12 Days of Christmas Day 7: Be Better At... Reading the Bible

Have you read the whole Bible from cover to cover?

Why not resolve to do that in 2014?

Last year I posted links to a number of plans. This is a LINK to that post. They are all still available.

Tim Chester recently made available the Bible reading plan they use at The Crowded House church in Sheffield. I really like. He gives 4 reasons why it’s different and helpful:

1. FlexibilityThe plan specifies a number of chapters for each week rather than for each day. This makes it more flexible. You can read a chapter or two each day or you can read it in two or three sittings. Or you can set out reading a chapter a day and then catch up at the weekend. It means it fits more readily around people’s lifestyle. 

2. Communal It is designed to be followed with a partner or among a group of people. There is only one section each week (occasionally two shorter books). So you don’t have to read a section from one book and then a section from another book each day. It means the sections are somewhat uneven, but it makes it easy to discuss what you have been reading when you meet up with other people.We’ve been using it for a year now and it works very well in this way. I meet up with a friend each week for lunch. It’s easy for us to discuss what we’ve been reading because there is only one Bible book to focus on.It also means I only need look at the Bible plan once a week – I don’t need to refer to it each day. 

3. Realistic Following this plan you read the OT in three years and the NT twice in three years. This works out at about nine chapters a week. It means you are not rushing through what you are reading to ‘get it done’. I’ve found with other plans I tend to read it with my mind disengaged. This plan gives time to meditate on the passage. 

There is also a version in the document in which you cover the OT once and the NT twice in two years = about 16 chapters a week. 

4. Balanced The plan balances OT history, prophecy, wisdom, Gospel and Epistles throughout the year. You move between genres so you’re never faced with reading OT prophecy continuously for six months.

Here’s the complete three year plan and here’s this postcard-sized version of the plan for 2014.

Alternatively, I came across another Bible-in-a-year reading plan recently that utilises email. 

‘The Bible in 2014’ is a different kind of reading plan. As soon as you sign up (it's free) you receive an email every day for the whole of 2014 containing:

1) The Bible references of an OT and a NT reading for the day
2) A key question to ask of God's Word as you read - to help you take in what you are reading
3) A brief comment on the OT reading to aid understanding
4) A suggestion on how to pray in response

You can visit the site and subscribe by clicking HERE.

Reading the Bible this year... sounds like a New Year’s Resolution worth keeping to me!

12 Blogs of Christmas Day 6: Which worldview in 2014?

I don’t read GQ magazine, but I recently came across an article that highlighted an interesting clash of quotes in GQ's December 2013 issue.

 In the first, actor Matthew McConaughey, named GQ's ‘Man of the Year’, said:

‘I'm a fan of the word selfish. Self. Ish. When I say I have gotten a lot more self-ish, I mean I am less concerned with what people think of me … Selfish has gotten a bad rap. You should do for you."

A few pages later GQ quotes an award-winning fiction writer named George Saunders, who they've named ‘Life Coach of the Year’.

Saunders says, 

‘The big kahuna of all moral questions, as far as I'm concerned, is ego. How do you correct the fundamental misperception that we are all born with - [namely, the idea that] I am central? All of the nasty stuff in this life comes out of that misunderstanding.’

So there you are... two opposing worldviews.

McConaughey: You should do for you. 

Saunders: You should get over yourself.

Which worldview, which path, will you choose for 2014?

Of course, Jesus said it’s not about ME at all. 

Self-fulfilment comes not as we come to know ourselves or try to change ourselves, but as we come to know God and he changes us. 

Fulfilment comes as we rediscover what we were created to have: a relationship with the God who made us and loves us and sent his Son to redeem us. 

Jesus said we only discover our true selves only as we deny self and follow him:

‘When he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.’ (Mark 8:34-38)

Don't follow McConaughey or Saunders in 2014... follow Jesus.

12 Days of Christmas Day 5: Why Jesus Came

Tim Keller on why Jesus had to come...

12 Days of Christmas Day 4: God with Us

Spurgeon was one of the greatest preachers who ever lived. 

This three and a half minute video contains part of a sermon he preached on Christmas Eve 1854 and contains his masterful and eloquent take on the meaning of ‘God with us’.

It’s heart-warming stuff!

12 Blogs of Christmas Day 3: Christmas Gratitude

‘When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?’
(Gilbert K. Chesterton)

12 Blogs of Christmas Day 2: He's Here!

One of our most treasured family books is The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones. 

