This startling picture sent in by Daniel J. awesome!
2 Samuel 22:13
"Out of the brightness of his [the Lord's] presence
bolts of lightning blazed forth."
Thursday 31 May 2007
blazing
This startling picture sent in by Daniel J. awesome!
2 Samuel 22:13
"Out of the brightness of his [the Lord's] presence
bolts of lightning blazed forth."
Sunday 27 May 2007
unmoveable
This photo taken by Warwick B.
Psalm 36:6
"Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains"
Saturday 26 May 2007
Pentecost - II
More needs to be said about the Spirit's descent. Not only is God now tabernacling with his people by the Spirit so that they know him. God has, by the Spirit, overcome the divisive effects of Babel.
You will remember the story from Genesis 11. People living together with one language make this decision,
"Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
In response God descends and confuses their language to scatter them and frustrate their efforts and to make what might have been possible (?) for them impossible.
The promise to Abraham that through him the whole world would be blessed occurs in the context of this dispersion and confusion.
At Pentecost we read,
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
It is worth noting that people are not drawn back to one single language, but rather God speaks to them one message in their varied languages. Babel is not, in this sense, reversed, but overcome! The spirit acts so that people might be built together into a building, declaring the name of Jesus, gathered from every place on the face of the earth.
You will remember the story from Genesis 11. People living together with one language make this decision,
"Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
In response God descends and confuses their language to scatter them and frustrate their efforts and to make what might have been possible (?) for them impossible.
The promise to Abraham that through him the whole world would be blessed occurs in the context of this dispersion and confusion.
At Pentecost we read,
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
It is worth noting that people are not drawn back to one single language, but rather God speaks to them one message in their varied languages. Babel is not, in this sense, reversed, but overcome! The spirit acts so that people might be built together into a building, declaring the name of Jesus, gathered from every place on the face of the earth.
Friday 25 May 2007
John Piper Friday
"The cross is the pinnacle of God's love for sinners, not because it demonstrates the value of sinners, but because it vindicates the value of God for sinners to enjoy. God's love for man does not consist in making man central, but in making himself central for man. The cross does not direct man's attention to his own vindicated worth, but to God's vindicated righteousness.
This is love, because the only eternal happiness for man is happiness focused on the riches of God's glory. "In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forever more" (Psalm 16:1 1). God's self-exaltation is loving, because it preserves for us and offers to us the only all-satisfying Object of desire in the universe – the all-glorious, all-righteous God."
Did Christ Die for Us or for God? 'Taste and See' article. January 1, 1995.
This is love, because the only eternal happiness for man is happiness focused on the riches of God's glory. "In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forever more" (Psalm 16:1 1). God's self-exaltation is loving, because it preserves for us and offers to us the only all-satisfying Object of desire in the universe – the all-glorious, all-righteous God."
Did Christ Die for Us or for God? 'Taste and See' article. January 1, 1995.
Thursday 24 May 2007
God vs Pharoah
Erastus Salisbury Field, He Turned Their Waters into Blood c. 1865/1880 (left).
William Turner, The Fifth Plague of Egypt, c. 1800 (right).
Wednesday 23 May 2007
Pentecost - I
In resurrection Jesus is declared to be Lord! As Lord he wants His land inhabited. In Acts 1:8, Jesus commissions His followers,
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
At Pentecost, the Spirit comes! In interpreting the event to those around, Peter quotes the prophet Joel (Acts 2:17ff. quoting Joel 2:28-32),
'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Peter clearly identifies the Pentecost event with the coming of the new age!
I believe two other passages help us to understand the nature of the Spirit in this new age.
Jeremiah 31:33-34
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the LORD.
Ephesians 2:19-22
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."
God is no longer dwelling within Temple/Jerusalem but in Jesus/Church and his dwelling is by the Holy Spirit. Jesus has been definitively declared Lord in resurrection, and his Lordship is being worked out by the agency of the Holy Spirit in the people of God, the Church.
