luke 13:15 - Jesus has authority over the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath.
Luke 13:32 - Herod (a king) likened to a fox by Jesus. Herod would kill Jesus before he gets to Jerusalem. Guess whose plan succeeds (Sunday School answer)!
Luke 14:8 - references to the places of honour at a table. Jesus (God, who has all authority) will soon take the lowest place.
Luke 14:11 - ditto!
Luke 16:16 - The Law and the Prophets were until John, from then on the gospel is preached.
Luke 17:13 - Lepers call Jesus 'Master', and are healed by Jesus as they obey him.
Luke 18:6 - God is a righteous judge.
Luke 18:31 - What is written about Jesus will happen.
Luke 18:34 - ' It is hidden from them' -> the authority Jesus has is over what they know!
Luke 18:38 - The blind man recognises Jesus as the King (Son of David).
Luke 19:14 - Jesus' authority is rejected by people under him (his citizens).
Luke 19:15 - He *will* receive the kingdom.
Luke 19:17 - His authority will be given to faithful servants.
Luke 19:38 - The people receive him into Jerusalem as King.
Luke 19:40 - The stones (and probably all creation) recognises Jesus as King, but not the Pharisees.
Luke 19:46 - Jesus calls his temple "my house" - he owns it!
Luke 19:47 - He teaches daily in the temple - but the chief priests, scribes, and principal men (elders?) (who presume authority over the temple), try to destroy him.
Luke 20:2 - The Pharisees question Jesus about his authority, and where he got it from.
Luke 20:4 - Jesus asks the Pharisees who gave John his authority for John's baptism.
Luke 20:5-7 - Pharisees' hypocrisy traps them into being unable to answer (lack of authority).
Luke 20:8 - Jesus does not answer them, because they reject him as they rejected John (see Luke 7:30)
Luke 20:16 - Because the Pharisees figure they own the temple and the Law, they take the law into their own hands (rather too literally!). But the true owner is being ignored, and will come and destroy them.
Luke 20:18 - Jesus is the stumbling stone for the Jews, but also the most important stone: the cornerstone.
Luke 20:20 - The scribes and the chief priests see the governor as their authority, not Jesus.
Luke 20:40 - The chief priests, etc., do not question Jesus any more.
Luke 20:42 - Jesus is the Lord that David spoke about.
Luke 21:15 - no-one will withstand the mouth and words that will be given to Jesus' disciples in times of trial.
Luke 21:27 - The Son of Man (which Jesus has already called himself) will come with great power and glory.
Luke 21:33 - Jesus' words have eternal authority.
Luke 22:9 - Jesus has authority over future events.
Luke 22:24 - Authority of God is not like the repressive authority of man.
Luke 22:29-30 - Authority has been handed down from the Father to the Son and then to his apostles.
Luke 22:31 - Satan is a pretender to authority, but Jesus has the authority.
Luke 22:37 - Words previously written have authority, because they are being fulfilled.
Luke 22:42 - Submission to the Father's will (this is the only authority Jesus submits to!).
Luke 22:53 - The chief priests, officers of the temple, and the elders have their power, but it is a dark power.
Luke 22:63 - Jesus is repeatedly questioned, but gives no answer. He does not give them authority by allowing them to question him.
Luke 22:66-67 - Jesus is taking to their council, but Jesus mocks its equivocation.
Luke 22:70 - "You say that I am" - Jesus simply will not answer their questions.
Luke 23:2 - Pharisees say that Jesus is a king.
Luke 23:3 - "You have said so" - again Jesus does not answer the questions of Pilate.
Luke 23:9 - Jesus gives no answer to Herod (who rejected John and supposedly wanted to kill Jesus).
Luke 23:14 - No charges brought against Jesus - he wins the court battle.
Luke 23:34 - All this mocking, and the people being where they are, has been pre-planned: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do."
Luke 23:35 - Jesus is called the Chosen One, the Christ of God - he is the authority that was prophesied in Isaiah 42:1.
Luke 23:37 - The soldiers don't understand what the King of the Jews has come to do.
Luke 23:38 - The sign above Jesus [put there by Pilate, as we understand from other gospels] says that he is the King of the Jews.
Luke 23:39 - One criminal mimics the crowd in misunderstanding Jesus' kingship: "Aren't you the Christ?"
Luke 23:42 - The other criminal recognises Jesus as King!
Luke 23:56 - God's people act in line with people of the kingdom.
Luke 24:7 - Jesus authority over words is proved in his resurrection.
Luke 24:19 - Jesus is mighty in word and deed.
Luke 24:27 - All Pharisees' authority (the Prophets and the Law) actually point to Jesus, in doing what he has done.
Luke 24:31 - Jesus breaks the bread - he is proving his kingdom as he prophecied before his death (Last Supper).
Luke 24:45 - Jesus opens the apostles' minds - he had closed them before!
Luke 24:49 - the apostles will be clothed with power from on high.
Luke 24:53 - The disciples return to the temple praising God.