International author and speaker Tim Keller has said:

‘I would urge not just families with young children to get this book, but every Christian - from pew warmers, to ministry leaders, seminarians and even theologians! Sally Lloyd-Jones has captured the heart of what it means to find Christ in all the scriptures, and has made clear even to little children that all God’s revelation has been about Jesus from the beginning–a truth not all that commonly recognized even among the very learned.’

While the beautiful prose and stunning artwork are reason enough to get this, the fresh, faithful, Christ-centred retelling of the key passages in the Bible are the main reason why this is such a wonderful book. 

What marks this out from almost every other ‘childrens’ Bible is the way in which each story carefully and faithfully points to Jesus. 

Ever wondered how Daniel in the Lion’s den ( ‘Daniel and the Scary Sleepover’) or David and Goliath (‘The Young Hero and the Horrible Giant’) or the whole book of Isaiah (‘Operation “No more Tears”’) points to Jesus? If you read this book you will!

I cannot recommend it more highly – for all ages. We’ve read it through 3 or 4 times now as a family and we just love it!

Last year David Suchet was recruited to narrate the audio-version of the Jesus Storybook Bible. Zondervan also turned some of the stories into animated videos. The Christmas story from Luke 1-2 is below.

Enjoy ‘He’s Here!’ from the Jesus Storybook Bible...

Direct Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2y2FJqsv_8

12 Blogs of Christmas Day 1: O Come All You Faithful

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

For this first day of our 12 days of Christmas sit back, turn up the volume and listen to this incredibly creative version of ‘O come all ye faithful.’

Elevation Creative: In Your Presence (Christmas Piano Remix) from Elevation Media on Vimeo.

A Christian Tribute to Nelson Mandela

The world is mourning the death of one of the world's most influential leaders: Nelson Mandela.

As South Africa prepares for a State Funeral next week and debates what his passing will mean for the future of the country, the tributes continue to flood in from around the world. Although his death has long been expected, it is no less significant. It is likely this is what the world will be talking about this coming week and beyond.

GodFirst church in Johannesburg has been quick to respond to this with a really helpful video tribute to Mandela from Senior Pastor P J Smyth, which both honours Mandela and gently points people beyond Mandela to Jesus.

I think this is a really helpful Christian response to the life of a remarkable man.

You can watch it HERE

The concluding paragraph is particularly striking as we approach Christmas:

'I will never forget the day of the Rugby World Cup final when Madiba pulled on the No. 6 Springbok jersey, considered by many to be the moment when he won the nation. I find that moment profoundly moving at two levels: 

As a South African, that President Mandela would take on himself the symbol of all that hated him. He did it to reconcile white man to black man. 

As a Christian, it reminds me of the President of All Presidents, Jesus Christ, who took on human likeness, the symbol of a race that hated Him. He did it to reconcile man to God. 

As Christians around South Africa and the world, Madiba, we salute you.'

Why not pass on the link to others?

(If you prefer, you can download a PDF Transcript of the tribute HERE)

Are you prepared for Christmas? Advent Resources

Are you prepared for Christmas?

I don't mean by that:
have you bought all the presents you are going to give
have you ordered your turkey
have you organised which family members you're going to see
have you started writing your cards
have you booked your annual leave from work

Nope.

What I mean is: have you started preparing your heart for celebrating the birth of the most amazing, earth-shattering, life-changing person ever born: Jesus.

I have a confession to make. We are totally ready for Christmas in our house.

I have a super organised wife, who likes to start thinking about Christmas while we're still on summer holiday. (Picture it: ice-cream in one hand, Christmas card list in the other.)

It's a source of personal distress to her if we're not all sorted by the beginning of November. 

So... all our presents are bought, the turkey (crown) is in the freezer, our holidays with family are booked, and our cards are ready to be written (cards are my job, which is why they're not actually written yet).

Christmas is a crazy busy time in a pastor's house. Add into the mix the fact that both our children have birthdays in the run up to Christmas (worst family planning ever for a pastor), and that my birthday is just after Christmas (sorry wifey), and you can tell why it's a real blessing to have a super organised Better Half.

But as pastor to my family (this is where you listen up guys), the responsibility falls squarely on my shoulders to prepare the family for the whole point of Christmas: celebrating 'God with us'.

Fortunately for crazy busy people like me (and you?) there are some really fantastic resources available this year to help families and individuals prepare for CHRIST-mas. 