(see also 1 Cor 3:5-17 and 6:19)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
At Pentecost, the Spirit comes! In interpreting the event to those around, Peter quotes the prophet Joel (Acts 2:17ff. quoting Joel 2:28-32),
'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Peter clearly identifies the Pentecost event with the coming of the new age!
I believe two other passages help us to understand the nature of the Spirit in this new age.
Jeremiah 31:33-34
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the LORD.
Ephesians 2:19-22
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."
God is no longer dwelling within Temple/Jerusalem but in Jesus/Church and his dwelling is by the Holy Spirit. Jesus has been definitively declared Lord in resurrection, and his Lordship is being worked out by the agency of the Holy Spirit in the people of God, the Church.
(see also 1 Cor 3:5-17 and 6:19)
Monday 21 May 2007
Tower
An interesting perspective proposed by Jill W.
Genesis 11:4
Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
NB: this series is open to any bloggers with a photo that adds texture to a verse from scripture. Email them to phil_and_al@yahoo.com.au
The root of all evil?
The herald reports on the short documentary called 'the root of all evil?' by famed atheist Richard Dawkins.
Is radical scientific materialism a remnant of the modern era uttering its final dying screams?
Does Dawkins represent a serious challenge to faith and religion, one we should be concerned about?
An interesting start to the discussion, again in the herald, by Rachel Kohn, 'despite what the scholars say god isnt dead yet'.
Is radical scientific materialism a remnant of the modern era uttering its final dying screams?
Does Dawkins represent a serious challenge to faith and religion, one we should be concerned about?
An interesting start to the discussion, again in the herald, by Rachel Kohn, 'despite what the scholars say god isnt dead yet'.
Sunday 20 May 2007
Phews 3: Wed, 04 Apr 2001.
REAL POWER!
Sometimes I feel a complete inability to reach out to my non-christian friends with the gospel. Often I am just overwhelmed by the knowledge that they have set ideas about the world, a defined lifestyle and established priorities. I wonder whether it is possible that anything could change their hearts. I run out of arguments, they get angry or offended... After one such week, my bible study group highlighted this verse, "...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you
will be my witnesses..." (Acts 1:8). When it comes down to it, I just need to remind myself of who has sent me, and who it is that goes with me. Will not the Almighty achieve his aims?
Sometimes I feel a complete inability to reach out to my non-christian friends with the gospel. Often I am just overwhelmed by the knowledge that they have set ideas about the world, a defined lifestyle and established priorities. I wonder whether it is possible that anything could change their hearts. I run out of arguments, they get angry or offended... After one such week, my bible study group highlighted this verse, "...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you
will be my witnesses..." (Acts 1:8). When it comes down to it, I just need to remind myself of who has sent me, and who it is that goes with me. Will not the Almighty achieve his aims?
Friday 18 May 2007
John Piper Friday
"The church has not been spending its energy to go deep with the unfathomable God of the Bible. Against the overwhelming weight and seriousness of the Bible, much of the church is choosing, at this very moment, to become more light and shallow and entertainment-oriented, and therefore successful in its irrelevance to massive suffering and evil. The popular God of fun-church is simply too small and too affable to hold a hurricane in his hand. The biblical categories of God’s sovereignty lie like landmines in the pages of the Bible waiting for someone to seriously open the book. They don’t kill, but they do explode trivial notions of the Almighty."
Ten Aspects of God's Sovereignty Over Suffering and Satan's Hand in It. 2005 Desiring God National Conference. October 7, 2005.
Ten Aspects of God's Sovereignty Over Suffering and Satan's Hand in It. 2005 Desiring God National Conference. October 7, 2005.
Thursday 17 May 2007
the bowel
Whilst upon the throne,
in a world of my own,
I contemplated the human bowel.
Several metres of plumbing,
from stomach to rectum running,
the subject of much fascination and study.
Each cell characterized,
each movement examined,
by the scientist in their laboratories.
