What is the meaning of the cross?

Scholars bebate the meaning of the cross of Jesus in great detail. They argue about the nature of it and what was happening. However, as Martin Luther once pointed out, you can’t understand the cross only with your brain. The cross is doing something far more important than providing something to debate.

I think the truth is that many different things were happening during the crucifixion. Some of them obvious and others more hidden but ultimately its not what it does to your head that matters its how it touches your soul and your heart. Scholars who insist on reducing the cross to one meaning are just plain wrong.

But then we should be used to things having multiple meanings. If I can take a trivial personal example first here. I go running every morning. I have lots of reasons for doing it. I want to get fit, I need to lose weight, I want to try and avoid some illnesses, I want to be fit to enjoy my walking hobby and I want to be an example for my children. Now if anyone were to reduce the meaning to just one of these they would be right in saying that this is what was happening but would also be very wrong because it means so much more.

If we reduce the cross to just one meaning then we might be right in what we say about that one meaning but we are so very wrong if we think that is the end of the story.

Was Jesus dying for us? Yes. Was Jesus taking away the sin of the world? Yes. Was it a moral example to inspire us to better things? Yes. Was Jesus the lamb of God? Yes. And so I could continue.

But ultimately you can’t understand the cross without feeling it. It’s only when you can stand at the foot of the cross yourself, and see your Saviour suffering and bleeding, and dying with your name on his lips, and understand that it should be you up there, that you get what it means.

It means so much and yet the message is simple – God loves you.

How willing are you for God to use you?

I’m sure at some point every Christian has told God that they are willing to be used by Him. But do we really mean it when we say it?

It takes a lot to submit to God’s will completely. For instance how happy would you be if to follow His will you had to be poor for the rest of your life? Or how willing if you knew it would cause you conflict with the people you love the most?

Jesus once asked a rich young ruler to give up the thing he loved the most (his money) before he could follow Jesus. All we know is the young man went away feeling sad. He wanted to follow Jesus but the cost was too great.

I don’t believe it is God’s will for everyone to be poor or that the point of this story is that you have to give away all your stuff to the poor before you can follow Jesus. I think the point is that if we are really going to follow Christ we should be willing to go this far.

I want God to use me but I hope he includes a comfortable life for me as well. So far the comfortable life part (that’s the bit I want) has never materialised. Should this mean I stop following Christ? Well ultimately that’s my choice but so far I think not.

What are you willing to give up to follow Christ?

Preoccupied with self

I was reading a blog entry the other day about someone who was getting very angry at the way people in the “New Age” movement are too self centered. They were trying to get people to care more for others. It all sounded very Christian to me, although it came from someone in the New Age movement.

Now preoccupation is not an exclusive club for New Agers only. It is too easy as a Christian to become preoccupied with your own faith and to forget about the needs of others. Jesus never called anyone to a life of preoccupation with their relationship with God. God calls us to be concerned with the world as well as with Him (Him first of course).

Jesus said that the first commandment is to love God and others as yourself. So we can love ourselves (in fact we should) and we should love others just as much, and of course we should love God. So no room for self preoccupation there.

I’ve often heard Christians argue that this is one of the reasons to belong to a church. It stops you becomming too self centered. I agree – a bit. You see belonging to a church doesn’t save you from preoccupation. Even insitutions can be preoccupied with themselves. I’ve come across plenty of churches that have a preoccupation with themselves.

I had a motto at College that everyone still remembers me for: “don’t take yourselves too seriously”. This ought to be every Christians motto as well. Don’t get preoccupied with self.

Have you found a good place to Worship on the Internet

How do you help people worship on the Internet and is it possible to have a communal act of worship on the Internet?

I’ve seen many examples of churches who have tried to provide some kind of worship experience over the Internet. Some of them are better than others but just a few miss the mark completely (it seems to me).

The problem is that you can’t expect the Internet to do something that it is impossible for it to do (at the moment). We must of course allow for developments that will make something possible but I’m talking about how things are in April 2008.

You wouldn’t expect to be able to use a car as a toaster (I’m sure some bright spark would work out a way but most of us normal people wouldn’t expect to be able to do this). However some Christian web sites seems to want to be able to do something similar with the Internet.

The Internet for all its developments is still a text based medium. Yes there are videos and streaming and video conferencing and Internet phones etc but still the vast majority of it is about people sitting down and reading text or looking at pictures.

People like the Internet because it enables you to find things out at a time and place that is convenient to you.

Even with the rise of social networking the vast majority of this takes places at times and places that are convenient to the users.