Here are five of the best Advent resources I've come across - some of them completely FREE! (If you're not interested in the family/kid-friendly ones skip to resource no.5)

1. The Expected One App: 

This is a brilliant app that has been produced by LifeWay Christian Resources and is available for iphone, ipad, ipod and Android. It's designed to be used by families. Starting on December 1st, every day up to Christmas contains a Bible reading and a short explanation and then three or four questions to prompt discussion. For younger ones, it also contains colouring sheets and some Christmas games, as well as some suggested songs for the family to sing together. If you're not sure about family devotions, there's even a 'guide to family worship' page. And what's more - it only costs 50p! You can get it HERE

2. The Christmas Journey Advent Book 2013: This is an absolutely brilliant family advent resource produced by Verge Network. It's FREE to download as pdf. Like all the other advent resources, there are suggested Bible readings for every day in December. However what's brilliant about this one is that it starts in Genesis 3 and works it's way through the whole Bible, picking out passages that anticipate the coming of Jesus. To help show how every story points to him, each reading is linked to pages in the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones (probably the best children's 'Bible' around). Each day also has it's own picture to colour in and decorate. These are intentionally 'bauble' sized: they are designed to be cut out and hung on your Christmas tree (or 'Jesse tree'). It's a brilliant interactive idea for kids. Get the pdf HERE

Good Book Advent Calendar Packs: 

The Good Book Company have been producing these for a few years now. We've used a few of them as a family and they're really excellent. Each pack comes with an advent calendar, complete with doors to open each day. Most reveal a Christmas-themed Bible verse which links to a reading in a booklet, which comes in the pack. This booklet  includes questions for each day in December, to help children understand the main point of the Bible passage, and how it points to Jesus. I can't recommend these superb resources highly enough. You can get the one I think is the best HERE

Beginning with God at Christmas: If your child is younger (pre-school) you might not have started a regular pattern of family worship yet. Christmas is a great time to start and the Beginning with God series by The Good Book Company is unsurpassed. They produced a Christmas edition, which is even more engaging than the usual version, including stickers - always a hit with toddlers. If you have a pre-schooler, this is worth a go. If you order it today you'll only have missed a few days. You can get it HERE

Good News of Great Joy: If you're slightly older and have perhaps moved out of the child phase, this is the resource for you. John Piper is known for his engaging speaking ministry, but he has been writing really helpful Bible-based, Christ-centred daily devotionals for some time. Desiring God have just produced a new book of Advent Daily Devotionals written by Piper that is well worth getting hold of. You can order a paper version from Amazon HERE for £3.21 or you can download it for FREE now as an ebook HERE

So there you go - five different ways to get properly prepared for Christmas. Advent starts on December 1st - so what are you waiting for!?

Do you need Spiritual Bootcamp?

As a pastor I regularly come across people who are struggling in one or more areas of their lives. Sometimes it's a marriage issue, sometimes it's a work issue, sometimes it's a church issue, sometimes a moral issue, sometimes it's all four issues! 

Like most men, I'm a fixer by nature. So my natural response to the pastoral problems I'm presented with is usually to suggest a strategy to fix them: spend a date night with your wife once a week; create some boundaries so that work encroaches less into family life; seek to be reconciled with the person you've fallen out with in church; put an internet filter in place on your computer etc etc.

However while a strategy is often a helpful short-term response to pastoral problems, I've noticed that it rarely works in the long term. When the initial flush of determination wanes, routine returns and resolve fails, so often the same issues emerge - albeit sometimes in different forms. The conflict returns; the boundaries shrink; the bitterness resurfaces; the addiction finds another avenue.

The reason for this, of course, is that strategies deal only with symptoms, whereas real change starts at heart-level.

Jesus said it's out of the HEART that sinful behaviour emerges:

'For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.' (Matt 15:19)

When Jesus referred to the 'heart', he didn't mean the organ that pumps blood around our bodies. He meant the driving force of who we are and how we think about ourselves and the world. And therefore the only way to change ground-level sinful behaviour, is much deeper and more profound heart-level change.

In his book 'Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands' Paul Tripp illustrates this principle using the example of a bad apple tree:

Let’s say I have an apple tree in my backyard. Each year its apples are dry, wrinkled, brown and pulpy. After several seasons my wife says, 'It doesn’t make any sense to have this huge tree and never be able to eat any apples. Can’t you do something?' 

One day my wife looks out the window to see me in the yard, carrying branch cutters, an industrial grade staple gun, a ladder, and two bushels of apples. 

I climb the ladder, cut off all the pulpy apples, and staple shiny, red apples onto every branch of the tree. From a distance our tree looks like it is full of a beautiful harvest. But if you were my wife, what would you be thinking of me at this moment? 

If a tree produces bad apples year after year, there is something drastically wrong with its system, down to its very roots. I won’t solve the problem by stapling new apples onto the branches. They also will rot because they are not attached to a life-giving system. And next spring, I will have the same problem again. I will not see a new crop of healthy apples because my solution has not gone to the heart of the problem. If the tree’s roots remain unchanged, it will never produce good apples. 