The source of much humour,
when it decides to speak,
and voice an opinion or two.
Often unappreciated are its thoughts;
infact in pleasant society,
it is known to be downright rude.
And how to clean up,
all the leftover muck,
when it chooses to pass on its product.
To fold or to scrunch,
how will it be done ?
Each method defended by some.
Everyone must deal with their own twisting tube,
and each has their own special way
of relating to this enigma within.
But I must admit,
my interest is but this,
that it removes all the excess bits.
in a world of my own,
I contemplated the human bowel.
Several metres of plumbing,
from stomach to rectum running,
the subject of much fascination and study.
Each cell characterized,
each movement examined,
by the scientist in their laboratories.
The source of much humour,
when it decides to speak,
and voice an opinion or two.
Often unappreciated are its thoughts;
infact in pleasant society,
it is known to be downright rude.
And how to clean up,
all the leftover muck,
when it chooses to pass on its product.
To fold or to scrunch,
how will it be done ?
Each method defended by some.
Everyone must deal with their own twisting tube,
and each has their own special way
of relating to this enigma within.
But I must admit,
my interest is but this,
that it removes all the excess bits.
Don't burn the day - II
I think that biblical christianity maintains that this creation is deeply good. Waterfalls, hummingbirds, tasty food, motherhood, companionship, beaches, rainforests, planets, constellations...
It is good because a good God made it, and declared it to be so. It is good because Jesus - the God-Man - dwelt within it and affirmed it in Ressurection.
In that sense Onfray and Dave Matthews are right to join in a pointed criticism of anyone who would not celebrate the goodness around us.
But you can't help but think that this is not the whole picture. Sure when looking at people and the world around us one must exclaim 'Good', but to be sure this must be followed with 'Not Good!'.
Oil spills, malaria, wars, famines, HIV, domestic violence, paedophilia...
Onfray and Dave Matthews fail to see how the powerful effect of this 'Not good' means that the experience of pleasures realised, passions fulfilled, dancing etc. are beyond the reach of so many in this world. I suspect this represents a certain self interest and apathy towards the 'Not good'. Praying for something more from above is an appropriate response for those embroiled in the effects of 'Not good'.
It is the assumption of 'Good' and the apprehension of 'Not good' that drives the desire for renewal. Renewal, not destruction. Biblical Christianity certainly affirms the continuity of this world and the world to come. But, truly apprending 'Not good' (let alone experiencing it!), demands that it be ended, put away, shut up... Thankfully, Biblical Christianity is full of the affirmation that this will happen (is happening!); that the world to come is discontinuous with this world.
To give Dave Matthews some credit, he offers a way forward... Love. He claims the poweful effect of Love can bring change, renewal. It think he's right. I wonder whether he realises that living out Love in a world full of 'Not good' is exactly what Jesus did. It led him to a certain confrontation, however.
Are we prepared to acknowledge and own that.
It is good because a good God made it, and declared it to be so. It is good because Jesus - the God-Man - dwelt within it and affirmed it in Ressurection.
In that sense Onfray and Dave Matthews are right to join in a pointed criticism of anyone who would not celebrate the goodness around us.
But you can't help but think that this is not the whole picture. Sure when looking at people and the world around us one must exclaim 'Good', but to be sure this must be followed with 'Not Good!'.
Oil spills, malaria, wars, famines, HIV, domestic violence, paedophilia...
Onfray and Dave Matthews fail to see how the powerful effect of this 'Not good' means that the experience of pleasures realised, passions fulfilled, dancing etc. are beyond the reach of so many in this world. I suspect this represents a certain self interest and apathy towards the 'Not good'. Praying for something more from above is an appropriate response for those embroiled in the effects of 'Not good'.