So how do churches overcome this problem to help people worship?

Some sites think that the only way to worship is at the same time. So they try to persuade people to sit in front of a worship service at the set time the church has chosen.

It always seems to me that if you wanted to sit in worship at a set time you would probalby have gotten in your car and driven somewhere to do this. One of the problems that Christians who leave church find is that they cannot worship when the church expects them to and so they stop going. So why do churches try to get everyone to look at their website at a set time. Surely this is an opportunity to include people who can’t get to church by being far more flexible.

Of course there will be exceptions to this because some people will be housebound or not able to travel as far as is needed to participate in the worship.

Some sites think that they have to involve people in the worship (otherwise it isn’t real worship) and so they will get them to type some kind of affirmation or prayer while the worship is going on.

Why?????

Surely this makes it less like true worship which comes from the heart and not the fingers.

Churches need to get far more creative with their approach to Internet worship.

Try not to think along the lines of set times or physical audience participation. These are both nonsense when it comes to the Internet.

Instead allow for flexibility in the timing. Don’t make it out to be less of a worship experience if peopl enjoy it at a time that is convenient to them. Instead think that this is a way to get people worshipping God 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Instead of thinking about how you can get people to participate in the worship understand that people participate by logging on to your websites worship area. They participate by opening their hearts to God not by typing responsive prayers etc. They might participate in some way but please find ways others than what would happen in a more ‘normal’ churchs service.

I have searched high and low for a good online worship experience but have not found one yet. Perhaps it just is not possible. However the only way we are going to make it possible is to stop thinking like clones of the ‘regular’ church and start getting creative. I have a feeling that we will discover online worship is possible only through the age old medium of art, music and the written word.

Let us all know by posting a comment below

Is the Internet Good for God?

Christians are struggling to know what to do with the Internet (in my opinion).

One of the things that Christian preachers have enjoyed over the years is that they know more than the congregation do about the Bible and what it says. Some might even argue that they have deliberately kept it that way although I’m not sure that’s true myself. The studies that Clergy undertake are available and have been for a long time to others as well.

However the Internet has opened up a whole can of worms (or should I say Diet of Worms – Luther fans will know what I’m talking about) for Christian leaders.

Now whatever is said in the pulpit can be looked up on the Internet. Some of the information that is presented will be good some will be bad.

What are the consequences and are they good or bad?

The consequences are that no Christian can now make statements about the Christian faith and expect it not to be challenged in some way. It is no longer adequate for preachers to just quote a few verses out of context and not expect to be challenged on the topics raised.

This is bad for those who like to use the Bible as a tool to glorify themselves and to justify bigoted opinions.

This is good for the Christian faith in general.

If Christians believe (as I do) that the Bible is in the inspired word of God then why should we fear being questioned about it?

If the claims of the Christian faith are valid then why fear anyone challenging it?

If people challenging the Christian faith leads to open and honest enquiry then why should anyone be upset?

Do we honestly think that God should be worried because someone somewhere happens to think up an argument that isn’t very nice for Christians?

I believe that there are many answers to the critics of Christianity (search out some apologetics websites if you doubt me).

I also know from experience that most people who challenge the Christian faith (even famous atheists) often do so from a position of ignorance about what Christians claim.

Surely it is far better for Christians to be able to take a good long look at what the Bible says and then to test it and see if it stands up to scrutiny? If this was not to be allowed then why did we ever let it be translated into languages that the average person can understand? This problem was answered back in the days when the printing press was invented it’s just now that it has become even more available.

Of course we need to understand that not every website tells the truth (but this is also true about Christian web sites) but given enough research its possible to have a reasonable go at understanding what God’s will really is as it is revealed in the Bible.

I say the Internet is great for God and the more Christians learn to use this powerful tool for getting our viewpoint across the better.

Of course those preachers/teachers who like to use out of context Bible passages to justify their own viewpoints will be upset by the Internet because it must mean their days are numbered. At last!

What do you think?

Is the Internet good for God – leave your opinion

Nice faith shame about the trousers

What is it with trendy Vicars/Ministers/Pastors?

I came across a site the other day (no url to save any embarassement) which was all about modernising the church – good subject. However on the front of the site was a picture of their modern and inspirational leader in his 1980’s waistcoat.

Now I’ve know a lot of clergy in my time and many (not all) have been kind and nice people who have had the best interests of others in their heart. However if there is anything to do with ‘alternative worship’ or ‘youth ministry’ you had better get your sunglasses ready.