The point is that, in personal ministry, much of what we do to produce growth and change in ourselves and others is little more than “fruit stapling.” It attempts to exchange apples for apples without examining the heart, the root behind the behaviour. This is the very thing for which Christ criticized the Pharisees.

It's a brilliant illustration of a profound truth: your fruit reveals your root; your words, actions, attitudes and thoughts reveal what's in your heart.

That's where the root of all behaviour problems lie.

Which means what I - and all those I pastor - need MOST is an ongoing transformation of heart.

But how does this happen?

Romans 12:1-2 is crucial in helping us understand how heart-level change happens. It's also the biblical principle from which I've developed the pastoral tool of 'spiritual bootcamp'.

Paul says:

'Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.' (Romans 12:1-2)

Paul presents a simple choice in these verses. We can either be conformed to the pattern of this world, or we can be transformed, so that we are able to know and do God's will. We can either live in a way that honours the world or in a way that honours God.

And what's the key to living in a way that honours God?

Being transformed... in our mind.

And there lies the issue.

Trace sinful  behaviour to it's root and you'll always find a mindset - a heart - more conformed to the pattern of the world than transformed by the Word of God.

The problem is that it's  really hard to kick-start the habits that are necessary to renew our minds, transform our hearts and bring about lasting change and transformation in our behaviour.

Which is where 'Spiritual Bootcamp' comes in.

It's easy for the busyness of family, work or church life to erode even the best intentioned spiritual resolve and chip away at the disciplines that counteract the gravitational pull of the world. 

Before we know it, we've stopped reading the Bible regularly, we've stopped praying for our family, our desire to share Jesus has waned, our commitment to meet with God's people has been eroded and our area of service has become a drudge. Before long, spiritual things can seem odd and unnatural and hard work. Prayer becomes awkward, reading God's Word feels forced, service becomes a duty. 

All these are symptoms of a heart that's become world-shaped.

And so what we need is a radical recalibration of our hearts.

Paul said to Timothy: 'Train yourself to be godly' (1 Tim 4:7). The Greek word he used for 'train' is the one from which we get our English word 'gymnasium'. 

However when our hearts are dry and barren and world-shaped, the sort of training regime we need is more like bootcamp than tone-up. It's more like detox than dieting.

At first sight that can seem at odds with a gospel of grace where our good works and effort make no difference to our standing with God. However while we're not saved by our effort, that doesn't meant our sanctification doesn't require a bit of exertion and self-discipline.

Which is why a bit of spiritual bootcamp can sometimes be just what we need.

'Spiritual bootcamp' is designed to be a spiritual shock to the system. I guess you could call it a version of fasting from the world (as much as is possible). It's an intensive dose of the essential spiritual vitamins and minerals designed to re-start healthy habits that will help our hearts  start beating in rhythm with God again. It's an immersion in spiritual habits designed to refresh dry hearts.

When I suggest spiritual bootcamp to someone I tell them to do the following things for a period of at least 2 months. 

Why 2 months? Because the best research suggests that it takes 66 days to form a habit.

• Set a time and read the Bible every day without fail using a good devotional guide like Explore 
• When in the car or house listen to Christian music - all the time you can.
• Go to church twice on a Sunday - take notes of what God says to you that you can re-read and reflect on during the week. Expect God to speak to you during these times - listen for his voice.
• Take a fast from non-Christian fiction/magazines, read as many heart-warming Christian books as you can (like Tim Keller's  'The Prodigal God' or Paul Miller's 'The Praying Life')
• Take a fast from as much TV as you can, read your new Christian book!
• Start a prayer diary, pray every day for yourself, your family, your work, your church.
• When you pray, kneel (posture helps humility!)
• Practice the spiritual discipline of encouragement: be intentional about encouraging another Christian every day in some way. (Disillusionment and cynicism are some of the key symptoms of a dry heart. It will feel unnatural to offer spiritual encouragement to start with, but it will become more and more natural as your heart warms up to God and give you great joy!)
• Start the habit of memorising scripture. The Topical Memory System is still the best tool to help develop this. Keep the scriptures you memorise on your smartphone or on credit card pieces of paper in your wallet/purse.
• Make yourself accountable to someone who you will meet up with you, pray for you and challenge you about how 'bootcamp' is going.

Keeping up this level of intensity is hard and probably not sustainable in the long term.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying the good things God has given us in the world like watching great drama on TV or listening to great secular music. We're not to become trappist monks who's aim is to escape from the world. Jesus didn't pray that his disciples would be taken out of the the world, but he did pray that the world would be taken out of them (John 17:15-17).