It is the assumption of 'Good' and the apprehension of 'Not good' that drives the desire for renewal. Renewal, not destruction. Biblical Christianity certainly affirms the continuity of this world and the world to come. But, truly apprending 'Not good' (let alone experiencing it!), demands that it be ended, put away, shut up... Thankfully, Biblical Christianity is full of the affirmation that this will happen (is happening!); that the world to come is discontinuous with this world.
To give Dave Matthews some credit, he offers a way forward... Love. He claims the poweful effect of Love can bring change, renewal. It think he's right. I wonder whether he realises that living out Love in a world full of 'Not good' is exactly what Jesus did. It led him to a certain confrontation, however.
Are we prepared to acknowledge and own that.
Wednesday 16 May 2007
World Champ Chilli
I am a lover of spicy foods. National geographic is probably my favourite magazine. You can imagine my joy when in this month's NG there was a short article explaining the rating of the 'hotness' of peppers. They are rated according to the Scoville Heat Unit, which is essentially a measure of the amount of sugar required to neutralise the capsaicin (spicy molecule). The world champ is the Bhut/Bih/Naga jolokia (pictured). It is 20 times as hot as your standard thai chilli!
Tuesday 15 May 2007
Burning bush
Domenico Feti (1589-1623), Moses before the Burning Bush (left).
Eugene Pluchart (1809-1880), God Appears to Moses in Burning Bush (right).
Don't burn the day - I
Over at dustandashes Laura T pointed out this quote.
“The invention of an afterlife would not matter so much were it not purchased at such a high price: disregard of the real, hence wilful neglect of the only world there is... Religion tells us to give up this life for another... They are telling us to give up our desire, passions, pleasures- that by doing so, our existence in this world will make more sense, because the real sense of our life here below is the existence we will have once we are dead. What type of comfort in that? ‘Die while you are alive so you can be alive when you are dead?’… But I know there will always be people who will fight for reason, intelligence, happiness, pleasure, relationships, women, music, painting, literature, good wine, gastronomy. They will think reason is better than fiction.”
-Self pronounced Atheist, Michael Onfray [May 12th ‘Good Weekend’]
It reminded me of this song by Dave Matthews.
Pig.
Oh, isn't it strange
How we move our lives for another day?
Like skipping a beat
What if a great wave should wash us all away?
Just thinking out loud
Don't mean to dwell on this dying thing
But look at my blood
It's alive right now,
And deep and sweet within
Pouring through our veins
Intoxicate moving wine to tears
And drinking it deep
Then an evening spent dancing
It's you and me...
This love will open our world
From the dark side we can see a glow of something bright
Oh, there's much more than we see here
Don't burn the day away
Is this not enough?
This blessed sip of life,
Is it not enough?
Staring down at the ground
Oh, then complain and pray for more from above,
You greedy little pig
Stop, just watch your world trickle away
Oh, it's your problem now
It'll all be dead and gone in a few short years
Just love will open our eyes
Just love will put the hope back in our minds
Much more than we could ever know
Oh, so don't burn the day away
Don't burn the day away
Come sister, my brother
Shake up your bones, shake up your feet
I'm saying open up
And let the rain come pouring in
Wash out this tired notion
That the best is yet to come
But while you're dancing on the ground
Don't think of when you're gone
Love, love, love, what more is there?
'Cause we need the light of love in here
Don't beat your head
Dry your eyes
Let the love in there
There's bad times
But that's okay
Just look for love in it
And don't burn the day away...
Look, here are we
On this starry night, staring into space
And I must say
I feel as small as dust lying down here
What point could there be troubling?
Head down wondering what will become of me?
Why concern "WHAT" we cannot see
But no reason to abandon it
The time is short but that's all right
Maybe I'll go in the middle of the night
Take your hands from your eyes, my love
All good things must come to an end some time
But don't burn the day away
Don't burn the day away...
Come sister, my brother
Shake up your bones, shake up your feet
I'm saying open up
And let the rain come flooding in
Wash out this tired notion
That the best is yet to come
But while you're dancing on the ground
Don't think of when you're gone
Love, love, love, what more is there?