So many of them make the effort to look more contemporary but end up looking like a fool. I’ve seen ties that were never in fashion but might have found their way into the Charity Shop just after Christmas. I’ve seen tank tops that mums probably knitted for them when they were in their teens. I’ve seen waistcoats that look like they were used to protect the TV when the decoraters were in. I’ve seen trousers that seem to levitate six inches off the floor and were either bought in a sale in a fit of daftness or were purchased by mum for their thirteenth birthday party.

Sorry if this sounds like a man thing because women clergy are just as bad. Why do so many women clergy think they have to dress like a man anyway?

I would like to say that this is unusual but sadly it isn’t. Perhaps what is even sadder is half the congregation also looks like this on their dress down family service day (only someone forgot to tell THE family to come – more of that on another day perhaps).

So often Christians are told to wear something bright when the ‘outsiders’ are coming to visit. Wear something bright? Why? Is church so boring that we think wearing a bright pink boa will someone make it exciting?

“Hey, won’t the outsiders and young people be impressed when we turn up with something bright on!”

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When will we learn that to be contemporary is actually about being yourself?

By all means leave off the cassock but if you feeling comfortable wearing a shirt and tie then go for it. There is nothing more offputting than falsity and this is just what it feels like when the clergy turn out in their ‘trendy’ gear.

Of course there are exceptions to this rule and some clergy wear more contemporary clothes naturally. Good for them!

What we need to start doing is breaking down the old images of the church and putting in new better ones. This is not done by looking like a scarecrow.

Relax – be yourself – dress like you want to.

What came out when I prayed today

It’s not like me to rant. I don’t often get carried away with things but as I prayed today I felt compelled to write this. I doubt anyone will read it but I felt it needed to be published.

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I want a revolution!

It’s time for change in the UK Christian Church.

How often have I heard that said but does it ever happen? NO!

We have people who are Bible believing who call for revolution in the teaching.

We have people who are Bible doubting who call for revolution in the teaching.

We have people who like more modern music calling for revolution in worship.

We have people who don’t fit the ‘normal’ church calling for radical church.

We have people calling for house church because that’s what they like and it’s Biblical isn’t it?

Every group calls for something different in the church but what happens?

We get church made in our own image.

We get Christians breaking away to form ‘new’ churches.

But where is the revolution? WHERE O GOD IS THE REVOLUTION!!!!

Where are the generations lost to the church? Why don’t they come?

We’ve tried trendy services and new age thinking. We’ve tried everything but who comes?

People already connected to the church – that’s who comes. Very few ever come in from the outside.

Do they then hate Jesus? Do they think Jesus’ teachings are dead and gone?

No they don’t.

Why is every normal Christian ashamed to admit they go to church? Why are Christian ministers called names in the streets?

Why do people who don’t go to church hate the church?

Why do they believe that the church has highjacked the teachings of Christ and used them for their own ends?

Is it the Devil? Perhaps. Is it us? Yes.

Christian Revolution comes only when people are ready to repent.

Is the church ready?

Would we be prepared to go on national TV and say – sorry we got it wrong.

Are we prepared to admit to the world that we have not always followed Jesus?

Are we prepared to say that there is a problem with power hungry people in God’s own house?

Will we admit that instead of washing feet we have often been driven by greed?

Then when we have repented can we be converted?

Can we convert to foot washing and service?

Can we change our worship so the focus is on Jesus?

Can we listen to those who have a different view and then sensitively give ours – as equals.

We seek the broken and miss the lost.

We seek out the worst but have no time for the best.

It is right to help the drunk and the homeless – God expects nothing less than this.

But we pat ourselves on the back while every week we drive past houses full of lost souls who don’t suit us because they are not bad enough yet.

One street full of people in a Town would fill a church with hundreds. People of all ages squeezing through the doors.

Are not most church buildings in a street? Yet they are fit only for carpet warehouses and New Age Healers.

O God when will we change? When will you bring the revolution?

O God how long must we wait? How long must I wait to see this?

My heart is broken waiting for your deliverance.

My heart loves your idea of the church but it is broken as the man made systems fall.

O God bring your new church soon.

Please Lord release me from feeling this way. Let me rest and not feel the pain. I love your church so much yet my heart is broken over it.

Your will be done. Your will be done! YouR WILL BE DONE!!!!

I doubt to believe

Doubt tends to have a lot of bad press in the Christian faith.

Doubt is often seen as the opposite of faith. So if you doubt then it must be because you are a fallen unbeliever. In fact so bad is this seen in some churches that it’s illegal to mention to anyone that you might have doubts.