And then, in Acts, written as the "sequel" to Luke, Luke writes.

Acts 1:7 - the Father has all authority over the kingdom to Israel.
Acts 1:8 - The power of God will now be demonstrated through the Holy Spirit.

Wow.

Being content - how hard, but how necessary it is!

2006-08-09T07:58:00.000+01:00

This morning's study took me to Philippians 4:10-13, where we can read the following written by the apostle Paul.

"I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything though him who gives me strength".

The italicised verse is the one that hit me the most. It is the verse where the last 3 verses show how true the previous verses are being lived out. I can't in one breath say "I can do everything..." when in another breath, I have not learned to be content. This verse is not some mantra, that makes the Christian feel more confident. It makes the Christian feel more confident that contentment in this life, at the hardest of times, is what is required, knowing that Christ will supply all the needs to help us to do everything.

But how often I think "If I had this tool, I could do this". Or, "if only I had this money, then I could buy a house".

Instead, I shall now try to be content, by thinking about all I have in Christ. About his mercy towards me. By praising him for his salvation and daily provision of all I need. And asking that others may come to realise this more too.

Humility towards fellow believers

2006-08-05T10:39:00.000+01:00

I've just been on a children's camp, where we've been teaching the book of Acts. Clearly the word of God from those passages cuts people to the heart (Acts 2:37). And the word of God has cut me to the heart once again. That once again, my ugly, sinful self has reared its head, and the Bible has challenged me.

I am sorry to those Christians towards whom I have harboured bitterness before. It is quite clear from Philippians 4:2

"I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord."

that bitterness between believers is serious, Paul pleads with them. And he doesn't care whose fault it is, just get it sorted out!

So how to sort it out? Jesus' teaching is candid and practical in Matthew 5:23-24

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

I am to search my heart for any bitterness that a fellow believer may have towards me (look at the wording!). This is tough teaching, but necessary. If I am the wronged party, my natural reaction is to wait to be forgiven. But this may cause even more bitterness. Better to be humble and forgive straight away, that things may be sorted out.

Finally, we return to Paul in Philippians 4:2, where he uses the phrase "in the Lord". Surely if Jesus is my Lord (and the one to whom I offer my gifts), then I am to agree with others who have a similar mindset. Any other action results in a loss of focus on the Lordship of Christ, and a focus on my own sinful pride.

Colossians 3:13 helps here as a conclusion.

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

The last sentence should be my ultimate motivation - Christ forgave me by dying on the cross for my sin!

Psalm 115 - and my stupidity

2006-06-17T11:27:00.000+01:00

It seems really dim, in light of previous blog entries, but more importantly in view of the absolute sovereignty of God, the way he has acted in previous times, the way he just *is*, that I have shamefully neglected to do Bible study since Thursday until this morning. So what do I get to read?