'Cause we need the light of love in here
Don't beat your head
Dry your eyes
Let the love in there
There're bad times
But that's okay
Just look for love in it.
Both pieces accuse 'religion' of being irreverant towards what is now, the world around us, both its needs, failures, glories and successes. It is the 'religious' exposition of what the future entails that is thought to undermine our identification with what is now. But is biblical Christianity subject to this charge. Certainly Christians throughout the ages have failed to appropriately revere all that God has made, and have committed great evils against other humans and the environment, but what about Jesus and the bible?
I recommend you check out a few posts (series on heaven) over at nothing new under the sun. Byron is passionate about the fact that Christianity rightfully understood reverances and upholds all the goodness of creation and that new creation is in continuity with what is now.
“The invention of an afterlife would not matter so much were it not purchased at such a high price: disregard of the real, hence wilful neglect of the only world there is... Religion tells us to give up this life for another... They are telling us to give up our desire, passions, pleasures- that by doing so, our existence in this world will make more sense, because the real sense of our life here below is the existence we will have once we are dead. What type of comfort in that? ‘Die while you are alive so you can be alive when you are dead?’… But I know there will always be people who will fight for reason, intelligence, happiness, pleasure, relationships, women, music, painting, literature, good wine, gastronomy. They will think reason is better than fiction.”
-Self pronounced Atheist, Michael Onfray [May 12th ‘Good Weekend’]
It reminded me of this song by Dave Matthews.
Pig.
Oh, isn't it strange
How we move our lives for another day?
Like skipping a beat
What if a great wave should wash us all away?
Just thinking out loud
Don't mean to dwell on this dying thing
But look at my blood
It's alive right now,
And deep and sweet within
Pouring through our veins
Intoxicate moving wine to tears
And drinking it deep
Then an evening spent dancing
It's you and me...
This love will open our world
From the dark side we can see a glow of something bright
Oh, there's much more than we see here
Don't burn the day away
Is this not enough?
This blessed sip of life,
Is it not enough?
Staring down at the ground
Oh, then complain and pray for more from above,
You greedy little pig
Stop, just watch your world trickle away
Oh, it's your problem now
It'll all be dead and gone in a few short years
Just love will open our eyes
Just love will put the hope back in our minds
Much more than we could ever know
Oh, so don't burn the day away
Don't burn the day away
Come sister, my brother
Shake up your bones, shake up your feet
I'm saying open up
And let the rain come pouring in
Wash out this tired notion
That the best is yet to come
But while you're dancing on the ground
Don't think of when you're gone
Love, love, love, what more is there?
'Cause we need the light of love in here
Don't beat your head
Dry your eyes
Let the love in there
There's bad times
But that's okay
Just look for love in it
And don't burn the day away...
Look, here are we
On this starry night, staring into space
And I must say
I feel as small as dust lying down here
What point could there be troubling?
Head down wondering what will become of me?
Why concern "WHAT" we cannot see
But no reason to abandon it
The time is short but that's all right
Maybe I'll go in the middle of the night
Take your hands from your eyes, my love
All good things must come to an end some time
But don't burn the day away
Don't burn the day away...
Come sister, my brother
Shake up your bones, shake up your feet
I'm saying open up
And let the rain come flooding in
Wash out this tired notion
That the best is yet to come
But while you're dancing on the ground
Don't think of when you're gone
Love, love, love, what more is there?
'Cause we need the light of love in here
Don't beat your head
Dry your eyes
Let the love in there
There're bad times
But that's okay
Just look for love in it.
Both pieces accuse 'religion' of being irreverant towards what is now, the world around us, both its needs, failures, glories and successes. It is the 'religious' exposition of what the future entails that is thought to undermine our identification with what is now. But is biblical Christianity subject to this charge. Certainly Christians throughout the ages have failed to appropriately revere all that God has made, and have committed great evils against other humans and the environment, but what about Jesus and the bible?