And that's the purpose of 'spiritual bootcamp': shock therapy to kick start the habits that are essential to the ongoing process of renewing our minds and hearts so that we are transformed and not conformed.

Feeling spiritually unfit and flabby? Why not give it a go?

What does the Bible say about corporate prayer?

During my recent sabbatical I did some thinking about corporate prayer. I looked at what principles we can glean about corporate prayer from the Bible and from these foundations, had a think about how we might reform how we do corporate prayer at Woodgreen.

Like many churches, all our 'corporate prayer eggs' are in one basket at Woodgreen - namely: the traditional church prayer meeting. With changes in our culture, particularly in relation to work and family life, mid-week church prayer meetings have increasingly struggled to maintain numbers. We spent some time talking about the reasons for this at our Church Members' Meeting in May, and this was a helpful backdrop to my studies.

Below are three papers that sum-up the first part of my research on corporate prayer:

• The first is the latest edition of the 'Connect' leaflet we publish from time to time at Woodgreen, letting church regulars in on our thinking as Elders on different issues. This is a summary of the main principles from the Bible about corporate prayer.

You can download that HERE

• The second document is the first part of the paper I wrote for our Elders, which is summarised in the 'Connect' leaflet. This is intended for those who want a fuller understanding of the issues raised there.

You can download that HERE

• The third document is an article I found helpful that summarises a biblical theology of corporate prayer. This was the most concise overview of corporate prayer I found. It's a little more technical, but worth the effort.

Click HERE to go to the article.

Identity Video

For those who asked this morning, this is the video I used at the end of my sermon this Sunday morning. the slightly altered version I used finished with Hebrews 9:14 on screen:

'How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!'

For copyright reasons I can't upload this altered version, but the rest of the video is exactly the same.

Enjoy. (Again!)

Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ-WuFAlQlY

Why do Christians sometimes treat each other so badly?

Why do Christians sometimes treat each other so badly?

I'll be honest, that's a question I have struggled with for most of my Christian life. It's been the only issue that has ever caused me to doubt or question my faith.

I became a Christian in the context of unrest in our local church, which caused great hurt to many and eventually led to my parents leaving. As a young Christian I struggled to make sense of what I witnessed, in particular the way Christians I knew seemed to turn against one another.

25 years on, now as a pastor, the question - and the struggle - refuses to go away.

I am blessed to serve a church family full of gospel-hearted people who are committed to loving others and displaying Jesus' grace in their words, works and witness. However as a pastor I also regularly come into contact with professing Christians who seem to think that attacking other believers is par for the course ('defending the truth') or whose consciences seem to remain untroubled by a critical spirit or even open resentment towards other believers.

Why is this?

How can those adopted into God's family sometimes treat brothers and sisters like enemies?
How can those who have been reconciled with God fall out with each other?
How can those who pray together end up preying on each other?

These are questions most Christians ask at some point in their lives, usually when they witness - or worse experience - conflict in the church or with other Christians. These times often leave us with memories that trouble us and, if left unchecked, can  disillusion us.

Because behind these questions is a much deeper one: does being a Christian actually make any difference? Does Christianity 'work'?

If God's Spirit doesn't transform my attitude towards those I disagree with; if being a new creation doesn't give me a new approach to conflict; if being a child of God doesn't affect my relationships with other members of God's family... doesn't that call into question the authenticity of the gospel?

CG and TD

A few years ago I was at a pastors' conference in which Tim Keller - Senior Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York - was speaking. As a prominent and influential Christian leader, Keller knows what it's like to be the target of gracelessness. During his talk he addressed the question of why Christians can sometimes treat each other so badly. I've never forgotten his succinct answer:

'Common Grace explains why some Non-Christians aren't as bad as they could be; Total Depravity explains why some Christians aren't as good as they should be.'

And there it is in a nutshell: CG and TD.

Common Grace explains why some non-Christians aren't as bad as they could be

Human beings were created in God's image. In many ways we have the capacity to be like him. When a person is kind, generous, loving, sacrificial and selfless we see a glimpse of the image of God that remains like a watermark within us. While sin has shattered God's image, the fragments are still there and sometimes reflect his character. God has not allowed sin to distort his image completely.

This is one of the marks of what theologians call 'common grace'. Whether a person believes in God or not, he is good to all of creation.

Despite our rebellion, God continues to sustain life and sends the rain and the sun on both the righteous and the unrighteous (Matt 5:44-45). He gives  those who deny he exists, gifts and abilities and blesses them with a measure of happiness and fulfilment. He gives societies who do not acknowledge him, peace and stability and prosperity.