Psalm 115. A direct comparison of how God is just so much better than anything and anyone else.

God

- is in heaven
- does what He pleases and what please Him.
- is "real" - as we shall see further on (and as we have seen through His Son).
- has a mouth and speaks
- has eyes and sees
- has ears and hears
- has a nose and smells
- has hands and feels
- has feet and walks

other "gods"

- location unknown
- have no authority
- are "made" - of silver and gold (remember 1 Peter 1?)
- has a mouth, but can't speak
- has eyes, but can't see
- has ears, but can't hear
- has a nose, but can't smell
- has hands, but can't feel
- has feet, but can't walk

Comparison conclusion

Those who make them will be like them and and all who trust in them.

So, why praise God in addition to all the qualities of Him that we've seen?

- The LORD remembers us
- The LORD will bless us
- The LORD will bless the house of Israel
- The LORD will bless the house of Aaron
- The LORD will bless those who fear him, both small and great alike
- The LORD is the maker of heaven and earth
- The LORD controls who "increases" and who "decreases".

There is so much more here, that I'd love to continue. Time is short, but my whole life should be in praise of him "both now" (in this life) "and for evermore" (when I go to be with my God for all eternity).

Great!!

Another interesting Bible study!

2006-06-06T13:36:00.000+01:00

When people say they find Bible studies boring, they're simply not taking it seriously enough. I enjoyed one I had with a friend just now, which was on Ephesians 4:17-32. So I'm going to interest (not bore) you with it.

Ephesians 4:1-16 is all about the unity of God, and how that unity will inevitably provoke differences in people (some apostles, prophets, evangelists, etc), but only that everyone should grow up into the unity of Christ, the Head.

So, now we see how we relate to each other. We see the Gentiles, immersed in themselves (look at all the self-centred language), having their hearts hardened toward God. v19 can be paraphrased "they don't see sin as sin, so they have simply allowed themselves to fall deeper into it, and they simply crave more of it". It is a structureless existence, one which I once lived. For the Gentiles here are those who are not "in Christ".

And then we see the Christian, who hears about God, and is taught in the truth of Christ. They have a former way of life (see above) and now have a new way of life to lead - a life made in God "in true righteousness and holiness" - set apart from sin and living with Christ.

But in case anyone thinks I'm totally set apart from sin, I'm not. I sin; I do things wrong (but I'm righteous in God's sight because of Jesus). But that shouldn't be how I intend to live. No, because I live with other Christians, I should be seeking unity with them, a selfless unity. I should work, so that I can share things with others. I should only say things that build others up, so that they continue in the unity which is to be found in Christ.

And what if I should feel bitter, or enraged, or malicious toward my fellow Christian? Well, I'm simply drifting away from that unity. Poignantly, I should first remember that Christ's death enabled God to forgive me. And then I should forgive others, being kind and compassionate to them. This is selfless life, similar to (but not yet perfectly comparable with) that which Christ gave his life for me. And then we see that this is one big forgiveness circle. Fall out of this loop, and you're on the way to being like the "Gentiles" described earlier.

So, after this theory, where's the practise? As one of my faults is to say things that are sometimes out of line, I will make a point of remembering verse 29 (from the NIV)

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Audio Bible

2006-06-04T22:45:00.000+01:00

A good friend of mine, David Field (http://davidpfield.blogspot.com) and I had a similar idea presumably simultaneously, but independently. We're both recording the WEB (World English Bible) into audio, which we will then distribute free on the internet. The WEB is joyously devoid of copyright.

I'm up to Genesis Ch28, reading at a slow pace, and trying to get everything right, and in an "easy listening" format, if that were possible. David is way ahead of me, plans to finish by the end of June (but did express his doubts of meeting that deadline), and is available as a link from his blog. His diction is faster, and he encourages the aid of a visual Bible, to make things more memorable.

So, look for progress here. My loft (and hence, my computer network) won't be worked on much this week - I have a sermon to preach in a month and must start it now, lest I rush it as usual...