I recommend you check out a few posts (series on heaven) over at nothing new under the sun. Byron is passionate about the fact that Christianity rightfully understood reverances and upholds all the goodness of creation and that new creation is in continuity with what is now.
Monday 14 May 2007
prayer is foundational
Mark 9:14-29
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
"What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.
A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
This may seem like an unusual passage to choose as one that has shaped my understanding of the Christian life. I was greatly challenged several years ago, however, by Dr D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones treatment of this passage in his sermon series (now published as a book) on Revival. That prayer is foundational to the way God chooses to manifest his power in the world remains one of the most potent challenges to my self-reliance in so much of what I call my ministry.
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
"What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.
A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
This may seem like an unusual passage to choose as one that has shaped my understanding of the Christian life. I was greatly challenged several years ago, however, by Dr D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones treatment of this passage in his sermon series (now published as a book) on Revival. That prayer is foundational to the way God chooses to manifest his power in the world remains one of the most potent challenges to my self-reliance in so much of what I call my ministry.
Sunday 13 May 2007
waiting
This beautiful picture and verse sent in by Jill W.
Psalm 130:6 ‘My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.’
Saturday 12 May 2007
All Authority
Resurrection is also rightly understood and as enthronement. It is the definitive declaration that Jesus is Lord. Having carried the weight of sin and evil on himself unto death, Jesus overcomes. He is risen!
The risen Jesus declares "All authority in heaven (God's place) and earth (our place) has been given to me..." The entire cosmos is rightfully his.
This truth comes with an imperative for Jesus people*, "Therefore go and make disciples of all people..." There is a sense in which the Jesus 'land' needs to be occupied.
Could it be that the God reigning in Zion is no longer localised as Temple/Jerusalem/Israel but has a different locus as Jesus/Church/World? I am getting ahead of myself though... Suffice it to say, I think that because of the Lordship of Jesus the promised land is, in a sense, rightfully understood as the whole world and the way there is discipleship to Jesus.
*I make the assumption here that this command does not exclusively apply to the disciples themselves, but is an enduring command to all Jesus people.
The risen Jesus declares "All authority in heaven (God's place) and earth (our place) has been given to me..." The entire cosmos is rightfully his.
This truth comes with an imperative for Jesus people*, "Therefore go and make disciples of all people..." There is a sense in which the Jesus 'land' needs to be occupied.
Could it be that the God reigning in Zion is no longer localised as Temple/Jerusalem/Israel but has a different locus as Jesus/Church/World? I am getting ahead of myself though... Suffice it to say, I think that because of the Lordship of Jesus the promised land is, in a sense, rightfully understood as the whole world and the way there is discipleship to Jesus.
*I make the assumption here that this command does not exclusively apply to the disciples themselves, but is an enduring command to all Jesus people.
Friday 11 May 2007
foreign gods
This Photo sent by Laura T. I love the way it captures movement and activity.
Jeremiah 2:25
"Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry.
But you said, 'It's no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them."
Responses to abortion
2 articles in the Sydney Morning Herald today again emphasised how devisive and complicated is the issue of abortion.
See:
whats down the hatch? and pope ignites abortion row as he visits brazil.
See:
whats down the hatch? and pope ignites abortion row as he visits brazil.