And he also restrains the effect of sin in our lives and allows even those who don't believe in him to flourish as genuinely good people.

Common grace explains why  many non-Christians are better than some Christians!

However, while God's image within us means we have the capacity to do good, the Bible also teaches that sin has infected every part of our being and therefore we have the capacity to do evil as well.

This is a principle theologians call 'total depravity' and it explains why genuine Christians can sometimes act so badly towards each other.

Total Depravity explains why some Christians aren't as good as they should be

Sin has affected every part of our being: our intellect, our emotions, our desires, our goals, our motives, our heart, even our physical bodies. While we are not as bad as we could be, by nature we have an innate tendency to veer towards sin.

Christians are born again by God's Spirit. We are made new creatures by an act of regeneration in our hearts. However while this frees us from the power and penalty of sin, it doesn't free us from sin's presence. Like a sacked boss working out his notice, sin no longer has authority over us, but that doesn't mean we're rid of it's influence in our lives.

In Galatians 5, Paul says Christians therefore need to fight a daily battle against indwelling sin. We should no longer be controlled by our sinful natures, but by God's Spirit (5:16). However, he also makes it clear that if we so choose, we can  indulge our sinful natures (5:13), gratify it's desires (5:16), and sow to please it (6:8). While Jesus broke sin's hold over us when he died and rose again, we can choose to let sin rule over us.

Which explains why some Christians are more ungracious, more intolerant and more unloving than many non-Christians.

Am I as good as I should be?

To a certain extent every growing Christian will feel they are not what they should be. Paul wouldn't have had to tell the Galatians not to use their freedom to indulge their sinful natures if they were perfect.

Which is where this question comes home to roost.

Paul's instructions in Galatians 5:13-18 get right to the heart of how we should treat other Christians - especially those we fall out with:

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. (Galatians 5:13-18)

Paul says  the opposite of indulging our sinful nature is serving one another in love. 

The mark of a spirit-filled man or woman is therefore how they serve and love other believers, especially those they disagree with. 

A believer who continues to live according to the sinful nature will live in conflict with other Christians. But a believer who lives by the Spirit, will show that by the way he serves and loves those Christians he struggles with. While our natural tendency is to avoid those we don't get on with, a Spirit-filled man or woman will seek out those they don't get on with in order to show them love.

Paul then goes on to list the acts of the sinful nature, many of which involve broken or distorted relationships: 'hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy' (5:20-21).

Whereas in contrast, the fruit of a Spirit-filled life are all characteristics that heal broken relationships: 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control' (5:22-23).

The right question is therefore not  'Why do Christians sometimes treat each other so badly?' - but rather 'How can I treat my fellow Christians better?'

And the answer of the Apostle Paul is simple: 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal 5:24-25)

How can we do that in practice? 

Let's be clear: it is not a natural thing to love those who don't like us - it's a supernatural thing. That's why we need the help of God's Spirit!

Which is why prayer is a good first port of call.

It sounds so simple, but I've found the most helpful thing I can do when it comes to loving and serving those I struggle with, is to simply pray that God would bless them.

I pray that God would give them joy and delight in him. I pray that God would prosper them in their families, workplaces, ministries and personal devotions. I pray that God would answer their prayers and help them to grow in their faith and that they would know his smile on their lives. I pray he would shower his blessings on them so that they are overwhelmed! (Get the idea?)

And you know what I've found?

It's really difficult to harbour resentment or animosity or bitterness towards someone I'm praying God would bless!

I find that a love starts to grow in my heart towards them. I find a new desire to serve them and help them starts to blossom. I find the wrong attitudes or self-indulgent bitterness I've nurtured against them begin to melt away. I find forgiveness comes a little easier. I find I start feeling the need to DO something to bless them!

Are you struggling to love another Christian? Is there a history that you haven't been able to let go? Are there unforgiven issues that you need to deal with?

Why not put them in your Intensive Prayer Unit for a season?

You never know what God's Spirit might do in your heart, as well as theirs.

Am I a Consumer Christian?

During the last couple of months, while I've been on sabbatical, my family and I have visited a number of other churches. (8 different churches so far).

It's been an interesting experience from which I've learnt a lot, particularly from rediscovering the experience of being a visitor with young children. In a future post I may write something about this.

However the most significant thing I've noticed during this time is how easy it is to slip into approaching church as a consumer.

The more I've thought about it, the more I've become convinced how destructive and damaging this approach is, not only to the church community itself but also to the cause of Christ.

