I've moved!

Ok so I'm pretty sure very few people have ever read this blog, but if you do this is to let you know it's moved.
Now merged with my hubbyband - find us here

So we can blog together! :o)

Bye xx

WTGM

This past week has been full of ups and downs with our church relationships.
We had a great party a week ago for K., who's recently arrived in the UK, and barely speaks any English. It was a fun time getting to know him and his wife better, playing Jenga and Pass the Parcel (thanks Lorna!).

But on the other hand the gospel has offended a guy who has been coming to our church meetings for a good few months. Although we want people to feel part of a loving, caring, God-centred community - what defines us as a community is the centrality of the gospel in our lives, and so people who don't know him can't be a part of our community in its fullest sense.

Also a lady we've been getting to know for about a year seems to be getting ready to leave Loughborough. This is really sad as the relationship seemed to be really developing especially between her and the women in our church. Its also sad because in moving to a bigger city it is probable that she will be sucked into the Pakistani community there.

But it reminded me of a favourite Crowded House saying 'WTGM' or Welcome to Gospel Ministry. Its hard work, its often not fun, its unpredictable, disillusioning and sad. But this is gospel ministry, done for God, not ourselves. He is in control, he works in people's hearts and we just need to trust him with what he's doing.

Whenever God's work seems like hard work, relationships are difficult or even seem to crumble because of the gospel - Welcome to Gospel Ministry!

Remember who you are

We had a prayer meeting on Friday night, looking at 2 Peter 1:1-11. It was really great to be thinking about who we are, why we are to live a distinctive life, and how we are to live like that.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

Remember who you are -: 'partakers in the divine nature', God has given us everything we need for life and godliness, he has called us to his glory and excellence. We are the body of Christ.

Marrieds evening on Saturday looking at an article from the Journal of Biblical Counselling on Speaking Redemptively by Paul Tripp. Really excellent, and so exciting both in marriage and all our relationships, that our words should be used by God to grow our spouses, children, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Yesterday we had our church meeting in the morning, looking at John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. How wonderful that we died with Christ, and are raised with Christ! It was just made so wonderfully clear that Jesus chose to be baptised as the first among many brothers. As John said Jesus should have been baptising him, but Jesus insisted on being baptised. Not as a picture of cleansing from sin, because he was perfect and God the Father said so, but as the firstborn, the head of his new people.

And that's who we are God's new people, under the headship of Christ.

(If you don't get the picture - Its from the Lion King, Mufassa tells Simba to remember who he is. But he's only a lion, and king of a lion pride, oh and it's not real! We're children of the King!)

Slumdog Millionaire

I had hugely high expectations for this film, I've been wanting to see it for months - ever since I heard about it AND I was in no way dissapointed. Masterful directing, flawless acting, heart-warming and gut wrenching story, soaring soundtrack ...

I generally get very involved in movies anyway, but this one really did have you laughing, crying, angry, excited - a rollercoaster of emotions. Without a doubt a 5* film, and it will hopefully win Best Picture and Director at the Academy Awards, its far more deserving than many which have won in the past.

The thing that is kind of soul-destroying is the truth contained within the story, that there are thousands of children worldwide abused like that, and they don't win in the end. They never have a chance. Although I really enjoyed the film, I was angry - angry because of the truth there are people who control, and abuse and destroy children. God is angry at it too, and he will one day renew our world and get rid of all the pain and suffering and wickedness and evil, he will wipe every tear from our eyes.

I love this passage from Isaiah:

...cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

But we are naturally corrupt, how can we learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice? Immediately the answer is given.

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool..."

The same God who forgives us and lavished mercy and grace on us will enable us to do it. Pray that many will go in his Almighty power and preach good news and be good news.

On Mission - 1

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

So the very last thing Jesus told his disciples was to be missionaries. So why do we think its some kind of optional extra? Its a command, and what is so so wonderfully amazing is that its a command, not based on our ability or skills or talents, its a command based on the fact that Jesus has been given all authority. Its his immeasurable power that will do the work, and spread his word. But we are to go. Be that to the end of the street, the other side of town or further afield. How blessed are we to have the nations on our doorsteps? We don't even have to travel to be able to make disciples of all nations.

So go!

Italia!

Lovely country, facinating, full of culture, history and gelato! The latter is by far the best aspect. Good trip, but an exhausting one, 36C and rushing around from Museum, to Gallery to Monument.