Thursday 10 May 2007
Land of Hope and Dreams
Grab your ticket and your suitcase
Thunder's rolling down the tracks
You don't know where you're goin'
But you know you won't be back
Darlin' if you're weary
Lay your head upon my chest
We'll take what we can carry
And we'll leave the rest
Big Wheels rolling through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams
I will provide for you
And I'll stand by your side
You'll need a good companion for
This part of the ride
Leave behind your sorrows
Let this day be the last
Tomorrow there'll be sunshine
And all this darkness past
Big wheels roll through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams
This train...Carries saints and sinners
This train...Carries losers and winners
This Train...Carries whores and gamblers
This Train...Carries lost souls
This Train...Dreams will not be thwarted
This Train...Faith will be rewarded
This Train...Hear the steel wheels singin'
This Train...Bells of freedom ringin'
This Train...Carries broken-hearted
This Train...Thieves and sweet souls departed
This Train...Carries fools and kings
This Train...All aboard
This Train...Dreams will not be thwarted
This Train...Faith will be rewarded
This Train...Hear the steel wheels singin'
This Train...Bells of freedom ringin'
Another brilliant song by the Boss! The image of a train carrying all people towards a better future is fantastic. This is 'the land of hope and dreams'. It taps deeply into American cultural resevoirs containing both christian and democratic, egalitarian language.
But does having hope and dreams of a better future necessarily lead to that future becoming a reality? If it doesn't, is the community that is created by shared hopes ultimately of any value? Why would faith simply in a better future be rewarded? Who rewards? What sort of freedom does living with hope and dreams bring, or do we just become captives to our ability/inability to act on our hope and dreams?
Unquenchable
Another great image sent through by scotty m!
1 Thessalonians 5:19
Do not put out the Spirit's fire;
Tuesday 8 May 2007
Well dressed
Due to the decidedly underwhelming response to the 'Images of scripure' gallery request, I have had to seek out images myself. I have once again turned to my good mate scotty m.
Matthew 6:28-30.
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."
Monday 7 May 2007
Polarity
despair... hope
judgement... mercy
condemnation... grace
darkness... light
sin... righteousness
defiled... holy
isolation... community
meaninglessness... purpose
rejected... received
powerless... mighty
slave... child
terror... love
death... life
without God... In Christ.
judgement... mercy
condemnation... grace
darkness... light
sin... righteousness
defiled... holy
isolation... community
meaninglessness... purpose
rejected... received
powerless... mighty
slave... child
terror... love
death... life
without God... In Christ.
Sunday 6 May 2007
Phews 10: Fri, 25 May 2001.
DISLOCATED CHRISTIANITY
One word has been on my mind over the last few weeks. That word is integrity. The dictionary definition of integrity consists of three parts:
1. possession of firm principles: the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.
2. completeness: the state of being complete or undivided.
3. wholeness: the state of being sound or undamaged.
I have tried to spend time examining the integrity of my own faith... Is there a unity between my belief and my life? Is there a unity between my internal life and my external life? Is there a wholeness in the application of my faith to my life? Is there a unity in my view of Jesus as my saviour as well as Jesus the Lord? Am I a man of integrity and am I pursuing integrity in all my words, thoughts and deeds?
In medicine, a disclocation is the the displacement of a body part, especially of a bone, from its usual fitting in a joint. I wonder whether, due to a lack of integrity, I am causing a dislocation in the body of Christ, not only impairing the function of one limb, but the function of the whole...
One word has been on my mind over the last few weeks. That word is integrity. The dictionary definition of integrity consists of three parts:
1. possession of firm principles: the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.
2. completeness: the state of being complete or undivided.
3. wholeness: the state of being sound or undamaged.
I have tried to spend time examining the integrity of my own faith... Is there a unity between my belief and my life? Is there a unity between my internal life and my external life? Is there a wholeness in the application of my faith to my life? Is there a unity in my view of Jesus as my saviour as well as Jesus the Lord? Am I a man of integrity and am I pursuing integrity in all my words, thoughts and deeds?
In medicine, a disclocation is the the displacement of a body part, especially of a bone, from its usual fitting in a joint. I wonder whether, due to a lack of integrity, I am causing a dislocation in the body of Christ, not only impairing the function of one limb, but the function of the whole...
Great concert!!!
Just saw the dave matthews band last night in Sydney. Awesome, awesome band!
If you are not aquainted, I recommend you go out and buy an album. Start with 'Crash' or 'Before these crowded streets'.
Go check out their website via the sidebar here.
Go check out the fan site at www.nancies.org.