What? Another entry? How?

2006-06-01T07:08:00.000+01:00

Such may be the reaction of anyone who has read this blog over the past few months. And, now I've encouraged my friend to write one, I feel the hypocrisy is too much to bear.

So is this it for now? Yes.

Arrrgh, I obviously have no time to do my blog - but I'll still try

2006-01-22T22:29:00.000Z

Hello to the few that read this; I know at least of Celal Berker, for which I'm grateful!

My apologies - my life has been hectic. I will write soon. Preached today on Joel 2.1-27. And if you'd like a copy, please ask! :-) Thought it went well - my 3 point sermon was

The terrifying warning all need to hear.
The urgent action all need to take.
The promised reversal for all who return.

Anyway, I am really tired (and feeling slightly under the weather), so I'm going to bed. Speak soon!

A good evening - but some puzzling questions

2005-12-21T12:38:00.000Z

I, for one, am normally quite out-of-place when it comes to big social functions. Last night was just one such occasion. The company for whom I work, www.dataconnection.com, had a big Christmas meal at The Grove, www.thegrove.co.uk. Despite the fact that I

- knew more than 50% of the people I saw last night
- am known by more than 40% of the people last night due to my involvement in the Company helpdesk

I was quite uneasy. Maybe it was because I'd invited someone who didn't know more than 8 people who were present, and so I was desperate for her to be involved in conversation other than just me. Because I can run out of things to say. :-) Or maybe it's because such events turn out to be such self-centred affairs.

In its essence, a Christmas meal should be about celebrating Christ's birth. My company, despite having Christians there, are, as are most people, ignorant of Christ's existence and relevance. I'd like to say "Fair enough" as a way of getting round this. That would be wrong. Perhaps I should be saying "Something's not right here" and be praying that I get opportunity to reveal Christ (with the Spirit's help) to others.

If the merely corporate view about a Christmas meal is considered, we should see the celebration of achievement within the company, the desire to combine as a team and focus over the next year, while giving deserving individuals, whose work has impacted the entire company, the praise they're due.

Yet, the opportunity for self-indulgence is so often the key. My thoughts concluded: "I'm going to this place to have a nice meal. I wouldn't normally spend the money to have food like this. But someone else is paying." I know others felt the same.

By now, most of you are shouting "Scrooge!" at the monitor. Fair enough. Too over-analytical about social events, perhaps...

Still, conversation on the table was good. And one particular topic stood out: Christians' views on the death penalty.

This is a real hot potato. While I can see both sides of any potential argument, I am currently caught without a real, established-basis opinion. I'm thinking about writing a paper on this. Just to clarify my thoughts. But it would take me ages. Would be good to hear other opinions on this - simply comment!

I haven't done this blog in ages, it seems

2005-12-10T15:32:00.000Z

It's amazing, how, when you're well, the days pass you by almost twice as quickly. Or perhaps it's because I've enjoyed my work fairly recently. Anyhow, the days are certainly flying by. It's Saturday 10th December.

When I was a child, the run up to Christmas couldn't go fast enough. Now it seems as if I'd like to recapture that moment. The excitement, the playful carefree-ness. It all seems like a dream of another year.

With all this talk about time and progression and irreversibility, I'm feeling rather poetic. However, I must do the following today, so writing a poem will wait.

- Read my Bible (got up at 11am this morning, far too early, and had to go out almost straight away).
- Clean the flat.
- Do some ironing.
- Finish my desktop computer off.
- Got Andy and Stephen's to "chill" (though they do have heating).

I'm trying my best not to work tomorrow - it being Sunday. I'm trying not to be legalistic about it - so I won't be going over the top. I think a break will be good, and then I can do something fun - like trying to decipher Douglas Wilson's argument in the book I'm currently reading (thanks Sarah F)!