Some really sad things: the long long history there of first complete rejection of the gospel, then its manipulation into a "religion" adding things to the infallible word of God. Mary portrayed in art, as much as, or even more than Jesus. The "enthroning of Mary" being a popular theme. So sad that millions have been led by lies as to her authority - the bible gives her none.
When Jesus is portrayed it is majorly him on the cross - the dispair is all there, but no sense of what was being accomplished - the forgiveness of sins. It must anger God greatly to see his Word so manipulated, and twisted. It angers me that millions have been led in lies, and are being led in lies. Open God's word - read what he says. Discover the awesomeness of our creator, the wonder of his plan of redemption, the graceful use of broken, sinful people to be his church - his picture to the world.

Be amazed at the truth, and shun the lies.

The Lisbon Treaty

Ok so this is a very boring topic, but also an important one.
Ireland is the only country in the EU to be allowing its citizens to have a say in this treaty. I for one, am glad that Bunreacht na hEireann (our constitution) states that we get a direct say.

I would like to point out that I am not anti-Europe, I studied European law. I'm a Eurosceptic insomuch as I'm a Irish Government sceptic or a British government sceptic - they don't always make the wisest decisions.

Some issues with Lisbon:

Its basically a revised and slightly altered version of the EU Constitution, which was voted against by Dutch and French voters last year. This is slightly deceptive I think, citizens had a direct say for the constitution, but this is being pushed through without consultation.

Ireland is a small country, currently we have a veto, we have an equal say. This treaty will alter that, representation will be based on population. Clearly a country of 4 million people will not have a significant say. Many issues of veto voting will be transfered to qualified majority voting (QMV) again based on population.

However my primary problem is with the changed wording of Article 1(a) of the Treaty of Europe.

‘Article 1a
The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy,
equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.’.

The emphasis on "pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance" worry me. Not because these are fundamentally bad things, but I can see where this could lead. Personally I don't believe in pluralism, there is one way to God, one mediator between God and man - the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I don't know if this will lead to people being monitored, or even punished for expressing their beliefs. The European Charter on Fundamental rights provides for Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Expression, and Freedom of Assembly. But will Christians actually be able to say that they believe homosexuality is wrong? Will Christians be able to say that there is only one way to God? Will Christians be able to say that they believe other religions to be false?

That is why I am voting no. Jesus promised we would suffer for his sake, for the gospel, that persecutions would come. But I am voting no, yes due to the loss of influence my small country will have in Europe, but primarily because I am against any law which would enshrine pluralism, and possibly put it above the right to freedom of religion.

Against torture?

I have been surprised, on a number of occassions recently, where Christians have stated to me that they support torture in certain situations. Particularily where terrorism is involved, and torture may be used (supposedly) to stop a major terror plot. I have wanted to write for a number of weeks now on why I disagree with torture, in all situations, at any time, for any reason, in any place.

1.) Jesus said love your enemies. Not "Love your enemies, except when they are REALLY your enemies, and may hurt you, then you can hurt them." This may seem as if I am oversimplifing the issue, please comment if you think this.

2.) Information extracted under torture CANNOT be considered as 100% credible. I think that if I was in immense pain, and being told to tell someone something for days and even weeks I'd tell them exactly what they wanted to hear. On a side note, it cannot stand up in a court of law as credible (meaning a Court of Law, where the law is actually adhered to.)

3.) I don't think Jack Bauer should be a roll model no matter how much you like watching 24.

4.) People get it wrong. Just like I'm against capital punishment, I'm against torture. God is the judge.

Burma.

Aung San Suu Kyi is someone that I would love to meet.

She's not a Christian, but her peaceful protest, and humility is to be admired.

Pray for Burma. The Christians are persecuted yet the church is growing. Although missionaries have been banned from Burma since the 1960s the Burmese church is actually sending missionaries!

Do we settle for far too little?

Our passions are not too strong, they are too weak. We are far too easily pleased.<

C.S. Lewis

Are we quite happy to just live? Work, play, rest. Or even go to church, go to bible studies, go to prayer meetings - and still settle for far too little.

I know I am, quite happy to trundle along - work, rest, play, church. I settle for second, third, fourth ... best. I doubt it can be considered best at all.

Maybe it's just me, but I think that some Christians do settle for far too little. Loving Christ is not, or at least should not be merely a duty. It is truly living, living at its finest. A Life lived without God is meaningless. A Life lived effectively without God a lot of the time, is empty in that time.

I need to be more vigorous, more steadfast in reading his word, and filling my mind with things above, and not things of this earth. I want to be more in love with him, more amazed by his wonderful grace, more in awe at his power, more struck by his beauty. Please my brothers and sisters in Christ who read this encourage me to do this, as I want to you.