What has concerned me even more is that I've also become convinced that this is the dominant way most Christians - of all ages - approach church today. And that's bad because a consumer approach to church is sinful.

Yes, I did just use the 's' word.

Because a consumer approach to church couldn't be further away from the Bible's understanding of what it means to be part of a community of God's people.

Being a consumer is inherently self-seeking and therefore at odds with Jesus' model of self-giving. As a consumer I go to church for what it offers me, but the Apostle Paul said that true worship involves offering ourselves to God.

'Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' (Romans 12:1-2)

As I've examined my own heart I've found it helpful to contrast the consumer vs Christlike approach. I trust what follows will be as much a spur and challenge to you as it has been to me.

When I approach church as a consumer...

I come to be satisfied. I am at the centre of the 'experience'. My needs, expectations, desires, preferences, tastes, hobby-horses and opinions become priorities and so I am vocal about them.

Whereas when I approach church in a Christlike way...

I come to bless, encourage and spur others on. My priority is what Jesus desires and so his command to love others trumps my own desires and preferences and so I am vocal in expressing gratitude.


When I approach church as a consumer...

I come as a critic, assessing and judging the quality of the welcome, ambiance, music, sermon, coffee and _______ (fill in as appropriate) according to my preferences.

Whereas when I approach church in a Christlike way...

I come to edify others. I look for the good in everything and everyone. I overlook imperfections, spur on those who are growing in their gifts and treat issues of preference or disagreement with grace.


When I approach church as a consumer...

I come to be served. I expect others to meet my needs. I expect the service or activities or pastor to tick all my boxes. If not, I may decide to complain to the management or to fellow consumers.

Whereas when I approach church in a Christlike way...

I come to serve. I realise God has given me gifts to build others up and I consider it a privilege to use them. I am concerned to meet the needs of others and  my focus is on fulfilling the role has given me in the Body of Christ.


When I approach church as a consumer...

I come to be entertained. I do not want to be challenged or - God forbid - rebuked. I expect to be uplifted, stirred, moved and affirmed. To be bored is a cardinal sin. To be offended even worse.

Whereas when I approach church in a Christlike way...

I come to grow. I expect to be challenged by the ministry because I know I am a self-deceiving sinner and my greatest need is to be sanctified and made more like Jesus. I humbly accept the diet God chooses to give me from his Word through those who minister to me.


When I approach church as a consumer...

I come as an individual. Interacting with others is an inconvenient necessity. I therefore don't hang around long after meetings, or if I do, I only speak with a small circle of friends. I am uncomfortable with small groups because they involve participation, scrutiny and close personal contact.

Whereas when I approach church in a Christlike way...

I come to be part of a community. While at times I find it challenging, I count it a privilege to be part of a fellowship of diverse people with whom I can share my life. I welcome the accountability and scrutiny that comes from close contact with members of a small group and I seek to be an active participant in one, praying for and pastoring others.


When I approach church as a consumer...

I attend, but I don't commit. I prefer the fringe to the core. I prefer to spectate rather than participate. I pick and choose the meetings I attend. I cannot be relied upon to turn up. I do not willingly volunteer, take on responsibility or contribute to church life.

Whereas when I approach church in a Christlike way...

I commit myself to my brothers and sisters and show this by my attendance and attitude to service. I embrace my calling to be a partner and co-worker with them for the gospel and I do whatever I can to support church initiatives. I therefore give sacrificially of my time, energy and money.


When I approach church as a consumer...

I come to be ministered to. I expect the church leaders and pastor to service me. I expect them to visit me, know all about me, have time for me whenever I require them, and be skilled in offering spiritual tlc. If they don't fulfil this, then I feel my rights have been infringed.

Whereas when I approach church in a Christlike way...

I come to minister to others. I recognise that there will be many unknown and unseen pastoral demands on church leaders and pastors that are greater than my own. I recognise that I have a responsibility to care for my brothers and sisters and so I am proactive in watching for opportunities to minister to others.


When I approach church as a consumer...

I resist change because it involves personal discomfort. Because church exists to meet my needs I oppose changes that inconvenience me or require me to flex or adapt. The status quo is good because it is why I was attracted to the church in the first place.

Whereas when I approach church in a Christlike way...

I support change when it benefits others or has a gospel motivation. I gladly accept personal inconvenience if it means others will be blessed. I embrace changes that mean church is able to communicate the gospel and make disciples more effectively. I trust those who make change decisions even when I cannot see the need.


When I approach church as a consumer...

I will eventually end up leaving the church, either in body or in spirit. The younger I am, the more likely I am to leave physically and go to another church. The older I am, the more likely I am to leave in spirit and become detached and disillusioned, critical and cynical.