You must hear these guys!
Friday 4 May 2007
Baby Moses
At my church, the ministry team are preaching through exodus.
It is a narrative that many artists have chosen to express over the centuries.
Here are some pieces.
The Finding of Moses,
Paolo Veronese - 1570-75. (left)
The Finding of Moses,
Francesco Zugno - 1740. (right)
Undone
Empty bottles on the coffee table.
Kitchen is a mess, there's no coca-cola left,
and I've seen the space between my dreams and reality,
as if I've come to terms with all the things I've done.
There's the miracle of grace;
There's the lingering taste
of last nights chinese take-away,
my existential tooth decay.
When all I am and who we are,
where we've been, our countless scars,
they haunt me, they haunt me...
Then I'm undone by you.
I'm undone by you.
Empty evenings around coffee tables;
self indulgent repartee, 'cause we all still believe
that our prejudice and hate -yesterdays editorial page-
will redeem us, that it can clean us.
But I'm undone by you.
I'm undone by you.
Empty bottles on the coffee table...
Empty bottles on the coffee table...
Kitchen is a mess, there's no coca-cola left,
and I've seen the space between my dreams and reality,
as if I've come to terms with all the things I've done.
There's the miracle of grace;
There's the lingering taste
of last nights chinese take-away,
my existential tooth decay.
When all I am and who we are,
where we've been, our countless scars,
they haunt me, they haunt me...
Then I'm undone by you.
I'm undone by you.
Empty evenings around coffee tables;
self indulgent repartee, 'cause we all still believe
that our prejudice and hate -yesterdays editorial page-
will redeem us, that it can clean us.
But I'm undone by you.
I'm undone by you.
Empty bottles on the coffee table...
Empty bottles on the coffee table...
Thursday 3 May 2007
Golgotha and the empty tomb
I assume that Jesus and then subsequently his disciples thought of his work in both Isaianic and Zionistic terms.
On the basis of that we can say that Jesus died at Golgotha as Israel's representative and substitute, being crushed and bruised because of their disobedience and sin that brought curse under the law. This was an act of justice on God's behalf, for his promise in the law was to bring curse on the transgressors. It vindicated his covenant and promise, and the worth of his Glory expressed in that covenant. As justice is done, and God is vindicated, the cross also becomes the place of forgiveness for the transgressors.
We can also say that Jesus return to Jerusalem, clash with what the rebuilt (post-exilic) temple had become and resurrection was God's return to His people, and the reconstitution of God's dwelling place in the risen body of Jesus.
The place where the Creator God of Israel is to be met and honoured is through the death and in the risen person Jesus.
On the basis of that we can say that Jesus died at Golgotha as Israel's representative and substitute, being crushed and bruised because of their disobedience and sin that brought curse under the law. This was an act of justice on God's behalf, for his promise in the law was to bring curse on the transgressors. It vindicated his covenant and promise, and the worth of his Glory expressed in that covenant. As justice is done, and God is vindicated, the cross also becomes the place of forgiveness for the transgressors.
We can also say that Jesus return to Jerusalem, clash with what the rebuilt (post-exilic) temple had become and resurrection was God's return to His people, and the reconstitution of God's dwelling place in the risen body of Jesus.
The place where the Creator God of Israel is to be met and honoured is through the death and in the risen person Jesus.
Wednesday 2 May 2007
driven heavenward
Philippians 3:10-14
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Tuesday 1 May 2007
Wines worth trying
For May I have chosen:
Tulloch, Hunter Valley, NSW.
2006 - Verdelho.
The weather is cooling so warm, hearty food makes the mouth water all the more. I think this well balanced, fruit filled wine would be excellent with pork chops and apple sauce.
Tulloch, Hunter Valley, NSW.
2006 - Verdelho.
The weather is cooling so warm, hearty food makes the mouth water all the more. I think this well balanced, fruit filled wine would be excellent with pork chops and apple sauce.
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