There is a difference between the doubt of a believer and the doubt of an unbeliever. Doubt for the believer is not about unbelief – although it can lead that way if left unchecked.

Now don’t misunderstand me because I know that Jesus encourages us not to doubt. Living in a constant attitude of doubt will have a negative effect on your relationship with God. However it is nonsense to assume that nobody ever has any doubts.

I know from talking with many Christians that nearly every Christian (great and humble) goes through periods of doubt, even though few ever mention it.

Jesus must have understood that we would doubt otherwise he would not have bothered to tell us not to do it.

The thing is that if you have doubt don’t suppress them and don’t assume it makes you a bad Christian.

Doubting is often an avenue to greater faith.

There are many different reasons for doubting and I don’t have time in a blog to cover them all.

If you have the time and inclination then read this book (for free):

http://www.garyhabermas.com/books/thomas_factor/thomas_factor.htm

It’s an excellent book all about how and why Christians doubt and how to deal with it in your life.

Times of doubt can be hard and worrying. It can feel like all the things you have based your life on are falling apart. Try to understand though that if you keep working through your doubts then you can build an even stronger faith. I don’t mean this to belittle those whose doubts don’t lead to greater faith but just to encourage those who doubt to explore and not give in too easily.

 

Sprinkled Blood

to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Heb 12:24

Talking about blood might not seem like a very nice subject. There is plenty of blood spilled for all the wrong reasons in this world. One might say this is just like the blood of Abel. Do you remember Abel? Able is the chap in the book of Genesis who has his head bashed in because he worshiped God. We are told that Ables blood was crying out to God.

Then we come to the sprinkled blood of Jesus. Sprinkled because it relates us back to the time of Moses (mediator of the old covenant) and the sacrifices that released the people from guilt.

Whatever we think about the cross of Jesus today there are plenty of references in the Bible to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is the sacrifice that speaks a better word.

The sprinkled blood of Abel called out for justice and revenge. Perhaps this is the way that innocent blood cries out to many today.

The sprinkled blood of Christ cries out with forgiveness and justice done. It isn’t easy to understand and to some it seems crazy but the blood of Jesus is shed for our personal forgiveness.

There is nothing we have to do only trust in Jesus to help us.

Every sprinkled drop of Jesus blood pays the penalty for every sin we ever commit. The penalty we deserve is paid by Jesus.

Through the death and ressurection of one man – Jesus Christ – we can now face eternity with confidence.

Never neglect your prayers

For some strange reason prayer for me is always a struggle. Not the doing it but the getting motivated to do it. It’s strange because I actually like praying and I’ve experienced God more in times of prayer than at any other time. Yet every morning I have to make myself sit down and pray. Perhaps there is some negative force at work or perhaps I’m just plain lazy.

Anyway I urge every Christian to make prayer a number one priority in life. Whatever else you get done today make sure you pray.

I sometimes get challenged by people who say things like:

I have five children how do you expect me to find time to pray? or

I’m really busy – I have to get up early in the morning to set off for work and I don’t get back till late. I don’t even have time for lunch how can I ever find time for prayer?

My response is usually in two parts:

1. Prayer times don’t have to take very long.
It seems there are a great number of people who seem to be under the impression that unless you can get half an hour for a quiet time there is just no point in bothering. Jesus pointed out that it is not the fancy prayers that get answered but the ones that are honest and come from the heart. He also told us not to keep saying the same thing over and over. I think it’s also significant that when the disciples asked to be taught how to pray Jesus gave them a prayer that can be said in well under a minute, even if you take your time over it. Of course there is benefit to having a longer quiet time but never use a lack of time as an excuse for not praying – time is not an issue with God.

2. We find time for things we really want to do and are committed to.
When people complain about a lack of time for prayer they invariably talk on other occasions about the TV programme they watched or the golf they played etc. I don’t want to be mean but it is true that we will usually find the time for those things that are important to us. For instance as a business person I used to get up very early one day a week to go to a business breakfast meeting. It was important to me to be able to promote my business so I would get up early to do it. Many other business people do the same. Yet often they say they find it hard to find the time to pray.

I’m sorry if this feels like a telling off – that wasn’t my intention when I began – but I want to encourage you not to neglect your prayers. If you are struggling to find time then think about your whole life and be honest about if you find time for things you want to do (e.g. watch your favourite soap). If this is true then think about how you can find time for prayer. Even those of us who make it a priority often find it tough to get started. If you are really struggling then remember that even short prayers can make a big difference. Who honestly can’t find two minutes in a day to say some short prayers?