A dull day

2005-12-07T19:04:00.000Z

I woke up rather too predictably late this morning, and feeling quite grim (apologies to Rachel and Sarah for misusing their surname). So went to the doctor, who told me what I already knew.

That was quite a relief. I often epitomise the hypochondriac who reads the medical dictionary and then by sheer auto-suggestion and psychosomosis has the entirety of symptoms within a few minutes. I have a viral infection. Something like a cold, but not a cold. And definitely not "man-flu".

Apparently I need to rest. Fat chance that's happening, with my workload. :-)

Can't sleep

2005-12-07T01:34:00.000Z

It's 1:30am. I tried going to sleep an hour ago. Since then, I haven't felt too great, so what to do? I could read books, but that wouldn't be inventive enough.

It seems as if I'm just far too overworked. I would love to do loads of things in this life, and so, in a vain attempt to do them, I decided that doing them all in one week is a good thing. So while I'm in bed, I'm thinking about how I'm going to fit loads of stuff in before Thursday evening when people are coming round to my flat for dinner.

I had this great idea: I have a projector - why not invite people round to watch a big screen film? And then, after I've planned this in my head, I then go and say I'll do loads of other things too.

From now on, it may be good for me to say "no" when things get on top of me. At least then I'll be able to sleep easy and feel less stressed.

Oh well, back to bed. I might not make myself get up at 6:30am as I promised myself now...

Late to work...

2005-12-06T15:50:00.000Z

Woke up at 10am. This can never be good.

Got into work smelling vaguely human at 10:21am. While we have flexitime, it is understandably ridiculous for me not to have the capability to drag myself in at 9am. Can't be good for my witness either - my manager was understandably mad. I was on Helpdesk.

And the last thing you need is a worker who looks like he can't be bothered. Especially a worker who claims to be working for God's glory. I can't even understand it. There I am praying "Lord, please help me to wake up on time". Obviously something I'm doing wrong (or not doing right). More prayer needed I feel.

After all this, work is naturally quite hectic, so the 5 minute break I've allowed myself will now be cut short...

Back to work.

Timezone

2005-12-05T23:09:00.000Z

Solved that problem quickly...

Now I'm really off to bed.

My evening - Monday Dec 5

2005-12-05T23:06:00.000Z

Ok, it's 11pm (despite what the timezone seems to make it) and I've done the following since coming home.

- Installing new programs on my computer.
- Eating.
- Ironing.

Aren't I boring?

Off to bed then...

Here's the first entry

2005-12-05T13:31:00.000Z

Loads of my friends are doing this - and I've said "when I get round to setting up my own website, I'll do it too". That was over a year ago.

I just have too much to do, and need to get loads of other stuff done first. So here it is - on an external site. Now is the marker from when I say I'm going to make my own website and when I actually do it...

And this site will also show that I'm actually doing work. I know people will rarely visit this site - but the fact that it's published will make some difference. So I'll be posting some (dull or interesting) logs of how my life has been each day.

I hope people will forgive me for not posting every now and then when I go on holiday...

So, it's lunchtime and I'm at work. Just had a rather dull conversation with a support guy from a major computer company, and about to get stuck into some serious work this afternoon. Needing to remember the great sermon I heard last night at church.

1 Timothy 6:1-10

Godliness can be summed up by living out a right relationship with God.

Identifying marks of false teachers are

their teaching is unhealthy and ungodly
they are conceited and ignorant
they have unhealthy interests which cause divisions
they miss the whole point of godliness.

Understanding true godliness

changes the way we work (and no Christian is exempt)
changes what we live for because

we arrive in and leave this world with nothing
all we need is what we need
pursuing wealth is dangerous
the love of money results in self-harm

Thus Godliness is living out a right relationship with God.

To hear the whole sermon, by Rev J. Prime, please go to http://www.enfieldevangelicalfreechurch.org.uk/sermons_by_mth/onlinesermons.htm - December 4th 2005 PM.

Now to actually do that work...