Recently while coming towards the end of a preaching series in Revelation, (which was a challenge), I came across the song 'How great is our God' by Chris Tomlin, which brings out some of the images of God that we find in Revelation and elsewhere in the Bible. It is becoming one of my favourites - enjoy.
Friday 19 December 2008
Wednesday 10 December 2008
Make your Choice
Every day we face a multitude of decisions and choices. Most are mundane and we simply fall into patterns of habit and routine. I could choose to have Cornflakes or Rice Crispies for breakfast. But I have Rice Crispies because that's what I always do, and before the caffeine kicks in the fewer choices I need to make the better. But it wouldn't make any significant difference which cereal I was to choose, or whether I just had toast. Then every now and again a decision or choice comes along that comes into the 'life changing' category. I would include things like where to live, where to work, whether or not to marry and to whom as choices that fall into this category.
The people of Israel were faced with the most important of all decisions - were they going to choose to serve God or not (Joshua 24). And this was a decision that would impact the rest of their lives. A Christian is a person who is following Jesus, and has decided to serve God. But that is not a one off decision - it means that every decision and choice we face from that point on needs to be made in the light of the choice to serve God. That's why this might seem to some as an undesirable choice (verse 15) - because we all want the freedom to do what we want.
That is not to say that we need to pray about every decision. Certainly when making those life changing decisions we need to pray and be asking mature Christian friends and leaders for advice and help. At the other extreme I can still simply choose Rice Crispies for breakfast. But what about when someone cuts me up while driving home from doing the Christmas shopping - I have a split second to make my choice - do I angrily sound the horn, and shout at them (even though they can't hear) and allow my blood pressure to rise still further, or do I let it go (and maybe even pray that God will allow them to get home safely). When I hear that juicy piece of gossip at work do I quickly pass it on, or do I make the choice, 'this is going no further'.
Sometimes we will get it wrong but contrary to verse 19 we have a God who has promised to forgive us and give us a new start, when we confess our mistakes (1 John 1:9).
The people of Israel were faced with the most important of all decisions - were they going to choose to serve God or not (Joshua 24). And this was a decision that would impact the rest of their lives. A Christian is a person who is following Jesus, and has decided to serve God. But that is not a one off decision - it means that every decision and choice we face from that point on needs to be made in the light of the choice to serve God. That's why this might seem to some as an undesirable choice (verse 15) - because we all want the freedom to do what we want.
That is not to say that we need to pray about every decision. Certainly when making those life changing decisions we need to pray and be asking mature Christian friends and leaders for advice and help. At the other extreme I can still simply choose Rice Crispies for breakfast. But what about when someone cuts me up while driving home from doing the Christmas shopping - I have a split second to make my choice - do I angrily sound the horn, and shout at them (even though they can't hear) and allow my blood pressure to rise still further, or do I let it go (and maybe even pray that God will allow them to get home safely). When I hear that juicy piece of gossip at work do I quickly pass it on, or do I make the choice, 'this is going no further'.
Sometimes we will get it wrong but contrary to verse 19 we have a God who has promised to forgive us and give us a new start, when we confess our mistakes (1 John 1:9).
Tuesday 2 December 2008
What to do when ethnic cleansing is not an option
As a Christian there are parts of the Old Testament that I find really hard to get my head round. Over the last few months we have been looking at the book of Joshua at church on Sunday mornings - the story of how the people of God, under God's leadership, moved through the 'Promised Land' killing those who lived there and driving them from their homes. I know some of the arguments - it was God's judgement, or it was to ensure that these people did not lead Israel away from God - but they don't make it easier to understand.
This week we reached chapter 23 - Joshua warning the people to have nothing to do with these foreigners in case they entice them to follow their false gods. How are we to apply this passage to life in London in 2008? Most of my neighbours are Hindu. Most of the children at my daughter's school are not from a Christian background. What are we to do? Have nothing to do with them? Of course not.
As Christians the challenge is to live in the world, so that we are able to contribute positively to it, bringing the kingdom of God as hope replaces hopelessness, peace replaces anxiety, love replaces hate, light replaces darkness - and yet to remember that we are not of the world, so we don't buy into the world's values.
I think all to often the church has felt that its position in society has been to issue a list of 'dos' and 'don'ts' and to call on the legislators to penalise anyone who steps out of line. But aren't we called to live in the world, to be distinctive, to show the world that there is a better way, that they may say, 'I want some of that'.
This week we reached chapter 23 - Joshua warning the people to have nothing to do with these foreigners in case they entice them to follow their false gods. How are we to apply this passage to life in London in 2008? Most of my neighbours are Hindu. Most of the children at my daughter's school are not from a Christian background. What are we to do? Have nothing to do with them? Of course not.
As Christians the challenge is to live in the world, so that we are able to contribute positively to it, bringing the kingdom of God as hope replaces hopelessness, peace replaces anxiety, love replaces hate, light replaces darkness - and yet to remember that we are not of the world, so we don't buy into the world's values.
I think all to often the church has felt that its position in society has been to issue a list of 'dos' and 'don'ts' and to call on the legislators to penalise anyone who steps out of line. But aren't we called to live in the world, to be distinctive, to show the world that there is a better way, that they may say, 'I want some of that'.
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