Whereas when I approach church in a Christlike way...

I will end well, leaving a legacy for younger generations who will thank God for my example. I will have been a unifying influence, rather than a divisive one. I will have been a kingdom-builder rather than an empire-builder. I will have been a contributor rather than a consumer.


So which best describes your approach to church?

The quieter summer period is a good time to honestly reflect on our attitude towards fellow Christians and involvement in church.

Do you need to repent of being a church consumer and resolve to be a committed Christlike contributor?

The Bible in the British Museum

One of the things I've wanted to do for some time is tour the British Museum in London with a particular focus on Biblical history.

The BM is the second most popular tourist attraction in the UK. Each year 5 million visitors come to see the 70,000 objects on display in 100 galleries.

And no wonder, because entrance is free!

However, for a Christian, the BM has a unique appeal, because so much of what is on display belongs to the cultures and empires prominent in biblical history.

Christian publisher Day One recognised this a few years ago and published an excellent 'travel guide' to the BM entitled 'Through the British Museum with the Bible'. 

Authors Clive Anderson and Brian Edwards expertly guide readers through the maze of exhibits, pointing out items of special interest and connecting them to Bible culture, history and stories.

My sabbatical provided a great opportunity to finally make this visit, so I spent a wonderful day there this week, wandering around, discovering some of its treasures.

What follows are just a few of my personal highlights...

The Royal Game of Ur

Ever wondered what Abraham and Sarah got up to in their downtime? Probably this!

The Royal Game of Ur (as its now known) is one of the oldest known games and was all the rage for a period of around 3000 years. It predates Abraham by around 1000 years, so it's very likely that he'd not only heard about it but played it.

Pharoahs, Sacred Cows and Mummies

Dominating the Egyptian artifacts room is the imposing statue of Rameses II, who is thought by some to have been the Pharoah at the time of the Exodus.

Egyptians worshipped sacred bulls and so when they died they mummified them. It was the worship of the sacred bulls that lay behind the episode of the golden calf in Exodus 32.

The BM is well known for it's collection of Egyptian mummies. The book of Genesis closes with the words: 'Joseph died... they embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.' (Gen 50:26).

As a man of high rank it's highly likely that Joseph's remains would have been given the same treatment as these examples...

David's Sling

No, it's not the ACTUAL sling that David used to kill Goliath, but it is an example of the sort of thing he would have used and that was a commonplace and effective weapon in the right hands. This one actually pre-dates David to around the time of the Judges.

Age of the Empires: Assyria, Babylon and Persia

There are a huge number of Assyrian artifacts in the BM. The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. Below is a wall relief depicting Jewish prisoners being taken into exile after defeat at the hands of Tiglath Pilesar III. We read about this in 2 Kings 15:29-30:

'In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath- Pileser king of Assyria came... He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria.'

The southern kingdom of Judah suffered a similar fate years later, this time at the hand of the new king on the block, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. The brick below is stamped with his name and dates back to Babylonian times.

However, despite the size and power of the Babylonian Empire, these bricks are all that remain of it. It is a sobering reminder of the transience of human power.

Esther's Hubby

The Persian Empire followed the Babylonian one and one of its most infamous kings was Ahaseurus, the king who married Esther (Esther 1:1). Below is a wall relief from that time of the great man himself. Of particular note is the sceptre in his hand. We t
read about this in Esther 5:1-2. This was the symbol of his power and patronage. Only when he held it out to Esther, was she assured of his favour.

Cyrus and the return from exile

The Cyrus Cylinder is one of the most important documents from the Persian Empire. Among other things it records how King Cyrus allowed exiles who were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar to return to their own countries, worship their gods and rebuild their temples.

According to Ezra 1:2-4 Cyrus claimed he had been charged by God to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem. 150 years before Cyrus came to power Isaiah 44:28 referred to Cyrus as a shepherd for Israel and prophesied that Jerusalem would be rebuilt at his command.

One of the leaders of the returning Jewish exiles was Nehemiah. He was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.The silver drinking bowl below has an inscription identifying it as Artaxerxes' bowl. It is not impossible that Nehemiah handled this very bowl.

Roman Emperors and Pontius Pilate

Below is a bust of Caesar Augustus (minus his nose), who was the Roman Emperor when Jesus was born (Luke 2:1).

Augustus's son Tiberius succeeded him. He was the Emperor when Jesus died.

Below is a bronze coin of Pontius Pilate, who was Governor of Judea at the time of Jesus' trial. The date on the reverse side of this shows it was produced in AD30-31, which means this coin would have been in circulation when Jesus was crucified.